C-130 and C-17 Formation Flight

[Backy 51]

Is there anyway I can modify a LUA file or some other setting to allow for 2 and 4-ship C-130 and C-17 formation flights? Both aircraft fly tactical airdrop low-level missions and I want to simulate this within a mission I am developing.

[Charlie_01]

Is there anyway I can modify a LUA file or some other setting to allow for 2 and 4-ship C-130 and C-17 formation flights? Both aircraft fly tactical airdrop low-level missions and I want to simulate this within a mission I am developing.

 

I don't believe it's possible.

I've read a lot of time ago a post from someone ED guy (I don't remember what is the thread at this moment) and he said big planes can't be in more-than-one-ship flights due just to their dimension. That could be show graphic overlays most of all when they taking off together side by side or maybe when they taxiing too.

 

I also made a self-made mission using a bomber squadron, but I could get it only putting them in as four coordinated but distinct 1-ship flights: that seems to be the only way to manage a lot of big planes together on DCS A-10WH, now and in the future... :(

[Druid_]

Create 1 aircraft with all of the waypoints. Click on it, press CTRL C (copy) then click on map where in formation you want the second aircaft to be & press CTRL V. You will have a carbon copy of the first flight and they should appear to fly in formation. just don't put them too close together (else obstacle detection and AI avoidance kicks in) and the less waypoints with large changes of direction the better. Alternatively place them with a TOT (time on target) IP waypoint so they arrive there at same time and head off on target drop WP in formation.

[Backy 51]

Thanks for the replies fellas! Druid, I've done the Copy/Paste thing, but I do not like the results. In tactical airdrop, low levels are generally flown at 300 AGL Day / 500 AGL Night. I want to have the formation taxi, takeoff, rejoin, properly fly the route and hit the DZ on time. The A-10 has a secondary mission as an airdrop escort aircraft to provide suppression of enroute threats and "DZ sanitation". Flying low through the mountain valleys is challenging and great fun in the sim. Having a little multiplayer and AI company within the mission adds to the immersion and provides a good skills test for DCS pilots. There is so much to love about this sim, but to be honest, the mission editor functionality should not have to be an exercise in LUA programming to get good results - IMHO. Still, it's the best game in town for 2012 flight simulation! What I would give for airborne serpentine route logic for the AI!

[Druid_]

It should be possible but will take some time to do and tbh I'm not sure it would necessarily be worth all the effort. I had 2 AI a10s valley flying in Op Talisker and it took ages to get them to do it right.

 

However, if you are willling then try & place a time at the waypoints for each aircraft in the formation and move the waypoints slightly to simulate crossovers at turns and lead and lag as required. Again though make sure they dont get too close to each other as AI proximity detection takes over and they will split.

[Backy 51]

Thanks for the info Druid. Any idea of how many meters that AI proximity detection range might be?

[Druid_]

sorry no i haven't measured it. Its pretty close and does vary slightly for different size aircraft. You shouldn't have a problem with the kind of spacing required for a tactical air drop.

[VFA41_Lion]

I distinctly remembering going through a LUA file and seeing the max number of planes that plane could have in a group about a week ago.

 

Unfortunately i can't remember what file it was. D:

[Supersheep]

I wondered why this isn't possible a while back as well.

Very quick and unscientific research shows that C-17s [edit]predominantly[/edit] fly "Trail"-formation (or something similar).

 

This is easier to set up than a flight of multiple big aircraft doing more intricate formation as you would need to set each plane's height for each waypoint individually.

 

 

Back then, I did not try to implement a formation as I wa only doing a practice mission and wanted to have some eye-candy in there.

 

 

 

Super-

Edited February 26, 2012 by Supersheep

[Backy 51]

I've since learned I can have "heavies" launch single ship, rejoin to formation spacing using the FOLLOW command and then break out to separate waypoints to recover single ship at an airfield. It's a work around. I just wish we had one air droppable unit other than the illumination bomb/flare. Having to blow up my transports in flight to create paratroopers is ridiculous! C'mon ED, show some love to the airlift community!

Edited August 3, 2013 by Backy 51
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