Ideal GAU-8 range against tanks?

[GGTharos]

That's really not saying anything ... better way to understand that they are the best of the best ...

 

1) You have to pass certain hand-eye coordination tests and spacial awareness tests. If you can't hack these, there's no point in flying a fighter, you'll kill yourself or your buddies by getting lost the moment something out of the ordinary happens.

 

2) You have to have a certain level of IQ. Pilots are very smart and very focused.

 

3) You have to work reasonably well with others. THis is a team effort.

 

Ok, so, you've passed the prelim physical tests and now you're writing exams based on some bold face procedures from aircraft operating books (probably your training AC).

 

And you forget to put down the punctuation correctly for the bold face you were told to regurgitate ... guess what. The guy who paid more attention, got it right and thus did it better than you gets picked over you out of the 300 guys applying for 1 fighter slot.

 

Ok, so you passed this one too. Now you're in flight training. You find that you're consistently a second (yes, ONE) behind in your cockpit operations. You get drummed out. What, tracking the other 27 planes in the landing pattern, remembering all their radio calls while making your own and talking to the tower too much for you? LOL! Try flying a desk, at least the only thing you'll be in danger of colliding with are orders you don't like.

 

Sure, you passed the above one too. Maybe you're doing really well - in which case they increase the pressure, they treat you a little worse, they see if you're leadership material or if you'll cave under the pressure.

 

So there's more flight training, and you start doing fighter fundamentals ... but you can't get your spacial relationships right the second ride in a row, guess what. Elimination ride!

 

Ok, you worked that one out, and now it's on to 2-ship flights ...

 

This stuff lasts years, that's before the squadron you're assigned to you starts training you.

 

So now there's 1 fighter slot, 1 bomber slot, 2 T-38 slots, and five UAV slots ... and 10 qualified pilots. Which slot are you going to get? Did you graduate at the top of your class? Does the squadron you're applying to like you? ...

 

Also, if they're not the best of the best, they simply don't get to fly. I was suprised to learn that all U.S. Navy pilots are required to have the same level of ability as the pilots of the Blue Angels... and all USAF pilots the same skills as the Thunderbirds... it's just normal to them. These aircraft are amazing, but the men flying them are what makes them so deadly and effective.

[Nealius]

I didn't know IQ played into it. I thought there was some sort of written exam specifically for those wanting to be pilots that didn't measure IQ but measured their ability or potential ability to fly...like a GRE for the air force.

 

 

"Pilot aptitude test" I think is the term I was thinking of.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Nealius

[WildBillKelsoe]

 

7 seconds?? I don't think I've ever even kept the trigger down for that long in any stage :)

 

It is mentioned here somewhere, in an official (?) source. Something about correcting for 3 things.

[mjeh]

I didn't know IQ played into it. I thought there was some sort of written exam specifically for those wanting to be pilots that didn't measure IQ but measured their ability or potential ability to fly...like a GRE for the air force.

 

 

"Pilot aptitude test" I think is the term I was thinking of.

 

Spatial awareness, understanding and working with the laws of physics in 3d space, aquiring, filtering, prioritizing and processing information on the fly, working complex systems in stressful situations, cooperative abilities, clarity of communication, situational awareness and replying to the situation with the proper tactic, improvisation.

 

All of these require keenness of mind, I'd say intelligence is the single most important asset of a fighter pilot.

[Nealius]

Spatial awareness, understanding and working with the laws of physics in 3d space, aquiring, filtering, prioritizing and processing information on the fly, working complex systems in stressful situations, cooperative abilities, clarity of communication, situational awareness and replying to the situation with the proper tactic, improvisation.

 

All of these require keenness of mind, I'd say intelligence is the single most important asset of a fighter pilot.

 

Hence the pilot aptitude test. The last time I took an IQ test those subjects were not covered.

[mjeh]

Hence the pilot aptitude test. The last time I took an IQ test those subjects were not covered.

 

I'd say you've got as good as all of those covered in some form or another on a serious IQ test, with the obvious exceptions of cooperative skills.

 

But this must be the third time or so that I contribute to derailing this thread now, sorry OP! I'll go practive my gun runs instead. :)

[StrongHarm]

This discussion on how rare a person you have to be to fly a fighter in the U.S. Military has made me reflect on one very important point, my brothers in virtual arms; ED has provided us with the rare opportunity to do (with staggering realism) what few men ever have the privilege to do in their life time: master and employ the most deadly aircraft ever built. ED, you once again have my respect and gratitude!

[Agiel7]

Keep in mind that the GAU-8 and the A-10 were designed when the primary tanks of the Soviets were still T-55s and T-62s, the T-64s were a major disappointment, and the T-72 still used cast steel for armour.

[MatzWarhog]

Glad this was revived! I was "Center Mass" spraying T72's without the desired results. Even though I was mostly rolling in from behind... looks like I need to steepen the dive angle a bit!! We'll see how it turns out!!

 

Matt

[FreeFall]

I'm not an expert, but this gun run by ralfidude looks SO NICE!:

 

:pilotfly:

[GGTharos]

He's not attacking tanks I believe. You need to get much closer for tanks.

[Eddie]

I'm not an expert, but this gun run by ralfidude looks SO NICE!:

 

:pilotfly:

 

Looks cool, yes. But not "correct", if you want to do it "realistically".

 

For a two target strafe, you start with the target furthest away/away from your direction of egress and move to the closer target/the target next along your egress direction. A TTS is also done as a combination of a long range strafe and a low angle strafe, not from a high angle strafe.

 

Of course, if people want to do it that way, go for it.

[FreeFall]

GG, whatever. But very accurate aiming to me? Right?

[FreeFall]

Thanks, Eddie, as well. I like Hollywood movies. And that footage looks f***in good. No offence. :D

[GGTharos]

That's what GUNPAC is there for ;)

 

GG, whatever. But very accurate aiming to me? Right?

[FreeFall]

That's what GUNPAC is there for ;)

 

I know what you mean. :joystick:

[StrongHarm]

I've created a new version of Tankbusting101 specifically for NTTR/DCS2.0.

 

You can find it in user files:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/1839687/

 

I think you may be using an older version of that mission Quarkie. I've made a number of improvements, check it out. And thanks for the endorcement! I worked hard on that one. Glad it helped.

 

The mission really helped my tankbusting skills too. I used to have to reload twice to take out all 16 tanks, now I can do it with no reload and ammo to spare.

 

After you take out the non-agressive tanks, highly skilled aggressive tanks spawn, and they will shoot you down pretty easily if you're not careful. The key to avoiding their fire is rudder. Keep a wing down and your eye on them, when they fire just juke a little rudder, the rounds will pass you by. I can fly a pattern at 200ft around 8 T80s all day long and not get hit after practicing avoidance. Try it out in TankBusting101. The mission has voice guided instructions and tips, as well as performance triggered information.

 

By the way, if you don't want to take the time to kill the non-aggressive tanks, just hit F10 and choose to autodestroy them so the aggressive ones will spawn.

 

More info:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DUSTY]

Thanks for the mission StrongHarm, the RF audio chatter on FM is a really nice touch.

 

Slightly OT: Does anyone know if ED will be taking a look at the effectiveness of the GAU-8 against tanks? Or perhaps the damage modelling?

 

I recently did some testing and it requires ~400 hits from the GAU-8 to kill a T-72. RW they train to squirt 100 round bursts at MBTs and it is more than effective to disable/destroy them.

 

Anybody else finding the same thing?

[StrongHarm]

Dusty, I'm not seeing that issue. I regularly see T80/90s go down with less than 100 rounds on an optimal run. In TankBusting101 it goes over some procedures. Try those and see how you fare. The important things are that you have PAC on so you'll get a concentrated hit pattern, you should be between .7 and .4nm when you fire, and don't try to breach the front armor (hit it in the rear, or at least in the flanks). Tell me how it goes.

Edited April 5, 2016 by StrongHarm

[DUSTY]

Hmm, maybe i'm experiencing a bug then because in ideal conditions (engaging rear armor from in range and having the GUN PAC on for 6-8 seconds before firing) it's still taking about 400 'hits' to kill.

 

I'll upload some tacview logs later to demonstrate my issues.