MODDING AIRCRAFT

[Herrbear]

Is there any reason why an aircraft could not be set up with 2 types of bombloads?

For example: Currently the B-25J1 has a bombload of 6 x 500lb GP
Could this be modified to show as 4 x 500lb GP and 4 x 250lb GP

Thank you for your answers.

[DuckofTindalos]

No reason whatsoever. As long as it doesn't go over the aircraft's load capacity, you can split it like you want to.

[Herrbear]

Thank you.

[DuckofTindalos]

Just remember that the more individual bombs you add, the more damage the aircraft is likely to do. Factor of the combat engine.

[Pascal_slith]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Just remember that the more individual bombs you add, the more damage the aircraft is likely to do. Factor of the combat engine.

OK, this needs more explanation.... You mean the comat engine is such that 500 1kg bombs will do more damage than 1 500kg bomb?

Doesn't that sound bizarre depending on the nature of the target?

[DuckofTindalos]

That's not what I said. 500 1kg bombs have 500 chances to hit, while 1 500kg bomb has 1 chance to hit. Therefore, statistically, the damage will be greater.

[oldman45]

Is that why they pulled the parafrags?

[DuckofTindalos]

No idea.

[Pascal_slith]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That's not what I said. 500 1kg bombs have 500 chances to hit, while 1 500kg bomb has 1 chance to hit. Therefore, statistically, the damage will be greater.

Well, there definitely are more chances of hits, but this does not mean the damage will be greater.

Simple example: If I hit the deck armor of a battleship with one 500kg bomb I can do serious damage with my one hit. However, if I hit the same deck with 500 1kg bombs, there is definitely a chance of doing damage to unarmored targets but virtually no chance of any serious damage to the ship (I certainly won't penetrate the deck).

The number of hits is one element, but the power of any single hit is a different element and depends on the type of target. I would expect the combat engine takes these separate elements into account, no?

[el cid again]

You are correct. More smaller bombs tend to be more damaging to land combat units and to small, unarmored ships - and submarines.
But a truly hard target may sluff off most small bomb hits - and only take serious damage when a larger one hits - given the qualifier there is
a random change they sluff off a big one too.

Planes exist with more than one bomb load in two forms:

1) You can introduce a plane "type" for each load - the most common example being a Peggy with torpedoes and one with not. But many types of planes do this in many mods. While the torpedo version will indeed carry bombs on a non-naval mission, or in some cases on an extended range mission, the loadout is determined by code - and is not the normal loadout of a Peggy. A couple of 250 kg bombs is not that great vs land units, so a loadout of more standard 100 kg (or even 50 kg) bombs is more effective.

2) You can define one plane type, but UNITS starting with that type may be defined with different loads. Any unit UPGRADING to the type will get the loadout in the aircraft file - but units defined with a different loadout will keep using that one (unless they "upgrade" to a different type, and "upgrade" back - to get the default loadout).

[bairdlander2]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That's not what I said. 500 1kg bombs have 500 chances to hit, while 1 500kg bomb has 1 chance to hit. Therefore, statistically, the damage will be greater.

Well you do know everything so it must be true

[inqistor]

ORIGINAL: Herrbear

Is there any reason why an aircraft could not be set up with 2 types of bombloads?

For example: Currently the B-25J1 has a bombload of 6 x 500lb GP
Could this be modified to show as 4 x 500lb GP and 4 x 250lb GP

There is field "alternate device" in weapon slot. It seems to be used, when plane is set to Naval attack, and should use SAP bombs, instead of GP. You can experiment with it, and see if it is possible to set "alternate" as completely different bombs.

Also, it seems drop-tanks are defined in some planes in place of bombs. Maybe it is possible to create "fake" drop-tanks, which are actually real bombs? That way, when you select drop-tanks, you will get no extra range, but instead different bombload.

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That's not what I said. 500 1kg bombs have 500 chances to hit, while 1 500kg bomb has 1 chance to hit. Therefore, statistically, the damage will be greater.

Yawn...
As always, NOT true:

ORIGINAL: michaelm

[1108m4/5]
Tweaked Air attacks at 10K were not being adjusted for misses when checking each bomb dropped.
[A miss after a hit should end the 'stick' or increase the odds of any further bombs in same 'stick' of missing.]

[Herrbear]

There is field "alternate device" in weapon slot. It seems to be used, when plane is set to Naval attack, and should use SAP bombs, instead of GP. You can experiment with it, and see if it is possible to set "alternate" as completely different bombs.

Is that field in the editor or is that discovered using witpaeload?

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: inqistor

ORIGINAL: Terminus
That's not what I said. 500 1kg bombs have 500 chances to hit, while 1 500kg bomb has 1 chance to hit. Therefore, statistically, the damage will be greater.

Yawn...
As always, NOT true:

Yawn...
TRUE

Before you make statements like this you need to know how the code works ... which you clearly do not.
Before you make statements like this you should know a minimal amount of statistical math ... which you clearly do not.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: Herrbear
Is that field in the editor or is that discovered using witpaeload?

Herrbear, the poor fellow has no clue what he's talking about.

AltDevice is a field in the Device panel that allows for flip flopping between (for example) 500lb GP and 500lb AP bombs, depending on the mission. AltDevice and AltUse are pieces of data used in code driven algorithm. Mess with them at your peril.

Ciao. J

[inqistor]

[8|]

ORIGINAL: JWE
Before you make statements like this you need to know how the code works ... which you clearly do not.

This is not mine, but michaelm statement. So HE does NOT know, how the code works? [X(]

Before you make statements like this you should know a minimal amount of statistical math ... which you clearly do not.

But I had TWO years of this crap at University! Is it NOT ENOUGH? [:(]

ORIGINAL: Herrbear
Is that field in the editor or is that discovered using witpaeload?

There are two fields at the bottom of Device page. When I have set torpedo, as alternate device for bomb, it hang the game, when I acceses modified aircraft screen, so you have to heavily experiment with settings.