Inflight refueling

[Beagle]

Hi Guys,

My concept is the use of a "refuelling base" for aircraft, similar in concept to the home base for aircraft. The default refuelling base would be the home base. Then players can set up a virtual refuelling base that is serviced by tankers via the current mission editor as a "tanker" mission. Players can then select this refuelling base in the same way they select the home base and all bingo calcs will be based on this point. This should be similar to the coding you use now, to help reduce the effort required in the short term.

To make it more advanced in the future you could have it calculate the total rate of fuel consumption of aircraft assigned to the refuelling base, and then give an indication if more tankers need to be assigned or predict when assigned aircraft need to be refuelled by showing a future queue of when aircraft are likely to need refuelling.

Thoughts?

[ComDev]

Thats a ver interesting idea, have added it to our notes. Thanks!

[DeltaIV]

I'm currently also battling with tanker problems in my scenario.

Setup is following:
- Norwegian airforce is trying attack land targets that are on the very edge of combat radius of their F16s
- NATO (which is actually neutral side in my scenario, but with friendly posture towards Norway) operates tanker aircraft halfway between their airbase and intended targets (KC135R)
- F16s cannot reach their targets and return without refueling, but if they refuel, they can strike the targets and return to their home base safely

So my questions are:
1. Can the aircraft refuel from other side's tankers if their posture is friendly ?
2. Can i somehow force the aircraft to refuel when they're on their way to the objective (they are not bingo yet)?

[Primarchx]

I like the 'tanking base' idea, so that I can explicitly connect aircraft to a tanker mission.

I'd also like to see a method that directs an aircraft to refuel immediately. The Refuel (if possible) command doesn't do this unless the a/c is apparently at some unknown-to-me fuel state. I've had flights fly right by a tanker orbit and not refuel, while all the while I'm directing them to.

This becomes a problem on long-range strikes where you want to refuel your aircraft BEFORE they head to their targets but they haven't hit their secret, magic refuel-ready state yet. Instead they head in and somewhere near the target suddenly have to refuel or RTB Bingo.

Perhaps this problem has been fixed in the recent build, but it's one that frustrates me frequently.

[Dannyp19]

ORIGINAL: Primarchx

I like the 'tanking base' idea, so that I can explicitly connect aircraft to a tanker mission.

I'd also like to see a method that directs an aircraft to refuel immediately. The Refuel (if possible) command doesn't do this unless the a/c is apparently at some unknown-to-me fuel state. I've had flights fly right by a tanker orbit and not refuel, while all the while I'm directing them to.

This becomes a problem on long-range strikes where you want to refuel your aircraft BEFORE they head to their targets but they haven't hit their secret, magic refuel-ready state yet. Instead they head in and somewhere near the target suddenly have to refuel or RTB Bingo.

Perhaps this problem has been fixed in the recent build, but it's one that frustrates me frequently.

I like the "tanker base" idea also.

Ive found that (most of the time) the tankers have to be half way between the AC's base and the destination for them to top off. Also If they are stubborn about refueling I have to make sure there unassigned. Sometimes when they do obey they will break from plotted course, top off, and head right back to the point of the plot where they broke off to refuel.

Ive posted my way of tanking on this thread here. Its worked for me pretty good.tm.asp?m=3567257

[mikeCK]

Home base would be best as long as it didn't try to rearm (when Winchester) at the tanker