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The manual says that if you place an aircraft with sonobuoys on hover/loiter at Low or Vlow altitude that they'll automatcially drop a small field of sonobuoys.

Is this just wishful thinking? Because I've not seen it happen in-game.

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel
The manual says that if you place an aircraft with sonobuoys on hover/loiter at Low or Vlow altitude that they'll automatcially drop a small field of sonobuoys. Is this just wishful thinking? Because I've not seen it happen in-game.

If they're in a formation patrol, then yes, they'll drop sonobuoys automatically if they have them. Otherwise, outside of formations, they're under manual control, and you'll have to drop the sonobuoys yourself by pressing the '.' (period) key.

Sorry, NK, just re-read your question, and yes, if you loiter or hover your ASW aircraft at Vlow, they should drop a sonobuoy or deploy their dipping sonar automatically.

I haven't done this for a while but I recall entering courses where I would enter a loiter order then a cruise order at intervals along a path to lay a sonobouy line.  Found using the period alot easier, though.

DN

So.. they only drop 1 sonobuoy when a non-formation patrol loiters?  Hmm. I thought it said 6 to 10 in a "field".  

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel

So.. they only drop 1 sonobuoy when a non-formation patrol loiters?  Hmm. I thought it said 6 to 10 in a "field".  

Don't know about that but I will have look after work [:)] Unless somebody else gets a chance first [[;)] I tend to program a loiter cruise sequence in a pattern out where I want the ASW to look It's a real tough thing because you need to program the sequence manually at highest magnification. Otherwise the asset will stay in loiter way to long between patrol points. When you go into loiter at VL it does drop sonobouys automatically. Then you cruise to the next point at Low to prevent pilot error. I just don't remember how many. I'm guessing the manual is correct ......

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel
So.. they only drop 1 sonobuoy when a non-formation patrol loiters? Hmm. I thought it said 6 to 10 in a "field".

That part of the manual just speaks to sonobuoy tactics, i.e. lay a field of 6 to 10 sonobuoys and hope that an enemy submarine contact crosses the 'field'. Each tap of the '.' (period) button or black square is a single sonobuoy.

Thanks for the further info. I can see why everyone does it manually, as I have been doing too, since it would likely take more time to plot out all the course commands than doing it yourself. Though you can still really on get a good continuous line of them one a/c at a time.

One more thing... Are the sonobuoy's limited transmitter ranges modelled or can I lay long strings of sonos and not worry about some that are a ways off?

ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel
One more thing... Are the sonobuoy's limited transmitter ranges modelled or can I lay long strings of sonos and not worry about some that are a ways off?

Don't worry about the distant ones. As long as the buoy lasts, it'll report back to you regardless of range to parent aircraft.

Btw, sonobuoy life is one hour.