AP/Area/HEAT for aerial guns/cannons

[jenrick]

I was browsing the weapons values and was trying to figure out exactly how the AP/Area/HEAT values were calculated and used. I noted for instance that the GAU-8 30mm cannon has a very high Area value of 10 (and a matching AD rating), yet it has 0 for AP or HEAT. This seems odd as several of the .50 AA gun entries have an AP rating of 1, with much lower Area ratings.

Is AP just a modifier to the general Area value when determining combat results, with HEAT being a separate value? I'm not saying the GAU-8 is under powered or anything of the like, I'm just trying to figure out how the values work and that weapon system in particular drew my attention for a having 0 AP value.

-Jenrick

[CapnDarwin]

AP and HEAT are basically the pen value at effective range in mm/15. HEAT has no effective range of course. Aircraft guns are treated as Area weapons in the code and get a benefit of top attacks versus AFVs in most cases when aircraft perform airstrikes. This is a bit of an abstraction but it works well with the Area value taking into account the round type, ROF and basic pen. The ground units actually fight using the ground combat model and those weapons need to be rated for area fore and also AP/HEAT for AFV engagements.

Hope that makes some sense.

[jenrick]

So basically aircraft weapons utilize the top armor, and don't really need to have separate AP or HEAT values, as it's rolled into the Area value? If that's the case, got it.

-Jenrick

[CapnDarwin]

You got it!