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What is the best F/B bombing altitude setting? for example F4U1A? I am playing the mariana scenarios. Trying to use the Marine's Corsair to destroy the IJ's Costal guns.

Tcao wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 11:33 pm What is the best F/B bombing altitude setting? for example F4U1A? I am playing the mariana scenarios. Trying to use the Marine's Corsair to destroy the IJ's Costal guns.

Look up how fighter bombers work, that is the best option to start with.

Tcao wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 11:33 pm What is the best F/B bombing altitude setting? for example F4U1A? I am playing the mariana scenarios. Trying to use the Marine's Corsair to destroy the IJ's Costal guns.

Generally they can go in lower being smaller and faster than the big boys but otherwise it's the same as any level bomber. Not they are NOT attack or dive bombers so they do not get those advantages.

As low as flak permits I'd say

Also consider your pilots skills. Probably no point bombing using the Ground Bombing skill if it's terrible and Low Ground (1000ft bombing) or Strafe would be a better choice

ABG wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2025 10:08 am As low as flak permits I'd say

Also consider your pilots skills. Probably no point bombing using the Ground Bombing skill if it's terrible and Low Ground (1000ft bombing) or Strafe would be a better choice

Only if the pilots have developed those skills ... so the real answer is that it depends upon the skills that your pilots in that group have. You certainly do not want to count on any skill below 50, and do not expect good, repeatable results at skills much under 70. Skills trained to 70 take time to develop.

Knowing how fickle the game is in loading bombs onto fighters on Ground Attack missions, I would set FBs to 6,000 feet, just to be on the safe side.

Thanks all
well, I have exchanged all the fighters pilots with bomber pilots in those F/B sqdn. None of them has a Ground Bombing rating lower than 50. But the first strike on port at 15k ft produced a very disappointing result, 20 sorties produced on 2 hits. I will low down to 10k ft and later to 5k ft.

Tcao wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2025 2:32 pm Thanks all
well, I have exchanged all the fighters pilots with bomber pilots in those F/B sqdn. None of them has a Ground Bombing rating lower than 50. But the first strike on port at 15k ft produced a very disappointing result, 20 sorties produced on 2 hits. I will low down to 10k ft and later to 5k ft.

FB's have no down looking bombsights , so yeah, level bombing from 3 miles up I wouldn't expect much. FB's are more like DB's except shallower angles, right? They aim the plane at the target, have to be able to see the target in front of them.

Now, to what extent this is modeled in the game is the real question. Playing mostly IJ, I've never really explored this to a great extent as IJ doesn't have any good FB's like the IL2. Maybe one of the AFB's will step in an offer up whether strafing or low level bombing works better for FB's.

In the standard game, the IL-2 is modeled as a light bomber with armour 2 and 2 forward facing 20mm cannons + 2 x 7.62mm MGs (total gun value 12). They carry 4 x 100kg bombs.
The Beaufighter I is the first FB to arrive and it has armour 1. There are a couple of Hurricane marks that are shown as FBs and come with armour 2.
Allied Dive Bombers also have armour 1 except for SBD-1 and SBD-2 models.

As for altitude, treat them like a fighter carrying a bomb - low level only (1000 feet) or strafe (100 feet) if the enemy has no AA. Strafing aircraft will also drop their bombs if they have any.