A2A Guns WEZ avoidance

[Lace]

I have had a few scenarios (currently one of the 'Fail Safe' collection) where early jet fighters are attacking large recce or bomber aircraft fitted with tailguns. The attacking aircraft will only attack from the rear putting them directly into a very limited WEZ. Is there a way to force an off axis or diving/climbing attack? I seem to lose a lot of aircraft to these lumbering, non-manoeuvring beasts which strikes me as a little suicidal and unrealistic.

[Nikel]

May you post a save or name the scenario?

[Lace]

It's not specific to a single scenario or aircraft type, just more of a general observation on the (seemingly) flawed tactics by the fighter AI.

[slimatwar]

I confirm this issue.Especially when early jet fighters carry rear-aspect short range missiles(like AIM-9B), they become easy prey for tail guns.The AIM-9B is useless unless the jet approaches from the rear and close.The only solution is to set up the WRA to stop using such A2A missiles against aircraft with tail mounted guns.

[thewood1]

I confirm this issue.Especially when early jet fighters carry rear-aspect short range missiles(like AIM-9B), they become easy prey for tail guns.The AIM-9B is useless unless the jet approaches from the rear and close.The only solution is to set up the WRA to stop using such A2A missiles against aircraft with tail mounted guns.

I think that is a different issue. The attack angle the AI takes on bombers ignores the risk of the tail gun regardless of the weapon is the OP's issue. Your issue is that for you unit to get close enough to a bomber to score a kill with an AIM-9B, you get hit by tail gun shots. That latter one is an actual real life issue. The AIM-9B has a very poor chance of a kill above 1nm. While the 23mm tail gun on a Tu-4 has a range out to over 1nm.

The result means you are taking a significant risk trying to hit an alerted bomber with a tailgun, even a .50 setup on a B-29. There were some tactics to help with that, but they were limited by the weak IR seeker on the AIM-9B. Much of this was validated in the 1950/60s China/Taiwan air battles where AIM-9Bs were used fairly extensively.