ED, if you are listening, I would pay money to hear an interview between one of your coders and Sidekick65 talking about how damage is modeled in DCS. Not looking to gain anything proprietory but a general idea of what's going on and what factors are being considered would be awesome.
In what I've seen, the rockeyes do best from a level CCRP drop it also gives them a slightly oblong shape. Harrier has a kind of tpod in its nose cone that you can use for more accurate CCRP drops.
Yes... and I think in earlier videos I have used Auto mode in the harrier. I have certainly used a low level approach in the A-4 (see the "Holding the Heights" videos for instance). Here, I was trying to recreate the way that Rockeyes (apparently) were actually used by Harrier pilots in Desert Storm. From what I have read, the dropped them pretty much the same way they drop slick bombs. But... that doesn't seem to be effective in DCS. So... I think you can assume there will be a future video on how the ACTUALLY work in DCS. Stay tuned... or... drop on over the Discord Channel and let's continue the discussion!
You may want to check out the new video on cluster bombs, I spent a bit if time trying to understand what's going on under the hood. There is some logic once you know what you are looking at.
The CBU-97/105 seems to be the only one that's fairly consistently effective. I've CCRP dropped one into a group of I think 15 BTR-80s that were spaced roughly 60 meters apart from each other multiple times (4+ times, on a specific training server I've frequented while getting a hang of the A-10C II), and have always netted between 8 and 10 destroyed vehicles with just that one bomb. With any other cluster munition I've had very little success.
Employ the Rockeyes without a custom mod "bomb circle" and see what happens. Looks like the submunition go right through the "bomb circle" model and explode on the ground under it. Seems the hitbox for the mod absorbs the majority of the Mk-118s and their damage... So maybe they are very effective against the bomb circle protecting the actual targets?
Nice video, I will put it to practice if I ever return to the Harrier ... doubtful as I'm currently learning the Mi-8 in anticipation to the release of the Mi-24, and after that I will surely pick up the Mosquito :) ... so, it will be a while before I return to the Harrier. so many aircrafts ... I need more free time :D Cheers!
In the run up to Desert Storm there was a fear that Saddam would try an armored advance into Saudi Arabia before the coalition was fully deployed. Had this happened all that was available at first was a single squadron of F-15Es with Mk-20 Rockeyes to stop them. So we were quite worried that the whole operation would end before it ever got off the ground. Thankfully we never got to find out how that scenario would have played out. I can't imagine what a pain it would be to try and take out large numbers of tanks on the move that way. They need to be bunched up and stopped for the Rockeye to have the greatest effect.
So, how are the "bomblets" being distributed? Is it an altitude fuse and are they scattered in every direction or are they spread in some other pattern?
AFAIK the MK 20 Rockeye has a timed fuse. After the set time, the two Dispenser halves open. The freed Bomblets get dispersed by the air resistance, usually in an oval pattern along the direction of flight.
BTW - seems like in the game the Rockeyes are set to "dispense" at a fixed altitude. The forums say 1500'. Looking at the TacView recordings of some of my drops, it seems like it might be a bit lower than that... more to follow in a new video coming soon.
West of Bandar Lengeh. On the Northern side of the Gulf. I picked the area because it is very flat - which is important for setting up a range this way.
Two years late here, but they appear to be extremely temperamental (how DCS modelled them that is). Dropping them in AUTO mode (CCRP) in a relatively high (5000 ft above your target or more) levelled doesn't seem to work either. They don't deploy. Maybe that's not how they were intended to be used? It seems it's either what you did in your video (CCIP with 30 degrees dive) or low altitude levelled pass in CCRP. Maybe this is also your conclusion, 2 years later?
It's been a while. I have not gone back and tried again. I know there were a few things that I go wrong in this video. I will have another look. Drop by the Discord if you want to discuss it some more.
ED, if you are listening, I would pay money to hear an interview between one of your coders and Sidekick65 talking about how damage is modeled in DCS. Not looking to gain anything proprietory but a general idea of what's going on and what factors are being considered would be awesome.
Very info packed and delivered very professionally. I could see this channel blowing up
Thanks! Feel free to light the fuse!
In what I've seen, the rockeyes do best from a level CCRP drop it also gives them a slightly oblong shape. Harrier has a kind of tpod in its nose cone that you can use for more accurate CCRP drops.
Yes... and I think in earlier videos I have used Auto mode in the harrier. I have certainly used a low level approach in the A-4 (see the "Holding the Heights" videos for instance). Here, I was trying to recreate the way that Rockeyes (apparently) were actually used by Harrier pilots in Desert Storm. From what I have read, the dropped them pretty much the same way they drop slick bombs. But... that doesn't seem to be effective in DCS. So... I think you can assume there will be a future video on how the ACTUALLY work in DCS. Stay tuned... or... drop on over the Discord Channel and let's continue the discussion!
The cluster bombs can definitely be weirdly temperamental in DCS. I've seen them struggle to kill even softer like sam launchers.
I agree. They are a bit of black magic at the moment.
You may want to check out the new video on cluster bombs, I spent a bit if time trying to understand what's going on under the hood. There is some logic once you know what you are looking at.
@@Sidekick65 Yup already seen it and the reddit thread. tons off useful info very well done
The CBU-97/105 seems to be the only one that's fairly consistently effective. I've CCRP dropped one into a group of I think 15 BTR-80s that were spaced roughly 60 meters apart from each other multiple times (4+ times, on a specific training server I've frequented while getting a hang of the A-10C II), and have always netted between 8 and 10 destroyed vehicles with just that one bomb. With any other cluster munition I've had very little success.
Employ the Rockeyes without a custom mod "bomb circle" and see what happens. Looks like the submunition go right through the "bomb circle" model and explode on the ground under it. Seems the hitbox for the mod absorbs the majority of the Mk-118s and their damage... So maybe they are very effective against the bomb circle protecting the actual targets?
Nice video, I will put it to practice if I ever return to the Harrier ... doubtful as I'm currently learning the Mi-8 in anticipation to the release of the Mi-24, and after that I will surely pick up the Mosquito :) ... so, it will be a while before I return to the Harrier. so many aircrafts ... I need more free time :D Cheers!
Thanks Rudel. I'd really appreciate seeing what you find out.
Sidekick! Sidekick! Sidekick! 👏🏼✊🏽🤟🏼🤟🏼🤩🥳🥳🥳
Thanks!
In the run up to Desert Storm there was a fear that Saddam would try an armored advance into Saudi Arabia before the coalition was fully deployed. Had this happened all that was available at first was a single squadron of F-15Es with Mk-20 Rockeyes to stop them. So we were quite worried that the whole operation would end before it ever got off the ground.
Thankfully we never got to find out how that scenario would have played out. I can't imagine what a pain it would be to try and take out large numbers of tanks on the move that way. They need to be bunched up and stopped for the Rockeye to have the greatest effect.
Yes, that would have been... um... exciting, to say the least.
So, how are the "bomblets" being distributed? Is it an altitude fuse and are they scattered in every direction or are they spread in some other pattern?
AFAIK the MK 20 Rockeye has a timed fuse.
After the set time, the two Dispenser halves open.
The freed Bomblets get dispersed by the air resistance, usually in an oval pattern along the direction of flight.
@@kilianortmann9979 Thanks!
BTW - seems like in the game the Rockeyes are set to "dispense" at a fixed altitude. The forums say 1500'. Looking at the TacView recordings of some of my drops, it seems like it might be a bit lower than that... more to follow in a new video coming soon.
@@Sidekick65 looking forward to it !
Where in the Gulf map is this firing range placed?
Thank you
West of Bandar Lengeh. On the Northern side of the Gulf. I picked the area because it is very flat - which is important for setting up a range this way.
A link to download the mission map with the bombing range is on the Sidekick Discord page I believe. The link is in the video notes.
Two years late here, but they appear to be extremely temperamental (how DCS modelled them that is). Dropping them in AUTO mode (CCRP) in a relatively high (5000 ft above your target or more) levelled doesn't seem to work either. They don't deploy. Maybe that's not how they were intended to be used?
It seems it's either what you did in your video (CCIP with 30 degrees dive) or low altitude levelled pass in CCRP. Maybe this is also your conclusion, 2 years later?
It's been a while. I have not gone back and tried again. I know there were a few things that I go wrong in this video. I will have another look. Drop by the Discord if you want to discuss it some more.
Are you nuts?