Scuds in action

[159th_Archer]

We've had the Scuds in game for a while, but they didn't go as far as launching, well at some point over recent time, they do now work. I tried 1 TELAR last week, and it flew to target and hit just fine. Having run in Mako's Syrian Scud mission, we concluded that rather than have the 4 TELARs just sit as targets that we'd have 'em shoot back. Had to put the 4 in as seperate units otherwise they have to fire as a group, now I can stagger the launches if required. However, if you don't stagger the launches, I have noticed that they slightly miss the target you set -at least that appears to be happening tin the 2 test runs so far, although the Patriot SAMs at the target did launch against the Scuds (and miss) I wondered if that could be the reason? Although I doubt they're affected by any defensive fire. Perhaps they just don't like being launched in salvos in DCS for some reason.

Still, I will test some more, but they are nice to watch -if one rides 'on board' a Scud a launch, it's very like riding a rocket looking back at the ground. Lovely rendtion of the vehicle and animation of setting up for launch, also.

[159th_Archer]

Bit more Scud testing completed, and they are missing their targets by about 6km or so -as if the rotation of the planet isn't being factored in or something. As such, one can simply allow for this, which does seem to work, although the accuracy of the system doesn't seem that good in game -they aren't too far off, but pin-point doesn't appear possible.

As things stand for our 'Syrian-Scuds' mission (as I have called it so I can pick it out from my missions) we now have 2 groups of 2, and each group will launch about 5 mins apart -still pondering on when to set that though.

As for the Patriot SAMs, they appear to engage the Scuds with 2 missiles and of these, about 25% seem to hit. Which IIRC, was close to what they achieved in the origianl Gulf war?

[Mako]

Looks good - guess we need to time start times and time to target ?

[159th_Archer]

Looks good - guess we need to time start times and time to target ?

Been pondering on this, and I think the way to do it is have a trigger-zone which we'd fly though enroute and that would 'set the timer' down to launch. The other main option, if it's done from start of mission time-wise, RL issues such have having to restart controllers or what-not can mean we don't all get airborne in time etc. If we have a trigger-zone which is 'set-to-go' when one of us flies through it, then that would give us a more consistent way of it going ahead. Either that, or we just leave it to chance that we get there in time -either way would work, but I think the zone one best -we can always change it at anythime if it doesn't suit.

[159th_ShallowG]

Dont seem to be able to get them to fire.
They set up ok ( as you say nice animations) but then nada.
I have a target selected in ME ... etc.
How long do they take from setup to fire ?

[159th_Archer]

Well, the 'erector-arm' thing goes up with the rocket, then retracts, and IIRC it's usually not long after the arm is down flat on the vehicle that they fire -certainly not more than a couple of minutes. Never had them not fire since they activated them. Maybe it's the min/max range? Check that -IIRC I've had them approx ranged at 30 to 50 miles but not any more or less.

[159th_ShallowG]

cheers Arch .... that was it .... i was aiming just short of the max ring ... what was I thinking ... Boris never fails to amaze.
and as you say overshoots by some margin.
Has anyone picked them up on A2A radar ... even had a shot at them ?

[159th_Archer]

Has anyone picked them up on A2A radar ... even had a shot at them ?

I would think you'd need to be in the 'right' position to do that? IIRC Mako had one shoot very near him in a recent mission, but that was only any good for chucking oranges at it.

Probably worth a test sometime. And no, not the oranges, the radar locking thing.

BTW apologies for not offering to run something else map-wise on Friday -if I'd not been about to go into action, I would have thought to do that -the more the merrier etc! Next time we'll do that.