I fly strike missions on Russian planes for some time and I have noticed that all cluster bombs (RBK-250, RBK-500) and dispensers (KMGU-2) contain munitions equally effective against every target type. It is a bit strange because in game manual and loadout screen there are different types of bomblets filled into mentioned weapons.

Could you give me any noticeable distinctions between them?

The RBK series are like the CBU canisters that you can drop at any altitude and you can set the altitude they open (theoretically). The KMGU dispensers you have to overfly the targets, they drop straight out of the canisters, while the canister never drops from the aircraft.

The 250-500 series differences are the sizes of the warheads in the canister. The bigger the canister, the bigger the targets on the ground you can take care of. Again, theoretically. Its like differenciating between the CBU-90 and CBU-20, but they really dont do much difference in game, unless Im missing something.

quote:

Originally posted by 214th_Hitman:

The RBK series are like the CBU canisters that you can drop at any altitude and you can set the altitude they open (theoretically). The KMGU dispensers you have to overfly the targets, they drop straight out of the canisters, while the canister never drops from the aircraft.

Yes, I know that but I meant only identically effective bomblets in all Russian CBUs.

quote:

The 250-500 series differences are the sizes of the warheads in the canister. The bigger the canister, the bigger the targets on the ground you can take care of. Again, theoretically. Its like differentiating between the CBU-90 and CBU-20, but they really don't do much difference in game, unless I am missing something.

The problem isn't a size of submunitions. In reality both RBK-250 and RBK-500 can be filled with identical bomblets, of course in larger numbers in the latter case. However in LOFC there are different bomblet types in each RBK but I am sure after a lot of testing that all types of targets (soft armored vehicles, heavy tanks, planes on the ground etc.) can be destroyed equally easy by RBK-250 and RBK-500.

Obviously that is not true because they don't carry multipurpose submunitions like Mk.20 "Rockeye" with 247 Mk 118 anti-tank/anti-personnel bomblets...Look at data taken from game manual:

- RBK-250 contains 150 AO-1 fragmentation bomblets

- RBK-500 contains 108 AO-2.5RTM also fragmentation bomblets

So, none of them can destroy armored targets like tanks. In LOFC both can!

Depends on the tank. Cluster Munitions are made to take out "Soft" Targets. If you have a light, reletively unarmored tank, then your cluster munitions should take care of it. But lets say your to put a cluster munition on a column of M1A2 MBT's, your cluster bombs wont do much other than scaring the **** out of the enemy. But I'm talking realistic, not in the game.

quote:

Originally posted by wags94:
Cluster Munitions are made to take out "Soft" Targets.

Not so. Many cluster weapons were designed specifically to penetrate the top armour of main battle tanks eg British BL755, its bomblets claim to penetrate up to 250mm of armour.

As for the Russian cluster weapons in Lockon, the various sizes can (in real life) be filled with different bomblet types. In Lockon you can assume that they are filled with anti tank bomblets. Don't pay too much heed to the Lockon Encyclopedia - it has very, very brief descriptions of weapons, some of which are even close to being correct.

This link below has some data on the different types of Russian aircraft bombs including the cluster bombs and the bomblet types they can carry.
http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/reference/Aviation_Bombs/Russia.htm

Exactly, guys!

It is irritating to me that so many LOFC's manual and encyclopedia data is not correct! So I must check almost every weapon type myself. Cluster bombs are one of such examples, another is a huge mess with A-A missiles real range.
Anyway as for RBKs we must assume in LOFC they are fitted with some kind of unguided multipurpose bomblets. I suggest the PTAB-2.5KO submunitions which seems to be a MK-118 equivalent. Therefore Russian clusters should contain as follows:

- RBK-250 = 30 x PTAB-2.5KO
- RBK-500 = 60 x PTAB-2.5KO
- KMGU-2 = 96 x PTAB-2.5KO

Well, now everything looks good!

quote:

Originally posted by Eustachy1980:
...another is a huge mess with A-A missiles real range.

Well, you have to be careful with this point. I've seen many posts where folks are stumped that A-A missiles dont have the claimed max range. The one I particularly remember was concerning F-14 and AIM-54 Phoenix combination, see this link...

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/99610606/m/646...111084324#1111084324

I've experimented the above style of experiment (head-on, max speed, max height, etc) with an AI Su-27 and R-27ER and had a kill on an F-4E, missile launch was at 98km. That is actually much longer than the Lockon Encyclopedia 70km stated range for the ER.
Of course whether you as a player can get get radar detection, lock him up and launch and get that kind of range is another issue as you are not the all powerful AI, but the missiles seem to have the range.....

Yet longer missile ranges are also bugs equally as shorter ones! I haven't specified type of range bug (shorter or longer). I have only noted real range problem.
Unfortunately Dude but vast majority of players cares primarily about missiles fired from flyable planes. In this case the launch authorization is given at quite short ranges much below manual data...so AI planes have big range advantage over human players!

Well, sort of. Still you have to count all the variables when firing a missile. When you fire that missile its important to know: Range of your missile, Best range for a maneuvering target, range of the target, altitude differance, weather, tempurature, type of aircraft your engaging, speed of the enemy aircraft, and much more. All these variables, and just for shooting a missile, this is why only the best of the best fly aircraft.

quote:

Originally posted by wags94:

All these variables, and just for shooting a missile, this is why only the best of the best fly aircraft.

Maybe real aircraft but I don't think only "best of the best pilots" can fly flight-sims like LOFC! It is only game for possibly sheer enthusiasts community so it is impossible to make it some hardcore simulator. Note, this genre is now a low niche anyway. Look at Falcon 4.0: this ultra-realistic simulator caused bankruptcy of its developer studio...

I think good combat flight-sims shouldn't be very hard to play but historically and technologically correct. It means realistic planes and weapons characteristics and AI behavior but without too complicated avionics and pilot's workload even in some expense of eye-candy graphics as computer hardware permits.

I was a Ukrainian player Su-27, AI was Russian Tu-22, got a kill at 68km launch range at a max height, max speed, head-on engagement. The 2km below the max quoted 70km range probably my fault for being slow in launch after getting LA.

quote:

Originally posted by Eustachy1980:

quote:

Originally posted by wags94:

All these variables, and just for shooting a missile, this is why only the best of the best fly aircraft.

Maybe real aircraft but I don't think only "best of the best pilots" can fly flight-sims like LOFC!

But, Im talking realisticly, also I play Falcon 4.0, It's not that hard, its easy to use, but the visuals stink, I can never find a target with my eyes on that game, so the only un-realistic thing I use on Falcon 4.0 is Tags [labels]