Tactical Air War

[PE_Zunzara]

Same here, AA sudden death yesterday, didn't even know what hit me until checked on the webpage.

[I/JG53_Kurtz]

Regarding AAA I recently refresh my memory reading the Osprey book "Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of the Russian Front", from what can be deduced, the majority of Stuka losses on eastern front, especially in '41 and '42 were due to AA fire instead of soviet fighters, due to the known lack of expertise in the soviet aviation and poor fighter performances.

 

In TAW and in every dogfight server, the situation is the opposite, the player piloted fighters are much more aggressive than in reality, it is quite easy to be downed by them so, as counterbalance, the AA fire should be adjusted in order to be less strong, otherwise the bombers will always face both strong AAA and strong fighter opposition.

[III/JG52_Otto_-I-]

On 12/18/2024 at 10:58 AM, I/JG53_Kurtz said:

In TAW and in every dogfight server, the situation is the opposite, the player piloted fighters are much more aggressive than in reality, it is quite easy to be downed by them so, as counterbalance, the AA fire should be adjusted in order to be less strong, otherwise the bombers will always face both strong AAA and strong fighter opposition.

In addition, my squad mates and me found last night a new kind of "stats-cowards", who bailed out the plane, when they see a enemy at their 6 o´clock.
The AAA cannons hidden in a wood, who firing to you through the surrounding tall trees, while you search the small vehicles for attack them, becoming this TAW in poor, unattractive, and for most of time unpopulated.
By the way, i was amazing because my pilot was captured when bailed out or ditching at 10 km of the front line, a distance that a normal person could walk on a few hours without problems. I´m asking myself if the TAW´s admins really are trying to do a "realistic" air warfare server or other things.

Edited December 21, 2024 by III/JG52_Otto_-I-

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

55 minutes ago, III/JG52_Otto_-I- said:

In addition, my squad mates and me found last night a new kind of "stats-cowards", who bailed out the plane, when they see a enemy at their 6 o´clock.
The AAA cannons hidden in a wood, who firing to you through the surrounding tall trees, while you search the small vehicles for attack them, becoming this TAW in poor, unattractive, and for most of time unpopulated.
By the way, i was amazing because my pilot was captured when bailed out or ditching at 10 km of the front line, a distance that a normal person could walk on a few hours without problems. I´m asking myself if the TAW´s admins really are trying to do a "realistic" air warfare server or other things.

GIT GUD 

Edited December 21, 2024 by 1PL-Husar-1Esk

[GOA_AveFenix506*VR*]

1 hour ago, III/JG52_Otto_-I- said:

In addition, my squad mates and me found last night a new kind of "stats-cowards", who bailed out the plane, when they see a enemy at their 6 o´clock.
The AAA cannons hidden in a wood, who firing to you through the surrounding tall trees, while you search the small vehicles for attack them, becoming this TAW in poor, unattractive, and for most of time unpopulated.
By the way, i was amazing because my pilot was captured when bailed out or ditching at 10 km of the front line, a distance that a normal person could walk on a few hours without problems. I´m asking myself if the TAW´s admins really are trying to do a "realistic" air warfare server or other things.

 

We should know the name of those cowards. 🤭

 

Regards. 

[III/JG52_Otto_-I-]

On 12/21/2024 at 4:34 PM, GOA_Karaya_VR said:

We should know the name of those cowards.

yes, there is a long list , 😄

 

[56RAF_phoenix56]

On 12/16/2024 at 4:41 PM, GOA_Karaya_VR said:

Anti Aircraft fire shoots like machine guns, its imposible to do hight altittude bombing, please taw staff, set the fire rate to a realistic Mode. 

 

Regards. 

Also, the wake-up time for AA is unrealistically short.

 

I have some sympathy with encouraging flyers to attack as a team, level bomb, or dive-bomb from altitude. But, the settings are now almost impossible for anything other than a very high level bombing run supported by a team attack.

 

Without other squad members, I ran 3 experimental solo attacks on defended targets in a Pe-2 (two on the same target).

1. Level bomb at 2200 m altitude in broken cloud, near cloud base: the 88s picked me up far before bomb drop, the bursts became so close I had to abandon the run and resort to a hurried & fast dive bomb where I missed all targets. However, I did survive with some damage.

2. Nap-of-the-earth approach: I flew up a river valley (north to Nov. Tsymlyanskaya) where I could not be observed by (human) flak operators, crested the ridge immediately before the target at tree height, only to be met by a wall of light flak which nailed me just before reaching the target. Clearly, the flak knew I was there before it could get a clear field of fire.

3. Dive bomb from 4000m altitude in light cloud (2/8). This time the 88s lit-up when I was reasonably close to the target and I suspect I could have dropped with a level bombing run. But, the plan was to dive-bomb. Just as I was lowering flaps and air brakes, an 88 blew my Pe-2 apart.

 

My point is that AI being able to see through hills and cloud means that the AA wake-up time is unrealistically short and this means almost all modes of solo attack are unreasonably hazardous.

 

I'm now reduced to peeling potatoes in the cook house.

Edited December 24, 2024 by 56RAF_phoenix56
Humour

[Rheinmetall]

On 12/8/2024 at 8:03 AM, Viktor33_33 said:

Please return the rate of fire of heavy anti-aircraft guns to what it was a year ago. Now they are firing like a machine gun, which in advance condemns high-altitude bombers to death. There was no such high density of anti-aircraft fire on the eastern front. At least reduce their skill.

Maybe more so on targets other than airfields, I fly 5k+and can usually stay intact and get bombs at the target - but will break, dive and weave to avoid the Flak right after drop. I only seem to get hit if I stay too long on the bomb run...😰

[TWC_Bulldog]

I only found out that the server was up far too late and did not get to fly much. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks,, you guys ROCK!!

 

Edited January 1 by TWC_Bulldog

[VNVVRosev]

When will the server start again?

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Okay everyone, we have promised to launch the campaign in February right? Well, we will keep the promise 💪 
New Tactical Air War season will launch on Friday, February 28th at approx. 1900 UTC 🔥🔥🔥
Western Front setting, Normandy + Rheinland, mid '44 to spring '45 timeframe. 
 

Changes include:
- jet aircraft rework (including new, dedicated airbase)
- Normandy shipping improvements
- additional score modifier and improvements to the previous two
- increased number of "event" style targets (V-1s and airborne landing operations)
 

More information to come.
TAW is back!

Edited February 24 by =/Hospiz/=MetalHead

[JG5_Schuck]

On 2/24/2025 at 11:19 AM, =/Hospiz/=MetalHead said:

- additional score modifier and improvements to the previous two

This sounds interesting, can you elaborate?   
Total points divided by number of deaths?

[Pict]

On 2/24/2025 at 12:19 PM, =/Hospiz/=MetalHead said:

New Tactical Air War season will launch on Friday, February 28th at approx. 1900 UTC 🔥🔥🔥

TAW is back!

Wonderful 😀

 

I'd love to join in, but unless I can get my Track IR working again...I would restrict myself to transports I think.

 

 

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Hello.

TAW XL is coming, registration is open!
Campaign will launch tomorrow, 28th at 19:00 UTC
Changelog:

Ships changes:
1. Static transport ships replaced with proper ship objects, that properly sink and have more detailed DM
2. Some of the transport ships have low caliber AAA
3. Fixed a bug with destroyers AAA attack zones - they are able to utilize full range of their guns now
4. All ships are dynamically spawned now

 

Map changes:
5. Lisieux capture by Allies opens possibility to attack Le Havre airbase (Le Havre becomes frontline town)
6. No land connection between Lisieux and Le Havre. Rouen must be captured to cross Seine and launch land attacks as before.
7. New fighter airbase of Hopsten added to Rheinland map. 
8. Hopsten is a special airbase with additional AAA
9. Fixed Breda - now correctly starting as an Axis town (Gilze airbase consequently is initially blue as well)

 

Jet and other planeset changes:
10. Me 262 and Ar 234 moved from previous airfields to the new Hopsten base.
11. Ta 152 when available also moved from Greven to Hopsten
12. 6 jets per type available on the airfield (it's the only jet base now)
13. Jets are present only in the EU evenings. 3 evening missions with the highest population (after 16:00 server time)
14. New DB engine 3 minute timer modifications enabled and installed by default on any applicable aircraft (mostly 109s are affected)

Score & Modifier changes:
15. Distance Score Modifier - targets destroyed behind enemy lines rewarded with more CP/EXP
16. Reward increased linearly with the distance from the frontline at a 1% / 2km rate.
17. Bonus is applied for destruction of targets, both air and ground. 
18. Paratroop runs are unaffected by the score modifier
19. Droping paratroopers in the landing zones provides double the reward instead.
20. Glider landing reward doubled as well (15 ->30 CP).
21. Aircraft and Balance score modifiers do not affect flight time reward (exploit prevention).
22. Aircraft score modifiers adjusted for different aircraft.
23. Air kill CP/EXP rewards increased (approx 50% higher).

 

Other changes:
24. V-1 appearing more frequently - 3 missions per day instead of 1 (most populated timeframe)
25. Landing zone events more frequent - 3 missions per day (subject to all other requirements) in the most populated timeframe
26. Removed certain broken (invisible) buildings from train stations.
27. Optimized AAA performance on the server (to allow for live ships)
28. Other minor bugfixing and optimization
 

That's it. Feel free to ask any questions.
See you in the virtual skies!
 

Edited February 27 by =/Hospiz/=MetalHead

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

On 2/27/2025 at 1:03 AM, JG5_Schuck said:

This sounds interesting, can you elaborate?   
Total points divided by number of deaths?

More points for attacking targets deep behind enemy lines.

[Patricks]

This TAW thing looks interesting, looks like being part of a squad would be best? Also, what is used for comms, SRS or TS (have both, mumble too), I signed up as Axis to get started, reading the rules now.

 

 

Edited March 10 by Patricks

[VNVVRosev]

I lost my Ju-52, during a night takeoff, two engines suddenly stopped and the plane crashed, will I get a new one?

[VNVVRosev]

 

The anchoring of the aircraft in this map is strongly in favor of the red side of the Bf 109 g 14 and the Fw 190 A 8 opposition Musseng, Spitfaer 14, Typhoon, Tempest, Leitting and Mustang! And the Blue are deprived of the effective Me 110!The rare and practically single 262 who have a very serious use restriction do not practically affect the situation!

 

 

 

[Pict]

On 3/14/2025 at 7:46 AM, VNVVRosev said:

Blue are deprived of the effective Me 110

 

I agree with your general statement. I registered Blue as there were way more Reds, I did this as it's what you are meant to do...no?

 

Anyhow I prefer twin engined aircraft and low level bombing mostly so I picked the ground attack set...Jabo was called, I don't remeber.

 

But I have to fly single engined fighters or a medium bomber or a transport before I can get a twin engined attacl plane. Which is very frustrating and pointless for me.

 

In that ground attack group we should have the 110 and or the 410 before a 109 of any kind, I think, but I'm no fan of the 109...soooo 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Pict

[Patricks]

1 hour ago, Pict said:

 

I agree with your general statement. I registered Blue as there were way more Reds, I did this as it's what you are meant to do...no?

Anyhow I prefer twin engine aircraft and low level bombing mostly so I picked the ground attack set...Jabo was called, I don't remember.

But I have to fly single engine fighters or a medium bomber or a transport before I can get a twin engine attack plane. Which is very frustrating and pointless for me.

In that ground attack group we should have the 110 and or the 410 before a 109 of any kind, I think, but I'm no fan of the 109...soooo 

 

I believe the idea is to get you flying more to earn points to then get the planes you want, but I understand your point. You have to fly what's available and do the best you can... 

 

[Pict]

2 hours ago, Patricks said:

I believe the idea is to get you flying more to earn points to then get the planes you want, but I understand your point. You have to fly what's available and do the best you can... 

 

That much I understood thanks as I've been flying TAW for years 😶

[Patricks]

3 hours ago, Pict said:

 

That much I understood thanks as I've been flying TAW for years 😶

 

Sorry, I must have misunderstood, looked like someone that wasn't aware of the SOP that wanted something different. My apologies..

[VNVVRosev]

 This project makes the most of the flight simulator's capabilities. For example, transport aircraft are hardly as important anywhere else as they are here. Dynamic weather sometimes makes flights difficult or almost impossible. Since I fly only from the blue side, I can say that flying the He 111 and the Yu-88 is a really difficult task. For example, on the He 111 I never found the elevator trim animated, but it feels like it is there. The engines of both bombers are very capricious to overheating and personally for me the qualities of both aircraft have been cut by the programmers. In the old Il-2 they calmly climbed to 6000-6500 m and from there I bombed with them through the bomb sight without worrying much about anti-aircraft fire. Here, climbing above 4000 m is quite slow and often leads to engine damage. I was also amazed how, when bombing a rear city with a Me 410, the anti-aircraft fire at 9000m was quite dense and caused damage that led to the left engine stopping after 4-5 minutes! I envy the Reds for the P 47 which carries more bombs even than the Pe 2!!

[Pict]

I can't believe what just happened...

 

I Just made a nice para drop and alt tabbed to check the map...now I'm locked out of the cockpit...and just crashed...

 

Update...seems that I ditched...and lost my Ju-52...but not my pilot.

 

I'm never Alt Tabbing again 😀  54 minutes for less than nothing.

 

 

 

Edited March 19 by Pict

[Pict]

Ok, that was a basic mistake...I was on "Full Screen" mode in my settings...oh well.

 

I did a run with the He-111 transport and got my Ju-52 back and the Alt tabbing works like a charm again, so all good again 😀

[SE.VH_Knoke]

Hi Developers, Good Morning

On several occasions, our pilots have reported experiences of taking a single shot and having 100% damage. We know that this can happen, but we have seen it happen at an abnormal, almost epidemic, frequency. We ask the TAW developers to check two things:
1- If the current difficulty setting proposed in this edition of TAW is correct ...
2- To check the possibility of pilots using cheating mods, if this can be detected. Sincerely thank you for TAW, but if it continues like this, pilots' attendance will drop with each new season released. Therefore, I ask you: INVESTIGATE WHAT IS GOING ON! Best Regards, SE.VH_Knoke

[VNVVRosev]

The blue side is in dire need of the Ta 152 H, the reds fly at altitude with the P 51 Mustang in its best modification and cannot be caught by either the Me 109 K 4 or the Dora!! With the huge limitations for the Me 262, only the Ta 152 is a plane to fight such targets and it is not there!! I also notice that there are players who somehow too quickly and easily find and destroy the enemy while others search for him unsuccessfully and not once!

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

On 3/19/2025 at 6:30 PM, SE.VH_Knoke said:

Hi Developers, Good Morning

On several occasions, our pilots have reported experiences of taking a single shot and having 100% damage. We know that this can happen, but we have seen it happen at an abnormal, almost epidemic, frequency. We ask the TAW developers to check two things:
1- If the current difficulty setting proposed in this edition of TAW is correct ...
2- To check the possibility of pilots using cheating mods, if this can be detected. Sincerely thank you for TAW, but if it continues like this, pilots' attendance will drop with each new season released. Therefore, I ask you: INVESTIGATE WHAT IS GOING ON! Best Regards, SE.VH_Knoke

Hello.
TAW settings have nothing to do with the damage you take. We cannot alter aircraft durability.
Cheating is always a factor yet there are no anti cheat tools in this game.

[VNVVRosev]

What's going on, is the server down or are you changing the map?

 

 

 

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Campaign has ended

[FAE_Aguila]

Thank you for all your hard work! Always amazing to fly TAW missions.

Waiting for the next one to start! 

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Hello everyone, brace yourselves, TAW is coming!
 

Date: May 23rd, next week Friday
Start Time: ~18:00UTC
Setting: Eastern Front, Moscow > Stalingrad > Kuban
Timeframe: 1941 to 1943 (lasting ~5 IRL weeks)
Planeset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VMUjGaLMdVWLy0rPIgRz89GMn_zMEh2xsRG8smdkDD8/edit?gid=510269787#gid=510269787
Registration Launch: ETA Today Evening
 

Enjoy!

[Canas-MX]

On 5/15/2025 at 9:53 AM, =/Hospiz/=MetalHead said:

 

Leave the '109 F4' available until early 1943 and the 109 G-2 (1.42 Ata) throughout 1943, closer to history, I suggest

Edited May 21 by GOA_Canas-MX

[deleted@476349]

Hi, tacview is a nice add on. But you have to have a delay in video in order for someone not to exploit it by observing in real time enemy movements in the map.

[ITAF_Rani]

With the new update will the I- 153 and new Lagg appear in this current TAW?

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

16 hours ago, ITAF_Rani said:

With the new update will the I- 153 and new Lagg appear in this current TAW?

There are no plans to add these aircraft 

[NightIntruder]

I played some time during the last campaign. Today, I joined the server to play after the server break, I had a ping at ca. 35. I was having 10 min of uneventful flight (take off in Ju88 and climbing), than was (probably) kicked and got the following error:
10021 User is banned on this server.
Why?

PS. OK, I found out the probable reason. I couldn't login on my previous credentials so I registered again, first with allies (as I played it previously). Then, I realized it's awful decision as this is russian front so I registered another one with axis this time. I noticed my mistake. Could you lift the ban and remove my account NightIntruder_PL from the TAW website, please? Clearly, there was no intention of any move against rules of TAW that is punished with a ban.

Edited May 31 by NightIntruder
Addition

[SE.VH_Boemundo]

When next TAW is coming?

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Hello @everyone! Summer's ending and that means one thing TAW is coming back very soon!  
Western Front with a classic lineup of Normandy and Rhineland maps  
Upcoming campaign will bring few adjustments, mainly supply and weather oriented.  
I'll give you a brief in the coming days.
Campaign launch is planned for the first weekend of September, Friday evening, as usual. Registration will open once everything is set up - we'll give you a date later on.
 

Stay tuned for more, join our discord for more! https://discord.gg/ChYWCz893c

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

Hello everyone 
TAW will be launched tomorrow, September 5th at 17:00UTC.
 

September 2025, TAW Changelog:
 

Supply System Improvements
1. Airfield supply levels are dynamically changing during the mission (in real time).
2. Each departing sortie consumes some of the supplies, amount varies based on aircraft type, fuel load, armament and ordnance.
3. Supply is a consumable - not returned upon landing, however, aborting a sortie before takeoff will return it.
4. Succesful transport mission increases AF supply level in real time as well.
5. Aircraft cannot take off from airfields that are out of supply - chat message is sent if there's not enough supplies for takeoff.
6. Airfields without supply are still vaild for landing (airfield stays open to avoid confusion).
7. Website displays current, detailed supply level - airfield status may change during ongoing mission.
 

Transport Missions
8. Transport mission move supplies from A to B instead of magically spawning it on landing.
9. Transport mission can be done to a frontline AF with less than 80 supply or other AF with less than 40 supply
10. List of valid transport destination is assigned upon spawning in a cargo aircraft, assigned to that sortie and sent to the chat.
11. If supply level at destination AF increases mid-flight, transport is still valid.
 

Non-Flyable Weather
12. A number of campaign days can include really bad weather.
13. If the weather is below certain minima (cloud base, visibility, strong precipitation, wind or turbulence) air operations are grounded.
14. If aircraft are grounded, mission concludes right after start and server reloads for a second time, fast forwarding to the next day.
15. All ground warfare events still happen, mission is logged on the web and you can see it's status.
16. Bad weather days are predicted by the forecast and marked as red icon.

Road Condition Simulation
17. New parameter added on the web meteo report - road condition.
18. Road condition has an impact on land unit speed - tracked vehicles (tank columns) are less affected than wheeled (truck columns).
19. Road condition is based on weather - deteriorates with poor weather, improves with a good one.
20. Road condition is persistent, evolves over time during the campaign, severe weather can have lasting impact for the following days.
21. Road-weather impact model is quite complex simulating certain level of interplay in the system - frost can improve muddy conditions, spring thaw can melt snow deposits etc.
22. Road resistance to adverse conditions varies between the maps simulating different road surfaces and levels of road system development
 

Other adjustments
23. WFront maps updated with VP changes from last campaign (multiple VP per town)
24. Some minor reward adjustments in the planeset (10-15% level, fine tuning)
25. V-1 warhead damage on ground target fixed (our custom ground target DM didn't account for it properly)
26. V-1 ramp can be rebuilt after destruction - takes approx 15 missions and costs 50 supply (taken from the nearest town)
27. Turbulence level info added to the meteo report on the web.
28. Channel supply convoy limit is capped to one per mission in prime time to improve server performance
29. Ships are spawned both by red and blue players (escort CAP will see them)
30. Ship convoy icon is revealed only when enemy detects it position.
31. Minor adjustment, finetuning and bugfixing.
 

That's all. Enjoy! See you in the virtual skies 🫡