no tracers on some Russian cannons?

[Nibbio]

It maybe common knowledge, but I'm back to BOS/BOM after a long hiatus and noticed it for the first time.

Also found no previous reference in the forums

 

It appears that ShVAK cannons when equipped on I-16 and MIG 3 have no tracers.

LAGG-3 also, if only AP ammo is loaded. Viceversa tracers are present on the LAGG if HE or mixed ammo is loaded.

 

Bad luck for me, since my gunnery is so bad, nevertheless this opens interesting possibilities in multiplayer for those who can shoot

 

Can someone confirm?

 

Ciao,

nibbio

[Asgar]

yes, it's historically accurate

[LukeFF]

 

 

Can someone confirm?

 

ShVAK cannons pre-1942 did not carry tracers, hence why the I-16 and MiG-3 do not have them.

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/12826-game-updates/?do=findComment&comment=344254

 

Tracer rounds removed from ShVAK autocannons for Battle of Moscow timeframe planes because they were produced later in 1942

[Nibbio]

Thanks LukeFF and Asgar, good to know. I had a nagging suspicion that something was off in my IL2 installation.

[Boaty-McBoatface]

I tell you what, it's actually really fun coming up on an unsuspecting plane and blowing him to smithereens with 20mm shvak. Without tracers they don't see it coming!

Edited January 11, 2017 by B0SS

[Nibbio]

I tell you what, it's actually really fun coming up on an unsuspecting plane and blowing him to smithereens with 20mm shvak. Without tracers they don't see it coming!

 

Yeah, managed to do it yesterday, but had to get so close to finally hit the poor guy that I collided with the debris

One cool thing is that if you place yourself in outside view at some distance in front of the cannons and shoot, you can hear the invisible bullets whizzing by, well before the sound of the cannons reaches you. Nice touch.

[Solmyr]

Sorry to dig out that thread, but I found here the confirmation about my assomptions. Which leads to this other question :

 

I guess then that we have 100% of our ShvaK MiG-3/I-16 ammunitions which are fully destructive (either HE or AP), right ? So about 20-25% more (fully) effective ammo for same given numbers ?

[Corsair]

No, a tracer round is merely a standard round for a small tracing pyrotechnic charge. They are as destructive as standard ammo (i.e. API vs API-T).

[Solmyr]

No, a tracer round is merely a standard round for a small tracing pyrotechnic charge. They are as destructive as standard ammo (i.e. API vs API-T).

 

Oh ? Thank you for clarification. I thought that tracing pyrotechnic charge was most of the possible shell load out.

Then what prevented the manufacturers to make full tracer shells loud out ? Production costs ? No usefulness ?

[Finkeren]

Then what prevented the manufacturers to make full tracer shells loud out ? Production costs ? No usefulness ?

 

Pretty much, yeah. Obviously tracer rounds are more complex and therefore more expensive to make, and they also slightly reduce effective payload. Having more than around 2 tracers firing every second is superfluous, so no need to have all rounds be tracers except for very slow firing cannon with low ammo count, where you need to be able to correct your aim from the very first round of the burst.

[CIA_Yankee_]

I do like flying the La-5 with the all AP loadout. It's fun to be all sneaky-like.