A group can't climb as good as single plane

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Before really getting into a new campaign I noted down max/min Ai Stuka speeds / climb tests with all applicable payloads and at different altitudes while keeping an eye on temperature and wind ect. I'm on mission 4 of a new Sirens of Death and something has become painfully apparent to me. You guessed it, it's in the title of the post. I thought maybe my math was off or maybe even my testing notes I mentioned were incorrect. So I made a single plane fly the course of the mission. It reaches 3000m altitude a bit before the most southern route point on the map, just as I calculated based on my notes and previous tests. However, when the player is part of a 3 plane group 3000m altitude is achieved where my plane icon is in the picture -right over the front line. That difference is huge. Watching the player/autopilot climb as a wingman really makes you realize how inefficient it is. The throttle goes up and down for no reason and the climb rate is never consistent. As to where a SINGLE plane on autopilot has the throttle kept relatively steady and it maintains a fairly steady speed and rate of climb.

 

From point 2 to the river crossing can't be climbing, this should be the stretch that the staffel forms up nicely - this logic requires a good 30km to make sure it works (based on slowest and fastest AI speeds it's the best I can do). So I guess for starters I should retest all bomb payloads and climb rates with a group of 3 planes instead of one. This is just one more factor to add on to the list of "reasons why these missions are going to take way longer to fly than they should".

 

 

I'm not sure if this is only affecting the Stuka or what. Obviously the Stuka has attack issues currently and I'm utilizing a force complete command to force drop bombs just to test the rest of the mission after this temporary "derpy attack". Issues listed here: 

 

 

 

I'm wondering if you guys are experiencing this with whatever plane type you are working with? I'd hate to make all these missions only to see the climb rate dramatically improve magically after some future update...

 

If things actually worked properly it would be fun making missions again. I'm not even sure why I made this post. I probably should go see a shrink. Anyone that spends a 1000 hours in the mission editor should be on medication.

[Gambit21]

Netscape - I’m with ya.

This one reason why I don’t call out speeds etc in my briefings. Aside from other reasons, things change way too often. 

 

I reflect often on other ways that I could be spending all this time, especially when fighting constantly changing logic.

 

I hope things are fixed and stabilize (and stay that way) soon. It’s getting old.

 

 

[GridiroN]

They are probably just programmed to climb at ideal climb rate listed in the manual which a human pilot can climb faster than. 

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Just now, GridiroN said:

They are probably just programmed to climb at ideal climb rate listed in the manual which a human pilot can climb faster than. 

 

read again, a SINGLE AI plane vs. a GROUP of AI planes climb at different rates. As for the player plane - I set it to autopilot. It has nothing to do with a human piloting the plane.