Luftwaffe level bombing. Slight problem

[Crashbangwallop]

I'm trying to get to grips with using the Ju-88, and I've looked at a few bombsight tutorials. Sherriff's one in the He111 is very good, and dhillr's 'IL-2 Battle of Moscow, Ju 88 A-4: How to Level Bombing' is pretty good too. I'm practicing on quick missions – usually at 2500m, with NO wind – at any altitude – so that I can get the basics sorted before that added complication

 

All of the videos say that when the speed and altitude are correctly set, and the sight panel is set for 'Auto', then the crosshairs will stay stationary on the target. I've taking the trouble to get the settings right, but time and again, when I set onto a target or fixed spot, the cross hairs start shifting – usually 'nearer' - and I'm having to adjust with tiny touches of 'further' on the sighting/view switch to keep the crosshairs on the target before the gadget lines up and drops the bombs. So, am I doing anything incorrectly here? Is 'Auto' just a bit not that good?

 

I used to do a bit of bombing with the old 'B17' game, and if I remember right, you used to have to adjust very slightly with the arrow keys to stabilise the crosshairs securely. I know that was a Norden sight, but is that a thing here?

 

Secondary question. As I open my bomb panel, ready to all the settings stuff, the 'Don't drop bombs' red light is already on. I noticed that in both videos this light is dark, until all bombs are away and then it lights up. What's that all about, and does it matter?

 

 

Sherriffs Sim Shack

Level Bombing with German Bombers - Bombsight Tutorial - Il2 Battle of Stalingrad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLTwRymkTVc

 

 

dhillr

IL-2 Battle of Moscow, Ju 88 A-4: How to Level Bombing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nadelbaum]

14 minutes ago, Crashbangwallop said:

All of the videos say that when the speed and altitude are correctly set, and the sight panel is set for 'Auto', then the crosshairs will stay stationary on the target. I've taking the trouble to get the settings right, but time and again, when I set onto a target or fixed spot, the cross hairs start shifting – usually 'nearer' - and I'm having to adjust with tiny touches of 'further' on the sighting/view switch to keep the crosshairs on the target before the gadget lines up and drops the bombs. So, am I doing anything incorrectly here? Is 'Auto' just a bit not that good?

 

I would say that the drift is normal. The closer you are getting the more stable the crosshair should become assuming that you have set all parameters close enough. However, in case you have turbulence in the air it will still jump a bit back and forth. Not too much you can do about it, that's the realism factor. What I usually do is, if using the Auto mode, I just micro-adjust the Further-Closer knob until I'm around 30 degrees (very close to auto-drop).

 

Quote

I used to do a bit of bombing with the old 'B17' game, and if I remember right, you used to have to adjust very slightly with the arrow keys to stabilise the crosshairs securely. I know that was a Norden sight, but is that a thing here?

 

Not sure exactly how it worked in B17, but in IL-2 with the German bombsight in Auto mode you just adjust Further-Closer and then Turn Control Left-Right to turn your plane for the horizontal adjustment.

 

Quote

Secondary question. As I open my bomb panel, ready to all the settings stuff, the 'Don't drop bombs' red light is already on. I noticed that in both videos this light is dark, until all bombs are away and then it lights up. What's that all about, and does it matter?

 

Don't drop bombs -light should be on only when you are in Auto mode. It doesn't light up in Manual mode as there's no point really. You're the one pressing the Drop bombs button so Don't drop bombs is between your ears and your fingers  In Auto-mode you also enable Auto Drop and then the Don't drop should turn off.

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Nadelbaum

[Crashbangwallop]

24 minutes ago, Nadelbaum said:

 

I would say that the drift is normal. The closer you are getting the more stable the crosshair should become assuming that you have set all parameters close enough. However, in case you have turbulence in the air it will still jump a bit back and forth. Not too much you can do about it, that's the realism factor. What I usually do is, if using the Auto mode, I just micro-adjust the Further-Closer knob until I'm around 30 degrees (very close to auto-drop).

 

Thanks for the quick response

Sort of thought that might be the case, which could be why both vid authors preferred the Manual drop. There shouldn't be any turbulence as I've got all weather settings to calm, and any crosshair motion is smooth – simply not ready for wind and turbulence yet...

 

re : the other stuff -

 

Yup, sounds like a similar system to the old 'B-17', but with diferent keys. I don't remember how fine the altitude and speed were on that – we're limited to 10m and 10kph differences in IL2. Don't know whether that's clunky or fine in terms of genuine bomb aiming accuracy

 

Just checked the red light thing again. Bomb panel opens with 'view/manual/auto' switch set on Manual, and the red 'Don't drop' light is on. The 'Autodrop section comes on when 'Auto' is selected though. Which is nice.

The Red 'Don't drop' stays on regardless how that view etc switch is set, and also stays lit when all bombs are gone. Must be something wrong with the wiring of my one...

 

[Nadelbaum]

1 hour ago, Crashbangwallop said:

 

Just checked the red light thing again. Bomb panel opens with 'view/manual/auto' switch set on Manual, and the red 'Don't drop' light is on. The 'Autodrop section comes on when 'Auto' is selected though. Which is nice.

The Red 'Don't drop' stays on regardless how that view etc switch is set, and also stays lit when all bombs are gone. Must be something wrong with the wiring of my one...

 

 

Well, my HE-111 first shows that the bomb doors are closed. After I open the bomb doors and drop the internal bombs I close the doors, but the switch stays always in the Open position. The techno chat icon follows the bomb door state correctly. And so does the external view. So it is just the Bomb sight view where it looks like the doors never close. Go figure, I've flown 30+ missions in a PWCG Bombing campaign with this bird so maybe the mechanics back at the field should finally take a look at it ?

[Lusekofte]

4 hours ago, Crashbangwallop said:

All of the videos say that when the speed and altitude are correctly set, and the sight panel is set for 'Auto',

I recommend not to use auto for the simple reason that target rendering is rubbish in this game. 
Up at 5 K you can see targets soon enough

but you wont see already destroyed targets before you are on top of it. Seemingly undamaged target objects like pillboxes hangars will show itself as damaged very close in zoom view or just disappear in last two second, Use manual drop , this way you can change target or abandon drop in time. 

Edited April 28, 2020 by 216th_LuseKofte

[Crashbangwallop]

12 hours ago, 216th_LuseKofte said:

I recommend not to use auto...

 

Rapidly coming to that conclusion 

 

Interesting what you and others are saying on the other current level bombing thread about target altitude, that hadn't occurred to me. Is the target elevation logged somewhere in-game, and I've missed it?

[Lusekofte]

1 hour ago, Crashbangwallop said:

 

Rapidly coming to that conclusion 

 

Interesting what you and others are saying on the other current level bombing thread about target altitude, that hadn't occurred to me. Is the target elevation logged somewhere in-game, and I've missed it?

Unless there is a elevation like a mountain there is no need to take target altitude innto account. 
you can test this by flying on 5 k and put your sight on 4,9k. You will still hit the target. 
wind and airspeed are the settings that will determined if you hit or not. 
if you are loaded with internal and external bombload. You will slow down when opening bomb doors or accellerate when dropping external bombs. If you got two targets close by eachother speedchange will make you miss target two, if not dealt with

Edited April 29, 2020 by 216th_LuseKofte