Wuerzburg-Riese + Freya (C&C style GCI radars)
v1.0 betaI am cleaning out the mod closet. Still need to fix a few bugs, but this should be available for download in a few days.
In the meantime you can already familiarize yourself with what will be coming in this feature preview.
The mod contains three different C&C style GCI (ground controlled intercept) objects. Wuerzburg-Riese, Freya and Wuerzburg-Freya.
BACKGROUNDCommand&Control GCI's are great for simulating generic ground radars, but they are performing just too good for the hardcore nightfighter, and have certain limitations for mission builders - if one wanted to realistically recreate Himmelbett Nachtjagd for example.
FEATURESThis pack contains four objects. Wuerzburg-Riese and Freya radars. Plus a unit called Wuerzburg-Freya, which is a combination of both into one radar site, as was common practice in WW2. (A typical
FuMG Stellung 1. Ordnung [class 1 radar site] consisted of 2 Würzburg-Riese and 1 or more Freyas). Using such a 2-in-1 object has the benefit that it is less demanding to handle for the game engine, as well as that ground controllers will feed the player the best available information that can be obtained from both radars - instead of being bombarded with messages from two radars located at the same spot on the map. Würzburg-Riese contacts will be reported with
Bearing - Range - Altitude - Track estimate, whereas Freya contacts will be reported with
Bearing - Range only. When using the combined unit and a target is in range of both its radars data from Würzburg-Riese will always have precedence.
Wuerzburg-Riese and Freya radars are modelled with close approximations of their historic search profiles. Detection range is dependent on aircraft altitude. In order to reduce HUD message clogging, ground controllers will broadcast on initial contact, and after the first message has been sent will only report again when - since the last report - either bearing has changed by more than 5 degrees, range changed by 2000-3000m or target altitude changed by more than 500m. This means, that for example if you are chasing a target on identical heading and speed, and the target is maintaining altitude, you would only receive a single HUD message. The radar controller will inform the player if a target or the player aircraft leaves the detection range of his station.
Minimum detection height is 150m above ground level, and aircraft cannot be detected when flying below the radar station's elevation (i.e. radar on mountaintop, plane in valley. In other words: no lookdown capability).
As already mentioned, a
Stellung (radar site) typically relied on two radars for intercept guidance*: One to track the target, and the other one to track the nightfighter. Therefore only if
BOTH target
AND nightfighter were within detection range a ground controlled intercept could be performed. This is modelled. Furthermore, handoffs between different radar sites could not be achieved easily. This is also modelled. Player and target need to be in range of the
SAME radar site for a GCI message to be broadcast.
Finally, there is a ChaffCloud unit that works with the 3 radar objects. If a chaff cloud is placed within range of a radar, every radar contact behind a 50km wide line normal to the LOS from radar to chaff will be blacked out. Note that if the 50km chaff curtain is theorectically intersecting a radar's range circle, the ChaffCLoud unit itself needs to be within range of the radar in order to be taken into account.
LIMITATIONSCurrently, the ChaffCloud object has a number of limitations still. Only the chaff object closest to a radar will be considered. Besides, it is strongly recommended to not place more than one chaff object within a radar's maximum range, as this might lead to flawed chaff behaviour.
If radars are placed in an overlapping fashion, the player will receive messages from both sites (given on is in range of both). This is not a problem per se, but multiple overlapping radars will lead to HUD message information overkill. Historically, sites were spaced between 50-100 km apart on average. This should be a good guideline for FMB.
Finally, I tried tp optimize the objects' classes for minimum fps impact. It should thus be possible to have a large number of these radars on a map. However more testing is required on this.
INSTALLATIONExtract zip and put the "FuMG_Wuerzburg+Freya_v1.0beta" folder in your #DBW, #SAS or MODS folder, depending on your install.
Add these lines to the [StationaryObjects] section of your stationary.ini:
Freya vehicles.stationary.Freya$FreyaUnit 2
Wuerzburg-Riese vehicles.stationary.Wuerzburg$WuerzburgUnit 2
Wuerzburg-Freya vehicles.stationary.WuerzburgFreya$WuerzburgFreyaUnit 2
ChaffCloud vehicles.stationary.ChaffCloud$ChaffCloudUnit 1
DOWNLOADVersion 1.0 beta:
https://www.mediafire.com/?w41491k44sztl1pYou will find a mini-mission pack showcasing this mod here:
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,24423.msg248636.html#new------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: I tried to make these objects as fps friendly as I could. However, my testing showed that with many of these units
(around 30) on a map there are certain situations where fps could drop considerably. May be that it is just my - admittedly slow -
machine. Anyway, should this become a problem for other users too, I will look into possibilities of reducing fps impact further.
* Two Würzburgs in HENAJA and DUNAJA (Seeburg-Lichtenstein-Verfahren), one tracking the fighter, the other one the bomber.
Himmelbett Verfahren [originally known as Y-Verfahren (Nachtjagd)] employed two Würzburgs (each tracking a different target)
and two Y-Bodenstelle FuSAn 733 (tracking one nightfighter each).