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[genXgamer]

Hi guys and girls who like flying.

I have six AI SBD Dauntless dive bombers masquerading as Banshees as for some reason the A-24 has not been included in B.A.T.
They're required to bomb an airstrip, not precision stuff.
Only one or two are even close, the rest dropping 500 pounders far and wide.
I've set their altitude to both 1000 and 1500 metres and have both flights set to target trucks with no luck.
As there will be a number of missions involving this aircraft I want to iron this out, perhaps later when they'll be targeting stationary aircraft the bombing will be more accurate.

Any suggestions?

[KevinHoggard]

Are you wanting them to level bomb or dive bomb? If I need the AI to actually hit something I always set them to Ace, more often than not that has helped

[Kopfdorfer]

1500m is not high enough for divebombing.
Try 3000m and ensure that the Waypoint is a Gattack Waypoint ( 3000m directly above the target area )
and attach the Gattack Waypoint ot a targetable object.

Let us know how that works.

(Full disclosure I do not have BAT , but it should work )

[genXgamer]

Just watched tutorial video I have on bombing, it states set altitude to 3500 metres.
Only other time I've dive bombed is with Corsair's, I thought from much lower.
Perhaps I was wrong.

Give update soon, thanks guys.

[KevinHoggard]

Another thing I do, is set the next waypoint after the ground attack the same direction where they came from at 500 meters. I don’t know if that’s the reason, but since I have been using this method all bombers dive like they are supposed to.

[genXgamer]

Thanks for the tips.

Both 2000 and 2500 metres give the desired outcome of all six bombs being grouped around the runway.
Later missions when greater accuracy is required I'll add an extra 1000 metres.

Not sure of my initial thought process of giving such low altitudes, as it's obvious now that they didn't have enough time to line up the target.

[Dimlee]

Since this is BAT, I'd advise considering Command and Control. Some of its functions(objects) have been designed for bombers and fighter bombers.

[Wing Walker]

Dive bombing was from somewhere around 12,000ft to 14,000ft.

I think the altitude changes the behavior of bombers after a certain point.

If you will do the dive bombing, it never hurts to go in at higher to give more time for adjustments.

I also set a way point past the bombing point in the same direction as they were flying, seemed to help with some problems I was having too.

Goodluck!

[genXgamer]

G'day guys a quick update.

On a later mission where greater accuracy is required I have them flying at 4,000 metres as they flew at 13,000 ft on the actual day.
The dive bombing is extremely accurate!   Probably too much, even with Zeros harrassing their 500 pounders hit every target.
The extra height gives time for adjustment like you said.

The next problem I faced was them endlessly strafing afterwards.
The Command & Control function GROUND ATTACK does not work as advertised, as it states it restricts AI to dropping bombs or firing rockets.
Then once all are dropped or fired they will proceed to the next waypoint, this doesn't happen.
Changing their fuel load to 62 percent fixed this with them flying a direct "as the crow flies" route back to base.
The second last waypoint had to be changed because this is the altitude they fly at and they have to negotiate the 4,000 metre Owen Stanley Range on their return.

[Dimlee]

Probably, "Aimpoint" is more suitable.
Frankly, I used Aimpoint primarily for level bombing and low-altitude fighter bomber attacks. Not sure about dive bombing.

From the manual:
The Aimpoint object has two functions. It can represent either:
1) A level drop-point for fighter bombers.
2) A "target marking" point for level bombers.
- How it works: Place over the target you wish to bomb, and make sure
the friendly a/c you wish to drop over the target will pass over it.
Do NOT set a GATTACK waypoint, just a NORMFLY waypoint, preferably
somewhere past the object, so that the plane will simply overfly it.
- When the bombers overfly the target, they will automatically drop
their bombs. Altitude and speed will be adjusted for to get the bombs
on-target.
- Fighter-bombers will release all ordnance and continue on their way.
This is a good way to simulate "one pass, haul ass" type strikes.

[Wing Walker]

The next problem I faced was them endlessly strafing afterwards.

When I have set up ground attacks, if I simply set the waypoint to "Ground Attack" giving the little bomb triangle icon, without designating a target with the "Target:" and "Set" function, the plane, smaller ones, will attack the general area of the Ground Attack way point, and keep attacking until dry dropping 1 at a time or making straff runs...

... though with heavy bombers they will just drop all ordinance right on the ground attack wapoint.

If you have 1 specific target for the SBDs to dive bomb, at the ground attack way point use the "Target:" and "Set" function to attach it to a specific target...

... then the SBDs should drop all bombs at once on one specific target in a dive.


After they are finished performing whatever ground attack style they are doing, they should automatically climb and reset to the next way point, generally, I have had some AI brainfarts passing the waypoint.  Then I have to redo the flight path and ground attacks and then it seems to work.
 

Changing their fuel load to 62 percent fixed this with them flying a direct "as the crow flies" route back to base.

This is only because at that point for what you are doing is the point they reach "bingo" fuel and will automatically turn back to land.

It will happen in any situation where the AI has reached minimum fuel to get home.

The second last waypoint had to be changed because this is the altitude they fly at and they have to negotiate the 4,000 metre Owen Stanley Range on their return.

I've had this also with other missions, they are supposed to climb and not crash, but don't always climb automatically to avoid mountains.  Best to put in a higher waypoint to take them over the mountain.