After further analysis, here's another graph to glaze eyes and numb brains.
By considering the evolving situation as the plane flies in approach, and that a threshold value of the 'error' upon crossing from positive to negative initiates the bomb drop, I tabulated specific conditions for plane heights of 1,000m 3,000m and 6,000m above the aimpoint object. For each of these height regimes I specified a range of line-of-sight distances (slant range) larger than the altitude by 300m, 500m, 700m and 900m. With these constraints the speed at which the error threshold of zero is crossed is calculated, as well as the ground distance.
Let's look at the first line in the table, from column A through D in turn. The bombs will nominally be dropped when the plane is:
- At a speed of 113.1m/s (~226kt)
- At a line-of-sight (LOS) distance of 1900m
- At a ground distance of 1615m
- At a height of 1,000m higher than the aimpoint object.
The first 4 lines are for a 1,000m height, the next 4 for 3,000m, and the last 4 for 6,000m. Within each of these height groups the shorter the slant range/ground distance the slower the plane must be moving.
In the code a value of 0.2038... would likely apply to a typical bomb rate of fall. If a terminal velocity is considered (more properly, the deceleration by air drag in the gravitational potential), then this would, I assume, apply to a certain height of fall and drag coefficient. Depart much from these constraints and the error will increase.
The code applies a random error of up to 300m by default. One could add a line to the [Mods] section in conf.ini resembling this:
AimpointError=200
Assuming Mission.cur().sectFile().get("Mods", "AimpointError", 300); does include or refer to conf.ini, and is not related to some other file such as the .mis file.
It
appears to me that for this C&C object, and for AI bombers at least, the bomb drop is initiated by consideration of the actual heights of plane and aimpoint object and plane speed, and is not (?) affected by any input error for assumed target height or calculated ground speed. Of course, it's entirely possible that I'm missing something--again!
Anyway, the dangers of a quick examination are clear to see in this thread, and this isn't the first time I've overlooked detail and/or leapt to conclusions in haste.
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Topic: FMB C & C Aimpoint question (Read 837 times)
