I have a lot of fun flying low level SEAD/DEAD right now. Mk.20 Rockeyes and Mk.82s is all I need.
I build a little IADS consisting of SA-2s, SA-3s and an SA-6 that is covered by lots of KS-19 100mm AAA linked to SON-9 “Fire Can” Radars. I might put in some mobile SA-9s and SA-8s to spice it up a little but It’s already quite a challenge to hit the SAM Site I chose and then get out again. Most often I take some superficial damage from AAA but as long as you keep maneuvering it won’t hit you too badly. Dodging missiles while dropping bombs is fun!
Working on something I’ve tentatively titled “Going Back Downtown.” These are accurate locations for the IADS in Syria. I need to start adding the SA-2’s and SA-3’s along the coast along the planned entry corridor. After that, the AAA goes in. So far 5 SA-2’s, 4 SA-3s, and 2 SA-6’s. There is a SA-5 complex, but it would be a-historical for the time period, but I’m debating leaving it or having it be partially operational.
These are all setup with the Skynet IADS script, so it’s possible to degrade and knock out parts, force individual sites to operate alone, force shut downs due to ARM launches, etc. I would like to add in the GCI portion, but I haven’t had the time to figure that out yet.
The F-4G would be in service for this and I’m debating using HTS equipped F-16’s as stand ins. We’ll see how it goes with Shrikes first on the Phantoms.
1 package of strikers will be going for some point and area targets in Homs, with collateral damage concerns. The others are going to try and knock out Shayrat, or maybe the SA-5 site, or heck maybe both?
And right between the two target areas happens to be:
Haven’t been able to fly much recently out of work and fatigue, but from my last half dozen flights it seems like the Phantom sucks more gas than is indicated on the fuel flow gauges. Has anyone else felt similar? I’ve never been good with math, but in the Tomcat and Viper I’ve been pretty good at estimating my fuel required to reach waypoints to within +/-200lbs, but in the Phantom I end up being off by 1,000lbs plus change. Granted I am using the TAS gauge since there’s no ground speed indication like in the Tomcat or Viper, but surely I wouldn’t be getting that big of an error unless I’m in the jetstream or something, no?
I too noticed it seemed to go through gas pretty fast. Then again gas was 25 cents a gallon back about 1972-ish (and you would often get ‘free’ trinkets with a fill up)
I haven’t noticed anything too drastic tbh so I have not really looked too closely but it does guzzle a lot of fuel, that’s for sure. I’ve seen close to 12000lbs/h per engine when flying on the deck with a full bomb load at mil power and afterburner use doesn’t show at all on the fuel gauge so you’ll have to check your fuel indicator whenever you have used afterburner.
Speaking of the TAS gauge, you think that they could made it more accessible? Maybe we should be doing some actual flight planning. I don’t have a complete grasp of the fuel system yet. Am I seeing the totalizer climb when I put the fuel transfer switch in the appropriate position? And what is the correct position for carrying 3 bags, not that I do that often?
The TAS gauge is definitely in a really dumb place. With DT bombing I don’t pay much attention to it aside from cruising to make sure my fuel doesn’t get away from me, but now my mind is swimming with all sorts of math questions, like:
To get GS do I just add/subtract wind speed to my TAS or is the calculation more complicated?
If I’m doing 400ft AGL high-drag releases and my target elevation is 2,500ft MSL, with a planned release speed of 450KIAS, do I need to now pay attention to that TAS gauge because that’s 467KTAS at 2,900ft MSL?
Does a car traveling at 55mph in Flagstaff have a higher TAS than a car traveling at 55mph in Death Valley?
