Bomber Command Missions?

[grover1]

Hi all

Does anyone know how to create large formations to simulate flying in a bomber stream that Bomber Command would have used?

Thanks,

Chris

[remcoc]

He is/was? working on a version of CFS3 in which the nightwar can be experienced. I don't know how active he is now.

I remember some earlier threads about composing big formations. Perhaps you could do a search.

Two things to remember: framerates drop fast when using big numbers of planes.
Bomber Command were at night. So you do'nt have to make big formations: you can't see them.

RemcoC

[Led Zeppelin]

a flight can not have more than 8 aircrafts in CFS 3. You can increase the spread factor to simulate a large formation of bombers flying at night.

[rbp71854]

Led is correct on the 8 individual ac per flight, but you can have multiple flights. Flights which parrallel each other, and also flights which trail preceding flights. At some point the number of flights will cause major fps loss. Hopefully in the future there will be some additional low lod bomber ai ac.

[Pat Pattle]

Hi Grover,

Glad to see you back here!

If you use the mission builder you can have loads of aircraft as Bob and Loic say. The only snag is the fps hit.

Have attached a test mission that I did for ETO that has dozens of bombers.

[swpierce]

Trying to maintain a formation in unlighted aircraft at night would have been risky at best. If I recall correctly Bomber Command aircraft each navigated their own way to the target, thus the long drawn out stream.
In CFS3 if you are in a formation you know where the other aircraft are: behind you. In a multi-aircraft formation the nightfighter AI usually starts shooting at the rear aircraft and works it way to the front giving much more time to react than the real crews had.
I think that it is best to use a one aircraft player's formation with a few small formations of bombers of a few aircraft each with a large spread offset flying in the same area at the same altitude. With the TacDisplay set to something other than Aircraft or All so you don't know where the other aircraft are. Look for aircraft silouettes against the lighter ground/clouds/searchlights or for exhaust flames in the dark to avoid collision. You won't know if a nightfighter is on your tail until your gunner opens up. I believe that this makes for a much more realistic simulation.
Like RemcoC said, you don't need a bunch of bombers up there because the only ones that are relevant are the ones in your immediate vicinity.