[Gameplay] PR: Falklands - Aircraft Updates

[Rhino]

Hey Guys!

Firstly sorry it's been such a long time since my last update, but some real life issues came up earlier in the year and then in the summer I got an opportunity to travel to Indochina and the North American Great Lakes for a couple of months which I couldn't turn down. As such I'm sorry to say that I haven't been able to work on PR as much as I originally planned to this year and I regret to inform you, that we have decided that the Type 21 Frigate, and some other assets and gameplay features related to it will not be making the v1.4 release as we had originally stated. However we are all working on doing the final polish for v1.4 and there are still a lot of other features for you to enjoy, and the Frigate will just be making an appearance at a later date is all


With that said let's take a look at some of the new stuff coming with the v1.4 PR: Falklands integration!
This highlight is mostly an extension of the PR:F Update #15 highlight where we have added and changed a few things since that was written


Mk17 1000lb General Purpose Bomb

This British-made dumb bomb is a relic of WW2, with an updated tail thin and arming fuse than its original WW2 design but it's basically the same bomb that Lancasters Bombers dropped on Berlin.

This bomb was used by both sides during the war since ironically, the British sold lots of these bombs to Argentina before the conflict broke out, along with lots of other British-made weapons, such as the Blowpipe & Tigercat SAMs to name a few.

This was possibly the most used bomb by the Argentinians during the 1982 Falklands war and was responsible for sinking quite a few ships. This is also the same type of bomb dropped on Port Stanley Airport by an Avro Vulcan Bomber in Operation Black Buck, cratering the runway, as well was the main bomb used in the follow-up attack by Harriers the next morning, as well as during the rest of the conflict in ground support efforts.

Credits:
Model: [R-DEV]ddeo & [R-DEV]Rhino
Texture: [R-DEV]ddeo & [R-DEV]Rhino
Coding: [R-DEV]Rhino


Mk82 "Snakeye" 500lb Retarded Bomb

The Snakeye bomb is a development of the Mark 80 series of weapons, designed by Ed Heinemann, designer of the legendary A-4 Skyhawk. The Mark 80 series of bombs were designed as low drag weapons to be carried on pylons of aircraft, unlike the older Mark 50 series of weapons that had been designed to fit in internal bomb bays of World War II bombers. The problem with this low drag design was that it made dropping the bombs at low altitude incredibly dangerous as the blast of the bomb could easily damage or even destroy the aircraft that dropped it before it had a chance to get away.

The "Snake Eye" Retarding Thins package was designed in the 1960s as a requirement of the Vietnam War, for the Mark 80 series of bombs as a low-level bomb with pop-out fins that deploy once dropped from the aircraft. When deployed these fins significantly increase the drag on the bomb, slowing its fall and abbreviating its forward trajectory, giving the aircraft time to get clear of the blast zone when bombing from low altitudes, but also keeping a low drag profile while still attached to the aircraft.
However, these bombs are less accurate than conventional free-fall "dumb" bombs as their high drag area makes them more susceptible to crosswinds, potentially altering their course.

The Snakeye bomb can also be dropped in low-drag mode, if the pilot selects this option in the aircraft's weapon system, and will function exactly like its normal low-drag counterpart.

The Snakeye retarding tail attachment where only used by the Argentinians and not in very large numbers, even thou the Argentine pilots were doing extremely low-level bombing of the British Fleet to avoid their radar. As such, in-game these will only be seen on the A-4C Skyhawk variant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-sZF6gYc2g

Credits:
Model: DiCE & [R-DEV]Rhino
Texture: DiCE & [R-DEV]Rhino
Coding: [R-CON]rPoXoTauJIo & [R-DEV]Rhino


Matra R.550 "Magic 1" Air to Air Missile

The R550 "Magic" (Acronym for "Missile Auto-Guide Interception et Combat" {English Translation: Self-Guided Missile Interception and Combat}) is a Short-Range Air to Air IR Seeking Missile designed in 1968 by the French company Matra as a private venture to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, designing it specifically for the Mirage F1. The French government began funding the program in 1969 and the first R.550 Magic 1 as in-service in 1975. The missile has since been cleared for use by the Mirage III, Mirage 5, MiG-21, and MiG-23 (with India), F-8E, A-4, Jaguar International (to carry Magic missiles on overwing pylons), Sea Harrier, Hawk, Super Etendard, and also the Mirage 2000 series. It has also been adapted to the AerMacchi MB.326K, and Matra has demonstrated the missile with helicopter applications.

The R.550 Magic 1 is similar to the AIM-9 Sidewinder in its overall dimensions but features a unique double canard layout with a set of movable canard control surfaces directly behind and in line with the cruciform fixed surfaces. The movable canards are
electrically operated with the angle of attack variable by up to 20 degrees. Matra designed the R.550 to use the same launcher as the Sidewinder, which the R.550 has replaced in several air forces. The fact that Magic does not require additional black boxes or other equipment and the fact that the aircraft need not return to the factory for installation has been a major factor in the missile?s success. The missile?s warhead contains 6kg of explosive and is at the rear of the missile to provide stabilisation. Matra replaced the Cassegrain system typically used in the optics of infrared-homing heads with a system in
which the sole moving part is a low-inertia, primary plane mirror. This has resulted in a rapid scanning rate for the missile. A failure of many infrared-homing missiles is that they have been prone to track false targets in the background terrain. Matra has reportedly
greatly reduced this tendency, following lengthy studies of Magic?s modulator and singular processor. Magic can be launched from an aircraft manoeuvring at up to 6g, and has a range from 500 meters (1,640 ft), to over 10,000 meters (5.40 nm). The manoeuvring limit is 30 to 35g. No minimum airspeed exists, but the upper limit is 365 mps (700 kt).

It was revealed in early 1987 that Libya had supplied the Magic missile (along with some SA-7s) to the Argentines during the Falklands conflict but the Argentinians had no successful kills with them, launching them well outside of their optimal range when they did use them.

Credits:
Model: IOSIF_M & [R-DEV]Rhino
Texture: IOSIF_M & [R-DEV]Rhino
Coding: [R-DEV]Rhino


Exocet Anti-Ship Missile "Drop Launch"

We wanted to give the AM39 Exocet Anti-Ship Missile another level of realism since in reality, it is dropped and falls away from the aircraft a second or so before the actual rocket motor of the missile engages, and since [R-CON]rPoXoTauJIo was wanting to give a shot at coding I gave him the challenge of trying to code this. This was surprisingly a lot harder to achieve in the BF2 engine than one may think but eventually, rPoXoTauJIo pulled though with some help from [R-DEV]Mats391 and others and now it looks super cool, as well as making it a little harder and taking a little longer to launch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFLhUL3uNaw

Credits:
Coding: [R-CON]rPoXoTauJIo & [R-DEV]Mats391
Model: [R-DEV]Rhino
Texture: CTRifle & nater


PR: Falklands Aircraft Loadouts

As mentioned above, we have made quite a few changes to the weapon loadouts of the PR:F fixed wing aircraft, adding in the new weapons but also a few other changes here and there from what we had and/or stated previously.

Here is a quick overview diagram of all the aircraft and their different loadouts:

(Click to Enlarge)

Firstly we created a "CAS" version of the Sea Harrier since the Sea Harrier did quite a bit of ground support work on top of its CAP duties and was also the only type of Harrier used in the initial assault on Port Stanley since the GR.3s hadn't arrived by that point. Although technically, no different from the GR.3 with Mk17 other than colour scheme in game, there's a slight need for another British bomber and we wanted to represent that the Sea Harrier did CAS duties during the conflict. As such you can expect to see a limited amount of these in future releases.

We also created a "CAS" version of the IAI Dagger with two Mk17 1000lb bombs and with no air to air missiles like its counterpart with only two 500lb bombs. As such it packs a much larger punch aginst ground targets, but only has its cannon to fend off other jets with.

We also tweaked the Skyhawk load outs quite a bit from what we said previously. Firstly we gave the more common A-4B the 1000lb Mk17 GPB instead of the less common A-4C getting it as originally stated. This was mainly down to the A-4B being the most common and we wanted to have a few flying about, but limit their potential damage output a little, with also making the rarer A-4C a little more appealing, especially with the Retarded Snakeye bombs it now has
We also upped the A-4Q from only having a single Mk82 500lb GPB originally, to giving it a triple ejector rack on its belly holding three of them instead. This was because we later realised that with its much slower speed, smaller cannons with less ammo and worse AIM-9B Air to Air Missiles (not to be confused with the better AIM-9L the British are using on their Sea Harriers) than the standard IAI Dagger, there wasn't that much appeal to it with it also having 1/2 its bomb load. So giving it a slightly bigger bomb load, with all the bombs on the very central hardpoint, close together and making aiming with them much easier, it's now a much more appealing jet to take, even with its other negative points

Other than that and swapping out the old AA-11 Archer Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (which were just placeholders) for the correct new R.550 Magic 1 missiles, and updating the Harrier GR.3 with LGBs to use the new model of the Mk13-18 Paveway II 1000lb LGB, everything else is pretty much the same as it was previously

Here is a total list of all the Aircraft Weapons in PR:Falklands for v1.4:

Spoiler for PR:F Aircraft Weapons':

Air-to-Air Weapons

AIM-9L Short Range Air-to-Air Missile

Teams: Britian
Ingame Range: 900m (18km r/l)
Exp Damage: 900
Exp Radius: 55m

Matra R.530 Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile

Teams: Argentina
Ingame Range: 1000m (20km r/l)
Exp Damage: 1200
Exp Radius: 60m

Matra R.550 Magic 1 Short Range Air-to-Air Missile

Teams: Argentina
Ingame Range: 750m (13km r/l)
Exp Damage: 900
Exp Radius: 55m

AIM-9B Short Range Air-to-Air Missile

Teams: Argentina
Ingame Range: 500m (5km r/l)
Exp Damage: 700
Exp Radius: 45m

Air-to-Ground Weapons

Note: Atlantic Conveyors HP (for v1.4): 24000

Mk82 500lb Dumb Bomb

Teams: Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 5375 direct hit, 375 near miss
Exp Radius: 135m

Mk82 "Snakeye" 500lb "Retarded" Bomb

Teams: Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 5375 direct hit, 375 near miss
Exp Radius: 135m

Mk17 1000lb Dumb Bomb

Teams: Britian & Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 10750 direct hit, 750 near miss
Exp Radius: 150m

Mk13-18 Paveway II 1000lb LGB Bomb

Teams: Britian
Damage vs Ships: 10750 direct hit, 750 near miss
Exp Radius: 150m

AM39 Exocet Anti-Ship Missile

Teams: Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 22000 direct hit, 0 near miss
Exp Radius: 0m

50mm Rocket Pods (36 / pod)

Teams: Britian
Damage vs Ships: 20
Exp Radius: 16m

70mm Hydra Rocket Pods (7 / pod)

Teams: Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 24
Exp Radius: 25m

20mm Cannon Round

Teams: Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 6.5
Exp Radius: 8m

30mm Cannon Round

Teams: Britian & Argentina
Damage vs Ships: 9.2
Exp Radius: 8m

Chinook Texture Updates

For v1.4 we have resaved all our Chinook textures to be four times the resolution, but only taking up a bit more memory by changing the way from how they were previously saved. As such you should hopefully now notice that they are much nicer than they were before at little extra cost for your system

On top of this, we felt we should edit our 1982 British Chinook CH1 texture to represent the infamous "Bravo November" Designation. Bravo November is the original identification code painted on a British Royal Air Force Boeing Chinook HC4 military serial number ZA718. It was one of the original 30 aircraft ordered by the RAF in 1978 and has been in service ever since. It has been upgraded several times in its history, now being designated as an HC4 airframe. It has seen action in every major operation involving the RAF in the helicopter's 30-year service life. Since 1982 it has served in the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Kurdistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. The aircraft has seen four of its pilots awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions whilst in command of Bravo November.

It first came to the attention of the general public for its survival of the Falklands Campaign. In April 1982 Bravo November was loaded, along with three other Chinooks, aboard the container ship MV Atlantic Conveyor bound for the Falkland Islands on Operation Corporate. Atlantic Conveyor was hit by an Exocet missile destroying the vessel along with its cargo. Bravo November was on an airborne task at the time and managed to land on HMS Hermes, gaining the nickname "The Survivor". It was the only serviceable heavy lift helicopter available to British forces involved in the hostilities and managed to stay operational even thou all its spares, service manuals, lubricants or tools for it had perished along with the Atlantic Conveyor. Even so, it was able to carry some 1,500 troops, 95 casualties, 650 POWs and 550 tonnes of cargo during the conflict. The first of its four Distinguished Flying Crosses came for actions in the Falklands. Ever since the name, "Bravo November" became associated with this aircraft that has become "most famous" in the popular imagination. The aircraft is the subject of an exhibit at the RAF Museum.


That's all for now, stay tuned for more updates!

[LiamNL]

Wooooooooooooooooooooo, finally something. And with so much content to it, amazing.

[SkyEmperor]

Nice to see things are getting real, I'm a bit sad about the Type 21, hope it will be released soon after 1.4, so what will be the point of the Exocet missile until the Frigate gets implemented?

[LiamNL]

I would presume the cargo ship at least.

[SANGUE-RUIM]

[Danesh_italiano]

:mrgr een:

[anantdeathhawk]

Awesome goodness

[FlyingR]

Excellent fucking job guys!! This looks amazing!

Is there going to be the Pucara? It was a very important aircraft during the war!

[Atkinss]

oh ja
dis very gut ja
can't wait to try those mk82s!!!

[mars-army47]

good job,but pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase for the love of god fix the russian scopes pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase