Tanks vs. Helicopters

[lion551]

Originally Posted by Xander[nl]

If you make the TVguideds range longer (dunno about realism on that tho), choppers won't have to deal that much anymore with sniping tanks. (they can just hover on the other side of the map, like they do in real life).

And well, yes tancrews are trained to take choppers down. But I don't think that includes shooting choppers at speeds of 200-250 km/h? as they do in PR. If a chopper is hovering in a danger zone, then thats the pilot's fault, not PR's fault. But if a tank snipes down a chopper, at full speed, then that aint fair.

And that is basically my point i have been flying low at full speed in the Apaches and boom a tank shell comes like a bat oout of hell and blows up the chopper, very frustrating

[lion551]

Originally Posted by HughJass

you must be a preatty bad pilot if you get shot down my tanks xD

Well if you consider the fact that I was flying full speed and got shot down 3 times by a tank while doing so, i don't know if that classifies me as a bad pilot having been in the apache one game and didn't die once. Mabey its just bad luck, but i would love to go one on one against you anytime.

[Ninja2dan]

Any modern MBT with a stabalized turret and advanced targetting system such as that on the Abrams can take out a helicopter as well as almost any moving vehicle. As long as you move in a constant direction and speed, you become nothing more than a stationary target as far as the ballistics computer is concerned. It calculates your speed and range, ballistic properties of the loaded ammo, and bingo. A fire solution is made and all the gunner needs to do is keep tracking you smoothly.

Although armor in PR lacks such a ballistics computer, you can still minimize your chances of being shot down by several ways. First, don't enter an AOB without sending in a scout party, either on foot or in the air (high-alt recon helos work well if you use them correctly). Second, don't fly in a straight line like you are sprinting from A to B. Zig-zag, and make slight changes to speed and altitude.

It's just like being a foot soldier. If you come under fire, don't just run straight towards cover. Zig-zag to avoid giving someone the chance to apply lead, or else you might as well just stand there and take the hit. You'll die less tired at least.

[[R-CON]nedlands1]

Originally Posted by lion551

Well if you consider the fact that I was flying full speed and got shot down 3 times by a tank while doing so, i don't know if that classifies me as a bad pilot having been in the apache one game and didn't die once. Mabey its just bad luck, but i would love to go one on one against you anytime.

Were you flying perpendicular to the tank's view in each case or towards or away from them? IMO a good pilot never actually sees his/her armored target as they hang beyond the target's visual range but within TV missile range (~500m < range < ~1000m), ready for their gunner to strike. This is facilitated by communication of the location of target between the team and the gunner, who is the squad leader, and then the between the gunner and his pilot. The gunner puts an attack marker on the target in order to gauge range and approximate location. Once in range, the TV missile is launched at the marker and once the target becomes visible, adjustments to the aim are made.

[lion551]

Originally Posted by nedlands1

Were you flying perpendicular to the tank's view in each case or towards or away from them? IMO a good pilot never actually sees his/her armored target as they hang beyond the target's visual range but within TV missile range (~500m < range < ~1000m), ready for their gunner to strike. This is facilitated by communication of the location of target between the team and the gunner, who is the squad leader, and then the between the gunner and his pilot. The gunner puts an attack marker on the target in order to gauge range and approximate location. Once in range, the TV missile is launched at the marker and once the target becomes visible, adjustments to the aim are made.

Only if this were true in pr

[[R-CON]nedlands1]

Originally Posted by lion551

Only if this were true in pr

It is. I do it all the time. Since 0.5.

[RHYS4190]

He has a point hope no ones beaten him up about this. well a tank can shot down an Attack chopper BUT... here is the thing attack choppers never get close enough for the tanks to shot them down they shot from miles away. Plus attack choppers have a camera with a zoom so they can snipe from long range with there machine gun and other weapons. the trick with choppers in this game is just to hang back and snipe at long range with TV missiles but fortune you can't do it with the gun though .

[[R-CON]nedlands1]

Originally Posted by RHYS4190

He has a point hope no ones beaten him up about this. well a tank can shot down an Attack chopper BUT... here is the thing attack choppers never get close enough for the tanks to shot them down they shot from miles away. Plus attack choppers have a camera with a zoom so they can snipe from long range with there machine gun and other weapons. the trick with choppers in this game is just to hang back and snipe at long range with TV missiles but fortune you can't do it with the gun though .

Yeah and if you tried the attack marker trick in conjunction with the underslung cannon your existence would be short lived. It would just be a case of following back on the tracers. The likelihood is that there will be obstructions in the way too.

[Ninja2dan]

If you are engaging a target with the 30mm, you better be damn sure it's not a heavy enough target to take you out of the sky. Armor and AA should be engaged with ATGM's, not the cannon. The real purpose of the cannon is anti-personnel and lightly-armored vehicles. The only thing a 30mm would do to any MBT is damage external optics or components, or destroy the troop gear hanging on the outside. Plus it'll give the armor crew a nasty headache. Exception being if the TC was dumb enough to be unbuttoned at the time.

[[R-CON]nedlands1]

Originally Posted by Ninja2dan

If you are engaging a target with the 30mm, you better be damn sure it's not a heavy enough target to take you out of the sky. Armor and AA should be engaged with ATGM's, not the cannon. The real purpose of the cannon is anti-personnel and lightly-armored vehicles. The only thing a 30mm would do to any MBT is damage external optics or components, or destroy the troop gear hanging on the outside. Plus it'll give the armor crew a nasty headache. Exception being if the TC was dumb enough to be unbuttoned at the time.

Funny thing I noticed: when shooting your own unmanned tanks, they rollback heaps. I imagine that sustained fire would wreak havoc with an APC or IFV IRL.

Edit: In response to the "unbuttoned" statement: Yeah that would be a bad time to have your pants down.