FORMATION
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Formation flying
Joining dozens of other players for massive group missions is an incredible experience, but correct formation flying is important, and easy to learn and do.
In this image some 30 He-111's and 32 escorts lift off for a mass bombing mission. Stay alert for calls for a bombing mission!
Formations help bomber groups protect themselves with cover fire from multiple defensive guns. It is also good for fighter aircraft for positional awareness (where your wingman is), and better watching for EA (enemy aircraft), that is not everyone is looking at the same spot in sky, while EA behind you.
Formation flying is not as simple as it sounds. It's not just getting close to another airplane, but actually matching speed and direction, and that will be challenging.
The key to proper formation flying is for the lead to announce engine power settings (either "Inch" or "ATA") and speed. Knowing the engine power helps in what throttle the engine to once close, and the speed to know what the closure rate is (IE: Lead is 235km/h, you are 250km/h, and you know you are closing at 15km/h.). It is also a useful guide to know how much damage one has if one has to go full throttle to stay in formation, while rest are not.
If one is flying to fast and is too far ahead, to get back required severely throttling back, and/or doing gentle S-turns (about 45*). Care MUST be taken not too do either too much, or you will find yourself well behind the group!
Once you match the speed, then you need to match direction. This involves tiny, and I emphasize tiny, corrections in direction until your aircraft is flying parallel to the lead. Using a Waypoint helps with the initial lineup, but after that it will still requires some small adjustments.
In moving into formation you have to almost constantly trim and adjust the airplane, until you are finally in the formation. With EA around, you need to practice to do this quickly.
Below is what a typical bomber formation is, offering the best cover fire. One does not have to be exactly like this to do the job, but is a good goal. More bombers can join the formation by extending the pattern.
Escorting
You should quickly understand the concept of "Formation flying", but "Escorting" is much harder.
In short, in the time it takes for one to dive on an EA (enemy aircraft), shoot it down, and then turn to rejoin the formation, you can easily be 15klm away, and take a long time to catch up with the formation. Even as little as 30 seconds delay could allow an EA to shoot down 2 or 3 bombers!
Escorting is very simple:
STAY WITH WHO YOU ARE PROTECTING
Do NOT shoot to kill, shoot to chase them away, and quickly rejoin the formation.
It is best for the escorting aircraft to fly higher and faster, ready to engage any EA that challenge the formation.
The ideal maneuver is a vertical scissors. You dive in on the EA, take a quick shot, then climb up toward the formation, rolling over as needed to keep visual on the EA, and do again as needed until you fall too far behind formation, or if good with aiming, the EA goes down in flames!
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