Bomb Employment

The Phantom has a wide range of weapon modes to employ bombs. Most modes require the WSO to make inputs into the ARBCS/WRCS.

For assistance in calculation see Bombing Calculator Chapter. You can open and close it by pressing RCTRL + B in game.

💡 When flying with Jester, use the Bombing Calculator Tool to plan your attack and to tell Jester to prepare the aircraft for this profile.

The delivery modes can be roughly categorized into:

Pilot

After setting the desired delivery mode on the Delivery Mode Knob, the pilot has to select BOMBS on the Weapon Selector Knob.

💡 CBU-1 and CBU-2 must be deployed using the RKTS & DISP setting instead of BOMBS.

The corresponding stations to deploy bombs from are then selected and armed by using the Master Arm Switch and the Station Select Buttons.

Some bombs support fuze settings selectable using the Nose/Tail Arming Switch.

Next, the pilot can set the quantity of bombs to drop per release pulse and the interval between pulses by using the switches on the AWRU panel.

Once everything is set up, bombs are generally released by pressing the Bomb Button on the flight stick.

WSO

Depending on the selected mode, the WSO must setup the aircraft for the desired attack profile. Only modes DT and TGT FIND generally require no preparation.

WRCS Panel

Most relevant settings can be found on the WRCS panel. In order for the WRCS to compute proper ballistic solutions during non-dive deliveries, the WSO has to enter a drag coefficient suitable for the desired bomb and altitude by entering it using the Drag Coefficient Control.

💡 Drag coefficient numbers can be computed with the Bombing Calculator Tool. The kneeboard also provides lookup tables.

With the exception of the DT mode, it is necessary to enter the altitude of the target or the IP using the Target/IP Altitude Control.

If multiple bombs are supposed to be dropped in one attack, their pattern can be shifted forward or aft using the Release Advance Control.

💡 Release Advance can be computed easily using the Bombing Calculator Tool.

For offset attacks, the offset is entered as distance in N/S and E/W direction to the reference point (IP, VIP, RIP) using the Target Distance Controls.

💡 Target Distance in N/S and E/W can be converted from direct distance and heading using the Bombing Calculator Tool.

Certain modes, such as DL and L require entering the range to the target from a precomputed point. This can be done using the Release Range Control.

Bomb Release Angle Computer

For lofting modes, the desired release angle can be set with the Low Angle Control, while the High Angle Control is used for tossing modes.

Bombing Timers

Modes LOFT, O/S and T LAD require setting a Pull Up timer which will start counting down when overflying the IP. Once ran out, it gives the pilot cues to initiate the pull-up maneuver. The timer has to be computed accordingly to the distance and altitude of the target in relation to the desired speed and altitude of the aircraft, as well as the desired release angle.

💡 Pull-Up timer values can be computed using the Bombing Calculator Tool.

Further, modes TL and T LAD utilize a release-timer.