Cat Shot

[_AH_Duff4r]

Are we interested in this??  It is not too historical but neither are static CV's

Easy to install, dump in Mods folder.  To test this, start a single player mission with a CV.  You will find the Cat Track at the forward left side of the CV.  You taxi up close to it and lock chocks.  It pulls you into the track and lines you up.  Add flaps, 120% mixture.  Rev until ready and release chocks.  Into the air ya go lads.  It worked with everything I tried except a Sair with 100% and 3, 2000 lbers.

We all need this I think.  It could help the FNF scenarios.

Here it is all of 24 kb: Catapult

S~
Duff

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Been messing with this mod myself the last few days. I think it has potential and we should keep our eye on it but in it's current state it's just kind of a proof of concept. AI won't use the catapults and they are'nt aware of you using them. So as you taxi forward they think you're gone and try to takeoff. It would be ok if every a/c on the carrier was player manned, or all the AI were in front. Everyone would have to have it, we tested that the other night in the qual room. The avenger does not react well to the catapult, but I think thats just it's wishy-washy flight model. The moment you leave the deck it almost snap rolls you 90 degrees to the left. The catapult could be usefull with the british carriers. It would be interesting to see if this can be combined with something along the lines of the previous carrier takeoff mod. If we could have more a/c start on the deck and catapult them.

Anyhoo, my two cents would be that it has potential but it's too early to tell.

DW

[_AH_BBQhead]

S~.   haven't had a chance to install it yet.   sounds interesting, though.

   at least there's not a laundry list of  text bits to copy into various files.. so it's got that going for it..

    if it's just a folder that drops into the mods folder.. i don't see the harm in experimenting with it on an individual basis. 

    so for now.. if you want it, put it in.. but don't expect all to have it.. in other words.. don't build missions where everyone has to have it to get off the deck..yet.   

 

[_AH_Duff4r]

I posted this late last night and made a small error...sorry

I said "We all need this I think."

I meant to say "We WOULD all need this I think."

Meaning it would be a squad level decision (BBQ) as to using it or not.  Part of us couldn't cat off and the rest fly off.  It wouldn't work.

Didn't know about the AI thing....Thanks DW that makes a big difference to its usability.

My thoughts were more of and for the FNF with no AI.

S~
Duff

[_AH_taldrg]

~S~ What ever. At least we would have a CARRIER mission now and then.

[_AH_BBQhead]

S~.. i'd like for who ever wants to try it, to try it.. it's the only way to find out if there are problems with it..

seems like if there are problems with a mod, it's never discovered til  a few weeks after we've started to play around with it..   

[_AH_Twisted]

We still can do a carrier FNF.
Fighters on carriers as they should be.
Bombers if we have them land based as they should be.

Personally we should not allow fighters to carry bombs, we've always had bombers as part of the FnF that I've seen.  Keep the fighters as air cover or seek and destroy enemy bombers and or strafing of land targets such as trucks.

Another options which I've seen done is line up 2-3 carriers nose to stern thus giving you a much longer runway. Since the FnF are DF maps carriers are not moving anyways.

[_AH_Jack]

I tried the cat shot mod off line.  It was a simple install & worked well with an F6F-3; and landing back on the carrier was the same.

[_AH_Zipzag]

mmm and your gonna get how many planes on deck for FNF ? don't seem like it's gonna work out that good , unless u have more than one base , so lining up 3 carriers i don't think is goona work or will it ?

[_AH_Twisted]

You can't line up 3 sets parallel to each other? It would be somewhat similar to having 2 taxi ways and a run way on a large air field. Given that even if you had 18 pilots on one side that is 6 per carrier/run way.

A little imagination is required  (glasses)

If memory serves me right Ghost Skies pacific map had this very thing with 2 carrier groups and it worked flawlessly.

Keep in mind even if you we were to use this mod for FnF there is still no way to land a bomber back on there for you'd still need a runway to land it.

As for a fighter only match that would really hurt the axis side if the bomb size and loadout wasn't limited, as the Allied side carrier a/c had much better and more options.

[_AH_BBQhead]

S~.

hey guys, this is a thread about the catapult launcher..

whether or not it would add anything to the FNF is kinda secondary to whether it's usable for general purpose  missions.. coops and dogfight maps...plus tonight is our last FNF for a while... as originally shceduled.. 10 FNF's... about a month long break.. then go again.     

  we've already seen our first  come uppins with it in a coop..  while parking on the carrier after landing, since we park on the bow to give other landers room to come aboard,  if you're the third or fourth  parked plane back from the front when you put your chocks in you're going to be dragged into the 'proper' spot to get catapulted.. which might just mean halfway up the plane in front of you.  interestingly, no one exploded.. might have been luck that the plane in front was just far enough out of the way so that the nose of the fourth plane was buried in the tail,  but another couple inches might have been all it took to go ka-boom! 

so i'm still at 'drop it into your mods folder if ya want to so we can see what problems. if any. there are.'   If ya don't want to.. that's ok too.. we're just testing it out for a few weeks..

   

[_AH_Duff4r]

To Clarify!

We can catshoot as many planes as we now take off the deck.  The cat track is way forward and left on the deck.  We would use it to compensate for the CVs not being underway!  You can still do a normal take-off.  We just can't have the AI as they would think you're clear of the deck and takeoff into you.

It is very very simple to install and easy to use.  One or two dry runs and you'd have it.

S~
Duff

[_AH_taldrg]

S~ Duff
        I DLd the thing into a folder on my desk top and that is where it is now and it will stay there till some CO tells me otherwise.

[_AH_BBQhead]

S~. Extract the downloaded file. 

  Depending on the version and settings of your extracting utility, you may have a CarrierCatapult_b4 folder inside a CarrierCatapult_b4 folder, which won't work. 

Look inside the CarrierCatapult_b4 folder to check and see that there are only files contained in it and no folders.   

  Copy and paste the folder named CarrierCatapult_b4  ( with no folders inside of it )  into your Mods folder.


We're still experimenting with this one.  it is not required. 

[_AH_taldrg]

S~ Thanks boss...will do.

[_AH_Twisted]

I've actually installed my first mod, persay, aside from the Bf-109-1

I haven't had a play with it yet as I've been flat out busy today but will get around to it.

~S~

[_AH_taldrg]

~S~  OK..I have the thing in my MOD(ugh)folder...so what do I do to see if it works off line?

[_AH_Twisted]

On the front portion of the carrier you should see a black line. I guess this would represent the cat track. Taxi up to it. I'm guessing you could just straddle it, close enough is suppose to be good enough. Put your wheel chucks back in like you do when you park after landing. Rev the engine up. Flaps down. Remove the chucks and you're away.

This is how I've seen it done TD, still haven't tried yet myself.

~S~

[_AH_taldrg]

~S~  Where do I find this Carrier???

[_AH_Duff4r]

TD,

They should all have it.  Try a single mission with a carrier.  The track is foward left.  Taxi onto the track, set chocks.  It will position you.  Flaps and engine and take off chocks and Kaboom!

Good Luck,
Duff

[_AH_taldrg]

~S~ Thanks Duff...it works..but..not with a full loaded Corsair.

[_AH_Duff4r]

TD,

Correct, if you load with 3 - 2000 lbers it won't.  Was that a historical load-out?  Not that Cat shots were but motionless CVs weren't either.

There is a Mod that makes the CVs move in dog-fight rooms but I'll be dipped if I can make it work...UGH!

S~
Duff

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I think a more typical carrier borne loadout for an F4U-1D would've been something like 2x500 pounders and 8 x rockets. Some of the heavier ones were probobly a land based loadout.

DW

[_AH_Duff4r]

Thanks DW...

That's kinda what I thought.

LOL!  Although the cat-shot isn't historical....it's cool!

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I dunno, not historical? CVLs and especially CVEs made use of their catapults. It was less common on US fleet carriers, but not unheard of. The brits used them alot on their fleet carriers. I've had these pictures lying around for awhile, I guess from an old National Geographic.



This one is on a CVE, but it's a nice image. Though the caption mistakes the FM-2s as hellcats.



DW

[_AH_Duff4r]

Awesome!!  I did know the Brits used them but thought it only towards the very end of the war for the US.

Great...Let's do it!

Duff

[_AH_Twisted]

Yep works good off line once you get the hang of getting your plane up there and in the close enough proximity.

~S~

[_AH_Boosher]

For those who have the F9F, here are Flakiten's notes on Cat Shot with the Panther:

Guys, don´t try to take off a F9F2 full of fuel, at maximum weapons load of a stationary or moving carrier. No panther (real or simulated) can do this.

Please read.

- The empty weight of a panther is 9303 lbs.
- A 100% fuel tank as a weight of 7383 lbs.
- The carrier maximum weight for a panther is 14235 lbs.

So, if you want to make a carrier take off you must have less than 14235 lbs.

Do a test. Put a F9F2 with 53% of fuel and 2 x 500 lbs bomb (total weight 14216 lbs) on a full speed (30kias) running carrier. See if the panther take off from after deck position.

You can change weapons load and fuel %. But you must have less than 14235 lbs. If you need more weapons or more fuel you will need a catapult or head wing....or a miracle.

Panther fuel % and weapon loadout table - for a 30 kias carrier, no head wind, no catapult.

1 - 06 Rockets - 55% fuel = 14204 lbs
2 - 02 500lbs bombs - 53% fuel = 14216 lbs
3 - 06 250lbs bombs - 43% fuel = 13978 lbs
4 - 02 500lbs bombs + 06 Rockets - 35% fuel = 13727 lbs
5 - 04 500lbs bombs - 38% fuel = 14109 lbs
6 - 02 1000lbs bombs - 38% fuel = 14109 lbs
7 - 02 500lbs bombs + 06 250lbs bombs = maybe you need a field.
8 - 02 Fuel tanks = maybe you need a field.

You might have noticed that the weights are below the maximum.
This is because the things you put under the wings generate drag, and the plane need more deck to gain speed.

[_AH_Gonzo]

Side note:



Wow, look at the state of the paint jobs on those two aircraft!