The way aircraft loadouts are set is not too dissimilar from the setting of sea unit equipments, except that we can have more than one loadout for the same aircraft. The key is plane's cfg file, where the loadouts themselves are defined:
[Loadout #]
a sequential number. Different loadouts have different numbers.
Name=*
this is the name assigned to any given loadout. The same name must be used in aircraft eqp file.
Type=#
this is a number indicating what type of bombs any loadout is composed of. If memory serves me well, 1, 2 and 3 are used for heavy, medium and light bombs respectively, whereas 4 means torpedoes and 5 is used for depth charges.
Let's see aircraft .eqp file structure now.
At the beginning we usually find the so called "Basic Loadout definition". This loadout has no name/type and subsequently, unlike other loadouts, it is not set in unit's cfg file the way we have seen above.
IIRC in stock game this type of loadout is used for aircraft outfits which don't include bombs, but due to a bag (or a feature?) in game code, aircraft with no bombs just fly over their potential targets, not using their guns against enemies, nor reporting them to the nearest friendly base/unit. Seeing that, and seeing that aircraft with basic loadouts are the ones most commonly spawned by airbases in game, many mods and super mods feature bombs also for this basic loadout. Settings for basic loadouts:
[Equipment #]
replace the # with a sequantial number. The numbering must be kept from the beginning to the end of the .eqp file, 1 being the number of the first equipment definitions on the top of the file, and the last equipment at the bottom of the file having the highest number.
NodeName=*
this the name of each node on aircraft model that armaments get attached to. Usually they are used for attaching bombs to them, in which case they are numbered B01, B02, etc, but there can also be nodes used for light guns (in which case they are named A01, A02, ...), cannons (M01, M02...), search lights (L01, L02...), etc
LinkName=*
this is the name of the equipment/armament that we want to be attached to any given equipment node on the aircraft model. The equiments must be stored in a file in the library folder. If no equipment is desired for a specific node, you can set this property to NULL instead of specifying an equipment name.
Repeat the three rows above for each node on the aircraft model. After you have finished with the basic loadout, you can keep on with subsequent loadous (the ones set in aircaft cfg file). The settings are the entries are the same as above:
[Equipment #]
NodeName=*
LinkName=*
...bu add to them:
Loadout=*
this is the loadout name (as set in unit's cfg file) that any equipment definition subsequent to 'basic loadout definitions' applies to.
Ideally, you should have one equipment definition for each node and for each loadout. If, for instance, you have an aircraft with 8 equipment nodes and 3 loadouts defined in its cfg file, you should have 8 x (3+1) = 32 equipment definitions in its eqp file (the +1 coming from the basic loadout).
One last note. It is my understanding that we have no much control over the type of bomb loadouts among the ones set for each aircraft, that we will actually meet in game. I think the game picks up one of them based on the types of available loadouts and on game circumstances. I also seem to remember having read that airbase veterancy level might play a role in this logic, but that's all I can say on this topic. Maybe others can shed some light on it.
That should be all from my part. I hope I have been clear enough but don't hesitate asking in case you need some extra clarification
