Searching for Aircraft

[PapaG39]

I have tried to use the binoculars and lookout for aircraft from the bridge myself. I have never seen one before he saw us.

I'm wondering if it is even possible to see aircraft yourself via the binoculars.

Are aircraft just spawned at a specific trigger point and so would just materlize at your position. In which case you would have to be looking right at that specific spot at that exact moment to be able to see them.
Also, just how far away would you be able to see aircraft in this game?

Forget looking into the sun or inclement weather or at night... I'm not talking about that.

[Torplexed]

I'm wondering if it is even possible to see aircraft yourself via the binoculars.


I have. But at the high magnification they flash by fast. Finger keyboard coordination isn't quite the handy thing as hand eye coordination so they're almost impossible to track.

[Jimbuna]

Depending on what version your playing, aircraft are rendered at either 8 or 16km from you (along with everything else in the SH3 world for that matter.
An aircraft approaching you from that distance would be extremely hard to track in a high magnification setting. http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[Kpt. Lehmann]

It is also quite reasonable that aircraft typically spot you first as you are a larger visual target that is 'extended' even moreso by the wake you leave behind... as compared to the visual/sound 'signature' of an aircraft that is typically smaller than your U-boat.

Secondarily, depending on the year, aircraft carried radar detection units... and are modelled as such in-game.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l192/Albrecht_von_Hesse/SH3Img6-1-2008_18291_359.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l192/Albrecht_von_Hesse/SH3Img1-1-2008_22850_234.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l192/Albrecht_von_Hesse/SH3Img1-1-2008_22725_46.jpg

It is possible to spot aircraft through the binoculars. Those last two were fairly easy, as they were friendlies and moving rather sedately and predictably. Now, that first one, ummm . . . ::cough::cough:: . . .

Trust me . . . you really don't want to be seeing something like that through binoculars!! :roll: :dead:

[FIREWALL]

There is a fairly easy way that I use and am fairly successful.

But if you have a VII or IX early in the war your dead meat anyways.

You just get to see it closeup. :lol:

Will post how I see them if you want to know seriously.

[Hondo314]

Will post how I see them if you want to know seriously.

Do tell Kaleun. Lord knows we can't trust military intelligence to teach us anything. Might as well hear it from one of our own. :know:

[Brag]

You should be crash diving rather than trying to see the little birdie :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Laufen zum Ziel]

As soon as my Watch spots an aircraft I check with my Navigations Officer for depth and crash dive. I override the crash dive and manually set my depth to about 30m and go hard right or left and set speed to max. I have suffered much damage by going to periscope depth when an aircraft is diveing on me.

Es ist töricht, der Captain, die Kämpfe der Flugzeuge.

[KeptinCranky]

No, no, no, no diving...:nope: :D

That first picture is precisely the moment you yell Feuer Frei *and have your flakvierling take that thing to the cleaners, then at the very last moment you make a hard turn so the burning wreck doesn't sink your boat.....:arrgh!:

If for some inexplicable reason you do no in fact have a flakvierling...well, you should have been well on your way to 30 meters by the time it's that close....:-?

* if you were shooting at it before it's that close this is precisely the moment when your brave men are reloading the aforementioned Flakvierling and they will start firing again just when the bombs hit....:o

[Brag]

As soon as my Watch spots an aircraft I check with my Navigations Officer for depth and crash dive. I override the crash dive and manually set my depth to about 30m and go hard right or left and set speed to max. I have suffered much damage by going to periscope depth when an aircraft is diveing on me.

Es ist töricht, der Captain, die Kämpfe der Flugzeuge.

You need to frequent deeper waters:yep:

[siber]

I haven't come across aircraft much, as I try to stay away from places that might have them - only gotten to 1942 so far. However, when I do spot them I man the flak gun(s), immediately order flank speed and turn directly toward/away from the aircraft. Then, hopefully the flak gunner and speed will cause the bombs/rockets to be aimed long/short. Immediately the plane has climbed/turned away to make another run, I crash dive and make a 30-120 degree turn once I pass 20m.

Out of three real encounters, I've survived all three with only one dead (machine-gunned) flak gunner and a damaged deck gun.

[Jimbuna]

From 43 onwards you should notice a steady increase in aircraft activity :hmm:

[BulSoldier]

I have been attacked 7 times by ansons while moving through the gap between orkneys and fareors (?). After 5 time i was sick of crashdiving and made a stand.Well first i was engaged by 2 and my gunner shot them with 200-300 ammo.Few hours later he spent almost all the ammo and shot the anson attacking us,not before bomb blew 3meters from our board !

It was early 1940 gwx1.03 though :) Earlier while playing at 1024 i was wondering why i dont see aircrafts, now at 256 i hate them more than anything ! :rotfl: