Bomber boxes (B17)

[mongoose]

See these various WRT post content

https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/details/formationsflug/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/...fig2_322311223

http://www.303rdbg.com/formation.html

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...LMsvkRIqSnVaBM

I have found it is nearly impossible, or in fact is impossible, 6 aircraft in the correct alignment as in https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/details/formationsflug/ for summer 1943 period , never mind 3 sets of 6! I assume the CFS3 formations are hard coded? The closest existing CFS3 formation is the Shotai. (See zip)formations study.zip

The first 3 ac give part of the formation as in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_box where there are 4 groups of 3, but then the next groups of 3 are off. Also if one looks at groups of 6 ac as in https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/details/formationsflug/ for April 1843 then again only the 1st 3 are correct.

Even if that is solved, putting 3 squadrons in a tight formation and height is a nightmare., never mind keeping all this together from one wp to another. In my BoB missions with the LW bombers, I just puts lots together judt with vertical separation and let them sort themselves out, but they had escort fighters all the way and never had the gun power of B17s.

Anyone with ideas either to be able to rejig the stock formations or use the mb route fixture or play with the xml file, let me know. I have thought of playing around withe lat and long coordinates WRT converting minutes or seconds into metres
based on this
"If your displacements aren't too great (less than a few kilometers) and you're not right at the poles, use the quick and dirty estimate that 111,111 meters (111.111 km) in the y direction is 1 degree (of latitude) and 111,111 * cos(latitude) meters in the x direction is 1 degree (of longitude)" and AFAIK 1 minute = ~1800m and 1 sec = ~32m

 

[MajorMagee]

Back in the day, HouseHobbit had some success with doing realistic combat box formations in his missions. What I remember most was that it was practically suicide to attack them.

https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?catid=70&linkid=19707

 

[mongoose]

I'll have a look at those again. Thanks Andy.

 

[mongoose]

Had a look and had these already. He just used the standard Shotai for 8 ac. IIRC not in Group boxes but I would have to fly then to see. I might plot a route on Google Earth and then use rhe "quick and dirty estimate that 111,111 meters (111.111 km) in the y direction is 1 degree (of latitude) and 111,111 * cos(latitude) meters in the x direction is 1 degree (of longitude)"