Thread: Aircraft rules
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Old 09-28-2008, 06:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kcdusk
For heat seeking missles, would things like hot/cold days make it harder/easier to shoot down aircraft?

Rational being on a cold day, the heat signature stands out more therefore making it easier to shoot down plane/aircraft. Even if "that makes sense", is it enough to make it one difficulty easier/harder in terms of a task check?

I'm putting my article together, and plan to include some optional house rules.
Hot and cold days don't affect the seeker -- but they do affect the aerodynamics and thrust of the missile. The effect is very little, however -- not enough to make a difference.

Some things that can affect heat-seekers is: flares (of course), IRCM equipment, lasers, the sun, clouds, the ground, proximity of other aircraft, the tightness of the turning or jinking of the target, and the angle-off you're shooting at. The higher technology of the missile, the less they are affected; modern heat-seekers are generally not bothered by natural conditions, have resistance to flares, are capable of all-angle shooting (they can home on the heat caused by air friction as well as the engines), and have a bit of resistance to IRCM. The older the missile, the more easily it gets confused; early in Vietnam, the only reason most pilots preferred the Sidewinder is because the Sparrow radar-homing missiles of the time were even less reliable.
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