We received feedback from players about possible problems with damage models of the top attackers Su-25 and A-10A. Now we will tell you about what problems we found and how we solved them.
Hi there! Recently we received several reports on possible problems with attackers of the Su-25 and A-10A series - players complained about oddities in the damage model of these aircraft, in particular from damage by the striking elements of the anti-aircraft missiles. We carefully studied the damage scenarios for these attack aircraft, found problems and fixed them. Some of the corrections will also involve refining the damage models for other aircraft from kinetic hits from close bursts of guided missiles and artillery rounds. On the example of Su-25 and A-10 we want to tell you about the results of this work.
A-10A tended to frequently tear off the tail section of the fuselage and destroy both engines. At the same time damage to the front of the fuselage didn’t result in any significant damage to the aircraft. Now depending on the angle, a close burst of a guided missile or a hit in the rear hemisphere results more often in damage or failure of one of the engines rather than both at once. Hits in the forward hemisphere will now be more likely to damage control rods as well as other internal modules of the aircraft. The probability of damage to internal modules increases if the fuselage has been already heavily damaged (black areas on the damage indicator at the bottom corner of the screen). These fuselage damage model refinements will affect all aircraft in the game - damage will be applied correctly.
Su-25 engines could withstand considerable damage from close bursts and kinetic elements because of the error in the damage calculation. We found and fixed this problem. Now depending on the angle and power of the shell or missile hitting the rear of the fuselage will more often cause one of the engines to fail, direct hits between the engines or on other critical modules will lead to fatal damage of the aircraft. As with the A-10A hits to the front part of the fuselage are more likely to disable control mechanisms and internal components.
As for the survivability of the Su-25 and А-10А, both aircraft have a good chance of surviving a hit from a small SAM or other small calibre guided missile. Of course this depends on many factors and will usually force pilots to return urgently to the airfield for repair. Direct hits from large calibre guided missiles with considerable explosive weight and number of submunitions will always lead to the defeat of any aircraft, including the Su-25 and A-10, for which such missiles have been created.
Fly confidently, trust your aircraft but remember that even the strongest aircraft has limits on survivability! Good hunting!