Yet another update to Bombable as of September 2023 - it is now at version 5.0, is a proper FlightGear add-on, and is completely compatible with FG 2020.
Bombable converts FlightGear into full fledged combat flight simulator, with realistic weapons, dogfighting, bombing, and strafing--either with AI opponents or via multiplayer.
As with the FlightGear project as a whole, the goal of Bombable is to create a fun, realistic, and challenging combat flight simulation environment--since combat capabilities, training, and engagement have been an important part of the design and history of many of the historical aircraft modeled in FlightGear.
Here is the link to download Bombable 5.0, the current recommended version:
https://github.com/bhugh/Bombable/releases/tag/v5.0
The 5.0 version includes (among MANY other things) the JSBSim Sopwith Camel ver. 2.0--a historically realistic reconstruction of the famous Camel, completely compatible with Bombable. Ver. 2.0 of the Camel has many new updates and features and far greater realism.
Bombable now has a page on the FlightGear Wiki.
A video explains how to use Bombable, demonstrates it, and explains what the various menu options do.
Bombable is an add-on to FlightGear that has these features:
- Multiplayer dogfighting with Sopwith Camel, SPAD VII, Fokker DR 1 Triplane, A6M2 ZERO, F6F Hellcat, A-10 Warthog, and others
- AI dogfighting scenarios against planes, ships, and vehicles that dodge, turn, attack, shoot at you, and generally act like fighter pilots would
- Shootable/bombable moving tanks, jeeps, ships, and aircraft that catch fire, burn, explode, sink, crash, etc.
- You can shoot/bomb scenery elements and you will see explosions, fires, etc.
- Bombs and weapons affect Flightgear scenery as well as the main FG aircraft--so be careful that you don't drop a bomb too close to yourself . . .
- Explode/burn when the main aircraft crashes, rather than just bouncing off or ploinking into the ground
- AI scenarios that allow you to use FlightGear aircraft for air-to-ground, air-to-sea, and air-to-air combat missions against these targets
- Exceeding aircraft limitations (excess g-forces, overspeed) adds damage to your aircraft and finally leads to shutdown/crash
- Several specially modded aircraft are included. They are tuned to work better with Bombable AI scenarios, but for the AI scenarios you can use most any FG aircraft that has working guns or bombs (ie, fly the F-16 in dogfights; shoot down A-10s with an F-16 or Mig fighter, etc.)
- For MP dogfighting you **must** use one of the aircraft included in the distribution. (Or, if you are an aircraft developer, add some fairly simple code to your own aircraft to make them Bombable-compatible.)
Bombable now works with FlightGear 2.0.0 through 2020.3
Downloads:
https://github.com/bhugh/Bombable/releases/tag/v5.0 (current version, for FG 2020 and later)
If you are running Flightgear 1.9 or earlier, I suggest using the old version of Bombable (the new version hasn't been tested on FG 1.9 or earlier--though you're welcome to try the new version and report in this thread what happened):
http://brenthugh.com/flightgear/bombable3p.zip (old version, FG 1.9 and earlier)
If you are using FG 2.2 or 2016, you might need to use https://github.com/bhugh/Bombable/releases/tag/4.6delta (Bombable ver. 4.6delta).
Extra Aircraft to use with Bombable
Bombable includes a number of Bombable-optimized aircraft as part of the base distribution, including a historically accurate Sopwith Camel flight development model (choose the JSBSim version of sopwithCamel-Bombable).
In addition to the aircraft included in the base distribution, you can download these additional aircraft that are also Bombable-optimized:
* F-15E Strike Eagle (added weapons to the flyable/main aircraft version and bombable attributes to the AI/MP version, includes two scenarios, you can dogfight with Sidewinder missiles and guns with the F-15E or other FG aircraft such as the F-14b): http://brenthugh.com/flightgear/F-15E.zip - unzip to your 'data' directory (it includes an aircraft AND AI scenarios, all will be in the right place if you unzip to your data directory)
Based on the F-15E Strike Eagle project by StuartC.
* B-17F with working guns (Bombable includes an AI version of the B-17 but this adds a flyable/main aircraft B-17 that has working/firing guns; use with the Zero, Hellcat, and B-17 scenarios included in Bombable or fly over MP with B-17s, Zero, Hellcats, and similar aircraft.): http://brenthugh.com/flightgear/B-17F.zip - unzip to your Aircraft directory.
Based on the B-17F from Dave's Hangar. You'll need the DavePack from Dave's Hangar to make it work.
INSTALLATION
To install the package, simply unzip it to the FG/data directory.
Detailed instructions/caveats in the readme file--please do read it!
The package does **not** over-write any FlightGear files (except previous version of Bombable) and uninstalling Bombable is easy--it does **not** require reinstalling FlightGear. Uninstall instructions included.
Here's the background:
I've abstracted the techniques created by others as demonstration of concept, and actually made them work for a wide variety of ground vehicles, ships, and aircraft.
The same techniques allow any developer to add to a few lines of code any AI object (aircraft, ship, carrier, vehicle, etc.) and turn it into a Bombable-aware object that can move, chase you, shoot at you, and take damage and be destroyed.
So, for instance, now we still have the "tank and jeep invasions" with a fleet of vehicles moving through various locations, but also fleets of large ships, Cessna 172s, and A-10 Thunderbolts flying through the California mountains at 300 ft AGL--just waiting for you to track them down and catch them. As you are trying to track them down and catch them, they will also be working to track YOU down and shoot you.
Each of these objects shows damage and catches fire and burns rather satisfyingly when damaged sufficiently.
In addition, each type of object crashes, sinks, burns, explodes, etc., in a decently realistic kind of way.
And . . . Bombable now extends those same techniques to create true multi-player dogfighting capabilities. Join your friends on FlightGear via multiplayer and fight it out.
MAKING YOUR OWN BOMBABLE AI AIRCRAFT AND YOUR OWN MP DOGFIGHTING AIRCRAFT
The same techniques used to make these AI aircraft bombable and make them work over MP can be used on any aircraft. Detailed instructions here:
http://wiki.flightgear.org/Howto:_Addin ... ith_damage
BOMBABLE SCENERY
Now the FG's scenery, buildings, bridges, etc, explode and catch fire when bombed or shot with enough of the right type of ammo.