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AT Launchers. RPG-42: Too fast, No ballistic drop, Too long range, Guided. NLAW: Too slow
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Description

Observed:
RPG-42 AT Launcher projectile flies too fast and without motor burnout, results in completely straight laser-like trajectory even up to 1000m (max I tested).
(config values of Thrust=1050, MaxSpeed=750, TimeToLive=6)
RPG should probably not be guided. It's an RPG after all.
NLAW projectile is too slow at typical distances.
(config values of Thrust=334, MaxSpeed=340, TimeToLive=3)
RPG has thus a very long range.

Ingame, RPG has about 66% more speed at typical ranges than NLAW.

Expected:
RPG should have steep ballistic drop and less speed. Maximum range should be much less, now it's like a Javelin. It should be unguided, at least after we get some heavier man portable AT missiles like Metis equivalent. And it locks way faster then the NLAW (2 vs 3)
NLAW's range should be more in line with its RL counterpart, it's not Javelin, it's supposed to be 100-600m.

It almost seems like their configs were reversed, or perhaps the RPG config was copied from another (much bigger) missile.

Details

Legacy ID
112595625
Severity
Minor
Resolution
Open
Reproducibility
Always
Category
Config
Steps To Reproduce
  1. Fire NLAW and RPG-42 from same position at a known long distance, preferably not locked at a target (ie some rocks in the distance) so you can observe unguided trajectory.
  1. Observe the trajectory of both, observe flying time of both.
  1. Notice how RPG is much faster and flies straight on.
Additional Information

Observed in A3 0.52 and A3 0.53.103609 DEV branch.

Event Timeline

fraczek edited Steps To Reproduce. (Show Details)Apr 1 2013, 4:08 PM
fraczek edited Additional Information. (Show Details)
fraczek set Category to Config.
fraczek set Reproducibility to Always.
fraczek set Severity to Minor.
fraczek set Resolution to Open.
fraczek set Legacy ID to 112595625.May 7 2016, 1:21 PM
fraczek added a subscriber: fraczek.

According to http://world.guns.ru/grenade/rus/rpg-32-e.html on RPG-32 (which the RPG-42 is presumably based upon), the rocket motor burns out completely while still inside the barrel (which is the design of most RL RPGs). Therefore the rocket has high initial velocity, but should lose it much more quickly due to drag (with appropriate loss of altitude, ie steep ballistic trajectory), unlike the NLAW which is a soft-launch system (ie very low initial velocity, increasing until rocket motor burnout), and seems to be more accurately portraied in the Alpha.

But I love my guided missile rocket propelled grenades!

zGuba added a subscriber: zGuba.May 7 2016, 1:21 PM
zGuba added a comment.Apr 30 2013, 4:17 PM

NLAW/MBT LAW... let's see some RL data I've collected so far:

  • Its top speed is said to be 275 m/s. Russian ATGMs up to AT-5 were slower.
  • It self destructs after 5.6 seconds / 1000 meters.
  • It reaches 400 meters under 2 seconds.

Other physical properties are mystery.

fraczek - Good Call, well researched and very well thought out too. I would like to see these changes made.

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