Increasing Helo Damage for Dummies

[sparra22]

Hey guys,
I noticed that Helo Gunships are often able to take tank shells with zero consequences, to say nothing of MANPADS and SAMs. There was another post on here where Imp posted an excellent scenario for testing how helicopters take damage, and confirmed that they do in fact take ridiculous amounts of damage. I am too inexperienced with computers to make mobhack alterations to AA weapons, and I don't see an "Aircraft Toughness" option or anything like that. Is there any way to solve the nigh-invulnerable gunship problem without mobhack, and if so is it PBEM friendly?
Cheers

[retiredgysgt]

Actually I always just assume the tank MISSED since when it hits the aircraft takes damage. As for manpad and man fired missiles I have lost lots of Gunships to them.

[Suhiir]

Depends on the helo.

Hinds ARE flying tanks, with Apaches a close second. Most transport helos can be shot down by small arms.

Personally I give early helos 0 armor then come about the Huey I give them 1 and gunships (those that expect to be shot at) 2. Early Cobras are 2, later ones 3.

This seems to work fairly well, not to fragile, not too tanky.

[sparra22]

I forget what modern day Blackhawks have in terms of armor or durability, but they absorb small arms so well that I basically use them as gunships. I can accept Hinds being flying tanks, but absorbing Sidewinder AAMs like they're Strelas is ridiculous. And I've seen multiple times Hinds absorb 120mm tank shells. Don't get me wrong, hinds resisting 40mm AA fire, that's fine. But I have yet to see any AA system, with maybe the exception of the Pantsir, which can reliably put a dent in them

[sparra22]

To clarify, it gives a hit message with the 120mm, not just it looks like it hit

[scorpio_rocks]

Without entering into the argument about helicopter survivability (mine seem to fall out of the sky if looked at harshly!) to answer your questions:

No the ONLY way to change helicopter armour or ECM or AA systems' damage/hit probability/etc is to use MobHack (which is actually really easy!). [the front steel armour value is the 'durability' of the airframe, and the side hull armour value is the 'armour value']

and No it will NOT be PBEM friendly (both players must be using the same OOBs) You could send your opponent copies of the altered OOB files if they agreed to your arbitrary changes.

[sparra22]

Alright, thanks

[troopie]

How do you manage it? I've had helicopters chased away, and spotter planes shot down by riflemen.

troopie