[eliex]

 How many times have we, on patrol missions, shot down at least 30 bomber pilots, not to mention the fighter complemnet that goes with it?

How many times have you been killed, or more like your wingmen on bomber missions with only 4 fighters to cover you?

 Have your observations been down to the point that bombers aren't meant to survive, just deliver your load and then
explode so the next wing would move in.
                                                                          That's the way I see it.

 The GTB Boargnerges, or however you spell it tech reading goes: " . . . and may possibly live to escape the blast for another round"'
Look! So much for the GTVA caring for other peoples' lives, they can't even take care of their bombers, can't even say, with a good pilot, the bomber will have a more or less certainty to jump back to base when the mission is over . . .

 However, a good counter-argument is that for the other side . . .
um . . . excuse me but bombers have only one pilot in them . . .
Cruisers and destroyers have over 100 . . .  be considerate . . . the pilots who defend destroyer won't have a home to go back to.
 What about them? 

[Polpolion]

If bombers weren't meant to survive, they'd be unmanned, fast, low armor, and low missile capacity.

Anyway, all the GTVA has to do is give the bombers a good fighter escort, which given my experience has never happened. My favorite bombers have been the Medusa and then the Bonergrazer. The Medusa is relatively speedy (compared to other bombers), and the bonergrazer has the largest missile capacity.

One more thing: Why do people seem to think the Ursa is so awesome? It's secondary capacity is the same as the Medusa, it's just a lot larger and slower. Sure it has more armor and shields, but the size and speed of it more than negates that. I can understand that it works, but you're going to need a lot larger escort for them than the Medusa. Sure it can mount the Helios, but it's not like the first volley of double cyclopes from a wing of any bomber couldn't cripple a corvette. And anything larger than a corvette is going to have a fighter bay with enough fighters to annihilate the bomber wing and its escort.

[Shade]

What makes the Ursa great for me are the twin primary banks. This means I can both mount a Maxim as well as defend myself passably against the less-nimble fighter models. The Kayser turret helps with the second part too, but is very much secondary. It is also both more durable as well as faster on afterburners than a Boanerges, which helps a lot when making attack runs.

[TrashMan]

Real Men kill Dragons in Ursas!

[eliex]

 Yeah, and real kill 80 juggernauts single-handly with a Chronos!! 

[FUBAR-BDHR]

I prefer the Sekhmet for bombing in most cases.  I think people like the Ursa because of the little turret on the back which always seems to be destroyed on the first hit. Medusa makes a good suicide bomber in multi.  Boa is slow but carries heavy bomb load.  It all comes down to the mission on which I prefer.  Do I need Trebs, Nukes, or some combination. 

[eliex]

 Actually in FS2, it's shameful that only the highest level Shivan bombers get turrets. Neither the Boarnerges or the Sekhmet get to have
turrets. Not like it helps though . . . now that we've got shields . . .

In the 3rd mission in the first Freespace campaign, the Osiris can really get dangerous with the Prometheus laser shooting up at you.

[Mars]

People who fly Sekhmets are lamers

People who like the Boaneges are suicidal...

[Nuclear1]

just deliver your load and then explode

That's what she said.

[CP5670]

I almost always use the Sekhmet for bombing if it's available. It has the same strength and bomb capacity of the Ursa but is small and agile enough to be used like a heavy fighter. In most situations, I find that you can't rely much on fighter escorts and need to be able to take on enemy fighters yourself.

That being said, the Ursa's turret can sometimes come in handy, especially in multiplayer where it doesn't suffer from the primary weapon delay that affects normal guns.

[eliex]

 Nearly all the bombers are getting phrased out of the GTVA fleet - when beams are available, what's the point of a bomb?
Really what I think bombers are for killing off the heavy beam turrets and the AAAFs.

 I don't get this: can you explain this to me?

just deliver your load and then explode

That's what she said.

And who's she?
 

[Wanderer]

If bomber turrets actually worked defensibly then bombers would have a lot better chance of surviving. Currently bomber (and fighter) turrets shoot only at the target targeted by the ship.

[BlackDove]

Pfffffft, all of you know nothing.

Osiris is the best bomber EVAR!!!!!!!!

On a serious note, it's a "depending on what you need destoryed" toss up. Sekhmet is usually the primary choice for big things, however if you need agility, the Bakha offers the near-fighter maneouvering with the ability of a heavy payload.

If you're bombing an Arcadia though.... lag loaded Perseus with Helios was always my choice.

[Snail]

One more thing: Why do people seem to think the Ursa is so awesome? It's secondary capacity is the same as the Medusa, it's just a lot larger and slower.

Ursa = 80x3 (240)
Medusa = 40x1, 80x2 (200)

240 = 200

Huh?

[Vidmaster]

 Yeah, and real kill 80 juggernauts single-handly with a Chronos!! 

Oh, you forgot that this is possible now!  ! Make that mission in FRED and post a video... 

[Nuclear1]

I don't get this: can you explain this to me?

just deliver your load and then explode

That's what she said.

And who's she?

Not an Office fan are we?

Last paragraph under Modern Usage

[eliex]

 Oh whoops . . . uh-oh . . .

[Polpolion]

One more thing: Why do people seem to think the Ursa is so awesome? It's secondary capacity is the same as the Medusa, it's just a lot larger and slower.

Ursa = 80x3 (240)
Medusa = 40x1, 80x2 (200)

240 = 200

Huh?

...

Oh!

IIRC when you play missions, they can load the same amount of bombs. So the cyclops ~40. Even if it's not, you only get one or two more in the Ursa. IMO, it's not worth it.

[Snail]

The Cyclops is 15 cargo size points.

You can fit more Cyclopes in Ursae than Medusae.

[FSW]

Bombers are for killing, not for living.