- >> F - 1 6 C O M B A T P I L O T << - THE MANUAL TYPED BY THE TWINS AND LUCAS OF TRILOGY !!! Contents Map "Kneepad"..............................................2 Quickstart.................................................4 1. Introduction............................................5 2. Arriving at base * squadron crewroom/system set up....................7 * mission selection.................................10 3. Training squadron * pre-flight briefing...............................11 * cockpit familiarisation...........................17 * getting airborne/ flying training.................40 4. Font line operations * mission selection.................................47 * mission tactics...................................48 * weapon management.................................58 * debriefing........................................68 5. Combat manoeuvres - how to stay one step ahead!........70 6. Ground school * your aircraft.....................................80 * basic aerodynamics................EXCLUDED........82 * weapon loading restrictions.......EXCLUDED........86 * flying clothing...................EXCLUDED........87 7. Aircraft technical data................EXCLUDED........88 8. Weapon technical data..................EXCLUDED........92 Appendix 1 one-on-one communications......................94 Appendix 2 8 bit versions.................EXCLUDED........95 Appendix 3 the team, acknowledgements & further reading...96 EXCLUDED Glossary..................................................99 Index....................................................101 --- Page 2 --- F-16 COMBAT PILOT "KNEEPAD" CONTROLS Roll Right ................................................6 Roll Left .................................................4 Pitch Up ..................................................2 Pitch Down ................................................8 Rudder Left ...............................................1 Rudder Right ..............................................3 Centre Controls ....................................Mouse Left Button Increase Throttle .........................................+ Decrease Throttle .........................................- Throttle Slam Open ......................................+ and Shift Throttle Slam Shut ......................................- and Shift UnderCarriage ............................................U Airbrakes .............................................Backspace Wheelbrakes ..............................................B Dogfight Mode ............................................D Jettison Fuel Tanks ................................J and F together Jettison All .......................................J and A together Eject ................................................Ctrl E DISPLAYS Change Left MFD ........................................F1 Change centre MFD ......................................F2 Change right MFD .......................................F3 Radar Target Select ....................................F9 Radar Target Designate ................................F10 HUD pitch bars on/off ..................................K HUD on/off .............................................H WEAPONS SELECTOR Weapons select (fwd) ..................................TAB Weapons select (rev) ...................................Q Chaft ..................................................C Flares .................................................F Pickle Target ........................................SPACE Fire Weapons .........................................SPACE OTHER KEYS Pause/Continue ........................................P Quit ..............................................Ctrl Esc UP FRONT CONTROL PANEL Mode Select ............................................F5 Channel Select .........................................F6 Autopilot ..............................................F7 Recce pod on/off ......................................F8 COMMUNICATIONS Transmit Callsign ......................................T Request GCA ............................................G --- PAGE 3 --- COCKPIT VIEW Cursor Keys: - hold for brief look - Shift & cursor key to look MENU CONTROLS Select .................................................DEL Cancel ................................................HELP .......................or mouse left or right button --- PAGE 4 --- QUICKSTART Desperate to get airborne? Immediately after the title screen you will be standing in the squadron crewroom. Move the pointer over to pilot and go for it.... Briefing: * Temporary posting to Tactical Fighter Training Squadron * Aircraft fully fuelled, at the end of runway * "General purpose" weapon mix * No mission selection necessary * No pre-flight briefing * No adverse weather conditions * No pilot's log active * Controls - see kneepad Just enter your IFF security code and get airborne....... ---PAGE 5 --- Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the world of the F-16 combat pilot. You are about to join an elite group of pilots envied by fighter crews the world over. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a truly remarkable aircraft, designed originally as a highly manoeuverable dogfighter and subsequently developed into an awesome multi-role combat aircraft. Every thrilling aspect of the F-16C has been included in this simulation, including many features only just becomming available to the front line squadrons. F-16 Combat Pilot is the first in a new generation of "strategic" flight simulations. In this single product you will fly on a variety of training missions, join an active front line squadron responsible for each role of the F-16 and ultimately participate in a strategic global conflict involving real-time interaction between aircraft, ground forces and the supporting infrastructure of military installations and essential services. Throughout your flying career your successes (and failures!) will be monitored and logged by Tactical Air Command (TAC) who are well aware of every pilot's amgition to fly with the supreme squadron. OVERVIEW Your experience as an F-16 pilot begins in the first of eight squadrons. During your training you will become familiar with the performance and complexities of your new fighting machine.Instructors will be on hand to offer a few words of advice and also to give you a taste of things to come. Active duty in a front line squadron will be a very different ball game. The targets are real, the enemy is real. Planning your mission is essential if you want to get back in one piece. Still, you have the best aircraft available, and a ground crew second to none.... MISSION TYPES: * TRAINING - mission practice & aircraft familiarisation * SCRAMBLE - air - to -air interception * HAMMERBLOW - offensive counterair operations * DEEPSTRIKE - interdictor strike * TANKBUSTER - battlefield close air support --- PAGE 6 --- * WATCHTOWER - reconnaissance * GLADIATOR - two-player dogfight * OPERATION CONQUEST - strategic option Each squadron is responsible for controlling its airspace of roughly 20.000 sq. miles. For security reasons, the name and location of each squadron is TOP SECRET. After being posted to a new squadron, be ready to familiarise yourself with your new surroundings during the pre-flight briefing - it could save your life! With the exception of OPERATION CONQUEST, each mission will consist of completing the objective assigned during the pre-flight briefing intelligence sources suggest well in excess of 1500 potential targets, both fixed and mobile, within each combat zone. For example, your task may be to destroy an early warning radar on an offensive counterair operation or a particular area may need "photographing" on a reconnaissance mission. In each case,you will be expected to fulfill your objectives within a single flight. For OPERATION CONQUEST however, you will need experience of all roles of the combat pilot. For this multi-mission scenario, the overall objective is to force the enemy to surrender by reducing his fighting ability and morale. You will experience the passing of day and night, variable weather conditions, the damage of strategic installations, and the deployment of tanks and mobile ground forces. The duration of this operation canvary significantly. To avoid pilot fatigue you will be allowed to request leave, and return whenyou are in peak fitness. All Tactical Fighter Squadrons and allied groups forces depend upon industry for supplies of weapons, spares and fuel. The enemy is expected to interrupt these supplies by attacking strategic targets such as power stations, fuel depots and factories. Fortunately, early warning radar installations are monitoring your airspace 24 hours a day. Coordination of all military operations lies with the Command, Control and Communications (C-cubed) centres and military bases. Anticipating the next strike and making the best tactical decisions is your job. HQ intelligence will do their best to keep you up to date.... --- PAGE 7 --- Chapter 2 ARRIVING AT BASE Your day begins in the squadron crewroom. Before getting airborne, let's take a look around. Select any item by simply pointing to the appropriate object. QUICKSTART - (Pilot) For all you fighter jocks keen to get off the ground without doing any homework! Not recommended for the serious pilot but it will give you a taste of things to come. The default conditions are descriped earlier. PILOT'S LOG (Filing Cabinet) This is your personal record containing all details of your experience as an F-16 pilot. Select your log by opening the cabinet and giving your name. A new log will be created automatically if the name given is not on file. --- PAGE 8 --- * NAME - enter your name, up to 8 characters. * CALLSIGN - enter your callsign, up to 10 characters. This will be used during air-toground communications. * SQUADRON - You will begin your flying career in the Wildcatters squadron. Each time you succeed in Operation Conquest you will be offered a transfer to a new outfit. * FLYING HOURS - total number of hours flown by this pilot. * KILL RECORD - total number of enemy aircraft destroyed - total number of ground targets destroyed, Mission Effectiveness ratio (over all missions), Kill Ratio (over all missions). pilot rating. Mission Effectiveness (ME) ratio = no. of assigned targets destroyed / total no. of assigned targets Kill Ratio (KR) = total number of targets destroyed / number of weapons used Pilot rating is determined by your ME ratio n.b. During your debriefing you will be given ME and KR ratios for the particular mission. These should not be confused with your overall ratios recorded in your log. * AIRCRAFT LOST - total number of aircraft that you have failed to bring back in one piece. * OPERATION CONQUEST - hours in command- victories- losses. * ERASE - use ERASE if you no longer wish to keep a particular log. FLIGHT CONTROLS (Desktop Computer) Your aircraft may be flown by usingonly the keyboard but you are strongly advised to use a joystick or mouse in order to create a sense of "feel" in the controls. DEMONSTRATION MODE (Window) For a dramatic flying display, take a look out of the window! AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL DATA (Aircraft Poster) Additional technical data on your aircraft and all likely adversaries is available for further study, Knowing your enemy's capabilities is essential if you are to succeed in air combat. --- PAGE 9 --- WEAPON TECNICAL DATA (Weapon Poster) Additional technical data on all weapon systems is available for further study. Familiarise yourself with each weapon systems is available for further study. Familiarise yourself with each weapon, when and how to use it. These are the "tools of your trade". OPERATION CONQUEST - RESTORE (Pilot's Flight Case) On returning from R & R select this option to continue the campaign. MISSION SELECTION (Door) Move onto mission selection by leaving the crewroom (via the door!). On leaving the crewroom you will arrive at mission selection. --- PAGE 10 --- MISSION SELECTION The five sides of the U S Pentagon represent each role of the F-16: * SCRAMBLE - Air-to-air interception * HAMMERBLOW - offensive counterair operations * DEEPSTRIKE - interdictor strike * TANKBUSTER - battlefield close air support * WATCHTOWER - reconnaissance The centre icon, used for selecting OPERATION CONQUEST, will not appear until you have satisfied Tactical Air Command that you are capable of commanding your squadron on Operation Conquest. For this you must fly a successful mission on each of the above categories, on front line duty, at least once. In the top left hand corner you will see a two-seat F-16D. Use this to select a temporary posting to the Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. In the top right hand corner is the icon used to select two-player mode. Selecting this will lead you to the Communications set-up screen and GLADIATOR, the one-on-one dogfight. --- PAGE 11 --- Chapter 3 TRAINING SQUADRON Welcome to the Tactical Training Squadron. Your documentation includes a map of our training area to help you plan your missions during your stay. For those of you not familiar with the F-16 we suggest our Free Flight or Landing Practice course. Mission-oriented training is available for more experienced pilots, covering all aspects of front line duty. If you are familiar with the pre-flight briefing and F-16 cockpit, I suggest you skip the next lecture and get airborne as soon as possible. Pre-flight briefing. OK guys. Notebooks at the ready. Your attention please.... Our electronic strategic display is identical to those used by the front line squadrons, showing your current position, all airfield locations, towns and major geographical features. Make sure that you are familiar with the layout - it could save your life! --- PAGE 12 --- Along the front of your display are the mode selector switches: * MISSION objectives * TARGETS target selector * REPORT intelligence update * WEATHER met report * WAYPOINT programmer * COMMAND aircraft assignment These allow you to access various computerised functions that you will need for planning your mision profile. How we ever managed in the old days I'll never know! Select the appropriate key to change the mode of the text area beneath the strategic display: MISSION key. With the exception of OPERATION CONQUEST, you will have selected your mission category prior to this meeting. TAC will now release details of your objectives. This information is CONFIDENTIAL and is for "your eyes only". example: MISSION: HAMMERBLOW CALLSIGN: HOTDOG * TARGET (A) EARLY WARNING RADER @ 014,283 * TARGET (B) SAM SITE @ 059,268 * TARGET (C) SAM SITE @ 051,259 TARGETS key The display defaults to showing only airfield locations and major non- strategic geographical features. Pressing the "TARGETS" switch will illuminate several target selector keys within the text area. The categories are as follows: * Tank battalions * Military bases * Command centres * Early warning raders * SAM sites * Power stations * Factories * Fuel depots --- PAGE 13 --- Press the appropriate key to highlight (or remove) the desired target category. In the case of mobile targets, the best we can do is to give you their last known positions reported by TAC reconnaissance flights. REPORT key Operators at the Command Centre have been piecing together the latest whispers and hard facts togive you their best advice for your flight. For the latest update, select "REPORT". Example: * Interceptor activity high * Enemy tank battalions @ 487,926 * Allied factories - heavy losses WEATHER key For a brief summary from the met office, select "WEATHER". Example: * Cloudbase 25000 ft * Light SW crosswinds * Mild turbulence These conditions may well change during your flight but we can't help that can we? WAYPOINT key So, down to the important task of flight planning. As an F-16 pilot you will not have the luxury of a navigator in the back seat but fortunately you do have the latest programable navigation computer to give you in-flight guidance via your Up Front Control Panel. A flight plan may vary from a simple direct route from A to B, to a complex multi-target hi-lo-hi profile over enemy territory. After selecting the waypoint mode, your present position will be highlighted on the strategic display. To set a waypoint, simply move the pointer to the required coordinates and press the "select" key. You iwll now see your proposed flight route automatically plotted. Further waypoints may be introduced, up to a maximum of five, each addition extending the flight plan. --- PAGE 14 --- To cancel a waypoint, place the pointer over the point to be erased and press the "cancel" key. Your flight route will be replotted accordingly. Select the "Waypoint Programmer" box to highlight your flight route in other display modes. Finally, a "clear all waypoints" option is available. During flight you may select range, bearing and time-to-go information for each waypoint on your Up Front Control Panel. COMMAND key (Operation Conquest only) As squadron commander, you may now instruct additional aircraft to execute missions in parallel to your own. Selecting the COMMAND mode will reveal the number of servicable aircraft available at each allied airfield. To despatch an aircraft, first contact the airfield. Providing that an aircraft is available you may now assign target coordinates for its mission by positioning the display pointer at the desired target location and pressing the "select" key. --- PAGE 15 --- The aircraft's flight route will be plotted as visual confirmation. To cancel an assignment, place the pointer back in the text area at the appropriate airfield symbol and press the "cancel" key. You may assign one aircraft per airfield. up to a maximum of four at any given time, bearing in mind that an aircraft cannot be given new instructions when its airborne. FUNCTION KEYS Before take-off you will want to consider your weapon configuration and weather conditions. On the right hand side of the display you will see the following: MET OFFICE function key With the exception of OPERATION CONQUEST, TAC will allow you to take off in the weather conditions of your choice. The met office will do their best to comply with your wishes! However, they cannot guarantee that conditions will remain stable throughout your flight. WEAPON function key OK, it's time to take a stroll across to the hangar and meet the ground crew. They have already refuelled your aircraft, rearmed the internal gun, and completed the sub-system ground checks. Your F-16 has 9 external hardpoints capable of carrying a vast selection of weapons, including the latest laser guided "smart" missiles, and the new AMRAAM "beyond visual range" air-to-air missile. In addition to this we have been cleared to use the first production LANTIRN nightvision and target acquisition pods, attached at specific locations either side of the engine intake. These pods will revolutionise our night attack capability. --- PAGE 16 --- Weapon selection. Having decided upon your weapon configuration, check the stock records for awailability. Weapons are loaded in pairs by indicating to the ground crew the chosen hardpoint for the weapon. Please bear in mind the loading restrictions explained to you at Ground School - they will not take you seriously if you suggest putting 2000 lb bombs on the wing tips! Keep an eye on your All Up Weight. Although it is not possible to exceed the specified maximum, remember that with increasing weight you become less manoeuverable. In fact, your F-16 will automatically reduce its maximum g capability if you exceed the 9 g stress loads. Also shown on your load report are your fuel state and ammunition level. You may resort to reducing these if your A.U.W. gets uncomfortably high. Weapons may be loaded and unloaded as often as you wish using "select" and "cancel". For your convenience, the stores officer will keep a record of up to three "preferred configurations" of your choice in order to speed up turn-around-time between missions. Your ground crew willalso be glad to suggest a weapon mix approriate to your mission. --- PAGE 17 --- TAKE OFF function key OK, you know your targets. Time to get airborne. Don't forget your last minute visual checks to make sure that all safety pins and covers are removed. Request permission for take-off, and be prepared to respond with your security clearance. Have a nice flight...... "You fight like you train" - Motto, U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School TOPGUN For those of you not familiar with the F-16C, it's time to strap into the reclining ACES II ejection seat and take a look at "the office". --- PAGE 18 --- MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAYS (Sperry) Following the trend in all modern aircraft towards the "glass cockpit", the instrument panel has been modified and updated many times since its first design. You are now looking at the very latest version, including the 3 multi-function digital displays introduced as part of the MSIP avionics update programme. This layout was first evaluated in the AFTI F-16 technology demonstrator. The major advantage of MFD displays is flexibility. You, the pilot, decide which to use for radar, weapons status, moving map etc. All functions are available on each display, giving you the choice of what to display and in the position you prefer. Refer to your kneepad for mode selection. AN/APG-68(V) Multi-mode Radar (Westinghouse) For the purpose of our flight, we will concentrate on the short range modes available on this state-of-the-art radar. (a)AIR-TO-AIR MODES: (i)TRACK-WHILE-SCAN (TWS) MODE Effective range approx. 30nm. Used for air-to-air search for hostile aircraft. The display represents a cross-sectional view of the pilot's field of vision, pointing in the direction of the noise of the aircraft. Ther radar will display all aircraft within its field of view and is capable of tracking up to ten targets simultaneously. Using the "target select" key, you may track any displayed target, with range (top LH corner, miles), altitude (top RH corner, 000's feet), and bearing information (bottom RH corner) calculated by your weapons computer. --- PAGE 19 --- (ii)SINGLE-TARGET-TRACK (STT) MODE Pressing the "designate" key will switch the radar to "single target track" mode (STT). The selected target will now be displayed as a diamond, with all others removed from the screen. You will also see the target designator box appear on the HUD, showing the position of your target relative to your aircraft together with the LOCK discrete. Return to track-while-scan mode by either pressing the "designate" key again or destroying the target. n.b. If your designated target leaves the radar's field of view, the display will return to TWS mode. (iii)AIR COMBAT SCAN (ASC) MODE Using the "dogfight" selector on your throttle control will put your radar in "air combat" mode. Target symbology is the same as STT mode (single diamond) but your weapons computer will automatically lock onto the target of "greatest threat", excluding allied aircraft of course. Effective range approximately 10nm. Return to track-while-scan mode by pressing the "designate" key. Superimposed on all modes you will see the roll orientation bar to assist you when looking down into the cockpit. (b)AIR-TO-GROUND MODES: Not to be confused with your GPS moving map display, the radar air-to- ground mode is used for ground target tracking. --- PAGE 20 --- (i)GROUND-TARGET-RANGING (GTR) MODE Equivalent to the air-to-air mode "track-while-scan". The display is now a forward-looking plan view showing fixed installations and mobile ground targets, differentiated by symbology. Using the "target select" key, you may track any displayed target, with range and bearing information shown on the HUD and MFD. Effective range 10nm. (ii)GROUND-TARGET-TRACK (GTT) MODE Pressing the "designate" key will switch the radar to "ground target track" mode (GTT). The chosen target will now be displayed as a diamond, with all others removed from the screen. You will also see the target designator box appear on the HUD, showing the position of the target relative to your aircraft together with the LOCK discrete. Return to GTR mode by either pressing the "designate" key again or destroyed the target. The display will automatically return to GTR mode if the designated target leaves the radar's field of view. --- PAGE 21 --- MOVING MAP DISPLAY Linked to the tri-service Global Positioning System, this display uses your inertial navigation computer and various external "classified" sources to pinpoint your exact position within the combat zone. The symbolic digital display highlights airfields, hills, towns, waypoints etc, relative to your aircraft at the centre of the MFD. WEAPON STATUS This mode gives a symbolic presentation of your external weapon count on each of the nine hardpoints. Having chosen your weapon type, (shown on the Head Up Display) the weapons computer will automatically select the hardpoint. Also shown are the number of remaining rounds of ammunition, plus the remaining chaff and flare cartridges. The currently selected weapon is highlighted. Consult this display if you get a "weapon failure" warning. --- PAGE 22 --- DIGITAL ARTIFICIAL HORIZON We are currently evaluating a new concept in arficial horizon design. A multi-segment circular strip is used to portray the attitude of your aircraft relative to the ground. Pitching the nose of the aircraft up gives an impression of flying over a "hill" and conversely, diving creates a "valley" effect. The proportions of "sky" and "ground" remain constant as the aircraft rolls. The distinct advantage of this new British design is that unlike the conventional spherical artificial horizon, the pilot is always aware of his aircraft's orientation. PRIMARY FLIGHT DATA This direct output from the air data computer replaces the old analog airspeed and altitude indicators that we used to have mounted in the central console. This display is particularly useful in the event of HUD failure or on the approach. * IAS Indicated airspeed, Knots * ALT Altitude, feet * VSI Rate of climb, feet per sec. * HDG Aircraft Heading, degrees * FUEL Fuel state ibs --- PAGE 23 --- ZOOM THERMAL IMAGE - with IIR Maverick and/or LANTIRN When carrying Maverick AGM-65D (Imaging Infra Red) missiles and/or the LANTIRN pods, you may select a miniature thermal image on any MFD, similar to looking through a telephoto lens. Without LANTIRN, you are effectively viewing the world through the homing head of the missile, restricted in this case to "hot" targets such as tanks and mobile SAM launchers. The image enhancing capabilities of LANTIRN enable you to identify and track any potential target within the capabilites of the selected weapon. (See weapon management, Chapter 4) INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM, AN/ARN-108 (Collins) This display is your primary landing aid. The system consists of two radio beams transmitted from the airfield to help you line up with the runway centreline and approach the airfield descending along the correct glidepath. The equipment on board your F-16 uses the two beams to drive your display. --- PAGE 24 --- (a)LOCALISER The beam that helps you line up with the runway centreline is called the localiser. As you deviate from alignment with the centreline, the vertical needle on your display will drift in the opposite direction. e.g. drifting to the left will cause the vertical needle to drift right, and vice versa. Deviation from the centreline So, the localiser needle shows your relative offset from the centreline and to corect any error you must turn TOWARDS the needle. Make a corresponding turn in the opposite direction as the needle centralises to ensure that you finish on the correct heading. It will help if you have your Up Front Control Panel navigation display locked to the airfield for range and bearing information. (b)GLIDESLOPE Thesecond beam provides guidance for adjusting your rate of descent during your approach to the runway. The "ideal" glidepath leads to touchdown a few hundred feet beyond the runway threshold. Approaching too high will cause the glideslope needle to be BELOW the centre of the display and vice versa. So,to maintain the correct descent rate during your approach, keep the glideslope needle central. Respond if necessary by flying TOWARDS the needle, i.e. increase your rate of descent if the needle is low; decrease your rate of descent if the needle is high. --- PAGE 25 --- Deviation from the glideslope To summarise, your ideal approach is achieved by keeping the two display needles central. "Fly towards the needle" to correct errors. When in the vicinity of an ILS system, availability will be confirmed by the "ILS in range" light on your Up Front Control Panel. The landing aid is effective up to an altitude of 5000 feet at its maximum range of approximately 15 miles. n.b. Not all runways have ILS transmitters. OTHER INSTRUMENTS: Range Warning Receiver, AN/ALR-69 (Dalmo Victor) To the left of the Up Front Control Panel you will see a small circular display. This is your passive Radar Warning Receiver. Sensors positioned around your F-16 are used to detect radar transmissions from enemy aircraft, radar guided missiles and enemy early warning radar stations. Used in conjunction with your Threat Warning Panel, it is possible to determine the source and direction of the threat. It is interesting to note that an enemy aircraft using his air-to-air radar will be detected by your Radar Warning Receiver before he is aware of your presence. This is because your radar reflection will initially be too weak to be "seen" by the enemy rader. This illustrates the importance of maintaining "radar silence" wherever possible. --- PAGE 26 --- Attitude Director Indicator (Clifton Precision) To the right of the Up Front Control Panel is your Attitude Director Indicator, otherwise known as the standby artifical horizon. This instrument shows the pitch and roll attitude of your aircraft. Angle Of Attack Indicator (Gull Airborne) The vertical "tape" scale to the centre MFD is the Angle of Attack indicator. Refer to your ground school notes for a description of angle of attack, lift etc. From the practical point of view, you can imagine angle of attack as a measure of how hard the wing is having to work to generate the required amount of lift. For stability reasons, the angle of attack is automatically limited to 25 degrees by the fly-by-wire control system. A typical value during landing is 12 to 13 degrees. --- PAGE 27 --- Vertical Speed indicator To the right of the central MFD you will find the Vertical Speed Indicator. Calibrated in feet per second, this "tape" scale shows your rate of climb and descent. This instrument is particularly useful during the landing phase, but dramatic rates of climb/descent will exceed the full scale deflection. Engine rpm indicator On the far left hand side of the instrument panel, below the Master Caution light, you will see the new digital engine rpm indicator together with the afterburner indicator. The old analogue engine rpm indicator is in the usual place, over by your right knee. You will be pleased to hear that we now have the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine, rated at 27000 lbf maximum thrust. On power up the engine control system will adjust the idle rpm to around 60%. The throttle lever by your left hand adjusts engine rpm up to 100% and then, after passing a detent, moves through into reheat by pushing the control further forward. The amount of reheat selected is shown on the afterburner indicator. For your convenience a second digital rpm display is mounted next to the throttle control. Fuel gauge Over on the right hand side you will see the fuel gauge, together with the "fuel low" and "external tanks empty" warning lights. The gauge has two needle; one for internal fuel supply, and a second for external load. Fuel is consumed from the external tanks first. --- PAGE 28 --- Please bear in mind that for a given throttle setting, fuel consumption DECREASES as you gain altitude. Optimum performance is reached at the normal cruise altitude of around 35000 ft where we find that fuel consumption is roughly a quarter of the rate at sea level, giving an approximate flight duration of two hours and a tactical radius of 500 n.m. on full internal fuel. Using reheat does however consume fuel very rapidly giving a total duration with maximum reheat at sea level of less than ten minutes! Up Front Control Panel (UFCP) This panel houses essential Communications, Navigation and Identification functions (CNI) (a) CNI Datalink The largest portion of the UFCP is dedicated to a three function datalink display. Airfield and waypoint navigation data is derived from your Inertial Navigation System LN-39. Tracking data for enemy aircraft is obtained via datalink with allied Early Warning radar stations. Use the UFCP mode selector to cyle through the following modes: --- PAGE 29 --- (i) Airfield Range, bearing and ETA information is avialable on all allied airfields: Select the required airfield using the UfCp channel selector. e.g. A3 Airfield 3 * RNG 89 range 89 miles * BRG 245 bearing 245 degs * ETA 9:13 estimated time to arrival 9 mins 13 sec (ii) Waypoint Range, bearing and ETA information is available on all waypoints defined prior to takeoff. Select the required waypoint using the UFCP channel selector. e.g. W1 waypoint 1 * RNG 26 range 26 miles * BRG 172 bearing 172 degs * ETA 2:41 estimated time to arrival 2 mins 41 secs n.b. To fly towards your selected target, adjust your heading to match the target bearing. The estimated time assumes you are heading towards the target at your present speed. (iii) Tracking Allied early warning radar ststions will relay tracking information on all hostile aircraft currently being monitored. Select the required channel for range, bearing and altitude data, relative to your own aircraft. e.g. T2 target 2 * RNG 90 range 90 miles * BRG 018 bearing 18 degs * ALT 35 altitude 35000 ft --- PAGE 30 --- (b) System Control Functions To the left of the datalink display you will see six indicator lights: Top row (left to right): "Recce pod on" Comfirms ATARS pod on/off (manual) "LANTIRN" Confirms targetting pod on/off (automatic) "RADAR" Comfirms RADAR system on/off (MFD selected) Bottom row (left to right): "ILS in range" Your aircraft is within range of an ILS system "Autopilot" Confirms selection of automatic landing system "UHF transmit" Confirms transmission of callsign (c) UHF Communications Transceiver AN/ARC-164 (Magnavox) Mounted along the bottom of the UFCP is your UHF communications display. This is used for receiving numerous in-flight messages from airfields, command centres and EW radar installations. Data entry panel Before take-off you will be asked by the control tower for your IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) security code. Having made the approriate response via your Data Entry Panel you will be cleared to start your engine, taxi and take off. --- PAGE 31 --- Threat Warning Panel Immediately to the left of the Radar Warning Receiver you will find your Threat Warning Panel. This consists of five warning lights, each designed to bring to your attention a particular type of threat. * SAM - launch of surface to air missile detected. Threat will appear on your Radar Warning Receiver if radar guided, otherwise you can assume infra-red guidance. Respond by releasing chaff or flares. Manoeuvre to deplete missile energy and maximise tracking errors. * AAM - launch of air to air missile detected. Threat will appear on your Radar Warning Receiver if radar guided, otherwise you can assume infra-red guidance. Respond by releasing chaff or flares. Manoeuvre to deplete missile energy and maximise tracking errors. * ECM - enemy is transmitting Electronic Countermeasures in an attempt to defeat your tracking radar or air-to-air missile. * IFF - you are being tracked by the radar of an enemy aircraft. Consult your Radar Warning Receiver to determine his approximate bearing. * EWR - you are being tracked by an enemy Early Warning Radar installation. Consult your Radar Warning Receiver to determine its approximate bearing. Your Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ, AN/ALQ-165, Westinghouse/ ITT) should automatically attempt to break any radar tracking beam but don't depend upon it too heavily. Once the enemy are aware of your approach they are not going to give up trying to track you and far worse, you can expectto be met fairly soon by enemy interceptors. To break the lock, fly as low as possible and alter your course. -- PAGE 32 --- Warning lights * ALERT master caution light. Attracts your attention when any "subsystem" fails. Consult your Failure Status Panel to determine the precise failure. * ENG engine failure - not a pleasant sight considering that you have only one engine! Given sufficient altitude and a nearby airfield you should be able to execute a "dead stick" landing. Practice makes perfect! * FIRE warning of on board fire. Your only option is to eject. * FUEL fuel low warning. Flashes when fuel low, stays lit when out of fuel. Do not ignore! The consequences lead to unscheduled gliding practice.... * EXT external fuel tanks empty - comfirms empty tanks as cue to jettison if required. Other lights * Undercarriage - extreme left of instrument panel. Three GREENs confirm undercarriage UP. * Jettison - below the undercarriage light. You may jettison only external tanks, or jettison all external load with the exception of missiles fitted to the wingtips. The light illuminates to confirm operation. * Wheel brakes - illuminated when wheel brakes are ON * Air brakes - illuminated when air brakes are ON Eject handle - below the centre MFD. When all else fails, this is the last resort. Pulling the "loud handle" could save your life but don't use it at low altitude when inverted.... --- PAGE 33 --- Left hand panel Turning to your left you will see the throttle grip which is used to control engine rpm and reheat in the normal manner - forward to increase, back to decrease. You will probably notice a slight delay between your throttle movement and the change in engine rpm. This is quite normal and is due to the inertia of the engine's rotating blades. Once lit, your engine control system will prohibit a deliberate shut down of the engine. Typical engine rpm at the idle setting is about 60%. The power curve of the engine gives a gradual increase in thrust up to around 90% rpm, above which you will experience a rapid thrust increase up to 100% rpm. This is the maximum "dry" thrust or full military power. Further engine thrust is achieved with the selection of reheat. The principle operates on spraying additional fuel into the engine exhaust whereupon it ignites to provide a significant increase in thrust e.g. from 16000 lb to 27000 ib. Reheat is selected by moving the throttle grip through a detent beyond which you have linear control up to maximum thrust. To select reheat, push the throttle until you reach 100% rpm, release the throttle monentarily and then continue to push to the required reheat level as indicated next to the rpm readout. n.b. Enginerpm does not increase with the selection of reheat. Reheat will cause a dramatic increase in fuel consumption. Use it sparingly! --- PAGE 34 --- Right hand panel Looking over to your right you will see the sidestick controller. Instead of a conventional control column, your F-16 is fiited with a force-sensitive sidestick. Movement is minimal, with pitch and roll rates being proportional to the pressure applied. The sidestick also offers a nose wheel steering facility when moving on the ground at speeds below 95 kts. Mechanical compass Further forward you will see the back up mechanical compass, calibrated every 10 degrees e.g. 09 = East, 18 = South, 27 = West, 36 = North --- PAGE 35 --- Also on the right hand side you have the Failure Status panel. Consult this panel when you see the Master Caution light illuminate. * FBW - failure of fly-by-wire channel. Results in reduced aircraft agility. Control system gains halved. * U/C - undercarriage failure. If you cannot lower your undercarriage you will have no option but to do a "wheels up" landing - VERY GENTLY! One of the early prototypes managed it and just scraped the paint - it is possible. * RAD - radar failure. All radar modes lost. * OXY - oxygen system failure. Flight above 8000 feet will lead to impaired vision and eventually loss of consciousness. * NAV - failure of the INS. All navigation aids on your UFCP will cease to function. * LAN - failure of LANTIRN night vision pod or targetting pod. Automatic target selection will be lost. Enhangced night vision will be lost. * HUD - failure of the Head Up Display. Loss of all weapon aiming functions and head up flight data - speed, altitudeetc. * ECM - failure of ASPJ ECM jammer. More susceptible to radar tracking. * COM - failure of communications transceiver. GCA option no longer available. * RWR - failure of Radar Warning Receiver. Detection of enemy radar tracking beams will cease. * WPN - weapon failure. Consult weapon status display on an MFD to determine precise failure. * ILS - failure of Instrument Landing System. Automatic landing will no longer be available since autopilot uses the ILS system. --- PAGE 36 --- Rear view Your F-16 offers excellent all round vision from the cockpit. During combat manoeuvres this is essential. Makes sure that periodically you look out each side and to the rear to check for hostile aircraft. "One peek is worth a thousand radar sweeps" - Unknown Head Up Display (GEC Avionics UK) Superimposed upon your view ahead is a peojection of symbolic and alphanumeric information. Essential information such as airspeed, heading, altitude and weapon aiming symbology are presented enabling you to focus outside the cockpit ("head up") for the majority of the time. The display also has the ability to present a "daylight" infra- red image when usedin conjunction with LANTIRN for night flying. --- PAGE 37 --- Aircraft heading Magnetic compass heading across top of display. Incrementing left to right, notared in units of 10 degrees, calibrated every 5 degrees, resolution 1 degree. Central marker at your present heading. Indicated airspeed Vertical scale on left hand side of display. Incrementing from bottom to top, notated in units of 10 knots, calibrated every 10 knots, resolution 2 knots. Central marker shows your current indicated airspeed (n.b. NOT true airspeed; see Ground School notes for description of difference if you are not sure). Altitude Vertical scale on right hand side of display. Incrementing from bottom to top, notated in units of 1000 feet, calibrated every 100 feet, resolution 20 feet. Central marker at your present altitude. --- PAGE 38 --- Fligth Path Ladder Pitch bars (switch selectable) show aircraft pitch and roll altitude relative to the ground. Ends of bars point downwards when climbing and upwards when diving. Notated in units of 10 degrees. Present value intersects centre of HUD. Aircraft symbol At the centre of the HUD is a small synbol representing your aircraft. The symbol inverts to show inverted flight. g force At the top left hand corner of the HUD you willsee a readout of g force (weight multiplying factor) currently acting upon your aircraft and you. Mach number Your speed is given at the top right hand corner, expressed in units of the speed of sound at your present altitude. Range The uppermost figure at the bottom right hand corner of the HUD is the distance, in miles, to your current target. Bearing Immediately below Range you will find target bearing. Ajust your heading to this value in order to fly directly towards the target. Weapon symbology: Selecting a particular weapon will be confirmed on the HUD by its abbreviation or "discrete": * M61A1 cannon * AIM9M Sidewinder * AIM120 Amraam * DUR Durandal * AGM88 HARM * MK84 2000lb bomb * MK83 1000lb bomb * AGM65D IIR Maverick * AGM65E Laser Maverick * MK82 Snakeye bomb plus no. of weapon type remaining * LOCK radar locked on to target * IN RNG in range cue for selected weapon --- PAGE 39 --- Ranging reticle Afterdesignating a target on your radar, the ranging reticle will appear atthe centre of the HUD. This symbol provides a dynamic visual cue of the range to your target. Target designator This small box gives you an indication of where your target will appear on the HUD as it comes within visual range. Lock-on diamond Once the launch parametters of your chosen weapon are fulfilled, the homing head will confirm lock-on by superimposing a diamond over the target. CCIP To ensure accurate delivery of unguided bombs, your weapons computer offers a Continuosly Computed Impact Point, displayed on the HUD for the appropriate weapons. Place the displayed "impact point" over the desired target at the point of release. That just about covers everything. Any questions? --- PAGE 40 --- Getting airborne OK. Time to get airborne. "Free flight" is a good place to start if you're low on flying hours Don't forgetto register your pilot's log - paperwork is important too! Free flight On all training missions your flight will begin with a fully servicable aircraft, loaded with a weapon configuration appropriate to the sortie. Having requested permission to take-off, the control tower will ask for your IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) security code. Clearance to start your engine and taxi to the runway will then follow. Check your straps, one last look around - all clear - power up! Engine rpm will rapidly reach idle level (approximately 60%). Nudge the throttle forward gently to start taxiing away from the hangar. Steer by using either the sidestick controller (Nose Wheel Steering) or the rudder pedals (differential braking). Make your way over to the runway, line up with the centreline, throttle back to idle and apply the wheel brakes. Canopy locked. Control surfaces functioning. Clear for take-off. Holding the wheel brakes on, open the throttle to 80% rpm. Release the brakes. Open the throttle to 100% and follow through to full reheat. Hold tight! At a typical combat weight, this bird accelerates from 0 to 125 kts in approximately 10 seconds. As your speed passes through 125 kts, pull back gently on the sidestick to raise the nose. You will become airborne at roughly 150 kts with the speed continuing to increase even if you pull up into a vertical climb, providing that your All Up Weight is not in excess of 26000lb or so. Normal climb out from the airfield is at about 60 degrees. Retract the undercarriage immediately - you'll stress the retraction mechanism if you exceed 300 kts with the wheels down and your ground crew will NOT be pleased. Flaperon operation is totally automatic with the fly-by-wire system adjusting the leading and trailing edge settings optimum wing lift at all times. (See your ground school notes) --- PAGE 41 --- Having reached about 5000 feet, pull the throttle out of reheat and begin with a few gentle turns left and right to get a feel of the aircraft's response. Response. Remember to keep an eye open for other aircraft as you manoeuvre. As you bank your aircraft the "g" force required to sustain the turn increases. If you do not pull back on the sidestick as you roll, your aircraft will start to slip into the turn and the nose will fall slowly. Momentary back pressure on the sidestick will "trim" the aircraft by increasing your angle of attack and you will see a corresponding increase in "g" force (top left corner of the HUD). Once you become confident, try a few 360 degree rolls and tight turns. Notice how the maximum roll rate increases with forward speed. When manoeuvering at lower speeds you will notice the fly-by-wire control syatem limiting your angle of attack to 25 degrees. This is a built-in design feature to help you avoid stalling or spinning. If the aircraft finds that it cannot generate the required lift, the nose will automatically be lowered in order to increase the airspeed. For a more detailed discussion on aerodynamics, see your ground school notes. Similarly, at higher speeds the pitch rate is automatically limited to avoid overstressing the airframe. The F-16 will allow you to pull up to 9g (within its combat speed range) but don't expect to hold this for very long or you will black out. The effect is only temporary but things could get nasty at low altitude. Even worse, pushing on the sidestick will build up negative "g" resulting in "redout" - NOT to be recommended. During a sustained turn the wings need to generate extralift if the aircraft is not to lose altitude. This extra lift is generated by increasing the wing incidence which in turn creates extra aerodynamic drag. So, in a turn, you will notice your speed decay if you do not compensate by increasing the engine thrust. For example, in a 9g turn at approximately 600 kts you may need all the thrust you have - including reheat - depending upon your aircraft weight. Here's an interesting manoeuvre. Roll your aircraft to approximately 45 degrees and pull up into a climbing turn. As you continue to pull you will perform an "off-axis" loop i.e. inclined to the vertical. --- PAGE 42 --- During the manoeuvre you will see changes in both pitch and roll angles, with pitch decreasing to about 45 degrees and then decreasing as you pull into inverted flight. Unfortunately the ground school simulator doesn't get this right and ends up pitching over 90 degrees, even at steep roll angles! During "free flight" you are invited to fly to any of the designated ranges for target practice. You will NOT be subjected to dummy SAM alerts and drone interceptor aircraft - you will probably have enough on your plate already. Before getting too adventurous, it will be well worth while to practice your take-off and landing technique, usually referred to as "circuits and bumps". The idea is to remain within the airfield "circuit", getting familar with landmarks, perspectives and aircraft handling. The following illustration is a suggested circuit pattern with distances and altitudes that should give you plenty of time to correct for errors. As you become more proficient you will be able to stay much closer to the airfield, perhaps performing "airshow style" tight-turn take-offs and approaches. --- PAGE 43 --- So, let's start thinking about getting back down. On your Up Front Control Panel should be range and bearing information for the airfield. Turn onto the displayed bearing and your Inertial Navigation System will show you the estimate time to arrival. Aim to be approaching the airfield at about 125 kts, at 4000 ft altitude and 15 miles from touchdown. For assistance from the control tower, transmit your callsign and requesta Ground Control Approach (GCA). If you would like to practice your landing technique, ask the instructor to position your aircraft on the approach by requesting "Landing Practice" prior to take-off. Landing Practice Your flight begins at 2500 ft, lined up with the runway 10 miles from touchdown. At a typical approach speed of 125 kts you will have approximately 4 minutes before crossing the runway threshold. During your approach you may either (a) proceed without assistance (b) request a GCA talkdown (Ground Control Approach) or (c) select autopilot. Option (a) is what you should be aiming for, option (b) will give you a little help from the control tower, and option (c) is for those who want to see how it SHOULD be done. --- PAGE 44 --- (a) manualapproach Checklist: (all values approximate and will vary with aircraft weight) * throttle 78% * speed 125 kts * altitude 2500 ft * AoA approx. 13degs * VSI - 11 ft/s * pitch +5 degs * touchdown 10 mis * undercarriage down Contact the airfield control tower by transmitting your callsign. Be prepared for the response: * "ROGER callsign" * "STATUS GREEN" * "CLEAR TO LAND" Use your Instrument System to ensure that you maintain the correct glideslope during the approach. Lowering the undercarriage will make the aircraft response less agile (imposed by the fly-by-wire system) and the flaps will automaticallyadopt the landing configuration. Be ready to adjust the throttle slightly to account for the extra drag. Aim to touchdown a few hundred feet beyond the runway threshold, remembering to "flare" (pull the nose up slightly) just before touchdown in order tom raduce your rate of descent. After touchdown close the throttle and apply your wheel brakes after the nosewheel has lowered. Having finally stopped, take a look aroundfor the nearest hangar, open the throttle slightly and begin to taxi. Your debrif will begin after stopping inside the hangar. (b) Ground Control Approach, GCA Select the required airfield on your UFCP and transmit your callsign. Tower response: * "ROGER FALCON" * "STATUS GREEN" airfield combat status * "CLEAR TO LAND" Request GCA to start GCA approach * "ROGER FALCON" * "STARTING GCA" * "TURN LEFT TO 270" adjust your heading to 270 * "DESCEND TO 2500 FT" adjust your altitude * "FINAL APPROACH" turn into final approach * "HDG 360 VSI-8" Adjust heading and rate of descent * "HDG OK VSI OK" on finals... * "WELCOME TO BASE" after touchdown --- PAGE 45 --- (c) Autopilot Your aircraft is fitted with a landing aid which links the autopilot with the Instrument Landing System to give a fully automated landing. This may only be used if both your ILS equipment is functioning and ILS is available on the selected runway. The autopilot may be selected whenever the "ILS in range" light on the UFCP is lit. Control is fully apply the wheel brakes as usual. (d) Dead stick landing If you are unfortunate enough to be faced with a "dead stick" landing i.e. gliding in after engine failure, first ensure that all external stores are jettisoned. For a fixed wing fighter, the F-16 is very efficient at gliding with a typical altitude loss of 750 feet for every nautical mile flown. Adopting a slightly nose down attitude, maintain an indicated airspeed of approximatly 170 kts to give you the optimum glidepath. Your VSI should be around 40 feet per second. Do not put your undercarriage down during the approach - you cannot afford the extra drag. As you approach the runway threshold, lower your undercarriage and pull gently on the sidestick to flare and reduce your rate of descent to around 5 to 10 ft/sec. With practice you will be able to execute this manoeuvre with confidence - practice makes perfect! Having made a safe touchdown and brought your aircraft to a standstill, you will of course not be able to taxi to the hangar. The ground crew will be along shortly to congratulate you... It is vital that you perfect the technique of landing your aircraft safely! The only good landing is one that you can walk away from, with your aircraft in one piece! --- PAGE 46 --- Flying training During training, you may select a dummy "front line mission" for any role of the F-16. * SCRAMBLE - air-to-air interception * HAMMERBLOW - offensive counterair operations * DEEPSTRIKE - interdictor strike * TANKBUSTER - battlefield close air support * WATCHTOWER - reconnaisance Objectives will be assigned appropriate to your mission with simulated SAM warnings and "hostile" drone aircraft injected to maximise the "realism" of your sortie. Although there is no danger of actually being shot down, you will be warned of any "simulated kill" if you would not have survived in real combat. Remember to take notes during your pre-flight briefing and plan your flight route carefully. Your ground crew will ensure that your aircraft is fully serviced, refuelled and armed with a weapon mix appropriate to your mission. "Know and use all the capabilities of your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does will kick your ass." -Lt.D.Pace, U.S.Navy FWS Instructor --- PAGE 47 --- Chapter 4 FRONT LINE OPERATIONS WARNING! Do NOT embark upon a mission without training....it is DANGEROUS! Mission selection If is daybreak. You join the other pilots in the squadron crewroom to discuss objectives for the day ahead. Tactics, combat manoeuvres, one thing is quite clear - you're all itching to get airborne. The majority of your flying will be on missions assigned by Tartical Air Command (TAC) with front line operations grouped into the 5 primary roles of the F-16: * SCRAMBLE - air-to-air interception * HAMMERBLOW - offensive counterair operations * DEEPSTRIKE - interdictor strike * TANKBUSTER - battlefield close air support * WATCHTOWER - reconnaisance Having made your selection, you proceed to the pre-flight briefing for target details and weapon loading. Now, for all you fighter jocks who want to take the F-16 back to its roots, TAC has a special assignment: * GLADIATOR - one-on-one dogfight Never mind the SAM's or other "everyday" problems, just get out there and take him out! And finally ..... * OPERATION COQUEST - multi-mission strategic campaign Tactical Air Command will not allows novice pilots to command Operation Conquest - the risk is too great! Permission will be granted only after you have completed a successful mission in each of the primary roles at your first squadron. --- PAGE 48 --- MISSION TACTICS SCRAMBLE - air-to-air interception Hostile aircraft approaching........no time to lose! Your ground crew have refuelled and re-armed your aircraft, ready for take-off. Don't forget your pre-flight briefing....... * MiG-29s.......check! * 15000 ft......check! * 25 miles......check! * Heading 260...check! Weather update.....cloudbase 25000 ft, light SW winds OBJECTIVE: Intercept and destroy hostile aircraft. To explain fully the principles of air combat would take a book in itself so let's take a look at the five basic elements involved: --- PAGE 49 --- (a)DETECTION. Early warning radar may be able to help you here providing that the targets is not flying too low. Locating and tracking the target is best done with your air-to-air radar but bear in mind that it is a transmitter and will warn the enemy of your approach. The most important factor with detection is "the earlier the betteer" in order to give you time to plan your attack and to select the right weapon. "He who sees first,lives longest" -Unknown (b)POSITIONING Your most effective weapon is surprise. The majority of kills are made without the target even being aware of the attack until it is too late. So, planning your approach is vital. A wide sweeping turn to a position above and behind your enemy will give you maximum "energy" and the upper hand as you begin your attack. (c)ATTACK Having chosen your weapon commit yourself to the attack. Speed is very important now in order to maintain the element of surprise. Watch for the launch parameters of your weapon and let him have it! (d)ENGAGE Unless you caught your target completely off guard, expect him to make some pretty dramatic evasive manoeuvres. Put him on the defensive by getting in the first shot, then manoeuvre your aircraft onto his tail as quickly as possible. The most well known combat manoeuvres are described in detail in chapter 5 so make sure you've had plenty of practice. Pilots will also tell you that violent uncoordinated turns are often the best way to throw the enemy off your tail, so it pays to not be too predictable! Things can happen extremely quickly during a dogfight which may only last a few seconds so try to keep a good idea of what your target is doing and where he is - often easier said then done! On top of this you must keep an eye on your altitude and speed - trade off one for the other but don't let your speed drop significantly or you'll end up being the target. --- PAGE 50 --- (e)BREAK OFF The key to success in any dogfight is to remain as aggressive as possible. However, if you suffer extensive damage or see that you are running dangerously low on fuel, it's time to get the hell out of there. How? This could be tricky! Speed and height are what you really need so it's time to select full afterburner and head for home. Unfor- tunately, your opponent is not going to give up the chase too easily... HAMMERBLOW - offensive counterair operations Our objectives here are to reduce the enemy's ability to strike back. We achieve this by a variety of ground attack missions focussed upon military installations such as: (a) AIRFIELDS - runways, hangars, grounded aircraft, control tower etc (b) MILITARY BASES - these control the deployment of mobile ground forces (c) C-CUBED CENTRES - responsible for intelligence and EW coordination (d) EARLY WARNING RADAR INSTALLATIONS (e) SAM AND ANTI-ARTILLERY (AAA) SITES TAC will select your target and brief you with the necessary detaiels prior to take-off. You may even get a few words of advice about potential hazards in the target area so be ready to take notes. Your ground crew have refulled your aircraft and will recommend a suitable weapon configuration if you so request. Don't forget to make at least a couple of air-to-air missiles in case you attract some unwelcome attention. The most important aspect, as in any mission, is surprise. Here are a few tips so that you give the enemy as little warning as possible. (a) Flying directly to a target will allow the enemy to anticipate your objectives and prepare its defence. So, a common tactic is to plan your flight path with a dramatic change of direction prior to arriving at the target. (b) Flying low will minimise the possiblity of you being tracked by enemy early warning radar. This should reduce the likelihood of enemy interceptors appearing. (c) Unless radio and radar "silence" as much as possible. Transmitting to an airfield or using your radar will only make the enemy aware of your presence. (d) Unless directed to attack a SAM site or EW radar it is best to avoid these at all costs. "Fly low, hit hard!" OBJEKTIVE: Destroy assigned target(s) and return to base. --- PAGE 51 --- DEEPSTRIKE-interdictor strike As a key member of our interdictor fighter wing, you will now focus your attention on vital suppert installations and supply links. Targets of particular interest include: (a) FUEL DEPOTS - control fuel supply to airfields & military bases. (b) POWER STATIONS - supply power to factories. (c) FACTORIES - provide essential & replenishment. (d) BRIDGES - supply route choke points. Your priorities are clean. Penetrate enemy airspace, avoid ground defences, strike yous assigned target and get home as soon as possible. Easy? Don't you belive it! These missions need to be planned if you're going to survive. Organise your flight plan carefully - TAC will want to know where to look if you don't make it back! Get familiar with your route and any possible landmarks that you can use on the way. It's also a good idea to estimate your time to each waypoint - any fuel reserves are going to be essential if you have to divert to an alternative airfield. Your ground crew will recommend a suitable weapon load or, of course, you may select your own preferred configuration. Above all, keep a watchful eye on your threat warning panel and be prepared for the arrival of enemy interceptors. Just hit that Dogfight button and get in there! Objective: Destroy assigned target(s) and return to base. --- PAGE 52 --- TANKBUSTER - battlefield close air support Low level ground attack in the heat of the battlefield.....perhaps the most dangerous mission of all. Our intelligence sources have located allied and enemy tank battalions locked in a fierce land battle. Heavy losses are predicted unless you can provide air support - and fast! Now, these guys aren't fooling around down there, they'll shoot at anything that moves! Chances are there will be helicoptergunships providing air cover, backed up by mobile radar-guided SAM launchers. Still willing to volunteer? Your first priority will be to down any patrolling gunships so a couple of AMRAAMS should clear the air before you arrive. Use your air-to-air radar in track-while-scan mode to search during your approach - any choppers should be sitting ducks. Your next biggest threat are those mobile SAM launchers so keep an eye on your Threat Warning Panel. Be ready to use chaff and flares. Use your Mavericks to clear the area of SAMs before you arrive. Now, what about those tanks? Take LANTIRN with you if it's available. This box of tricks gives you automatic target acquisition and long range missile guidance for both infra-red and laser-guided Maverick missiles. Survival is the name of the game and if you can pick off your targets from a reasonable stand-off distance so muchthe better. However, this is not a perfect would and LANTIRN pods may be in short supply. What now? Well, laser- guided Mavericks may still be used from long range providing that allied infantry in the area are equipped with laser targets designators. A last resort is to use your AGM-65D IIR Mavericks by locking-on "visually" using the infra-red zoom lens of the missile. Without LANTIRN however this can only be achieved at relatively close range. OBJECTIVE: Assist your ground forces to clear the area of all enemy armoured vehicles, SAM launchers and hostile helicopter gunships. WATCHTOWER - reconnaissance For TAC to plan and coordinate its operations it is essential that up to date informations be acquired on the movement of enemy ground forces. Despite the advent of spy satellites, reconnaissance missions remain a vital source of intelligence. Present techniques involve two different approaches (a) high speed, high altitude sorties typical of the SR-71 Blackbird and (b) high speed, ultra-low level sorties which is where you come in.... We have recently taken delivery of the very latest high-tech reconnaissance pod - ATARS (Advanced şactical Air Reconnaissance System) Mounted on your centreline weapons pylon, you can transmit your information in real time via relay stations back to HQ giving literally an up-to-the-minute strategic and tactical update. A vitally important aspect of any reconniassance mission is to keep the enemy unaware of where you've been and what you've learned about his movements. So, plan your route carefully, keep yourself as light and manoeuvreable as possible with a minimum self-defence capability, and remember to switch on your ATARS transmitter ONLY when you're over the target area. --- PAGE 54 --- OBJECTIVE: Fly over designated areas and transmit data back to HQ One last point...your ATARS pod is the very best that technology can offer. Don't let it fall into enemy hands....BRING IT BACK! GLADIATOR - two-player dogfight (dual pilots only) Select this mission for an exhilerating head-to-head battle. Your mission beginsat take-off with an air combat weapon load. (No preflight briefing necessary, no pilot log active.) Intelligence will inform you of your opponent's location and EW radar will track him during flight if he strays above 500 ft. (See T0 on UFCP) A new mission begin after each kill. "When you engage you know that only one of you is going home..." OPERATION CONQUEST Telex for you sir..... /ITX23291XX(TAC)+ 11:45:00 SECURITY: *TOP SECRET* DIPLOMACY NEGOTIATIONS DETERIORATING. INTELLIGENCE SOURCES HAVE IDENTIFIED INCREASING MILITARY MANOEUVRES. STANDBY...... --- PAGE 55 --- Looks like we could be in for some trouble. Time to get over to the pre-briefing room to assess the situation. Intelligence are expecting an update at any minute.... /ITX 23291XX(TAC)+14:45:00 FROM:TACTICAL AIR COMMAND SECURITY: *TOP SECRET* DIPLOMACY NEGOTIATIONS FAILED. APPROACHING HOSTILE FORCES. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT -*DEFENCE* DO NOT OPEN FIRE UNLESS FIRED UPON. STANDBY... Time to select weapon load and get refuelled. Check weather conditions - no asking for a calm sunny day now! Potential targets, enemy strenghts, be prepared - flight planning is essential. Will the enemy strike? /ITX 23291XX(TAC)+ 15:37:06 FROM TACTICAL AIR COMMAND SECURITY: *TOP SECRET* RED ALERT! HOSTILE FORCES ENGAGED. ACTIVATE **OPERATION CONQUEST**. YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS SQUADRON COMMANDER. REPORT FOR INTELLIGENCE UPDATE IMMEDIATELY. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - PURSUE ENEMY SURRENDER. GOOD LUCK! It is already clear thatthe enemy offensive consists primarilyof low flying ground attack aircraft and highly mobile tank battalions. their priorities are unknown, but many of our military installations and strategic support services are under threat. Things should become clearer as you learn more about the enemy's movements. Right now the enemy is enjoying air superiority - you've got to change that! Unlike your other front line duties, OPERATION CONQUEST will test your leadership and flying skills throughout a conflict that you hoped would never happen. Day and night, regardless of weather, the enemy advance continues. Without air support the allies will suffer heavy losses and morale will fall. Every ounce of experience will be needed to prevent the enemy from fulfilling his objective - total defeat of the allies. --- PAGE 56 --- As squadron commander it is your responsibility to anticipate the enemy's intentions, consider the consequences and act decisively. Under your command is a squadron of allied aircraft capable of flying missions in parallel to you own. Assignmentof targets and the effective use of these aircraft is YOUR responsibility during the pre-flight briefing but be prepared to face problems of reliability and shortages of weapons and spares - your ground crew can't work miracles! Study your strategic display carefully during your preflight briefing. Watch out for any weak links. Essential strategic installations can be repaired, given time and spares, but don't rely on either! Your priorities must remain flexible. TAC has prepared the following brief to assist with formulating your strategy: TACTICAL AIR COMMAND OPERATION CONQUEST - TARGET BRIEF COMMANDER'S EYES ONLY (a) AIRFIELDS - These range from minor airstrips with limited support capability to major front line stations. Airfields are heavily defended with SAM launchers and anti-aircraft. Your prioties here will include any visible aircraft on the ground, and putting the runway(s) out of action. (b) MILITARY BASES - These control the deployment of mobile ground forces, including tank batallions, SAM launchers and helicopter gunships. Destruction of these bases will reduce military coordination and effectiveness. Heavily defended. (c) FACTORIES - Supply weapons, spares, new military equipment (tanks, aircraft, etc) and provide an essential repair service for all damaged installations. Factories are considered relatively "soft" targets (i.e. not so heavily defended) but not all sites are of strategic importance. (d) POWER STATIONS - Provide power to factories. Because of their strategic importance they are very heavily defended. Output will only cease if all colling towers are destroyed. (e)FUEL DEPOTS - Supply fuel for aircraft and mobile ground forces. Relatively "soft" targets but numerous. Their destruction will lead to fuel shortages and reduced mobility for all military vehicles. --- PAGE 57 --- (f) SAM & AAA SITES - These are major ground defence installations offering long range, wide area defence against air attack. Avoid if possible or destroy from reasonable "standoff" range. Do not confuse with mobile SAM and AAA vehicles or shoulder-launced SAM's, all offering short range cover. (g) EARLY WARNING RADAR STATIONS - Responsible for tracking intruder aircraft and scrambling enemy interceptors. Avoid detection by flying below 500 feet, if possible, and take advantage of any "blind spots" midway between stations. Damage will reduce their effective range. Any area without radar cover is extremely vulnerable to air attack therefore EW stations are heavily defended. (h) COMMAND, CONTROL & COMMUNICATION CENTRES - responsible for producing intelligence reports, in-flight updates and the coordination of air and land forces. Heavily defended. (i) TANK BATTALIONS - Responsible for offensive ground attack on strategic installations. Highly mobile with cover against air attack provided by SAM launchers and/or helicopter gunships. Capable of limited self defence. (j) BRIDGES - Usually referred to as "supply choke points". The destruction of bridges will have a detrimental effect on the supply of spares, weapons and fuel. Your experience during OPERATION CONQUEST will be recorded in your personallog under "commanding hours" and "successful campaigns". As commander you will not "personally" embark upon a flying mission but instead fly as a squadron pilot, under your own callsign. In the event of this pilot being "killed in action", you will continue flying as another pilot, subject to the availability of aircraft. After successfully completing a campaign you will be offered the opportunity to transfer to a squadron of higher status during the debriefing. --- PAGE 58 --- For safety reasons, all weapons are disarmed until you are airborne. AIR-TO-AIR missiles You have two types available: Sidewinder AIM-9M Infra-red (IR) Min.range 0.5nm Max.range 11 nm AMRAAM AIM-120A Radar guided Min.range 0.5nm Max.range over 30 nm --- PAGE 59 --- Both of these missiles are "fire-and-forget" i.e. you may turn away from your target after weapon release. Although modern technology gives these missiles an "all-aspect" capability, they are most lethal when fired at a target either head-on or from astern. Vulnerability cone & lethal cone The missiles is armed using the weapon selector to bring the AIM9M or AIM120 discrete onto the head up display (HUD). The number remaining is also shown. In the centre of the HUD you will see the raning reticle, calibrated to approximatelt 30 mls. Your attack will begin having located the target on your air radar, probably in "track-while-scan" mode. Locking on to your chosen target with the "designate" command, you will see the LOCK discrete appear at the bottom left hand corner of the HUD and the target designator box overlaying the target if it is within the HUD field of view. The target will probably still be out of visual range so use the designator box as a steering cue. Look to the bottom right hand corner of the HUD for target range and bearing information. Prsitioned in the centre of the HUD you will now see the ranging reticle. As you get closer to the target you will see the ranging reticle "unwinding" in a counter- clockwise direction. --- PAGE 60 --- Once you are within range for the selected weapon you will see the IN RNG discrete appear on the HUD and the weapon will confirm its own lock-on by superimposing a diamond over the target as soon as its launch parameters are satisfied. Manoeuvre until the target is reasonably central on the HUD and launch your weapon. In the case of the AMRAAM, your radar will have passed tracking information to the hominng head up to point of launch. Guidance is automatic thereafter, party inertial, partly by its own radar. Be prepared for an ECM warning, (see Threat Warning Panel) indicating that your target is trying to confuse the missile with electronic counter- measures. This light will extinguish automatically if either your on-board ASJP (Airborne Self Protection Jammer) or the AMRAAM's internal ECCM (Electronic Counter-Counter Measures) manage to counter the ECM defence. The Sidewinder homes in on infra-red (heat) emissions from the target- a glowing afterburner being a particular favourite. Don't get confuse by the LOCK cue from your radar. The Sidewinder is NOT receiving radar guidance, you are! The missile will comfirm its own lock-on with the usual diamond symbol. After launch, the missile will follow the strongest heat source and that could be decoy flares if the enemy pilot has realised what is happening. So, if he tries to fool the missile, be ready for sharp evasive manoeuvres - he may just pass through your gun sights. Also, the missile's inability to distinguish one infra-red source from another makes it unwise to use when allied aircraft are close by or engaged in the same dogfight. Another point worth noting is that infra-red guidance systems do not work well in cloud so don't waste your Sidewinders if you find yourself above the cloudbase. Likewise, zooming for cloud cover may save your life if an IR missile is heading for your tailpipe. Don't forget that all missiles have a minimum range as well as a maximum. On launch, the missile accelerates very rapidly to its maximum speed and may in fact overshoot and miss the target all together if you are too close. If you find yourself staring down his tailpipe, arm your M61 internal gun and give it your best shot. --- PAGE 61 --- AIR-TO-GROUND MISSILES HARM AGM-88A, High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile HARM is a highly effective missile for use against any form of ground radar emitter e.g. early warning radar stations and radar-guided SAM installations. Your Threat Warning Panel includes a "radar tracking" warning light which illuminates whenever you are being tracked by a ground-based air defence radar. Assuming that you have HARM on board, proceed as follows. Use your weapon selector to arm the AGM-88 (confirmed on your HUD) and slect "Ground Target Ranging" radar mode on one of your multi-function displays. Working in conjunction with your radar, your weapons computer will now restrict displayed targets to ground radar installations, and the radar will automatically select the offending site shown on your Radar Warning Receiver. Lock on to the target using the "target designate" command. Operation of HUD symbology for radar LOCK, target designator box, ranging reticle, IN RNG cue and the weapon lock-on diamond, is the same as for air-to-air weapons. HARM is the very latest anti-radiation missile, sufficiently intelligent tostill find itstarget even if the enemy's transmitter is switched off after launch. Effective range approximately 4nm. MAVERICIK AGM-65 The stores inventory includes the two most popular versions of this highly effective air-to-ground missile: * AGM-65D Imaging Infra Red (IIR) * AGM-65E Laser guided Both types may be slaved to the LANTRIN target acquisition system, greatly enhancing stand-off range, accuracy and ease of use. Above 30000 ft the weapon becomes unstable. The AGM-65D is by far the most common version. Use the weapon selector to arm the missile, confirmed on the HUD by AGM-65D. Next put one of your MFDs into "thermal image" mode. Target acquisition without LANTIRN is by means of the of the imaging infa-red seeker in the nose of the missile which is used to generate a zoom thermal image on an MFD in your cockpit. Any "hot" target (i.e tank or mobile SAM launcher) wihtin the missile's field of wiew may be indentified beyond visual range, up to approximately 3 miles. Having indentified your target (ensuring that it's hostile and NOT allied!) "pickle" the weapon to lock the homing head to the target. The lock-on diamond will now appear and track your target, within the constraints of the HUD. The ranging reticle is calibrated to approximately 10nm. Manoeuvre your aircraft to bring the target reasonable central your weapon. n.b. Selecting and designating a target on your ground radar will not necessarily corrospond with the "pickled" target. Your weapon is locked on to the target surrounded by the diamond symbol whereas you may have designated a different target for tracking purposes on your radar. The LOCK and IN RNG discretes will refer to the rader- tracked target only. To summeraise: 1.Approach the target area, preferably with your Up Front Control Panel in Waypoint mode. The enemy may detect your approach if you use your ground radar. 2.Have the AGM-65D already armed, with an MFD in "thermal image" mode. 3.As soon as you identify a hostile "hot" target, pickle the weapon to lock on and Fire! 4.Repeat step 3 during your approach but do not stay immiediately over the target area - you will be less vulnerable if you fly out and then make a second pass. 5.Once launched, the missile is self-guided. --- PAGE 63 --- The AGM-65E version uses the tri-service laser tracker, allowing target designation by ground infantry, another aircraft carrying the weapon. The missile effectively rides a laser beam reflected from the chosen target, making it more accurate and elss susceptable to countermeasures than its infra-red equivalent. The missile's biggest advantage however is not being restricted to "hot" targets. In the absence of the LANTIRN you will be relying upon ground infantry to illuminate the target using their portal ILS-NT200. Operation is similar to the AGM-65S but lock-on is automatic once the weapon detects an illuminated target. This will be confirmed by the diamond tracking symbol appearing on your HUD. Advantages include not having to picle the target manually and knowing immediately that the acquired target is hostile. You do not however get a thermal image of the target. Without LANTIRN your effective range is approximately 3 miles. Now, adding LANTIRN starts a whole new ball game. As well as providing a night vision capability, LANTIRN allows you to identify and designate targets via your ground radar, both manually and automatically. The targetting pod contains both infra-red and laser target designators, allowing the system to be used with both types of Maverick. The infra- red type however is still restricted to "hot" targets. Having armed the required weapon (AGM65D or AGM65E) and comfirmed that the LANTIRN pod is active (see UFCP) select your ground radar on one MFD and "thermal mode" on another. LANTIRN will now automatically scan for hostile targets and designate the "most appropriate" on your ground radar display. You may of course manuallly override this and designate a different target. Range and bearing will be displayed on the HUD as usual, together with nthe target designator box overlaying the target which will initially be beyond visual range. Weapon lock-on is confirmed with the tracking diamond. After firing your weapon, LANTIRN will lock on immediately to its next prioritised target, leaving you ready to release another weapon. You will soon appreciate the enormous advantages of automatic target recognition and when you see how many targets can be destroyed on a single pass. Your effective range is now that of the missile - approximately 11 miles! To summarise, LANTIRN gives you automatic target recognition and selection from a much greater stand-off range - for both infra-red and laser guided Mavericks - together with night vision. Take it if you can get it! Unguided ordnance n.b. Bombs may not be released at roll angles greater then 60degs. Durandal By far the most effective weapon for putting runways out of action, the "concrete dibber" is an unguided bomb incorporating brake chute and internal rocket motor (see chapter 8 for further details). Selecting this weapon puts the HUD into CCIP mode (Continuously Computed Impact Point) and is confirmed by the discrete DUR. Release the weapon when the aiming reticle is over the desired point of impact, preferably at the intersection of two runways. Although this sounds simple, the best technique of bomb release requires a fair amount of practice: --- PAGE 65 --- 1. Approach the airfield at approximately 500 kts at below 500 feet. 2. Pull up into a climb, to about 2000 ft. 3. Roll inverted, pulling the nose down to position the aiming reticle at the required impact point. 4. Roll to level flight ,release weapon, light the afterburners and get the hell out of there, releasing chaff and flares as you go. MK83 1000LB AND MK84 2000LB BOMBS Both types are simple freefall "iron" bombs, capable of giving the enemy quite a headache. Again, use CCIP mode on the HUD with a release technique as described above. --- PAGE 66 --- MK82 SNAKEYE This paritcular freefall bomb is fitted with retarding fins that flick open immmediately upon release. Dropped at high speed and low altitude, their primary purpose is to "shake off" unwanted purpuing aircraft by exploding in their flight path. M61A1 CULCAN 20mm CANNONA The F-16 reings supreme int hte close-up digfight and this is where your choise of weapon wil be the internal 20mm cannon. When seleced, the ranging reticle (calibrated 6000 ft) is positioned by the weapon aiming computer to show the bullet trajectory. Manoeuvre your aircraft to position the reticle over the enemy aircraft and getting as close as possible, open fire whit short burst. Range can be up to 3000ft but is only really effective up to 1500ft. The motto here here is to go in close , and then when you think you are too close, go in closer! However, this is easier said than done. At typical combat speeds of 450 to 550 kts, things happen VERY fast so you'll have to keep your wits about you. A dogfight rarely lasts for more than just a few seconds and only one of you is going home. Mounted internally on the port side, this six-barrel, high velocity gun fires 100 rounds per second. Bearing in mind that you have only 500 rounds to begin with, its magazine can be emptied in 5 seconds! So, the techique is to fire short bursts, and only when the enemy is in your sights. This is not a video game! Other equipment: ATARS -Advanced Tactical Air Reconnaissance System This new high tech pod provides near-real-time reconnaissance capability. Electro-optical sensors replace conventional photographic technology. Images are digitally processed and transmitted back to HQ via relay stations for immediate interpretation. Operation is straighforward. Simply switch on the pod (confirmed on your UFCP) to scan the area beneath, simultaneously transmiting the data back to HQ. Remember, however, that any continuous transmitter will eventually reveal your position to the enemy. Do not leave the systemon for longer than necessary. Note: Do NOT jettison an ATARS. This would result in the enemy decoding our secure transmission algorithms and stealing the technology. --- PAGE 67 --- EXTERNAL FUEL TANKS These may be carried either on the centerline or inner wing pylons. Fuel is consumed equally from the external tanks prior to switching automatically to the internall supply. See the fuel gauge for quantity remaining and the "external tanks empty" light. CHAFF & FLARES Your F-16 is fitted with internal chaff/flare dispensers (ALE-40). The number of chaff and flare cartridges remaining is shown on your weapon status display. Unlike your weapons, chaff and flares do not have to be selected prior firing. Chaff is a simple but effective means of self defence againsf radar- guided weapons and tracking stations. Deploy chaff when you see a threat appear on your radar Warning Receiver. Flares are self-defence decoys used to "fool" infra-red homing missiles. Use when you see the AAM or SAM warning on your Threat Warning Panel but no indicate on your threat warning reciever. to be safe, dispense both chaff and flares and starts to manoeuvre aggressively. --- PAGE 68 --- After landing, procees to the nearest hangar where you will be met by the ground crew. They'll give you a full damage report later. Please observe airfield speed restrictions when taxing. So, time to relax a little. Asses the mission. TAC will be waiting to give you a full debriefing. For all "primary role" missions, you will be given your Mission Effectiveness (ME) ratio and your Kill Ratio (KR) for the particular flight. This will not neccessarily agree with your overall (ME) and (KR) values which are culminative and recorded in your pilot's log. For Operation Conquest your debriefing between flights will include information on squadron strength, allied ground forces, and a morale assessment. --- PAGE 69 --- DAMAGE REPORT Having digested that little lot, it's time to take a look at the damage report. Your ground crew will give you a report on major component status and will do their best to get your bird back into shape as soon as you initiate repairs. If all systems are not available your only option is to try another airfield. Who said life was perfect? If you are in the middle of OPERATION CONQUEST and fatigue is setting in, select the "R & R" option to take some well-earned leave. After a couple of days rest you'll be able to continue with the campaign by selecting the "OPERATION Conquest - Restore" option in the squadron crewroom. Finally, if you have just returned from a successful OPERATION CONQUEST, TAC will offer you a voluntary transfer to a new squadron of higher status. The choice is yours. Completion of OPERATION CONQUEST in the top level squadron takes a very special kind of pilot. Few have achieved this distinction and been awarded the highest accolade... --- PAGE 70 --- Chapter 5 COMBAT MANOEUVRES The following combat manoeuvres are categorised as Offensive and Defensive, bearing in mind that during a dogfight the situation can reverse in seconds with the pursor becomming the pursued. OFFENSIVE: The Lag Pursuit This is a very simple but effective manoeuvre, used to maintain both speed advantage and initiative during the attack. Follow your opponent as he attempts to break from the attack with a tight turn. By remaining on the outside of the turn radius, slightly astern, you can remain hidden from his field of view. Be ready for an attempt by your opponent to tighten the turn and force you into a spiral dive. --- PAGE 71 --- Offset head-on pass Approaching your opponent from head-on, begin by turning slightly to create an offset to one side. Follow this by turning sharply towards your opponent, passing beneath his flight path as he begins his turn towards you. Maintain this high g turn until you complete a full circle, finally out-turning your opponent to arrive on his tail. --- PAGE 72 --- Barrel roll attack As your opponent attempts to break by turning sharply into the directionof the attack, avoid the overshoot by pulling up hard and rolling away from the direction of his turn. Continue the barrel rolland complete the manoeuvre by pulling in behind your target as your direction of turn reverses. --- PAGE 73 --- High speed yo-yo If you find yourself closing in too fast and in danger of overshoo- ting, the high speed yo-yo can be used to trade off speed for height. Begin by pulling up into a climb, rolling on the way up to become inverted at the top of the manoeuvre. As you continue with the pull through, your speed loss will effectively tighten your turn radius allowing you to slide in behind your opponent. The high speed yo-yo is a very difficult manoeuvre to execute correctly, with timing and technique being critical if you are not to reveal your intentions. --- PAGE 74 --- Low speed yo-yo Use this manoeuvre to gain extra speed during the closing stages of your attack. Trading height for speed, start by diving inside your opponent's turn. Before he counterattacks, pull in behind your target by cutting across his turning circle. The desired closing effect may not be achieved in one execution, in which case repeat the manoeuvre until you are within firing range. --- PAGE 75 --- DEFENSIVE: The break With the enemy closing at your "six" there's no time to waste. Turn as sharply as you can into the direction of the attack thereby creating the quickest "angle-off" between yourself and the pursuer. Brief use of your airbrake may force your opponent to overshoot, allowing you to reverse your turn and move in for the attack. If the enemy is alert, this could be the beginning of the scissors manoeuvre. --- PAGE 76 --- The scissors Best described as a sequence of turn reversals, the objective is to force the enemy to overshoot and leave you in a firing position. With closely matched aidcraft (and pilot!) however, the manoeuvre can rapidly reach a stalemate with each aircraft gaining only a transient advantage. It is strongly recommended that after two reversals some alternative manoeuvre be tried such as the spiral dive. --- PAGE 77 --- Spiral dive Often used to shake off a pursuing opponent, this manoeuvre begins by rolling inverted and pulling into a steep turning dive. As the enemy follows you into the spiral, throttle back and extend your airbrake thereby forcing him to overshoot. Open throttle again quickly, turn towards your opponent and pull up for the attack. This manoeuvre should only be attempted at a starting altitude in excess of 15000 feet. --- PAGE 78 --- Split S Sometimes known as the Half Roll, this manoeuvre is commonly used to disengage from the dogfight. Begin by rolling your aircraft inverted and pulling into a vertical dive. Continuing the pull will bring you out on a heading opposite to that of your opponent. --- PAGE 79 --- Immelmann turn Used primarily for repositioning prior to attack, the Immelmann turn uses the vertical plane to change the direction of flight. Open full throttle and pull into a vertical climb. During the ascent roll your aircraft in preparation for a "roll off the top" onto your new heading. All of the above manoeuvres are common and well documented. In close combat however it often pays to not be too predictable! --- PAGE 80 --- Chapter 6 GROUND SCHOOL Your Aircraft Flying your F-16 is identical, in principle, to flying any other fixed-wing fighter. However, the F-16 was the first aircraft to be designed, from scratch, utilising the benefits of "fly-by-wire" technology. On-board computers automatically ensure that the pilot cannot overstress the airframe or execute a manoeuvre that would lead to a dangerous flight condition e.g. spin. Exceptional handling qualities and the application of advanced control techniques combine to give a superbly agile aircraft that can be flown aggressively and with confidence. Aircraft Controls To begin with the controls, your inputs are made via the sidestick controller (the F-16's equivalent to a control column) and the rudder pedals. Unlike conventional controls, hand and foot movement is minimal, the controlling factor being the force applied. Your inputs are measured by miniature force transducers linked to the computers of the quadrplex fly-by-wire control system. Here your demands are "inter- preted" and summed with a complex formula of stabilising criteria before finally signalling the control surfaces electronically. The F-16 contains no mechanical links between you and your airframe. The remark- able agility of this "electric jet" is achieved by designing an aerodynamically unstable aircraft and then using the fly-by-wire system to make it flyable. This involves dozens of minute adjustments to the control surfaces being made automatically every second! Let's take a look at the control surfaces: --- PAGE 81 --- FLAPERONS - a control surface with the combined function of flaps and ailerons. Pressing left or right on your sidestick will drive these surfaces differentially (one up, one down) and your aircraft will roll in the appropriate direction. Relative to you, of course, it appears that the horizon rolls in the opposite direction. The flaperons are also driven automatically. By changing the camber of the wing very rapidly, the fly-by-wire control system can optimize the wing shape for maximum wing efficiency, stability and control. --- PAGE 82 --- TAILPLANE - unlike conventional elevators, modern jet fighters use an "all flying" tailplane whereby the whole surface rotates. Pulling back on the sidestick moves both tailplane surfaces in unison, the effect being to pitch the nose of the aircraft upwards. Pushing on the sidestick has the opposite effect. At high speeds, the tailplane is used for roll control by driving the surfaces differentially in response to lateral pressure on the sidestick. RUDDER - The automatic coordination of controls make use of the rudder pedals rare, except perhaps for fine heading adjustment during fianal approach. In fact, during extreme manoeuvres, the rudder is locked out from the pilot so as to avoid sideslipping into a spin. AIRBRAKE- Situated either side of the tailpipe, this control is an efficient means of reducing airspeed quickly. The brake returns to its closed position on release. --- PAGE 83 --- --- PAGE 84 --- --- PAGE 85 --- --- PAGE 86 --- --- PAGE 87 --- --- PAGE 88 --- --- PAGE 89 --- --- PAGE 90 --- --- PAGE 91 --- --- PAGE 92 --- --- PAGE 93 --- --- PAGE 94 --- Appendix 1 ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATIONS Software Selecting GLADIATOR will lead you to the communications set-up screen. Ensure that BOTH computers are assigned the SAME baud rate. Choose which pilot will be RED LEADER and BLUE LEADER (must not be the same on both computers). Select TAKE-OFF to start mission. Pressing HOLD on either computer will freeze BOTH aircraft. The mission is resumed by pressing Continue on the same computer. Pressing Quit on either computer will abort the mission and return both pilots to the debriefing room. The simulation will run at the speed of the slowest computer, with adjustments made automatically to maintain real-time. HARDWARE Connection between the computers is via an RS232 null modem cable. Pin connections as follows: Plug A Plug B Pin 2 to 3 Pin 3 to 2 Pin 7 to 7 No handshake lines are necessary. If you have difficulty obtaining a suitable cable, then please call DI on 0276684959. --- PAGE 95 --- --- PAGE 96 --- --- PAGE 97 --- --- PAGE 98 --- All these pages where not written because they have noting to do with the game itself, so in order to safe some space and time it was cut away. Twins --- PAGE 99 --- GLOSSARY & ABBREVIATIONS AAA.............anti-aircraft artillery AAM.............air-to-air missile ACS.............air combat scan ADI.............attitude director indicator AFTI............Advanced Fighter Technology Integration AGM.............air-to-ground missile AoA.............angle of attack ASPJ............Advanced Self-Protection Jammer ATARS...........Advanced Tactical Air Reconnaissance System AUW.............All Up Weight (aircraft total weight) Avionics........aircraft electronic equipment BRG.............bearing (heading required to fly to target) Callsign........nickname used for radio transmissions Camber..........curvature of the wing CCIP............continuously computed impact point C-cubed.........command, control and communications Ceiling.........maximum practical flying altitude Cloudbase.......altitude at which you will enter cloud CNI.............communications, navigation and identification Combat zone.....designated flying area Dead stick......flight after engine failure Discrete........head up display symbology ECCM............electronic counter-countermeasures ECM.............electronic countermeasures ETA.............estimated time to arrival EWR.............early warning radar FBW.............fly-by-wire g...............weight multiplying factor, units of gravity GCA.............ground control approach Glideslope......up/down ILS beam GPS.............global positioning system GTR.............ground-target-ranging GTT.............ground-target-track Hardpoint.......weapon loading station HUD.............head up display --- PAGE 100 --- IAS.............indicated airspeed IFF.............Identification Friend or Foe IIR.............imaging infra-red ILS.............instrument landing system Jock............pilot LANTIRN.........Low Altitude Navigation & Targeting Infra-Red for night Localiser.......left/right ILS beam Mach............unit of speed of sound MFD.............multifunction display MSIP............Multi-national Staged Improvement Program nm..............nautical mile NWS.............nose wheel steering Pilot's log.....personal flying record R & R...........rest and recuperation Recce...........reconnaissance Reticle.........weapon aiming and ranging symbol RNG.............range or distance to target RWR.............radar warning receiver SAM.............surface to air missile Sidestick.......F-16 equivalent to conventional control column Sortie..........flight or mission STT.............single-target-track TAC.............Tactical Air Command TAS.............true airspeed TFTS............Tactical Fighter Training Squadron TWS.............track-while-scan UFCP............up front control panel UHF.............Ultra-High Frequency VSI.............vertical speed indicator Waypoint........pre-planned destination on flight route --- PAGE 101 --- INDEX Aerodynamics...............................................82 Airbrake...................................................82 Aircraft technical data..................................8,88 Air-to-air missiles........................................58 AMRAAM, AIM120A............................................58 Angle of attack indicator..................................26 ATARS reconnaissance pod...................................66 Altitude director indicator................................26 Autopilot..................................................45 Barrel roll attack.........................................72 Break, the.................................................75 Chaff......................................................67 CNI datalink...............................................28 Cockpit familiarisation....................................17 Command key................................................14 Compass....................................................34 Damage report..............................................69 Data entry panel...........................................30 Dead stick landing.........................................45 Debriefing.................................................68 DEEPSTRIKE.................................................51 Demo mode...................................................8 Digital artificial horizon.................................22 Durandal...................................................64 Eject handle...............................................32 Engine rpm indicator.......................................27 External fuel tanks........................................67 Failure status panel.......................................35 Flaperons..................................................81 Flares.....................................................67 Flight controls.............................................8 Flying clothing............................................87 Free flight................................................40 Fuel gauge.................................................27 GLADIATOR..................................................54 --- PAGE 102 --- Glideslope.................................................24 Ground Control Approach....................................44 Ground speed...............................................85 Gun........................................................66 HAMMERBLOW.................................................50 HARM, AGM-88A..............................................61 Head Up Display............................................36 High speed yo-yo...........................................73 IFF security code...................................1,kneepad Immelmann turn.............................................79 Indicated airspeed.........................................85 Instrument landing system..................................23 Kill ratio..................................................8 Lag pursuit................................................70 Landing practice...........................................43 Left handle panel..........................................33 Loading restrictions.......................................86 Localiser..................................................24 Low speed yo-yo............................................74 Maverick, AGM-65...........................................61 Met Office Function key....................................15 Mission Effectiveness.......................................8 Mission key................................................12 Mission selection........................................9,47 Mk 83 and Mk84 bombs.......................................65 Moving map display.........................................21 Multi-function displays....................................18 Offset head-on pass........................................71 OPERATION CONQUEST.........................................54 OPERATION CONQUEST - restore................................9 Pilot's log.................................................7 Performance envelope.......................................84 Pre-flight briefing........................................11 Primary flight data........................................22 QUICKSTART................................................4,7 Radar modes................................................18 --- PAGE 103 --- Radar warning receiver.....................................25 Rear view..................................................36 Reconnaissance pod, ATARS..................................66 Report key.................................................13 Right hand panel...........................................34 Rudder.....................................................82 Scissors...................................................76 SCRAMBLE...................................................48 Sidewinder, AIM-9M.........................................58 Snakeeye, Mk82.............................................66 Spiral dive................................................77 Split-S....................................................78 System control functions...................................30 TANKBUSTER.................................................52 Tailplane..................................................81 Take-off key...............................................17 Targets key................................................12 Threat warning panel.......................................31 Training...................................................11 True airspeed..............................................85 UHF communications transceiver.............................30 Up front control panel.....................................28 Vertical speed indicator...................................27 Vulcan, M61A1 cannon.......................................66 Warning lights.............................................32 WATCHTOWER.................................................53 Waypoint key...............................................13 Weapon Function key........................................15 Weapon management..........................................58 Weapon selection...........................................16 Weapon status display......................................21 Weapon technical dat.....................................9,92 Weather Key................................................13 Zoom thermal image.........................................23 CHECK OUT THIS NEW TRILOGY BBS 804-499-2266 IT'S FAST !!!!!