Su-25 Stormovik NEW ORDERS AND OVERALL MISSION OBJECTIVE =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sender: Collective Council of the Supreme Soviet Addressee: Comrade Junior Lt. Information: New Orders Status: MOST SECRET Most nations agree that terrorism is a pointless and criminal waste of human and material resources. Yet there are dissident individuals in the world who still consider it a viable policy of achieving political ends. These agitators use violent methods not to promote peace, but to acquire wealth and capital for their own personal gain. These terrorists are involved, directly and indirectly, with the industries of national defense. Defense industries, in the Homeland as well as in the West, can be considered a source of wealth and power. The spirit and reforms of Glasnost and Perestroika threaten the power of these individuals, and to protect their interests, they seek to increase hostilities between the nations of the Warsaw Pact and NATO. Our enemy is not a small group of fanatics. They are well funded and armed, because they are the worst form of enemy -- the enemy within. Out intelligence indicates that some of these rebels are members of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency; others are with the Bulgarian Secret Police. Some are military commanders of all ranks. Also, and this is a secret you must never discuss, certain members of the KGB are involved. An uncontrollable desire to acquire capitalist excesses has turned even some of out own against us. Therefore, your new assignment is to protect Mother Russia and her allies from terrorist operations in Germany. This could easily be the most difficult mission of your career. many of your targets will be Soviet vehicles operated by insurgent Soviet military forces and KGB operatives. You will also be ordered to attack CIA operations, acts certain to cause international incidents. We know it will be a difficult mission, but we also have the utmost confidence that you will succeed. TIPS FOR NEW RECRUITS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Before you can fly the SU-25 Stormovik on combat missions, you must first make some selections. (You can press ESC at any time to back up to the previous choice if you change your mind) You enlist in the elite Red Guard Strike Force of the Soviet Air Army, choose when t begin your duty, request a mission, assimilate your orders, view your mission map, arm your aircraft, and then complete your mission. After you complete the mission, you attend a debriefing. ENLIST =-=-=- Before you can fly for the Supreme Soviet, you must enlist and log your rank. There is room for four pilots on the roster, and you can assume the role and rank of any of them. To Load Your Old Pilot Status: Press L (not while the Name Entry Box is active). If you want to restore the old status of your pilot, like after a poor mission performance, or if you die, you must return to the Enlistment Screen after a mission and press L. (Do Not quit Stormovik to save a pilot who has died, or his records will be erased) To restore the pilot to his status before that fateful mission, select L when you return to the Enlistment Screen. To Save Your Pilot Status: Press 5 (not while the Name Entry Box is active). This saves the status of your pilot, including current rank, medals awarded, performance points earned, and last weapon configuration. Your pilot status is NOT automatically saved to disk after each mission. If you want your pilot status saved, you MUST press S after each mission. You can also save your pilot status during your debriefing using this command. Your status is automatically saved if you quit Stormovik. To Enlist A New Pilot: Press the right or left arrow key on the keypad until you see a blank pilot sheet. Press ENTER to activate the Name Entry Box. Type your name in the space provided and press ENTER. Now choose your starting rank by pressing the + or - keys. The higher your rank, the more difficult the missions, but you also gain access to more powerful weapons. To Fly As An Existing Pilot: Press the right or left arrow key on the keypad until you see the pilot you want. To Delete A Pilot: Press D to delete the pilot on the current sheet. The press Y to confirm that you want to erase that pilot. To Choose The Pilot On The Current Screen: Press ENTER. NOTE: If you already have a pilot active when you begin Stormovik, the Enlistment Screen does not appear. If you want to fly as a different pilot, or enlist a new pilot, press ESC to return to the Enlistment Screen. ENTER THE TIME LINE =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The conflict takes place over the course of 3 years: 1991, 1992 and 1993. Each year has different missions, and they increase in difficulty and complexity over time as the front line of action moves from the Polish border toward Central Germany. The Communist Party newspaper, Pravda (which means "Truth"), describes the situation as presented to the public -- which may be quite different than the reality you face. You can see a representative newspaper for each of the three years of conflict. To read all of the headline story, press PgDn to read farther down the page. Press PgUp to page up in the story. Press + to increase the year, or press - to decrease the year. When you see the newspaper of the year you want to begin your involvement, press ENTER. NOTE: Once you score some performance points as a pilot, you cannot take that pilot back in time. You can skip forward in time by returning to this page and choosing a later year, but you cannot chose a prior year. To fly earlier missions, you must enlist a new pilot. REQUEST A MISSION =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are ten mission scenarios to choose from in each year (Plus a Practice Mode). Press the Up and Down arrows on the keypad to highlight the mission type you want and press ENTER to select it. READ THE MISSION SUMMARY =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In the preflight briefing, you receive your orders. Read the orders, which include a weather report, and press PgDn if there is more than one page. Write down any information you may need during the mission, since you won't have access to this file in your aircraft. Certain mission categories include dozens of different actual missions. Press ENTER to turn pages and then to receive the Mission Map. RECEIVE THE MISSION MAP =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The waypoints of your mission are labeled, numbered and identified on the mission map. This map corresponds to a part of the scenario map included in the centerfold of this manual. (Not THIS one!) Note that the section of the scenario map shown on the mission map depends on the year of the conflict. This reflects how the zone of conflict moves west during the three year conflict. The internal fuel tank carries enough fuel to fly straight from one end of the map to the other and back again. You should bring an extra tank if you must fly farther than that (like diagonally across the map and back) or if you have multiple waypoints. When you escort aircraft, you will probably need to bring two external tanks. You load external fuel tanks when you arm your aircraft. You will have this map in your aircraft during the mission. While in the cockpit, press F3 to view the map, and then press F1 to return to your cockpit. Press ENTER to proceed to the hangar where your aircraft waits. ARM YOUR AIRCRAFT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= At the hangar, your Su-25 has been prepared and fueled by the ground crew. The aircraft is also loaded with a standard weapon configuration. You can change the weapon configuration to better suit the mission assignment. The Su-25 has ten hardpoints, including the wing tips, where you can mount weapons. The currently selected hardpoint has a colored rectangle around it. A message under the aircraft displays information about the weapon loaded on the selected hardpoint; the total number on the aircraft (mounted), and how many more are available to you (in stock). To change the weapon load, follow this procedure: 1) -- Select a hardpoint by pressing the right or left arrows on the keypad. The currently selected hardpoint has a highlighted border. 2) -- Change the weapon on that hardpoint by pressing the up or down arrows on the keypad. 3) -- Press Enter to board the aircraft when you are satisfied with the weapon load and configuration. If you find you cannot load a weapon onto a hardpoint, there a number of possible reasons: * The weapon might not be available at your current rank. The reason for this is that weapons are always in short supply during times of combat. Generally speaking, the higher your rank, the more difficult and important your missions are. Therefore, pilots of higher rank have access to better types of weapons. * The weapon might be out of stock. If you have only five of a certain weapon type available to you, and you already have five loaded, you cannot load any more. If you want to move the weapons to different locations, you must first remove it from a hardpoint (by changing to a different weapon on that hardpoint) and then add it to the new hardpoint. Also, pilots of higher rank always have access to more weapons. * The weapon might not fit on that hardpoint. Only the AT-6's and the AA-6's can be mounted on the wing tips. All available weapons can be mounted on the inside hardpoints. NOTE: The configuration of the weapons (ie., where they are located on the aircraft) is as important as which weapons you load. This is because of the way you select weapons in the cockpit. See "Firing Weapons" in the Tutorial for information. Remember to press ENTER to board the aircraft. COMPLETE THE MISSION =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- There are many instruments and procedures you must be familiar with to successfully complete missions. For an introduction to the basics of flying an Su-25 Stormovik on combat missions, choose Practice 'Su-25 Stormovik Flight Simulator' as a mission, and then read thru the Tutorial. The Tutorial not only teaches you the basics, it also refers you to the other parts of this manual for more detailed description of instruments and procedures. Utilize your knowledge and skill to the fullest to complete the mission successfully. When you land as the destination airport after completing the mission, you automatically return to the hangar for your mission debriefing. If you succeed in the mission, you can impress your fellow pilots with the tale, and you might be offered a promotion before the debriefing. If you fail but manage to limp back to base or are rescued, you must perform guard duty for one week. If you do not survive, we thank you for your support. We'll keep the fire burning. Whatever the outcome, press any key to continue the debriefing. PROMOTIONS =-=-=-=-=- If you have been performing well, you may be offered a promotion on the way to your debriefing. Press Y to accept it, or press N to decline it. Higher rank leads to more important missions that are also more difficult and dangerous. If you feel you are not yet ready to assume a role that requires more skill, there is no dishonor in declining a promotion. You will be offered another promotion later if you continue to perform well, and you can accept when you feel prepared to increase your involvement. ATTEND THE DEBRIEFING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you survive the mission, whether you fail or succeed, you walk back to the hangar for your debriefing. If you die, you return to the Enlistment Screen. Press L to restore the pilot, or enlist a new pilot. You are told the outcome of the mission, your mission performance rating, your lifetime performance rating, your rank, any medals you have been awarded, and the condition of your Su-25. * Your mission performance rating is bases upon the success or failure of the assigned mission, and the number of peripheral terrorist targets you destroyed. DO NOT BE TEMPTED AWAY FROM THE MISSION OBJECTIVES BY TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY IN ORDER TO IMPROVE YOUR RATING! The mission should be first and foremost, and success in that mission is the most significant factor in determining your mission performance rating. * Your lifetime performance rating is the sum of all of your mission performance ratings. This is the rating that determines when promotions are offered. To Save Your Pilot Status: Press S (not while the Name Entry Box is active). See Enlist for more information on saving your pilot status. Your status is automatically saved if you quit Stormovik. TUTORIAL =-=-=-=- Piloting a Sukhoi Su-25 Stormovik is a much coveted role in the Soviet Air Army. To do so effectively requires much skill, quick reflexes, great courage, and hours of practice. In the combat role, you must fly at incredibly low altitudes (sometimes lower than 50 metres!) and engage sophisticated fighter aircraft -- skills that cannot be acquired without practice. To practice in the simulator, request 'Practice: Su-25 Stormovik Flight Simulator' instead of a mission, and accept the default weapon load. Read the following sections while in the cockpit so you can attempt the procedures as you read them. Do not worry about making mistakes; nothing that occurs in the simulator effects your rank or mission performance ratings. And remember, the simulator is not just intended for Novice pilots, so feel free to use the simulator to better your skills for more difficult missions later. PRACTICE =-=-=-=- Before you take off, here are a few features available to assist you in completing your mission objectives. Note: At any time during the game, you cane pause the game by pressing Ctrl-P, and any key will resume. To quit the game, press Ctrl-C, and press Y to confirm. Changing The View Angle =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Press the arrow keys on the keypad to change the direction you are facing in any view (except F2). Keyboard users must hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the keypad keys. This allows you to look in any direction, which is useful in spotting and targeting enemies, and for maneuvering your aircraft. The direction the aircraft is facing is indicated by the V-Shaped marker (NOT the cross-hair) in the center of the HUD. Press 5 on the keypad to look directly ahead again. Changing The View Origin =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- There are multiple perspectives from which you can view the action, and many of these views are from outside your aircraft. See 'Flight menu Option' for a complete list of views and keyboard commands. Use these alternate view origins to watch your aircraft from different angles & give you a better understanding of how flight controls affect your aircraft. Visual Magnification =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You can change the magnification of the view from 1x to 64x by pressing + or - on the keypad. Magnification increases the size of the current view, but it does not reveal details that are not already visible. The zoom magnification level is shown in the upper left of the HUD. Time Compression =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Press T to turn time compression On and Off. When time compression is on, everything occurs twice as fast, and the letter "T" appears on the upper right of the HUD. Time compression is a useful feature for flying to your destination sooner than reality allows, but it's also more dangerous because your reactions must be twice as quick. TAKING OFF =-=-=-=-=- To start down the runway, increase engine thrust to maximum by pressing 5 above the keyboard. The Su-25 is built with a positive lift capability, which means that it will rise slightly when the control column is centered. The aircraft automatically takes off at approximately 100 KPH. Pull back on the control column to gain altitude. Soon after you're airborne, retract the landing gear by pressing G. Flying with the gear down needlessly stresses the undercarriage, lowers your airspeed, and increases the fuel consumption of your aircraft. FLYING CONTROLS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Control Column of the Stormovik actuates the wing ailerons and rudder in tandem. Move the Control Column away from you to dive, toward you to climb, and side to side to bank. Notice that when you bank, your aircraft loses lift as the wings tilt. To maintain altitude as you turn, you must pull back on the control column. See Flight Controls' for a graphic depiction of the flight controls. Keep your airspeed above 100KPH during level flight or you will stall and plummet to the ground. The stall speed of the Su-25 is about 80KPH, but if you do any maneuvering, or of you are at a higher altitude, the stall speed is higher. It is a safe practice to just assume that the stall speed is about 100KPH at all times. Put down your flaps to reduce your stall speed if you want to fly tight maneuvers. Stalling at high altitudes can sometimes be a lifesaving tactic, but doing so at low altitudes is a suicidal exercise. CONTOUR FLYING =-=-=-=-=-=-=- While the Su-25 is an excellent ground attack aircraft, it is not meant to engage multiple air enemies, nor was it designed to withstand sustained AAA fire of shells larger than 30mm. And due to the limited availability of weapons, you will seldom be allocated more weapons that you need to succeed in the Primary mission. Therefore, to reach the target at full armament, you must fly close to the ground and evade detection. To evade detection, it is best to fly below 150 metres, but it takes an experienced pilot to safely fly this close to the ground. Expert pilots often fly below 100 metres. LANDING =-=-=-= The key to landing an Su-25 is setting up the correct approach. To approach a runway of unknown orientation, reduce the throttle to 15% thrust (Press 2 above the keyboard). Lower the landing flaps by pressing V. Then activate the air brakes by pressing B. Fly by the airstrip once to see which direction it points. Fly directly away from the runway in that direction. When the air base is near the edge of your radar (at 1x magnification), turn around and approach at an altitude of 100 Metres. When you have slowed to an airspeed between 100-120 KPH, press B again to deactivate the airbrakes. Lower the landing gear by pressing G. Lowered gear will reduce your airspeed, so be careful NOT to stall. Always keep the centerline of your aircraft aimed directly at the runway. If you properly line up the aircraft early, you can concentrate on speed and altitude during final approach. Reduce speed to just above stall speed, or 75KPH, by using the airbrakes. Just before the wheels touch the runway, pull the nose up slightly to slow your descent. When you hear the wheels touch down, close the throttle by pressing 1 above the keyboard, push the nose down slightly, and apply the wheel brakes by pressing B. (Do not press B if the air brakes were already on. Turning on the airbrakes also applies the wheel brakes, so pressing B again will deactivate the brakes) The aircraft will slowly cruise to a halt. The aircraft may bounce once or twice, so keep the nose down and don't relinquish control too soon. If you land at the destination airport, you automatically go to your debriefing after a few seconds. If for some unimaginable reason you land somewhere other than your assigned destination, and you want to end the mission in failure, press Ctrl-Q to abandon the mission and await rescue and subsequent debriefing. NAVIGATING =-=-=-=-=- Waypoints are the destinations you must fly to in order to complete the mission. To fly to a waypoint, turn the Waypoint Selector to the waypoint number you want by pressing Z. The waypoints are numbered on your map which you can view by pressing F3. Return to the cockpit by pressing F1. After you select a waypoint, the Waypoint Director at the top center of the cockpit HUD (above the compass) indicates the direction to fly to reach that waypoint. Turn in the direction of the arrow until both the right and left arrows appear, and you are flying directly toward that waypoint. When you reach the waypoint, the light above the waypoint selector turns on. Remember, once you've completed the mission at one waypoint, you must manually change the Waypoint Selector knob to the next waypoint. To refresh your memory about the relative location of the mission waypoints, view the map. The game is paused while you look at the map so you will not crash. If the HUD stops functioning, you must navigate by compass. Look at the map to see which direction the next waypoint is; N,S,E or W (C,IO,B or 3). Return to the cockpit and use the mechanical compass to fly toward the waypoint. EVASION AND ATTACK COUNTERMEASURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Su-25 aircraft is a ground attack aircraft. It is not designed to engage air targets, and to do so without preparation could be disastrous. Engaging a fighter on it's own terms is a formula for failure. The first best defense against enemy aircraft is avoiding detection. Avoid Detection =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Enemy radar warning receivers are designed to mask out low and slow moving sources. This is done deliberately to prevent radar units from displaying nearby ground vehicles. The Su-25 has the ability to fly slowly enough to be confused with fast moving ground vehicles, and can thereby avoid appearing on enemy warning devices. Flying slowly close to the ground, or contour flying, makes most radar stations mask you out like you were a ground vehicle. Only when you're very close to the radar sweeper will it display you as an air target. Watch your own radar carefully to help you keep a safe distance from all the unknown targets. There is no reason to fly straight to the target if it means passing directly over enemy units. If you are detected by an enemy sensor, radar or infrared, the Attack Warning Panel in the cockpit will tel you. The upper 3 red lights indicate infrared tracking, and the lower 3 orange lights indicate radar tracking. If You Are Detected =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you see the Orange light on the lower left of the Attack Warning Panel turn on, your aircraft is being swept by radar. If you see the Red light on the upper left of the Attack Warning Panel turn on, your aircraft is being swept by infrared sensors. Fly as close to the ground as you can and avoid any radar blips. If you succeed in evading the source the warning light turns off. If You Are Targeted =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you hear high pitch beeps and see the Orange light on the lower middle of the Attack Warning Panel turn on, your aircraft is being targeted by radar. Respond by turning on the Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), by pressing E. This is the toggle switch on the upper left of the control panel. If the toggle switch is up, the radar jammers are ON. If you hear low pitch beeps and see the red light on the upper middle of the Attack Warning Panel turn on, your aircraft is being targeted by infrared sensors. Respond by turning on the Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM) by pressing R. This is the toggle switch on the lower left of the control panel. If the toggle switch is up, the IR Jammers are ON. A target lock means that an enemy weapon system has achieved a positive guidance lock on your aircraft, and it will probably fire upon you in seconds. Respond by turning on your jammers as described above, and fly erratically, turning sharply, and reducing altitude. If you are fired upon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you hear a steady high pitch tone and see the Orange light on the lower right of the Attack Warning Panel flash, a radar-guided missile is bearing down on your aircraft. Guided missiles appear on the radar screen as fast moving yellow targets. Drop chaff immediately by pressing D. Chaff consists of small pieces of twisted aluminum that confuse the radar tracking systems of the missile. Repeatedly drop chaff until the target lock is lost -- the tone stops, the light goes out, and the weapon on the radar screen turns from yellow to red. If you hear a steady low pitch tone and see the red light on the upper right of the Attack Warning Panel flash, an infrared-guided missile is bearing down on your aircraft. Guided missiles appear on the radar screen as fast moving yellow targets. Drop flare immediately by pressing F. Repeatedly drop flares until the target lock is lost -- the tone stops, the light goes out & the weapon on the radar screen turns from yellow to red. DO not be reluctant to use the countermeasures. The Su-25 is equipped with 256 flare and 256 chaff cartridges; many more than should ever be necessary. (NOT!) And when the encounter is over, remember to turn off the jammers. While jammers make it difficult for enemies to target your aircraft, they make it easier for the enemy to detect your presence. FIRING WEAPONS =-=-=-=-=-=-=- To select a weapon to fire, press Q to cycle thru the choices toward the fuselage, and press W to cycle thru the weapons toward the wing tips. The name of the selected weapon appears in the lower left of the HUD, and the ordnance indicator on the Aircraft Status panel highlights the appropriate hardpoint store. Weapon symmetry is important. Notice that as you cycle thru the hardpoints, the highlight jumps from one wing to the other and back again. To help you understand why this is done, realize first that the hardpoints are numbered 1 - 10 from the left wing tip to the right wing tip. Now if hardpoint 1 is selected, pressing Q repeatedly jumps you to hardpoints 10, 2, 9, 3, 8, etc, as you approach the fuselage. (Pressing W repeatedly reverses this sequence) Selections are made this way so you can cluster the weapons and load the wings symmetrically. Then you can fire all of the ordnance of a single type quickly without hunting for the right hardpoint. For example, if you put anti-tank missiles on the center pylons of each wing, after you fire the missiles from the left wing, you wouldn't want to press Q five times to get to the missiles on the right wing. To select a target, press A (or ENTER) repeatedly to select each visible target in turn from left to right. Press S to select the target closest to the centerline of your aircraft. An octagon appears on the HUD superimposed over the target, and the name of the target appears on the bottom of the HUD. If you have selected a guided missile, two octagons appear around the target when you achieve a target lock, which happens when the target comes within the range of the missile. TO fire the selected weapon, press the fire button or the SpaceBar. All weapons are semi-automatic, requiring you to press the trigger for every weapon discharge (No Shit, Really??). Only guided missiles home in on the target (DUH!) and that is subject to certain restrictions. For all other weapons, targeting serves only to aid you in seeing exactly where the target is located. Read the following sections about each type of weapon for more information on it's use. Internal 30mm Cannon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Su-25 comes equipped with 2400 rounds of 30mm armor-piercing ammo. Each time you pull the trigger, the cannon fires a 10 round burst plus one tracer to show the ammunitions' flight path. The cross hair on the HUD shows where the gun is aimed, and it is lower than the direction the aircraft is flying during level flight. This is so you can strafe ground targets without losing altitude. The internal cannon is powerful, and has significant range. It is effective against all targets if you hit them with enough rounds. Remember, however, that the rounds are unguided. You must "lead" flying targets to hit them. (In other words, fire at a point ahead of the target, not directly at it!) Air-to-Air Guided Missiles (AA-2, AA-8) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Low ranking pilots can load AA-2 IR guided missiles onto their aircraft. Higher ranking pilots have access to the more powerful radar-guided AA-8's. These missiles are primarily designed for use in air-to-air combat, and they are not very effective against armored ground vehicles. They will home in on the target on their own. Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (AT-6) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- AT-6 laser-guided missiles are specifically designed to pierce armor, and that makes them ideal for destroying tanks and personnel carriers. They are not very effective against aircraft. A laser designator on your aircraft bounces a laser beam off the target, and the AT-6 follows the laser reflection all the way down. They will home in on the target as long as it is targeted and in view thru the forward cockpit window. Unguided Rockets (UV-8-57, UV-16-57, UV-32-57) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 55mm unguided rockets (fired from 57mm launch tubes) are intended to be fired in large numbers to devastate a structure or ground target with multiple hits. They have proximity fuses so they do not need to directly hit the target to damage it. The rockets fly straight out from the wings, aimed slightly downward, so you can fire them upon ground targets while maintaining altitude. Folding find pop out after launch to stabilize the rockets' flight path. You must remember that the rockets do not fly toward the cross hair on the HUD, but to one side or the other, depending upon which side of the aircraft the rocket pod is mounted. Pods come with 8, 16, or 32 rockets, with HUD designations of UV-8-57, UV-16-57, and UV-32-57. Retarded Bombs (Betab-250, Betab-500) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Betab bombs are retarded bombs, which means a parachute slows the bomb after release so that it falls straight down at the target. These bombs are available in 250 and 500 Kilogram versions, and they are excellent against ground targets of all types, especially structures. They are not difficult to aim, since they have a near vertical fight path. Simply release them just before you are directly over the target. Incendiary Bombs (ZAB-100, ZAB-250, ZAB-500) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ZAB bombs are incendiary bombs that come in 100, 250 or 500 kilogram versions. Like the Betab retarded bombs, ZAB's are excellent at destroying ground targets. They are not retarded in any way, so you must allow for a parabolic flight path between release and impact. You must take into account your airspeed and altitude before you release the bombs. This technique requires much practice to perfect. RECONNAISSANCE FLYING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you choose the reconnaissance mission, be sure to mount the camera onto one of the aircrafts' hardpoints before you take off. The camera works exactly like a weapon: you target the site you want to photograph, and then press the fire button to click the shutter. The camera has twelve exposures available, and in general you must takes eight photos for a successful reconnaissance run. TAKING EXTRA FUEL =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= For exceptionally long missions, you can take an external fuel tank to insure you have enough fuel to reach all the waypoints. You have enough fuel in the internal tank to travel the length of the combat map and back again. But if you must fly diagonally, you might (damned likely) run into fuel problems. Escort missions often require two extra tanks. Consider whether you will need extra fuel when viewing the map at your mission briefing. CONDUCTING THE MISSION =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meet the objectives first! When you are flying the mission, there should be only one goal in your mind: meeting the mission objective. The skies over Germany and the land below are full of military vehicles from NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Some are loyal to their respective governments; some are renegades participating in this large-scale conspiracy to renew the cold war. You won't be able to tell which is which, until someone fires a weapon at you, and then you can retaliate. If you fire first upon peaceful forces, they will engage you out of self-defense. Remain undetected! The best method of achieving success is to fly to the mission waypoints undetected by any military force, enemy or friendly. Once you have succeed in the mission, you can investigate possible terrorist sites on the way back. If you fly over a weapon site, and the soldier open fire on you, you may destroy them if you expose your Su-25 to as little danger as possible. And remember that the weapons you carry are expensive,and resources are scare. Do not destroy a 15,000 Ruble truck with two 10,000 Ruble missiles. Scan the area ahead of you! As you fly, periodically press A to see if there are any targets in range that do not appear on radar. These targets include ground troops with SAM launchers, armed trucks, and stealth aircraft. Reduce your speed before you reach the target! Reduce your throttle setting, and use your flaps and air brakes (and possibly even your landing gear) to slow to under 200KPH. The targets will pass under you far too fast otherwise. See tactics for more information about the tactics of flying missions and engaging enemies. Destroy any radar vehicles first! If there are any radar vehicles near the objective, destroy them first to reduce the enemies ability to attack. Many weapon systems near to a radar vehicle rely on that vehicle for tracking and targeting data. Destroy the objective! When you target the mission objective, the symbol <> appears above the name of the targeted site. Many missions have multiple objectives, so make sure you destroy all of them before returning to base. Bring your Stormovik back intact! Very few missions are so important that they are worth losing an entire Su-25 over. If the combat zone is to dangerous, it is up to you to decide whether or not to continue. You may get reprimanded if you fail to meet the mission goals, but it is far better than destroying your aircraft. Land at the destination air base! After you land successfully, you are brought to your debriefing automatically. You can also abruptly end the mission and go to your debriefing at any time by pressing Ctrl-Q. EJECTING =-=-=-=- In the event your aircraft takes so much damage that you can no longer keep it airborne, you can eject by pressing Shift-C. If at all possible, make sure that you are flying level. The canopy is released and your seat is fired up out of the cockpit with directed explosive. If you eject during a dive, your parachute might not be able to slow you down enough before you hit ground. The chute is a standard-issue, non-steerable parachute. If you are rescued after you land, you are brought in for your debriefing. There is, however, a possibility that you will not make it back to base alive even if you land safely. This is especially true if you eject over enemy territory. TACTICS =-=-=-= There are several different tactics important to succeeding as a ground-attack pilot. Tactics against ground targets differ significantly from tactics against air targets. One element common to both is the necessity of flying as close to the ground as possible, where high-speed aircraft cannot pursue you, and where ground-based weapons system cannot see you until its too late. What follows are the combat flying tactics specific to the role of ground-attack aircraft. You must understand these tactics if you expect to perform your role to the utmost of your ability, and we demand no less. The Key Is Survival =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= It is obvious to even the most novice pilot tat the key to a successful mission is survival. Yet there are many different philosophies that can improve the survivability of an aircraft in battle. One simple features that can be a useful safeguard against attack is the ability to fly at high speeds. This approach can be an effective defense in air-to-air combat, and it can allow for surprise attacks where a slower aircraft might provide the enemy with more time to prepare a defense. The high speed approach, however, has drawbacks. In the face of anti-aircraft missiles that can travel in excess of three times the speed of sound, a high speed aircraft gains little advantage over a low-speed aircraft. Also, high speed planes are not generally capable of flying at slower speeds, nor can they fly at low altitudes. The Su-25 is capable of flying slower than 100KPH, and it is maneuverable at altitudes under 50 metres. At this altitude and speed, most tracking systems (radar or infrared) cannot detect the Su-25 until it is very close, when it is to late to prepare a defense. The aircraft is heavily armored with titanium and steel to withstand the brief attack it must endure directly over the target. And after the attack run, the Su-25, unlike helicopters, is capable of flying away from the combat zone at speeds of nearly 1000KPH. These characteristics are what make the Stormovik one of the most respected attack aircraft in the skies today. Fly Low =-=-=-= Even flying at higher speeds, 200-300KPH, the Su-25 is more maneuverable than most other planes, due to its enormous wing area. This permits the aircraft to fly low at higher speeds than most high-speed fighter aircraft can. The ability to follow terrain more closely also gives you the advantage of being able to cover less horizontal distance at the same speed, forcing less maneuverable aircraft to overshoot. Flying low also keeps you off of most radar screens (and other forms of detection) until you are very close to the source. Because ground-based detection systems do not want uneven terrain to interfere with their instruments, the sensors only sweep the sky at some angle above the horizon. The lower you fly, the closer you can get to the sensor before you enter the cone of detection, and the more surprise your arrival will have. Fly Slow =-=-=-=- The slower you fly, the more targets you can destroy on each run. While novice pilots want to fly quickly over their targets, to minimize their exposure to enemy fire, this is actually a more dangerous tactic. When you first arrive at a target, it should be a surprise to the enemy, and the more targets you can destroy on the first pass, the safer you will be. As you circle around for another attack run, all the enemy weapon systems still operating will be targeting you. The safest tactic is to destroy as many units as you can, as soon as you can, and flying slowly is the best way to increase the number of destroyed units per pass. Use both your flaps and airbrakes (perhaps even your landing gear) to slow down before starting your attack run, and then increase your speed afterward to fly free of the combat zone. TACTICS AGAINST GROUND TARGETS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Flying low to delay detection, unfortunately, also reduces the time you have to line up your targets. Therefore, you should increase altitude suddenly at the last moment, and then dive toward the target. This method offers a better targeting angle and more time to use your weapon of choice, while it still minimizes the amount of time you are exposed to enemy sensors. Your situation in this regard improves greatly if you first destroy any mobile radar vehicles in the area that are coordinating the enemy efforts. Guided Missile Attacks =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- For high-speed missiles, like the AT-6, you need only to dive toward a single target a short time to destroy it. Most armored targets cannot withstand more than two direct missile hits, so you can spend less time in each dive per target. Gun and Rocket Attacks =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When you are using a chain-gun or unguided rockets, it will often take many hits to destroy a target. In this case you must spend more time diving toward a target, which requires a higher initial climb. Also, rounds from a chain gun that strike armor at a perpendicular angle have a better chance of penetrating, while rounds that hit at a shallow angle tend to bounce off. Retarded-Bomb Runs =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Retarded bombs (Betab) have drag systems that engage upon deployment, such that the bombs fall almost directly downward. These weapons give you the advantage of maintaining a low, level flight path over the target. Drop retarded bombs just before you reach the target (practice this to see just how much before) and you do not need to increase your altitude at all. Bomb Runs =-=-=-=-= Normal free-falling bombs (ZAB) fall in a parabolic flight path, and that makes them difficult to aim. Unfortunately, they must be used due to the limited availability of Betab retarded bombs. Striking a target using free-fall bombs from level flight takes a certain amount of intuition about how the laws of physics affect the bomb's flight. Ideally, you would first estimate how much time it will take for the bombs to hit the ground from your current altitude. Secondly, you would use that time and your air speed to calculate how far away from the target you should release the ordnance. Then you would drop the bombs later than you calculated to account for wind resistance. TACTICS AGAINST AIRCRAFT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Su-25 was designed and constructed for low-speed maneuverability. Traditional air combat tactics do not apply because high-speed fighters have a considerable advantage a high altitudes (Over 250 Metres). But if the Su-25 stays close to the ground, where it is most comfortable, it gains the advantage. High-speed aircraft cannot maneuver enough to fly so low, so they must make diving passes. Each time they pass and fail to destroy their slow- moving target, they expose their tail to return fire. The most important task in engaging fighter aircraft is getting the enemy to overshoot your aircraft. Not only does this protect your aircraft, it takes you out of the enemy pilot's field of vision,and it exposes the most vulnerable part of his aircraft, his tail. Flying low helps considerable, but you also want to reduce the possibility that the fighter can fire on you during it's diving attack runs. This is when you can use your maneuverability to defeat the enemy bogey. Evasion =-=-=-= A high-speed fighter needs time to line up your aircraft, target, achieve a positive guidance lock, and fire its weapons. In the time it needs to prepare to fire, you can veer your Su-25 across the fighter's flight path, flying a small-radius turn. The fighter cannot turn as sharply as an Su-25 can, so it is forced to discontinue its attack and attempt to set up another diving run. Avoid and Attack =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The maneuverability of the Su-25 provides frequent opportunities to take the offensive against high-speed fighters. In an aggressive variation of the Evasion Maneuver, the Su-25 breaks off, encouraging the fighter to attempt to match the turn. The Su-25 suddenly banks harder than the fighter can follow, forcing it to straighten out it's turn. Then the Su-25 quickly reverses its turn until it has a straight shot at the tail of the departing fighter. The Stormovik must fire an air-to-air missile quickly, or the fighter will quickly be out of range. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Su25 Stormovik Soviet Attack Fighter º º Key Summary º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Flight Controls =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 -- Degrees of Thrust: 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 100%. ' -- Decrease Thrust by 5% (Tandy 1000: use @) 6 -- Increase Thrust by 5% G -- Toggle Landing Gear Up/Down V -- Toggle Landing Flaps Up/Down B -- Toggle both Air and Wheel Brakes On/Off Z -- Switch to next waypoint on the HUD Shift-C -- Bail! BackSpace -- Toggle cockpit On/Off Targeting & Firing Weapons =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Q, W -- Select Weapon away frum or toward fuselage S -- Select target closest to aiming cross hair A, Button #1, ENTER -- Select target to the right of current target Space, Button #0 -- Fire selected weapon Detection & Countermeasures =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E -- Toggle ECM On/Off R -- Toggle Infrared Jammers On/Off D -- Drop Chaff F -- Drop Flare . (Period) -- Increase magnification on the radar screen , (Comma) -- Decrease magnification on the radar screen Mission Options =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= H -- Change HUD Display color T -- Toggle Time Compression 2x Ctrl-P -- Pause Game, any key to resume Ctrl-Q -- End Mission Ctrl-R -- Resupply Weapons (Cheat) (This forfeits all points for mission) Ctrl-C -- Bail to DOS ESC -- Display Flight Menu Options View Menu =-=-=-=-= F1 -- Cockpit F2 -- Back F3 -- Map F4 -- Right Shift-F4 -- Left F5 -- Chase Plane Shift-F5 -- Front F6 -- Ground Shift-F6 -- Circling F7 -- Player -> Target F8 -- Target -> Player F9 -- Satelite (press repeatedly to zoom out, Shift-F9 to zoom in) F10 -- Target's View + -- Zoom In - -- Zoom Out Starting Options (Startup Switches) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Let's say you wanna start SU-25 in VGA Mode, High Graphix Detail, Joystick Control & AdLib sound. You'd type: SU25 MCGA HIGH J ADLIB. CGA -- Loads game in CGA Mode EGA -- Loads game in EGA Mode TGA -- Loads game in Tandy Graphix Mode MCGA -- Loads game in MCGA/VGA Mode J -- Joystick Control K -- Keyboard Control M -- Mouse Control M2 -- High-Precision Mouse Control LOW -- Low Graphix Detail Mode MED -- Medium Graphix Detail Mode HI -- High Graphix Detail Mode QUIET -- No Sound PC -- PC Speaker Sound ADLIB -- AdLib Sound TANDY -- Tandy Sound CMS -- CMS Sound SIMPLE -- Uses simple versions of most shapes to use less memory.