Chuck Yeagers Air Combat - Manual - PC

A DI F F ERENT KI ND OF COMB AT
You ve spent your l i f e t rai ni ng t o be a f i ght er pi l ot and dreami ng of t he day you d act ual l y get t o f l y. Hours, weeks,
years i nvest ed i n pract i ce and t rai ni ng. Al l your hard work and t i me f i nal l y pay of f and you devel op i nt o a worl d
renown ace.
You owe a l ot t o t he f l yi ng aces t hat came bef ore you. The t eachers who t aught you excel l ence. You pay t hem back
by t eachi ng ot her green boys about what i t t akes t o be a f l yi ng ace and t he edge t hey need f or f i ght i ng wel l . You
put back what you t ook out so more pi l ot s can t rai n and def end t he nat i on. There are, however, some sel f i sh aces
out t here who don t gi ve a damn about anyone el se. These aces t ake al l t hey can and say t o hel l wi t h t he pros
who came bef ore .
Sof t ware publ i shi ng i s much t he same: most consumers pay f or t hei r sof t ware, but some green boys out t here
don t . They copy sof t ware and don t pay t hei r dues t o t he t eams responsi bl e f or bri ngi ng t hem t he goods i n t he
f i rst pl ace. When t hat happens, sof t ware compani es don t have t he money t hey need t o keep t urni ng out t he best
sof t ware t hey can some even go under.
El ect roni c Art s i s an ace i n t he f i el d, gi vi ng you t he best we can. Hel p us t o keep put t i ng out t he best by st oppi ng
sof t ware pi racy. As a member of t he Sof t ware Publ i shers Associ at i on (SPA), El ect roni c Art s support s t he f i ght
agai nst t he i l l egal copyi ng of personal comput er sof t ware. Thank you f or hel pi ng us i n our ef f ort t o cont rol
sof t ware cost s by el i mi nat i ng sof t ware t hef t . Hel p us combat sof t ware pi racy on t he ground so we can keep
bri ngi ng you combat i n t he ai r.
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TAB LE OF CONTENTS
Qui c k st ar t t o Ai r Combat ......................................................................................................................................8
Tact i cal Overvi ew.........................................................................................................................................17
Mi ssi on Menus ....................................................................................................................................................19
Fl yi ng an Hi st ori c Mi ssi on ............................................................................................................................20
Endi ng an Hi st ori c Mi ssi on ..........................................................................................................................23
Pl ayi ng i n Campai gn Mode ..........................................................................................................................25
Creat i ng Cust om Scenari os .........................................................................................................................25
Endi ng a Cust om Scenari o...........................................................................................................................28
Test Fl i ght ....................................................................................................................................................29
Last Mi ssi on ................................................................................................................................................31
Revi ew Fi l m .................................................................................................................................................31
I nst r ument Chec k ...............................................................................................................................................33
Heads Up Di spl ay.........................................................................................................................................34
Inst rument Panel .........................................................................................................................................36
I n t he Coc k pi t .....................................................................................................................................................41
Fl i ght St i ck Cont rol s ....................................................................................................................................42
Throt t l e Cont rol s ..........................................................................................................................................44
Gear, Brakes, and Fl aps...............................................................................................................................44
Vi ew Keys .....................................................................................................................................................45
Sel ect i ng Your Weapon ................................................................................................................................47
Target i ng and Fi ri ng ....................................................................................................................................47
Fi ri ng Mi ssi l es .............................................................................................................................................48
Radar Warni ng Recei ver ..............................................................................................................................49
Count ermeasures.........................................................................................................................................50
Det ect i ng by Radar ......................................................................................................................................50
Qui ckl y Locat i ng Fri endl i es and Enemi es .....................................................................................................51
Navi gat i ng ...................................................................................................................................................52
Communi cat i ons and Warni ngs ...................................................................................................................53
Damage .......................................................................................................................................................53
Ej ect i ng .......................................................................................................................................................53
Ti me Compressi on .......................................................................................................................................54
Bl ackout s and Redout s ................................................................................................................................54
Changi ng t he HUD Col or ..............................................................................................................................55
Fl i ght Menus ................................................................................................................................................55
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Fl i ght Rec or der ...................................................................................................................................................63
Pl ayi ng Back Your Current Mi ssi on ..............................................................................................................64
Savi ng a Fl i ght Recordi ng............................................................................................................................67
Revi ewi ng a Previ ousl y Saved Fl i ght Recordi ng ...........................................................................................68
Del et i ng Fl i ght Recordi ngs...........................................................................................................................69
Gr ound Sc hool ....................................................................................................................................................72
Ai rpl ane Movement ......................................................................................................................................72
Al t i t ude, Ai r Pressure, Oxygen ......................................................................................................................73
Four Forces ..................................................................................................................................................74
Three Measures of Turn................................................................................................................................76
The Fl i ght Envel ope......................................................................................................................................77
Fl i ght Perf ormance Recovery........................................................................................................................79
The Energy St at e..........................................................................................................................................80
Fl i ght Sc hool .......................................................................................................................................................83
Level Fl i ght ..................................................................................................................................................84
Cl i mb ...........................................................................................................................................................84
Di ve .............................................................................................................................................................84
Break ...........................................................................................................................................................85
Take Of f .......................................................................................................................................................86
Landi ng .......................................................................................................................................................86
Basi c Maneuver s ................................................................................................................................................91
Var i at i ons f or Advanc ed Pi l ot s ...........................................................................................................................99
Gunner y Sc hool .................................................................................................................................................107
Target Range .............................................................................................................................................108
Fl i ght Pat h .................................................................................................................................................108
Def l ect i on Angl e.........................................................................................................................................109
Hol dover Angl e...........................................................................................................................................109
Leadi ng ......................................................................................................................................................110
Gun Si ght Type...........................................................................................................................................110
The Secret t o a Successf ul St ri ke...............................................................................................................110
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Answer s t o Copy Pr ot ec t i on Quest i ons.....................................................................................................129- 158
Fi ght er Tac t i c s ..................................................................................................................................................113
Det ect i on ...................................................................................................................................................114
Cl osi ng ......................................................................................................................................................117
At t ack ........................................................................................................................................................118
Maneuver ...................................................................................................................................................120
Mi ssi l e Evasi on Techni ques .......................................................................................................................121
At t acki ng Bombers ....................................................................................................................................122
At t acki ng t he Me- 110 ................................................................................................................................123
Ground At t ack ............................................................................................................................................123
Ai r Combat i n Thr ee Er as ..................................................................................................................................125
Ameri ca Ent ers Worl d War II .......................................................................................................................126
Ai rpl ane Descri pt i ons.................................................................................................................................128
Ai r Superi ori t y over Korea ...........................................................................................................................145
Ai r Combat i n Vi et nam...............................................................................................................................151
The Mak i ng of an Ac e .......................................................................................................................................159
Gl ossar y ............................................................................................................................................................163
Appendi x: HUD Messages ..................................................................................................................................165
Suggest ed Readi ng ...........................................................................................................................................169
Sel ec t ed Bi bl i ogr aphy ......................................................................................................................................170
About The Man ..................................................................................................................................................171
I ndex .................................................................................................................................................................172
Pr obl ems Wi t h The Game? Tec hni c al Suppor t ............................................................................................179
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
TH E E XC ITE ME N T O F
TH O S E D O G F IG H TS
N E VE R D IMIN IS H E D .
F O R ME ,
C O MB AT R E MAIN S TH E
U LTIMATE F LYIN G E XP E R IE N C E .

Gen. Chuck Yeager
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WELCOME TO GENERAL CHUCK YEAGER S AI R COMB AT
COMMAND SUMMARY CARD
For i nst ruct i ons on i nst al l i ng

Ai r Combat ont o a hard dri ve or f l oppi es, see t he Command Summary Card i ncl uded
i n t he box.
The Command Summary Card al so cont ai ns summari es and di agrams of Ai r Combat s keyboard commands.
HOW TO USE THI S MANUAL
Thi s manual i s desi gned f or easy use. Al l of t he game cont rol s and essent i al i nf ormat i on are expl ai ned i n f i ve
succi nct chapt ers:
Mi ssi on Menus Tel l s you how t o sel ect mi ssi ons, t est ai rpl anes, and revi ew f i l ms.
I nst r ument Chec k Tel l s you how t o read al l t he vari ous i nst rument panel s.
I n t he Coc k pi t Tel l s you how t o f l y your ai rpl ane, change vi ews, operat e vari ous on- board
syst ems, and use Ai r Combat s speci al hel p f eat ures.
Fl i ght Rec or der Tel l s you how t o cont rol t he Fl i ght Recorder.
Ai r Combat i n Thr ee Er as Tel l s you t he answers t o t he Copy Prot ect i on quest i ons.
These sect i ons are marked by a bl ack border so you never have t roubl e f i ndi ng t he sect i ons wi t h t he essent i al
gamepl ay i nf ormat i on.
The rest of t he manual expl ai ns aerodynami cs, f i ght er t act i cs, maneuvers, and gunnery ski l l s, as wel l as
provi di ng t he background f or Ai r Combat s Hi st ori c Mi ssi ons. These chapt ers al l cont ai n i nf ormat i on and hi nt s
t hat can be di rect l y appl i ed t o t he game; however, you don t need t o read t hem i n order t o t ake t o t he ai r and st art
shoot i ng down ai rpl anes.
QUI CKSTART
If you want t o j ump ri ght i nt o combat wi t h a mi ni mum of readi ng , use t he Qui ckst art t o Ai r Combat . The
Qui ckst art wi l l l ead you t hrough a cust om mi ssi on i n whi ch you i nt ercept B- 17 bombers i n a FW- 190. You l l be
i nt roduced t o Ai r Combat s f l i ght cont rol s as wel l as usef ul f eat ures l i ke t he Target Wi ndow and Fl i ght Recorder.
TACTI CAL OVERVI EW
At t he end of t he Qui ckst art i s a sect i on cal l ed Tact i cal Overvi ew. Thi s sect i on expl ai ns t wo basi c concept s i n ai r
combat : speed and maneuverabi l i t y. In t he end, you l l underst and how good t act i cs are more i mport ant t han
superi or hardware.
QUI TTI NG AI R COMBAT
At any poi nt i n t he game, you can exi t t o DOS by pressi ng Ct r l - C.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
QUI CKSTART TO AI R COMB AT
PREPARATI ONS
Fol l owi ng t he i nst ruct i ons under Get t i ng St art ed on t he Command Summary Card, l oad Ai r Combat . The
Command Summary Card wi l l gui de you al l t he way up t o t he Mai n Menu.
You re goi ng t o need t o know how t o cont rol your ai rpl ane, vi ews, and weapons. Take a moment t o ski m over t he
f l i ght and weapons cont rol i n t he chapt er cal l ed In t he Cockpi t . The sect i ons you want t o bri ef l y revi ew are:
Fl i ght St i ck Cont rol s p. 42
Throt t l e Cont rol s p. 44
Gear, Brakes, and Fl aps p. 44
CREATE A CUSTOM MI SSI ON
There are t wo ki nds of mi ssi ons i n Ai r Combat : Cust om and Hi st ori c. Cust om Mi ssi ons are combat scenari os t hat
you desi gn. You choose t he ai rpl anes, t he opponent s, and t he t act i cal si t uat i on. Hi st ori c Mi ssi ons are real
mi ssi ons drawn f rom t hree wars.
For t hi s Qui ckst art , you re goi ng t o creat e a cust om mi ssi on and f l y i t . Sel ect Creat e Mi ssi on f rom t he Mai n Menu.
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HOW TO SELECT OPTIONS

I f your e usin g a mouse , se le ct opt ion s by poin t in g t h e mouse cur sor a n d clickin g a mouse
but t on.
If your e using t he keyboar d, pr ess t he Tab key t o move t he cur sor t o t he differ ent opt ions.
When t he cur sor is over t he opt ion you want , pr ess t he spacebar. To exit a menu and r et ur n t o
t he pr evious scr een, pr ess Esc.
CHOOSE THE FW- 190
When you creat e a cust om mi ssi on, you f i l l i n t he det ai l s of a war st ory l i ke you re a vet eran f i ght er j ock
recount i ng hi s expl oi t s over mi ssi on whi skey. For t hi s Qui ckst art , you re goi ng t o t el l your pal s at t he O Cl ub how
you f l amed some bombers i n your hot German f i ght er. Sel ect FW- 190 as your pl ane.
PLACE YOURSELF AT 10,000
The Focke- Wul f 190 A- 8 i s pri mari l y a ground at t ack ai rpl ane. As such, i t maneuvers best at l ow al t i t udes.
Choose 10,000 f eet .
TACTI CAL POSI TI ON
Your next st ep i s t o t el l who had t he advant age i n t he f i ght . To j ump an opponent i s t o come barrel i ng down on
hi s head f rom behi nd and above. Si nce t hi s i s your f i rst mi ssi on, you shoul d t ake t he advant age. Sel ect
j umped.
CHOOSE YOUR OPPONENTS
Now you need t o say how many opponent s t here were. You re goi ng t o go up agai nst bombers, so you can af f ord a
f ew ext ra t arget s. Sel ect t hree.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
Three of what ? You coul d duel any of t he ai rpl ane t ypes shown bel ow. However, f or t he purpose of t hi s Qui ckst art ,
your goi ng t o shoot down bombers. Sel ect B- 17.
In any Cust om Mi ssi on, you can f i ght up t o t hree t ypes of ai rpl anes. You can choose 1- 5 ai rpl anes per t ype, f or a
maxi mum of 15 enemi es. Whet her you choose t o be hi st ori cal l y accurat e or not i s up t o you you can mi x and
mat ch ai rpl anes of di f f erent eras, i f you l i ke. However, you have enough t arget s f or t hi s mi ssi on, so choose . .
CHOOSE THE ENEMY S EXPERI ENCE LEVEL
Every pi l ot knows t hat t he machi ne i s onl y as good as t he guy dri vi ng i t . No war st ory i s compl et e wi t hout sayi ng
whet her your opponent s were real pros or real pudknockers. In t hi s mi ssi on, you re goi ng up agai nst some real
l ame ducks. Sel ect amat eur.
You re now ready t o begi n t he mi ssi on. You l l be pl aced somewhere behi nd and above t he t hree B- 17s. Sel ect
Done t o begi n.
If you need t o pause t he game at any poi nt i n t hi s mi ssi on, press Ct r l - P.
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BEGI N THE MI SSI ON
You f i nd yoursel f i n t he cockpi t of a Focke- Wul f 190, di vi ng on your opponent s.
HI DE THE I NSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN SEARCHI NG
In any combat si t uat i on, your f i rst t ask i s t o f i nd t he enemy. Si nce you re j umpi ng t hem, you know t hey re
somewhere bel ow and i n f ront of you.
When l ooki ng f or t he enemy, i t s usual l y a good i dea t o hi de t he Inst rument Panel . Thi s
gi ves you a cl earer vi ew of what s i n f ront of you. To hi de t he Inst rument Panel , press
bac k spac e. (If l at er you want t o di spl ay t he Inst rument Panel agai n, press bac k spac e.)
USE THE SCAN KEYS TO ROTATE YOUR VI EW
If you can see t he bombers ri ght now, go t o t he next st ep. If you can t see t he bombers ri ght now, t hey re probabl y
j ust a l i t t l e ways of f of t he screen.
You can use t he Vi ew Keys t o l ook around your ai rpl ane, but si nce you know t he enemy i s somewhere i n f ront of
you, you shoul d st ay i n Forward Vi ew and use t he Scan Keys t o scan l ef t , ri ght , and f rom si de- t o- si de.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #

Left Right
Down
Up
1
End
2
PgDn
3
4 5 6
7
Home
8
PgUp
9
Left
Right
Down
Up
Backspace
Inst rument Panel
Heads Up Di spl ay (HUD)
Ext ended 101 user s: Use t he cursor keys AT k eyboar d user s: Press Ct r l and use t he
numeri c keypad.
TARGET A BOMBER
Once you spot t he bombers, you need t o t arget one. Target i ng hel ps you i dent i f y, pursue, and obt ai n val uabl e
i nf ormat i on on t he enemy. (In Vi et nam mi ssi ons, t arget i ng i s essent i al f or f i ri ng mi ssi l es.) You can onl y t arget an
enemy pl ane whi l e i n Forward vi ew. Not e: When you Scan, you re st i l l i n t he current vi ew.
To t arget an enemy, press Ent er . Joyst i ck and mouse users, press but t on B.
LOOK STRAI GHT AHEAD
Once you ve scanned a di rect i on, i t s di f f i cul t t o scan back t o where you re l ooki ng st rai ght ahead.
To ret urn t o your normal Forward Vi ew, press F1.
TURN ON THE TARGET WI NDOW
The Target Wi ndow opt i on i s l ocat ed i n t he Hel p Menu; but rat her t han open
t he Fl i ght Menus, use t he short cut command. Press Shi f t - 3 t o t urn on t he
Target Wi ndow.
The Target Wi ndow gi ves you a vi ew of t he current l y sel ect ed t arget and
shows hi s rel at i ve posi t i on t o you, regardl ess of how f ar away he i s. Here i s
some ot her usef ul i nf ormat i on t he Target Wi ndow provi des:
I NVI NCI BI LI TY?!
The bomber s gunners are amat eurs, so t hey re not very accurat e. On t he ot her hand, t here are l ot s of t hem
shoot i ng at you. Gi ve yoursel f t he ul t i mat e advant age become i nvi nci bl e t o enemy weapons!
Press Esc t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght Menus. Press t he ri ght cursor key (

) t o move t he hi ghl i ght ed bar t o t he Hel p
Menu. Invi nci bl e i s al ready hi ghl i ght ed, so press Ent er .
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Shift F1
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3
Ai rcraf t t ype
Locat i on
Di st ance
Speed
You re now i nvi nci bl e, so don t worry about t hose gunners. You l l st i l l f eel and hear every hi t , but at l east you l l
have pl ent y of t i me t o shoot down al l t hree bombers.
Not e: Many of t he Fl i ght Menu opt i ons have short cut commands assi gned t o
t hem. Rat her t han bri ngi ng up t he Fl i ght Menus, you coul d have si mpl y
pressed t he short cut command, Ct r l - I , t o sel ect Invi nci bi l i t y.
DI VE ON THE B- 17S
You re ready t o at t ack. Because you want pl ent y of t i me t o shoot at t he bombers, you don t want t o
pi ck up t oo much speed i n t he di ve. Press F t o l ower your f l aps. Thi s wi l l sl ow your ai rpl ane down
whi l e you re i n t he di ve and keep you f rom exceedi ng your maxi mum speed l i mi t .
To begi n your di ve, push your f l i ght st i ck f orward (see Fl i ght St i ck Cont rol s i n In t he Cockpi t ).
GET A BOMBER I N YOUR GUN SI GHTS
The t ri ck now i s t o get t he bomber i n your si ght s. You may have t o rol l ri ght or l ef t t o get a bead on t he bomber
(see Fl i ght St i ck Cont rol s i n In t he Cockpi t ).
WHEN YOU RE I N RANGE, FI RE
In t he l ower l ef t corner of t he Heads Up Di spl ay i s some weapons i nf ormat i on: 20mm :800 (% ). The 20mm i s
t he current l y sel ect ed weapon a 20 mm MG 151/ 20 cannon. 800 i s t he number of rounds t hi s weapon has.
The percent age si gn i s your average percent age chance t o hi t t hi s t arget at t hi s range.
Wat ch t he percent age cl osel y. When i t ri ses above 20% , st art f i ri ng. To f i re, press t he spac ebar . Joyst i ck and
keyboard users, press but t on A.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #

Ctrl
+
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Ctrl
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F
Wai t unt i l your chances of hi t t i ng are good
As you f i re, you l l have t o pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck t o keep t he bombers i n si ght . Maneuveri ng and f i ri ng i s
rarel y easy, but i t must be l earned.
MOP EM UP
Si nce your f i ght er i s t ravel i ng at over 300 mph, you l l event ual l y overt ake your t arget . You l l have t o ci rcl e around
f or repeat ed passes.
If you run out of ammo, you l l have t o swi t ch t o one of t he FW- 190 s ot her weapons. To
sel ect a di f f erent weapon as t he current one, press t he ri ght bracket ( ] ) or l ef t bracket
( [ ) key.
REVI EW THE MI SSI ON
Once you ve bl ast ed t he bombers out of t he sky, you can revi ew t he mi ssi on wi t h Ai r Combat s Fl i ght Recorder. To
bri ng up t he Fi l m Pl ayback, press P.
Use t he Vi ew Keys t o change your vi ew of t he act i on. Bel ow i s a summary of some of Ai r Combat s more i mport ant
Vi ew Keys (see Vi ew Keys i n In t he Cockpi t f or a more compl et e l i st i ng).
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[ ]
St op Sl ow Pl ay Pl ay Fast Pl ay
Rewi nd t o st art Rewi nd 5 seconds Si nge- st ep back (1/ 20 second)
Si ngl e- st ep f orward
Forward 5 seconds
Forward t o end
Current vi ew
When you re done experi ment i ng wi t h t he f l i ght recorder, sel ect EXIT t o ret urn t o t he mi ssi on.
Once you ret urn t o t he mi ssi on, you can pract i ce some basi c maneuvers (see Basi c Maneuvers).
EJECT AND END THE MI SSI ON
When you re done pract i ci ng f l yi ng, press Shi f t - E t o ej ect . (There are pl ent y
of Focke- Wul f s where t hat one came f rom.) The mi ssi on wi l l end
aut omat i cal l y when you t ouch t he ground.
If you want t o end t he mi ssi on sooner t han t hat , press Ct r l - Q.
STATS SCREEN
When t he mi ssi on ends, t he St at s screen appears. Take a l ook at your bul l et accuracy. Don t worry i f you di dn t hi t
much t here are pl ent y of ai rpl anes f or you t o pract i ce your gunnery ski l l s (f or hi nt s t hat coul d i mprove your
shoot i ng, see Gunnery School .)
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
F1
Look Forward Look Backward
Look Left Look Right
F2
F3
F4
+
Shift
E
Ctrl
+
Q
TACTI CAL OVERVI EW F I GHTER VS. F I GHTER
Though of t en depl oyed agai nst ground t arget s, t he f i ght er i s above al l an ai rpl ane ki l l er. It s rol e i s t o seek out
enemy ai rpl anes and shoot t hem i n t he ai r, t hereby def endi ng home t arget s f rom enemy ai r at t ack or cl eari ng t he
way f or an ai r or ground of f ensi ve.
The bombers you at t acked i n t he Qui ckst art mi ssi on were one ki nd of prey. But t hough bombers provi de uni que
chal l enges f or t he at t acki ng f i ght er, t hey don t make f or a st i mul at i ng dogf i ght . Fi ght er vs. f i ght er combat , on t he
ot her hand, i s dynami c, f ast - movi ng, and exci t i ng. It s al so compl ex, whi ch i s why t here i s no way t o provi de a
Qui ckst art t hat expl ai ns how t o wi n a dogf i ght . Nonet hel ess, t he basi c concept s of ai r combat can be expl ai ned,
and whi l e knowi ng t hem may not wi n you an ai r bat t l e, not knowi ng t hem may ki l l you.
Two basi c concept s di scussed here are speed and maneuverabi l i t y. Superi or speed has obvi ous uses. The
ai rpl ane t hat s si gni f i cant l y f ast er can not onl y get wi t hi n f i ri ng range f ast er, i t can use i t s speed advant age t o
make l i ght ni ng at t acks. It al so gi ves t he pi l ot t he l uxury of easi l y di sengagi ng f rom combat i f t he si t uat i on get s
rough somet hi ng t he sl ower ai rcraf t can do l i t t l e t o cont rol .
Superi or maneuverabi l i t y i s al so i mport ant . At i t s si mpl est l evel , dogf i ght i ng i s a seri es of at t empt s t o maneuver
your weapons i nt o a posi t i on t o shoot at an enemy f i ght er, al l t he whi l e denyi ng hi m a chance t o do t he same. An
at t ack f rom behi nd i s best , si nce an enemy wi t h f orward- f i ri ng weapons can t shoot f rom t he rear. It s t hi s need
t o get ont o t he enemy s t ai l t hat makes maneuverabi l i t y so i mport ant . A more t i ght l y t urni ng ai rpl ane gi ves t he
pi l ot a consi derabl e advant age over hi s opponent .
Speed and maneuverabi l i t y are t o a l arge ext ent opposed t o each ot her. The f ast er ai rpl ane can t t urn as sharpl y
as t he sl ower one, but t he sl ower ai rpl ane can t cl i mb as qui ckl y. As you l l l earn, al t i t ude i s a bi g advant age i n ai r
combat . Bot h speed and maneuverabi l i t y have t hei r advant ages.
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MI SSI ON MENUS
SELECTI NG OPTI ONS FROM THE MI SSI ON MENUS
Mouse Users
To sel ect an opt i on, poi nt t he mouse cursor and cl i ck a mouse but t on.
Keyboard Users
Press t he Tab key t o move t he cursor t o t he di f f erent opt i ons.
When t he cursor i s over t he opt i on you want , press t he spac ebar . To exi t a menu and back up t o t he previ ous
screen, press Esc .
In addi t i on, most opt i ons i n t he Mi ssi on Menus have keys assi gned t o t hem pressi ng t hat key sel ect s t he
opt i on f or you. The key i s usual l y t he f i rst l et t er of t he opt i on. For exampl e, pressi ng F whi l e vi ewi ng t he Mai n
Menu sel ect s Fl y Hi st ori c Mi ssi on.
See t he Command Summary Card f or a compl et e l i st i ng of t he keys f or each Game Screen.
F LYI NG AN HI STORI C MI SSI ON

Yourethereto shoot theenemy down. It doesnt matter if hes a bomber or fighter, if you havemissiles
or guns. Thats onething thats truein every war.
Though t he hi st ori c mi ssi ons have dat es next t o t hem, you can f l y t hem i n any order you l i ke. But i f you want a
chal l enge, you can set t he game up so you have t o f l y t he mi ssi ons i n each era as part of a l arger campai gn. See
Pl ayi ng i n Campai gn Mode i n t hi s chapt er.
1. Choose Fl y Hi st ori c Mi ssi on f rom t he Mai n Menu.
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Fl y an hi st ori c mi ssi on
Creat e a cust om scenari o
Take up an ai rpl ane no enemi es
Repeat your l ast mi ssi on
Wat ch a f l i ght recordi ng
Qui t t he game
2. Choose whi ch conf l i ct you want t o part i ci pat e i n.
Choose Exi t t o go back t o t he Mai n Menu.
A si ngl e smal l square bel ow t he mi ssi on descri pt i ons i ndi cat es an easy mi ssi on. Two smal l squares i ndi cat e a
moderat el y di f f i cul t mi ssi on, and t hree t el l you t hat t he mi ssi on i s especi al l y di f f i cul t .
A check () by t he mi ssi on i ndi cat es t hat you ve accompl i shed t he mi ssi on f ul l y wi t hout any hel p (see Ace s
Chal l enge under Endi ng an Hi st ori c Mi ssi on i n t hi s chapt er.)
3. Choose t he mi ssi on you want t o f l y.
4. Set t he Di f f i cul t y l evel f or t hi s mi ssi on.
To change t he Di f f i cul t y l evel , move t he cursor t o t he Di f f : but t on and press a mouse but t on or t he spac ebar .
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Choose Next Page and Previ ous
Page t o revi ew ot her mi ssi ons.
Choose Exi t t o go back t o t he
Conf l i ct Sel ect i on screen.
Moderat e Mi ssi on
Hard Mi ssi on
Moderat e Mi ssi on
DI FFI CULTY LEVELS
Di f f i cul t y l evel s af f ect t he ski l l and experi ence of your opponent s.
Most of t he opponent s you f ace are green. They t end t o st ay on t he def ensi ve and are
rel at i vel y i naccurat e wi t h t hei r weapons. Cal l t hi s a t arget - ri ch envi ronment .
You f ace bot h ski l l ed and unski l l ed opponent s. Onl y good j udgement wi l l t el l you i f t he guy
you re f aci ng i s a t urkey or an eagl e.
Expect t o see most l y experi enced pi l ot s i n t he ai r. They l l do everyt hi ng i n t hei r power t o get
you i n t hei r si ght s and when t hey shoot , t hey l l hi t .
You re up agai nst t he cream of t he enemy s ai r f orce. It l l t ake a l ot of maneuveri ng t o get t he
enemy i n si ght t hat i s, i f he doesn t shoot you down f i rst .
5. Choose Tact i cs t o compare your ai rpl ane wi t h t he enemy s. Thi s does not sel ect ai rpl anes f or t he mi ssi on i t
al l ows you t o compare t wo ai rpl anes bef ore you head out .
Choose t o cycl e t hrough t he ai rpl anes on t he l ef t .
Choose t o cycl e t hrough t he ai rpl anes on t he ri ght .
Choose OK t o ret urn t o Mi ssi on Descri pt i on
The Tact i cs screen compares your f i ght er s weapons, cei l i ng, and maxi mum wei ght wi t h t hat of your opponent .
The arrows i ndi cat e whi ch pl ane has t he advant age over t he ot her.
6. Choose OK t o st art your mi ssi on.
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EASY
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7. Fl y your hi st ori c mi ssi on.
TAKE THE ACE S CHALLENGE
Here s somet hi ng el se t o shoot f or. Take t he Ace s Chal l enge. For each mi ssi on you must :
Achi eve t he mi ssi on obj ect i ves
Don t use any hel p f eat ures. The hel p f eat ures i ncl ude any of t he opt i ons i n t he Hel p Menu. Keyboard and
Mouse Users: Because i t s more di f f i cul t t o ai m when cont rol l i ng your ai rpl ane wi t h a mouse or t he
keyboard, you can sel ect Easy Ai mi ng f rom t he Hel p Menu and st i l l t ake t he Ace s Chal l enge.
Land on t he runway of your home base, cut t hrot t l e t o 0% , and come t o a compl et e st op
If you re i n a mi ssi on and you re not sure whet her you ve used any hel p f eat ures, press Esc t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght
Menus. If a square appears on t he ri ght end of t he menu bar, you ve used a hel p f eat ure; no square means you
haven t .
Not e: Once you ve st art ed a mi ssi on wi t h a hel p f eat ure act i ve, you re aut omat i cal l y di squal i f i ed f rom t he
chal l enge. If a square di d appear i n t he menu bar, you must st art t he mi ssi on agai n.
If you successf ul l y do al l of t he above, a check () appears by t he mi ssi on s dat e.
ENDI NG AN HI STORI C MI SSI ON
You can end an hi st ori c mi ssi on anyt i me. There are t hree ways t o end a mi ssi on:
Press Ct r l - Q. Al t ernat el y, you can press Esc , and t hen sel ect End Mi ssi on f rom t he ? Menu.
You can f l y t o your home base, l and on t he runway, cut t he t hrot t l e t o 0% , and come t o a compl et e st op (see
Navi gat i ng i n In t he Cockpi t ).
Ej ect out of your ai rpl ane. You can onl y do t hi s saf el y at speeds of 500 mph or l ess and at an al t i t ude of 300
f t or more.
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When you ve accompl i shed your mi ssi on obj ect i ves, a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED message
appears at t he t op of t he HUD.
If t he Yeager Wi ndow i s on, Yeager del i vers t he good news.
If you di dn t accompl i sh t he mi ssi on obj ect i ves, i t s assumed t hat you successf ul l y bugged out and got home.
MI SSI ON DEBRI EFI NG
When you re done f l yi ng an hi st ori c mi ssi on, Yeager t el l s you how you di d.
Sel ect St at s t o see det ai l s of your mi ssi on.
St at s Screen
The St at s screen provi des i nf ormat i on on ki l l s and l osses, accuracy wi t h your weapons, how l ong t he mi ssi on
l ast ed, and your ai rpl ane s condi t i on.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
Sel ect Done t o ret urn t o t he Mai n Menu.
Sel ect Done t o ret urn
t o t he Mai n Menu.
Sel ect Debri ef t o see
Yeager s message agai n.
Mi ssi on Accompl i shed
P LAYI NG I N CAMP AI GN MODE
When you choose t o do a campai gn, you re si gni ng up f or t he l ong haul you re commi t t i ng yoursel f t o f l y and
f i ght over 15 mi ssi ons i n order.
To pl ay i n Campai gn Mode, you must use t he campai gn paramet er (CAMPAIGN) when t ypi ng t he command l i ne.
See St art i ng Feat ures i n Loadi ng Ai r Combat on t he Command Summary Card. To st art a new campai gn, t ype
" Yeager Campai gn" .
CAMPAI GN RULES
There are si x pages of mi ssi ons i n each war. You must successf ul l y compl et e t he current mi ssi ons bef ore you can
go t o t he next page.
Success means achi evi ng t he mi ssi on obj ect i ves as Yeager descri bed t hem. If t he mi ssi on obj ect i ve i s t o prot ect
bombers, t hen you must prot ect bombers; i f your mi ssi on was t o st raf e ground t arget s, t hen you must dest roy any
ground t arget s i n your pat rol sect or.
Don t use any hel p f eat ures or your vi ct ori es wi l l not count and you won t be abl e t o progress t o subsequent pages
of t he campai gn. The hel p f eat ures i ncl ude any of t he opt i ons i n t he Hel p Menu. Keyboard and Mouse Users:
Because i t s more di f f i cul t t o ai m when cont rol l i ng your ai rpl ane wi t h a mouse or t he keyboard, you can sel ect
Easy Ai mi ng f rom t he Hel p Menu and st i l l compl et e a campai gn.
CREATI NG CUSTOM SCENARI OS
Now and then, weget together and lieto each other about our exploits in theold days...
Thi s i s your chance not onl y t o t el l some out rageous war st ori es, but t o act ual l y go up and f l y t hem. You can set
up swarms of i nf eri or opponent s f or a bi g t urkey shoot , or put yoursel f i n t he worst possi bl e si t uat i on and see i f
you can cl aw your way out of i t . Try gi vi ng yoursel f a prop ai rpl ane and l et t i ng a j et bounce you.
You begi n wi t h t he words There I was i n my... You f i l l i n t he det ai l s. At any poi nt i n t hi s sequence, you can
sel ect Back Up or press t he bac k spac e key t o ret urn t o t he previ ous screen.
1. Choose Creat e Mi ssi on f rom t he Mai n Menu.
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2. Choose t he ai rpl ane you want t o f l y.
3. Choose t he al t i t ude you want st art at .
4. Choose your t act i cal posi t i on.
Tact i cal Posi t i ons
Your t act i cal posi t i on det ermi nes where you are i n rel at i on t o your opponent .
You re above and behi nd your opponent , and he s unaware of your presence. You
have t he t act i cal advant age.
You re headi ng t oward each ot her at roughl y t he same al t i t ude, compl et el y aware of
t he ot her. You re on equal f oot i ng wi t h your opponent .
Your opponent i s somewhere above and behi nd you, prepared t o at t ack. He has t he
t act i cal advant age.
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5. Choose a number of opponent s.
6. Choose t he t ype of ai rcraf t your opponent s are f l yi ng.
7. Choose . t o end t he sent ence, or choose and t o add more opponent s t o t he scenari o.
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8. Choose t he experi ence l evel of your opponent s.
Experi ence Level s
In general , i nexperi enced opponent s wi l l be l ess aggressi ve i n a dogf i ght and wi l l t ry t o evade you (di vi ng, j i nki ng,
et c.). Experi enced pi l ot s wi l l conf ront you i f possi bl e and do everyt hi ng possi bl e t o get a good bead on you. If you
manage t o get on t he t ai l of an experi enced pi l ot , he l l break, cl i mb, t wi st , and di ve i n order t o shake you.
Experi enced pi l ot s are al so bet t er marksmen and wi l l use t hei r weapons more ef f i ci ent l y.
9. Choose Done t o f l y your cust om mi ssi on.
ENDI NG A CUSTOM SCENARI O
You can end a cust om scenari o anyt i me. There are t hree ways t o end a mi ssi on:
Press Ct r l - Q. Al t ernat el y, you can press Esc, and t hen sel ect End Mi ssi on f rom t he ? Menu.
Ej ect out of your ai rpl ane. You can onl y do t hi s saf el y at speeds of 500 mph or l ess and at an al t i t ude of 300
f t or more.
St at s Screen
The St at s screen provi des i nf ormat i on on ki l l s and l osses, accuracy wi t h your weapons, how l ong t he mi ssi on
l ast ed, and your ai rpl ane s condi t i on.
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Sel ect Done t o ret urn t o t he Mai n Menu.
TEST F LI GHT
Maximumpower, lift, and maneuverability areachieved mostly by instinctiveflying: you know your
horse.
Sel ect Test Fl i ght t o t ake up any of t he si x f eat ured f i ght ers i n Ai r Combat . You can al so get perf ormance and
armament dat a as wel l as Yeager s comment s on any of t he f i ght ers encount ered i n t he game. (For i nf o on
bombers and l i ai son ai rcraf t , see t he ai rcraf t recogni t i on manual s i n t he hi st ori c era descri pt i on sect i ons i n t hi s
manual .)
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Sel ect t he arrow but t ons t o cycl e t hrough t he ai rcraf t .
3d/ 2d
Sel ect t he 3d/ 2d but t on t o swi t ch bet ween a t wo- di mensi onal bi t mapped vi ew of t he ai rpl ane and t he t hree-
di mensi onal pol ygon vi ew you see i n t he game. In 3d vi ew you can rot at e t he ai rpl ane t o vi ew i t f rom any possi bl e
angl e.
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To rot at e t he ai rpl ane, use t he mouse or Tab t o move t he cursor ont o t he wi ndow. Press t he spac ebar or a mouse but t on.
Cl i ck i n box wi t h cursor arrow t o rot at e ai rpl ane
Exi t
Sel ect Exi t t o ret urn t o t he Mai n Menu.
Fl y
You can f l y any of t he si x f eat ured pl anes i n a non- host i l e envi ronment . Sel ect Fl y when vi ewi ng t he f eat ured
pl anes:
P- 51D Must ang
FW- 190
F- 86 Sabre
Mi G- 15 Fagot
F- 4E Phant om II
Mi G- 21 Fi shbed
The Fl y opt i on i s greyed out when vi ewi ng any ai rpl anes ot her t han t he si x f eat ured ones.
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Sel ect t o rot at e
on X axi s
Sel ect t o rot at e
on Y axi s
There are t hree ways t o end a mi ssi on:
Press Ct r l - Q. Al t ernat el y, you can press Esc , and t hen sel ect End Mi ssi on f rom t he ? Menu.
Ej ect out of your ai rpl ane. You can onl y do t hi s saf el y at speeds of 500 mph or l ess. At hi gher speeds,
t here s a chance you coul d ri p your head f rom your shoul ders!
LAST MI SSI ON
Sel ect Last Mi ssi on t o bypass t he mi ssi on screens and go di rect l y t o t he l ast mi ssi on you f l ew (whet her Hi st ori c,
Cust om, or Test Fl i ght ). The mi ssi on wi l l st art wi t hout i nt roduct i on, so keep on your t oes.
REVI EW F I LM
Revi ew Fi l m l et s you l oad and wat ch any previ ousl y saved f l i ght recordi ng. Once you sel ect Revi ew Fi l m, a sel ect
f i l e box appears:
Sel ect t he mi ssi on you want t o l oad. For more det ai l s on savi ng and l oadi ng mi ssi ons, see Fl i ght Recorder.
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When you t est fly an air plane, t he Locat ion Menu appear s in t he Flight Menus.
The Locat ion Menu let s you quickly change your locat ion so you can t est your
air planes per for mance at differ ent alt it udes and pr act ice t akeoffs and landings.
The locat ions ar e:
On Runway On t he r unway, r eady for t ake off.
Final Approach Final appr oach for landing
10,000 ft 10,000 ft up
40,000 ft 40,000 ft up
Sel ect t he arrows t o
scrol l t hrough mi ssi ons
Sel ect t he saved f i l e name
Sel ect Exi t t o ret urn t o t he
Mai n Menu
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HEADS UP DI SP LAY
The Heads Up Di spl ay or HUD i s a t ransparent sheet spread across t he gl areshi el d upon whi ch cri t i cal
i nf ormat i on i s el ect roni cal l y proj ect ed. The HUD reduces t he need t o l ook down at your i nst rument s. Al t hough
HUDs of t hi s compl exi t y were not used unt i l recent l y, every ai rpl ane i n Ai r Combat can have one. To t urn t he HUD
on or of f , press Ct r l - F or sel ect Fl i ght Inf o f rom t he Graphi cs Menu.
ALTI TUDE
Indi cat es your al t i t ude above sea l evel .
TRUE AI R SPEED
Thi s di spl ays your f orward vel oci t y
HEADI NG
The compass di rect i on you re headi ng. 0 i s nort h, 90 i s east , 180 i s sout h, and 270 i s west .
TARGET MARKER
The t arget marker i ndi cat es where t he t arget i s of f of t he screen. Thi s i s t he short est di rect i on you woul d have t o
f l y t o get i nt o a f i ri ng posi t i on. Not e t hat t he short est rout e i s not al ways t he best rout e f or exampl e, i f you re
f ol l owi ng t he t arget marker at l ow al t i t udes, you coul d possi bl y t urn i nt o t he ground. For det ai l s on usi ng t he
Target Marker, see Maneuver i n Fi ght er Tact i cs.
PI PPER
The pi pper i s t he gun si ght f or Korean and Vi et nam era f i ght ers (f or det ai l s on usi ng t he gun si ght s and t he
pi pper, see Gunnery School ).
WATERLI NE MARKER
Indi cat es your ai rpl ane s at t i t ude rel at i ve t o t he ground. When t he wat erl i ne marker i s paral l el t o t he ground, you
are f l yi ng on a st rai ght course. If t he wat erl i ne marker i s above t he hori zon (i n t he bl ue), you re cl i mbi ng. If i t s
bel ow (i n t he green), you re di vi ng.
LANDI NG GEAR I NDI CATOR
Indi cat es t hat your l andi ng gear i s down. Press G t o rai se or l ower l andi ng gear.
Fl aps
Brakes
Landi ng Gear
X
20%
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Fl aps i ndi cat or
Brakes i ndi cat or
Landi ng Gear Indi cat or
Target Marker
Zoom Level
Current Weapon
Ammo
Al t i t ude
Speed
G- Force
Wat erl i ne Marker
Pi pper
Throt t l e
Vert i cal Speed
Chance t o Hi t
Headi ng
FLAPS I NDI CATOR
Indi cat es t hat your f l aps are down. Press F t o rai se or l ower f l aps. For det ai l s on f l aps, see Ground School .
BRAKE I NDI CATOR
In t he ai r, i ndi cat es t hat your ai r brakes are on. On t he ground, t hi s shows t hat your wheel brakes are set . Press B
t o set your ai r brakes or wheel brakes. For det ai l s on ai r and wheel brakes, see Ground School .
Not e: WW II era ai rpl anes do not have ai r brakes. Pressi ng B onl y set s or rel eases t hei r wheel brakes.
G- FORCE
The number of g s you and your ai rpl ane are experi enci ng. A g i s t he basi c uni t of l oad f act ors on your ai rpl ane
i t s of t en used t o measure t he severi t y of a t urn. For det ai l s on t he ef f ect s of g s on f l i ght , see Ground School .
TI ME COMPRESSI ON
Press T t o t oggl e Ti me Compressi on on and of f . When Ti me Compressi on i s on 2x, event s happen at t wi ce t hei r
normal rat e, or 4x where event s happen at f our t i mes t hei r normal rat e (hi t t i ng T a t hi rd t i me t urns Ti me
Compressi on of f , and t he symbol di sappears f rom t he HUD). Ti me Compressi on i s usef ul f or reduci ng t he amount
of t i me i t t akes t o reach dest i nat i ons. But be caref ul ; you l l have t o react t wi ce as f ast t o enemy at t acks.
ZOOM LEVEL
The l evel of vi sual magni f i cat i on 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, and 32x. The def aul t zoom l evel set t i ng i s 2. To i ncrease
vi sual magni f i cat i on, press + . To decrease vi sual magni f i cat i on, press - .
CURRENT WEAPON
The weapon current l y act i vat ed by t he weapon cont rol . To change t he current l y sel ect ed weapon, press [ or
] on t he keyboard. Not e: Some f i ght ers onl y have one t ype of weapon. For det ai l s on weapon cont rol , see
Sel ect i ng Your Weapon i n In t he Cockpi t .
AMMO
The ammo (i n rounds) avai l abl e f or t he current l y sel ect ed weapon.
CHANCE TO HI T
Your percent age chance t o hi t t he sel ect ed t arget wi t h t he current weapon.
THROTTLE
Current t hrot t l e set t i ng, di spl ayed as a percent age of maxi mum engi ne power. If your af t erburners are on, THR:
wi l l be repl aced by AFT:. (Not e: Af t erburners are onl y avai l abl e i n Vi et nam era ai rpl anes.) If your engi ne i s
damaged, you may not be abl e t o i ncrease t hrot t l e t o 100% .
VERTI CAL SPEED
The vert i cal speed of your ai rcraf t i n t housands of f eet per mi nut e. Thi s number i s posi t i ve when ascendi ng,
negat i ve when descendi ng.
LANDI NG READI NESS
When you are on your f i nal l andi ng approach, you need t o l ower your f l aps, reduce your vert i cal speed and your ai r
speed, and l ower your l andi ng gear. When you ve l owered your gear and your f l aps and reduced your ai r speed
enough t o l and, t he symbol xxx appears next t o your vert i cal speed i ndi cat or, at whi ch t i me i t i s saf e t o t ouch
down.
RADI O COMMUNI CATI ONS/ WARNI NG MESSAGES
Radi o communi cat i ons and warni ng messages appear at t he t op of t he screen. For det ai l s on communi cat i ons
and messages, see Communi cat i ons and Warni ngs i n In t he Cockpi t .
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The Inst rument Panel di spl ays t he necessary i nf ormat i on f or cont rol l i ng your ai rcraf t . The Inst rument Panel shown
bel ow bel ongs t o t he F- 4 Phant om. The Inst rument Panel s of Ai r Combat s ot her ai rcraf t are i l l ust rat ed at t he end
of t hi s chapt er.
LANDI NG GEAR I NDI CATOR
Shows whet her t he l andi ng gear i s up or down. Press G t o rai se or l ower l andi ng gear. The green l i ght i ndi cat es
t he l andi ng gear i s up. The red l i ght i ndi cat es t he l andi ng gear i s down, enabl i ng saf e l andi ng.
FLAPS I NDI CATOR
Shows whet her t he wi ng f l aps are up or down. Press F t o rai se or l ower f l aps. For det ai l s on f l aps, see Ground
School . The green l i ght i ndi cat es t he f l aps are up. The red l i ght i ndi cat es t he l andi ng f l aps are down.
BRAKE I NDI CATOR
In t he ai r, t hi s shows whet her your ai r brakes are on or of f . The green l i ght i ndi cat ed t he brakes are of f . The red
l i ght i ndi cat es t he brakes are on. On t he ground, t he red l i ght i ndi cat es t hat your wheel brakes are set . Press B t o
set your ai r or wheel brakes. For det ai l s on ai r brakes and wheel brakes, see Ground School .
Not e: WW II era ai rpl anes do not have ai r brakes. Pressi ng B onl y set s or rel eases t hei r wheel brakes.
CHAFF/ FLARE I NDI CATOR
The number of chaf f and f l are burst s you have l ef t . Press 0 t o drop f l ares and 9 t o drop chaf f . For det ai l s on f i ri ng
chaf f and f l ares, see Count ermeasures i n In t he Cockpi t .
RADAR MONI TOR
Di spl ays obj ect s seen by your act i ve radar. Press R t o t urn your radar on and of f . For det ai l s on usi ng radar, see
Det ect i ng by Radar i n In t he Cockpi t .
WAYPOI NT I NDI CATOR
Indi cat es t he di rect i on you need t o f l y t o get t o t he next waypoi nt . Press W t o change t he next waypoi nt you want
t o head t oward. See Navi gat i ng i n In t he Cockpi t f or more det ai l s.
SPEED I NDI CATOR
Regi st ers t he speed of t he ai rpl ane i n mi l es per hour (mph).
ARTI FI CI AL HORI ZON
Shows t he wi ng s degree of bank. Art i f i ci al hori zons i n Korean and Vi et nam era cockpi t s show t he degree of pi t ch
as wel l .
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ALTI METER
Measures t he hei ght i n f eet of t he ai rpl ane above sea l evel . Ai r Combat s ai rport s and open t errai n are at sea
l evel .
RADAR WARNI NG RECEI VER (RWR)
The RWR i s a passi ve det ect i on devi ce t hat senses any act i ve radar current l y ai med at your ai rpl ane. For det ai l s
on RWR, see Radar Warni ng Recei ver i n In t he Cockpi t .
HEADI NG I NDI CATOR
Li ke a compass, t hi s shows whi ch di rect i on t he pl ane i s f l yi ng nort h, sout h, east , west , or poi nt s bet ween. For
navi gat i on t i ps, see Navi gat i ng i n In t he Cockpi t .
VERTI CAL SPEED I NDI CATOR
Indi cat es whet her t he ai rpl ane i s cl i mbi ng, descendi ng, or i n l evel f l i ght . The rat e of cl i mb i s measured i n
t housands of f eet per mi nut e.
FUEL GAUGE
Indi cat es how much f uel you have l ef t . When you run out of f uel , your engi ne qui t s.
CURRENT WEAPON
The current l y sel ect ed weapon and t he number of rounds l ef t .
TEMPERATURE WARNI NG GAUGE
Shows when your engi ne t emperat ure i s above normal . At normal engi ne t emperat ure, t hi s gauge i s at 0. At
maxi mum t emperat ure, your engi ne wi l l soon overheat and cat ch on f i re.
OI L PRESSURE GAUGE
Indi cat es oi l pressure i n your engi ne. If your engi ne i s damaged, oi l pressure may drop and your engi ne wi l l
overheat .
THRUST GAUGE
Indi cat es your t hrust . A green l i ght on i n t he F- 4 i ndi cat es t hat your af t erburners are on. No l i ght on i n t he F- 4
i ndi cat es no af t erburners. In t he Mi G- 21, a red l i ght i ndi cat es t hat your af t erburners are on. A green l i ght on i n
t he Mi G- 21 i ndi cat es no af t erburners.
HYDRAULI C FUEL GAUGE
Moni t ors t he pressure i n your hydraul i c syst em. If your hydraul i c syst em i s damaged, pressure wi l l drop. In
hydraul i cal l y- cont rol l ed ai rpl anes (F- 4, F- 86, and Mi G- 21), l ow hydraul i c pressure l i mi t s t he ef f ect i veness of t he
f l i ght st i ck. In al l Ai r Combat ai rpl anes, a l oss of hydraul i c pressure prevent s you f rom droppi ng f l aps, ai r brakes,
and l andi ng gear.
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COCKPI TS
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
Weapon Indi cat or
Speed Indi cat or
Fl aps Indi cat or
Art i f i ci al Hori zon
Temperat ure Gauge
Throt t l e
Hydraul i c Pressure Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Al t i met er Brake
Indi cat or
Headi ng/ Waypoi nt
Indi cat or
Vert i cal Speed
Indi cat or
Weapon Indi cat or
Speed Indi cat or
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Al t i met er
Vert i cal Speed Indi cat or
Throt t l e
Headi ng/ Waypoi nt Indi cat or
Art i f i ci al
Hori zon
Hydraul i c
Pressure
Gauge
Temperat ure
Gauge
Fl aps
Indi cat or
Brake
Indi cat or
Weapon Indi cat or
Speed Indi cat or
Waypoi nt Indi cat or
Fl aps Indi cat or
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Temperat ure Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Throt t l e
Brake
Indi cat or
Vert i cal Speed
Indi cat or
Al t i met er Headi ng/
Waypoi nt
Indi cat or
Art i f i ci al
Hori zon
F- 86 SABRE
FOCKE WULF- FW190
P- 51 MUSTANG
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Weapon Indi cat or
Brake Indi cat or
Speed Indi cat or
Throt t l e
Fuel Gauge
Temperat ure Gauge
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Fl aps
Indi cat or
Landi ng Gear
Indi cat or
Al t i met er Headi ng
Indi cat or
Chaf f / Fl are Indi cat or
Fl aps Indi cat or
Brake Indi cat or
Radar Moni t or
Al t i met er
Radar Warni ng Recei ver (RWR)
Fuel Gauge
Thrust Gauge
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Temperat ure Gauge
Weapon
Indi cat or
Waypoi nt
Indi cat or
Speed
Indi cat or
Headi ng
Indi cat or
Art i f i ci al
Hori zon
Weapon Indi cat or
Chaf f / Fl are Gear Indi cat or
Headi ng Indi cat or
Fl aps Indi cat or
Brake Indi cat or
Radar Warni ng Recei ver (RWR)
Throt t l e
Temperat ure Gauge
Oi l Pressure Gauge
Speed
Indi cat or
Vert i cal Speed
Indi cat or
Al t i met er Radar Moni t or Fuel Gauge
F- 4 PHANTOM I I
MI G- 21 FI SHBED
MI G- 15 FAGOT
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I N THE COCKP I T
Concentration is total. You remain focused, ignoring fatigueor fear, not allowing static into your
mind. Up there, dogfighting, you connect with yourself. That small, cramped cockpit is exactly where
you belong.
SOME I MPORTANT GAME KEYS
Pauses t he game and bri ngs up t he Fl i ght Menus. Opt i ons on t he Fl i ght
Menus l et you conf i gure t he game t o your l i ki ng. See Fl i ght Menus i n t hi s
chapt er.
Di spl ay/ hi de Inst rument Panel .
Pauses t he game. Press any key t o cont i nue.
End mi ssi on.
F LI GHT STI CK CONTROLS
A pi l ot uses t he f l i ght st i ck t o rol l , cl i mb, and di ve. In Ai r Combat , t he f l i ght st i ck aut omat i cal l y coordi nat es t he
rudder t o produce even t urns.
You can cont rol t he f l i ght st i ck wi t h a j oyst i ck, mouse, or t he keyboard. To change your cont rol devi ce, press Esc
t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght Menus. From t he Syst em Menu, sel ect Joyst i ck, Keyboard, Mouse, or Hi - Res Mouse.
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F1
Look Forward Look Backward
Look Left Look Right
F2
F3
F4
Esc
Backspace
Ctrl
+
P
Ctrl
+
Q
JOYSTI CK
Cal i brat i ng Your Joyst i ck
If you not i ce your ai rpl ane i sn t f l yi ng l evel but t ends t o dri f t , you need t o recal i brat e your j oyst i ck. To cal i brat e
your j oyst i ck:
1. Press Esc t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght Menus.
2. Sel ect Joyst i ck f rom f rom t he Syst em Menu.
3. At t he prompt , move your j oyst i ck t o t he upper l ef t corner and press a but t on.
4. At t he prompt , move your j oyst i ck t o t he l ower ri ght corner and press a but t on.
5. Ret urn t he j oyst i ck t o cent er.
MOUSE
Cent eri ng t he Fl i ght St i ck
To cent er your f l i ght st i ck, press / (or 5 on t he numeri c keypad).
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Pitch Down
Roll Right and
Pitch Down
Roll Right
Roll Right and
Pitch Up
Pitch Up
Roll Left
Roll Left and
Pitch Up
Roll Left and
Pitch Down
Pitch Down
Roll Right and
Pitch Down
Roll Right
Roll Right and
Pitch Up
Pitch Up
Roll Left
Roll Left and
Pitch Up
Roll Left and
Pitch Down
KEYBOARD
Use t he numeri c keypad t o cont rol your ai rpl ane. Hol d down a key t o i ni t i at e a rol l , cl i mb, di ve. When you rel ease
t he key, t he f l i ght st i ck aut omat i cal l y cent ers.
THROTTLE CONTROLS
The t hrot t l e cont rol s t he amount of energy your ai rcraf t s engi ne produces. Thi s energy i s measured as a
percent age of your engi ne s t ot al pot ent i al out put . The t hrot t l e can onl y be cont rol l ed usi ng t he keyboard.
GEAR, B RAKES, AND F LAP S
Your gear, brakes, and f l aps are cont rol l ed wi t h t he keyboard.
On t he ground: Set / rel ease wheel brakes
For det ai l ed expl anat i ons of t hese f l i ght cont rol s, see Ground School .
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
1
End
2
PgDn
3
4 5 6
7
Home
8
PgUp
9
Pitch Down Roll Right and
Pitch Down
Roll Right
Roll Right and
Pitch Up Pitch Up
Roll Left
Roll Left and
Pitch Up
Roll Left and
Pitch Down
1
!
0%
@
2
25%
#
3
50%
$
4
75%
%
5
100%
^
6
Increase t hrot t l e t o 100% and t urn on
af t erburner (onl y appl i es t o Vi et nam era
ai rpl anes). To t urn of f t he af t erburner, press
any ot her t hrot t l e key.
&
7
Reduce
t hrot t l e by
5%
*
8
Increase
t hrot t l e by
5%
F
Rai se/ l ower
f l aps
G
Rai se/ l ower
l andi ng gear
B
In f l i ght : Ext end/ ret ract
ai r brakes (onl y appl i es
t o Korean and Vi et nam
era ai rpl anes)
VI EW KEYS
Ai r Combat s 18 vi ew keys not onl y make f or dashi ng ci nemat i c sweeps of aeri al acrobat i cs t hey have t act i cal
uses as wel l . Whi l e pat rol l i ng, combat pi l ot s must const ant l y scan t he sky f or bogeys. In a dogf i ght , vi sual
cont act wi t h t he enemy i s cri t i cal bot h duri ng t he at t ack and when evadi ng t he enemy.
DI SPLAY/ HI DE I NSTRUMENT PANEL
If t he Inst rument Panel i s current l y di spl ayed, press bac k spac e t o hi de i t . If i t s hi dden, press bac k spac e agai n
t o di spl ay i t .
COCKPI T VI EWS
The Cockpi t Vi ews l et you qui ckl y vi ew your surroundi ng. When searchi ng f or a bandi t , you can press al l si x keys i n
rapi d order and have a pret t y good chance of spot t i ng hi m. That bei ng sai d...
St ay al er t ! The area bel ow and i n back of your ai rpl ane i s obst ruct ed by your ai rpl ane. Thi s i s a bl i nd spot t he
enemy woul d l ove t o hi t you f rom!
For war d Look ahead. Thi s i s your normal vi ew
Bac k Look over your t ai l at what s behi nd you
Lef t Look over t he l ef t wi ng
Ri ght Look over t he ri ght wi ng
Up 45 Look up at a 45 angl e f rom Forward Vi ew
Down 45 Look down at a 45 angl e f rom Forward Vi ew
You can onl y t arget opponent s f rom Forward Vi ew. Not e t hat you can st i l l t arget opponent s
whi l e scanni ng i n Forward Vi ew (see Scan Keys i n t hi s sect i on).
EXTERNAL VI EWS OF YOUR AI RPLANE
Ext ernal Vi ews can be used t o get a wi der vi ew of your ai rpl ane and i t s surroundi ngs. Ext ernal Back Vi ew i s
especi al l y usef ul i f you re worri ed about vi si t ors at 6 o cl ock l ow.
Ext er nal For war d Behi nd your ai rpl ane, l ooki ng f orward.
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F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
+
Shift F1
Ext er nal Bac k In f ront of your ai rpl ane, l ooki ng back.
Ext er nal Ri ght Ext ernal l ooki ng ri ght .
Ext er nal Lef t Ext ernal l ooki ng l ef t .
Ext er nal bel ow From bel ow l ooki ng up.
Ext er nal above From above l ooki ng down.
OTHER VI EWS
Pl ane Tar get Vi ew of your ai rpl ane (f oreground) i n rel at i on t o
current t arget (background). You must have a
t arget t o sel ect t hi s vi ew (see Target i ng and
Fi ri ng i n t hi s chapt er).
Tar get Pl ane Vi ew of current t arget (f oreground) i n rel at i on t o
your ai rpl ane (background). You must have a
Map A map of t he area wi t h waypoi nt s (see
Navi gat i ng i n t hi s chapt er f or det ai l s on
usi ng t he Map).
Fl y- By Vi ew f rom a f i xed poi nt bel ow your ai rpl ane as i t
f l i es overhead. Press Ct r l - Pg Up t o el evat e your
vi ew of t he ai rpl ane as i t passes by. Press Ct r l -
Pg Dn t o l ower your vi ew.
Tar get s Coc k pi t In t he cockpi t of t he current t arget . You must
have a t arget t o sel ect t hi s vi ew (see Target i ng
and Fi ri ng i n t hi s chapt er).
Ext er nal Tar get Behi nd your current t arget . You must have a
Ci r c l i ng Ci rcl i ng ext ernal vi ew of your ai rpl ane.
Mi ssi l e Ext ernal vi ew f rom behi nd your mi ssi l e as i t
speeds t hrough t he ai r. You must have f i red a
mi ssi l e t o sel ect t hi s vi ew (see Fi ri ng Mi ssi l es
i n t hi s chapt er).
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
+
Shift
F2
+
Shift F3
+
Shift F4
+
Shift
F5
+
Shift
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10
+
Shift
F7
+
Shift
F8
+
Shift
F9
+
Shift
F10
SCAN KEYS
Use t he Scan Keys t o rot at e your vi ew. You can scan f rom any of t he 18 vi ews.
AT Keyboar d User s: If you re cont rol l i ng t he f l i ght st i ck wi t h a j oyst i ck or mouse, use t he cursor keys on t he
numeri c keypad t o scan. If your f l i ght st i ck i s cont rol l ed f rom t he keyboard, press Ct r l wi t h t he cursor arrow keys
t o scan.
If you re usi ng t he keyboard t o cont rol t he f l i ght st i ck, press Ct r l wi t h t he
cursor arrow keys t o scan.
When you scan, use F1 t o ret urn t o f orward vi ew qui ckl y.
SELECTI NG YOUR WEAP ON
Except f or t he P- 51 and F- 86 (wi t h t hei r powerf ul compl ement s of si x .50 cal i ber machi ne guns), al l of your
ai rcraf t have mul t i pl e weapons on board. The current weapon i s f i red when you press t he f i re but t on. Use t he
f ol l owi ng keys t o sel ect t he current weapon.
Sel ect next weapon
Sel ect previ ous weapon
TARGETI NG AND F I RI NG
You can use t he j oyst i ck, mouse, or keyboard t o t arget and f i re.
JOYSTI CK USERS
The j oyst i ck but t ons cont rol t arget i ng and f i ri ng. Joyst i cks vary great l y experi ment t o see whi ch but t on on your
j oyst i ck i s but t on A and whi ch i s but t on B.
A but t on Fi re current l y sel ect ed weapon.
B but t on Sel ect t arget t o ri ght of current t arget .
Target obj ect cl osest t o ai mi ng crosshai r
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Left Right
Down
Up
Ctrl
F1
]
[
,
MOUSE USERS
The mouse but t ons cont rol t arget i ng and f i ri ng.
Lef t but t on Fi re current l y sel ect ed weapon.
Ri ght but t on Sel ect t arget t o ri ght of current .
KEYBOARD USERS
Fi re Current l y Sel ect ed Weapon
Target next obj ect t o ri ght of current t arget
F I RI NG MI SSI LES
In Vi et nam scenari os, you have ai r- t o- ai r mi ssi l es at your di sposal as wel l as guns. Unl i ke your guns, you must
t arget an enemy ai rcraf t and get a l ock on i t bef ore you f i re t he mi ssi l e.
I NFRARED- GUI DED MI SSI LES
Inf rared- gui ded (or heat - seeki ng) mi ssi l es are sensi t i ve t o i nf rared radi at i on emi t t ed by your t arget s j et engi nes
(t hey re not sensi t i ve enough t o l ock ont o prop- dri ven engi nes). The F- 4 Phant om i s armed wi t h f our AIM- 9
Si dewi nder heat - seeki ng mi ssi l es. The Mi G- 21 carri es t he East s copi es of t he Si dewi nder f our K- 13 At ol l s.
The i nf rared mi ssi l es of t he Vi et nam era were not as sensi t i ve as t hose used t oday. To get a proper t arget l ock,
Vi et nam pi l ot s had t o be more or l ess st ari ng down t hei r opponent s t ai l pi pe.
Get on t he t arget s si x so hi s engi nes are cl earl y
vi si bl e. Sel ect your i nf rared mi ssi l e as your
current weapon. A l ow buzzi ng noi se t el l s you
t hat t he mi ssi l e i s act i ve and ready.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
,
Spacebar
Enter
,
When t he di amond appears, your mi ssi l e has a
l ock on t he t arget (t he buzzi ng noi se becomes
hi gher pi t ched). Wat ch your percent age chance t o
hi t and keep i n mi nd t hat Vi et nam era mi ssi l es
were hi ghl y i naccurat e.
For mi ssi l e t act i cs, see At t acki ng wi t h Mi ssi l es i n Fi ght er Tact i cs.
RADAR- GUI DED MI SSI LES
Radar- gui ded mi ssi l es use your on- board radar t o home i n on your opponent . The F- 4 Phant om i s armed wi t h f our
AIM- 7 Sparrow radar- gui ded mi ssi l es. The Mi G- 21 has no radar- gui ded mi ssi l es.
Once you ve t arget ed your opponent , t urn on
your radar (press R). Sel ect your radar- gui ded
mi ssi l es as your current weapon. A hi gh-
pi t ched beepi ng noi se t el l s you t hat t he mi ssi l e
i s act i ve and ready.
When t he di amond appears, your mi ssi l e has a
l ock on t he t arget (t he beepi ng noi se t urns i nt o a
l ong hum ). Wat ch your percent age chance t o hi t
and keep i n mi nd t hat Vi et nam era mi ssi l es were
hi ghl y i naccurat e especi al l y t he radar- gui ded
Sparrow.
For mi ssi l e t act i cs, see At t ack i n Fi ght er Tact i cs.
RADAR WARNI NG RECEI VER
The Radar Warni ng Recei ver (RWR) i s a passi ve det ect i on devi ce t hat senses any act i ve radar i n t he vi ci ni t y of
your ai rpl ane. An RWR bl i p coul d i ndi cat e f ri endl y or enemy search radar, or i t mi ght be announci ng an i mmi nent
radar- gui ded mi ssi l e at t ack. Al l Vi et nam era ai rcraf t are equi pped wi t h t hese f uzzbust er uni t s.
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Your ai rpl ane appears i n t he cent er of t he RWR screen. Enemy ai rpl anes wi l l bl i nk dependi ng on t hei r current
st at e or i nt ent i ons:
Sear c hi ng Enemy pl anes t hat are searchi ng f or a t arget wi l l t ypi cal l y f l ash t hei r radar about once every t wo
seconds. They appear on your RWR moni t or as sl ow- bl i nki ng dot s.
Tr ac k i ng Opponent s t hat are t racki ng a t arget wi l l l eave t hei r radar on. They re di spl ayed as sol i d dot s on
t he RWR screen.
Pr epar i ng Enemi es wi t h a radar mi ssi l e l ock on your ai rpl ane are di spl ayed as f ast - bl i nki ng dot s. When
t arget ed by an enemy pl ane, your ai rpl ane s radar warni ng al arm i s sounded (a l ow- pi t ched beepi ng
sound). If t he mi ssi l e has been l aunched, t he act i ve mi ssi l e al arm i s sounded (a hi gh- pi t ched beepi ng
sound). Not e: There i s no audi bl e warni ng f or heat - seeki ng mi ssi l e at t acks.
RWR sensi t i vi t y radi at es f rom your ai rpl ane i n a sphere. Dependi ng on t he range of your opponent s, you may want
t o i ncrease or decrease t he range of t hi s sphere. If opponent s are at l ong range, decrease RWR magni f i cat i on. If
opponent s are i n cl ose proxi mi t y, i ncrease magni f i cat i on so you can get a bet t er sense of t hei r rel at i ve l ocat i ons.
If bl i ps are cl ust ered around your ai rcraf t , i ncrease magni f i cat i on.
Increase RWR magni f i cat i on
Decrease RWR magni f i cat i on
COUNTERMEASURES
Count ermeasures are t he procedures you t ake t o avoi d mi ssi l es f i red at your ai rcraf t . The count ermeasure you
t ake depends on t he t ype of mi ssi l e bei ng l aunched.
A chaf f cart ri dge rel eases a cl oud of met al st ri ps i nt o t he ai r. These st ri ps moment ari l y act as a decoy f or radar-
gui ded mi ssi l es. A f l are i s a cont ai ner of burni ng met al such as magnesi um f l ares serve as decoys f or heat -
seeki ng mi ssi l es.
Fi re chaf f (count ers radar- gui ded mi ssi l es)
Fi re f l are (count ers i nf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es)
DETECTI NG B Y RADAR
The F- 4 Phant om i s equi pped wi t h search/ t rack radar f or ai r- t o- ai r i nt ercept i on. The radar cont rol swi t ch i s used
f or bot h l ocat i ng enemy ai rcraf t and provi di ng radar ref l ect i on f or t he radar- gui ded AIM- 7 Sparrow mi ssi l e (see
Fi ri ng Mi ssi l es i n t hi s chapt er).
Si nce i t onl y carri es i nf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es, t he Mi G- 21 requi res onl y a si mpl e search radar uni t .
Radar on/ of f
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9
(
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R
.
,
The radar s search area i s l i mi t ed t o a narrow cone emanat i ng f rom t he nose of your ai rcraf t . You can onl y det ect
pl anes you are f aci ng you cannot det ect ai rpl anes behi nd you (use your RWR f or t hat ). Unl i ke your RWR
syst ems, radar can det ect i nf rared mi ssi l es.
When you t urn on your radar, t he radar moni t or on t he Inst rument Panel i s i l l umi nat ed. The smal l whi t e dot at t he
bot t om of t he readout i ndi cat es your ai rcraf t . Ot her dot s i ndi cat e ai rcraf t or recent l y l aunched mi ssi l es i n your
pat h.
Si nce Vi et nam era radar di d not possess IFF (Ident i f y Fri end or Foe), t he onl y way t o i dent i f y an ai rcraf t on your
radar screen i s t o draw cl ose enough t o make vi sual cont act .
QUI CKLY LOCATI NG F RI ENDLI ES AND ENEMI ES
Two keys i ncrease your Si t uat i onal Awareness by gi vi ng you t he cl ock coordi nat es of t he nearest enemy or f ri endl y
pl ane. Some f i ght er pi l ot s have report ed i rrat i onal l y sensi ng t hat anot her pl ane i s i n t he vi ci ni t y t hi s i s t he
equi val ent of t hat i nt ui t i ve knowl edge.
Di rect i on of nearest enemy pl ane ( Bogey )
Di rect i on of nearest f ri endl y pl ane ( Fri endl y )
If no bogeys are i n t he area when you press Ct r l - Z, a message Can t f i nd any bogeys appears i n t he
Warni ng/ Communi cat i ons l i ne at t he t op of t he HUD. Li kewi se, pressi ng Ct r l - A wi t h no f ri endl i es i n t he sky get s
you a Can t f i nd any f ri endl i es message.
THE CLOCK
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Ctrl
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12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Ever sinceradio accompanied pilots into theair, theclock has been used to communicatethe
general direction of bogeys (unidentified aircraft) relativeto thepilot. Imagineyour aircraft as
thefixed point in thecenter of a hugeclock. Thenoseof your planealways points to 12. Enemy
aircraft areidentified as being located at positions on thefaceof theclock, with relativealtitude
indicated as low or high. For example, Bogey at 3 oclock would indicatean aircraft to the
right; Bogey at 3 oclock low would indicatean aircraft below and to theright.
NAVI GATI NG
Navi gat i ng i s onl y a concern when f l yi ng Hi st ori c Mi ssi ons. Your mi ssi on s success depends on you accompl i shi ng
your mi ssi on obj ect i ves and ret urni ng home saf el y.
You navi gat e by f l yi ng t o a desi gnat ed waypoi nt , changi ng course, f l yi ng t o t he next waypoi nt , and so on. Use t he
waypoi nt i ndi cat or t o set your headi ng t oward t he current waypoi nt .
P- 51 AND FW- 190 WAYPOI NT I NDI CATORS
The t wo red dot s bel ow your compass are your waypoi nt i ndi cat or. A si ngl e red l i ght i ndi cat es t he di rect i on you
shoul d t urn t o get back on course. Two red l i ght s i ndi cat e t hat you re headi ng i n t he ri ght di rect i on.
Red dot here means ' t urn ri ght ' Two red dot s means you' re on course
F- 86 WAYPOI NT I NDI CATOR
The waypoi nt i ndi cat or i s on t he t he compass. The l i ght red needl e i s t he di rect i on you re current l y headed. The
dark red needl e i ndi cat es t he di rect i on t o t he next waypoi nt . To get on course, t urn unt i l t he l i ght red needl e
covers t he dark red needl e, and t hen l evel out .
Turn ri ght
F- 4, MI G- 21, MI G- 15 AND F- 86 NAVI GATI ON COMPUTERS
The gauge marked DIR or NAV i ndi cat es t he di rect i on t o t he next waypoi nt . When t he needl e i s at 12 o cl ock
(st rai ght up), you re headed i n t he ri ght di rect i on.
Turn ri ght Waypoi nt i s di rect l y behi nd you
HEADI NG TO THE NEXT WAYPOI NT
The waypoi nt i ndi cat or wi l l not t el l you when you ve reached a waypoi nt . To f i nd out t he di st ance t o t he waypoi nt ,
press F9 t o bri ng up t he Map.
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At any t i me duri ng t he mi ssi on, you can i nst ruct t he waypoi nt i ndi cat or t o i ndi cat e t he di rect i on t o a di f f erent
waypoi nt .
Di rect i on of t he next waypoi nt
Di rect i on of t he previ ous waypoi nt
COMMUNI CATI ONS AND WARNI NGS
Radi o communi cat i ons and warni ng messages appear at t he t op of t he HUD. Communi cat i ons can be anyt hi ng
f rom a si mpl e excl amat i on ( They re t aki ng t he bai t ! ) t o an enemy l ocat i on ( Fi ght ers at 3 o cl ock ). Messages
warni ng you about dangerous f l i ght condi t i ons ( APPROACHING STALL ) al so appear at t he t op.
DAMAGE
Press D t o bri ef l y di spl ay a st at us message at t he t op of your HUD t el l i ng you how much damage your ai rcraf t has
sust ai ned as a percent age of t he t ot al damage i t can wi t hst and. For exampl e, 50% damage means i f you t ake as
much damage as your ve al ready absorbed your pl ane i s dest i ned t o become part of t he l andscape.
EJECTI NG
If you l et t he enemy maul your ai rpl ane bad enough, you may be f orced t o hi t t he si l k. It s al ways bet t er t o j ump
t han t o f ol l ow a l ost ai rpl ane i nt o t he ground.
You can onl y ej ect saf el y at speeds of 500 mph or l ess at hi gher speeds, you ri sk ri ppi ng your head f rom your
shoul ders. Your al t i t ude i n any j ump shoul d be a mi ni mum of t hree hundred f t .
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Waypoi nt
Your ai rpl ane
The short end
of t he cross
i ndi cat es your
headi ng.
W
+
Shift
W
If you do j ump, t ake advant age of t he spl endi d vi ew. Use t he Vi ew keys t o t ake a l ook around.
Remember, t he real hero i s t he one who survi ves.
Ej ect .
Early in my tour, I heard that oneof theguys had seen a 109 strafean American bomber crew in their
chutes. I thought it was bad practicein every way. Both sides at least gavelip serviceto a gentlemans
agreement not to do it. And if I had to jump for it again, I could hopetheagreement was being
honored that day.
TI ME COMP RESSI ON
In t i me compressi on mode, t he game runs at t wi ce or f our t i mes normal speed. If you re t oo f ar away f rom your
t arget s, you can use t i me compressi on t o reduce t he t i me i t t akes you t o get t o t hem. It s al so usef ul f or f l yi ng
back t o home base af t er a successf ul mi ssi on.
Ti me compressi on
Press T t o l et t he game run at 2x i t s normal speed. Press T agai n f or 4x normal speed. To t urn of f t i me
compressi on, press T a t hi rd t i me.
St ay awake whi l e f l yi ng i n t i me compressi on mode. Your opponent s are t wi ce as f ast , t oo. If you det ect enemi es
whi l e f l yi ng i n t i me compressed mode, t urn i t of f bef ore you at t empt any maneuvers. It s easy t o put yoursel f i nt o
an i rrecoverabl e di ve or spi n i f you maneuver i n t i me compressi on mode.
B LACKOUTS AND REDOUTS
Af t er a f ew seconds at posi t i ve hi gh g l oads, t he vessel s i n your l egs and l ower ext remi t i es expand and t he bl ood
begi ns t o drai n i nt o your l ower body. Your heart l oses i t s abi l i t y t o pump bl ood t o your brai n, and t he pi l ot begi ns
t o have probl ems. Peri pheral vi si on i s t he f i rst t hi ng t o go, f ol l owed by f orward vi si on. If t he t urn i s hel d t oo l ong,
consci ousness i t sel f wi l l f ade away and t he pi l ot wi l l t ypi cal l y auger i n.
A si mi l ar phenomenon occurs when you pul l hi gh negat i ve g s, onl y i n t hi s si t uat i on t he bl ood rushes t o your head
and you experi ence a redout .
To recover f rom a bl ackout or redout , ease up on t he st i ck unt i l your vi si on ret urns. You can avoi d bot h bl ackout s
and redout s by pressi ng Ct r l - B.
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Shift
E
T
CHANGI NG THE HUD COLOR
You may want your HUD readout t o be more or l ess not i ceabl e. Press Ct r l - R t o cycl e t hrough t he di f f erent HUD
col ors avai l abl e t o you.
F LI GHT MENUS
The Fl i ght Menus cont ai n opt i ons t hat l et you conf i gure t he game t o your l i ki ng. Press Esc at any t i me duri ng t he
mi ssi on t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght Menus.
See t he opt i ons i n t he previ ous menu See t he opt i ons i n t he next menu
Move t he hi ghl i ght ed bar up Move t he hi ghl i ght ed bar down
Go t o f i rst opt i on i n menu Go t o l ast opt i on i n menu
Go t o next group up separat ed by l i ne Go t o next group separat ed by l i ne
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Home End
PgUp
9
PgDn
3
Ai r Combat aut omat i cal l y conf i gures i t sel f t o your graphi cs adapt er sound and cont rol devi ces, but t here are
many opt i ons you can set yoursel f . When you qui t t he game, Ai r Combat saves your current conf i gurat i on. The next
t i me you st art t he game, your conf i gurat i on wi l l be t he same as when you qui t your l ast game.
Many of t he Fl i ght Menu opt i ons are f eat ures t hat can be t urned on or of f . For exampl e, sel ect i ng Map Wi ndow
f rom t he Hel p Menu di spl ays t he Map Wi ndow. A check () appears by any f eat ure t hat s been act i vat ed.
Al most every opt i on has a short cut key t hat l et s you sel ect t he opt i on wi t hout openi ng t he Fl i ght Menu. For
i nst ance, pressi ng Ct r l - I whi l e i n f l i ght makes you i nvi nci bl e wi t hout bot heri ng t o f i nd t he opt i on i n t he menus.
? MENU
Fi l m Pl ayback Screen
Bri ngs up t he Fl i ght Recorder. See Fl i ght Recorder f or det ai l s.
Aut o- Save Fi l m
When checked (), t hi s opt i on aut omat i cal l y saves t he l ast several mi nut es of your l ast mi ssi on. Wi t h Aut o- Save
Fi l m act i ve, you don t need t o worry about savi ng a recordi ng bef ore you end t he mi ssi on. To see your l ast mi ssi on,
sel ect Revi ew Fi l m f rom t he Mai n Menu. If you want t o keep t he f l i ght recordi ng, sel ect SAVE and rename t he f i l m
(see Fl i ght Recorder).
End Mi ssi on
Ends t he mi ssi on. If you were f l yi ng an hi st ori c mi ssi on, t he Mi ssi on Debri ef i ng screen appears. If you were f l yi ng
a cust om mi ssi on, t he St at s screen appears.
Exi t t o DOS
Qui t s Ai r Combat and ret urns you t o DOS.
About Yeager
Bri ngs up t he of f i ci al game credi t s and copyri ght dat e. Press any key t o cont i nue.
SYSTEM MENU
Sound
When checked (), you l l hear al l of t he sound ef f ect s checked bel ow. Thi s opt i on must be act i ve t o hear
Background, RWR, and/ or St al l Sounds. If Sound i s not checked, no sound ef f ect s are produced.
Engi ne Sounds
When checked (), you hear t he sound of your engi ne. (In Target Pl ane mode, you l l hear t he sound of your
enemy s engi ne). The Sound opt i on (above) must be act i ve t o hear Engi ne Sounds.
RWR Sounds
When checked (), a warni ng sounds when an enemy has a radar l ock on you (a l ow- pi t ched beepi ng sound) or
when an i nbound radar- gui ded mi ssi l e has a t arget l ock on you (a hi gh- pi t ched beepi ng sound). The Sound
opt i on (above) must be act i ve t o hear RWR Sounds.
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P
Ctrl
+
Q
Ctrl
+
C
Ctrl
+
S
St al l Sounds
When checked (), you hear a warni ng f or st al l s. The Sound opt i on (above) must be act i ve t o hear St al l Sounds.
Lock Sounds
When checked (), you hear a warni ng t el l i ng you when your mi ssi l e i s l ocked on t he t arget . The Sound opt i on
(above) must be act i ve t o hear Lock Sounds.
Keyboard
When checked (), sel ect s t he keyboard as your f l i ght st i ck and weapon cont rol devi ce.
Joyst i ck
When checked (), sel ect s t he j oyst i ck as your f l i ght st i ck and weapon cont rol devi ce. You can al so sel ect t hi s
opt i on t o cal i brat e your j oyst i ck. Fol l ow t he on- screen prompt s.
Mouse
When checked (), sel ect s t he mouse as your f l i ght st i ck and weapon cont rol devi ce.
Hi - Res Mouse
When checked (), i f your mouse seems t oo sensi t i ve, sel ect Hi - Res Mouse as your cont rol devi ce. Wi t h Hi - Res
Mouse act i ve, you have t o move t he mouse f art her t o get t he same ef f ect .
1x Ti me
When checked (), t he game runs i n normal or real t i me. You can press T t o swi t ch f rom normal t i me t o t i me
compressi on mode.
2x Ti me
When checked (), game t i me i s compressed so t hat everyt hi ng runs at t wi ce t he normal speed. You can press T
t o swi t ch f rom t i me compressi on mode t o mega- t i me compressi on mode.
4x Ti me
When checked (), game t i me i s compressed so t hat everyt hi ng runs at f our t i mes t he normal speed. You can
press T t o swi t ch f rom mega- t i me compressi on mode t o normal t i me.
VI EW MENU
You can swi t ch vi ews usi ng t he vi ew commands or by sel ect i ng opt i ons f rom t he Vi ew Menu. For vi ew commands
and descri pt i ons of each of t he vi ews, see Vi ew Keys i n t hi s chapt er.
GRAPHI CS MENU
Low Det ai l
When checked (), al l obj ect s are di spl ayed wi t h mi ni mum det ai l t o i ncrease si mul at i on speed.
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Medi um Det ai l
When checked (), al l obj ect s are di spl ayed wi t h medi um det ai l .
Hi gh Det ai l
When checked (), al l obj ect s are di spl ayed wi t h maxi mum det ai l .
Si mpl e Pl anes
When checked (), you never see t he most compl ex shapes f or pl anes regardl ess of t he det ai l set t i ng above. Thi s
i s usef ul i f your machi ne i s sl ow but you want t o keep your di spl ay speed f ast duri ng combat .
Di t hered Hori zon
When checked (), t he hori zon i s di t hered t o gi ve t he i l l usi on of di st ance. Thi s f eat ure i s onl y avai l abl e i n VGA
and MCGA 256- col or modes. You can t urn of f t he di t hered hori zon t o i ncrease si mul at i on speed.
Cl ouds
When checked (), you may or may not see cl ouds at varyi ng al t i t udes. You can t urn of f t he cl oud ef f ect s t o
i ncrease si mul at i on speed.
Bi t map Expl osi ons
When checked (), you see bi t mapped expl osi ons when pl anes bl ow up. You can t urn of f t he bi t mapped ef f ect s
t o i ncrease si mul at i on speed. Thi s f eat ure i s not avai l abl e i n CGA mode.
Fl i ght Inf o
When checked (), t he HUD (Heads Up Di spl ay) i s di spl ayed on your screen. For det ai l s on t he HUD, see Fl i ght
Inst rument s i n Inst rument Check.
HELP MENU
Invi nci bl e
When checked (), your ai rpl ane i s i nvi nci bl e t o enemy weapons. Not e, however, t hat you can st i l l crash and ri p
your wi ngs of f .
Unl i mi t ed Ammo
When checked (), you have unl i mi t ed ammo.
Easy Ai mi ng
When checked (), you can be a l i t t l e l ess accurat e ai mi ng because more of your mi sses wi l l be count ed wi l l be
count ed as hi t s. Thi s goes f or mi ssi l es as wel l as bul l et s.
Not e: If you re usi ng a keyboard or mouse t o cont rol t he ai rpl ane, t hi s f eat ure i s not consi dered a hel p. Keyboard
and mouse users can t ake t he Ace s Chal l enge wi t h Easy Ai mi ng act i ve (see Endi ng t he Hi st ori c Mi ssi on under
Hi st ori c Campai gns i n Mi ssi on Menus.)
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Ctrl
+
F
Ctrl
+
I
Ctrl
+
U
Ctrl
+
E
Easy Landi ngs
When checked (), you cannot crash no mat t er how hard you l and!
No Bl ackout
When checked (), you can pul l any number of g s wi t hout experi enci ng bl ackout s or redout s.
Target Inf o
When checked (), t arget i nf ormat i on i s di spl ayed bel ow each t arget . The col or of t he t arget i nf o i ndi cat es your
opponent s awareness of your l ocat i on red means he s l ocat ed you, bl ack means he hasn t .
The percent age i ndi cat es your average chance of hi t t i ng t he t arget at t hi s range wi t h t he current l y sel ect ed
weapon.
At t hi s range, t hi s F- 86 pi l ot has about a 84% chance of hi t t i ng t he Mi G- 15 wi t h hi s .50 cal i ber guns.
Map Wi ndow
When checked (), t he Map Wi ndow i s di spl ayed on your screen. The Map Wi ndow provi des you wi t h t he l ocat i on
of al l f ri endl y and host i l e ai rcraf t i n t he area.
You can magni f y t he range of t he Map Wi ndow by pressi ng peri od (.). At f ul l magni f i cat i on, f i ght ers appear as a
si ngl e pi xel (one dot ) and bombers as t wo (t wo dot s). To decrease t he range of t he Map Wi ndow, press comma (,).
Map I dent i f i c at i on Key f or EGA, VGA, MCGA
Whi t e Your ai rpl ane
Dk. Red Bogey bel ow
Lt . Red Bogey above
Dk. Bl ue Fri endl y bel ow
Lt . Bl ue Fri endl y above
Yel l ow Mi ssi l e (wi t h t arget l ock)
Grey Mi ssi l e (no t arget l ock)
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Ctrl
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B
Ctrl
+
T
+
Shift
1
Map I dent i f i c at i on Key f or CGA
Lt . Cyan Fri endl y
Lt . Cyan Bogey
Whi t e Locked mi ssi l e
Lt . Magent a Unl ocked mi ssi l e
Envel ope Wi ndow
When checked (), t he Envel ope Wi ndow i s di spl ayed on your screen. For det ai l s on t he Envel ope Wi ndow, see
Ground School .
Target Wi ndow
When checked (), t he Target Wi ndow i s di spl ayed on your screen. The Target Wi ndow provi des you wi t h usef ul
i nf ormat i on about t he current l y sel ect ed t arget .
For hi nt s on get t i ng t he most out of t he Target Wi ndow, see Det ect i on i n Fi ght er Tact i cs.
Yeager Wi ndow
When checked (), t he Yeager Wi ndow i s di spl ayed on your screen. Yeager wat ches your si x, t el l s you how t o
correct dangerous f l i ght perf ormance probl ems, and gi ves you t i ps on f l yi ng and f i ght i ng.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
+
Shift 2
+
Shift
3
+
Shift
4
Speed
Pi l ot s experi ence
no dot s = Amat eur
. = Medi ocre
.. = Good
... = Excel l ent
Ai rcraf t t ype
Maneuver
Locat i on
Di st ance
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R
F LI GHT RECORDER
The Fl i ght Recorder l et s you revi ew and/ or save your progress i n a current mi ssi on as wel l as l oad any previ ousl y
saved f l i ght recordi ngs. VCR st yl e cont rol s l et you rewi nd, f ast f orward, or wat ch event s f rame by f rame, whi l e Ai r
Combat s st andard vi ew keys l et you wat ch your best dogf i ght s f rom an i nf i ni t e number of vi ewpoi nt s. You can
al so use t he uni que Box Vi ew t o see a l arge- scal e overvi ew of any mi ssi on.
P LAYI NG B ACK YOUR CURRENT MI SSI ON
To revi ew t he l ast several mi nut es of t he mi ssi on you re current l y f l yi ng, press P (or press Esc t o bri ng up t he
Fl i ght Menu, and t hen sel ect Fi l m Pl ayback Screen f rom t he ? Menu). When you press P, you can onl y pl ay back
t he mi ssi on you re current l y f l yi ng you cannot l oad previ ousl y saved f l i ght recordi ngs.
Ti me Count er
Shows current posi t i on i n t he f l i ght recordi ng.
Pl ayi ng Speed Cont rol s
Use t he Pl ayi ng Speed Cont rol s t o adj ust how f ast you pl ay t he f l i ght recordi ng.
Posi t i on Cont rol s
Use t he Posi t i on Cont rol s t o ski p t o di f f erent part s of t he f l i ght recordi ng.
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Ti me Count er
Pl ayi ng Speed Cont rol s
Posi t i on Cont rol s
Mi nut es Seconds Hundredt h- seconds
St art End
St op Sl ow Pl ay Fast Pl ay
Zoom Cont rol s
I/ O Cont rol s
Sel ect Next Target
(i n t arget vi ew onl y)
Vi ew Mode
Indi cat or
Pl ay
Si ngl e- st ep f orward (1/ 20 second)
Rewi nd t o st art
Rewi nd 5
seconds
Si ngl e- st ep back
(1/ 20 second)
Forward 5
seconds
Forward t o end
Vi ew Mode Indi cat or
The vi ew mode i ndi cat or t el l s you whi ch vi ew you re current l y wat chi ng f rom. See Vi ew Commands i n In t he
Cockpi t f or more on vi ews.
Next Target
You must be i n a t arget vi ew t o use t he Next Target opt i on:
F7 Pl ane Target
F8 Target Pl ane
Shi f t - F7 Target s Cockpi t
Shi f t - F8 Ext ernal Target
When you re i n a t arget vi ew, sel ect Next Target t o cycl e t hrough t he t arget s i n t he mi ssi on, regardl ess of whet her
t hey are current l y wi t hi n si ght of your ai rpl ane. You can al so press F7, Shi f t - F7, F8, or Shi f t - F8 repeat edl y t o cycl e
t hrough t he t arget s.
Zoom Cont rol s
Use t he Zoom Cont rol s t o zoom i n and out on t he act i on. From t he def aul t zoom set t i ng of 1, you can zoom i n t o 2,
4, 8, 16, or 32.
I/ O Cont rol s
Use t he I/ O Cont rol s t o save a f l i ght , l oad a previ ousl y saved f l i ght recordi ng, or exi t t he Fl i ght Recorder. See
Savi ng a Fl i ght Recordi ng and Revi ewi ng a Previ ousl y Saved Fl i ght Recordi ng i n t hi s chapt er.
ROTATI NG THE CAMERA
In any vi ew, you can rot at e t he camera angl e 360 vert i cal l y and hori zont al l y.
Mouse Users
To rot at e t he camera, move t he mouse cursor t o one of t he def i ned quadrant s.
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Cl i ck a mouse but t on t o nudge t he camera, or hol d down t he mouse but t on t o rot at e more qui ckl y.
Keyboard Users
Press Ct r l wi t h t he cursor arrow keys t o rot at e t he camera.
Al t ernat i vel y, press Tab repeat edl y unt i l t he cursor l ands on a rot at i on hot spot , and t hen press t he spac ebar t o
rot at e your vi ew.
SWI TCHI NG VI EWS
Al l of t he Vi ew keys f unct i on i n t he Fl i ght Recorder except t he Map Vi ew (F9), whi ch i s repl aced by t he Box Vi ew.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
Rot at e
Cl ockwi se
Rot at e
Count er-
Cl ockwi se
Up
Down
Cl ockwi se
Count er- Cl ockwi se
Rot at e Down
Rot at e Up
Rot at e
Cl ockwi se
Rot at e
Count er-
Cl ockwi se
Rot at e Down
Rot at e Up
Rot at e
Cl ockwi se
Rot at e
Count er-
Cl ockwi se
Rot at e Down
Rot at e Up
Ctrl
+
Ctrl
+
Ctrl
+
Ctrl
+
Box Vi ew
The Box Vi ew gi ves you a l arge- scal e, 3D vi ew of t he recordi ng. Press F9 t o swi t ch t o t he Box Vi ew. Press any ot her
Vi ew key t o swi t ch back t o normal vi ewi ng.
I dent i f i c at i on Key f or Box Vi ew
Whi t e Your ai rpl ane
Yel l ow Bul l et s or mi ssi l es
Lt . Magent a Expl osi ons
Lt . Bl ue Fri endl i es and bai l ed out pi l ot s
Red Host i l es
Dk. Grey Shadow i f bot t om of box i s at ground l evel
Dk. Bl ue Shadow i f bot t om of box i s above ground l evel
You can rot at e t he box by cl i cki ng i n t he box or usi ng t he rot at i on keys (see Rot at i ng t he Camera i n t hi s
chapt er).
Vi ewpoi nt s i n t he Box
The st andard vi ewpoi nt i n Box Vi ew i s f rom a f i xed poi nt , t he ai rpl anes weavi ng t hrough t he 3D space of t he box.
However, t here are t wo opt i ons t hat al l ow you t o sl i ght l y al t er t he st andard vi ewpoi nt . You can act i vat e one or
bot h of t hese opt i ons:
Headi ng Press H t o have your vi ew f ol l ow your f i ght er s headi ng. The box rot at es hori zont al l y as your
ai rpl ane t ravel s t hrough t he ai r. Imagi ne a camera f ol l owi ng your ai rpl ane.
Posi t i on Press P t o keep your ai rpl ane i n t he cent er of t he box.
Zoom Keys
Use t he zoom keys (+ , - ) t o i ncrease or decrease magni f i cat i on of your vi ew.
SAVI NG A F LI GHT RECORDI NG
Whi l e you re f l yi ng, Ai r Combat t emporari l y records t he l ast several mi nut es of t he mi ssi on. The l engt h of t hi s
recordi ng vari es dependi ng on your comput er and t he number of ai rcraf t i n t he mi ssi on, but on t he average Ai r
Combat wi l l record t he l ast f our t o si x mi nut es of t he mi ssi on. If you re f l yi ng a l ong mi ssi on, you may want t o
save segment s of i t so you don t l ose t hem. For exampl e, i f you ve f l own f or f our mi nut es and you re st i l l not done
wi t h t he mi ssi on, you shoul d save a segment ; af t er ei ght mi nut es you shoul d save agai n; et c.
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SAVI NG A FLI GHT RECORDI NG WHI LE FLYI NG
To save a f l i ght t hat s i n progress, press P t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght Recorder. Sel ect SAVE f rom t he I/ O Cont rol s.
You l l be asked t o name t he recordi ng:
Type a name f or t he f l i ght recordi ng (up t o 8 charact ers) and press Ent er . The f l i ght recordi ng i s saved i n t he
game di rect ory as a f i l e wi t h t he ext ensi on .F . For exampl e, i f you named t he f i l e AWESOME, i t woul d appear
i n t he game di rect ory as AWESOME.F . When you re ready t o cont i nue t he mi ssi on, press Esc or sel ect EXIT f rom
t he I/ O Cont rol s.
You can save as many segment s of t he mi ssi on as you l i ke, but you can onl y wat ch t he l ast several mi nut es
pl ayed. To revi ew earl i er segment s t hat you ve saved, sel ect Revi ew Fi l m f rom t he Mai n Menu (see Revi ewi ng a
Previ ousl y Saved Fl i ght Recordi ng bel ow).
THE AUTO- SAVE FI LM FEATURE
When act i ve, t he Aut o- Save Fi l m f eat ure aut omat i cal l y saves t he l ast several mi nut es of your mi ssi on as a f l i ght
recordi ng. Wi t h Aut o- Save Fi l m act i ve, you don t need t o worry about savi ng a recordi ng bef ore you end t he
mi ssi on.
To act i vat e Aut o- Save Fi l m:
1. Begi n any mi ssi on.
2. Press Esc t o bri ng up t he Fl i ght menus.
3. Sel ect Aut o- Save Fi l m f rom t he ? Menu. A check () shoul d appear besi de t he Aut o- Save opt i on.
When you end t he mi ssi on, t he l ast several mi nut es of t he mi ssi on are t emporari l y saved as a f l i ght recordi ng
named LAST.
To wat ch LAST, sel ect Revi ew Fi l m bef ore you engage i n any ot her mi ssi ons. When t he LOAD FILE box appears,
sel ect t he arrows t o scrol l t hrough t he mi ssi ons you ve recorded. When LAST appears, sel ect i t . Use t he Pl ayi ng
Speed Cont rol s and t he Posi t i on Cont rol s t o revi ew t he f i l m.
If you want t o save t he new f l i ght recordi ng, sel ect SAVE f rom t he I/ O Cont rol s. You l l be asked t o name t he
recordi ng. You must rename LAST i f you want t o keep i t i f you don t , LAST wi l l be overwri t t en t he next t i me you
f l y a mi ssi on. Type a new name f or LAST (up t o 8 charact ers) and press Ent er .
REVI EWI NG A P REVI OUSLY SAVED F LI GHT RECORDI NG
To l oad a previ ousl y saved f l i ght recordi ng, sel ect Revi ew Fi l m f rom t he Mai n Menu.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
Sel ect t he arrows t o
scrol l t hrough mi ssi ons
Sel ect t he saved f i l e name
Sel ect Exi t t o ret urn t o t he
Mai n Menu
When t he LOAD FILE box appears, sel ect t he arrows t o scrol l t hrough t he mi ssi ons you ve recorded. When t he
name of t he f i l e you want t o wat ch appears, sel ect i t . Use t he Pl ayi ng Speed Cont rol s and t he Posi t i on Cont rol s t o
revi ew t he f i l m.
NEW DI SK
For f l oppy users onl y. If you re l ooki ng f or a cert ai n f l i ght recordi ng and i t s not on t he di sk current l y i n t he dri ve,
remove t he di sk and i nsert anot her. Sel ect New Di sk t o see t he f l i ght recordi ng f i l es on t he current di sk.
DELETI NG F LI GHT RECORDI NGS
Each f l i ght recordi ng i s saved as a separat e f i l e i n t he game di rect ory any f i l e wi t h a .F ext ensi on i s a f l i ght
recordi ng. You can onl y del et e f l i ght recordi ngs by exi t i ng t o DOS. Ref er t o your DOS manual f or i nf ormat i on on
del et i ng f i l es.
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GROUND SCHOOL
Ai r Combat model s t he real f l i ght envel opes of ei ght een di f f erent ai rcraf t . Each ai rcraf t perf orms di f f erent l y
accordi ng t o i t s ai rspeed, al t i t ude, and st ruct ural l i mi t s. These f act ors af f ect everyt hi ng f rom maneuverabi l i t y
how qui ckl y an ai rpl ane can t urn t o mi ni mum and maxi mum speeds.
The basi c aerodynami cs expl ai ned here have very real appl i cat i ons i n Ai r Combat . Knowi ng not guessi ng
how your ai rpl ane perf orms can mean t he di f f erence bet ween pai nt i ng a f l ag on your f usel age or dri l l i ng a 50 f t .
hol e i n Mot her Eart h.
AI RPLANE MOVEMENT
The pi l ot cont rol s t he ai rpl ane by movi ng a f l i ght st i ck and pedal s i n t he cockpi t . These i n t urn move cont rol
surf aces on t he wi ngs and t ai l , causi ng t he ai rpl ane t o change di rect i on. An ai rpl ane can rot at e i n t hree
di mensi ons whi l e i n f l i ght : i t can rol l , pi t ch, or yaw.
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PITCH
ROLL
YAW
PARTS OF AN AI RPLANE
AI LERONS CONTROL ROLL
To t urn an ai rpl ane, you must bank t he wi ngs by movi ng t he f l i ght st i ck l ef t or ri ght . For exampl e, movi ng t he
f l i ght st i ck t o t he ri ght rai ses t he ri ght ai l eron and l owers t he l ef t , whi ch i n t urn rol l s t he ai rpl ane t o t he ri ght .
ELEVATORS CONTROL PI TCH
Pul l i ng back on t he f l i ght st i ck rai ses t he el evat ors, causi ng t he ai rpl ane t o pi t ch up (cl i mb). Pushi ng f orward on
t he f l i ght st i ck l owers t he el evat ors, maki ng t he ai rpl ane pi t ch down (di ve).
RUDDER CONTROLS YAW
The rudder works i n conj unct i on wi t h t he ai l erons t o coordi nat e t urns.
FLAPS I NCREASE LI FT AND DRAG
Fl aps i ncrease wi ng surf ace and curvat ure, t hus i ncreasi ng bot h l i f t and drag. They re usef ul f or l andi ng, si nce
t hey l ower your st al l speed.
AI R BRAKES I NCREASE DRAG
Ai r brakes i ncrease drag, t hus sl owi ng down t he ai rpl ane. Prop- dri ven ai rpl anes don t have ai r brakes.
LANDI NG GEAR
Landi ng gear i s necessary f or l andi ng and ground maneuveri ng. Al l of t he ai rpl anes you f l y i n Ai r Combat have
ret ract abl e l andi ng gear.
ALTI TUDE, AI R P RESSURE, OXYGEN
Your ai rpl ane doesn t move t hrough a vacuum but rat her t hrough a vari ed envi ronment t he eart h s
at mosphere. The dynami c of f l i ght i s not hi ng more t han an i nt eract i on bet ween t he at mosphere and your
ai rpl ane. Fort unat el y, al l t hat you real l y need t o know f or a basi c underst andi ng of aerodynami cs i s t hi s t he
hi gher t he al t i t ude, t he l ower t he ai r pressure, t emperat ure, and oxygen cont ent .
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F OUR F ORCES
Four basi c f orces i nf l uence t he ai rpl ane i n f l i ght : l i f t , wei ght , t hrust , and drag. These are act ual l y f orces and
count er- f orces. Li f t pushes t he ai rpl ane up whi l e wei ght pul l s i t t oward t he eart h. Si mi l arl y, t hrust pushes t he
ai rpl ane f orward whi l e drag sl ows i t down.
When an ai rpl ane i s f l yi ng l evel (nei t her cl i mbi ng or di vi ng), l i f t and wei ght are exact l y opposed or bal anced. In
t he same way, a const ant speed means t hat t hrust equal s drag.
LI FT VS. WEI GHT
As t he j et engi nes or propel l ors move t he ai rpl ane, ai r rushes over t he wi ngs. Si nce t he wi ng i s unevenl y shaped
f l at on t he bot t om, arched on t he t op t he ai r does not move at a const ant speed over bot h surf aces. The ai r
moves f ast er over t he arch.
The ai r t ravel i ng over t he t op of t he wi ng must go a great er di st ance t o get t o t he t rai l i ng edge. It must go f ast er
i n order t o get t here.
In f l ui d dynami cs, t he l aw i s: The f ast er a gas or l i qui d moves, t he l ess pressure i t exert s. Si nce t he ai r, as we
know, i s movi ng f ast er over t he arched t op, t here s l ess pressure t here t han on t he undersi de of t he wi ng. Thi s
i nequal i t y bet ween pressure st at es i s what creat es l i f t .
Li ke any heavi er- t han- ai r obj ect , an ai rpl ane s nat ural i ncl i nat i on i s t o f al l t o t he eart h. The f orce of gravi t y
pul l i ng on t he obj ect i s what s known as t he ai rpl ane s wei ght .
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
RESULTANT LIFT
LOWER PRESSURE HIGHER SPEED AIRFLOW
HIGHER PRESSURE LOWER SPEED AIRFLOW
LIFT
WEIGHT
APPARENT LIFT
AIRCRAFT LOSES ALTITUDE
(APPARENT LIFT < WEIGHT)
ANGLE OF ATTACK
The angl e of at t ack i s t he angl e at whi ch t he wi ng meet s t he ai rf l ow. An i ncreased angl e of at t ack creat es more
pressure and t heref ore more l i f t . Thi s i s how you cl i mb pul l i ng back on t he st i ck pul l s up t he nose, whi ch
i ncreases t he angl e of at t ack and creat es l i f t .
Increased angl e of at t ack creat es more l i f t .
Everyt hi ng has a cost . As you i ncrease your angl e of at t ack, t he i ncreased l i f t and l arge surf ace area meet i ng t he
ai rf l ow creat e more drag. Thi s has t he ef f ect of sl owi ng down t he ai rpl ane.
THRUST VS. DRAG
Bot h a spi nni ng propel l or and a j et engi ne spi t t i ng superheat ed gases creat e t hrust . In order f or t he ai rpl ane t o
move f orward, i t s t hrust must be great er t han t he drag creat ed by ai r mol ecul es st ri ki ng t he ai rpl ane s surf ace.
MAXI MUM SPEED
As t he ai rpl ane cl i mbs t o hi gher, oxygen- poor al t i t udes, t hrust decreases. At t he same t i me, however, drag i s
reduced i n t he t hi nni ng at mosphere. Thus each ai rpl ane has an al t i t ude at whi ch t he best t hrust / drag rat i o i s
achi eved t ypi cal l y at l ow al t i t udes f or prop ai rpl anes and hi gh al t i t udes f or j et f i ght ers.
MI NI MUM SPEED AND WI NG LOADI NG
As st at ed earl i er, ai r pressure progressi vel y decreases t he hi gher you f l y. To overcome t he l oss of ai r pressure, an
ai rpl ane must go f ast er t o mai nt ai n f l i ght (t o get t he same amount of ai r f l owi ng over t he wi ngs as at l ower
speeds at l ower al t i t udes).
Mi ni mum speed i s a f unct i on of t he shape of t he wi ng and wi ng l oadi ng. Wi ng l oadi ng i s t he amount of wei ght
t he wi ng surf aces must carry. The more wei ght t he wi ng carri es, t he f ast er t he ai rpl ane must t ravel t o produce
enough l i f t f or l evel f l i ght . Hi gh wi ng l oadi ng i s bet t er i f you want t o go f ast er; l ow wi ng l oadi ng i s bet t er i f you
want t o t urn harder. Addi t i onal l y, ai rpl anes wi t h l ong, t hi n wi ngs t end t o perf orm bet t er at hi gh al t i t udes t han
ai rpl anes wi t h short , st ubby wi ngs.
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ANGLE OF ATTACK
A
= A
THREE MEASURES OF TURN
G FORCE
A g i s a uni t t hat measures accel erat i on. Thi s i s of t en used as a measure of cent ri f ugal f orce. One g i s equal t o
t he f orce of gravi t y exert ed on a st at i onary obj ect on eart h t he f orce a person st andi ng on t he ground
experi ences.
WHY YOU PULL UP THE NOSE I N A TURN
To remai n i n l evel f l i ght , t he l i f t vect or (arrow) must equal t he wei ght vect or.
When an ai rpl ane rol l s over t o t urn, l i f t i s di mi ni shed. Why? The l i f t creat ed by t he wi ngs remai ns perpendi cul ar t o
t he wi ngpl ane. Remember, i t s t he wi ngpl ane t hat creat es t he l i f t . At t he same t i me, however, t he wei ght of t he
ai rpl ane remai ns poi nt ed t o t he ground af t er al l , i t s t he eart h t hat s pul l i ng t he ai rcraf t down. Onl y t he
vert i cal component of t he l i f t compensat es f or t he wei ght of t he ai rpl ane t he hori zont al component makes t he
ai rpl ane t urn. As t he ai rpl ane banks, t he l i f t vect or t i l t s, decreasi ng i t s vert i cal component and i ncreasi ng i t s
hori zont al component whi l e t he t ot al (resul t ant ) l i f t remai ns t he same.
To generat e more l i f t t o overcome t he ai rpl ane s wei ght , t he pi l ot pul l s back on t he f l i ght st i ck a process
cal l ed t ri mmi ng t hereby i ncreasi ng t he angl e of at t ack and creat i ng more l i f t t o i ncrease t he vert i cal
component enough t o count eract t he ai rpl ane s wei ght . At t he same t i me, more l i f t creat es more drag, sl owi ng
down t he ai rpl ane. Thi s i s why maneuveri ng i n combat i s an energy- depl et i ng act i vi t y.
THE EFFECTS OF G I N THE COCKPI T
Every vect or has a count er- vect or. When l i f t i s i ncreased i n a t urn, i t s count er- vect or i s t he apparent wei ght of
t he ai rpl ane t he pi l ot i n t he ai rpl ane f eel s heavi er, what i s cal l ed apparent wei ght or g- l oad. Thi s i s t he same
f orce at work when you re pi nned t o your seat i n t he t i ght t urn of a rol l er- coast er.
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LIFT
WEIGHT
LEVEL FLIGHT
(LIFT = WEIGHT = 1g)
LIFT
WEIGHT
APPARENT LIFT
APPARENT WEIGHT
The more t he ai rpl ane banks, t he great er t he g l oad experi enced by t he ai rpl ane.
TURN RADI US HOW WI DE YOUR TURN I S
Si mpl y put , t urn radi us i s how bi g of a ci rcl e you make i n t he sky. The si ze of t he ci rcl e depends on how f ast
you re f l yi ng and how t i ght l y you re t urni ng. A j et can t urn more t i ght l y t han a prop ai rpl ane but st i l l make a wi der
ci rcl e by vi rt ue of i t s hi gher speed.
RATE OF TURN HOW QUI CKLY YOU RE TURNI NG
Rat e of t urn t el l s you how qui ckl y you re t urni ng. To put i t si mpl y, rat e of t urn i s how f ast you can haul your nose
(and weapons) around t o put t he enemy i n your gun si ght s. The hi gher your speed at a gi ven al t i t ude, t he l ower
your maxi mum rat e of t urn.
The i mport ance of your rat e of t urn i n ai r combat can t be underst at ed. You need a good rat e of t urn f or bot h
of f ensi ve and def ensi ve purposes t o t urn sharpl y enough t o get t he enemy i nt o your si ght s, or t o st ay ahead of
hi s.
MAXI MUM RATE OF TURN
If you re breaki ng wi t h an opponent and he remai ns ahead of your gun si ght s, you must somehow t urn more
t i ght l y so you can shoot hi m down. In a t urni ng cont est such as t hi s, your rat e of t urn compared t o your
opponent s becomes cruci al . Does your ai rpl ane t urn f ast er t han hi s? Rat her t han f i ndi ng out by wai t i ng f or hi s
bul l et s t o t ear up your ai rpl ane, you can compare f l i ght envel opes.
THE F LI GHT ENVELOP E
A f l i ght envel ope i s a graph t hat shows t he i nt eract i on of an ai rpl ane wi t h i t s envi ronment and t he l i mi t s of i t s
perf ormance. Bel ow i s t he f l i ght envel ope f or t he F- 4 Phant om.
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LIFT
WEIGHT
APPARENT LIFT
APPARENT WEIGHT
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Mach
Speed (knots)
Altitude
( /1000 feet ) Mach
9g
1g
On t he vert i cal axi s of t he graph i s t he ai rpl ane s al t i t ude; on t he hori zont al axi s i s t he ai rpl ane s speed. Pl ot t ed
on t he graph are curved l i nes. The out si de l i ne cont ai ns t he ai rpl ane s perf ormance at 1 g (l evel f l i ght ). Wi t hi n
t hat boundary are curves whi ch cont ai n t he ai rpl ane s perf ormance at hi gher g s (banki ng or cl i mbi ng).
Li f t l i mi t The l i mi t beyond whi ch t he ai rpl ane st al l s due t o a l ack of l i f t .
Thr ust l i mi t The l i mi t beyond whi ch t he engi nes can t generat e enough t hrust t o accel erat e.
St r uc t ur al l i mi t The l i mi t beyond whi ch t he ai rf rame can t wi t hst and t he ai r resi st i ng i t . Cont i nui ng beyond
t hi s l i mi t wi l l weaken t he ai rf rame and event ual l y ri p your wi ngs of f .
What f ol l ows are some exampl es of how t o read f l i ght envel opes.
THE F- 4 S MI NI MUM SPEED
The f l i ght envel ope cont ai ns al l t he i nf ormat i on on an ai rpl ane s perf ormance. The l ef t edge of t he 1 g envel ope
shows t hat t he ai rpl ane s mi ni mum speed i ncreases wi t h al t i t ude. The hi gher you go, t he f ast er t he F- 4 needs t o
go i n order t o generat e l i f t . Thi s i s rel at ed t o t he st eadi l y decreasi ng ai r pressure of t he at mosphere t he l ess
ai r, t he l ess l i f t .
THE F- 4 S MAXI MUM SPEED
The ri ght edge of t he envel ope shows t he F- 4 s t op speed of 1,386 mph. Not i ce t hat t hi s speed onl y occurs around
38,000 f t . Thi s i s t he al t i t ude at whi ch t he engi nes produce t he maxi mum t hrust agai nst t he mi ni mum drag. Thi s
number has an obvi ous appl i cat i on: i f you need t o get somewhere f ast , cl i mb t o t he al t i t ude where your maxi mum
speed i s great est .
SPEED DI MI NI SHES ABOVE AND BELOW 38,000 FT
Bel ow 38,000, t he ai rpl ane s t op speed f al l s. The ai r i n t he l ower regi ons of t he at mosphere i s t oo t hi ck f or t he
ai rf rame i t woul d act ual l y di si nt egrat e i f i t went any f ast er. Above 38,000 f t , t hrust begi ns t o gi ve out . As t he
ai r t hi ns out i n t he upper at mosphere, t here s l ess oxygen t o burn f uel and creat e l i f t . Not i ce t hat t he maxi mum
speed decreases as t he ai rpl ane cl i mbs hi gher, event ual l y reachi ng an al t i t ude where t he ai rpl ane can t f l y at al l .
Thi s absol ut e hei ght l i mi t i s known as t he ai rpl ane s cei l i ng.
THE I NNER ENVELOPES
The i nner envel opes show t he mi ni mum and maxi mum speed of t he F- 4 whi l e t urni ng. For exampl e, an F- 4 at
10,000 f eet i n a 9 g t urn must be t ravel l i ng at l east 500 mph and no more t han 710 mph i n order t o mai nt ai n t he
9 g s. Not i ce, t oo, t hat i t s not even capabl e of doi ng a 9 g t urn at al t i t udes great er t han 16,000 f t !
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Speed i ncrease up t o ~ 37,000 f t
Maxi mum speed of 1,386 mph
The hi gher you go, t he f ewer g s you can hol d.
Mi ni mum speed i ncreases wi t h al t i t ude.
Lack of oxygen reduces t hrust i n t he upper
at mosphere.
The ai rpl ane s cei l i ng
Mi ni mum and maxi mum speeds are reduced by
t he need t o maneuver.
As st at ed bef ore, you want t he best rat e of t urn possi bl e i f you re t ryi ng t o out - t urn and out maneuver your
opponent . Your best rat e of t urn i s achi eved by pul l i ng as many g s as you can at your current al t i t ude, but at t he
l owest speed necessary f or t hat number of g s. For exampl e, i f you re f l yi ng t he F- 4 at sea l evel , your maxi mum
rat e of t urn wi l l be t he l owest speed i n t he 9 g envel ope.
At high altitudes, begentleon thestick or youll losevaluableairspeed froma high angleof attack and
youll eventually stall, which will cost you altitude.
USI NG THE ENVELOPE WI NDOW
You can use t he Fl i ght Envel ope Wi ndow t o f oresee pot ent i al f l i ght perf ormance probl ems and i n t he event
t hat you ve f l own t o t he l i mi t of your ai rpl ane s abi l i t y you can use t he i nf ormat i on t o t ake t he ri ght correct i ve
measures. To di spl ay t he f l i ght envel ope of your f i ght er, press Shi f t - 2.
F LI GHT P ERF ORMANCE RECOVERY
HOW NOT TO EXCEED MAXI MUM SPEED
The ai rpl ane s maxi mum speed i s al so l i mi t ed by t he st rengt h of i t s ai rf rame. A sust ai ned di ve at 100% t hrot t l e
can very wel l ri p your wi ngs of f . If you know t hat you re exceedi ng maxi mum speed, cut t he t hrot t l e, put down
f l aps and ai r brakes, and pul l back on t he st i ck.
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Speed (knots)
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Achi evi ng t he maxi mum rat e of t urn f or an F- 4 Phant om at sea l evel i s accompl i shed by pul l i ng a 9 g t urn at t he l owest speed possi bl e: 425 mph.
Increase t hrot t l e t o 100% and poi nt t he nose down
Decrease speed or reduce al t i t ude
Sl ow down! Fl aps down, ai r brakes i f possi bl e, even l andi ng gear!
STALLS AND HOW TO RECOVER
If t he angl e of at t ack i s i ncreased t oo much, t he l ow pressure area degenerat es qui ckl y and a st al l occurs. The
ai rpl ane wi l l l urch suddenl y i nt o a di ve. You recover f rom a st al l by i ncreasi ng speed and reposi t i oni ng t he wi ngs
such t hat a smoot h ai rf l ow over t hem i s regai ned. When t he st al l warni ng appears, set t he t hrot t l e at 100% and
push t he f l i ght st i ck f orward.
It s i mport ant t hat you act qui ckl y. A st al l at l ow al t i t udes can be f at al , because you won t have t he room t o put
your nose down. Take t he st al l warni ng seri ousl y!
USE FLAPS TO POSTPONE A STALL DANGEROUS MANEUVER
If you re about t o ent er a st al l but you need t o post pone i t a f ew seconds (say you re t ryi ng t o keep your nose up
l ong enough t o f i ni sh someone of f ), droppi ng your f l aps wi l l buy you a l i t t l e ext ra t i me.
When your f l aps are down, your st al l speed decreases due t o ext ra wi ng surf ace. However, t hi s i s a t wo- edged
sword. Your speed bl eeds of f much f ast er wi t h f l aps down when you f i nal l y st al l , your ext reme l ow speed wi l l
put you i n even deeper t roubl e i f you haven t f i ni shed of f your opponent .
USI NG A STALL TO DI VE DANGEROUS MANEUVER
If you re near st al l speed, your nose i s poi nt ed up, and you need t o di ve qui ckl y, ent eri ng a st al l wi l l gi ve you an
addi t i onal downward t urni ng mot i on over what you coul d do wi t h t he st i ck al one.
THE ENERGY STATE
In ai r combat st udi es, an ai rpl ane s pot ent i al t o perf orm at any gi ven moment i s of t en measured as i t s energy
st at e, whi ch i s a f unct i on of i t s pot ent i al and ki net i c energy.
Pot ent i al energy i s a f unct i on of an obj ect s posi t i on wi t hi n a gravi t at i onal f i el d. To use a cl assi c exampl e, t he
boul der at t he t op of t he hi l l has great er pot ent i al energy t han t he boul der at t he bot t om. Li kewi se, an ai rpl ane at
a hi gher al t i t ude has a great er pot ent i al energy reserve t han t he one f l yi ng 10,000 f eet bel ow i t . If t he ai rpl ane
goes i nt o a di ve, i t convert s i t s pot ent i al energy (al t i t ude) i nt o ki net i c energy (vel oci t y). The ai rpl ane di dn t get
t hi s energy f or f ree. It bought t hi s energy by cl i mbi ng t o t he hi gher al t i t ude i n t he f i rst pl ace (t hat i s, burni ng
f uel ).
Ki net i c energy i s a f unct i on of f rom an obj ect s moment um. If t wo ai rpl anes are f l yi ng at equal speeds, t he
heavi er of t he t wo has more ki net i c energy (because i t has more moment um). The heavi er ai rpl ane bought t hi s
energy when i t accel erat ed t o t he speed of t he l i ght er ai rpl ane. (The l i ght er ai rpl ane i nvest ed l ess energy get t i ng
t o t he same speed.)
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Pot ent i al and ki net i c energy can be exchanged, by cl i mbi ng and di vi ng. Cl i mbi ng convert s ki net i c energy i nt o
pot ent i al energy (as you gai n al t i t ude you l ose vel oci t y), whi l e di vi ng convert s pot ent i al energy i nt o ki net i c energy.
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F LI GHT SCHOOL

Thesky was filled with green pilots practicing landings, dogfighting, and strafing, so accidents were
inevitable...Guys snapped wings off their planes doing crazy power dives, or buzzed into thesideof a
hill. And if something went wrong, they madethewrong decision about whether to jump or stay. I
saw a guy try to land with his engineon fire, flames streaming, doing at least 150 mph, skidding off
therunway in flames and smoke. Thecrazy bastard hit theground on therun just as his tail melted
off.

You begi n t rai ni ng wi t h a f ew si mpl e maneuvers t hat every pi l ot must know. Take Of f and Landi ng are necessary
f or get t i ng on and of f t he ground, whi l e Level Fl i ght , Cl i mb, Di ve, and Break are t he f undament al s of al most every
ot her combat maneuver you wi l l l earn.
LEVEL F LI GHT
Level Fl i ght i s f l yi ng wi t h your wi ngs paral l el t o t he ground, nei t her gai ni ng nor l osi ng al t i t ude.
General l y speaki ng, when t he wat erl i ne marker on your HUD i s even wi t h t he hori zon, you re i n Level Fl i ght .
However, when l andi ng, t he wat erl i ne can be above t he hori zon whi l e you re st i l l mai nt ai ni ng your present al t i t ude
t hi s i s due t o t he i ncreased angl e of at t ack as you approach t he runway.
CLI MB
A cl i mb i s a sacri f i ce of speed f or al t i t ude.
CLI MBI NG
1. Increase power t o 100% and pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck.
Wat ch your vert i cal speed i ndi cat or (VSI). Prop- dri ven ai rpl anes can cl i mb st eadi l y at about 2000 f t / mi n,
j et s much f ast er. Keep an eye on your ai rspeed i f you re cl ose t o st al l i ng, don t cl i mb so f ast . A good
rul e of t humb i s t o mai nt ai n 180- 200 mph duri ng t he cl i mb.
2. When you reach t he desi red al t i t ude, push t he f l i ght st i ck f orward t o l evel out , and t hen ret urn t he f l i ght
st i ck t o cent er.
DI VE
A di ve i s a sacri f i ce of al t i t ude f or speed.
DI VI NG
1. Push f orward on t he f l i ght st i ck t o i ni t i at e t he di ve, and t hen ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o cent er.
The l engt h of t i me you hol d t he f l i ght st i ck f orward det ermi nes how st eepl y you di ve. If t he di ve i s very
st eep, you may have t o cut power and/ or drop f l aps or ai r brakes i n order t o avoi d goi ng t oo f ast .
2. As you reach t he desi red al t i t ude, pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck t o l evel out . Ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o
cent er.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES (POWER DI VE)
Exceedi ng maxi mum speed i n a di ve known as a power di ve can ri p your wi ngs of f i f you don t pul l out of
i t . If you f i nd yoursel f i n t hi s unl ucky si t uat i on, cut t he t hrot t l e (i f i t s not al ready) and pul l back on t he f l i ght
st i ck. If you re st i l l accel erat i ng t oo qui ckl y, t ry appl yi ng ai r brakes (i f you re i n a j et ), l oweri ng f l aps, or as a
l ast di t ch maneuver l oweri ng your l andi ng gear t o creat e drag.
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B REAK
A Break i s a hard def ensi ve t urn t o t he l ef t or t he ri ght . It s i mmedi at e purpose i s survi val t o get you out of
your at t acker s gun si ght s. It s secondary purpose i s t o make a cl osel y pursui ng at t acker overshoot , t hus put t i ng
you i n hi s si x o cl ock.
BREAKI NG
1. Increase power t o 100% and move t he f l i ght st i ck ri ght or l ef t .
You want t o t urn such t hat you rol l t he ai rpl ane across t he at t acker s pat h.
2. When your wi ngs are at a 90 angl e t o t he ground, cent er t he f l i ght st i ck and pul l back hard.
Whenever you go i nt o a st eep t urn, you l ose vert i cal l i f t . If you want t o mai nt ai n your al t i t ude, move t he
f l i ght st i ck i n t he opposi t e di rect i on.
3. Cont i nue t he t urn unt i l your opponent overshoot s, or t ry a di f f erent maneuver.
ALWAYS ROLL ACROSS THE ATTACKER S PATH
Wi t h an enemy on your t ai l , t he i nst i nct i ve response i s t o move away f rom hi s pat h. Thi s i s exact l y what you
shoul dn t do. The correct response i s t o rol l across t he at t acker s pat h. You wi l l pass i n f ront of your opponent s
guns, but onl y f or a short t i me your def l ect i on angl e wi l l be so hi gh t hat i t s unl i kel y t hat he l l hi t you.
Breaki ng across your opponent s pat h qui ckl y creat es angl e- of f (see At t ack f or a descri pt i on of angl e- of f ).
In t hi s si t uat i on, you woul d break l ef t .
COUNTERI NG THE DEFENDER S BREAK
When your t arget breaks, i t s best t o break wi t h t he t arget and st ay on hi s t ai l .
If your rat e of t urn i s equal t o or bet t er t han your t arget s, i t s rel at i vel y easy t o keep hi m i n si ght . However, i f hi s
rat e of t urn i s bet t er, you can maneuver wi t h a Hi gh or Low Yo- Yo (Banked Versi ons), Barrel Rol l At t ack, or
Sci ssors (see Basi c Maneuvers). Thi s reduces your f orward vel oci t y and keeps you f rom overshoot i ng your
opponent .
The danger i n perf ormi ng any of t hese maneuvers i s t hat your opponent sl i ps out of your si ght f or a moment
and a moment i s al l i t t akes f or hi m t o gi ve you t he sl i p. Anot her t act i c i s t o reduce your speed j ust enough t o pul l
behi nd hi m ei t her by droppi ng f l aps or usi ng your ai r brakes. Not e, however, t hat you onl y want t o reduce
speed when you re:
At or near your own maxi mum speed
In a hi gh t hrust / wei ght pl ane l i ke t he F- 4 or Mi G- 21, i n whi ch i t s easi er t o get your speed back.
Real sure of yoursel f and your si t uat i on.
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TAKE OF F
To t ake of f , your ai rpl ane must accel erat e f rom a st andst i l l t o an ai rspeed t hat generat es enough l i f t t o overcome
gravi t y.
Taki ng Of f
1. Increase power t o 100% .
Your ai rpl ane begi ns t o accel erat e down t he runway. Ai r Combat s prop- dri ven ai rpl anes are al l equi pped
wi t h t ai l wheel s t he nose wi l l drop as t he ai rpl ane pi cks up speed.
The ai rpl ane must reach t ake of f speed bef ore you can pul l i t up. Take of f speeds are:
Pr op- dr i ven ai r pl anes 95- 100 mph
Kor ean er a j et s 135- 145 mph
Vi et nam er a j et s 140- 150 mph
2. When you reach t ake of f speed, pul l t he f l i ght st i ck back unt i l your vert i cal speed i s about 1500 f t / mi n.
Ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o cent er.
Your vert i cal speed i s di spl ayed i n t he l ower ri ght corner of t he HUD or on t he vert i cal speed i ndi cat or on
t he Inst rument Panel .
3. Press G t o ret ract your l andi ng gear.
4. Wai t f or your speed t o pi ck up bef ore you i ncrease your VSI.
War ni ng! Don t pul l t he nose i nt o t oo sharp of a cl i mb or your ai rpl ane wi l l st al l ! At l ow al t i t udes, where you
don t have hundreds of f eet t o recover, a st al l i s l et hal .
LANDI NG
When l andi ng, your ai rpl ane must be t ravel i ng cl ose t o i t s mi ni mum speed whi l e st i l l mai nt ai ni ng enough l i f t
(avoi di ng a st al l ). On short mi l i t ary runways, you l l need t o use f l aps t o come i n at a st eep angl e of descent .
LANDI NG
1. Li ne up wi t h t he runway. Opt i mal l y, you want t o be about 1000 f eet up and f i ve mi l es out .
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The runway shoul d appear about t hi s bi g i n your gl areshi el d:
2. Press F t o l ower f l aps and G t o l ower your l andi ng gear.
3. Ai m t he wat erl i ne marker on t he spot on t he runway where you want t o t ouch down.
4. Reduce t he t hrot t l e unt i l you are at your normal st al l speed.
Wi t h your f l aps down, you won t st al l at normal st al l speed. If you need a vi sual gui de, use t he Envel ope
Wi ndow.
When t he ai rpl ane borders on t he l i f t l i mi t , you re at t he ri ght speed.
5. If you re st i l l goi ng t oo f ast , use ai r brakes t o reduce speed (Korean and Vi et nam era ai rpl anes onl y).
As you cross t he end of t he runway, you shoul d be about 100 f t up.
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Not e: When you ve l owered your gear and your f l aps and reduced your ai r speed enough t o l and, t he symbol xxx
appears next t o your vert i cal speed i ndi cat or, at whi ch t i me i t i s saf e t o t ouch down.
6. Cut t he t hrot t l e and pul l back gent l y on t he f l i ght st i ck.
The obj ect i s t o st al l j ust as you t ouch down. Wat ch your VSI and make sure you re st i l l descendi ng (your
vert i cal speed shoul d remai n a negat i ve number).
7. As soon as you t ouch down, appl y your wheel brakes.
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30' 100' 1000'
Standard landing proc edure
5 miles
30' 100' 1000'
Stall and drop
Runway
Standard landing proc edure
5 miles
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B ASI C MANEUVERS
For every action, therewas a possiblereaction, and with experienceI learned to anticipateand
outguess my opponent. I knew, for example, even whileI was cutting himoff that hewould probably
try to reversehimself, so I led hima little; if I was right, I had him. If I was wrong, I had to go back to
work to get him.
Experi ence t el l s you what i s an appropri at e move and what i sn t . The t op aces know when a maneuver put s t hem
at hi gh ri sk and when t he ri sks of a part i cul ar maneuver are accept abl e. At t he same t i me, t hey are aware of t he
moves avai l abl e t o t hei r opponent and, even whi l e t hey are maneuveri ng, are f ormul at i ng possi bl e count er-
maneuvers.
Every f i ght er pi l ot must l earn and pract i ce t he basi c maneuvers and t hei r count ers. They do not i nsure t he pi l ot
t hat he wi l l become a t op- scorer t hat t akes somet hi ng more but wi t hout t hem, he l l be a si t t i ng duck.
JI NK
Ji nki ng i s randoml y banki ng and bobbi ng. It s a purel y def ensi ve maneuver desi gned t o upset your opponent s
ai m whi l e you l ook f or an opport uni t y t o st eer i nt o a more advant ageous posi t i on.
Ji nki ng i s ef f ect i ve onl y agai nst opponent s who are wi t hi n cl ose range. If your opponent i s at l ong range, your
Ji nki ng wi l l onl y produce sl i ght movement s out of hi s gun si ght s movement s t hat he wi l l f i nd easy t o
compensat e f or.
From a cl ose range, Ji nki ng can upset t he at t acker s ai m.
Ji nki ng has l ess ef f ect at l onger range.
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P URSUI T
When an opponent i s i n Pursui t , he s t urni ng i n order t o get ont o your t ai l . When you see Pursui t up i n t he t arget
wi ndow, i t i ndi cat es more of an i nt ent i on t han a part i cul ar set of maneuvers.
Death was our new trade. Weweretraining to beprofessional killers. Oneday at Tonopah, we
crowded into theday roomto hear an early combat veteran in thePacific, named Tex Hill, describe
his dogfights against theJ apanese. Man, wewerein awe. Shooting down an airplaneseemed an
incrediblefeat.
SCI SSORS
Sci ssors are a seri es of banks al ong an axi s t hat reduce downrange t ravel wi t hout cut t i ng engi ne power. The
name comes f rom t he cri ss- crossi ng mot i on of bot h pl anes t he pursued pi l ot banks t o get hi s at t acker t o
overshoot hi m, whi ch cal l s f or a si mi l ar react i on on t he part of t he at t acki ng pi l ot , whi ch causes t he def ender t o
bank t he opposi t e di rect i on, and so on. Bot h pi l ot s weave back and f ort h as t hey j ockey f or t he advant ageous 6
o cl ock posi t i on, creat i ng a sci ssor pat t ern. The more maneuverabl e ai rpl ane has t he advant age i n t hi s si t uat i on,
t hough t he pi l ot s speed and agi l i t y are i mport ant f act ors as wel l .
VERTI CAL SCI SSORS
Thi s i s t he same as t he Sci ssors but i s perf ormed i n t he vert i cal pl ane ei t her a cl i mb or a di ve.
LOOP
The Loop has remai ned a st andard evasi ve maneuver si nce i t was f i rst i mpl ement ed i n Worl d War I dogf i ght s over
Europe. It s ext remel y ef f ect i ve when t he at t acker i s cl ose behi nd you, but i t shoul d be used wi t h caut i on at l onger
ranges because of t he t i me i t al l ows opponent s t o f i re on you.
PERFORMI NG A LOOP
1. Increase power t o 100% and pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck.
When t he i nvert ed hori zon comes i nt o vi ew, check your si x o cl ock (F2 and scan up). You d bet t er know
where he went .
2. When t he upri ght hori zon comes i nt o vi ew, ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o t he cent er posi t i on.
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COUNTERI NG THE DEFENDER S LOOP
Fol l ow your opponent i nt o t he l oop, t aki ng any shot s at hi m t hat you can. You may want t o t urn your l oop i nt o an
Immel mann so you mai nt ai n an al t i t ude advant age over your opponent . Make sure you keep a cl ose eye on where
he s goi ng.
SP LI T S
Consi st i ng of a hal f rol l and a descent i nt o t he second hal f of a l oop, t he Spl i t S l et s you change headi ng whi l e
si mul t aneousl y gai ni ng speed.
PERFORMI NG A SPLI T S
1. Rol l t he ai rpl ane i nt o t he i nvert ed posi t i on.
2. Once you re i n i nvert ed f l i ght , pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck.
Wat ch your speed. You don t want t o get above your corner vel oci t y. If you need t o sl ow down i n your di ve,
use f l aps (press F) or ai r brakes (press B). If you re st i l l goi ng t oo f ast , drop your l andi ng gear (press G)
and/ or cut t hrot t l e.
3. When t he upri ght hori zon comes i nt o vi ew, ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o t he cent er posi t i on.
If you ve l ost t rack of your opponent , use t he vi ew keys t o spot hi m.
COUNTERI NG THE DEFENDER S SPLI T S
You st i l l hol d t he al t i t ude advant age when your opponent goes i nt o a Spl i t S. You can di ve af t er your opponent ,
wai t i n t he ski es above f or a more advant ageous di ve at t ack, or di sengage.
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# G E N . Y E A G E R ' S #
I MMELMANN
The Immel mann consi st s of a hal f l oop or vert i cal cl i mb f ol l owed by a hal f rol l . The Immel mann gi ves you t he
doubl e advant age of changi ng headi ng whi l e si mul t aneousl y gai ni ng al t i t ude.
The Immel mann can al l ow you t o make abrupt changes t o headi ng.
PERFORMI NG THE I MMELMANN
1. Increase power t o 100% and pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck as i f you were perf ormi ng a l oop.
2. When t he i nvert ed hori zon comes i nt o vi ew, ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o i t s cent er posi t i on.
If you ve l ost t rack of your opponent , use t he vi ew keys t o spot hi m.
3. Pul l t he f l i ght st i ck l ef t or ri ght and hal f rol l t he ai rpl ane t o l evel f l i ght .
COUNTERI NG THE ATTACKER S I MMELMANN
An at t acker mi ght pul l an Immel mann because he s about t o overshoot you or because he hol ds a speed
advant age agai nst your superi or maneuverabi l i t y. If he s about t o overshoot you and you have t he speed, count er
hi m wi t h an Immel mann of your own. If you don t have t he speed t o chase hi m, wai t t o see whi ch di rect i on he
goes when he pul l s out of t he Immel mann. Di ve t he opposi t e di rect i on i f you want t o di sengage. If you want t o
press t he at t ack, i ni t i at e a shal l ow cl i mb (such t hat you keep gai ni ng speed) and t ry t o f ol l ow hi s course. The l ast
t hi ng you want t o do i s l eave hi m wi t h a short rout e bet ween hi s nose and your t ai l .
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COUNTERI NG THE DEFENDER S I MMELMANN
If you have speed, f ol l ow your t arget . There s no use gi vi ng hi m al t i t ude over you. If you don t have t he speed t o
f ol l ow hi m, see Count eri ng t he At t acker s Immel mann above.
LOW YO- YO
The Low Yo- Yo i s a shal l ow di ve f ol l owed by a sharp cl i mb. It s purpose i s t o l et you pi ck up speed when you re
ot herwi se unabl e t o cl ose i n on a f l eei ng t arget . The at t acker has t he doubl e advant age of maki ng hi s at t ack i n
t he t arget s bl i nd spot .
Go i nt o a shal l ow di ve t o pi ck up speed, and t hen pul l up and t arget t he enemy s bel l y.
COUNTERI NG THE ATTACKER S LOW YO- YO
If your pursuer i s out of range and you suddenl y see hi m drop bel ow you, you can be sure he s at t acki ng wi t h a
Low Yo- Yo. Si nce i t s assumed t hat t he at t acker coul dn t cl ose on you, you have t he speed advant age i ni t i at e
a cl i mb. Thi s wi l l put di st ance bet ween you and t he at t acker. If you f eel gut sy, a l oop or a Hi gh Yo- Yo (Banked
Vari at i on) coul d put you on your at t acker s t ai l .
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HI GH YO- YO
The Hi gh Yo- Yo i s a st eep cl i mb f ol l owed by a di ve. The cl i mb l et s you bl eed of f power and avoi d overshoot i ng your
t arget
Pul l i nt o a cl i mb, and t hen di ve sharpl y on t he t arget .
B ARREL ROLL
Thi s def ensi ve maneuver t hrows your ai rpl ane i nt o a hori zont al corkscrew spi n. It s pri mary purpose i s t o upset
your opponent s ai m, but pul l i ng out of t he maneuver at an unexpect ed poi nt coul d very wel l shake an enemy of f
your t ai l .
PERFORMI NG THE BARREL ROLL
1. Increase power t o 100% . Pul l t he f l i ght st i ck back sl i ght l y, and t hen move t he f l i ght st i ck ri ght or l ef t t o
rol l t he ai rpl ane.
2. Compl et e as many revol ut i ons as you need.
COUNTERI NG A DEFENDER S BARREL ROLL
Fol l owi ng t he opponent i nt o t he Barrel Rol l works. As an al t ernat i ve, use a st rai ght Hi gh Yo- Yo t o cl i mb above and
come down on your spi ral i ng opponent .
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VARI ATI ONS F OR ADVANCED P I LOTS
Its always better to bethehammer than thenail.
LOW SP EED YO- YO ( B ANKED VARI ATI ON)
The banked vari at i on of t he Low Yo- Yo i s an of f ensi ve maneuver desi gned t o reduce t he angl e- of f bet ween t he
at t acker and hi s t arget . Whi l e breaki ng, t he at t acker goes i nt o a shal l ow di ve and t hen cl i mbs sharpl y, comi ng up
on t he t arget s t ai l .
Bot h Hi gh and Low Yo- Yos al l ows f or a qui ck and severe change i n headi ng. Looked at f rom above, you can see t hat t he change i n headi ng
(hori zont al rot at i on) i s i ncreased consi derabl y over t he ai rcraf t s normal rat e of t urn.
PERFORMI NG A LOW YO- YO (BANKED VARI ATI ON)
1. Push t he f l i ght st i ck f orward t o put t he ai rcraf t i nt o a shal l ow di ve.
Wat ch your speed. You don t want t o get above your corner vel oci t y. If you need t o sl ow down i n your di ve,
2. Once you ve di ved bel ow your t arget , pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck t o begi n your cl i mb.
3. On t he way up, bank t owards t arget f or a cl ear shot .
COUNTERI NG THE ATTACKER S LOW YO- YO (BANKED VARI ATI ON)
As i s of t en t he case, mi mi cki ng t he at t acker s act i on i s a good def ense t he def ender can at t empt t o go i nt o
t he Low Yo- Yo wi t h t he at t acker. Anot her usef ul count er i s t o cont i nue your break whi l e t he at t acker di ves, and
t hen f l i p i nt o a Spl i t S, pul l i ng up onl y when t he at t acker has begun hi s cl i mb.
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HI GH YO- YO ( B ANKED VARI ATI ON)
The Hi gh Yo- Yo i s l i ke a Low Yo- Yo i n reverse a st eep break/ cl i mb f ol l owed by a di ve. Li ke t he Low Yo- Yo, t he
Hi Yo- Yo al so reduces angl e- of f , gi vi ng t he at t acker a bet t er shot . Thi s maneuver assumes t hat you have t he
speed t o pul l i nt o a st eep cl i mb and t hat you re t ravel i ng much f ast er t han your t arget .
PERFORMI NG A HI GH YO- YO (BANKED VARI ATI ON)
1. Pul l t he f l i ght st i ck back t o cl i mb.
2. Once you ve cl i mbed above your t arget , push t oward on t he f l i ght st i ck t o begi n your di ve.
3. On t he way down bank t owards t he t arget f or a cl ear shot .
COUNTERI NG THE ATTACKER S HI GH YO- YO (BANKED VARI ATI ON)
A Spl i t S can be an ef f ect i ve count ermeasure i f perf ormed ri ght as t he at t acker begi ns hi s cl i mb. Si mi l arl y, doi ng
an Immel mann at t he begi nni ng of t he at t acker s di ve wi l l al so work, especi al l y i f combi ned wi t h an ai l eron rol l
and a 90 change i n headi ng.
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ROLLAWAY
Thi nk of a Rol l away as t he f i rst hal f of a banked Hi gh Yo- Yo f ol l owed by a Spl i t S.
PERFORMI NG A ROLLAWAY
1. Move t he f l i ght st i ck ri ght or l ef t t o rol l t he ai rcraf t i nt o a 45 bank, and t hen pul l back on t he f l i ght
st i ck.
2. Once you ve reached t he t op of your arc, rol l t he ai rcraf t away f rom your opponent s t urn.
3. Level of f i nvert ed and pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck.
4. When t he hori zon comes back i nt o vi ew, ret urn t he f l i ght st i ck t o cent er.
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HI GH G B ARREL ROLL
The Hi gh G Barrel Barrel Rol l i s perf ormed i n a t urn and, when perf ormed correct l y, can qui ckl y t ransf orm t he
def ender i nt o an at t acker. Thi s maneuver i s onl y ef f ect i ve i f t he at t acker i s ri ght on your t ai l .
PERFORMI NG A HI GH G BARREL ROLL
1. Pul l t he f l i ght st i ck ri ght or l ef t t o rol l t he ai rcraf t i nt o a 45 di ve or cl i mb. You want t o break across your
opponent s f l i ght pat h.
2. Ini t i at e a Barrel Rol l away f rom t he t urn.
COUNTERI NG AN ATTACKER S HI GH G BARREL ROLL
Use a st rai ght Hi gh Yo- Yo t o cl i mb above and come down on your spi ral i ng opponent .
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B ARREL ROLL ATTACK
The Barrel Rol l At t ack l et s t he at t acker avoi d an overshoot when hi s t arget breaks.
PERFORMI NG A BARREL ROLL ATTACK
1. As soon as t he opponent breaks, l evel of f .
2. Pul l back on t he f l i ght st i ck t o pul l up t he nose.
3. Ini t i at e a Barrel Rol l away f rom t he t arget s break.
4. Pul l i n behi nd t he def ender agai n.
COUNTERI NG AN ATTACKER S BARREL ROLL ATTACK
Your best bet i n count eri ng a Barrel Rol l At t ack i s t o reverse your break, t hus cut t i ng across hi s pat h (sci ssori ng).
A more dangerous al t ernat i ve i s t o di ve away f rom t he at t ack.
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SP I RAL DI VE
The Spi ral Di ve i s j ust what t he name says a spi ral l i ng di ve t o t he f l oor. Thi s i s a hard def ensi ve maneuver
and i s, i n f act , dangerous a ski l l ed at t acker can easi l y f ol l ow t he def ender down, t aki ng as many opport uni t y
shot s as he can.
PERFORMI NG A SPI RAL DI VE
1. Move t he f l i ght st i ck t o t he ri ght or l ef t , and t hen push i t al l t he way f orward. When t he ground f i l l s your
f orward vi ew, pul l t he st i ck back t o cent er(however, mai nt ai n t he ri ght or l ef t rol l ).
2. Wat ch your speed. You don t want t o get above your corner vel oci t y. If you need t o sl ow down i n your di ve,
3. Let t he at t acker overt ake you i n t he di ve.
COUNTERI NG A DEFENDER S SPI RAL DI VE
The i ni t i at i ve i s yours. You can drop f l aps (press F) and/ or ai r brakes (press B) and di ve af t er hi m, or you can wai t
above and l ook f or a bet t er at t ack opport uni t y. What ever you do, keep t he pressure on hi m.
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GUNNERY SCHOOL
Yourea confident hunter and with a rock-steady trigger finger. You pick your spot slightly below,
so you can pull up, lead hima little, and avoid being hit by burning metal when hedisintegrates...
Aeri al gunni ng i s an art , but one t hat can be l earned wi t h pat i ence and pract i ce. Shoot i ng a f ast - movi ng t arget
f rom an equal l y f ast - movi ng pl at f orm i s consi derabl y more compl ex t han shoot i ng a sl i ngshot at an empt y bot t l e.
The f act ors t hat come i nt o pl ay are:
Target range
Fl i ght pat h
Def l ect i on angl e
Hol dover angl e
Leadi ng
Gun si ght t ype
Each of t hese f act ors are di scussed bel ow assumi ng you have t he si mpl est ki nd of gun si ght one t hat does
not account f or any of t hese f act ors.
TARGET RANGE
Improved guns not wi t hst andi ng, f i ght er pi l ot s rarel y hi t t arget s beyond 4500 f t . At ranges of 2625 f t or l ess, t hey
st and an excel l ent chance of hi t t i ng t hei r opponent s wi t h l ow def l ect i on shot s. Target range af f ect s al l ot her
f act ors, and t hese ef f ect s wi l l be descri bed i n t he f ol l owi ng sect i ons.
F LI GHT P ATH
Bul l et s f l y st rai ght af t er you shoot t hem. That may sound obvi ous, but seei ng t hi s i n a dogf i ght can be
di sconcert i ng t o novi ce pi l ot s. If you re on an enemy s t ai l and bot h of you are i n a t i ght t urn, your bul l et s wi l l f al l
f ar behi nd hi m even t hough he s st eady i n your si ght s.
The rul e i s, t he more g s you re pul l i ng, t he harder you re t urni ng, and t he
f art her your bul l et s wi l l f al l behi nd. The ef f ect of your f l i ght pat h (t he amount
of g s you re pul l i ng when you f i re) i s t he most i mport ant consi derat i on i n f i ri ng
your guns.
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DEF LECTI ON ANGLE
The def l ect i on angl e i s t he angul ar di f f erence bet ween your f l i ght pat h and t hat of your t arget . An ai rpl ane f l yi ng
di rect l y away f rom you has a def l ect i on angl e of 0 , whi l e an ai rpl ane f l yi ng perpendi cul arl y across your nose has
a def l ect i on angl e of 90. The hi gher t he def l ect i on angl e, t he harder i t i s t o hi t t he t arget because i t spends l ess
t i me crossi ng your vi sual f i el d.
A 90 def l ect i on angl e i s t he hardest t o hi t
0 def l ect i on angl e an easy ki l l
Basi cal l y, i f your t arget i s f l yi ng di rect l y away f rom you, your bul l et s f ol l ow hi m and have t he best chance of
hi t t i ng. If he s f l yi ng across your f l i ght pat h, however, and you f i re your guns when he s i n your si ght s, he l l be
l ong gone by t he t i me t he bul l et s reach where he was when you f i red. The more def l ect i on angl e t here i s bet ween
you and your t arget , t he f art her your bul l et s wi l l f al l behi nd. The def l ect i on angl e i s t he second most i mport ant
consi derat i on i n f i ri ng your guns, and i t doesn t have nearl y as much ef f ect as f l i ght pat h.
HOLDOVER ANGLE
The hol dover angl e i s t he ef f ect gravi t y has on t he pat h of your bul l et s. When you f i re your guns, gravi t y pul l s
t hem down so t hey go l ower t han your gun si ght i ndi cat es. In t he cl ose ranges you deal wi t h i n dogf i ght i ng,
however, t hi s ef f ect i s so smal l compared t o t he ot hers t hat i t can be saf el y i gnored.
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LEADI NG
Wi t h most gun si ght s, you have t o adj ust f or range, f l i ght pat h, and def l ect i on angl e on your own. To do t hi s, you
l ead t he enemy, whi ch i s t o say you ai m your gun si ght where you bel i eve t he enemy wi l l be af t er t he bul l et covers
t he di st ance bet ween you.
The si ngl e most i mport ant f act or you need t o account f or i s f l i ght pat h. The more g s you re pul l i ng, t he f art her
ahead of your enemy you must ai m t o hi t . If he has a hi gh def l ect i on angl e, you must ai m even f urt her ahead of
hi m. If he i s at ext reme range, you have t o ai m even f urt her ahead. Al l t hese f act ors requi re pract i ce t o mast er,
and even t he best aces aren t perf ect at perf ormi ng t hese on- t he- f l y est i mat es.
Some gun si ght s account f or f l i ght pat h and range, ot hers don t . You have t o know what t ype of gun si ght you re
usi ng bef ore you can accurat el y guess how much you must l ead your t arget s.
GUN SI GHT TYP E
Worl d War II
These ai rpl anes had t he si mpl est gun si ght possi bl e i t shows you exact l y t he di rect i on t he bul l et s f l y t he
i nst ant you f i re t hem. You have t o adj ust f or range, f l i ght pat h, and def l ect i on angl e on your own. Thi s t ype of
dogf i ght i ng requi res t he most l eadi ng.
Korea
These ai rpl anes have t he abi l i t y t o adj ust f or f l i ght pat h, so hal f t he bat t l e i s sol ved by t he pi pper (t he ci rcl e-
shaped si ght ). Thi s pi pper det ermi nes how many g s you re pul l i ng and moves t o compensat e f or your f l i ght pat h,
but i t assumes t hat t he t arget i s 1200 f eet ahead of you. If t he t arget i s f art her away t han t hat , you must
manual l y l ead t he t arget a l i t t l e t o account f or t he i ncreased range. Li kewi se, i f t he t arget i t cl oser t han 1200
f eet , you must t rai l t he t arget a bi t . Addi t i onal l y, you must al ways manual l y adj ust f or def l ect i on angl e i f
appropri at e. (Ot herwi se, i f your t arget happens t o be exact l y 1200 f eet ahead of you, i n l evel f l i ght , and f l yi ng
di rect l y away f rom you, put hi m i n your si ght and you l l score di rect hi t s.)
Hi nt : If you di spl ay t he Target Wi ndow (press Shi f t - 3), i t t el l s you t he exact l i ne- of - si ght di st ance bet ween you
and your t arget .
Vi et nam
These ai rpl anes have a si ght si mi l ar t o t hose used i n Korea, wi t h t he addi t i onal advant age of radar. If your radar
i s t urned on, t he gun si ght det ermi nes t he exact range of t he enemy and uses t hat i n i t s f l i ght pat h cal cul at i ons.
The onl y adj ust ment you have t o make i s f or def l ect i on angl e. If you do not have your radar t urned on, t he gun
si ght works exact l y l i ke t hose i n Korea.
THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSF UL STRI KE
Get cl oser. When you t hi nk you re cl ose enough, get even cl oser. If t he t arget doesn t know you re t here, l et hi m f i l l
your f i el d of vi ew bef ore you open f i re. The cl oser you are, t he l ess l eadi ng you have t o do, and t he more bul l et s
wi l l ri p t hrough hi s ai rpl ane.
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F I GHTER TACTI CS
Theres no joy in killing someone, but theres real satisfaction when you outfly a guy and destroy his
machine. Thats thecontest: human skill and machineperformance.
Thi s chapt er i s about f i ght er t act i cs and how t o use Ai r Combat s cont rol s t o your advant age. Some of t he t act i cs
descri bed here are good pri nci pl es of ai r combat t hat f i ght er pi l ot s have devel oped and respect ed over t he years.
Ot her t act i cs may onl y appl y t o t he era you re f l yi ng i n.
The chapt er i s di vi ded i nt o sect i ons t hat descri be f our phases of ai r combat , wi t hout whi ch any di scussi on of ai r
warf are i s i ncompl et e. The f our phases are:
Det ect i on
Cl osi ng
At t ack
Maneuver
At t he end of t he chapt er, you l l f i nd more sect i ons wi t h speci f i c approaches t o evadi ng mi ssi l es and at t acki ng
bombers and ground t arget s.
DETECTI ON
Locat i ng t he enemy bef ore he l ocat es you gi ves you t he i ni t i at i ve. The cunni ng pi l ot knows t hat earl y det ect i on
l et s hi m st ack as many odds i n hi s f avor as t i me al l ows al t i t ude, speed, rel at i ve posi t i on, correct weapon
choi ce gi vi ng hi m a l arge advant age over hi s opponent .
In World War I, detecting theenemy was simply a matter of having good eyesight, knowing what to
look for, staying alert. Sincethen, other means of detecting theenemy havebeen introduced.
Formation flying and radio communications haveincreased theindividual pilots awareness by
adding moreeyes in thesky. Its obviously moredifficult to sneak up on a formation than on a guy
flying alone. Then, fromWorld War II on, you saw theuseof ground radar, which helped point fighter
aircraft in thedirection of incoming enemies. Now fighters themselves carry radar and scan long
rangefor targets.
VI SUAL DETECTI ON
The Vi ew keys are among t he most i mport ant t ool s i n t he game. F1- F4 can be pressed f ai rl y qui ckl y you shoul d
make a habi t of doi ng j ust t hat when you re not t oo busy dogf i ght i ng. You don t have a wi ngman, so keep your
eyes open!
In a sky filled with airplanes, I needed to keep my head on a swivel to avoid getting hit, being shot
down, or running into somebody. Thebest survival tactic always was to check your tail constantly
and stay alert.
The Scan keys are ef f ect i ve, t oo, especi al l y when used wi t h Forward Vi ew (F1). The Forward Vi ew i s t he onl y vi ew
f rom whi ch you can t arget an opponent .
To get a f ast 360 scan of t he hori zon, press F2, and t hen use t he ri ght / l ef t arrow keys t o rot at e your vi ew i n a
compl et e ci rcl e. Not e, however, t hat your bel l y i s st i l l a bl i nd spot and you re vul nerabl e i f you rel y onl y on t hi s
means of vi sual det ect i on.
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ZOOM OUT WHEN YOU RE HUNTI NG FOR TARGETS
You want t he wi dest possi bl e vi ew whi l e searchi ng f or t arget s. Zoomi ng out t o 1 i ncreases your f i el d of vi si on.
Press t he mi nus (- ) key t o zoom out . Use i t and spot t he bandi t s earl y.
ZOOM I N FOR YEAGER VI SI ON
If an ai rpl ane i s t oo f ar away t o i dent i f y, press t he pl us (+ ) key t o zoom i n. If t hi s f eel s l i ke cheat i ng, remember
t hat most aces have above average eyesi ght . Yeager s, f or i nst ance, i s st i l l 20/ 10 doubl e t hat of t he normal
human.
My biggest tactical advantagewas my eyes. I spotted himfromgreat distances, knowing hecouldnt
seemebecausehewas only a dimspeck. Sometimes henever did seeme or when hedid, it was too
late.
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OF SILK AND SIXES

A silk scar f is t he t r ademar k of fight er pilot s, but it s not wor n just t o impr ess a bar maid. The
t r adit ion goes back t o t he ear liest days of air combat , when Wor ld War I pilot s climbed int o
t heir wood and canvas cr at es and t ook t o t he sky. At 10,000 feet in an open cockpit , t he
desir e t o st ay war m is under st andable. But fight er pilot s soon discover ed t hat wear ing a
wool scar f wouldnt cut it . Act ually, t he pr oblem was t hat wool cut t oo much namely t he
pilot s necks. In t he cour se of a mission, a fight er pilot t ur ned his head so oft en t o check his
six t hat a wool scar f made his neck r aw. The logical solut ion t o t he pr oblem somet hing
t hat would keep t hem war m but not chafe t heir necks was silk.
USI NG THE TARGET WI NDOW
When used properl y, t he Target Wi ndow can provi de you wi t h more t han j ust det ect i on i nf ormat i on i t cont ai ns
dat a t hat s usef ul i n al l phases of ai r combat .
The Target Wi ndow shows t he t arget ed ai rcraf t as he appears t o you or woul d appear t o you i f he were i n vi sual
range. Though subt l e, t hi s vi sual i nf ormat i on communi cat es a l ot about hi s rel at i ve posi t i on t o you.
1. You can see i f he s movi ng t oward or away f rom you.
2. You can t el l i f he s above or bel ow you by t he col or of t he background. If you can see t he ground behi nd
t he t arget , you re above hi m; i f bl ue sky i s bl azi ng over hi s ai rpl ane, he s above you. If t he t arget wi ndow
i s spl i t , t he t arget i s at a more or l ess equal al t i t ude.
3. You can est i mat e hi s headi ng. For i nst ance, i n t he t arget wi ndow bel ow, t he ai rpl ane (whi ch i s i n f ront of
you) i s veeri ng t o your ri ght .
Around t he ai rpl ane vi ew i s ot her usef ul i nf ormat i on t he t ype of ai rpl ane as wel l as i t s l ocat i on, speed, and
range. The maneuver current l y bei ng perf ormed by t he t arget al so appears at t he t op of t he wi ndow. Ant i ci pat i ng
your enemy s next move i s never easy, so knowi ng what he s up t o gi ves you a huge advant age.
Hi nt : Si nce t hi s i s consi dered a hel p f eat ure, you may want t o use F7 and F8 vi ews i nst ead t o get a sense of
where t he enemy i s i n rel at i on t o you.
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Speed
Pi l ot s experi ence
(no dot s = Amat eur)
no dot s = Amat eur
. = Medi ocre
.. = Good
... = Excel l ent
Ai rcraf t t ype
Maneuver
Locat i on
Di st ance
RADAR
Radar t ransmi t s hi gh f requency waves i n a 90 arc of f t he nose of your ai rpl ane. These waves ref l ect of f of
obj ect s and ret urn t o your si gnal recei ver, whi ch t ransl at es t he waves i nt o obj ect s wi t h speci f i c si ze, range, and
headi ng. Your radar uni t can sense t arget s at ranges of up t o 60 mi l es.
Be caref ul ! Swi t chi ng on your radar i s l i ke l i ght i ng a t orch i n a dark room. Enemi es everywhere are guarant eed t o
sense your act i ve radar, and t hey l l know your posi t i on and range, t oo. Though you can use radar bri ef l y t o det ect
enemi es, you l l need t o t urn i t on f or ext ended peri ods when f i ri ng radar- gui ded mi ssi l es. Your l ead- comput i ng
gun si ght al so needs radar t o cal cul at e t he t arget s range.
AI R COMBAT S SPECI AL DETECTI ON
The hel p wi ndows can gi ve you ext raordi nary powers of det ect i on.
The Map Wi ndow (Shi f t - 1) shows you t he general di rect i on of al l f ri endl y and host i l e
ai rcraf t around you i t s act ual l y bet t er t han radar because no enemi es know you re
usi ng i t . Thi s i s not unl i ke modern AWACs.
DI RECTI ON TO NEAREST ENEMY
You can know t he cl ock di rect i on t o your nearest enemy by pressi ng Ct r l - Z. Hi s l ocat i on wi l l appear i n t he
Warni ng/ Communi cat i ons l i ne at t he t op of t he HUD.
Youvegot to really pay attention to whos friendly and whos not. When I shot down thosefour 190s,
therewereabout 150 Me-109s and 50 FW-190s thats 200 fighters versus our P-51 group, which
was about 46 airplanes. And all at once, theres airplanes going every which way in thesky! You
really got to watch out guys getting on your tail, mid-air collisions, that sort of stuff.
CLOSI NG
There i s no gol den rul e f or cl osi ng i n on a t arget except t hat you want t o mai nt ai n t he el ement of surpri se i f
possi bl e. To do t hi s, you want t o st ay out of si ght and move qui ckl y.
APPROACH FROM THE TARGET S BLI ND SPOT
Fi ght er pi l ot s wi l l t ypi cal l y see you i f you re anywhere i n f ront of t hem, so you shoul d approach t hem f rom t he rear.
The i nexperi enced pi l ot won t be checki ng hi s si x as of t en as he shoul d. The f i ght er pi l ot s bl i nd spot i s bel ow and
behi nd hi s ai rpl ane, and t hi s i s a good di rect i on f rom whi ch t o cl ose.
If your radar i s on, f i ght ers wi t h radar wi l l det ect and i nst ant l y know your l ocat i on. The moral of t he st ory don t
f l i p on your radar swi t ch unt i l you re ready t o f i re, and be prepared t o act i f your mi ssi l e f ai l s t o hi t .
Bombers can see i n al l di rect i ons, so t here s no way t o approach t hem wi t hout t hei r knowi ng i t .
SLASH ATTACK
It s obvi ous t hat t he l ess t i me you spend cl osi ng, t he l ess t i me your t arget wi l l have t o spot you. Thi s i s one way i n
whi ch an al t i t ude advant age i s i mport ant . Al t i t ude i s a reservoi r of energy t hat can be qui ckl y t urned i nt o speed
by di vi ng. Not onl y do you cl ose i n on your t arget swi f t l y, t he di ve l eaves you wi t h a hi gh st ore of ki net i c energy
t hat can be used f or ot her maneuvers a Cl i mb, Yo- Yo, et c. or t o escape i f t he odds aren t i n your f avor.
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Speed i s al l i mport ant i n t he at t ack phase. An ai rpl ane won t even need maneuverabi l i t y i f t he at t ack i s f ast and
t he pi l ot i s accurat e. If your ai rpl ane i s very f ast but not as maneuverabl e as your opponent s, you can use
repeat ed sl ash at t acks t o avoi d a dogf i ght .
ATTACK
Once t he at t ack begi ns, t here s no goi ng back. As Yeager says, If you get an advant age, you ve got t o press i t
home.
GUN ATTACKS
Vul nerabi l i t y Cones
For f i ght ers wi t h f i xed, f orward- shoot i ng guns t he norm i n f i ght er desi gn af t er Worl d War I a t arget s
angl e of def l ect i on i s i mport ant (see Gunnery School f or a compl et e expl anat i on).
For f i ght er pi l ot s i n al l wars, t he maxi mum angl e of def l ect i on has remai ned around 45. At an angl e of 45 or
l ess, most pi l ot s st and a chance of keepi ng t hei r si ght s on t hei r t arget and hi t t i ng i t . Thi s angl e f orms t he
t arget s vul nerabi l i t y cone.
Nat ural l y, t he smal l er t he angl e of def l ect i on, t he bet t er t he at t acker s chance of hi t t i ng hi s t arget . Wi t hi n a f ew
preci ous degrees, t he at t acker s chance of hi t t i ng ri ses dramat i cal l y. Thi s i s t he t arget s l et hal cone.
Improvement s i n gun si ght s have i ncreased t he si ze of t he t arget s l et hal cone f rom 15 i n Worl d War II t o 30 i n
Vi et nam.
For more on maki ng successf ul gun at t acks, see Gunnery School .
ATTACKI NG WI TH MI SSI LES
In Vi et nam, t he act ual ki l l rat e wi t h mi ssi l es was very l ow, whi ch was one reason why t he gun was l at er i nst al l ed
on t he F- 4 Phant om. Even so, your Vi et nam era ai rpl anes are equi pped wi t h mi ssi l es, and you shoul d use t hem i n
combat you have not hi ng t o l ose, and you coul d score an easy ki l l wi t h one.
Mi ssi l e ranges are summari zed i n t he f ol l owi ng t abl e:
Mi ssi l e Max. Range Mi n. Range
Sparrow 4 mi l es 1 1/ 2 mi l es
Si dewi nder 2 mi l es 1/ 4 mi l e
K- 13 At ol l 2 mi l es 1/ 4 mi l e
Wi t hi n t he mi ni mum range, your mi ssi l e doesn t have enough room t o get a l ock on t he t arget and det onat e
properl y.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SURPRISE
It s est imat ed t hat some 80% of air combat vict ims wer e never even awar e t hey wer e under
at t ack unt il t hey wer e alr eady plunging t owar d t he ear t h. The r omant ic image of air war far e
a s a civilize d due l a mon g spor t in g in dividua ls wit h e r s n e xt t o t h is a st on ish in g fa ct . Air
combat may be t he ult imat e challenge, but fair play is not t he r ule. Air combat is and has
always been a life and deat h event , one which t he successful fight er pilot will do anyt hing t o
sur vive. If t his means shoot ing an unwar y opponent in t he back, so be it .
If anyone believes t hat air war far e was not always such a cold, calculat ing affair , it should be
r emember ed t hat t he pr emier ace of Wor ld War I, Manfr ed von Richt ofen, made a car eer of
cir cling high above t he swir ling dogfight s, diving only on t he unwar y st r aggler s whod left t he
safet y of t heir squadr ons.
Radar- Gui ded Mi ssi l es
The Sparrow i s gui ded by radar waves emi t t ed by your radar and ref l ect ed back of f t he t arget . Your radar must be
on and you must mai nt ai n a t arget l ock whi l e t he mi ssi l e i s i n f l i ght . Not e, however, t hat you can sel ect a new
t arget whi l e t he mi ssi l e i s i n f l i ght . The new t arget must be wi t hi n t he mi ssi l e s seeker i n order f or i t t o t rack.
Si nce Sparrows have a l onger range t han heat - seeki ng mi ssi l es, you shoul d use t hem f or l ong- di st ance at t acks
(f rom any di rect i on) and save your Si dewi nders f or i n- f i ght i ng. Because of t he sensi t i vi t y of t he seeker on t he
mi ssi l e, i t s usel ess t o f i re a mi ssi l e i n a t urn great er t han 3 g s.
Heat - Seeki ng Mi ssi l es
Si dewi nders and K- 13 At ol l s are f i re- and- f orget weapons once t hey re l aunched, t hey ei t her hi t or t hey don t .
Nevert hel ess, you shoul d not f i re unt i l you have a t arget l ock. You must be behi nd your opponent and i n f ul l vi ew
of hi s engi nes. Because of t he sensi t i vi t y of t he seeker on t he mi ssi l e, i t s usel ess t o f i re a mi ssi l e i n a t urn
great er t han 3 g s.
Heat - seeki ng mi ssi l es can be di st ract ed by ot her heat - emi t t i ng obj ect such as t he sun and t ropi cal j ungl e f l oors.
Hi t t i ng t arget s bel ow t he hori zon or i n t he sun can be di f f i cul t .
TRACKI NG ANOTHER OPPONENT WHI LE YOU ATTACK
If you re cl osi ng on t wo enemi es, chances are t hey l l break i n opposi t e di rect i ons when you at t ack. You want t o
press your at t ack on one of t he pl anes whi l e keepi ng an eye on t he ot her. Here s a t ri ck. Target t he opponent you
AREN T f ol l owi ng. Once you ve shot down t he unt arget ed pl ane, t he t arget marker wi l l t el l you where t o f i nd t he
ot her pl ane.
At t ack t he ai rpl ane t hat i sn t t arget ed.
LET YEAGER BE YOUR WI NGMAN
When you re concent rat i ng on your at t ack, i t hel ps t o have a wi ngman who can check si x f or you. Let Yeager al ert
you t o bandi t s on your si x. Press Shi f t - 4 t o t urn t he Yeager Wi ndow on and of f .
Bandi t on your si x!
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MANEUVER
When an i ni t i al at t ack f ai l s and t he el ement of surpri se has been l ost , each pi l ot perf orms a seri es of maneuvers
and count er- maneuvers unt i l one opponent successf ul l y di sengages or i s shot down. Thi s maneuveri ng phase i s
what s t radi t i onal l y known as t he dogf i ght t he rel at i vel y but i nt ensel y act i ve peri od i n whi ch each pi l ot t wi st s
and gyrat es i n an at t empt t o get i nt o hi s opponent s cone of vul nerabi l i t y.
Though ai r combat i s compl ex, random movement wi l l not wi n t he day. At any gi ven poi nt i n a dogf i ght , t here are
good and bad maneuvers a wrong response t o a si t uat i on can spel l a pi l ot s deat h i f l uck i sn t on hi s si de.
Nonet hel ess, no ai r combat scenari o i s scri pt ed f rom t he st art . It s t he i ndi vi dual pi l ot wi t h hi s own
experi ence, awareness, and abi l i t y t o handl e hi s equi pment t hat makes every ai r combat encount er
unpredi ct abl e.
Dogfighting is a clean contest of skill, stamina, and courage oneon one.
PURSUI T
Pursui t can be di f f i cul t once t he t arget has moved of f of t he screen. Here are some ways t o overcome t hi s
di f f i cul t y.
USI NG THE TARGET MARKER
Whenever a t arget ed opponent i s not i n f orward vi ew of your cockpi t t hat i s, he s above, bel ow, of f t o a si de, or
behi nd you a smal l X (t he t arget marker) i ndi cat es whi ch di rect i on you need t o t ravel i n order t o get back i nt o
a f i ri ng posi t i on. Thi s di rect i on i s t he short est possi bl e rout e bet ween t he nose of your ai rcraf t and t he enemy
pl ane. Not e t hat t hi s i s not necessari l y t he best rout e at l ow al t i t udes, you coul d auger i n f ol l owi ng t he
short est rout e t o your t arget !
If your pri mary obj ect i ve at t he moment i s t o bri ng t he enemy i nt o vi ew, bank unt i l t he t arget marker i s at t he t op
of t he screen, and t hen pul l back on t he st i ck unt i l t he marker i s i n t he cent er. Once you get hi m i nt o your si ght s,
l et hi m have i t .
Usi ng Pl ane Target Vi ew t o Pursue
If your opponent i s nearby but of f of t he screen, you can use t he Pl ane Target vi ew (F7) t o cont i nue f ol l owi ng
hi m (remember, t he opponent must current l y be t arget ed). Wi t h t hi s vi ew, you l l know i mmedi at el y i f he reverses
di rect i on.
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Target marker
x
Usi ng Up 45 Vi ew i n a Turn
When you re hard on your opponent s t ai l and t urni ng wi t h hi m, you can use t he Up 45 vi ew t o qui ckl y see how
cl ose he i s. If he s real cl ose, you may want t o drop ai r brakes or f l aps t o bl eed of f a l i t t l e speed t hi s wi l l gi ve
you a t i ght er t urn and pul l hi m i nt o your gun si ght s.
Not e: You coul d ease of f on t he t hrot t l e, but f l aps act more qui ckl y. You al so don t have t o wast e t i me l at er
bri ngi ng your engi ne back up t o speed.
ALTI TUDE VS. SPEED
Fi ght er pi l ot s have a sayi ng: Speed i s l i f e. By t hi s, t hey don t mean t hat goi ng f ast er i s al ways bet t er t han
goi ng sl ower. If you re goi ng so f ast t hat you overshoot your opponent , you ve def eat ed t he purpose of mai nt ai ni ng
speed.
The Speed i s l i f e maxi m i s si mpl y a remi nder t hat you al ways want t o have enough speed t o maneuver i n any
di rect i on. Too much speed means t hat you can t t urn qui ckl y you re barrel i ng al ong but you can t pul l t he g s.
Too l i t t l e speed means t hat you can t cl i mb or t urn at al l al l you can do i s pet er al ong i n l evel f l i ght .
It hel ps t o i magi ne a f i ght er s speed as a l i mi t ed resource, j ust l i ke i t s f uel . Cl i mbi ng and hard maneuveri ng
cost t he pi l ot speed as hi s ai rpl ane f i ght s gravi t y and drag. The engi ne gi ves you back some of t hi s l ost speed,
but you may be maneuveri ng t oo hard t o get i t al l back. You begi n l osi ng speed at a f ast er rat e t han you repl ace
i t . What do you do?
In ai r combat , an ai rpl ane s energy st at e i s more i mport ant t han i t s speed. Your energy st at e i s t he combi ned
energy of your speed and your l ocat i on. Your ai rpl ane s al t i t ude i s an energy resource you can use. Si nce your
ai rpl ane once t raded energy f or al t i t ude i t spent energy cl i mbi ng you can t rade al t i t ude f or energy by
di vi ng.
The f act t hat al t i t ude can be convert ed i nt o speed and maneuveri ng power i s why Yeager says, Keep as much
al t i t ude advant age as possi bl e. Al t i t ude i s a real advant age. Your opponent must expend energy t o come up
af t er you, whi l e you have t he opt i on t o make a sl ashi ng di ve at t ack.
Some general rul es can be f ormul at ed f rom t he energy st at e concept (i f you remember t hat al l rul es have t o be
broken on occasi on):
Don t wast e energy on maneuvers t hat don t have a use
Cl i mb when you can
Di ve i f you need t he speed
Wat ch where you are i n t he envel ope don t st art a maneuver t hat wi l l l eave you goi ng t oo sl owl y
You fought wide-open, full-throttle. With experience, you knew beforea kill when you weregoing to
score. Onceyou zeroed in, began to outmaneuver your opponent whileclosing in, you becamea cat
with a mouse. You set himup and therewas no way out: both of you knew hewas finished.
MI SSI LE EVASI ON TECHNI QUES
As soon as you det ect a host i l e mi ssi l e, you shoul d drop t he appropri at e count ermeasure devi ces: f l ares i f i t s a
heat - seeki ng mi ssi l e, or chaf f i f i t s a radar gui ded- mi ssi l e.
Your next move shoul d be a hard def ensi ve break. Mi ssi l e seekers have narrow f i el ds of vi si on. Inf rared mi ssi l es
can easi l y l ose t hei r l ock once your engi nes are out of t hei r si ght . The break wi l l be l ess ef f ect i ve agai nst radar-
gui ded mi ssi l es, but i f you t urn sharpl y, t hey may not be abl e t o t urn wi t h you.
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Remember , F1 always get s you back t o For war d view.
Watch your fuel in a dogfight. Its an easy enough mistakefor inexperienced pilots.
ATTACKI NG B OMB ERS
Bombers don t have t he speed and agi l i t y of f i ght er, but t hey are t ypi cal l y wel l - armed and, wi t h so many eyes on
board, are never surpri sed. To i ncrease your chances of survi val , you must st ay out of as many gun si ght s as you
can and come i n at an angl e at whi ch t he gunners have t he l east chance of hi t t i ng you. To do t hi s, you have t o
know t he where t he t urret s are on your t arget .
GUN MOUNTS
Guns can swi ng i n 60 hori zont al and vert i cal arcs.
HI T PROBABI LI TI ES
Due t o t he f act t hat a bomber i s movi ng f orward, an i ndi vi dual gunner s chances of hi t t i ng you vary dependi ng on
hi s l ocat i on. Not e, however, t hat al l gun posi t i ons have a smal l er chance of hi t t i ng you t he harder you re
maneuveri ng (cl i mbi ng, di vi ng, or t urni ng).
FRONTAL ATTACKS
Wi t h combi ned cl osi ng speeds of over 500 mph, t he gunners chances of hi t t i ng you are not good. In addi t i on t o
f i ri ng on a qui ckl y approachi ng t arget , t hey must cope wi t h t he t hought t hat i f t hey act ual l y dest roy you, l arge
pi eces of your di si nt egrat i ng ai rpl ane coul d hi t t hem!
FLANK ATTACKS
The wai st - gunner of t he B- 17 i s goi ng t o have probl ems hi t t i ng you. Hi s gun, whi ch he must move by hand, i s
st i cki ng out i nt o a 200 mph wi nd. He must not onl y f i re i nt o t hi s wi nd, he has t o compensat e f or any di f f i cul t
def l ect i on angl e you put bet ween you and t he bomber. Expect wai st - gunners t o hi t l ess of t en t han any ot her.
REAR ATTACKS
The rear gunner has t he best chances of hi t t i ng you. Wi t h your pl ane cl osi ng at around 100 mph, he has pl ent y of
t i me t o t ake hi s ai m, and a power- operat ed t urret onl y makes hi s j ob easi er. In addi t i on, he s packi ng t wi n .50
cal i ber machi ne guns (B- 17) or 20 mm cannons (B- 29 and B- 52) t hat can do a j ob on your l i t t l e f i ght er.
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FI GHTER APPROACHES
Avoi d rear at t acks on bombers, especi al l y i f t hey re i n a group or t hey have experi enced crews.
Front at t acks requi re good marksmanshi p and a l ot of courage. Indeed, t he Luf t waf f e consi dered head- on at t acks
t he most ef f ect i ve means of shoot i ng down bombers, despi t e t he f act t hat a l ot of t i me was l ost overt aki ng t he
bombers f or each successi ve at t ack.
Some good al t ernat i ves t o t he head onat t ack i s t o approach f rom t he si des due t o t he rel at i ve i mpot ence of t he
guns t here. An ext remel y ski l l ed pi l ot coul d even sl i p i n hori zont al l y bet ween t he areas t he t urret s cover. Of
course, t hi s approach doesn t t ake i nt o account t he guns on ot her bombers i n t he group. The t op and bot t om of
t he bombers are ent i rel y def ensel ess; however, i t s di f f i cul t t o di ve st eepl y on a movi ng t arget and st i l l be
accurat e.
ATTACKI NG THE ME- 1 1 0
The Me- 110 i s a f i ght er, but i t s rear gun can make i t di f f i cul t t o at t ack usi ng t he normal t ai l - chasi ng met hods.
You shoul d approach i t f rom t he rear, but bel ow i t , where t he rear gun can t be brought t o bear.
GROUND ATTACK
To at t ack a ground t arget , go i nt o a shal l ow di ve whi l e t ryi ng t o keep t he t arget i n your gun si ght s. The more
shal l ow your di ve, t he more gradual l y you can pul l up your nose and t he more accurat e your shoot i ng.
You may want t o sl ow down when maki ng your st raf i ng run. Be caref ul ! You don t want t o go so sl owl y t hat you
can t respond t o an unexpect ed at t ack f rom an enemy ai rpl ane.
Hi nt
As you make your approach, i ncrease magni f i cat i on (press + ). The bi gger your t arget on t he screen, t he bet t er
your ai m. Be caref ul maneuveri ng whi l e t he t arget i s magni f i ed i t s much easi er t o auger i n when you don t
have a sense of your t rue di st ance f rom t hi ngs.
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AMERI CA ENTERS WORLD WAR I I
In mi d 1942, t he U.S. ent ered t he t he ai r war i n Europe when t he 8t h Army Ai r Corps came t o t he ai d of t he
bel eaguered RAF. Af t er earl y bombi ng mi ssi ons on t arget s i n occupi ed France, t he bombi ng crews soon shi f t ed
t hei r f ocus t o Germany i t sel f , and i n earl y 1943 t hey l aunched t hei r f i rst assaul t . The al l i es agreed t hat t he
Ameri cans woul d conduct day rai ds, whi l e t he RAF worked t he ni ght - shi f t t o keep t he pressure on t he Nazi s
around t he cl ock. The si xt y- f our B- 17s and B- 24s of t he f i rst Ameri can st ri ke f orce showered bombs on t he ci t y of
Wi l hel mshaven. The Luf t waf f e, t aken by surpri se, l ost seven f i ght ers def endi ng t he ci t y, and brought down onl y
t hree U.S. bombers.
Germany was t oo f ar away f or any sust ai ned f i ght er escort , so t he Ameri can bomber command empl oyed t he
combat box f ormat i on, whi ch i n t heory al l owed t hem t o bomb wi t h maxi mum preci si on whi l e provi di ng prot ect i on
f rom enemy f i ght ers. The combat box consi st ed of t hree 18- pl ane wi ng f ormat i ons st aggered at separat e
al t i t udes, t he mi d- l evel wi ng f l yi ng j ust ahead of t he ot hers, t o t op- l evel of f t o t he ri ght of i t , and t he l ow- l evel of f
t o t he l ef t . The resul t was an expanse of heavi l y- l aden, f our- engi ne bombers one mi l e wi de, a hal f mi l e deep, and
some 600 yards l ong.
These f l yi ng armadas came at i nt erval s of about si x mi l es, and heavi l y armed wi t h t wel ve .50 cal i ber machi ne
guns, woul d at t empt t o bl ast t hei r way i nt o German ai rspace, unl oad t hei r bombs, and t urn f or home. The
bombers present ed l et hal danger t o t he German f i ght ers, because of t he numerous, powerf ul t urret - mount ed
guns. No mat t er whi ch way t hey approached f rom, t he Messerschmi t t pi l ot s were bound t o meet a t remendous
barrage of ret urn f i re f rom unescort ed B17s and B24s. But as t hey were t urni ng around, t he f ormat i ons t ended t o
become scat t ered; i t was t hen t hat t he Messerschmi t t pi l ot s maxi mi zed t hei r chance of scori ng ki l l s. When t he
bombers reached t he f i ght er escort s synchroni zed t o rendezvous wi t h t hem, t he pi l ot s coul d breat h more easi l y.
The Luf t waf f e empl oyed a number of di f f erent new weapons t o combat t he f ormi dabl e Ameri can bombers. Among
t hese were pre- set bombs t i med t o det onat e when t hey reached t hei r t arget s. Such devi ces, t hough pot ent i al l y
devast at i ng, proved unrel i abl e. It was t he i nt roduct i on of wi ng- mount ed rocket s on t he Messerschmi t t s t hat
caused real probl ems f or unescort ed bombers. These l ong- range rocket s al l owed t he German f i ght ers t o at t ack
out of range of t he bombers .50 cal i ber guns, and t he rocket s had an ef f ect i ve expl osi ve range of about 50 f eet .
It was not uncommon f or one bomber, hi t by t he bl ast f rom a rocket , t o expl ode and t ake out anot her bomber. It
t urned out t hat t he great est vi rt ue of rocket s was t hei r abi l i t y t o break up bomber f ormat i ons and so make
i ndi vi dual pl anes more vul nerabl e t o f i ght er at t ack. Al l t hi ngs consi dered, t he 8t h Army Ai r Force grew
i ncreasi ngl y aware t hat i t was l osi ng t oo many unescort ed bomber.
The bombers event ual l y got t hei r escort s, t he l egendary P51- Must ang. By t he spri ng of 1944, t he P51- D, whi ch
carri ed si x guns, had an ef f ect i ve range of 1200 mi l es and coul d f l y f or a f ul l ni ne hours. In addi t i on, i t s
perf ormance was bet t er t han Germany s best Me- 109, t hus posi ng an even more seri ous probl em f or t he
Luf t waf f e.
Al ong wi t h t he Must ang f l ew t he heavi l y f ort i f i ed P- 47 Thunderbol t . Though i t di dn t have t he Must ang s range,
t he Thunderbol t was heavi l y armed and very hard t o shoot down. Despi t e i t s massi ve si ze, i t f l ew as f ast on t he
l evel as most Messerschmi t t s, bei ng abl e t o out - di ve al l of t hem and zoom t o regai n hei ght wi t h ast oni shi ng
al acri t y. Of course, i n a cl ose i n dogf i ght i t s rel at i vel y poor t urni ng radi us made i t no mat ch f or t he smal l er
f i ght ers, but such encount ers were avoi dabl e usi ng t he di ve- zoom and rol l t echni que. The f ort unat e combi nat i on
of Must angs and Thunderbol t s proved i nst rument al i n accompl i shi ng t he bombi ng runs whi ch i n f act pounded
t he Nazi s i nt o submi ssi on, and t heref ore short ened t he war.
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OCTOBER 12, 1944
I was leading a squadr on of 16 P-51s. We wer e flying four flight s of four , finger t ip for mat ion.
I wa s up a r oun d 25,000 fe e t ove r St e in h ude r La ke , a n d we we r e r a n gin g a h e a d of t h e
bomber s. Ther e wer e br oken clouds and haze down below us, and I spot t ed t hese 22 lit t le
specks. It just so happened t hat at t he t ime I spot t ed t hem, I was looking down-sun t hat
is, I had t he sun at my back. And I knew t hat t hey had t o be Ger mans because we fly in
squadr ons of 16 air planes we wer e pr et t y pr ecise about t hat . So I kept t he sun at my back
and kept closing up on t hem. We st ill had dr op-t anks on our P-51s.
We got up t o about 200 yar ds I dont t hink t heyd even seen us and I blew one up,
which r an him int o anot her one and t ook him out of t he sky. When t he ot her 109s saw t his,
t hey all br oke. We punched our t anks off and t hey went ever y dir ect ion, so I had t o br eak my
squadr on up int o element s of t wo. Anyway, one guy br oke t o t he left , and so I t r ied t o st ay on
his t ail. I was in close, maybe 100, 150 yar ds or so, and I was get t ing good hit s on him. And
looked kind of out of t he cor ner of my eye, I could see t his ot her 109 slowing down t r ying t o
get behind me.
About t his t ime t he guy I was hit t ing blew up. I immediat ely cut my power all t he way back
t o idle and put in full r ight r udder and full ailer on r olling my air plane r ight t owar d him.
Then I r ever sed t he t ur n t o r oll in behind him. I t hink t he guy was less t han 100 feet fr om
me. I just moved out t o t he left a lit t le and kicked r ight r udder t o make my nose go t o t he
r ight . I opened up at t hat r ange and man I t hink I sawed him in t wo.
Now I had one guy for war d, and anot her guy who went for t he deck. I followed him down and
finally set him on fir e. He hit t he gr ound. Now I looked ar ound and we wer e in t he clouds. I
st ill had my wingman, so I looked ar ound for my ot her guys in my squadr on, but of cour se
t hey wer e br oken up.
So we st ar t ed back up and I looked up and Im st ar ing at 16 Focke-Wulf 190s! They ducked
int o t he clouds on me and I couldnt get near t hem. Evident ially, t hese 109s t hought we wer e
t he FW-190s t r ying t o join up wit h t hem. Obviously t hey didnt t ake a good look at us.
AI RP LANE DESCRI P TI ONS
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P-47 Thunderbolt
REP UB LI C P - 4 7 D THUNDERB OLT
In response t o t he need f or f ast , wel l - armed pl anes abl e t o absorb heavy puni shment , Republ i c began devel opi ng
an XP- 47 i n 1939. Af t er much t est i ng and vari ous desi gn changes, t he f i rst P- 47Ds began rol l i ng of f t he l i ne i n
1942. In al l more t han 12,600 were bui l t , maki ng i t t he most produced P- 47 by f ar. What made i t so desi rabl e
was i t s versat i l i t y as bot h a f i ght er and a bomber. Port l y i n appearance, t he P- 47 had a rat her l i mi t ed range of
l i t t l e more t han 400 mi l es; but when out f i t t ed wi t h drop t anks and/ or ot her auxi l i ary f uel suppl i es, i t coul d t ravel
as f ar as 1700 mi l es. Thi s made i t i nt o a hi ghl y successf ul l ong- range escort , a bomber, and a pot ent ground
at t ack pl at f orm i n Korea. Many ai rcraf t hi st ori ans consi der t he T- bol t t o be t he f orerunner of modern, mul t i -
rol e ai rcraf t .
Anot her i mport ant f eat ure of t he P- 47D was i t s radi al engi ne. Earl i er model s were powered by an i n- l i ne mot or
whi ch, bei ng l i qui d- cool ed, burned out al most as soon as i t s radi at or was punct ured. But t he ai r- cool ed, radi al
engi ne hel d up wel l under f i re.
The f i rst XP- 47 prot ot ype bore onl y t wo guns and was rel at i vel y l i ght i n desi gn, bei ng excl usi vel y a f i ght er. As t he
model evol ved t hrough A, B, and C seri es, guns were added and t he desi gn became more and more rugged,
modi f i cat i ons ref l ect i ng current mi l i t ary needs. More wi del y used t han any ot her f i ght er i n WW II, t he P- 47 D
carri ed ei ght .50 i nch guns and was a whal e t o bri ng down. Robert S. Johnson, who shared t he l ead wi t h anot her
Ameri can f or most ki l l s i n a P- 47 wi t h 28, experi enced perhaps bet t er t han any ot her f l yer t he T- bol t s durabi l i t y.
Af t er a part i cul arl y harrowi ng ai r bat t l e, t he wounded Johnson made a f orced l andi ng behi nd Al l i ed l i nes t o f i nd
t hat hi s st out Jug had sust ai ned 21 hi t s by 20mm cannon and more t han 100 rounds of machi ne gun f i re.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e seat f i ght er- bomber; Power pl ant : One 2.300 Prat t &Whi t ney R- 2800 Doubl e Wasp
18- cyl i nder t wo- row radi al ; Wi ngspan: 40.8 f t ; Lengt h: 36.1 f t ; Hei ght : 14.2 f t ; Wei ght : 19,400 l bs; Maxi mum
Speed: 428 mph; Cl i mb: 2,800 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng; 43,000 f t ; Range: 590 mi l es; Armament : Ei ght 0.50 i n Col t -
Browni ng M- 2 machi ne- guns i n wi ngs.
TheP-47 was a match for theGerman fighters. Above20,000 feet it was actually faster than the109
and 190, but it always suffered somewhat in maneuverability. Oneof its main assets was its armor.
TheP-47 could takea hell of a beating and continueflying.
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P-51 Mustang
NORTH AMERI CAN P - 5 1 D MUSTANG
Wi t hout a doubt t he most f amous f i ght er pl ane of Worl d War II, t he P- 51 Must ang was ori gi nal l y rej ect ed by t he
USAAF. It was desi gned and bui l t as a ground at t ack ai rcraf t f or t he RAF. Nort h Ameri can s presi dent promi sed
t he Bri t i sh a f i ght er superi or t o t he P- 40, i n spi t e of i t s bei ng powered by t he same engi ne. And he was abl e t o
del i ver on t hat promi se because of t he P- 51 s revol ut i onary new ai rf rame. On i t s f i rst t est f l i ght t he Must ang
exceeded t he t op speed of t he P- 40 by a f ul l 25 mph. The RAF got i t s f i rst P- 51s i n November of 1941, but bef ore
Nort h Ameri can coul d go ahead and sel l t hem t o t he Bri t i sh t he USAAF want ed t o t ake a l ook at t hem. But af t er
ext ensi ve t est i ng by experi enced combat pi l ot s (who unani mousl y f avored t he new f i ght er), t he USAAF f or some
reason di d not pl ace an order.
The Must ang s one short comi ng l ay i n i t s Al l i son mot or, whi ch perf ormed poorl y at medi um t o hi gh al t i t udes,
where most ai r- combat t ook pl ace. For t hi s reason, t he RAF out f i t t ed i t s f i rst Must angs wi t h cameras and used
t hem f or reconnai ssance. Real i zi ng t hat t he superi or ai rf rame of t he Must ang was bei ng cheat ed of i t s f ul l
pot ent i al by a subst andard mot or, i n November of 1942 t he RAF sent f i ve of t hem t o Rol l s- Royce t o be out f i t t ed
wi t h t he best Merl i n supercharged engi nes. Predi ct abl e as t he resul t mi ght have been, i t ast oni shed pi l ot s and
engi neers al i ke. The marri age had produced a pl ane at l east 50 mph f ast er (440 mph), wi t h a much swi f t er rat e
of cl i mb and a subst ant i al l y great er range. Equi pped wi t h drop- t anks, t he P- 51D coul d t raverse up t o 2,300
mi l es, maki ng i t i deal f or l ong range escort . It s si x .50 cal i bre machi ne guns made i t bot h a f ormi dabl e opponent
i n t he ai r, and an ef f ect i ve t roop and ai rf i el d st raf er. Al so, t he Must ang coul d carry 2000 l bs. i n bombs, and i t
was occasi onal l y cal l ed upon t o do so. Mai nl y, t hough, t he P- 51 Must ang was an awesome f i ght er. In t he course
of i t s servi ce i n Europe, Must ang pi l ot s dest royed nearl y 9,100 enemy ai rcraf t bot h i n t he ai r and on t he ground
a f ul l 49 percent of al l hi s l ost ai rcraf t , not t o ment i on t he some 230 V- 1 buzz- bombs i t shot down. So f ast and
agi l e was t he f i ght er t hat i t even not ched several vi ct ori es over Germany s f i rst j et - ai rcraf t . Af t er t he war, t he
Must ang saw dut y i n Korea, where i t perf ormed wel l unt i l t he Mi Gs showed up.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er; Power pl ant : One 1,590 hp Packard- bui l t Rol l s- Royce Merl i n V- 1650- 7
l i qui d- cool ed engi ne; Wi ngspan: 37.0 f t ; Lengt h: 32.2 f t ; Hei ght : 13.7 f t ; Wei ght ; 7,125 l bs; Maxi mum Speed:
437 mph; Cl i mb: 3,475 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 41,900 f t ; Range: 950 t o 2,000 mi l es; Armament : Si x Browni ng MG53- 2
machi ne- guns i n wi ngs.
TheP-51 was thebest American fighter in thewar, equal to anything theGermans put up against her.
With her two-thousand milerange, sheturned theair war against Germany by protecting our
bombers over thedeepest targets. Her two-stage, two-speed supercharger provides terrific speed and
maneuvering performance a dogfighters dream. Loaded with fuel and ammo, theP-51 was a
tricky planeto fly, and also vulnerable. Get hit in your radiator and loseyour coolant, and youre
going down.
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B-17 Fortress
B OEI NG B - 1 7 E F LYI NG F ORTRESS
Ori gi nat i ng as a pri vat e vent ure by Boei ng, t he B- 17 got of f t o a shaky st art when t he prot ot ype crashed on
t akeof f i n mi l i t ary t ri al s. But evi dence showed t hat human error was t o bl ame, and t he USAAC pl aced a smal l
order i n 1936. The f i rst B- 17 powered by a t urbocharged engi ne was t he B- 17B, 39 of whi ch t he USAAC t ook
del i very i n 1938. As war grew i mmi nent i n Europe, t he RAF ordered 20 versi ons of t he subsequent B- 17C, whi ch
t hey t est ed and hel ped i mprove. The next t wo model s had bet t er armored and sel f - seal i ng gas t anks.
It was t he B- 17E t hat most bef i t t ed t he appel l at i on f l yi ng f ort ress . It carri ed one .30 i n. and 12 .50 i n. guns
posi t i oned f rom chi n t o t ai l and up t o 17,600 l bs of bombs. Despi t e i t s heavi l y armored ai rf rame and weal t h of
def ensi ve weaponry, t he B- 17E suf f ered severe l osses agai nst t he Luf t waf f e f i ght ers over Germany, where i t bore
t he brunt of U.S. dayl i ght bombi ng mi ssi ons. Numerous vari at i ons on t he Fl yi ng Fort ress cropped up, i ncl udi ng
t ransport s, ai r- sea rescue ai rcraf t , even pi l ot l ess, radi o- cont rol l ed bombers. In al l , more t han 12,700 B- 17s were
bui l t .
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Hi gh al t i t ude bomber; Power Pl ant : Four 1,200 hp Wri ght R- 1820- 97 Cycl one ni ne- cyl i nder
radi al s wi t h exhaust dri ven t urbochargers. Wi ngspan: 103.8 f t ; Lengt h: 73.8 f t ; Hei ght : 19.1 f t ; Wei ght : 31,150
l bs (l oaded); Maxi mum Speed: 317 mph; Cei l i ng: 35,000 f t ; Range: 1,100 mi l es; Armament : 13 0.50
machi ne- guns and 17,600 l bs i n bombs.
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Focke-Wulf F .W.190
F OCKE- WULF F W- 1 9 0 A- 8
Pat t erned af t er t he Hughes racer whi ch had broken t he ai r- speed record i n t he U.S., t he FW- 190 was a marvel i n
compact desi gn. The bul ky but rel i abl e ai r- cool ed radi al engi ne posed a chal l enge t o engi neers, whose t ask i t
was t o reduce drag and i ncrease maneuverabi l i t y; and t he engi neer, Kurt Tank, succeeded admi rabl y. What he
and hi s t eam came up wi t h was a very smal l , l i ght - wi ght , al l - met al f i ght er- bomber capabl e of carryi ng heavy
armament . Indeed, i t was t he most heavi l y armed si ngl e- engi ned f i ght er of i t s day. Al t hough t he f i rst 190s were
i n servi ce bef ore t he war began, t he RAF knew not of t hei r presence. Thei r f i rst appearance i n t he ai r- war over
France i n 1941 caused a great deal of al arm t o t he Al l i es. Not onl y was t he FW- 190 a f ar superi or f i ght er t o t he
Spi t f i re V, but i t out - numbered her as wel l . Curi ousl y, i t never suppl ant ed t he Me- 109, whi ch i t was desi gned t o
repl ace.
Not unt i l t he Must ang arri ved on t he scene di d t he Al l i es have an ef f ect i ve count er t o t he FW- 190A, versi ons of
whi ch f i rst appeared i n June, 1941. The l ast versi on of t he A- seri es, t he 190A- 8, was produced i n great er
numbers t han any of t he previ ous sub- t ypes and modi f i ed t o accommodat e a power- boost er, whi ch coul d be used
f or t en mi nut es at a t i me at f i ve mi nut e i nt erval s. The onl y ment i onabl e drawback of t he A- 8 was i t s rel at i vel y
poor handl i ng at hi gh al t i t udes, and f or t hi s reason i t served most l y as a ground- at t ack ai rcraf t . Of al l t he
Luf t waf f e s di f f erent weapons, t he FW- 190 i n i t s dozens of versi ons had t he great est ut i l i t y. It was adapt ed t o
l ong- range mi ssi ons, t o f i re ant i - shi p weapons and 21 cm. mort ars, and t o a dozen ot her purposes. There was
even a rammi ng sub- t ype out f i t t ed wi t h armored l eadi ng edges. Arguabl y, i t represent ed t he crowni ng
achi evement of German aeri al combat t echnol ogy.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er- bomber; Power Pl ant : One 1,700 hp BMW 801 Dg 18- cyl i nder t wo- row
radi al engi ne; Wi ngspan: 34.5 f t ; Lengt h: 29.0 f t ; Hei ght : 13.0 f t ; Wei ght : 7,055 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 408
mph; Cl i mb: 2,350 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 37,400 f t ; Range: 497 mi l es; Armament : Two 13mm MG 131 machi ne- guns
above engi ne, f our 20mm MG 151/ 20 cannon i n wi ngs.
After thewar, I flew a 190 at Wright Field. Out of all theJ apaneseand German fighters, it was the
only thing closeto a Mustang. But it certainly gavetheRAF a scarewhen they first encountered it
over France. TheBritish had to wait for theMark IX Spitfirebeforethey felt likethey could go toe-to-
toewith the190. By thetimeI got there, theUSAAF was using Mustangs and weknew wewereon a
par with theGermans.
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Messerschmitt ME-109
MESSERSCHMI TT ME- 1 0 9 E EMI L
By f ar t he most i mport ant f i ght er i n t he Luf t waf f e s pot ent arsenal , t he f i rst Me- 109 came of f t he l i ne i n 1935
and subsequent l y devel oped duri ng operat i ons i n t he Spani sh Ci vi l War, where 109s domi nat ed t he ai r. Perhaps
t he most advanced ai rcraf t of i t s day, t he Me- 109 was one of t he f i rst l ow- wi ng monopl anes. The def i ni t i ve 109E
was ready i n great numbers by t he t i me Germany i nvaded Pol and, and t i me and t i me agai n i t showed i t s
superi ori t y over al l of i t s opponent s, save t he Spi t f i re. Di f f eri ng onl y sl i ght l y f rom t he 109D seri es i n i t s general
desi gn, t he 109E enj oyed a f uel - i nj ect ed power pl ant , whi ch i mproved i t s perf ormance great l y. As g- f orces
became great er, f uel - f l ow t o t he mot or became more and more of a concern f or pi l ot s engaged i n dogf i ght s.
Nat ural l y, f uel - i nj ect i on el i mi nat ed t hat probl em.
An out st andi ng f i ght er i n i t s own ri ght , t he Me- 109 occasi onal l y carri ed bombs. Al ong wi t h t wo 8 mm machi ne
guns on t he engi ne crankcase and one f ormi dabl e 20 mm cannon f i ri ng t hrough t he ai rscrew hub, i t coul d be
made t o del i ver 1000 l bs. wort h of payl oad i f need be. But i t was used mai nl y as a f i ght er, and occasi onal l y as
an escort . However, as an escort f or sl ower bombers i t ran i nt o t roubl e. The 109 s great est vi rt ue was i t s
maneuverabi l i t y at hi gh speeds, i n t he 350 mph range. At sl ower speeds ot her f i ght ers, such as t he Spi t f i re and
t he Hurri cane, coul d out - t urn i t ; so i n a sense i t was t oo f ast t o be a rel i abl e escort . By mi d- 1941, t he Luf t waf f e
was begi nni ng t o phase out t he Me- 109E, t hough i t woul d see servi ce i n Japan t he f ol l owi ng year.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e seat f i ght er/ f i ght er- bomber; Power Pl ant : One 1,300 hp Dai ml er- Benz DB 601E
i nvert ed- V- 12 l i qui d- cool ed engi ne; Wi ngspan: 32.4 f t ; Lengt h: 28.3 f t ; Hei ght : 7.5 f t ; Wei ght : 4,330 l bs;
Maxi mum Speed: 390 mph; Cl i mb: 3,100 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 38,000 f t ; Range: 350 mi l es; Armament : Two 8mm
cannon MG- 17 machi ne- guns above engi ne, one 20mm MG- 151 cannon i n propel l or hub.
In theearly part of thewar, the109 was a formidablemachine, especially in thehands of Germanys
aces, all of whod gotten experiencein Spain and Poland. Fortunately for theBritish, theSpitfirewas
equal to the109.
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Messerschmitt ME-110
MESSERSCHMI TT ME- 1 1 0 B Z ERSTORER
The Me- 110 represent ed t he best of many most l y unsuccessf ul at t empt s by vari ous nat i ons t o answer t he need
f or a l ong- range escort f i ght er capabl e of bat t l i ng t he smal l er, si ngl e- seat ers. The i nt ent i on behi nd t he Me 110
was t o bui l d a f ast , heavi l y armed t wo- or t hree- seat er t hat made up i n f i repower what i t l ost i n maneuverabi l i t y.
The concept mi ght have been sound, but no pl ane i ncl udi ng t he Me- 110 f ul f i l l ed t he t heory s promi se. A pi l ot
comi ng up agai nst an Me- 110B had t o cont end wi t h t wo 20 mm. nose- mount ed cannons, f our 8 mm nose-
mount ed machi ne guns, and one of t he same i n t he rear of t he cockpi t .
Unt i l t he Bat t l e of Bri t ai n t he Me- 110 made a good account i ng of i t sel f , but when i t came up agai nst Hurri cane
and especi al l y t he Spi t f i re i t s woef ul i nadequaci es became i mmedi at el y apparent . Bef ore l ong Me- 109s had t o
escort t he Me- 110s whi ch i n t urn escort ed t he bombers. Such a ri di cul ous st at e of af f ai rs poi nt ed up bot h t he
110s short comi ngs and t he Luf t waf f e s growi ng di sorgani zat i on and i nept i t ude. The one area i n whi ch t he Me-
110B cannot be j ust l y mal i gned was i n i t s rol e as a ni ght - f i ght er. It s powerf ul weaponry wreaked dest ruct i on on
count l ess Al l i ed bombers when t hei r escort s were l east ef f ect i ve.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Two- seat / t hree- seat f i ght er; Power Pl ant : One 1,100 hp Dai ml er- Benz DB 601A engi ne;
Wi ngspan: 32.4 f t ; Lengt h: 28.3 f t ; Hei ght : 7.5 f t ; Wei ght : 4,330 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 349 mph; Cl i mb: 2,255
f t . mi n; Cei l i ng: 32,800 f t ; Range: 559 mi l es; Armament : Two 20mm Oerl i kon MG FF cannon i n nose, f our 7.92
mm MG- 17 machi ne- guns i n nose, one 7.92mm MG- 17 manned machi ne- gun i n rear cockpi t .
BeforeWorld War II, lots of countries tried to producelong-rangeescort fighters. TheMe-110 was one
attempt, but theGermans found out that it just couldnt perform likethesingle-seat British and
American fighters. They actually had to fly escorts for the110s, if you can imagine. It did well as a
night fighter, though.
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Messerschmitt ME 163B-la
MESSERSCHMI TT ME- 1 6 3 KOMET
The Me- 163 was t he st rangest ai rcraf t t o see act i on i n WW II. It s f usel age short and squat , i t s wi ngs swept back,
wi t hout a hori zont al t ai l - wi ng, t he Komet was powered by t wo rocket propel l ant s whi ch i gni t ed when t hey came
i nt o cont act . Bot h i n appearance and i n operat i on, i t s t echnol ogy was f ut uri st i c, even bi zarre. In t he hi ghl y
compet i t i ve sci ent i f i c envi ronment of t he t i me, i t i s st i l l no wonder t hat nei t her France, Engl and, nor t he U.S.
at t empt ed t o devel op anyt hi ng even remot el y si mi l ar t o t he Me- 163 s engi ne or ai rf ame. The Komet s radi cal
desi gn not wi t hst andi ng, t he i dea of havi ng a short - range, rocket - powered i nt ercept or was qui t e sound, and t he
Al l i es were l ucky t hat t he Komet had as many probl ems as i t di d.
The Me 163 s bi ggest probl em was i n l andi ng. Havi ng no l andi ng gear, t he pi l ot s had t o l and on a ski d and, i f
t he ai rcraf t bumped or bounced t oo much, l ef t - over propel l ant s were l i abl e t o sl osh t oget her and i gni t e t he pl ane.
In t he ai r, however, t he Komet perf ormed marvel ousl y wel l and i n 1944 t ook a gri evous t ol l on Al l i ed bombers wi t h
i t s t wo 30 mm cannons. St i l l , because of f requent acci dent s rel at ed al most excl usi vel y t o t he propel l ant s,
at t ri t i on dwi ndl ed i t s numbers. A mere 370 Me- 163s act ual l y saw act i on and of t hese onl y a f ew were shot down.
It s great speed, whi ch averaged cl ose t o 600 mph, made ki l l i ng i t al most i mpossi bl e. The rest ei t her expl oded
whi l e l andi ng or were merci f ul l y put out t o past ure.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Short - range f i ght er- i nt ercept or; Power Pl ant : One 16,67 kN 3,748 l b t hrust Wal t er 109-
509A- 2 rocket mot or; Wi ngspan: 30.6 f t ; Lengt h: 18.6 f t ; Hei ght : 9.0 f t ; Wei ght : 4,191 l bs; Maxi mum Speed:
596 mph; Cl i mb: 16,400 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 54,000; Range: 50 mi l es; Armament : Two 30mm MK 108 cannons,
t went y- f our rocket s underwi ng, t o vert i cal l y di scharged rocket s wi t hi n t he wi ng.
TheMe-163 was a stableenough aircraft whilegliding. It was thedamn engines that weretruly lethal.
Thepropellants theGermans used wereawfully dangerous, and with no landing gear you were
expected to skid thething to a halt a lot of pilots just died flying thething.
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Messerschmitt ME 262A-la
MESSERSCHMI TT ME- 2 6 2 STURMVOGEL
Anot her exampl e of bureaucrat i c i nt erf erence and del i nquency on t he part of t he German Hi gh Command came i n
i t s t reat ment of t he Me- 262. Hi t l er was obsessed wi t h t he i dea of havi ng t he supreme, j et - powered bomber, when
what he real l y needed was a f i ght er t hat coul d deal ef f ect i vel y wi t h t he myri ad Al l i ed bombers vi si t i ng dai l y
devast at i on on Germany s i ndust ri al compl ex. Had t he St urmvogel been i nt roduced i n t i me and i n suf f i ci ent
numbers, i t coul d wel l have re- t aken t he ski es over Germany and hel ped t o prol ong t he war.
Whi l e Hi t l er undoubt edl y wast ed preci ous t i me i nsi st i ng t hat t he Me- 262 be devel oped as a bomber, t here were
ot her probl ems whi ch hel d i t back, part i cul arl y i n t he devel opment of a rel i abl e t urboj et engi ne. The proj ect
began i n 1938, but t he f i rst f l i ght - cl eared t urboj et s di d not arri ve unt i l t he November, 1941, and even t hese
proved f aul t y. In spi t e of t he t echnol ogi cal probl ems and a cert ai n amount of apparent of f i ci al i ndi f f erence,
whi ch mi ght have act ual l y been pol i t i cal overcaut i on, i n 1944 t he St urmvogel wi t hout a doubt succeeded i n bei ng
t he f i rst t urboj et warpl ane t o engage enemy ai rcraf t . But by t hen i t was t oo l at e t o make much of a di f f erence.
It s vi rt ues were si mpl e: superi or speed and powerf ul armament . As an i nt ercept or i s was unparal l el ed. Indeed, i t
marked t he begi nni ng of a new age i n ai rcraf t . Fast enough at bet t er t han 540 mph t o obvi at e t he need f or
dogf i ght i ng, i t carri ed f our 30 mm cannons i n i t s nose whi ch packed enough wal l op t o down t he st out est Al l i ed
bombers. Onl y 100 or so act ual l y saw operat i ons, and of t hese onl y a handf ul were shot down, whi l e t he rest sent
down f ar more t han 100 opposi ng ai rcraf t .
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er: Power Pl ant : Two 1,980 l b t hrust Junker Jumo 004B si ngl e- shaf t axi al
t urboj et s; Wi ngspan: 41.0 f t ; Lengt h: 34.8 f t ; Hei ght : 12.6 f t ; Wei ght : 8,820 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 540 mph;
Cl i mb: 3,940 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 37,565 f t ; Range: 652 mi l es; Armament : Four 30mm MK 108 cannon i n wi ngs.
Thejets had a 150 mph speed advantageover theMustang, but their pilots tried to avoid dogfights,
concentrating instead on hammering thebombers. Rarely did weencounter any jets. Theword on
themwas that they werewing-heavy; theMustang, with its laminar flow wing, could easily turn and
divewith them, but in a level chasetherewas no contest; theMe-262 just sped out of gun range.
After thewar, I was an Air Forcetest pilot and I asked to do a comparison between theP-80 Shooting
Star thejet wehad been developing during thewar and theMe-262. I was fascinated to discover
that the262 and theShooting Star performed identically thesamerange, top speed, acceleration,
and rateof climb.
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STI NSON L- 5 SENTI NEL
The L- 5 Sent i nel was a t i ny, t wo- seat er, l i ai son and communi cat i ons ai rcraf t , somet i mes out f i t t ed t o carry a
st ret cher. It had no weaponry, a very short range, and coul d t ransport no more t han 200 l bs. The RAF t ook
del i very of 3,000 Sent i nel s duri ng WW II under t he provi si ons of Lend- Lease, usi ng many of t he ai rcraf t i n t he
Burmese t heat er.
Speci f i cat i ons: Type: Two- seat short - range ai rcraf t ; Power Pl ant : One 141.6 kW 190 hp Lycomi ng O- 435- 1
engi ne; Wi ngspan: 34.0 f t ; Lengt h: 24.1 f t ; Wei ght : 2,158 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 129 mph.
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L - 5 S e n t i n e l
AI R SUP ERI ORI TY OVER KOREA
At t he end of WW II, t he Korean peopl e f ervent l y bel i eved t hat t hey were about t o escape f rom years of Japanese
domi nat i on and achi eve pol i t i cal i ndependence. But t hei r hopes were not t o be real i zed. Fi rst , t he admi ni st rat i on
of t he Japanese wi t hdrawal f rom Korea became t he subj ect of a di sput e bet ween Russi a and t he Uni t ed St at es.
The t wo superpowers were det ermi ned t o act as t rust ee f or t he newl y emanci pat ed nat i on unt i l a proper
government coul d be set up. Fi nal l y, t he Whi t e House and t he Kreml i n agreed t o t emporari l y di vi de Korea al ong
t he 38t h Paral l el . The Sovi et s woul d hel p admi ni st er t he nort hern hal f , whi l e t he Ameri cans woul d chaperone t he
sout hern, whi ch i ncl uded t he capi t al , Seoul .
Tensi ons began t o bui l d al most i mmedi at el y. Ri val government s were set up i n 1948, t he Sout h decl ari ng i t sel f
t he Republ i c of Korea, t he Nort h cal l i ng i t sel f t he Peopl e s Democrat i c Republ i c of Korean. It seemed t hat no
Koreans l i ked t he i dea of t he t rust eeshi ps. Bot h Nort h and Sout h want ed a uni f i ed Korea, a si ngl e nat i onal
ent i t y. But nei t her si de woul d capi t ul at e t o or compromi se wi t h t he ot her s pol i t i cal syst em.
Over t i me bot h si des grew more ent renched i n t hei r posi t i ons and communi cat i on bet ween t he t wo al l but ceased.
Host i l i t i es erupt ed on June 26, 1950, when Communi st f orces crossed t he 38t h paral l el , at t empt i ng t o uni f y t he
count ry by mi l i t ary f orce. U.S. Presi dent Truman cal l ed upon t he Uni t ed Nat i ons Securi t y Counci l f or a resol ut i on
condemni ng t he aggressi on and aut hori zi ng t he use of f orce t o expel t he i nvaders. Truman recei ved t he
endorsement , and t roops f rom f i f t een ot her U.N. members commi t t ed t hemsel ves t o def end Sout h Korea.
The war went poorl y f or t he Sout h Koreans duri ng t he f i rst f ew mont hs of f i ght i ng. Nort h Korean f orces met l i t t l e
resi st ance as t hey drove Sout h and t hey domi nat ed easi l y. But on Sept ember 15 t he U.N. f orces l aunched a
dari ng count erof f ensi ve dri vi ng t he Nort h Korean f orces back across t he 38t h paral l el . One mont h l at er t he Nort h
Korean f orces had t hei r backs t o t he Yal u Ri ver, whi ch f orms t he border bet ween Nort h Korea and Chi na. Chi nese
Communi st s t hen j oi ned t he f i ght , hel pi ng t he Nort h Koreans t o dri ve back t he U.N. f orces. Af t er anot her year of
hard but i ndeci si ve f i ght i ng, t he t wo si des regrouped on t hei r respect i ve si des of t he 38t h paral l el . No f urt her
progress was made by ei t her si de.
Wi t h superi or ai r- power, t he Nort h Koreans most probabl y woul d have succeeded i n dri vi ng t he Sout h Korean and
support i ng U.N. f orces i nt o t he Sea of Japan. But as soon as t he U.S. began t o depl oy suf f i ci ent ai rcraf t , t he t i de
shi f t ed. Indeed, bef ore Chi na j oi ned wi t h t he Nort h Koreans, Ameri can bombers f l ew vi rt ual l y unchal l enged.
The onl y real t hreat t o U.S. ai r superi ori t y came when t he Chi nese sent i n t hei r Russi an- bui l t Mi G- 15. Pri or t o t he
ent rance of Chi na i nt o t he war, t he U.S. rel i ed on an assort ment of propel l or dri ven pl anes al ong wi t h t hree
speci es of f i rst - generat i on j et s t o mai nt ai n ai r superi ori t y over Nort h Korea s st ri ct l y pi st on- dri ven ai r f orce. On
Oct ober 19 a f l i ght of Must angs encount ered si x Mi G- 15s over t he Yal u Ri ver, i n a sect i on t hat woul d l at er
become known t o pi l ot s as Mi G Al l ey. The ast oni shi ng speed and revol ut i onary desi gn of t he unexpect ed Mi Gs
di smayed t he Must ang pi l ot s who, i n spi t e of t hei r di sadvant age, escaped unhurt f rom t he i ni t i al encount er. The
Nort h Korean pi l ot s, i t seemed, were not very ski l l f ul .
In order t o chal l enge t he Mi Gs t he U.S. brought i n t he F- 86 Sabres whi ch, t hough comparabl e t o i t s Russi an f oe i n
general desi gn, was much heavi er and t heref ore a much sl ower cl i mber. In addi t i on t o i t s di st i nct superi ori t y as
a f i ght er j et , t he Mi G- 15 al so carri ed heavi er armament t han t he F- 86, i n t he f orm of 3 cannons. Sabres bore
convent i onal , W.W. II t ype machi ne guns, and occasi onal l y wi ng- mount ed rocket s. But wi t h al l of t hei r
advant ages, t he Mi G- 15 pi l ot s coul d not mat ch t he ski l l and experi ence of t he Ameri can f l yers. By war s end
Ameri can and U.N. f l yers cl ai med roughl y 800 Mi Gs t o a l oss of onl y f i f t y- ei ght Sabres. The wi de di spari t y i n t he
rel at i ve ski l l of a t ypi cal pi l ot f rom ei t her si de i s i l l ust rat ed by t he f act t hat , i n t he f i rst j et - t o- j et dogf i ght i n
hi st ory, a Mi G- 15 f el l t o t he f ar i nf eri or F- 80 Shoot i ng St ar.
Most of t he Sabre vs. Mi G- 15 dogf i ght i ng t ook pl ace i n Mi G Al l ey over t he Yal u Ri ver. The Mi Gs were based on
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ai rf i el ds on t he Chi nese si de of t he ri ver, over whi ch U.N. ai rcraf t were f orbi dden t o cross. Mi G pi l ot s, wary of
t hei r superi or enemy, sel dom came up t o meet t he Sabres whi ch t aunt ed t hem f rom above, somet i mes vi ol at i ng
j ust a sl i ver of Chi nese ai r- space. Usi ng t hei r hi gher servi ce cei l i ng, Mi G pi l ot s occasi onal l y t ri ed t o l ure Sabres
i nt o a snare. Two Mi Gs f l y as decoys bel ow t he Sabres whi l e anot her pai r wai t ed up- sun, ready t o pounce as soon
as t he Sabres assumed an at t acki ng post ure.
In one regard t he Korean war marked t he begi nni ng of a new epoch i n aeri al combat . For t he f i rst t i me i n hi st ory
j et s went up agai nst j et s. But t hei r armament s were not vast l y updat ed, and i n t hat respect t he Korean War
marks t he end of an ol d era. Gone were t he ham- f i st ed f l yers of yest eryear, f or t he pl anes were now so responsi ve
t hat somet i mes t hey seemed cont rol l ed by t hought al one. However, whi l e t he pl anes were of a new age, weapons
syst ems had yet t o cat ch up. A pi l ot s ski l l i n t arget i ng and f i ri ng st i l l had more t o do wi t h hi s sheer t al ent t han
i t di d wi t h preci si on t echnol ogy. In Vi et nam we wi l l see a cont est of avi oni cs and mi ssi l e gui dance syst ems.
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MAY 20, 1952
Amer icas fir st jet ace, Capt . J ames A J abar a, like many of t he Amer ican fight er -pilot s in t he Kor ean War ,
was a vet er an of Wor ld War II, wher e he chalked up 3 1/2 kills in his P51-Must ang. J abar a ar r ived in Kor ea
in t he spr ing of 1952 wit h t he 334t h Fight er -Int er cept or Squadr on, and in his fir st mont h he shot down
four MiGs, est ablishing himself as an except ional combat pilot . But his second mont h in Kor ea yielded
scar cely a sight ing. Under st andably, t he inexper ienced and over mat ched Nor t h Kor ean air men had gr own
t imid. As t he t ime for his squadr on t o r ot at e back t o J apan dr ew near , an eager J abar a t r ansfer r ed t o t he
335t h, t he squadr on scheduled t o r eplace t he 334t h.
For near ly a mont h in his new squadr on, J abar as fift h kill eluded him. He began t o t hink t hat he would
finish his t our st ill one kill shor t of ace-hood, for he was close t o complet ing his 100t h mission, t he end of
t he line for a pilot . But on t he 20t h of May, J abar as for t unes changed. At 5 AM a call came in t o t he
squadr on r oom. Some fift y MiGs had jumped four t een F-86 Sabr es over t he Yalu River , in a sect ion known
as MiG Alley. J abar a and t hir t een fellow pilot s spr int ed t o t heir jet s and t ook t o t he air .
Appr oaching MiG Alley, J abar a saw mor e MiGs t han he could count and, pr essing t he but t on t o r elease his
dr op t anks, he pr epar ed for bat t le. One t ank failed t o dr op off, and t he Sabr e pit ched t o one side. The
pilot s had a st anding or der : in t he event of a hung t ank, r et ur n t o base immediat ely. Hunger ing for his
long await ed fift h kill, J abar a ignor ed t he or der and announced t o his wingman t hat t hey wer e going t o
fight . Compensat ing wit h his r udder for t he unwant ed ballast , J abar a dove in behind a for mat ion of t hr ee
MiGs and dr ew a bead on one, but as he was about t o fir e his cannons t hr ee mor e MiGs swooped down
fr om t he r ear . Tr acer s whizzed acr oss his canopy as J abar a t ur ned in on his at t acker s. Having over shot
t heir t ar get , t wo ner vous Communist s br oke off immediat ely, leaving t heir comr ade t o fend for himself. A
super ior flyer , J abar a lat ched on t o t he t hir d pilot and bor e in. The hapless Nor t h Kor ean t r ied ever y
evasive maneuver he knew, but t o no avail. J abar a hit t he MiG wit h t hr ee bur st s and wat ched as t he jet
caught fir e, snap-r olling violent ly, and fell int o a spin. The pilot eject ed moment s befor e his MiG exploded
int o a ball of fir e. J ames J abar a was now t he fir st jet -ace in hist or y.
But he was not r eady t o call it a day, not wit h ample fuel in his t anks and t he bat t le st ill r aging above him.
J abar a climbed back up t o 20,000 feet and engage t he fir st MiG he spot t ed. His fir st shot t or e int o t he
shiny aluminum fuselage, and his second ignit ed it . As J abar a paused t o admir e his flaming handiwor k, a
MiG appear ed on his t ail. Self-indulgence can cost a fight er pilot his life, and J abar a almost lent fur t her
validat ion t o t hat axiom. He dove, r olled, climbeddid all he could t o shake his pur suer but t he MiG
hung on. Had t wo vigilant Sabr e pilot s not shown up t o dr ive t he MiG off, J abar a might have joined t he t wo
men he had just dispat ched. He admit t ed as much aft er war ds, saying hed been in big t r ouble.
Two weeks lat er , J abar a found himself back in t he St at es wit h six kills t o his cr edit and his place in hist or y
secur e. But in J anuar y of 1953, out of act ion for mor e t han a year and a half, he r e-enlist ed, adding nine
kills t o his t ot al by war s end, only one behind J ames McConnel, t he Kor ean War s leading ace.
NORTH AMERI CAN F - 8 6 E SAB RE
Ameri ca s f i rst swept - wi ng j et , t he F- 86 Sabre, grew out of German research di scovered i n document s i n occupi ed
Germany af t er t he war. Furt her t est s conduct ed i n t he U.S. showed t hat an ai rpl ane wi t h i t s wi ngs swept back 35
degrees handl ed much bet t er at hi gh speeds t han a st rai ght - wi nged pl ane. In a t est f l i ght of an XP- 86 on Apri l
26, 1948, pi l ot George Wel ch broke t he sound barri er. Wi t h a f usel age const ruct ed ent i rel y of met al , t he F- 86
Sabre came equi pped wi t h ej ect or seat , hydraul i c ai l erons, and sel f - adj ust i ng l eadi ng edge sl at s. It s nose
opened i nt o a wi de ai r i nt ake, and ai r brakes were posi t i oned on ei t her si de of t he rear f usel age. It s record-
breaki ng speed was unparal l el ed.
There were t wo mai n vari ant s of t he F- 86: f i ght er- bombers (t hi s i ncl udes F- 86Es) and al l - weat her i nt ercept ors.
It carri ed si x .50 cal i bre machi ne guns and ei t her 2,000 l bs of ordnance or 16 rocket s, gi vi ng i t more dest ruct i ve
power t han any ai rpl ane i n i t s cl ass. Al l t he di f f erent Sabres combi ned account ed f or nearl y 800 Mi G ki l l s,
al l egedl y suf f eri ng a mere 78 l osses. What ever t he act ual ki l l rat i o, and i t was cert ai nl y at l east 4:1, t he f act
remai ns t hat al l Ameri can aces i n t he Korean war were Sabre pi l ot s. That al one i s suf f i ci ent t est i mony t o i t s
superi ori t y i n t hat t heat er. Af t er t he war t he Royal Canadi an Ai r Force purchased t he l i cense t o bui l d 1,815 F-
86Es, and wi t hi n a f ew years at l east 26 di f f erent count ri es, i ncl udi ng Germany s Luf t waf f e, were usi ng ei t her
Ameri can- bui l t Sabres or l i censed copi es. Nearl y 8,700 were bui l t , a record soon t opped by t he Phant om.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat i nt ercept or- f i ght er; Power pl ant : One 5,200 l b t hrust General El ect ri c J- 47- 13
t urboj et ; Wi ngspan: 37.0 f t ; Lengt h: 37.0 f t ; Hei ght : 14.0 f t ; Wei ght : 10,555 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 679 mph;
Cl i mb: 4,760 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 47,000 f t ; Range: 925 mi l es; Armament ; Si x 0.50 i n machi ne guns.
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MI KOYAN- GUREVI CH MI G- 1 5 FAGOT
No ot her combat ai rcraf t has al t ered t he mi l i t ary cl i mat e of i t s day more t han t he Mi G- 15 di d when i t showed up
i n Nort h Korean ai rspace t o count er unsuspect i ng Ameri can ai rmen. Indeed i t was a wel l - kept secret , so much so
t hat when i t arri ved i n Nort h Korea, Ameri ca s F- 86 Sabre, t he onl y f i ght er i n i t s l eague, l ay qui et on t he U.S.
mai nl and. That i t resembl ed t he Sabre i n i t s general desi gn was no coi nci dence; bot h desi gns had t hei r root s i n
t he same German aeronaut i cal st udi es capt ured at t he end of WW II. But t he great est boon t o t he Mi koyan-
Gurevi ch bureau was Engl and s deci si on t o export t he l at est Rol l s- Royce t urboj et engi ne t o t he Sovi et Uni on. The
Sovi et s prompt l y copi ed t he engi ne and f i t t ed i t t o t hei r revol ut i onary swept - wi ng f i ght er.
The Mi G- 15 s f i rst known f l i ght t ook pl ace i n December of 1947, and mass product i on of t he j et commenced soon
t hereaf t er. The Fagot , as i t was desi gnat ed by NATO, f l ew i t s f i rst combat mi ssi on i n 1951 over Nort h Korea,
dri vi ng out a host of i nf eri or enemy ai rcraf t . The Mi G- 15 s l evel speed, rat e- of - cl i mb, servi ce cei l i ng, and
maneuverabi l i t y made i t an al most i nvi nci bl e weapons pl at f orm, and f or punch i t packed one 37mm cannon, and
t wo 23mm cannons, al l under i t s nose. Were i t not f or t he F- 86 Sabre and her experi enced f l yers, t he Korean War
woul d cert ai nl y have l ast ed l onger or had a di f f erent out come. For al l i t superi or hi gh- al t i t ude perf ormance, t he
Mi G- 15 suf f ered f rom a l ack of avi oni cs. The i nexperi enced Nort h Korean pi l ot s were l argel y l i mi t ed t o what t hey
coul d see and what t hey were t ol d over t hei r radi os, whi ch put t hem at a great di sadvant age when f aci ng Sabres,
whi ch carri ed t he most sophi st i cat ed avi oni cs of t hei r day, and whose pi l ot s were superi or t o begi n wi t h. Al so, at
Mach 0.9 and above, t he Fagot had a t endency t o pi t ch and snake about .
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er; Power Pl ant : One 5,005 l b t hrust RD- 45 Rol l s- Royce Nene t urboj et ;
Wi ngspan: 33.1 f t ; Lengt h: 36.3 f t ; Hei ght : 11.1 f t ; Wei ght : 8,820 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 668 mph; Cl i mb:
10,500 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 51,000 f t ; Range: 1,115 mi l es; Armament : One 37mm NS- 37 cannon i n nose, t wo 23mm
NS- 23 cannons i n nose.
In February of 1954, a Korean pilot named KimSok Ho defected to thewest with a MiG-15. I was one
of thefirst to try it out. It had problems oscillating, pitching up unexpectedly, fatal spins, lousy
pressurization, and a problemwith theemergency fuel pump: turn it on and it could blow therear of
theairplane. It couldnt ever go aboveMach .93 becauseit didnt havea flying tail on it. It was lighter
than theF-86 so it could acceleratea littlefaster, but it had a lower top speed and it could get to a
higher altitude. Hereagain, it had a very critical turning capability. I mean, you couldnt turn it at
its maximumrateof turn becauseit didnt haveany stall warning itd snap out on you and get
into a spin and you couldnt get out.
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MI G- 15
YAKOVLEV YAK- 9
The earl y Yak f i ght er, t hough never f ul l y- depl oyed i n WW II, ranks wi t h t he Me- 109, t he FW- 190, t he P- 51
Must ang, t he Supermari ne Spi t f i re, and t he Mi t subi shi Zero, as a superi or combat ai rcraf t of i t s day. Evi dence of
i t s pot ent i al came most vi vi dl y i n i t s sound t hough l i mi t ed perf ormance at t he Bat t l e of St al i ngrad. It woul d have
made a great er i mpact had Germany not i nvaded Russi a i n t he earl y st ages of i t s product i on. Resources were
al ready scarce i n Russi a, and t he Yak f act ori es l ay i n t he west , where t hey coul d not be adequat el y def ended
agai nst t he German advance. By t he t i me Russi a coul d move Yak product i on t o t he East , t he war was nearl y
over.
Uni que i n t hei r const ruct i on, t he earl y Yaks were made of wood, st eel , l i ght al l oy, and f abri c. Improvement s i n
desi gn were necessari l y sl ow, or i gnored, gi ven t he scarci t y of raw mat eri al s and t he need f or rapi d manuf act ure.
But t he Yak- 9 exhi bi t ed a marked evol ut i on f rom i t s f orerunners, part i cul arl y i n i t s repl acement of met al wi ng-
spars f or wood, t hereby al l owi ng a great er f uel - capaci t y i n t he wi ng, hence great er range.
Due t o wart i me condi t i ons, armament s on Yaks vari ed great l y. Most of t he Yak- 9s support ed smal l , engi ne-
mount ed cannons and t wo f usel age- mount ed 7.62 mm machi ne- guns. One versi on of t he Yak- 9 was out f i t t ed
wi t h bombs, a t est ament t o t he desi gn s overal l versat i l i t y. In al l more t han 17,000 Yak- 9s were bui l t , many of
whi ch saw servi ce i n t he Korean War where t hey were most l y i nef f ect i ve agai nst t he i mproved t echnol ogy of t he
t hri vi ng i ndust ri al West .
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er; Power Pl ant : One 1,014 kW 1360 hp Kl i mov Mi - 105P f - 3 engi ne;
Wi ngspan: 32.8 f t ; Lengt h: 28.0 f t ; Hei ght : 8.8 f t ; Wei ght : 7,055 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 368 mph; Cl i mb: 2,400
f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 32,800 f t ; Range: 875 mi l es; Armament : One 20mm cannon, one 12.7mm machi ne- gun.
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YAK - 9
B OEI NG B - 2 9 C SUP ERF ORTRESS
The B- 29 grew out of a proposal t o Boei ng by t he USAAC t o i mprove t he B- 17. What t he mi l i t ary want ed was
hi gh- f l yi ng, l ong- range bomber abl e t o del i ver a massi ve payl oad, but at t he t i me (1938) t hey were not aut hori zed
t o pl ace an order or even t o guarant ee f unds. Boei ng went ahead wi t h a pl an regardl ess so t hat i n 1940, when
t he newl y re- named USAF of f i ci al l y i nvi t ed U.S. ai rcraf t manuf act urers t o submi t proposal s f or a new l ong- range
bomber, Boei ng was wel l ahead of t he game. Lat er i n t he same year, t he Ai r Force ordered t hree prot ot ypes.
Among t he advances i ncorporat ed i nt o t he Superf ort ress desi gn were pressuri zed compart ment s f or al l f ourt een
crew members, i ncl udi ng t he t ai l - gunner. Earl i er model s of t he B- 29 bore up t o el even guns i n f i ve t urret s, but
t he B- 29C def ended i t sel f wi t h one 20mm cannon and one .50 cal i ber machi ne gun. The f i rst operat i onal B- 29s
were del i vered i n t he f al l of 1943, and t hey f i rst saw act i on i n June of 1944 i n an at t ack on Bangkok. No
Superf ort resses perf ormed i n Europe duri ng t he war, but t hey di d a l ot of damage i n and around Japan. Enol a
Gay and Bock s Car , bot h B- 29s, gave t he model t he uni que, i f suspect , di st i nct i on of bei ng t he onl y bomber
ever t o drop at omi c bombs ont o popul at ed areas.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Hi gh al t i t ude heavy bomber; Power Pl ant : Four 2,200 hp Wri ght R- 3350- 23 Dupl ex
Cycl one 18- cyl i nder radi al s each wi t h t wo exhaust - dri ven t urbochargers; Wi ngspan: 141.3 f t ; Lengt h: 99.0 f t ;
Hei ght : 27.8 f t ; Wei ght : 135,000 l bs (l oaded); Maxi mum Speed: 357 mph; Cei l i ng: 36,000 f t ; Range: 3,250
mi l es; Armament : One 20mm cannon, one t wi n 0.50 cal . machi ne- gun, 22,000 l bs of bombs.
A ground-breaking bomber and a tour deforcein quick design and production of a military aircraft.
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B- 29 SUP ERF ORTRESS
AI R COMB AT I N VI ETNAM
Vi et nam, f ol l owi ng a cent ury of French col oni al domi nat i on and f i ve years of host i l e Japanese occupat i on, was
f ormal l y di vi ded i nt o t wo part s (Nort h and Sout h) by t he Geneva Conf erence of 1954. Nat i onal i st l eader and l ef t -
wi ng ref ormer Ho Chi Mi nh cont rol l ed al l t he t erri t ory above t he 17t h Paral l el . Bel ow t he paral l el , U.S. backed Ngo
Di nh Di em exerci sed power. For t he next f i ve years, argument s of l egi t i mat e nat i onal el ect i ons ensued, whi l e bot h
t he Uni t ed St at es and t he Sovi et Uni on f urni shed i ndust ri al and mi l i t ary t echnol ogi es t o t he Sout h and Nort h
respect i vel y. In 1959, Nort h Vi et namese guerri l l as began rai di ng Sout h Vi et nam i n an ef f ort t o uni f y t he count ry
by f orce. Ngo Di nh Di em f el l i n 1963.
By 1964 , Nort h Vi et namese regul ars cont rol l ed t wo- t hi rds of t he Sout h. To keep t he Sout h f rom bei ng compl et el y
overrun by t he Nort h Vi et namese, U.S. Presi dent Lyndon Johnson aut hori zed a seri es of ai r- st ri kes code named
Fl ami ng Dart , whi ch t ook pl ace on February 8 and 11, 1965. Thi s was t he begi nni ng of t he ai r war i n Vi et nam.
Ini t i al l y t he ai r st ri kes had l i t t l e ef f ect i n demoral i zi ng t he Nort h Vi et namese. Indeed, t hey appeared t o provoke
f urt her escal at i on. The Joi nt Chi ef s saw no ot her al t ernat i ve but t o push f or more and harder- hi t t i ng ai r
campai gns agai nst Nort h Vi et namese t arget s. Thi s new of f ensi ve, cal l ed Operat i on Rol l i ng Thunder, carri ed wi t h
i t st ri ct rest ri ct i ons as t o what areas and whi ch t arget s t he pi l ot s coul d at t ack. On Apri l 3, t he rest ri ct i ons
rel axed somewhat by now, U.S. ai rcraf t encount ered Mi Gs f or t he f i rst t i me, nei t her si de scori ng a vi ct ory. The
f ol l owi ng day, however, i n a wel l orchest rat ed hi t - and- run at t ack, Mi Gs shot down t wo F- 105s and escaped
unscat hed. The bat t l e f or ai r superi ori t y had begun, and t he U.S. Naval Ai r Command concerned i t sel f wi t h t he
probl em of neut ral i zi ng t he f ast and maneuverabl e Mi G 17.
Ameri can desi gners, bel i evi ng t hat ai r- t o- ai r mi ssi l es el i mi nat ed t he possi bi l i t y of t radi t i onal dogf i ght i ng, bui l t a
number of mul t i - rol e j et s whi ch l acked t he capabi l i t i es of a pure f i ght er. The F- 4 Phant om, at t he t i me probabl y
Ameri ca s deadl i est pl ane wi t h i t s medi um- range Sparrow mi ssi l es, f el l onl y a l i t t l e short of t he Mi G- 17 i n cl ose-
i n perf ormance, but i t carri ed no cannons! As i f t hi s were not enough of a di sadvant age t o U.S. f l yers, t he U.S.
rul es of engagement speci f i ed t hat a pi l ot had t o conf i rm hi s ai rcraf t t arget s vi sual l y bef ore f i ri ng a mi ssi l e. In
t he case of t he Sparrow, vi sual cont act wi t h t he t arget general l y meant you were t oo cl ose t o t he t arget . In spi t e
of al l t hi s, t wo F- 4s scored Ameri ca s f i rst ki l l s, downi ng t wo Mi G- 17s on June of 1965, i n t he phase of operat i ons
known as Rol l i ng Thunder II.
The i nt roduct i on of t he Mi G- 21 Fi shbed i n l at e 1965 si gni f i cant l y upgraded Nort h Vi et nam s ai r- def ence net work.
As a st ri ct l y cl ear- weat her i nt ercept or, i t was pract i cal l y unapproachabl e i n f ai r condi t i ons, but cl oudy ski es
hampered i t s ef f ect i veness, duri ng whi ch t i mes i t usual l y remai ned on t he ground. As t he Ameri can command
gradual l y rel axed i t s t arget rest ri ct i ons, and as t he U.S.S.R st epped up i t s del i very of Mi Gs, more ai r combat
occurred, t hough encount ers were st i l l i nf requent by hi st ori cal st andards. Nei t her si de domi nat ed t he ski es. In
Apri l Ameri ca unl eashed Rol l i ng Thunder IV, f or t he f i rst t i me al l owi ng bombi ng runs over t he whol e of Nort h
Vi et nam (except f or a f ew desi gnat ed spot s i n and around Hanoi and Hai phong).
Ameri ca s commi t ment t o a deeper penet rat i on of Nort h Vi et nam saw a sharp i ncrease i n t he number of
dogf i ght s. In June of 1966, F- 4s brought down a number of Mi G- 17. Lat er i n t he mont h a l one F- 4 escort
engaged several Mi G- 21 and, usi ng Si dewi nders, made t he f i rst Fi shbed ki l l . By t he end of t he mont h, t he Navy
and t he Ai r Force had combi ned f or 15 ki l l s agai nst 2 l osses (bot h t o t he Navy). The ai r- war was i n f ul l swi ng and
t he U.S., part l y out of superi or numbers and part l y out of superi or ai rmanshi p, had est abl i shed a cl ear advant age
over t he Nort h Vi et namese pi l ot s. But t hat di d not mean ai r superi ori t y, f or t he Nort h Vi et namese brought t o bear
a f ormi dabl e ground def ense net work i n t he f orm of surf ace- t o- ai r- mi ssi l es and pot ent ant i - ai rcraf t art i l l ery. By
t he end of 1966, a f ul l 85% of t he 455 U.S. ai rcraf t l ost si nce t he begi nni ng of t he war f el l t o SAMs and art i l l ery.
As 1967 approached, U.S. pi l ot s had dest royed 23 Mi G- 21s, al l i n ai r- t o- ai r combat . A f ew wel l - pl anned bombi ng
runs over NVAF ai rf i el ds coul d wel l have curt ai l ed Mi G act i vi t y, but f or some reason t he enemy s ai rf i el ds were
l i st ed as of f - l i mi t s. Accordi ngl y, pl ans were l ai d t o l ure Mi G- 21 squadrons i nt o deadl y t raps. Operat i on Bol o
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encompassed a seri es of aeri al ruses desi gned t o t ri ck t he NVAF i nt o bel i evi ng t hat sl ower, bomb- heavy ai rcraf t
were on t he way, ai rcraf t t hat were i n f act mi ssi l e- equi pped F- 4s. Provi si ons were al so made t o cut of f t hei r
escape t o t he sanct uary of Chi nese ai rf i el ds. A wel l - concei ved and t horoughl y pl anned ambush, t he t rap was set
on January 2, 1967, and t he el i t e Mi G- 21 pi l ot s wal ked ri ght i nt o i t . U.S. Pi l ot s scored seven conf i rmed ki l l s,
nearl y hal f of t he 15 Mi G- 21s known t o be operat i ng at t he t i me. It was t he USAF s most deci si ve vi ct ory of t he
war.
Fai r Apri l weat her brought pl ent y of sort i es, and f or t he f i rst t i me i n t he war Nort h Vi et namese pi l ot s mount ed a
seri ous chal l enge t o t hei r Ameri can count erpart s. In some 50 engagement s, U.S. pi l ot s shot down ni ne Mi Gs but
l ost seven of t hei r own. But i n May, t he F- 4 was f i nal l y ret rof i t t ed wi t h a nose cannon, and wi t h t hi s t he U.S.
t emporari l y regai ned i t s marked superi ori t y i n t he ai r. Not surpri si ngl y, Mi Gs al l but di sappeared f rom t he ai r i n
June and Jul y. But i n August t hey ret urned i n f ul l f orce, havi ng devel oped ef f ect i ve new t act i cs t o deal wi t h t he F-
4s, whi ch by now were escort i ng bombers on st ri kes agai nst ai rf i el ds. Pol i t i cal maneuveri ng bet ween
Washi ngt on had hal t ed and rest art ed t he ai r- st ri kes t hroughout August , Sept ember and Oct ober, and no vi ct ori es
were scored by ei t her si de. But when t al ks broke down i n t he Oct ober, t he U.S. resumed f ul l - scal e bombi ng of
Nort h Vi et nam.
The peace t al ks had gi ven t he NVAF much needed t i me t o t rai n pi l ot s and devel op new t act i cs so as t o bet t er
def end i t s ground t arget s, and i t had pai d of f . In addi t i on, t he Nort h Vi et namese ground def enses were
i ncreased. So when t he renewed of f ensi ves began, U.S. ai rmen f aced a much more dangerous f oe. Whereas i n
August t he U.S. enj oyed an si zeabl e advant age i n ki l l - t o- l oss rat i o, by February of 1968 t he NVAF had pract i cal l y
evened t he score, downi ng ei ght een U.S. j et s i n t hat si x- mont h span whi l e l osi ng onl y f i ve. The Mi Gs were
eveni ng t he score. Over t he next t wo years, very l i t t l e ai r combat t ook pl ace, bot h si des l osi ng equal l y when t hey
di d meet . Meanwhi l e, bot h si des regrouped and resuppl i ed t hei r ground t roops.
Cont i nui ng t o f urni sh t he Sout h Vi et namese i nf ant ry wi t h al l manner of mi l i t ary equi pment , t he U.S. began
wi t hdrawi ng i t s own ground t roops. By 1972, t he ground def ense of Sout h Vi et nam was l ef t i n her own hands.
Even t hough much U.S. ai r power remai ned, t he pl anes were used onl y f or reconnai ssance mi ssi ons. But when i t
became apparent t hat Nort h Vi et namese f orces were readyi ng t hemsel ves f or anot her massi ve onsl aught , U.S.
Presi dent Ri chard Ni xon aut hori zed a seri es of bombi ng runs dubbed Li nebacker.
Most of t he ai r combat f ought duri ng t he Vi et nam War t ook pl ace i n 1972, duri ng Li nebacker I, whi ch began i n
Apri l wi t h t he i mmedi at e obj ect i ve of sl owi ng t he Nort h Vi et namese i nvasi on. But as soon as enough pl anes and
equi pment arri ved, t he U.S. brought t he f ul l brunt of i t s ai r power t o bear on Nort h Vi et namese suppl y l i nes, whi ch
i ncl uded t he mi ni ng of cri t i cal harbors wi t h speci al l y modi f i ed Navy A- 6 Int ruders. In t he years of rel at i ve cal m
bet ween 1968 and 1971, t he U.S. has made a f ew si gni f i cant advances i n weaponry and ordnance, namel y a very
rel i abl e, l aser- gui ded bomb desi gned f or use on t he F- 4. These and ot her preci si on- gui ded smart bombs
cont ri but ed great l y t o t he success of Li nebacker I. In addi t i on, i mprovement s i n radar and el ect roni c
count ermeasures had t he combi ned ef f ect of f rust rat i ng t he Nort h Vi et namese ground def ense syst ems, t hereby
f orci ng more Mi Gs i nt o t he ai r. The resul t , of course, was an i ncrease i n dog- f i ght i ng. In t he l at t er part of June,
duri ng t he heavi est rai ds of t he of f ensi ve, more t han 300 sort i es were f l own per day, wi t h U.S. pi l ot s general l y
best i ng t hei r opponent s. Int erdi ct i ons of suppl y l i nes were l argel y successf ul .
Fol l owi ng unsuccessf ul peace t al ks i n t he wi nt er of 1972, Li nebacker II was undert aken. It l ast ed el even days,
duri ng whi ch pi l ot s f l ew 729 sort i es al l t ol d, dest royi ng many hundred mi l i t ary/ i ndust ri al bui l di ngs, rai l road
yards, and pet rol eum st orage f aci l i t i es. Faced wi t h t he prospect of t he t ot al dest ruct i on of t hei r mi l i t ary
resources, t he Nort h Vi et namese ret urned t o t he negot i at i ng t abl e on January 1, 1973. A permanent cease- f i re
was si gned on January 23. The war was of f i ci al l y over.
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MAY 10, 1972
The wor lds fir st all-missile aces, USAF Lieut enant s Randall H. Duke Cunningham and his
r adar man, J .G. Willie Dr iscoll, ear ned t his singular dist inct ion on May 10, 1972, when t hey
shot down t hr ee MiGs in one aft er noon. Taking off fr om t he USS Const ellat ion in suppor t of
a bombing mission over Haiphong, t he t wo men soon found t he skies t hick wit h MiGs, wit h
st ill mor e climbing t o engage t hem. Cunningham blast ed t wo out of t he air in shor t or der ,
t he second kill pr obably saving t he life of t he air man who was being hot ly pur sued.
The bombs dr opped and t he br ief melee now over , Cunningham and Dr iscoll wer e alone and
st ill fully fueled. Over t he r adio t hey hear d r epor t s of MiG act ivit y t o t he east . Tur ning in
t hat dir ect ion, t he pilot s saw what looked like a MiG-17 heading st r aight for t hem. Knowing
as he did t hat t he MiGs At oll missile could not lock on t o a head-on t ar get , Cunningham
expect ed his enemy t o r un. But no! This Communist was no cowar d; t he MiG let loose a
st r eam of cannon fir e.
A classic dogfight ensued. Cunningham pulled up t o avoid t he cannon shells, expect ing t o
t ur n back at t he t op of his climb and see his opponent fleeing for Hanoi. But befor e he
r eached t he t op, Cunningham looked over his shoulder t o find, t o his amazement , t hat his
quar r y was climbing wit h him, side-by-side, not t hir t y feet away. The pilot was wear ing a
leat her helmet , goggles and a long scar f, like some sor t of Wor ld War I ace. It was none
ot her t han t he famous Col. Tomb, much celebr at ed for his skill and dar ing. Using t he F-4s
super ior acceler at ion, Cunningham out -climbed his st ylish adver sar y and t ur ned over t he
t op, wher eupon t he Communist in his mor e agile MiG fir ed his cannons again, again wit hout
success. For a br ief moment , Col. Tomb was st ar ing st r aight int o Cunninghams six oclock,
unt il t he Amer ican br oke down int o a st eep, r olling scissor s. Having put a few hundr ed
knot s bet ween himself and Tomb, Cunningham zoomed up again int o a pur e ver t ical climb,
at t empt ing t o achieve an alt it ude advant age, r oll over , and let t he MiG have it . But , as
befor e, Tomb st ayed r ight wit h him, unloading a few r ounds as t he F-4 r eached t he t op and
levelled off, missing his t ar get once again.
At about t his t ime, Willie Dr iscoll spoke up, suggest ing t o his pilot t hat t hey might do well t o
br eak off t his engagement and head for home. Cunningham would not hear of it . He st ill
h a d ga s , a n d h e wa n t e d t o c on t i n u e t h e d e a d l y, ve r t i c a l d a n c e wi t h t h e c os t u me d ,
Communist celebr it y.
Now on t h e i r t h i r d c l i mb t oge t h e r , p r a c t i c a l l y s i d e -b y-s i d e , Tomb t r i e d t o s t a y wi t h
Cun n i n gh a m, t op-out wi t h h i m, a n d ge t i n be h i n d t h e F-4, a s t h e Mi G e n joye d be t t e r
handling. Sensing t his, Cunningham cut his t hr ot t le and put on t he br akes, hoping t o fall in
behind t he MiG. But Tomb t ur ned t he t ables, br eaking off for a moment and t hen swooping
in behind t he t empor ar ily power less F-4. At t his point , Cunningham was in deep t r ouble, his
only r ecour se t o light t he aft er bur ner s and hope t o God t he engines wouldnt flame out . The
t r ust y J 79s hung in t her e. The t wo pilot s flew t oget her for a moment in a flat scissor sif a
wingman for eit her pilot had shown up now, t he lone combat ant would have been dead
meat . All Cunningham want ed t o do at t his point was disengage, t r y for a shot at t he MiGs
belly, and head home; but as he began t o execut e t his final maneuver , Tomb t ur ned and
himself dove for home, pr obably low on fuel. This was all Cunningham needed. The MiG
wound up r ight in his sight s. Cunningham pushed a but t on and t hat was t hat . Aft er all t he
jockeying, t he kill was t oo easy. The flaming MiG dug a hole in t he landscape for t he valiant
Col. Tomb. Cunningham and Dr iscoll went back t o t heir ship, t o t he pr aise of t heir fellow
flier s.
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F - 4 E P HANTOM I I
Earl y i n 1961 McDonnel l Dougl as came out wi t h i t f i rst F- 4 Phant om II, a pl ane, produced i n seri al f or t he next
ei ght years, whi ch woul d break no l ess t han 15 records. The Navy s f i rst f i ght er t o carry not hi ng but mi ssi l es, i t
was al so t he f i rst j et capabl e of i dent i f yi ng and dest royi ng a t arget wi t hout hel p f rom t he ground. It s desi gners
were some of t he most t al ent ed i n t he worl d, and t hey were abl e t o st ri ke a perf ect bal ance bet ween wei ght and
power, bet ween maneuverabi l i t y and payl oad.
On August 5, 1964, over Vi et nam, Phant oms of f t he carri er USS Const el l at i on, saw t he j et s f i rst combat act i on.
It was i mmedi at el y apparent t o t he pi l ot s t hat , gi ven t hei r orders t o make vi sual cont act bef ore f i ri ng t hei r f our
radar- gui ded Sparrow mi ssi l es and t wo heat - seeki ng Si dewi nders, t hey were at a di sadvant age agai nst t he
cannon beari ng Mi Gs. Accordi ngl y, desi gners i nst al l ed a cannon i n t he F- 4 s nose, t hi s model bei ng t he F- 4E.
These Phant oms IIs are credi t ed wi t h more Mi G ki l l s t han any ot her f i ght er.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Two- seat f i ght er; Power pl ant : Two 17,900 l b t hrust General El ect ri c J- 79- GE- 17A
t urboj et s; Wi ngspan: 38.4 f t Lengt h: 62.8 f t ; Hei ght : 16.5 f t ; Wei ght : 28,000 l bs; Maxi mum speed: 1,386 mph;
Cl i mb: 61,400 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 71,000 f t ; Range: 786 mph; Armament ; One 20mm M61A1 rot ary cannon, f our
AIM- 7 Sparrows, f our AIM- 9 Si dewi nders.
AIM- 7 Sparrow: Gui dance: Semi - act i ve radar homi ng; Propul si on: Sol i d propel l ant rocket ; Warhead: 88
l bart hel et cont i nuous rod; Lengt h: 12 f t ; Wei ght : 503 l bs; Di amet er: 8 i n; Wi ngspan: 3.3 f t ; Maxi mum Speed:
3.5 Mach; Range: 30+ mi l es.
AIM- 9 Si dewi nder: Gui dance: Inf rared homi ng; Propul si on: Sol i d propel l ant rocket ; Warhead: 25 l b
f ragment at i on; Lengt h: 9.4 f t ; Wei ght : 190 l bs; Di amet er: 5 i n; Wi ngspan: 2.08 f t ; Maxi mum Speed: 2.5 Mach;
Range: 5 mi l es.
A very versatileaircraft that accounted for themajority of theMiG-21 kills in Vietnam.
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F-4E Phantom
REPUBLI C F- 105D THUNDERCHI EF
The F- 105 was desi gned as a f i ght er- bomber capabl e of del i veri ng nucl ear weapons as wel l as a heavy payl oad
of convent i onal bombs, and i n Oct ober of 1955, when i t made i t s mai den f l i ght , i t was t he bot h t he l argest and
heavi est si ngl e- seat f i ght er ever bui l t . The prot ot ype reached Mach 1.2 easi l y, despi t e bei ng powered by an
engi ne smal l er t han t he one proj ect ed f or i t s desi gn. Once t he i nt ended power pl ant was i nst al l ed and a f l aw i n
i t s f usel age correct ed, t he Thunderchi ef reached Mach 2.15, an awesome accompl i shment consi deri ng i t s si ze.
In addi t i on t o t he 14,000 l bs of bombs, mi ssi l es and rocket s i t coul d carry, t he Thud sport ed one f i xed 20mm
cannon i n i t s nose. Duri ng t he course of t he Vi et nam war, i n whi ch i t f l ew more t han 20,000 bombi ng sort i es
begi nni ng i n March, 1965, 350 F- 105s were shot down, most l y by ant i - ai rcraf t f i re. The f i rst F- 105D came of f t he
l i ne i n June, 1959 and woul d di st i ngui sh i t sel f as t he best al l - weat her ai rcraf t i n i t s cl ass, meani ng t hat i t coul d
be f l own i n vi rt ual l y zero- vi si bi l i t y condi t i ons and del i ver i t s payl oad wi t h t he ai d of a bombi ng comput er. Bei ng
somewhat cl umsy as a pure f i ght er, i t s was wi del y used i n weat her condi t i ons unf avorabl e t o enemy i nt ercept ors.
St i l l , Thud pi l ot s chal ked up a modest 27 Mi G ki l l s i n 1966 and 1967, and t hei r success i ncreased a year l at er
when escort ed by F- 4s.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er- bomber; Power Pl ant : One 17,200 l b t hrust Prat t & Whi t ney J- 75- 19
t urboj et ; Wi ngspan: 34.9 f t ; Lengt h: 67.0 f t ; Hei ght : 19.8 f t ; Wei ght : 27,500 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 1,226
mph; Cl i mb: 34,500 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 48,500 f t ; Range: 800 mi l es. Armament : One 20mm cannon, t wo 3,000 l b
bombs, and f our Si dewi nder mi ssi l es.
A dependableairplanethat could absorb a lot of damageand still fly. TheF-105 flew morethan 75%of
Air Forces strikemissions in Vietnamwith just a 1%abort rate.
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F-105D Thunderc hief
MI KOYAN- GUREVI CH MI G- 2 1 MF F I SHB ED
The Mi G s poor showi ng i n Korea l ed di rect l y t o t he devel opment of t he Mi G- 21, a short - range ai r- superi ori t y
f i ght er dest i ned t o become t he worl d s most wi del y used combat ai rcraf t . Desi gned i n t he 18 mont hs f ol l owi ng
t he Korean cease- f i re, i t s devel opers chose a smal l ai rf rame wi t h a del t a- shaped wi ng, emphasi zi ng t he hi ghest
possi bl e perf ormance i n a short - t erm engagement . Accordi ngl y, i t s f uel suppl y was compl et el y i nt ernal , l eavi ng
room under i t s bri ef wi ngs f or mi ssi l es and avi oni cs.
So many versi ons of t he ori gi nal desi gn have been bui l t t hat i t i s onl y possi bl e t o speak general l y about t he Mi G-
21. Most carri ed (or carry) at l east one 23 mm cannon under t he f usel age, and al l support gui ded mi ssi l es of one
vari et y or anot her, t he versat i l i t y of i t s si mpl e desi gn bei ng second among i t s vi rt ues t he chi ef bei ng i t s pure
speed. The Mi G- 21 set many a speed record i n i t s heyday. The 21NF ent ered t he Sovi et arsenal i n 1970,
equi pped wi t h a new si ngl e- shaf t t urboj et engi ne capabl e of must eri ng 11,240 l bs of t hrust f or a maxi mum
speed of nearl y 1,300 mph. Used ext ensi vel y i n t he l at t er years of t he Vi et nam war, t hi s versi on of t he Fi shbed
made U.S. dayl i ght mi ssi ons a ri sky busi ness. In 1973 product i on of t hi s model began i n Indi a, and versi ons of
t he Mi G- 21 are current l y i n use t hroughout t he worl d.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er; Power Pl ant : One 11,240 l b t hrust Tumansky si ngl e- shaf t t urboj et ;
Wi ngspan: 23.5 f t ; Lengt h: 48.0 f t ; Hei ght : 14,8 f t ; Wei ght : 11,464 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 1,285 mph; Cl i mb:
36,090 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 59,050 f t ; Range: 683 mi l es; Armament : Two 30mm NR- 30 cannon, f our AA- 2 At ol l
mi ssi l es.
AA- 2 At ol l : Gui dance: Inf rared or semi - act i ve radar homi ng; Propul si on: Sol i d Propel l ant Rocket ; Warhead:
unknown; Lengt h: 9.1 f t ; Wei ght : 155 l bs; Di amet er: 4.75 i n; Wi ngspan: 1.7 f t ; Maxi mum Speed: 2+ Mach;
Range: 4 + mi l es.
A real success story for Russian arms sales. TheMiG-21 was put on thedrawing board after Korea,
wheretheSoviets discovered they needed a light, single-seat interceptor with supersonic capabilities.
Its been a popular fighter since.
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MiG-21MF
MI KOYAN- GUREVI CH MI G- 1 7 F F RESCO
Al ready on t he drawi ng board wel l bef ore t he Korean War began, t he desi gners of t he Mi G- 17 were t ryi ng t o do
more t han si mpl y i ron out t he Mi G- 15 s f l aws. In t rut h, i t was a whol l y di f f erent f i ght er, wi t h a l onger f usel age, a
t hi nner wi ng, and a new t ai l . In addi t i on, t he Mi G- 17 was equi pped wi t h up- t o- dat e radar and avi oni cs and f our
wi ng hardpoi nt f uel t anks. Ini t i al l y, i t used t he same power pl ant and armament as i t s predecessor, but t hose
were l at er qui ckl y dropped i n f avor of more powerf ul and dest ruct i ve t echnol ogy respect i vel y. The F versi on, of
whi ch more were produced t han any ot her, was t he f i rst t o have af t erburners. As f or i t s weaponry, i t sport ed t hree
23mm cannons under i t s nose, ei ght 55mm ai r- t o- ai r or ai r- t o- ground rocket s, and up t o 1,100 l bs on bombs.
Not produced i n suf f i ci ent numbers t o i nf l uence t he f i ght i ng i n Korea, some of t he t op Communi st aces i n
Vi et nam pi l ot ed t he Fresco. Li ke t he Mi G- 15, t he Mi G- 17 al so was produced i n Pol and, Czechosl ovaki a, and
Chi na, event ual l y wi ndi ng up i n t he ai r f orces of some t went y- t wo count ri es besi des t he USSR. Prai sed by ai rcraf t
desi gners worl d- wi de f or t he geni us of i t s si mpl i ci t y, t he Fresco was t o be t he l ast j et i n whi ch Gurevi ch had a
di rect hand.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: Si ngl e- seat f i ght er- i nt ercept or; Power Pl ant : One 5,952 l b t hrust Ki l mov VK- 1 si ngl e shaf t
cent ri f ugal t urboj et ; Wi ngspan: 31.0 f t ; Lengt h: 36.3 f t ; Hei ght : 11.0 f t ; Wei ght : 9,040 l bs; Maxi mum speed:
711 mph; Cl i mb: 12,795 f t / mi n; Cei l i ng: 54,460 f t ; Range: 870 mi l es; Armament : Three NS- 23 cannons under
nose, up t o ei ght rocket s.
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BOEI NG B- 52 STRATOFORTRESS
In 1945 t he USAAF asked Boei ng t o desi gn a l ong- range heavy bomber, a bomber rangy enough t o hi t any t arget
on t he pl anet . Fuel - economy became t he f i rst i ssue. The bomber woul d have t o be f ast enough t o make i t
escort abl e by f i ght ers, but t he f i rst t urboj et engi nes were f ar t oo t hi rst y t o power t he ki nd of ai rcraf t t he Ai r Force
had i n mi nd. A t urboprop engi ne, bei ng much more f uel - ef f i ci ent , was t he obvi ous choi ce. Af t er numerous
desi gn changes, i t became apparent t hat , t urboprop or not , t he bomber woul d have t o be ai r- ref uel l abl e t o make
i t t o cert ai n t rans- gl obal t arget s. By t he t i me i t was f i ni shed i n 1954, a f ul l ni ne years f rom drawi ng board t o
assembl y l i ne, t he f i rst B- 52 was dri ven by ei ght wi ng- mount ed t urboj et s. For years i t has been backbone of U.S.
St rat egi c Ai r Command.
The B- 52, used as recent l y as 1991 i n t he Persi an Gul f War, had an enormous bomb bay and i n addi t i on coul d
carry up t o t went y short - range at t ack mi ssi l es. There was al so a remot e- cont rol l ed cannon t urret i n t he rear of
t he bomber. Used ext ensi vel y i n Vi et nam, t he B- 52 was and i s cont i nual l y modi f i ed t o meet changi ng mi l i t ary
requi rement s, and t he USAF expect s i t t o remai n a vi abl e st rat egi c bomber i nt o t he next cent ury.
Spec i f i c at i ons: Type: St rat egi c Heavy Bomber: Power Pl ant : Ei ght 13,750 l b t hrust Prat t and Whi t ney j 57- P- 43W
t urboj et s; Wi ngspan: 185.0 f t ; Lengt h: 157.6 f t . Hei ght : 40.7 f t ; Wei ght : 480,000 l bs; Maxi mum Speed: 665
mph; Cei l i ng: 55,000 f t ; Range: 9,000 mi l es; Armament : Two 20mm cannon i n remot el y cont rol l ed t ai l posi t i on,
20 SRAM mi ssi l es, bombs.
For years, theB-52 was thebackboneof theStrategic Air Command. It flew in Vietnam, but dueto the
fact that thebomber was susceptibleto surface-to-air attacks, it was restricted to bombing missions in
thesouth.
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B-52 Stratofortress
THE MAKI NG OF AN ACE
El ec t r oni c Ar t s: It s a f act t hat i n every ai r war, a smal l number of pi l ot s runs up t he maj ori t y of ki l l s. What
charact eri st i cs make an ace?
Chuc k Yeager : Experi ence. You st art f rom a basel i ne of very good eyesi ght , st ami na, and aggressi veness, but
af t er t hat , i t s st ri ct l y experi ence. They guy wi t h t he most experi ence i s goi ng t o be t he best .
EA: How do you get experi ence?
Yeager : You survi ve.
EA: When di d you di scover you had superi or eyesi ght ?
Yeager : When I was a ki d. I was al ways gi f t ed wi t h good eyesi ght , f rom a ki d on up. Even t o t hi s day I have 20/ 10
eyesi ght , whi ch i s t wi ce as good as normal .
EA: I ve read about pi l ot s f ocusi ng out t o i nf i ni t y.
Yeager : That s real l y an art you have t o l earn. Most peopl e have di f f i cul t y f ocusi ng on i nf i ni t y t hey ve got t o
have somet hi ng t o f ocus on. In Worl d War II, we l earned t o pi ck a pi ece of t he sky and f ocus out t o i nf i ni t y and
back, and t hen move over and do i t agai n. You don t l et your eyes f ocus on a set pl ace. Normal l y, i f your eyes rel ax
t hey f ocus at about 18 f eet you ve got t o be abl e t o f ocus t hem out and i n.
EA: Di d radar change t he i mport ance of good vi si on?
Yeager : Yes. Radar caused t he pi l ot s t o get l azy. They were usi ng radar t o l ook out 20 t o 30 mi l es ahead. Bef ore
we had radar, you had t o depend on your eyes t o pi ck up t hi ngs comi ng i n. But now wi t h t he abi l i t y t o j am radars,
and al so st eal t h t echnol ogy comi ng i nt o t he pi ct ure, we ve got t o t each t he guys t o st art l ooki ng agai n.
EA: You ment i oned st ami na...
Yeager : If you re dogf i ght i ng and pul l i ng hi gh g s, i t s rough work, so you have t o have st ami na.
EA: You di dn t have hydraul i cal l y operat ed cont rol s.
Yeager : Yeah, i t was harder work i n t he ol d days when you had t o manual l y move t he cont rol surf aces at hi gh
speeds. But even t oday, al t hough you ve got syst ems t hat do t he work f or you, you re st i l l exposed t o hi gh g l oads,
whi ch i s t ough on you.
EA: Does t he pi l ot s agi l i t y make a di f f erence at al l ?
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Yeager : To me, agi l i t y j ust means t he abi l i t y t o move around. You don t do much movi ng around i n a cockpi t !
EA: You re movi ng your hands...
Yeager : That s dext eri t y.
EA: OK. So how many cont rol s di d a Worl d War II pi l ot have t o moni t or?
Yeager : In ai rpl anes of Worl d War II vi nt age, t he syst ems were si mpl er you j ust had a f uel syst em and t hat
was i t but t hey were harder ai rpl anes t o f l y. You had t orque, t ri m, and t he l ack of boost ed cont rol s. Today s
ai rpl anes are more compl ex but t hey re much easi er t o f l y.
EA: They do more of t he t hi nki ng f or t hemsel ves.
Yeager : That s ri ght . It j ust makes you more ef f ect i ve, especi al l y wi t h comput er- enhanced syst ems.
EA: Woul d you descri be most pi l ot s as cool - headed?
Yeager : Cool - headed ? What you don t do i s worry about t he out come of anyt hi ng because you don t have cont rol
over i t . You concent rat e on what you re doi ng. If you want t o cal l t hat cool - headed, f i ne.
EA: It s a mat t er f ocusi ng, t hen?
Yeager : There you are. You f ocus on what you re doi ng.
EA: Were t here guys up t here who pani cked?
Yeager : Obvi ousl y, i f you re get t i ng ready t o get ki l l ed, I m sure you get a l i t t l e bi t exci t ed.
EA: What does t rai ni ng do f or you?
Yeager : Here agai n, t here s no subst i t ut e f or act ual combat . You can t rai n and l earn t o f l y your ai rpl ane, and
t hat s experi ence. It al l hel ps. We f i gured t hat i f a guy survi ved hi s f i rst f i ve combat mi ssi ons, t hen he had a good
chance of survi vi ng al l t he way t hrough.
One t hi ng we saw i n Worl d War II was t hat onl y 11% of t he f i ght er pi l ot s i nvol ved i n combat wi t h t he Germans
shot down about 90% of t he ai rpl anes dest royed. That s a smal l number. If you l ook at t he commonal i t y of t hese
guys, t hey were al l rural ki ds t hey underst ood def l ect i on shoot i ng t hey had good eyesi ght , and were
aggressi ve and sel f - suf f i ci ent .
EA: You l earned marksmanshi p whi l e hunt i ng as a ki d?
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Yeager : Very much so.
EA: You ment i oned aggressi veness. How do you bal ance t hat wi t h caut i on?
Yeager : That comes wi t h experi ence. You know what t o do and what not t o do. But i f you get an advant age, you ve
got t o press i t home.
EA: So one si t uat i on mi ght demand aggressi veness, and anot her caut i on?
Yeager : Yeah. I mean, obvi ousl y you don t go j umpi ng i nt o t he mi ddl e of 25 aggressi ve ai rpl anes by yoursel f ! You
use your good j udgement cal l i n some of your buddi es.
EA: At one poi nt , si t uat i onal awareness became a buzzword. Does t he t erm hol d any meani ng?
Yeager : Sure. You have t he abi l i t y now wi t h comput er- enhancement and radar and st uf f l i ke t hat t o i ncrease your
si t uat i onal awareness. You know what s goi ng on around you. See, t he onl y way we knew what was goi ng on
around us i n Worl d War II was t hat we had a wi ngman. Obvi ousl y he was t he guy who kept you aware of what was
goi ng on around you. If some guy was t ryi ng t o work i n on your t ai l i t was hi s j ob t o cal l a break.
Today, t he ul t i mat e si t uat i onal awareness i s AWACS. Those guys can t el l you everyt hi ng t hat s goi ng on i n t he
whol e t heat er!
EA: How much does superi or equi pment hel p t he f i ght er pi l ot ?
Yeager : Iraq i s a good exampl e of what hi gh- t ech weapons wi l l do f or you. Superi or weapons means t he
di f f erence bet ween wi nni ng and l osi ng!
EA: In an ai r bat t l e, does t he number of ai rcraf t make a di f f erence?
Yeager : No, not necessari l y so. Not t oday. It depends on t he si t uat i onal awareness t he ai rpl ane provi des, t he ki nd
of mi ssi l es you re usi ng, what ki nd of ECM equi pment t he enemy has. The out come depends on al l of t hese
t hi ngs, because t he si t uat i on changes real qui ck i n an ai r bat t l e. As f ar as superi or numbers go, i f you re equal i n
t he t echnol ogy of your weapons, superi or numbers wi l l wi n because t here l l be more pi l ot s who survi ve.
EA: Have mi ssi l es changed t he nat ure of ai r combat ?
Yeager : Today s mi ssi l es are maki ng a gun excess baggage. If you l ook at Iraq, t here wasn t one ai rpl ane shot
down wi t h a gun except a hel i copt er shot down by an A- 10. But al l of t he f i ght ers t ypes st ri ct l y mi ssi l es.
EA: Mi ssi l es have i mproved a l ot si nce Vi et nam.
Yeager : Oh, def i ni t el y. In Vi et nam, t he ki l l rat i o and rel i abi l i t y was sad because t hey were new. Today hey,
we re runni ng at 99- 100% success rat e.
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EA: So t hey were a l i t t l e hast y i n t he earl y days of Vi et nam when t hey t ook out t hose guns?
Yeager : It s a l earni ng curve. Just l i ke i n Worl d War II wi t h our P- 51s, we had t hese ri ng and bead gun si ght s.
You depended on your i nst i nct t o shoot a guy down. So t hey devel oped a l ead comput i ng gun si ght t he K- 14.
Made i t easi er. We had t o l earn how t o use i t . It s t he same wi t h t he mi ssi l es.
EA: Ai r combat i s of t en seen as a ki nd of chi val ri c cont est or even a sport . What s your opi ni on of t hat not i on?
Yeager : It s a sport ?!
EA: You hear t hat as an anal ogy.
Yeager : Wel l , t hat s j ust t he press! No, ai r combat i n a war i s why t hey pay you t o f l y. It s t hat si mpl e. That s
what you re t rai ned f or. You don t t rai n j ust t o put on ai r shows. It s a j ob you have t o mai nt ai n a combat
readi ness and you ve got t o be ready t o f i ght . It s basi cal l y t hat si mpl e.
But i t i s t hi s ai r combat i s t he ul t i mat e f l yi ng experi ence.
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GLOSSARY
Ac e A pi l ot who has f i ve conf i rmed ki l l s.
Af t er bur ner A devi ce f or gai ni ng ext ra t hrust at t he expense of great l y i ncreased f uel consumpt i on by i gni t i ng
f uel di rect l y i n t he exhaust engi nes.
Ai l er ons Hi nged surf aces at t he t rai l i ng edge of each wi ng, t ypi cal l y near t he wi ngt i ps. Ai l erons cont rol t he
pl ane s rol l .
Al t i met er Inst rument used t o measure t he hei ght (i n f eet ) of t he ai rpl ane above sea l evel .
Angl e of At t ac k The angl e at whi ch t he wi ng meet s t he oncomi ng ai r. The great er t he angl e of at t ack, t he more
l i f t occurs as ai r st ri ki ng t he bot t om of t he wi ng i s def l ect ed downward. If t he angl e of at t ack i s t oo great , t he
ai rpl ane st al l s.
Angl e of Def l ec t i on See Def l ect i on Angl e.
Angl e- Of f See Def l ect i on Angl e.
At t i t ude The di rect i on t he nose of t he ai rpl ane i s f aci ng.
Auger I n Crash.
Bac k Pr essur e Pul l i ng back on t he f l i ght st i ck.
Bandi t An enemy pl ane.
Bl ac k out The ef f ect of hi gh posi t i ve g s on t he human body, causi ng bl ood t o rush away f rom t he head and t he
pi l ot t o moment ari l y bl ackout . See al so Redout .
Bogey An uni dent i f i ed ai rpl ane.
Bounc e Make a surpri se at t ack on an opponent .
Bug Out Di sengage combat .
Buy t he Far m Di e.
Cent er of Gr avi t y The poi nt at whi ch t he l ongi t udi nal , l at eral , and vert i cal axes of t he ai rpl ane cross.
Cont r ol Sur f ac e Part s of t he ai rpl ane t hat can be moved t o af f ect t he ai rpl ane s f l i ght : ai l erons, el evat ors,
rudder, and f l aps.
Def l ec t i on Angl e Angl e of a t arget of f of t he at t acker s l ongi t udi nal axi s. A hi gh angl e of def l ect i on makes i t
di f f i cul t f or an at t acker t o ai m.
Dogf i ght The maneuver phase of ai r combat i n whi ch opposi ng pi l ot s at t empt t o shoot down or evade t he enemy.
Dr ag Resi st ance creat ed by ai r st ri ki ng t he surf ace of t he ai rcraf t as i t moves t hrough t he at mosphere. Drag
i ncreases wi t h vel oci t y and angl e of at t ack.
El evat or s Hi nged surf ace at t he t rai l i ng edge of t he hori zont al st abi l i zer. El evat ors cont rol t he ai rcraf t s pi t ch.
Fl ame To shoot dest roy an enemy ai rcraf t .
Fl aps Hi nged surf aces on t he t rai l i ng edge of t he wi ngs, t ypi cal l y near t he f usel age. Fl aps can be l owered t o
i ncrease l i f t and drag.
Fl i ght St i c k The cont rol devi ce i n t he cockpi t used t o di rect rol l and pi t ch.
G- For c e Gravi t at i onal f orce. One g equal s t he amount of pressure exert ed on someone st andi ng on eart h. Al so, a
measure of how hard an ai rpl ane s t urni ng.
Gl ar eshi el d An ai rpl ane s wi ndshi el d.
Go- St i c k Throt t l e.
Headi ng The di rect i on t he ai rcraf t i s poi nt ed, as i ndi cat ed by t he headi ng i ndi cat or.
HUD Heads Up Di spl ay. In Ai r Combat , al so cal l ed Fl i ght Inf o.
Jump Make a surpri se at t ack on an opponent .
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Ki l l A downed ai rcraf t credi t ed t o a pi l ot .
Lat er al Axi s Axi s of t he ai rcraf t t hat ext ends f rom wi ngt i p t o wi ngt i p.
Lead To shoot downrange of a t arget s posi t i on.
Li f t The upward f orce generat ed by ai r f l owi ng over t he wi ngs.
Longi t udi nal Axi s Axi s of t he ai rcraf t t hat ext ends t hrough t he f usel age f rom nose t o t ai l .
Mac h The Mach number i s t he rat i o of t rue ai rspeed t o t he speed of sound. One Mach i s 761 mph at sea l evel ,
decreasi ng t o 660 mph at 36,000 f t .
O Cl ub Of f i cer s Cl ub.
Pi t c h Rot at i on about t he ai rcraf t s l at eral axi s, poi nt i ng t he ai rcraf t s nose up or down.
Redout The ef f ect of hi gh negat i ve g s on t he human body, causi ng bl ood t o rush t o t he head and t he pi l ot t o
moment ari l y see red. See al so Bl ackout .
Rol l Rot at i on about t he ai rcraf t s l ongi t udi nal axi s.
Rudder The hi nged surf ace on t he vert i cal st abi l i zer t hat cont rol s t he ai rpl ane s yaw.
Ser vi c e Cei l i ng The al t i t ude at whi ch t he engi ne no l onger has enough power t o mai nt ai n a cl i mb rat e of 100
f eet per mi nut e.
Si t uat i onal Awar eness A f i ght er pi l ot s abi l i t y t o t rack t he compl exi t i es of a f ast - movi ng, dynami c combat
si t uat i on.
Sor t i e A mi ssi on f l own by an ai rpl ane.
St al l A si t uat i on i n whi ch ai r no l onger f l ows smoot hl y across t he upper surf ace of t he wi ng, great l y reduci ng l i f t .
A st al l occurs when your speed i s l ow.
St i c k The cont rol devi ce i n t he cockpi t used t o di rect rol l and pi t ch. Al so cal l ed t he f l i ght st i ck.
St r uc t ur al Fai l ur e The speed at a gi ven al t i t ude at whi ch t he ai rf rame of t he ai rcraf t can no l onger wi t hst and ai r
resi st ance.
Thr ot t l e The cont rol t hat set s t he engi ne s power out put .
Thr ust Li mi t The speed at a gi ven al t i t ude at whi ch an ai rpl ane i s no l onger capabl e of generat i ng l i f t .
Thr ust / Wei ght Rat i o The maxi mum amount of t hrust (engi ne power) avai l abl e t o push t he ai rpl ane s wei ght
t hrough t he ai r. Thi s i s an i mport ant f act or i n det ermi ni ng a f i ght er s accel erat i on. The hi gher t he t hrust / wei ght
rat i o, t he f ast er t he ai rpl ane wi l l accel erat e.
VSI Vert i cal speed i ndi cat or. An i nst rument t hat measures t he rat e of cl i mb or descent .
Ver t i c al Axi s Axi s of t he ai rcraf t t hat ext ends vert i cal l y f rom t op t o bel l y.
Ver t i c al St abi l i zer The vert i cal sect i on of t he t ai l . Al so cal l ed t he f i n.
Vi c t or y A downed ai rcraf t credi t ed t o a pi l ot .
Wi ng Loadi ng Wi ng l oadi ng i s t he amount of wei ght per square i nch on t he wi ng surf ace.
Yaw Rot at i on about t he ai rcraf t s vert i cal axi s.
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AP P ENDI X: HUD MESSAGES
AI RCRAF T DAMAGE
ENGINE DAMAGED
Your engi ne i s most l y al l ri ght , but i t s maxi mum power i s decreased. If you t ry t o set t he engi ne at 100%
power, i t l l t op out at t he new max.
ENGINE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED
Somet hi ng maj or has gone wrong wi t h your engi ne and st art s t o make a rough, i rregul ar sound. It i s
probabl y st art i ng t o overheat , i n whi ch case you l l soon see ENGINE OVERHEATING .
TURBINE FAILURE
COMPRESSOR FAILURE and
ENGINE FAILURE
Cri t i cal part s of your j et engi ne have f ai l ed, causi ng an i mmedi at e t ot al l oss of power. The f i rst t wo
messages appear onl y i f you re i n a j et , t he t hi rd onl y i f you re i n a prop.
FUEL TANK ON FIRE and
FUEL TANK FIRE EXTINGUISHED
Your pl ane wi l l expl ode i n 10 - 15 seconds. There s a smal l chance t he f i re wi l l go out bef ore t hen. That
chance i ncreases i f you speed up. If i t goes out , you l l see t he second message.
RADAR DAMAGED
Your radar has been rendered i noperabl e, whi ch means:
- your cockpi t radar di spl ay shut s of f
- you can t get a l ock wi t h radar- gui ded mi ssi l es
- your gun si ght no l onger uses accurat e range, and t heref ore i s l ess accurat e i n comput i ng l ead.
ELEVATORS DAMAGED
You can onl y pul l 50% of your usual g s.
AILERONS DAMAGED
You can onl y rol l hal f as f ast as bef ore.
FLAPS JAMMED
GEAR JAMMED and
BRAKES JAMMED
You can no l onger operat e t he i t em l i st ed.
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WING DAMAGED
Your wi ng now generat es l ess l i f t and more drag.
GUNS DAMAGED and
MISSILES DAMAGED
Thi s appears when ei t her an ent i re weapon has been dest royed or t he ammuni t i on f or t hat weapon i s no
l onger avai l abl e (e.g., broken ammo bel t , et c).
OIL LINES DAMAGED
When oi l runs out , your engi ne st art s t o overheat .
HYDRAULIC LINES DAMAGED
When hydraul i c f l ui d runs out , you can t t oggl e brakes, f l aps, or gears. In F- 86, F- 4, Mi G- 21, your
hydraul i c- boost ed cont rol s l ose t hei r responsi veness whi l e t he f l ui d i s runni ng out .
FUEL TANK DAMAGED
Your f uel st art s t o l eak.
CONTROL LINES DAMAGED
The cont rol s st art t o move errat i cal l y and you have t o correct f or i t .
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
Due t o damage t o your pl ane s overal l st ruct ural i nt egri t y, any t i me you pul l > = 5g or < = - 4g, your pl ane
may f al l part i n mi dai r (about 1% chance per second when you re wi t hi n t he l i mi t s).
CHAFF DISPENSERS DAMAGED and
FLARE DISPENSERS DAMAGED
You can t use t hat devi ce any more.
YOU VE BEEN HIT
You l l di e i n 10 - 15 mi nut es i f you don t ret urn t o your base.
YOU VE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED!
You l l di e i n 1 - 2 mi nut es i f you don t ret urn t o your base.
YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE FROM YOUR WOUNDS!
Pray t hat St . Pet er has your name on hi s l i st .
OUT OF FUEL
Your engi ne shut s down due t o l ack of f uel .
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OUT OF OIL
You ve run out of oi l . Your engi ne wi l l now st art t o overheat . You l l soon see t he f ol l owi ng message...
TO PREVENT THE ENGINE FROM OVERHEATING, YOU CAN SET THROTTLE TO 0% , THEREBY SHUTTING
THE ENGINE OFF. THIS WILL CAUSE IT TO GRADUALLY COOL, BUT IT LL HEAT UP AGAIN IF YOU TURN IT ON
AGAIN.
ENGINE OVERHEATING
Your engi ne has reached 50% of i t s max t emp. When i t reaches 100% , t he engi ne wi l l cat ch on f i re, and
you l l see...
ENGINE ON FIRE
Af t er your engi ne t emperat ure reaches maxi mum, your engi ne cat ches f i re and t hi s message appears. In
about 10 - 20 seconds, your pl ane wi l l expl ode.
YOUR PLANE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!
If you ve t aken 100% of your max damage (see t he d command f or your current st at us), any addi t i onal
hi t you t ake can cause your pl ane t o f al l apart / bl ow up. When t hi s happens, you l l see t hi s message.
You l l have 5 - 10 seconds t o bai l out bef ore your pl ane pl ane bl ows up.
F LI GHT CONDI TI ONS
MACH 1.0 EXCEEDED
You have broken t he sound barri er.
APPROACHING STALL
In a second or t wo you wi l l begi n t o st al l . Poi nt nose down, set max t hrust .
STALL
You re st al l i ng. Poi nt nose down, set max t hrust
THRUST LIMIT
You re at your max speed f or t hi s al t i t ude. Your engi ne can t generat e enough t hrust t o make you go any
f ast er.
EXCEEDING MAXIMUM SPEED
You ve exceeded your pl ane s max speed at t hi s al t i t ude. If you cont i nue t o over- st ress t he pl ane by
st ayi ng out si de of t he envel ope (i t t akes at l east 15 seconds), you l l see t he message bel ow. You shoul d
sl ow down by choppi ng t he t hrot t l e, pul l i ng up, put t i ng out your f l aps and speed brakes, et c.
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WING STRUCTURE FAILING
When you see t hi s, you d bet t er sl ow down or el se your wi ngs wi l l ri p of f . Act f ast .
WINGS RIPPED OFF
You poor chi l d, you st ayed over your maxi mum speed f or so l ong t hat your wi ngs coul dn t st and t he st ress
and ri pped of f . You re on your way t o becomi ng part of t he l andscape beneat h you. Sayonara!
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SUGGESTED READI NG
WORLD WAR I I
The P- 51 Must ang has no short age of books wri t t en about i t , but a good one f or measuri ng i t s dogf i ght i ng
capabi l i t y i s Combat Prof i l e: Must ang. Thi s book covers several i ndi vi dual mi ssi ons f l own by a P- 51 pi l ot , and
compares i t s vari ous aerodynami c qual i t i es wi t h several ot her popul ar Worl d War II f i ght ers.
It s al ways a good i dea t o see bot h si des of a st ory, so you mi ght want t o read Horri do! f or a good hi st ory of t he
Luf t waf f e s best .
For t wo cont rast i ng vi ews of t he Me- 163 Komet , check out Rocket Fi ght er and Top Secret Bi rd. The f ormer, wri t t en
by a t est pi l ot i n t he 163 program, i s nat ural l y ori ent ed t oward t he day- t o- day operat i ons of t he group, and t he
personal i t i es of t he vari ous pi l ot s. St rangel y, t he aut hor gi ves a l ot of at t ent i on t o t he 163 s habi t of expl odi ng at
unexpect ed t i mes. Top Secret Bi rd, wri t t en by t he commander of t he program, deal s t o a great er ext ent wi t h t he
back- room maneuveri ng t hat was requi red t o desi gn and manuf act ure t he pl ane, and t he pol i t i cs necessary t o
get a squadron organi zed.
KOREAN WAR
The Great Book of Modern Warpl anes cont ai ns i nf ormat i on about vari ous Mi Gs, i ncl udi ng t he 15 and t he 21.
There s onl y a l i t t l e i nf ormat i on about t he 15, but i t s more t han you l l f i nd i n most ot her pl aces. Thi s book i s
i mpressi ve not onl y f or i t s great det ai l , but al so f or i t s sheer hef t . It s one of t he most l avi sh cof f ee- t abl e books
around.
The F- 86 i s one of t he f ew cl assi c f i ght ers, but t here i sn t much wri t t en about i t ei t her. Famous Ai rcraf t Seri es:
The F- 86 Sabre i s t he onl y 86- speci f i c book we f ound, and i t s aut hor was i n t he Canadi an ai r f orce and never
saw combat .
VI ETNAM
For a peek i nt o t he mi nds of Sovi et ai rpl ane desi gners, as wel l as more t han you ever want ed t o know about a
cl assi c Sovi et f i ght er, see Mi koyan Mi G- 21.
For i nf ormat i on about t he F- 4 (and a number of ot her pl anes), see The Great Book of Modern Warpl anes. Thi s
book i ncl udes det ai l s of t he F- 4 s most f amous ai r bat t l es, t hough mai nl y i t f ocuses on ai rcraf t t echnol ogy. For a
l ook at what i t was l i ke t o act ual l y be an F- 4 pi l ot , see Phant om Over Vi et nam. Thi s book i s good f or get t i ng a
f eel f or t he vari ous t echni cal procedures a f i ght er pi l ot has t o know, mat eri al commonl y l ef t out of more
cel ebrat ory books about dogf i ght i ng. USN Phant oms i n Combat and USAF Phant oms i n Combat cont ai n t he
pi l ot s personal account s of t hei r most exci t i ng combat mi ssi ons i n Vi et nam, pl us l ot s of phot ographs.
Li nebacker i s a bl ow- by- bl ow record of t he hi st ori cal Li nebacker I and II campai gns. Det ai l ed i nf ormat i on about
sort i e set ups, t he rol es of vari ous ai rcraf t , t hei r ef f ect i veness, et c. . .
MI SCELLANEOUS
If you buy onl y one book about dogf i ght i ng, I recommend Modern Ai r Combat . Thi s ei ght - year- ol d book i s st i l l t he
best i nt roduct i on t o ai r combat avai l abl e. It cont ai ns enough pi ct ures so as not t o i nt i mi dat e t he casual reader,
and enough det ai l t hat most ent husi ast s can f i nd somet hi ng t hey di dn t know. Remarkabl y, ei ght years l at er,
most of t he pl anes i t present s are st i l l f ront - l i ne f i ght ers and l i kel y t o remai n so f or t en more years!
For a det ai l ed l ook at what makes a successf ul f i ght er pi l ot , see The Ace Fact or. Usi ng t he maj or ai r wars as
exampl es, Mi ke Spi ck f i nds t hat si t uat i onal awareness i s t he key t o success (and survi val ). Thi s book doesn t
cover act ual ai r combat maneuvers i n great det ai l , t hough. If t hat s what you want , you need Fi ght er Combat .
It s not f or t he begi nner, but i t l ooks l i ke t he l ast word on t he subj ect . One- on- one combat , oneon- t wo, one-
on- many, si mi l ar ai rcraf t , di ssi mi l ar ai rcraf t , i t s al l i n t hi s hef t y vol ume.
Yeager: An Aut obi ography. Need we say more?
Ai rcraf t Desi gn i s a good begi nner s gui de t o t he maki ng of a modern j et f i ght er. Thi s book emphasi zes pl anes
t hat t he aut hor worked on, such as t he A- 4 Skyhawk, whi ch happens t o be a bomber. St i l l , most of t he t ext i s
qui t e appl i cabl e.
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SELECTED B I B LI OGRAP HY
Karl J. Eschmann, Li nebacker. Ivy Books, New York, 1989.
Bi l l Gunst on, Mi koyan Mi G- 21. Osprey Publ i shi ng Lt d, London, 1986.
John Trot t i , Phant om Over Vi et nam. Berkl ey Books, New York, 1984.
Wol f gang Spt e, Top Secret Bi rd. Pi ct ori al Hi st ori es Publ i shi ng Company, Mi ssoul a, 1989.
Mano Zi egl er, Rocket Fi ght er. Bant am Books, New York, 1984.
Roger A. Freeman, Combat Prof i l e: Must ang. Ian Al l an Lt d, Sheppert on, 1989.
Robert L. Shaw, Fi ght er Combat . Naval Inst i t ut e Press, Annapol i s, 1985.
Mi ke Spi ck, The Ace Fact or. Avon Books, New York, 1989.
Bi l l Gunst on and Mi ke Spi ck, Modern Ai r Combat . Crescent Books, New York, 1983.
Raymond F. Tol i ver and Trevor J. Const abl e, Horri do! . Bant am Books, New York, 1968.
Lou Drendel , USAF Phant oms In Combat . Squadron/ Si gnal Publ i cat i ons, Carrol t on, 1987.
Lou Drendel , USN Phant oms In Combat . Squadron/ Si gnal Publ i cat i ons, Carrol t on, 1988
General Chuck Yeager and Leo Janos, Yeager: An Aut obi ography. Bant am Books, New York, 1985
Hei nemann, Rausa, and Van Every, Ai rcraf t Desi gn. The Naut i cal & Avi at i on Publ i shi ng Company of Ameri ca, Inc,
1989.
Sweet man, Get hi ng Ri chardson, Spi ck, Gunst on, The Great Book of Modern Warpl anes. Sal amander Books LTD.,
New York, 1987.
R.J. Chi l derhose, Famous Ai rcraf t Seri es: The F- 86 Sabre. Aero, a di vi si on of Tab Books Inc., Bl ue Ri dge Summi t ,
1965.
Mi ke Spi ck, Jet Fi ght er Perf ormance: Korea t o Vi et nam. Ian Al l an Lt d., Sheppert on, Eng., 1986.
John Trot t i , Phant om over Vi et nam. Berkl ey Books, New York, 1984.
John Di enst and Dan Hagadorn, Nort h Ameri can P- 51 Must ang i n Lat i n Ai r Force Servi ce i n Lat i n Ameri can Ai r
Force Servi ce. Aerof ax Inc., Arl i ngt on, 1985.
Ti m McGovern, McDonnel l F- 4E Phant om II. Aerof ax, Inc., Arl i ngt on, 1987.
Ren Franci l l on, McDonnel l F- 4D. Aerof ax, Inc., Arl i ngt on, 1985.
Hans- Hei ri St apf er and Don Greer, Fi ght i ng Col ors: Mi G- 21 Fi ghbed i n Col or. Squadron/ Si gnal Publ i cat i ons,
Carrol l i ngt on, 1989.
Larry Davi s and Don Greer, Fi ght i ng Col ors: P- 51 Must ang i n Col or. Squadron/ Si gnal Publ i cat i ons, Carrol l i ngt on,
1982.
Fl i ght Handbook: Pi l ot Trai ni ng Manual f or t he F- 51D Must ang. Fl yi ng Books, Publ i shers and Whol esal ers, Eagen,
1954
J.S. Przemi eni ecki , The Fundament al s of Ai rcraf t Combat Survi vabi l i t y Anal ysi s and Desi gn. Ameri can Inst i t ut e of
Aeronaut i cs and Ast ronaut i cs, Inc., New York, 1985.
Roger A. Freeman, Combat Prof i l e: Must ang: The P- 51 Merl i n Must ang i n Worl d War 2. Ian Al l an Lt d., Sheppert on,
Eng., 1989.
Mi chael O Leary, Jet Warri ors. Mot orbooks Int ernat i onal Publ i shers & Whol esal ers, Osceol a, 1990.
Robert Jackson, Worl d Mi l i t ary Ai rcraf t Si nce 1945, Charl es Scri bner s Sons, New York, 1979.
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AB OUT THE MAN
Charl es Chuck Yeager was born February 13, 1923 i n Myra, West Vi rgi ni a. He graduat ed f rom Haml i n Hi gh
School and at age 18 he enl i st ed i n t he Army Ai r Corps, where he became an ai rpl ane mechani c. Enrol l i ng i n t he
Fl yi ng Sargent program, he di st i ngui shed hi msel f as a nat ural pi l ot and earned hi s wi ngs i n 1943. From t here
he j oi ned t he 357t h Fi ght er Group, t he f i rst al l P- 51 Must ang Group i n t he 8t h Ai r Force. Over Nazi Europe he sent
down 13 enemy ai rcraf t , among t hem an Me- 262, one of Germany s f i rst j et - dri ven ai rpl anes. Yeager was shot
down over occupi ed France i n March of 1944 and el uded t he enemy wi t h t he hel p of t he French Marqui s, and he
was soon back i n t he saddl e.
Af t er WW II, Yeager remai ned i n t he Ai r Force, servi ng as an i nst ruct or, t est pi l ot , pi l ot , wi ng commander, and
squadron commander i n t he Uni t ed St at es, t hroughout Europe, and i n t he Phi l i ppi nes. On Oct ober 14, 1947 he
became t he f i rst man t o t ravel f ast er t han t he speed of sound, f l yi ng Gl amorous Gl enni s , a Bel l X- 1 ai rcraf t .
Si x years l at er, he became t he f i rst man t o exceed Mach 2, f l yi ng a Bel l X- 1A. Chuck Yeager was t he t op Uni t ed
St at es Ai r Force t est pi l ot f or a peri od of nearl y t en years, and hi s subsequent career meri t ed hi m an i mpressi ve
l i st of credent i al s. He graduat ed f rom t he Ai r War Col l ege, was appoi nt ed Commandant of t he Aerospace
Research Pi l ot School , became a bri gadi er general i n 1969, and l at er t he Vi ce Commander of t he 17t h Ai r Force.
Al so, he has served as t he Def ense
Represent at i ve t o Paki st an and t he Di rect or of
t he Ai r Force Inspect i on and Saf et y Cent er. In
1975 Gen. Yeager ret i red, but i n 1980 he began
consul t i ng f or t he Nort hrop Corporat i on.
ARTI ST BI O AND CREDI TS
At age f i f t een, Brent Iverson went t o a f ri end s
house t o pl ay games on an anci ent Appl e II.
That was hi s f i rst experi ence wi t h a comput er,
and l i ked i t a l ot bet t er t han anyt hi ng he was
st udyi ng i n school . Brent st i l l t hi nks comput ers
were made f or pl ayi ng games.
When he went t o t he Uni versi t y of Mi chi gan,
Brent t hought about maj ori ng i n Art but deci ded he l i ked money a l i t t l e more t han art . Brent maj ored i n Comput er
Sci ence i nst ead.
Bef ore comi ng t o El ect roni c Art s i n 1986, Brent worked f or a company you ve never heard of , doi ng t hi ngs he s
real l y ashamed of . Besi des programmi ng f l i ght si mul at ors, Brent programmed t he IBM and Appl e IIgs versi ons of
Del uxePai nt II (guess t hose t wo art cl asses di dn t go t o wast e af t er al l ).
Af t er meet i ng wi t h Chuck Yeager recent l y, Brent sai d, The more I l earn about dogf i ght i ng, t he more amazed I am
t hat i t real l y happens up t here.
Game Desi gner: Brent Iverson
Programmer: Brent Iverson
Addi t i onal Programmi ng by: Ken Hurl ey
Producer: Paul Grace
Graphi cs: Cynt hi a Hami l t on
Musi c: George Sanger
Sound Ef f ect s: Mi ke Sanders, Dave Warhol
Techni cal Di rect i on: Scot t Cronce
Product Management : Lesl ey Mansf ord
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Art Di rect i on: Nancy Fong, Nancy Wai sanen
Package Desi gn: Zi mmerman Crowe Desi gn
Package Il l ust rat i on: Dru Bl ai r
Document at i on Layout : Robert Gi n
Lead Test er: Jef f Haas
Qual i t y Assurance: Kurt i s Hsu
Document at i on: Davi d Bug Out Luot o
Addi t i onal Wri t i ng: T. S. Fl anagan
Manual Col or Il l ust rat i ons: MIke Farrar
Addi t i onal Il l ust rat i ons: Adri an Bourne
I NDEX
A Aces: 118, 146, 153
Ace s chal l enge: 23
Af t erburners: 35, 37, 44, 153, 157, 163
Ai l erons: 73, 147, 16 3, 165
Ai r pressure: 73, 75,78
Ai rpl ane descri pt i ons: 128- 144, 147- 150, 154- 158
Ai rpl ane movement : 72- 77
Al t i met er: 37, 163
Al t i t ude: 10, 17, 23, 34, 72- 80, 121,164
Ammo: 15, 35, 166
Angl e of at t ack: 75, 79- 80, 84, 163
Answers t o Copy Prot ect i on: 129- 158
Art i f i ci al hori zon: 36
At ol l mi ssi l es (see Inf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es)
At t acki ng : 118
angl e of at t ack (see Angl e of at t ack)
at t acki ng bombers: 113, 122
at t acki ng t he Me- 110: 123
at t acki ng t wo pl anes: 119
at t acki ng wi t h mi ssi l es: 118
barrel rol l at t ack: 85, 104
di ve at t acks: 95, 105, 121
f l ank at t acks: 122
f ront al at t acks: 122
ground at t acks (see Ground at t acks)
gun at t acks: 118
head- on at t acks: 123
rear at t acks:122
sl ash at t acks: (see Sl ash at t acks)
At t i t ude: 34, 163
Auger i n: 163
Aut o- save f i l m: 56, 68
B B- 17E Fl yi ng Fort ress: 132- 133
B- 29C Superf ort ress: 150
B- 52 St rat of ort ress: 158
Back pressure: 163
Bandi t : 163
Barrel rol l : 97
Bl ackout s: 54, 163
Bogey: 163
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Bounce: 25, 163
Box vi ew: 63, 67
Brakes: 35, 37, 44, 73, 79, 84- 85, 165- 166
Break: 83, 85
Bug out : 163, 171
C Cal i brat i ng your j oyst i ck: 43
Campai gn mode: 25
Cent er of gravi t y:163
Chaf f : 166
Chance t o hi t : 14, 35, 49
Cl i mbi ng: 84
Cl ock, t he: 51
Cl osi ng: 117
Cockpi t : 8, 38, 42, 44, 76
Communi cat i ons: 34, 50, 52
Cont rol s
f l i ght : 8
f l i ght recordi ng: 64, 68
Count ermeasures: 36, 50
Cust om scenari os: 25- 28
D Damage: 35, 37, 53
Debri ef i ng: 24, 56
Def l ect i on angl e: 85, 109, 163
Det ect i on: 37, 49
Di f f i cul t y l evel s: 20, 21- 22
Di ve: 14, 28. 42, 44
spi ral di ve: 105
Dogf i ght : 17, 28, 45, 163
Drag (see Four f orces)
E Easy ai mi ng: 23, 25, 58
Easy l andi ng: 59
Ej ect i ng f rom cockpi t : 53- 54
Emergency procedures (see power di ve)
Endi ng a mi ssi on: 23
Endi ng cust om scenari o (see Cust om scenari o)
Endi ng hi st ori c mi ssi on (see Hi st ori c mi ssi on)
Energy st at e, t he: 80
Envel ope wi ndow: 60, 79
Experi ence l evel : 11, 28
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F F- 86E Sabre: 147
F- 105 Thunderchi ef : 155
F- 4E Phant om II: 154
Fi ri ng mi ssi l es: 48
Fl aps: 14, 35- 36, 44, 73, 163
Fl ares: 36, 50
Fl i ght envel ope: 72, 77- 79
Fl i ght i nf o: 34, 58
Fl i ght menus: 13- 14, 42, 55- 59
Fl i ght pat h: 108
Fl i ght perf ormance recovery: 79
Fl i ght recorder: 56, 64- 69
Fl i ght st i ck cont rol s: 42- 44
Four f orces: 74- 75
Fuel Gauge (see Gauges)
FW 190A- 8: 134- 135
G G- f orce: 35, 76, 163
Gauges
DIR: 52
f uel : 37
hydraul i c f uel : 37
NAV: 52
oi l pressure: 37
t emperat ure: 37
t hrust : 37
Graphi cs menu: 57
Ground at t acks: 123
Gun si ght s: 110
H Headi ng: 34, 37, 52, 67, 163
Heads up di spl ay: 34, 58, 163
Heat - seeki ng mi ssi l es (see i nf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es)
Hel p f eat ures: 23, 25
Hel p menu: 58- 59
Hi nt s: 8, 16, 60
Hi st ori c mi ssi on: 20- 24
Hol dover angl e: 109
Hydraul i c f uel gauge (see Gauges)
I Ident i f i cat i on key f or Box vi ew: 67
Ident i f y f oe: 50
Ident i f y f ri end: 50
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Immel mann t urn: 95
Indi cat ors
brake: 35
chaf f / f l are: 36
f l aps: 35- 36
headi ng: 37
l andi ng gear: 34, 36
speed: 36
vert i cal speed: 37
vi ew mode: 65
waypoi nt : 36, 52
Inf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es: 48, 50
Inst rument panel : 12, 36- 37, 44
Inst rument check: 8, 34- 35
Invi nci bi l i t y: 13
J Ji nki ng: 92
Joyst i ck users: 47
Jumpi ng: 163
K Keyboard users
al l owances i n Campai gn mode: 23
cont rol l i ng f l i ght st i ck: 47
rot at i ng camera: 66
sel ect i ng opt i ons: 20
t arget i ng and f i ri ng: 14, 48
Korean War: 145- 146
L L- 5 Sent i nel : 144
Landi ng: 86, 163
Landi ng gear: 34, 36, 73
Landi ng readi ness: 35
Last mi ssi on: 31
Leadi ng: 110
Level f l i ght : 75- 76, 78
Li f t (see Four f orces)
Li nebacker I: 151
Li nebacker II: 152- 153
Loop: 93
M Map i dent i f i cat i on key
f or EGA, VGA, MCGA: 59
f or CGA: 60
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Me- 109E Emi l : 136- 137
Me- 110B Zerst orer: 138- 139
Me- 163 Komet : 140- 141
Me- 262 St urmvogel : 142- 143
Mi G Al l ey: 145- 146
Mi G- 15 Fagot : 148
Mi G- 17F Fresco: 157
Mi G- 21MF Fi shbed: 156
Mi ssi l es
i nf rared- gui ded: 48, 50
radar gui ded: 49, 50
Mi ssi on st at i st i cs: 16, 24 , 28
Mi ssi on debri ef i ng: 24, 57
Mouse users
al l owances i n Campai gn mode: 23
cont rol l i ng t he f l i ght st i ck: 42- 43
rot at i ng camera: 65
sel ect i ng opt i ons: 20
sel ect i ng weapons: 47
t arget i ng and f i ri ng: 13, 48
wi t h hi - res mouse: 57
N Navi gat i ng: 52
O Oi l pressure gauge (see Gauges)
Oxygen: 73, 78
P P- 47 Thunderbol t : 128- 129
P- 52 Must ang: 130- 131
Pi pper: 34
Power di ve: 84
Pursui t : 93
Q Qui ckst art : 7- 17
Qui t t i ng: 8
R Radar: 50- 51
Radar moni t or: 36
Radar warni ng recei ver: 37, 49- 50, 56
Radar- gui ded mi ssi l es: 48
Radi o: 35, 53
Redout s: 54, 59, 163
Revi ew f i l m: 31, 56, 68
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Rol l : 163
Rol l away: 102
Rot at e vi ew: 12, 47
Rot at i ng t he camera: 65, 67
S Scan: 12- 13, 47
Sci ssors: 93
Sel ect i ng weapon: 47
Si dewi nder mi ssi l es (see i nf rared- gui ded mi ssi l es)
Si t uat i onal awareness: 51, 159- 162, 163
Sl ash at t acks: 117- 118
Sounds: 56- 57
Sparrow mi ssi l es (see radar- gui ded mi ssi l es)
Spl i t S: 94
St al l i ng: 53
St art up paramet ers (use command summary card)
St at s screen (see Mi ssi on st at i st i cs)
Syst em menu: 56- 60
T Tact i cal overvi ew: 17
Tact i cal posi t i ons: 26
Tact i cs: 8, 114- 123
Take of f : 86
Target marker: 34
Target range: 108
Target wi ndows: 13, 60
Temperat ure gauge (see Gauges)
Test f l i ght : 29
Throt t l e: 35, 44, 79, 163
Thrust (see Four f orces)
Thrust gauge (see Gauges)
Ti me compressi on: 35, 54, 57
Ti me count er: 64
Tracki ng: 50
True ai r speed: 35
Turni ng: 77
U Unl i mi t ed ammo: 58
V Vert i cal speed: 35, 37
Vi et nam War: 151- 153
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Vi ew keys: 12, 16, 45
Vul nerabi l i t y cones: 118
W Warni ngs: 35, 53
Wat erl i ne marker: 34
Weapons: 14, 22, 47
Wei ght (see Four f orces)
Wheel brakes: 35, 37
Worl d War II: 126- 127
Y Yak- 9: 149
Yeager wi ndow: 24
Yeager, Chuck: 60
Yo- yo
hi gh: 97
l ow: 96
Z Zoom l evel : 35, 65, 67
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P ROB LEMS WI TH THE GAME? TECHNI CAL SUP P ORT
If you are havi ng a probl em i nst al l i ng or pl ayi ng t he game, we want t o hel p.
Fi rst , pl ease make sure you have read t he i nst al l at i on and/ or get t i ng st art ed sect i on of your manual or
command summary card t horoughl y. If you have f ol l owed t he di rect i ons i n t he document at i on, and are st i l l
havi ng t roubl e i nst al l i ng or operat i ng t he sof t ware, here are some hi nt s t hat mi ght hel p sol ve t he probl em. Bef ore
at t empt i ng any of t he f ol l owi ng suggest i ons, pl ease make sure you are f ami l i ar wi t h t he DOS commands bei ng
used. Consul t your DOS manual f or more i nf ormat i on.
For Tandys and ot her c omput er s wi t h 1 di sk dr i ve.
If t hi s game has mul t i pl e di sks, we recommend you do t he f ol l owi ng BEFORE i nst al l i ng t he game. Insert Di sk 1
i nt o your dri ve.
1. At t he A: prompt t ype B: and press ENTER.
2. Type DIR and press ENTER.
3. Type A: and press ENTER.
4. Type DIR and press ENTER.
You have now put your comput er i n a t wo dri ve emul at i on mode. When t he
sof t ware asks you t o put a di sk i n dri ve B:, si mpl y swap t he di sks, when
prompt ed t o do so
TSRs/ Devi c e Dr i ver s/ DOS shel l s
TSR st ands f or Termi nat e St ay Resi dent . A TSR i s a program, l i ke Si deKi ck
t hat aut omat i cal l y execut es i t sel f

when you st art up your comput er f rom a hard
dri ve. They are general l y i nst al l ed i n your aut oexec.bat f i l e. Devi ce Dri vers and DOS shel l s al so get aut omat i cal l y
l oaded up. They are usual l y i nst al l ed i n your conf i g.sys f i l e.
These TSRs or Devi ce dri vers somet i mes i nt erf ere wi t h games, or t ake up val uabl e memory t he game may need,
and i t i s general l y recommended t hat you not run any such programs, devi ce dri vers, or shel l s when at t empt i ng t o
i nst al l or pl ay a game.
DOS Boot Di sk
If you are havi ng t roubl e i nst al l i ng, experi enci ng unusual l ockups, or ot her probl ems t hat do not appear normal ,
we suggest you t ry st art i ng up your syst em wi t h a DOS Boot di sk. Here are t he st eps f or creat i ng a DOS boot di sk.
Pl ease f ol l ow t hese st eps exact l y.
1. To creat e a DOS di sk you wi l l need a bl ank di sk t he same si ze as your A: dri ve.
2. Type C: and press t he ENTER Key.
3. Pl ace t he bl ank di sk i nt o dri ve A:
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4. Type: Format A:/ s
You wi l l be prompt ed t o i nsert a bl ank di sk i nt o dri ve A. Do so i f you haven t . Press t he ENTER key when
you are ready.
5. Once t he di sk i s f i ni shed f ormat t i ng you wi l l be asked whet her you wi sh t o f ormat anot her or not .
Answer N and press ENTER.
6. You now have a DOS boot di sk. You can st art your comput er f rom t hi s di sk by i nsert i ng i t i nt o t he A:
dri ve and rest art i ng your machi ne. Your comput er wi l l boot up t o t he A: prompt . Thi s boot di sk bypasses
t he aut oexec.bat and conf i g.sys on your hard dri ve and st art s up your comput er i n as cl ean a DOS
envi ronment as possi bl e. Try resi nst al l i ng t he sof t ware i f you were havi ng t roubl e doi ng so, or t ry
st art i ng t he sof t ware f rom t he dri ve and di rect ory you i nst al l ed t o. If t he sof t ware you are t ryi ng t o run
requi res a sound dri ver or mouse dri ver, don t f orget t o execut e t hose bef ore st art i ng your game.
TECHNI CAL SUP P ORT
If you are st i l l havi ng probl ems wi t h i nst al l i ng or pl ayi ng your game, pl ease do not hesi t at e t o cont act our
Techni cal Support Depart ment . They can hel p. If your quest i on i s not urgent , pl ease wri t e t o us at :
El ect roni c Art s Techni cal Support
P.O. Box 7578
San Mat eo, CA 94403- 7578
Pl ease be sure t o i ncl ude t he f ol l owi ng i nf ormat i on i n your l et t er:
Product name
Type of comput er you own, i ncl udi ng make, model , speed (MHz), et c.
Any addi t i onal syst em i nf ormat i on (l i ke t ype and make of moni t or, vi deo card, pri nt er, modem et c.)
Type of operat i ng syst em or DOS versi on number
Descri pt i on of t he probl em you re havi ng
If you need t o t al k t o someone i mmedi at el y, cal l us at (415) 572- ARTS Monday t hough Fri day bet ween 8:30 am
and 4:30 pm, Paci f i c Ti me. Pl ease have t he above i nf ormat i on ready when you cal l . Thi s wi l l hel p us answer your
quest i on i n t he short est possi bl e t i me.
If you l i ve out si de of t he Uni t ed St at es, you can cont act one of our ot her of f i ces.
In t he Uni t ed Ki ngdom, cont act : El ect roni c Art s Li mi t ed, P.O. Box 835, Sl ough SL3 8XU, UK. Phone (753) 546 465.
In Aust ral i a, cont act : El ect roni c Art s Pt y Lt d. P.O. Box 432, Sout hport , Ql d 4215, Aust ral i a.
Wi t hi n Aust ral i a cal l : (075) 711 811.
Wi t hi n New Zeal and cal l : + 61 75 711 811 bet ween 9am- 5pm East ern St andard Ti me.
Ad Li b i s a regi st ered t rademark of Ad Li b Inc.
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NOTICE
ELECTRONIC ARTS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCT DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL
AT ANY TIME AND WITHOUT NOTICE.
THIS MANUAL, AND THE SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL, IS COPYRIGHTED. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.
NO PART OF THIS MANUAL OR THE DESCRIBED SOFTWARE MAY BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, TRANSLATED OR
REDUCED TO ANY ELECTRONIC MEDIUM OR MACHINE- READABLE FORM WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT
OF ELECTRONIC ARTS, P. O. BOX 7578, SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA 94403- 7578, ATTN: CUSTOMER SERVICE.
ELECTRONIC ARTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS MANUAL, ITS QUALITY,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS MANUAL IS PROVIDED AS IS. ELECTRONIC
ARTS MAKES CERTAIN LIMITED WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THE SOFTWARE AND THE MEDIA FOR THE
SOFTWARE. PLEASE SEE THE ELECTRONIC ARTS LIMITED WARRANTY.
SOFTWARE 1991 ELECTRONIC ARTS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
MANUAL BY Davi d Luot o
1991 ELECTRONIC ARTS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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NOTE

This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted, with all
rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual or the software may
not be copied, in whole or part, without written consent of Electronic
Arts, except in the normal use of the software or to make a backup copy
of the software. The same proprietary and copyright notices must be
affixed to any permitted copies as were affixed to the original. This excep-
tion does not allow copies to be made for others, whether or not sold, but
all of the material purchased (with all backup copies) may be sold, given,
or loaned to another person. Under the law, copying includes translating
into another language or format.
You may use the software on any computer owned by you, but extra
copies cannot be made for this purpose.

Chuck Yeagers Air Combat - Manual - PC

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Chuck Yeagers Air Combat - Manual - PC

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A DI F F ERENT KI ND OF COMB AT

t hat aut omat i cal l y execut es i t sel f

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