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1988-10-13
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DOCUMENTATION FOR FALCON
The F-16 Fighter Simulation
This text file will briefly describe the main sections of the program
and cover what you need to know to get up and flying your F-16. If
you need more information than this, please buy the program. The
instruction manual that comes with the program gives you information
on flight characteristics, fighter tactics, enemy aircraft
capabilities and much more.
Getting Started:
The program can be run from either a floppy or hard disk. Just
change to the proper drive and directory then type FALCON. A pretty
picture of a falcon grabbing a MiG will display until you press
Enter. The screens that follow allow you to set the conditions under
which you wish the program to operate.
You may choose from:
Keyboard or Joystick Control
Sound On or Off
One or Two players
The program has a "2 Player" mode. This is to be used
when you have two computers hooked up via a true null
modem cable.
Use the arrow keys to choose the correct selection from each item and
use the space bar to jump to each of the choices.
Choosing a Character:
The next menu will list all of the current players, the rank at which
they last played and the total number of points accumulated.
Highlight the one you wish to use and press Enter. If you wish to
create a new character, highlight a blank line and press Enter. The
program will prompt you for a name to use.
Choosing a Game:
The next screen consists of three separate menus: The first menu
allows you to choose the rank you wish to use. First Lieutenant is
the easiest and Colonel is the hardest. Refer to Appendix I for the
differences between each rank. Highlight your selection but do NOT
press Enter.
Press the space bar to jump to the menu that allows you to choose the
mission you wish to fly. Highlight your choice but do not press
Enter. Appendix II lists all of the missions and the targets you are
expected to destroy on each mission.
Press the space bar one last time to choose the number of MiGs you
wish to attack you at any one time.
Page 1
If you change your mind about any of the selections just press the
space bar to get to the menu that you wished changed. When
everything is the way you want it, THEN press Enter!
Weapons Selection:
If you are flying at the Captain level or higher you must choose the
mixture of weapons and other external stores necessary to complete
your mission. Choose these items carefully. Your crew chief will
see to it that the load is equally distributed and will not allow you
to overload your airplane. Appendix III lists each item and its use.
To make a selection, highlight the particular item and press the "+"
key to add one item or press the "-" key to remove one item. Some
equipment may be in short supply or not available. Life on the front
lines is hard Bunky!
When the stores load is correct press Enter!
FLYING THE F-16 FALCON
The following is a description of your cockpit and the controls you
need to fly your craft:
The Falcon Cockpit:
This section will tell you what instruments are in the cockpit, and
briefly describe where they are. Remember HUD is Heads-Up-Display,
the clear display in the cockpit windshield that you can see through.
Heading Scale : Top Ruler on HUD. In Tens of Degrees (0-360 of
course).
Altitude Scale : Right Side of HUD. Vertical. Also has a digital
readout below it.
G Force Indicator : Below the Left side of the Heading Scale. Scale
is from 1 to 9 positive G's and -1 to -3 negative G's.
Airspeed Scale : Left Side of HUD. Vertical. Shows airspeed in
knots.
Angle of Attack Indexer : On Left side of HUD on top of the
instrument panel.
Master Caution Light : Left Side of Cockpit.. at a 45 deg. Angle.
When this light illuminates one of your systems has been damaged.
Check the warning panel by using the right view to see which
system or systems are now inoperative.
Page 2
Threat Warning System : Round Gauge Under AOA Indexer and next to
Caution Light. Also, Two Square Lights next to Caution Light.
Stores Control Panel : Bottom left of Cockpit.
COMED Screen (Radar/Map) : Middle of Cockpit, can't miss it.
Engine Fire Light : Above the JFS Start Button.
Flare and Chaff Counters : Obvious.
AOA Indicator : Just Right of COMED Screen.
Nose Wheel Steering System/Landing Gear : RDY, NWS, DISC Lights on
right of HUD.
Attitude Director Indicator : Just up Above the RPM Gauge.
RPM Gauge : Round Gauge on Right Side of cockpit (obvious).
Keyboard Command Layout:
Function Keys -
F1 : CPU Speed (slow down program if your machine is a 286 or 386)
F3 : Decrease Control Sensitivity
F4 : Increase Control Sensitivity
[Control sensitivity of 1-9 is shown just to the left
of the RPM gauge]
F7 : ILS HUD - turns on the Instrument Landing System grid
[The ILS is only available on runway 9]
F8 : Center/Level Plane - Places the plane in wings level flight
F9 : Center Yaw/Pitch - Used to remove any yaw that you might have
used to attack a ground target
F10 : Flight Path Ladder - Toggles the HUD markings showing the
number of degrees the nose is above or below the horizon.
Ctrl Keys -
^B : Black Box (flight recorder) - Use this to turn on the flight
recorder so that you can play back your dog fights
^C : Jettison Centerline Stores - This jettisons all external fuel
tanks and the ECM pod. Use this when heading back to
base to save fuel and increase airspeed or to increase
maneuverability during a dog fight.
^D : Demo - During Air-to-air fighting this allows the program to
take over the flying sequence. You still control weapons firing
in the Demo mode and all characteristics of your rank level
remain. It is possible to crash or get shot down in this mode.
^E : Eject - This ejects you from your airplane.
^K : Jettison All Stores - Same as ^C except it gets rid of
everything except the air-to-air missiles.
^S : Stick Control Style - I don't know since I don't have a joystick
Page 3
Keypad Keys -
Home : Left View - Allows you to look out of the left side of the
aircraft. This view also lets you look at your fuel
reserves, gear up/down status and back up airspeed and
heading indicators. The fuel gauge has two needles on it.
One represents the internal fuel and the other is the
external fuel. You always start with more than 6,000
pounds of internal fuel. Each external tank adds about
1,500 pounds of fuel. External fuel is ALWAYS used before
the internal fuel.
UpArrow : Nose Down (push stick forward)
PgUp : Right View - This allows you to look out of the right side
of the aircraft. This view also allows you to check the
warning panel.
LftArrow : Bank (or Turn) Left (push left on stick)
RhtArrow : Bank (or Turn) Right (push right on stick)
End : Front View - Returns you to looking out the front of the
aircraft.
DwnArrow : Nose Up (pull back on stick)
PgDn : Rear View - Allows you to look behind you.
"Other" Keys -
ESC : Menu Select - Depending on where you are in the game you will
get different menus. During play you may pause the game, abort
the mission, return to refuel/rearm [after landing] or exit to
DOS.
1 : Decrease Throttle
2 : Increase Throttle [also used to start the engine before flight]
3 : Front View - Same as the END key
4 : Left View - Same as the HOME key
5 : Right View - Same as the PgUp key
6 : Rear View - Same as the PgDn key
8 : Autopilot
- : Decrease Throttle
+ : Increase Throttle
Bkspc : Air-Ground Weapons Select - Pressing this keys selects the
air-to-ground HUD and shows the currently selected weapon.
Subsequent pressing of the key cycles through the available
air-to-ground weapons.
Enter : Air-to-Air Weapons Select - Pressing this keys selects the
air-to-air HUD and shows the currently selected weapon.
Subsequent pressing of the key cycles through the available
air-to-air weapons.
ScrLk : Trim Control - Press and hold the Scroll Lock key while
pressing an arrow key to trim the aircraft's pitch or roll
Tab : Landscape On/Off - Pressing Tab once adds dots to make the
ground more visible. Pressing it a second time turns off the
landscape display. This speeds up the game because the
computer does not have to keep updating the display. Useful
when flying a long way to a target since it makes the ground
speed faster.
Page 4
W : Wheel Brakes - Toggles the wheel brakes on and off. When the
brakes are on the words "WL BRK" are visible on the lower
portion of the instrument panel.
E : ECM - Turns on/off the Electronic Countermeasures equipment IF
you have selected it as one of the external stores. When the
pod is activated the word "ECM" appears on the lower portion of
the instrument panel. Use this device sparingly since it loses
its effectiveness over time and makes you more detectable by
the SAM sites.
R : Radar On/Off - Keep the radar off as much as possible since it
makes you more detectable by the SAM sights.
T : Target Air Select - Pressing this keys cycles between the
available air targets, if there are more than one.
O : LCOS On/Off- Lead Computing Optical Sight used to determine the
flight direction of an enemy MiG when you are firing at it.
P : Pause Game
A : AutoPilot - If you press the "A" key during a dogfight the
program's autopilot takes over and tracks the Mig for you
automatically.
S : Sound On/Off
F : Flaps - Toggles the flaps up or down. Use the flaps only for
landing and then only below 300 knots. When the flaps are down
the word "FLAPS" is visible on the lower portion of the
instrument panel.
G : Landing Gear - Raises or lowers the landing gear. Check the
left view to be see the gear position. The three small
circles on the airplane symbol are red when the wheels are
down. On the Major level and above you must not have the gear
extended above 300 knots or damage/loss of the aircraft is
possible.
X : Clear A-G Target Lock - See the description for Spc [below]
C : COMED (COmbined Map & Electronic Display) - The display screen
in the center of the instrument panel can be toggled between
the radar display and a map of the battle area. Your position
on the map is displayed as a flashing square.
V : View Weapons Stores - This toggles the status indicator on the
lower left side of the instrument panel to show all of the
remaining external stores.
B : Air Brakes - Opens and closes the air brakes. Used to slow the
aircraft down when attacking ground targets or when landing.
When the air brakes are extended the word "BRAKE" appears on
the lower portion of the instrument panel.
I : Nose Down |
J : Turn Left | Alternate flight controls
L : Turn Right |
M : Nose Up |
/ : Military Power/Afterburner - Toggles the afterburner on and
off. This causes the airplane to accelerate much more rapidly
but it drastically increases fuel consumption. Use carefully!
When the afterburner is, on the letters AB are visible on the
instrument panel. When it is off, the letters ML, for
military power are visible.
Page 5
Sft : Yaw/Pitch Control - Pressing the shift key while pressing one
of the arrow keys causes the aircraft to change the direction
it is pointing without changing its line of flight. Use this
to attack ground target slightly off from your current
approach. Press F9 to clear.
Spc : Trigger - In the air-to-air mode this fires the currently
selected weapon. In the air-to-ground mode it locks the fire
control system on to a point. Pressing the space bar again,
fires the selected weapon. If you wish to change the impact
point press X to clear the Target Lock.
Ins : Flares - Releases a flare. Drop flares at low altitude to
prevent being hit by a shoulder fired heat seeking weapon or to
divert air to air missiles or heat seeking SAMs.
Del : Chaff - Dispense chaff to confuse enemy radar and SAM missiles.
NOTES:
Flight Controls - Your F-16 simulator responds much as the real
aircraft would. If you are not familiar with aircraft controls just
fly and crash a few times until you get the hang of it. Only one
area requires some careful attention, Landing! At the Major level
and above you can crash your aircraft on landing. If you survive you
will be court martialed and busted out of the service. If you die
your buddies will miss you. Either way your character is out of the
active pilots roster.
Landing the plane requires careful speed management on final
approach. You may bleed off airspeed by lowering the wheels, the
flaps or extending the air brakes. You must touch down on the runway
with the Angle of Attack (AOA) at between 5 to 8 units. Watch the
AOA indicator to the right of the COMED carefully and adjust power
and drag to achieve the correct AOA as you fly down to the runway.
Be careful not to stall the aircraft or you will crash. This is one
of the toughest parts of this simulation and requires great finesse.
Super Engine - First Lieutenants and Captains have a super engine in
their aircraft. Airspeed with this engine is strictly a function of
RPM setting. It is possible to enter a vertical dive and slow down
by reducing the power setting. If you enter a dive at 500 knots at
50,000 feet you hit the ground still going 500 knots if you have not
changed the power setting.
At each increasing level of difficulty the simulation becomes closer
to the reality of actually flying an F-16. At higher rank levels the
effects of drag from external stores, angle of attack, altitude and
engine power setting are all factored into your aircraft's
performance. In addition, you can black-out if you pull too many
positive G's or red-out by pulling too many negative G's.
Page 6
APPENDIX I
EFFECT OF RANK ON YOU AND THE F-16
*********************************************************************
* 1st Lt Capt. Major Lt. Col Col *
*********************************************************************
* Lowest-----------------------Difficulty--------------------Highest*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Easier to fly------------Ease of Flying--------------Harder to fly*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Easy to hit MiG------Accuracy of Gun Bullets-------Hard to hit MiG*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Super Engine | Normal Engine *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* No Engine Stall | Engine Stall Possible *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
*Unlimited | Limited Armament | Limited Armament *
*Armament |(No weight or drag influ.|(Full weight & drag influence)*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
*Unlimited | *
* Fuel | Limited Fuel (You must monitor fuel usage) *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* No | *
*Collisions| Collisions possible with ground structures *
* Possible | (Fatal Collisions!) *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* No | Crash if | *
* Ground |greater than| Normal Ground Crash *
* Crash | 60 degrees | *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Ejecting Pilot always |POW capture | POW or fatal outcome *
* lives and returns |possible if | possible after ejecting *
* |behind enemy| *
* |lines | *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Unlimited Flares & Chaff | Limited Flares & Chaff (30) *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
*Unrestricted|Must raise| Full landing gear and nose wheel steering *
*Landing and |& lower | requirements for landing and Take-off *
*Take-off |wheels | *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* No pilot black-out | *
* or red-out | Pilot Black-out or Red-out possible *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
Page 7
EFFECT OF RANK ON THE ENEMY
*********************************************************************
* 1st Lt Capt. Major Lt. Col Col *
*********************************************************************
*No Mig |No MiG Miss.|MiG missiles |MiG guns very |MiG guns and*
*Missiles |MiG guns not|and guns |accurate. MiG |missiles *
*or Guns |accurate. |fairly |missiles fairly|very *
* | |accurate |accurate |accurate *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* |MiG flares | *
* No MiG Flares |exist but are | Mig Flares are totally *
* |not effective | effective *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Only one MiG on screen at one time |Two MiGs max. |Three MiGs *
* |at one time |maximum *
* (Number of MiGs can be forced down on intro screen) *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* No SAMs |SAMs launch |SA-2 Radar |SA-2 Radar SAMs|SA-6 Radar *
* of any |but don't |Guided SAMs |& SA-7 heat |& SA-7 heat *
* kind |strike you |only |seeking SAMs |seeking SAMs*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
Page 8
APPENDIX II
The Missions
Your F-16 is challenged with a variety of missions both air-to-air
and air-to-ground. All missions take place in a landscape area
consisting of both enemy and friendly area.
Your map display on the COMED displays the entire landscape and has
them divided into nine areas. These areas will be referred to by the
following numbering system:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Areas 6 and 9 are friendly. All others are hostile. In the
descriptions of missions that follow, these area will be referred to
by their numbers.
1. MILK RUN - Area Nine - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy three buildings located on the eastern edge of
this area. The building are in a line from north to south.
Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Briefing Notes - This is a good confidence builder and is an
excellent mission to practice flying at the higher skill levels. You
are warned that many veterans have "bought the farm" while flying the
Milk Run because they were showing off.
2. BLACK BANDIT - Area Nine - Air to Air
Objective - Shoot down at least one Mig-21
Weapons - AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder
AIM-9J Sidewinder
M61A1 Gun
Briefing Notes - The Black Bandit is the enemy's best pilot. He is
circling your airfield in area nine challenging your base to send up
its best pilot. The Bandit will come in from due North of your
airfield.
3. RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP - Area Two - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy at least three of the SAM sites in this area.
Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
M61A1 Gun
Page 9
Briefing Notes - SAC intends to commence night time bombing runs.
You must knock out three of the SAM sites to give the bombers a
chance to get to their targets.
4. DOUBLE TROUBLE - Areas 1,2,3,4,5,7 or 8 - Air to Air
Objective - Shoot down two MiGs
Weapons - AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder
AIM-9J Sidewinder
M61A1 Gun
Briefing Notes - Fly anywhere into enemy territory. The enemy may
not jump you right away so carry enough fuel to allow you to loiter
for a while. Be prepared to drop the external fuel when you get into
a dog fight. Also, if you are flying at the higher levels do not
become so focused on one target that you allow the other to get
behind you.
5. DRAGON'S TAIL - Area Four - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy the enemy's suspension bridge
Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Briefing Notes - You must destroy the suspension bridge that crosses
the river in area 4. Be wary of the SAM sites in the area.
6. DRAGON'S JAW - Area One - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy the enemy's cantilever bridge
Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
Briefing Notes - This bridge is especially tough to destroy.
Previous missions using the Maverick missile were ineffective. You
must use the large 2,000 pound bombs. Plan your mission carefully.
Avoid the SAM sites and avoid dog fighting with these fat bombs hung
on your plane. If the enemy forces you to jettison these bombs they
have won without firing a shot.
7. BEAR'S DEN - Area One - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy the enemy's communication center
Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Briefing Notes - The communication center is located on the east side
of the river about 1/4 of the way down from the top of area one. Aim
your weapons at the base of the building for best results. The
recommended approach is to come in low and fast to avoid the SAM
Page 10
sites in the area. After you have destroyed the building drop your
remaining weapons and get out fast to avoid the MiGs that will come
up after you.
8. VENUS FLYTRAP - Area Seven - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy the two SAM sites protecting the auxiliary
airfield located in this area.
Weapons - Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
M61A1 Gun
Briefing Notes - Within 24 hours SAC will launch a major air raid to
destroy the airfield in area 7. You must destroy both SAM sites to
protect the bombers. Like all bombing missions, do not engage the
MiGs until after you have expended your bombs.
9. STRIKE PALACE - Area Four - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy enemy headquarters
Weapons - Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Briefing Notes - The enemy headquarters is located in two buildings
west of the mountains in Area 4. You must destroy both buildings to
complete your mission. The area is defended by a nearby SAM site.
10. DOUBLE DRAGON - Areas One and Four - Air to Ground
Objective - Destroy both the suspension and cantilever bridges
Weapons - Weapons - Mk 84 Low Drag Bombs
AGM-65B Maverick Missile [Suspension bridge only]
Briefing Notes - If you destroy a bridge the enemy simply routes
their supplies across the other one. You must attack the cantilever
bridge in area one and the suspension bridge in area 4. This is a
tough mission! You must carry enough armament to destroy both bridges.
11. GRAND SLAM - Area Nine - Air to Air
Objective - Shoot down four MiGs
Weapons - AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder
AIM-9J Sidewinder
M61A1 Gun
Briefing Notes - You must do the impossible, shoot down four MiG-21s.
The enemy is planning a major assault on your home field. Your job
is to defend it. Carry as many air-to-air weapons as possible but do
not burden yourself with extra fuel or other stores.
Page 11
APPENDIX III
The FALCON Armaments
M61-A1 Vulcan Internal Gun - This is a 20mm rapid fire cannon. You
may use this weapon against other air targets or close in strafing of
ground targets. You always have this weapon and start with 5,000
rounds of ammunition.
AIM-9J Sidewinder Missile - This is an air-to-air weapon that locks
on to the heat source of a target. It has an average useful range of
5 miles but if you are extremely lucky you can hit targets at 11
miles. It needs a strong heat source to track, and should be aimed
at the rear quarter of an enemy plane to be effective.
AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder Missile - This is similar to the AIM-9J
missile but it has filters to screen out extraneous heat sources so
it is less likely to be fooled by enemy flares and a hit can be made
without having to aim directly at the enemy's exhaust.
AGM-65B Maverick Missile - This is an optically guided missile used
for air-to-ground attack. It's effective range is about 7-8 miles.
Although it can be fired from any altitude, it is best to shoot it
below 20,000 feet. When this weapon is selected AND your radar is
on, you will see the optical display on your COMED. Fly your plane
so that the target is centered in you display and press the space bar
once to "pickle" the system which locks the fire control on that
point. Pressing the space bar again fires the weapon. You do NOT
have to be pointing at the target when you fire the Maverick.
Mk 84 2000lb Low Drag Bomb - This is a high quality, general purpose
bomb. It is used on any ground target where you wish to make a
maximum impact. Bombs can be dropped from any altitude but your
accuracy improves at lower altitudes since you are relying on visual
contact.
Durandal Anti-Runway Bomb - The Durandal is a bomb this is especially
destructive to airstrips. Unlike conventional bombs which blow a
crater, the Durandal drives itself into the ground, blowing a hole
from under the pavement. This makes repairs much more difficult.
Bombing Technique: These instructions apply for both the Mk 84 2,000
pound bombs and for the Durandal Anti-Runway bomb:
Place your aircraft in a shallow dive and maneuver it so that
the target sight on the HUD is centered on the point you wish to
hit. Remember that you can use the Shift-Arrow keys combination
to yaw the sight over the correct point. Press the space bar
once to pickle the fire control system. If you did not get the
correct spot selected clear the air-ground target lock by
pressing the X key and try again. Once the target is selected
level out and observe the guidance line on the HUD. Fly the
plane so that the vertical line is kept centered in the HUD.
When the words IN RNG appear above the weapon selection on the
HUD press the space bar to drop a pair of bombs.
Page 12
NOTE: Depending on your altitude, attitude and air speed, you
MAY see a small circle showing up on the ground. This is the
point where your bombs would strike if they were dropped at that
moment. The simulation takes into account the airspeed and
altitude of the plane when it calculates the impact point. If
you are very good you can pickle the fire control system and
then fly the plane so that the impact point passes over your
target and then drop your bombs.
***********************************************************
* WARNING *
* Although you may want to get close to your target for *
* maximum accuracy during bombing runs, don't drop your *
* bombs below 2,000 feet or the explosion may eliminate *
* you as well. *
***********************************************************
ALQ-131 ECM Pod - If available, this pod should be carried on
air-to-ground missions. It is an ECM (Electonic Counter Measures)
device that emits signals to jam enemy radar, preventing SAM sites
from getting a missile lock on your F-16
Fuel Tanks - Your F-16 has an automatic internal fuel capacity that
averages a little over 6,000 pounds of fuel. You can add external
2,304 pound gross weight fuel tanks which adds approximately 1,500
pounds of fuel (up to 3) if you wish to have added fuel capacity.
Remember that afterburner usage will eat up your fuel quickly but do
not get in the habit of adding so much fuel (instead of armaments)
that you are flying a fat cow with no protection or maneuverability.
As each tank is expended it is automatically dropped from your
aircraft.