Once you have chosen the "Take Off" Training mission from the Mission selection window, you will be taken firstly to the Mission Map. In the Map you will see your A-10 "Chit" sitting at the Airfield. This Training Mission will not need weapons, so we will go through the Load-out window for the two combat training missions later in the tutorial.
To be able to fly the A-10, first go to the Pilot and Briefing window in the top Right corner of the Map (See figure below). Click the text saying "Briefing" and a small pull down will appear. Choose the Pilot option and the Pilot icons and names will appear. Choose a pilot and then drag and drop the helmet icon on to the A-10 Chit. Once you have completed this, the pilot icon will change from just the helmet to the pilots head and helmet.
To enter the Aircraft, use the Chit pull down window and choose the option called "Take Command".
Once in the cockpit you will be confronted by several buttons and switches. DO NOT be alarmed! Firstly, lets get aquatinted with the cursor keys.
The Cursor keys will allow you the pilot to pan around the cockpit. By pressing the left arrow you will see that your view will pan around clockwise and right will go counter clockwise. You will also be able to move your view up and down. These movements can be used in the external chase view to pan around the Aircraft. In addition to panning around the A-10 or weapon you can also Zoom in and out using the "shift" key with the "up" / "down" cursor keys.
View Keys: ( not on numeric key pad ).
The number "1" key will take you to the standard internal view.
The number "2" key will take you to the lower cockpit/instrument panel view.
The number "3" key will take you to the external A-10 chase view
The number "5" key will take you to the enemy Aircraft view. Press "tab" to scan targets.
The number "6" key will take you to the nearest Tower view.
The number "7" key will take you to the deployed weapon view.
Step 01: Starting the Engines:
There are two ways to start the engine. The first way is to press the number "2" key on the top of your keyboard (please note that this is not the key on the numeric pad) or press the down cursor. You will then be looking down at the main control panel. The Engine start button is located in the main central column at the bottom of the screen. The button is colored red and has "ENGN STRT" written next to it. To activate the button, press the "caps lock" key to show the cursor on screen. Move the cursor over the Engine Start button and press the mouse button once. You will be able to hear the A.P.U. start up and then the engine will kick into life. To remove the cursor from the screen, de-activate the "caps lock" key. The second way to engage the two Engines, is to press the "+(=)" key. This key will increase the throttle on the engines and the "-" key next to it will decrease the throttle. To increase the throttle to 100% with one key press, use the "+(=)" key in conjunction with the "shift" key.
To disengage the engines, press the Engine start button again or use the "-" key simultaneously with the "shift" key. The keyboard function will have to be repeated if you have the Engines at any percentage, because the first time will bring the engines to 0% thrust and the second will deactivate them.
Turning on the HUD
The HUD (Heads up Display) will allow the pilot to view important flight data in a reflection in front of him. The reflection is displayed on a special glass lens and is projected from a C.R.T. mounted in the front of the Cockpit. To activate the HUD modes, please do one of the following. First press the "caps lock" key to activate the mouse cursor and then move the cursor to the HUD rotary switch in the top left corner of the main cockpit. As the cursor moves over the switch, you will notice that it changes from an arrow to a rotated arrow. Depending on the position of the mouse with the switch it will swap between a clockwise and counter clockwise rotation. Once the cursor has changed to a clockwise cursor, depress the mouse button once to turn on the HUD to the first mode which is
"NAV"
"NAV" mode is the most used mode on the HUD, it concentrates on headings, altitude, velocity and waypoints. When this mode is activated, the display looks like this:
The other modes on the HUD can be activated in the same way. These modes are called "PAVE" (Pave Penny) and "C.C.I.P." (Continually calculated impact point). "Pave Penny" is for usage with laser designated targets and laser guided weapons and "C.C.I.P." mode is for usage with Iron Bombs. These modes will be explained in detail in the Air to Ground Section.
There are also some other options for the HUD display. These can be found under the HUD selection switch in a row of 5 buttons. These buttons will do the following:
TAPE: This button will turn the Tape on and off. When off the tape is replaced by a digital readout.
TACN: This button will activate the Tacan system. When you have created in the mission map a set of Waypoints for the current A-10, by pressing this button the A-10 will follow the Waypoint path. This option will only work when used in conjunction with the Auto pilot.
BARO: This button will activate the Barometric system. The Barometric system will calculate the altitude of the aircraft and designated C.C.I.P. targets.
LADR: This button will turn off the Ladder display on the HUD. The Ladder will show your angle of attack and rotation.
NITE: This option will dim the HUD display for night missions.
The other way of turning on and choosing a HUD mode is to press the “0" key for clockwise rotation and "9" for counter clockwise rotation.
Flaps And Landing Gear.
Flaps are used to increase the surface area of the wing so making take off and landings easier, especially if you have a big payload. To activate the Flaps you must press the "F" key on your keyboard. The flaps have 3 settings, 10o, 20o, and 30o. When the "F" key is pressed, the Flaps indicator (under the HUD options buttons) will move to the 10o setting. Subsequent activation’s will move the flaps to a higher setting. To return the flaps to a lower setting or return to their fully retracted state press the "D" key.
Please note that if the Flaps are activated and the aircraft's speed increases over 200 knots, the flaps will be pushed back to their neutral setting.
The Landing gear indicator is next to the "Flaps" display. When the lights are all green the gear is down and undamaged. If any of the lights turn bright Red, it means that the Landing gear at that station is damaged. When the lights turn to a Deep Red the gear is retracted. To lower the gear or retract the gear, press the "G" key.
Taxi and Take off.
You are now ready to taxi the A-10 and take off. First activate the HUD in "NAV" mode. Then start up the Engines. You are at a right angle to the end of the runway, so increase to power to the Engines by pressing the "=+" key to about 7 to 10%. the aircraft will now gently move forward. Use the mouse to maneuver the aircraft to the end of the runway and then line up down the center. Once you have turned right and are facing the opposite end of the runway, press the "-_" key to power the Engines to 0% and press and hold the "space bar" to activate the ground / Air brakes. Set the flaps to 20o and then increase the thrust to 100%. The A-10 will then move down the runway, keep the aircraft to the center if possible by gently moving the mouse. when the ground speed goes over 60 knots, the control over the steering is lost. the only way to control the aircraft’s direction is to use the ailerons by pressing the "<" ">" keys. Once the speed has reached 100 knots you can pull back on the mouse to bring the nose of the A-10 up. Once the A-10 is completely off the ground retract the landing gear and flaps. Before you attempt any violent maneuvers, let the air speed increase to over 200 knots or the plane can stall. Once you have reached 200ft you will have completed the training mission. Press the "esc" key and return to the Map. Once you are in the map, chose the "Simulation" menu and the option to "End Mission". You will then be required to confirm your request and then a "Mission Report" will appear. Hit "OK" to return to the "Mission Selection" menu.
Happy landings!
MISSION TWO: LANDING
Landing The A-10
In this mission, the aim is to follow the automated A-10 in for an Evening landing. We will now go through the procedures. After choosing this Training Mission, you will be transported into the Map. You will need to drag and drop a pilot onto the A-10 "Chit". Once this has been completed, you will be able to "Take Command" of the Aircraft. To take command of the Aircraft, firstly make sure that the pilots helmet that you had chosen has the check mark next to it. If the check mark is there, press "Command" + "R" to enter the A-10, if not, click the mouse cursor once on the left side of the helmet. After that has been completed, you will be able to take command. Please drag and drop the pilot as quickly as possible, because the Aircraft are in flight as soon as you enter the Map. When you enter the cockpit, you will notice that you are behind another A-10. The first thing to do is to turn on your HUD by pressing the "0" (Zero) key (do not use the numeric keypad). You will now be able to see you altitude and speed. Follow the lead A-10 as he banks over to the left. Do not turn violently, ease the A-10 around using the mouse ( or your preferred control). when you are lined up with the runway try to bring your TVV on to the end of the runway. This will keep the Aircraft on the correct glide path. Ease back on the throttle to bring the velocity down to 130 knots using the "-" key. You can engage the landing gear at any time by pressing the "G" key in the approach, earlier is better, but remember to keep the speed below 180 knots or you will damage the landing gear in flight. When the landing gear is engaged you will notice that the speed of the Aircraft will decrease at a faster rate and general handling will be affected.
Thrust
TVV
Speed
Altitude
Magnetic Heading
Master Arm Indicator/Weapon Selection
As your altitude drops below 400ft, engage the Flaps. These will increase the surface area of the aircraft and aid the aircraft in landing. As you get closer to the surface of the runway always keep the A-10 lined up with the center of the Runway, keep applying the brakes using the "space bar", but be careful, do not apply them to often or the plane will stall. Just before the landing gear touches the Runway, bring the nose of the A-10 up very slightly so that the rear wheels touch first, then bring the nose down. When the A-10 is on the ground, thrust the engines back to about 10% and press the "space bar" to activate the brakes. Hold the "space bar" down until the speed reaches about 20 knots. When this speed has been reached, you can maneuver the Aircraft safely to the parking area. When the A-10 is parked, thrust back fully on the engines, engage the brakes and power off the engines. To shut the engines off, first press the number "2" key. This will bring up the main lower part of the instrument panel. The engine on/off button is located in the lower middle section of the panel. It is mainly distinguishable by its Red color. When the Engines are powered down, or at any time in the mission, you can press the "esc" (escape) key to return to the Map. When the Engines have powered down Press the "esc" key and return to the Map. Once you are in the map, if you have completed the mission successfully, a Completion Window will appear (see below), choose the "Simulation" menu and the option to "End Mission". You will then be required to confirm your request and then a "Mission Report" will appear. Hit "OK" to return to the "Mission Selection" menu.
MISSION 03: AIR TO GROUND ATTACK
In this Training Mission you will be required to destroy several different types of Ground Based Targets. To successfully complete this Mission, you will need to destroy at least one of each different type of target, with the designated weapon. Although in this Mission the A-10 comes pre-loaded with all the ordinance that you will require to complete it we will now go through the Load out procedure, along with Weapon Arming, Selection and deployment.
This information details the step by step procedure involved with loading the aircraft with weapons and fuel. The only time you can load weapons and fuel is when you’re on the ground at an airbase. This can be changed by checking the “Mid-air reloading” option found in the “Simulator Prefs” window, under the “Simulator” menu in the menu bar, while no mission is currently running.
STEP 1. Place a pilot in an aircraft. Open the “Mission Briefing” window, found under the “Window” menu. Click and hold the sub-menu to access the “Pilots” list. Click on a chosen pilot, then drag & drop them onto any A-10 CHIT, to man the aircraft.
STEP 2. Select load out. In a piloted A-10, select “load out” from the sub-menu found on the CHIT, or just double click the A-10 CHIT. Wait for the load out window to appear.
STEP 3. Select a weapons category. In the load out window, use the sub-menu, to select a weapons category. Air to Air, Air to Ground Missiles, Air to Ground Bombs, or Miscellaneous.
STEP 4. Select a specific weapon. From the list provided within each weapons category, highlight the weapon of choice and red arrows will appear under the hard points of the aircraft that can support it.
STEP 5. Load a weapon. With a weapon highlighted, click on these red arrows to install one or more of the chosen weapon on a each station up to the weight limits of that hard point.
NOTE: To quickly see your current load by names just click the mouse on the “?”. This is found on the same row and to the left of the station ID numbers, in the load out window.
NOTE: To remove a weapon shift click on it or simply replace it with another weapon.
To load Fuel:
STEP 1. Complete steps 1-6. Do steps 1-6 from the “To load a weapon” list.
STEP 2. Load fuel. In the load out window there is a fuel gauge where a red fill line represents the quantity of fuel. Click the mouse on the red bar in the fuel gauge and drag it to the desired quantity.
NOTE: The aircraft can hold 10,000 lb. without external tanks. You can get through all the missions comfortably with 4,000 lb.
ARMING THE AIRCRAFT AND WEAPONS
The aircraft will not fire the Gun while on the ground, period. There are safety mechanisms that won’t allow it for obvious reasons. You can, however, arm the aircraft and weapons at any time. The general rule of thumb is that the aircraft “master arm” be disabled until aircraft is well into flight. The aircraft should also be disarmed before landing. It is possible to arm all stations at the same time, but it is prudent to arm only the stations required for the attack run at hand.
To “Master Arm” the Weapon:
STEP 1. Look down to the lower instrument panel. While cruising to target on auto pilot, press the “@/2” button to view the lower cockpit instruments and weapons control panel.
STEP 2. Check weapons locations. On the weapons control panel located in the lower left hand corner you will see just above each of the installed weapon(s) stations, a four digit name. This reminds you of which stations hold each weapon.
STEP 3. Arm the weapon. To arm a station, which arms all the weapons on it, press “caps lock” and use the mouse to select, or just press the corresponding number on your calculator keypad with “=“ being 10 and “/” being 11. The station will confirm by a switch sound and lighting the number in blue. The “clear” button on the calculator pad will disarm all stations.
To “Master Arm” the Aircraft:
STEP 1. Look down to the lower instrument panel. While cruising to target on auto pilot, press the “2” button to view the lower cockpit instruments and weapons control panel.
STEP 2. Arm the aircraft. In the lower left hand side, switch on the “Master Arm” by pressing “caps lock” and using the mouse, or simply press “M” on the keyboard. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the switch will be up towards the word “Arm” on the cockpit display. Another confirmation would be all armed and loaded stations would now contain green boxes with the letter “R”. These would shut off as each weapon releases providing a weapons count. When a station is empty a red square with a letter “E” will light.
FIRE INSTRUCTIONS
The following information details the step by step procedure to fire or release all weapons.
CANNON
The A-10 has one of the most powerful guns in the sky. This baby spits out depleted uranium shells that, before fired, are about 16” long and 1.5” in diameter. It’s seven barrels fire at a rate of 4,800 rounds per minute or 80 per second, it can literally cut a target in half from 4,000 ft. If that isn’t enough, it carries enough for a 17 sec continuous burst. That’s right folks, no time to say, “Ouch”.
Fire rate:
If you wish to economize on your shells you may switch to 2,400 rounds per minute.
STEP 1. Look down to the lower instrument panel. While cruising to target on auto pilot, press the “2” button to view the lower cockpit instruments and weapons control panel.
STEP 2. Switch the Gun Rate. In the lower left hand side of the instrument panel, switch the “Gun Rate” by pressing “caps lock” and using the mouse, or simply press “C” on the keyboard. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the switch will be up towards the word “HI” or down to “LO” on the cockpit display.
To Fire:
If the aircraft is “Armed” and your wheels are off the ground you can fire the cannon.
STEP 1. Arm the aircraft.
STEP 2. Turn on the HUD. Turn the HUD on to any mode, other than off, to display a “T” cross used for aiming the cannon on target. To do this you must be in the cockpit view. Press the “caps lock” and use the mouse to switch the “HUD Mode” switch found on the left side of the instrument panel. You may also press the “0” button to turn the switch to the right and press the “(9” to turn it back to the left. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the movement of the switch on the instrument panel.
STEP 3. Fire. Line the little “T” cross up on the target, and fire with the mouse click, or “0” button on the calculator keypad. Remember that you must lead any moving targets. The further and faster the target, the greater the lead.
Multiple release of weapons:
All of the Air to ground weapons can be fired singularly or in timed groups. This is controlled from the look down cockpit view. You may release: one at a time, (release mode SGL), pair at a time (release mode PRS), one after another,(release mode RIP SGL),pair after pair, (release mode RIP PRS), or emergency jettison all stores, (release mode JETT) with a single press of the button. You control how many releases with “Ripple Count” and the time, in milliseconds, between each release with “Ripple interval”.
NOTE: If you jettison weapons, it is presumed you have an emergency. Jettisoned
weapons are not armed and do no damage.
STEP 1. Look down to the lower instrument panel. While cruising to target on auto pilot, press the “2” button to view the lower cockpit instruments and weapons control panel.
STEP 2. Select release mode. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to turn the “Release mode” switch to your selection of choice. Or, just press the “text string command” listed. The “Release mode” switch is found just under the weapons control panel.
STEP 3. Set Ripple quantity. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to set the “Ripple qty” count to your selection of choice. Or, just press the “text string command” listed. The “Ripple qty” dial is found just to the left of the release mode switch.
STEP 4. Set Ripple interval. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to set the “Ripple interval” count to your selection of choice. Or, just press the “text stri command” listed. The “Ripple interval” dial is found just to the right of the release mode switch.
Quick text strings: Type these to select.
RMS = Release mode single
PRS = Release mode pairs
RMJ = Release mode jettison
RMRS = Release mode ripple singles
RMRP = Release mode ripple pairs
RC?? = Ripple count (??= # of releases)
RI?? = Ripple interval (??x10ms)
Air to air
The A-10 was never really designed for air to air combat, but that doesn’t make it defenseless. It does carry up to four AIM-9Ls on the outer stations for um........emergencies. Hey! we’re ugly, not stupid.
AIM-9L (stations 1 and 11)
The AIM-9L is an all weather thermally guided weapon with about a 5k range. When armed, it automatically seeks heat sources and emits audio growling tones when tracking them. This means there is no visual instrumentation required for air to air missile launch.
NOTE: You can see a targets position on the RWR Radar if it’s emitting radar.
STEP 1. Arm the weapon and aircraft.
STEP 2. Line up on target. Get behind the target aircraft and listen for the varying degrees of tone. There are three levels of intensity with the highest being accompanied by the word “SHOOT” in the HUD display.
STEP 3. Fire. Shoot the missile at this time with the “Enter” or “Return” buttons on the keyboard. It’s sometimes a good idea to fire more than one at a target based on target size or threat.
NOTE: You may launch any time you hear a growl with varying degrees of accuracy, but its best to get the highest tone intensity possible to improve the odds.
Air to ground missiles
Missiles are by design stand off or long distance weapons so they are best used in this way. The standard tactic would be to line up on targets, at a distance, launch a few, then switch to bomb or gun as the targets come within range to clean up what is leftover. This allows for a pilot to yield far more kills in a single pass. Through long distance delivery, it also insures a level of survivability when a target is well protected by close anti-aircraft or SAM support. .
AGM-65B, D, or E Maverick (stations 3 and 9)
The Maverick is a fire and forget weapon with an effective range of about 10k.
Once you get a fix on a target and fire, it will constantly update itself tracking the target
until impact, moving or not.
Type B: The AGM-65B Maverick is a television guided missile that locks on to a visual image of the target, best for VFR(Visual) use in good weather.
Type D: The AGM-65D Maverick is a thermal or heat guided weapon that locks on to a targets heat source, best for IFR(Non-visual) use in bad weather or night operations.
Type E: The AGM-65E Maverick is a laser guided weapon that locks on to a target that is designated by a laser dot pointed on it. This designation is done by other aircraft or by ground troops in the area. The AGM-65
NOTE: The only real difference between these two weapons in launching is the display. The television is self-explanatory. the thermal is just an infrared television with a red hue that “sees” warm objects as bright spots. The launch styles are basically identical so the following instructions apply to both.
STEP 1. Arm the weapons and the aircraft.
STEP 2. Turn on the MFD display. Switch on the MFD, Multi Functional Display. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to turn on the “MFD” or Multi-Functional Display located dead center on the forward instrument panel. Or, you can also press the “+” button on the calculator pad.
STEP 3. Line up on the target. Find a target at a distance where you can only make it out as a colored dot. This is it’s reflection. As you get closer, it can be seen as the target it is. While it’s still a dot, place the televisions crosshairs on dead center. The view controls operate the display crosshairs while it is on and revert back when it is off. Use them to line up and fire on several targets while in auto pilot.
STEP 4. Fire. Shoot the Maverick at this time with the “Enter” or “Return” buttons on the keyboard. It’s sometimes a good idea to fire more than one at a target based on target size or threat.
NOTE: The AGM-65E Maverick, Quad Hellfire, and Paveway bombs are launched in another way, using the “PAVE PENNY” or laser finding HUD mode. Type E
QUAD HELLFIRE (stations 3, 4 ,8 and 9)
The Quad Hellfire is a laser guided anti-tank weapon with about a 5k range. It locks on to a target that is designated by a laser dot pointed on it. This designation is done by other aircraft or by ground troops in the area.
NOTE: The A-10 has no laser targeting system of its own so it relies solely on targets designated by other “friendlies”.
STEP 1. Arm the weapons and the aircraft.
STEP 2. Switch on the HUD to “Pave” mode. To do this you must be in the cockpit view. Press the “caps lock” and use the mouse to switch the “HUD Mode” switch found on the left side of the instrument panel. You may also press the “0” button to turn the switch to the right and press the “(/9” to turn it back to the left. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the movement of the switch on the instrument panel. The HUD mode will also be displayed in the lower left corner of the HUD, changing as you switch it. Set it to “PAVE ”.
STEP 3. Fly towards the targets until the diamond(s) appear on your HUD. These are targets currently being designated by friendly’s.
STEP 4. Pick a target. To pick and cycle through HUD targets repeatedly press the “Tab” button on your keyboard.
STEP 5. Fire. To fire on a selected HUD target wait until the selected target diamond outline doubles it’s thickness to indicate you are within range. Fire the weapon at this time with the “Enter” or “Return” buttons on the keyboard. It’s sometimes a good idea to fire more than one at a target based on target size or threat.
AGM-88A HARM (stations 1-4,8-11)
The AGM-88A HARM is a radar guided weapon with about a 10k range. Although it’s not an air to air weapon but has been known to take out large slower aircraft.
STEP 1. Arm the weapons and the aircraft.
STEP 2. Turn on the RWR unit. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to turn the RWR “PWR” to on, found on the RWR control panel in the center of the forward cockpit view.
STEP 3. Select either “PRI” or “GND”. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to select “PRI” to display the five most immediate threats, or “GND” to display ground threats only.
STEP 4. Choose a target. Pick targets based on their threat level. To decide if a target is dangerous look at the RWR. If a target uses radar it will show up here. If the line is thin, the targets radar is sweeping, if it is thick, it is locked. If a line is short, the radar signal is weak, if a line is long, the signal is strong. Don’t confuse line length with distance, it only corresponds to signal strength. Your aircraft is the center of the RWR and direction to target is relative to this.
STEP 5. Select RWR target. Press “caps lock” and use the mouse to select the RWR “HOFF” or Hand Off, within the forward cockpit view. Or, just press “H” on your keyboard. In doing this you will see, in your RWR, a small diamond at the tip of a targets line. Press again to cycle through all targets until the chosen one is reached.
STEP 6. Fire. When in range, fire the weapon with the “Enter” or “Return” buttons on the keyboard. It’s sometimes a good idea to fire more than one at a target based on target size or threat.
VAUGHT HVR ( stations 2-4,8-10)
The VAUGHT HVR, or High Velocity Rockets, are the modern equivalent to sticks. They are kinetically powered javelins fired by controlled high pressure air and have about a 1k range. They have incredible piercing capabilities and separate into devastating shrapnel on impact. They are, however, considered a weak weapon on hard targets so fire them in multiples when necessary.
STEP 1. Arm the weapons and the aircraft.
STEP 2. Turn the HUD on. Switch to any mode, other than off, to display a “T” cross, used for aiming the cannon on target. Press the “caps lock” and use the mouse to switch the “HUD Mode”, found on the left side of the instrument panel. You may also press the “0” button to turn the switch to the right and press the “(/9” to turn it back to the left. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the movement of the switch on the instrument panel.
STEP 3. Line up the target. Aim the little “T” cross up on the target. Remember that you must lead any moving targets.
STEP 4. Fire. Shoot with the mouse click, or “0” button on the calculator keypad.
Air to Ground Bombs
The A-10 carries a wide assortment of “cleaning utensils” known as bombs. Just the right ones for the right job in assorted shapes and sizes. If you can’t have fun at this hardware store your mess just isn’t big enough.
DURANDAL ANTI-RUNWAY (All stations but 6, the centerline)
This weapon is an engineer’s nightmare. Just before it hits the ground it
explodes a downward firing charge that boroughs deep into the concrete to explode
from underneath. The surface buckles up causing far more damage than a bomb crater.
MK-82 (All stations but 6, the centerline)
The MK-82 is a 500 lb. Bomb designed for light to medium penetration. There are two variants:
MK-82 GP is a general purpose bomb for any odd jobs.
MK-82 Snakeye, Has retarding fins, for low altitude runs you can live through.
MK-83 (stations 2-5,7-10)
The MK-83 is a 1,000 lb. Bomb designed for medium to heavy penetration. There are two variants:
MK-83 GP is a general purpose bomb for any odd jobs.
MK-83 Paveway, Has laser tracking with directional control fins.
MK-84 (stations 3-5,7-9)
The MK-84 is a 2,000 lb. Bomb designed for heavy penetration. There are two variants:
MK-84 GP is a general purpose bomb for any odd jobs.
MK-84 Paveway, Has laser tracking with directional control fins.
MK-20 (All stations but 6, the centerline).
This weapon is the cruelest of all. It is designed for anti-personnel and light to medium armor. The way it works is simple, it is dropped over a target and just before impact it spits out hundreds of small explosives. These are dispersed evenly to blanket the chosen target in a “Chinese New Year”.
NOTE: All the Air to Ground bombs, except “Paveways”, are launched in another way, using the “C.C.I.P” or Continuously Calculated Impact Point, mode.
C.C.I.P is the art of lobbing an object of, known weight and drag, from a moving platform to land accurately on another stationary or moving object. Or, in simple terms C.C.I.P is the ultimate quarterback.
STEP 1. Arm the weapons and the aircraft
STEP 2. Switch on the HUD to “C.C.I.P” mode. To do this you must be in the cockpit view. Press the “caps lock” and use the mouse to switch the “HUD Mode” switch found on the left side of the instrument panel. You may also press the “0” button to turn the switch to the right and press the “(/9” to turn it back to the left. This is confirmed by a switching sound and the movement of the switch on the instrument panel. The HUD mode will also be displayed in the lower left corner of the HUD, changing as you switch it. Set it to “C.C.I.P”.
STEP 3. Turn on the HUD Barometer. Press the “caps lock” and use the mouse to press the HUD Barometer switch until it lights. It is found in the main cockpit view on the HUD control panel to the left. This will improve bomb accuracy by giving the targets altitude to the targeting computers, once selected.
STEP 4. Line up and pickle the target. Aim the little “T” cross on the target and press the “enter” or “return” button once to “Pickle” or select the target. This will be confirmed by a diamond in the HUD placed on the target with a flight path guide line extending downward. At the end of this line is a reticule, a spiked circle with a dot in the center. Remember to lead any moving targets. Good angles of attack range from 5-40°.
STEP 5. Fly the diamond to the reticule. Use the flight path guide to fly the diamond down the line into the reticule, or spiked circle. When the diamond goes into the reticule the computer will automatically release the bomb(s). You may ignore the auto release and release manually by just pressing the “enter” or “return” button a second time.
NOTE: To watch any weapon on the way to target, from a chase point of view, press “&/7” on the keyboard after launch.
Miscellaneous Stores: These are stores that are not weapons but have value nevertheless.
ALQ-119 ECM JAMMER (stations 1,11)
The ALQ-119 ECM jammer or Electronics Counter Measures Pod is designed to provide a level of protection against radar. It works by transmitting jamming radar frequencies to the enemy. This results in the decrease of range and detail of the enemy’s radar.
STEP 1. Load and arm the weapon.
STEP 2. Turn on the weapon. Press the “E” button to activate.
FUEL TANK (stations 4, 6 and 8)
The aircraft can hold 10,000 LB of fuel without extra tanks. You can get through all the missions fine with 4,000 LB of fuel. If you need to ferry the aircraft to a distant airfield you can count on each extra tank holding 600 gal. Or 2,000 LB of fuel.
STEP 1. Load the fuel tank.
The Mission
Now you know how to load out, select , arm and deploy the weapons, lets go through the mission.
After you have dragged and dropped your Pilot on to the A-10, you must, using the “CHIT” menu, select the option “Take Command”. The screen will dim for a second, and then you will be in the cockpit.
TARGET ONE:
All of the targets are next to the road which you are following when you arrive in the cockpit, they are coordinated in a clockwise manner, because the road is in a loop. The Auto pilot will be on when you arrive and the first target is the Gunnery Range, which is to the left of your current heading. Turn on your HUD by pressing the “0” key and the Gunnery “T” sights will appear in the center of the HUD. Turn the A-10 towards the 3 Sand banked target ranges. As you approach the Sand Banks, you will notice the Red Targets. Give each target a 1-2 second burst. This length of burst should be sufficient to destroy the Target.
TARGET TWO:
After the Gunnery Targets there are two Laser guided targets. Both of these targets are cars. The first one is a static target outside a house, the second is a car moving around a circular track. Both of these targets are pre-designated as Mk-84 Laser Guided Bomb targets. Turn you HUD setting to “PAV” by pressing the “0” key once more. When this is in the Pave Penny mode, you will see the Laser Designated Reticules on the HUD. Select you target and release the Bomb for each one.
TARGET THREE:
After the Laser Bomb targets, there are 5 designated Laser AGM-65 Missile Targets. After choosing the missiles, the target selection is done exactly the same way as the Bombs, but do not release the Missiles until the HUD tells you that you are in Range. This is done by a RELEASE message in the HUD.
TARGET FOUR:
As you fly around you will notice that in your RWR display there is a green line. This line is a Radar Installation that is tracking you . Line up the A-10 with the line in the RWR (The line should be vertical) and select the HARM missile. One The HARM Missile has been selected, press the “A” key to activate the auto pilot. Then press and hold the “option” key to bring up the Mouse Cursor. Move the mouse cursor over the RWR control Panel to the button called “HOFF”. When the mouse button is depressed a Red light will show that the “HOFF” button is on. The “HOFF button will Hand the Target information to the HARM missile. This is shown in the RWR unit by a Green diamond at the end of the Radar direction line. Let go of the “option” key and press “return” to deploy the missile.
TARGET FIVE:
Target five is a group of static and moving tanks in one area. These targets are designated as Electro-Optical Missile targets. Use the AGM-65B missile in this area. As soon as you choose the AGM-65B missile a TV camera in the nose of the Missile will activate the Multi-Function display in your cockpit. Use the cursor key to aim the camera at the target, then press “return” to fire.
TARGET SIX & SEVEN:
Target Six and Seven are both C.C.I.P targets. The first group is for the Mk-82 Iron bombs and the second group is for the Mk-20 Cluster Bomb. The targets are elevated so remember to use the Barometric aid. This is activated by pressing the “B” key. When you have finished the course, press the “esc” key to return to the Map. If you have been successful in destroying the right number of targets a Congratulations message will appear.
MISSION FOUR: AIR TO AIR
In this Mission you will be against 2 unarmed Mirage fighters. After you have chosen the Mission in the Mission selection Menu, you will find yourself confronted with the Map. Your A-10 is already flying and is armed with 4 Sidewinder missiles and the Gau-8 Cannon. Firstly, drag and drop a Pilot on to the A-10 CHIT. Then Press ‘Command” + “R” to enter the A-10 cockpit.
STEP 1. Press the number “0” key to activate the HUD.
STEP 2. Then Press the “M” key to activate the Master Weapons Arm Switch.
STEP 3. Then press the Number “1” and “/” keys on your numeric pad to activate the two Stations that hold the Sidewinders.
STEP 4. Then press the “A” key to de-activate the Auto pilot.
The A-10 does not have a Target reticule for Air to Air Targets. The Sidewinder missile uses a growling sound and a RELEASE prompt on the HUD to show how strong the Infra-Red lock is. The better the angle of attack, the stronger the growl and the better chance of the RELEASE prompt on the HUD showing is.
The targets are to the left of your A-10 so turn left and follow them into the Canyon. Beware, the Canyon has some tight turns and the Mirages are not traveling very fast either. When you have spent all of your Sidewinders, finish them off with the Gau-8 Cannon. When both Targets have been destroyed, press “esc” to return to the Mission Map and End the Mission. Then END mission option is under the Simulation menu at the top of the display.
