F A L C O N - FLIGHT MANUAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~
Introduction ...........................................................1
About This Manual .................................................1
Hardware Requirements ..................................................3
Part I: Your First Flight in the FALCON AT .............................5
Setup and Loading Instructions ....................................6
Cockpit Orientation ..............................................14
Takeoff Procedure and First Flight ...............................20
Encountering the Enemy ...........................................37
Part II: The FALCON AT Experience:
A Guide to the F-16 ..............................................47
Keyboard Command Layout ..........................................48
Keyboard Command Descriptions ....................................49
The FALCON AT Armament ................................................54
The FALCON AT Cockpit ............................................58
Head-Up Displays (HUD) ......................................58
Front Panel .................................................78
Left View ...................................................89
Right View ..................................................91
Part III: Military Ranks and Missions .................................95
The Ranks ........................................................96
The Missions ....................................................100
Mission Results: Snapshots, Awards, and Merits .............106
Part IV: Advanced Fighter Training ...................................112
General Flight Performance of the F-16 ..........................113
Air Combat Maneuvers ............................................121
Black Box .......................................................127
Glossary and Abbreviations ...........................................131
The F-16: Specifications .............................................134
The MiG-21: Specifications ...........................................135
Index ................................................................137
Additional Reading ...................................................141
[P.1]
INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our hopes, like towering falcons, aim
At objects in an airy height;
The little pleasure of the game
Is from afar to view the flight.
Matthew Prior
In the wild, the falcon is the most effective predator for its size
compared to any other. While many birds hunt for their prey nocturnally,
the falcon searches only during the day, being an aggressive natural
hunter. It is considered to be equally as effective at fighting in the air
as striking a target on the ground.
This natural inspiration spurred development of the most versatile jet
fighter in the air today, the F-16 Fighting Falcon from General Dynamics.
FALCON was designed to be a high realistic simulation of the F-16, yet you
have the opportunity to fly its powerful jet with tremendous ease. As you
progress in flying skill, the ability to take over more control of FALCON's
detailed F-16 features will strongly test your mastery of flying in air
combat, and provide many hours of enjoyment.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fighter pilots have to spend much of their lives learning everything there
is to know about their airplanes, along with understanding the enemy's
planes and pilots they may encounter in battle. A considerable time will
pass in training before they even take a seat in a fighter jet. We
obviously don't plan to put you through such rigorous training just so you
can fly FALCON. However, in such a thorough simulation, there is a great
deal to learn over the course of playing FALCON that will determine how
well you perform, especially at the upper levels.
Therefore, in Part I of the manual, we're going to send you for a test
flight at the lowest level of the program. This will enable you to get a
feel for the basics of flying the F-16. Most of the plane's true
characteristics will be toned down a bit, and it will impossible to crash
or be shot down.
After you've gone for a few introductory flights and are feeling pretty
comfortable, read Part II of the manual to learn all the commands available
to you while flying the FALCON, along with a few hints about what to expect
while flying at the higher levers of the program. We cover some of the
basics that one has to learn in order to be trained as a real fighter
pilot.
[P.2]
FALCON presents game difficulty levels according to a military pilot's
rank. Part III covers the different ranks that you'll be striving to
perform at, from First Lieutenant all the way to Colonel. This section also
covers the variety of air-to-air combat and ground strike missions that you
can select from.
Part IV moves deeper into the strategy and tactics involved in air combat,
including maneuvers that the enemy MiGs will be performing as they engage
you in dogfights. Learning how to perform some basic maneuvers yourself
will help your performance at upper levels of the simulation.
We have purposely designed the lower levels of the program to be relatively
easy to perform, so you can gradually develop the skills necessary to enter
combat at higher ranks. If you're familiar with how jet fighters like the
F-16 operate, either through reading or the play of other computer
simulations (Maybe you're a real fighter jock!), you may be tempted to skim
over the manual and dive into the upper levels of the simulation. Be
forewarned though, at the Colonel level of FALCON, the simulation is very
faithful to the operation of the real F-16, and the MiGs you will be
battling are close to invincible.
We recommend that you fly at the lower ranks until you have a firm grasp of
the plane's characteristics and the nature of air battle. Then you can
attempt to rise in rank and fly an increasingly more realistic F-16 against
more formidable opponents.
It goes without saying that we want you to have fun playing with FALCON. We
certainly have! At the same time, we hope we've given you an opportunity to
learn a little about an exciting, important subject. And maybe you'll
discover, as we did, a newfound respect for the pilots who fly these planes
every day in the service of their countries.
[P.3]
Hardware Requirements
FALCON requires:
AMIGA - At least 512 K RAM
Note that the black box feature, communications feature, and certain sound
and graphic enhancements are only available on the 1 Mb models.
A joystick or mouse is optional.
* If you plan to employ the option to direct-connect two machines and
dogfight against another FALCON owner, you'll need a special cable (or
cables) to connect the two machines. See the special insert for information
on this option.
Future Plans for FALCON
Let us know what you like and dislike about the program so we can reflect
your wishes when releasing updated versions. We plan to enhance and provide
additional disks for FALCON over time so that it remains the premier jet
fighter simulation on personal computers. Returning your registration card
is the first step in making sure you'll know all that is planned. Be a part
of the process and tell us what you want to see in the program!
[P.4] blank
[P.5] Part I: Your First Flight in the FALCON
[P.6] Setup and Loading Instructions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is assumed that you are familiar with the basic terms and operations of
your computer. If this is the program you have run on your computer, refer
to the Owner's Manual to become familiar with how to operate your system.
Loading the Program -
AMIGA
* Insert the Amiga kickstart disk in the drive (this is not necessary if
you have an A500 or an A2000). When the "Workbench" icon appears on the
screen, press the eject button and remove the kickstart disk. Insert FALCON
1 disk in the disk drive. It loads automatically. Insert disk 2 on the
screen prompts.
Menus -
When FALCON has loaded you will see the DUTY ROSTER, on top of which is a
list of menus. With the exception of the COMMS menu, these menus are not
operable until you have made your armament selection. However it is
appropriate at this stage to give an explanation of the menus.
File -
The following options are available:
* Return to cockpit - Used where you have pressed the ESC key to make a
choice from one of the menus.
* Abort Mission - Returns you to the Duty Roster
* End Mission - When you have completed a mission and landed safely, choose
this option to see the Awards screen.
* Read Mission Disk - You will not need this option until you have
purchased a Mission Disk.
[P.7]
* Quit - Returns you to the computer operating system.
ACM -
* This option enables you to practice Air Combat Maneuvers. See the section
entitled "Air Combat Maneuvers" for details of the maneuvers.
Scenery -
* Dots only
* Detail only
* Dots and Detail
The less the scenery on display the faster the program will run.
Control -
* Mouse
* Keyboard
* Joystick
* Mouse 2 ( You are able to "center the stick" by clicking and releasing
the right-hand mouse button)
Options -
* Normal scale
* Large scale (double normal scale)
You are able to change the size of the MiGs.
* Sound on = all sound including engine
* Engine off = all sound except engine
* Sound off = turns all sound off
We recommend that you play with the sound of the engine off.
* Training
With this option you will see that in ACM the MiG will have his flight path
indicated by diamonds which you should fly through to if you wish to follow
his track.
[P.8]
* MiG Ace Pilots - If you think the normal MiG pilots are not good enough,
try this option.
COMMS -
Leave this choice at the default selection of SINGLE PLAYER. If you are
going to be the only participant experiencing FALCON (on one machine), as
would normally the case. However, if you wish to hook your machine up to
another so you and another player can "dogfight" against each other, select
either ST to ST; ST ti MAC; or ST to AMIGA. See the insert for information
on connecting the two machines.
If you select ST to ST; ST to MAC; or ST to AMIGA, make sure the selection
for the BAUDRATE (speed) that your computer will communicate at is correct.
Duty Roster -
The DUTY ROSTER maintains a record for up to ten "active" (meaning still
alive!) players. The last rank achieved and total "merits" (points)
attained are displayed along with the pilots' names. (Since no one's played
from your disk as yet, all pilot name lines show a call sign of "ROOKIE"
with zero merits.) If you expect to have several people playing the game
and want to make sure that someone's name isn't accidentally erased, we
suggest designating one of the name slots (say, the last one) as the
"floater", for newcomers and occasional players to use.
* On this first entry, highlight any of the "ROOKIE" name lines and click
with the mouse button. Type in the name you want to use for yourself at the
top. Remember, every fighter jock has a call sign! Be as creative as you
like, just keep the name within twenty characters. (You can use the ESC or
BACKSPACE key to correct any error, and to erase ROOKIE.)
When you're finished typing your name, press the OK box.
[P.9]
You can override a listed pilot's name at any time if you want to add a new
person or name to the game. You might even want to keep separate "names" of
yourself for practice reasons. Just make sure not to overwrite an active
pilot for whom you want to maintain a record.
The DUTY ROSTER includes pilots who are still alive and haven't been either
taken as a prison of war (POW), or court-martialed for unacceptable
actions. This list is different from the "SIERRA HOTEL", which contains the
top ten FALCON pilots who have ever played from your disk, whether they are
still alive (ACTIVE); or have been killed in action (KIA), declared missing
in action (MIA), or court-martialed (BUSTED), or RETIRED when the pilot's
name has been changed.
>After you've selected a name for the DUTY ROSTER, the next screen allows
you to select the level of difficulty at which you will fly, along with the
specific objective.
Use the mouse pointer to move between topics. Use the mouse button to
highlight a selection within a topic. When you are satisfied with your
selections, click on the ARMAMENT box to proceed to the next screen.
Rank -
Select from a listed rank to determine the difficulty level. The order from
First Lieutenant (easiest) all the way to Colonel (highest difficulty).
(Note: Part III of the manual discusses the differences between ranks, plus
how they affect your plane's performance and that of the enemy.) You select
a rank by simply highlighting the desired rank line and clicking on the
name button.
>Leave the selection at 1st LT. (First Lieutenant) for your initial flight.
Missions -
This is where you choose from any of twelve different missions involving
air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, or a lot of both! There is a
ribbon to the left of each mission name, which will be awarded to you if
the mission is completed successfully. (Note: Part III of the manual
describes details of the different missions.) Just like rank, you select a
mission by highlighting the mission name.
>Leave the selection at Milk Run, which is a simple flying and bombing
exercise.
[P.10] missing
[P.11] missing
[P.12]
Go to the "Control" Menu and select Mouse, Key, or Joy or Mouse 2,
depending on whether you want to use the mouse, your keyboard, or joystick,
as your respective input device for directional ("stick") control of your
plane. Mouse 2 is not sell-centering until the right-hand button is
pressed.
IMPORTANT!
~~~~~~~~~~
Don't make any selections from the ACM Menu at this time or you will go
immediately into a training mode for learning Air Combat Maneuvers when you
enter the cockpit. These maneuvers require some previous experience with
the program for you to use effectively. If you make a selection from this
menu by accident and go off into one of the maneuvers, press the "ESC" key
to bring the Menu Bar back. Go to the "File" menu and select "Abort
Mission" to return to the DUTY ROSTER screen. Make the same choices as
before to return to this point.
* When you've completed your selections, click in the TAKEOFF box to accept
the armament and proceed to "takeoff ready" position. The Sarge will have a
few words to say before the armament selection screen disappears. Get in
the habit of reading any messages he has for you, because they may save
your life later on when you are flying at a higher rank.
Note: You won't exactly be alone in the air after the Sarge signs off. Your
ground support crew will contact you occasionally (via messages along the
top of your front cockpit view) when MiGs are sighted as well as confirming
your successful hits in air battle. They will also notify you when you're
flying off course.
[P.13] {The FALCON Cockpit Picture.}
[P.14] Cockpit Orientation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the Sarge signs off, the next screen has you seated in the FALCON,
ready for takeoff. Your plane is resting on Runway #36.
Take some time to get familiar with your F-16. Inside the plane, you are
facing the front of the cockpit, which contains the most important displays
and controls to be used in the simulation. Look at the components of the
cockpit, and compare them to the illustrations in your Flight Manual and
reference card. You don't need to know what every item represents just now,
since all the F-16's characteristics aren't activated at First Lieutenant
rank. (All cockpit features are discussed in detail in Part II of the
Flight Manual.)
{HEAD-UP DISPLAY (HUD) IN "AIR-TO-AIR" MODE picture}
[P.15]
Now, let's discuss the ones you do need to watch on your first flight.
* The most prominent feature of the cockpit is the Head-Up Display, or HUD,
which is located in the upper middle of the screen. The HUD is a piece of
glass (separate from the canopy) upon which important data is displayed
electronically. By having vital information displayed directly in front of
your eyes, you don't have to look around the cockpit as much, which helps
to maintain your concentration in battle. Although there are several
different HUD types, it starts off in "Air-to-Air" Mode and displays
essential items such as airspeed, heading, gravity forces, altitude, and
the flight path ladder.
Brief Description of HUD components -
Let's examine the main features of the Air-to-Air HUD
Flight Path Ladder -
Represents your plane's angle of climb. When positive numbers (0 through 9)
are showing, the plane is in an upward climb. Negative numbers (-0 through
-9) signify a dive. Each number represents an increment of ten degrees,
from 0 to 90 in either direction. The ladder displayed here shows the F-16
in a 38 degree climb. (Negative numbers also shown by dotted line.)
Air-to-Air Missile Specifics (Discretes) -
Data relating to the specific HUD mode, in this case "Air-to-Air." The type
and status of the weaponry is displayed. You'll learn more about this
later.
Aiming Reticle -
This represents the effective aiming area for missile hits when battling
enemy MiGs. Part II will explain its usage.
[P.16]
Airspeed Scale -
Displays the plane's true speed (in tens of knots).
"G" (Gravity) Force Indicator -
Shows the amount of centrifugal force that is acting upon you and your
plane at any time due to a number of factors, including turning (banking)
rate and airspeed.
Heading Scale -
Displays the direction (magnetic scale, and in tens of degrees) that your
F-16 is heading. You should note that the plane starts off on the runway at
a 0 heading, which represents due north. East is 90, south is 180, and west
is 270.
Altitude Scale -
Displays your plane's altitude (in thousands of feet). Note that the
current altitude is always detailed at the bottom of the HUD, directly
below the Altitude Scale.
5-Mile Radar Ranging Scale -
Specific to Air-to-Air HUDs, this scale's pointer starts to slide downward
when an enemy plane has approached within five miles of your F-16. More on
this later.
<To glance at the other HUD modes, press the Return or "(" key repeatedly
to look at other Air-to-Air Modes (used for dogfighting enemy planes), or
press the Backspace or ")" key in succession to examine Air-to-Ground Modes
(used for ground strike missions). The F7 key brings up a special Landing
HUD.
[P.17] The Rest of the Cockpit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* The AOA Indexer (left of the HUD) and AOA Indicator (beneath the HUD) are
used when landing your plane and during battle. They display your "angle of
attack". They aren't necessary at lower ranks, but after your first few
landings, become adept at using them because it's a necessary skill for
landing the F-16 at higher ranks.
* The JFS (Jet Fuel System) Start button will light up when you start your
engine.
* Directly underneath the HUD glass is a combination Radar/Map screen,
called the COMED (Combined Map/Electronic Display). It will be the second
most-watched item in your cockpit after the HUD. In Radar mode, it monitors
details like the horizon and relative position of enemy planes to yours. In
Map mode, it shows your current location in the FALCON world, along with
landmarks to guide you during missions. Press the "C" key to toggle between
Radar and Map. The default selection is Radar.
* The Military Power/Afterburner Indicator shows whether you are currently
invoking the engine's Afterburner (AB) for extra acceleration, or if you're
using standard Military Power (ML), which is a term for normal engine usage
and acceleration. Press the "/" key to start the afterburner (stage one).
Press the ">" key to increase the afterburner stage up to a maximum of 5.
Press "<" to decrease the stage or press "/" (Slash) key to go immediately
to 100% Military Power. The default setting is ML.
[P.18]
* The Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) aids in orienting your plane to the
horizon while pitching and rolling. Use it in combination with the
"waterline" (your plane's position parallel to the horizon) and visual
contact with the real horizon to orient the plane directionally.
* The RPM Gauge represents the percentage (%) of power that has been
applied with the Throttle ("+") key. (This example shows just over 70%
power being applied.)
* The Wheel Brakes light is on, signifying that your wheel brakes are set.
This keeps the plane from rolling when the engine is started.
Before taking off, take a look out the other views from your cockpit,
specifically the Left View ("4" key-top row) and Right View ("6" key-top
row). You'll learn more about the additional gauges and panels later. For
now, you might note the initial compass heading in the Left View (due
north) and how it matches up to the degree heading in the HUD and your
current location on the COMED Map mode. These indicators can help you find
your way back to the landing strip if you're lost or returning home from a
mission that takes place a long distance away.
You also have a variety of out-of-cockpit views that give you an entirely
different perspective on the world you are flying in. You might want to
take a moment now to examine these different views, although they will
probably be more spectacular when you're in the air.
To see a satellite view or look down, press key U. Key 8 will show the
tower view, while key 9 will show an outsider view of the F16 (TRACK view).
The track view can be seen from a different position by pressing key 2 in
addition the view can be zoomed by the use of keys F1 and F2.
[P.19] About the Milk Run
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The objective of the Milk Run mission is to destroy one or more of the
buildings located 5 miles east of your home base.
On this mission, you'll use AGM-65 "Maverick" air-to-ground missiles.
[P.20] Takeoff Procedure and First Flight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You'll probably want to have your quick reference card close by during the
takeoff procedure.
{ IMPORTANT! }
Even though we've tried to pattern this initial flight instruction for a
first-time user, the FALCON cockpit has so many features that, even at
First Lieutenant rank, things may seem overwhelming at first. This is
reason enough for including a "pause" key in the game. If you're at a
certain point in the procedure and want to read ahead to prepare for the
next action, simply press the "P" key to pause the simulation. When you're
ready to continue, press the "P" key again to resume flying. After a few
flights, everything will become second nature to you.
At times in this section, we'll discuss a procedure in light of what the
same situation might require in skill at upper ranks. However,
operation-wise, everything still performs according to First Lieutenant
rank restrictions. You might want to look at the charts in Part III that
cover what performance differences occur between the various ranks.
Directional Control (Flying with the "Stick") -
Fighter pilots control the directional movement of their planes with a hand
control commonly known as the "stick". The following images show the ways
you can control the same directional movement of your F-16, depending on
whether you prefer to use the keyboard, mouse or a joystick.
Throughout the rest of the manual, we will use an "operation" with the
stick as a common way to describe a needed directional change at a
particular time. For example, "pull back on the stick" will equate to
pressing the Down Arrow key on the keypad, or moving the joystick handle
backwards, depending on the input device you're using. The following images
have the corresponding "stick" operation printed in boldface next to the
particular movement control.
[P.21]
Keyboard - Numeric Keypad-
"I" Nose Down (push forward on the stick) = "8"
"J" Bank (or Turn) Left (pull left on the stick) = "4"
"M" Nose Up (pull back on the stick) = "2"
"L" Bank (or Turn) Right (pull right on the stick) = "6"
Under the default setup, when you use the keyboard to control directional
movement of your plane, the F-16's "stick" automatically centers itself
after each keypress. This enables you to easily maintain a constant rate of
turn. In other words, if you press the Left Arrow key once, your plane will
bank left at a small constant rate, and continue to do so until you make
another directional change. If you want to increase the degree of turn (or
any other directional change), you need to hold the particular key down for
a longer period of time. Also, the longer you hold the particular key down,
the faster the rate of change will take place (all other things being
equal).
>This is always true at lower ranks (with "super engine"). However, at
higher ranks, where your "normal engine" has many factors operating on it,
things may not be quite so predictable. Refer to Part III (Ranks) on the
differences between "super engine" and "normal engine".
[P.22]
Joystick- Nose Down
"push forward on the stick"
Bank (or Turn) Left Joystick Bank (or Turn) Right
"pull left on the stick" Handle "pull right on the stick"
Nose Up
"pull back on the stick"
Joystick Button - Trigger (used for firing weapons)
Mouse -
Nose Down
"push forward on the stick"
---------------------------
| |
| |
| |
Bank (or Turn) Left | Fire Center stick | Bank (or Turn) Right
"pull left on the stick" | Button in Mouse 2 | "pull right on the
| mode | stick"
| |
| |
| |
| |
---------------------------
Nose Up
"pull back on the stick"
[P.23]
Sliding the mouse in a particular direction to change the pitch or bank of
your plane is not so different from using the keyboard. When you slide the
mouse to effect a change in any direction, the plane responds by changing
its direction until you stop sliding the mouse, which "centers the stick".
When the mouse stops moving and the "stick" is therefore "centered", your
plane continues on the same path until the mouse is moved again.
Without holding the mouse button down:
Move the mouse slightly to effect small changes in direction. Remember,
every time the mouse stops moving, you "center the stick."
Slide the mouse faster and over a longer distance to cause larger and more
accelerated changes in direction.
With the mouse button held down:
With the mouse button held down, the "center stick" routine is interrupted
allowing you almost virtual movement. You should employ this method when
making sudden and sustained changes in direction.
Mouse 2 -
This is an alternative method of mouse control. The "stick" is not centered
until the right-hand button has been clicked and released.
[P.24]
On the Ground -
* If you haven't done so already, press the "3" key (top row) to return to
the Front View.
* Check the front panel to make sure Wheel Brakes are engaged (the WL BRK
light should be on). If not, press the "W" key to apply them. Now it's time
to fire'er up! Activating the Jet Fuel System will start the F-100 engine.
To engage the JFS, press the Throttle Increase key ("+") once and the JFS
Start light on the front panel will illuminate. By watching the RPM Gauge,
you'll see the engines automatically rev up to 60% RPM.
How to Taxi Your Aircraft -
Even thought it's not necessary to taxi the aircraft, you may want to in
order to get familiar with the Nose Wheel Steering (NWS) System. To the
right of the HUD you'll see the NWS System/Landing Gear Status Indicator.
The RY ("ready") light at the top should be lit, indicating that your
Landing Gear (which includes the NWS system) is in "down" position and
operational.
* To taxi, rev your engines (to 65%) by pressing the Throttle Increase key
("+") until RPM reaches 65%.
* Release the Wheel Brakes ("W" key) and your plane should start rolling.
Never exceed 80% RPM with the Wheel Brakes engaged, or your aircraft may be
damaged. Your Nose Wheel Steering light (NS: the one in the middle) will
illuminate once the plane is moving. At this point you can use the stick
controls to steer your F-16 on the runway.
* To turn left, pull the stick to the left. To turn right, pull the stick
to the right. The faster your taxi speed, the wider your turns. Keep taxi
speed under 50 knots while varying your throttle to control the speed of
the aircraft.
Takeoff -
{ WARNING }
Get in the habit of keeping your plane on the runway. Grass takeoff are
fine for whirlybirds, Harriers, Insects, and other assorted creatures, but
not for your F-16. At upper ranks, you must stay on the runway unless you
want to be permanently grounded!
[P.25]
* If you haven't already done so, release your Wheel Brakes. (The WL BRK
light should be off. If not, press "W".)
* Next, hold the Throttle Increase key ("+") down until your engines have
reached 100% RPM.
* Continue to roll straight down the runway until your airspeed has reached
150 knots (15 on the HUD Airspeed Scale). You'll notice that the NWS System
light (NS) will disengage once your speed has exceeded 90 knots. This means
that you will no longer be able to steer your aircraft.
>For faster takeoffs and to compensate for heavier payloads, light your
Afterburner for that extra needed power (at the expense of using more
fuel). Afterburner (AB) is engaged by pressing the "/" key. The AB1 light
on the front panel will turn on. Non-afterburner takeoffs are called full
military power takeoffs. The ML indicator light will be on instead of the
AB light on military power takeoffs.
* When your airspeed reaches the takeoff speed of 150 knots, gently pull
back on the stick until you reach a climb angle of 8 to 12 degrees. As your
plane leaves the ground, the 10 degree step of the Flight Path Ladder on
the HUD should cross the HUD center point, indicating a 10 degree climb
angle.
{ CAUTION }
>Trying to lift off at speeds less than 150 knots can result in skipping,
stalling, or crashing into the runway.
Note that the DC (disconnect) light on the NWS System/LG Status Indicator
illuminates once your plane has left the ground. This serves as a signal to
raise the landing gear.
* After takeoff, you need to retract your landing gear by pressing the "G"
key. Switch to the Left View ("4" key: top row). Look at the Landing Gear
(LG) Indicator. All three lights should be off if you've successfully
raised the landing gear. Switching back to the Front View ("3" key: top
row), you'll also notice that all lights in the NWS System/LG Status
Indicator turn off once the gear has been raised.
[P.26]
Faster Climb Rate -
* You should continue on an 8-12 degree climb angle until reaching 400
knots airspeed. At this point you may increase the rate of climb. A climb
angle of 30 to 40 degrees is ideal. Afterburner will also increase your
climb rate.
>Don't allow your airspeed to fall under 125 knots. There are four ways to
increase your airspeed: increase throttle, light the afterburner, dive, or
reduce the rate of climb.
Moving into Position and Finding the Target -
* Climb to an altitude of 25,000ft using a 30 degree climb at 450 knots.
Your engine should be at 72 % RPM Military (ML) Power. "Level off" the
plane by pushing the stick forward until your Flight Path Ladder crosses
the center of the HUD at the 0 (zero) degree step.
>The most trustworthy navigational aid you have is your own pair of eyes.
As you fly, look around at the different views. Try to identify natural and
man-made landmarks such as mountain ranges, bridges, lakes, and buildings.
* Invoke the Map mode on your Combined Map/Electronic Display (COMED) by
pressing the "C" key. The Radar mode will be replaced with a 2-D reduced
map of the FALCON landscape.
>Note your current position on the map (flashing white square) in relation
to those objects around you. After you've played FALCON for a while, you'll
become familiar enough with the landscape to identify where you are without
using the COMED. This will be a very important skill, especially if you
navigation system is damaged during combat.
Since you took off from Runway #36, your plane should be heading due north.
Use your Compass on the Left View panel or check your Heading Scale on the
HUD. (The heading should be 0 (zero) degrees.)
[P.27]
* Slowly bank your F-16 to the right until the plane is at a 45-50 degree
angle. The F-16 should begin a nice easy turn at this bank angle. The
steeper the bank, the faster the turn. Speed also affects your rate of
turning. It's just like driving a car: the faster you travel, the wider
your turn radius. Travelling at 450 knots, the turn radius will be a little
over a mile (6288 feet to be exact), but at 900 knots your turn radius is a
staggering 5 miles.
>You'll need to fly toward a new heading of 135 degrees (halfway between 13
and 14 on the Heading Scale) to intercept the targets. Ease out of the roll
once you've achieved the new heading. Take a look at the map and outside
the Front View. You should be heading directly toward the buildings.
Air-to-Ground Missiles -
The AGM-65B Missile is designed to be visually locked on to a ground target
by the pilot. In the front end of each Maverick missile is a TV camera with
a zoom lens. The television image is fed to the pilot through the COMED.
This allows you to acquire your target electronically from distances beyond
visual range.
* Switch your HUD into Air-to-Ground mode by pressing the Backspace or "("
key. Keep pressing Backspace until the M65 HUD mode indicator appears in
the bottom left corner of the HUD. Also, make sure your radar is on ("R"),
and that the radar screen rather than the area map is showing on the COMED.
(Press "C"). Here's an overview of the upcoming missile attempt.
* Once you've visually acquired what looks like your target (one of the
three buildings), fly directly toward it. Look down at the radar screen.
You may be able to see the target here before you can see it accurately out
the cockpit.
* As you move closer to your target, maneuver the FALCON so that the
crosshairs in the middle of the HUD (and the crosshairs in the middle of
the radar screen) are lined up on the target. Press the Spacebar to
"Pickle" or target designate the target. The HUD discrete will change from
ARM to LOCK, and the target designator (a square) will appear over the
target. Note: If the target designator isn't aligned directly over the
target, clear the pickle by pressing the Clear A-G Target Lock key (X) and
try again. Watch for the In Range discrete (IN RNG). When it appears, press
the Spacebar again, and watch the Maverick head for the target.
[P.28]
* Pull back on your stick to execute a climb, so as to clear the debris
area and avoid crashing into the ground. It'll take a few seconds for your
missile to reach the target and detonate. If you struck the target, the
building image will appear damaged. Otherwise, you'll see a crater in the
ground.
[P.29]
When you try to pull up into a climb at upper ranks, you're going to need
all the power you can muster to avoid stalling. Therefore, practice kicking
in your Afterburner and rev the engine to 100% power. Remember: At First
Lieutenant rank, you really don't "crash" even if you hit the ground.
You're able to get back into the air. Note the side arrows warning you to
pull up.
{ WARNING! }
>It's tempting to go back and get a visual confirmation of hitting the
target. At First Lieutenant rank, this isn't a problem. However, at higher
ranks it can be extremely dangerous. You give the enemy more time to get a
bearing on your position. Let intelligence confirm your hits and tell you
about them after your mission is completed. Good pilots don't fret about
merits and medals. They just want to return their "rented" planes in one
piece to the crew chief.
[P.30]
Getting into the Proper Frame of Mind -
Remember, the mission isn't over until your bird is on the ground. Landing
takes skilled flying, a steady hand, and a calm state of mind. The worst
thing you can do is panic and try to slam your plane onto the ground. A god
landing feels as if your plane has floated down onto the runway. Never be
afraid to abort a landing and come around for another try. It's better to
be a little embarrassed than end up as a picture on the wall of an airfield
cantina.
>Since the First Lieutenant rank doesn't allow your plane to crash, use
this level to practice your landing skills. At upper ranks, being able to
shoot up things is only part of being a "complete" pilot.
Setting up the Landing -
Half the process is getting your plane into approach position. You're going
to land on Runway #9 approaching from the west. It's important that you
give yourself plenty of airspace for the approach.
* If it isn't already on, switch to Map mode on the COMED screen ("C" key).
* Fly to the position indicated in the diagram below and turn to a heading
of 90 degrees at an altitude of 37,000 ft.
* Reduce your speed by throttling down with the "-" (Minus) key to about
300 knots.
[P.31]
Instrument Landing System (ILS) HUD Mode -
* From here you can start a downward approach. Switch on your Instrument
Landing System (ILS) HUD mode by pressing the F7 key. We suggest you press
the Pause key ("P") here and read about the landing procedure before
continuing.
The ILS is designed to assist a pilot in making a smooth landing. The whole
idea behind the ILS is that an imaginary beam is projected from the runway.
A pilot must "ride down the beam" to make a perfect approach. Runways have
to be specially equipped to handle ILS landings. In FALCON, only Runway #9
is set up to handle ILS landings.
[P.32]
The ILS Hud has two principal components: the Glide Slope Deviation (GSD)
Scale and Localizer Deviation (LD) Scale. The LD Scale displays angle
variance between the correct heading approach angle (90 degrees in this
case) and the angle between your current position and the runway. The
further you are to the right, the further the GSD Scale slides to the left,
and vice versa.
The Glide Slope Deviation Scale displays the angle offset between the beam
and your intercept angle to the runway. The higher above the ILS beam you
go, the lower the LD Scale slides down the HUD, and vice versa.
To get in perfect position for landing, steer the plane toward the LD and
GSD scales. (This is called "following the needle.") If you are too high,
the GSD scale will be below the center of the HUD. You should decrease your
altitude until the GSD scale is in the center of the HUD.
[P.33]
If you are too far left of the runway, the LD scale will be to the right of
the HUD's center. Bank your plane to the right so that the LD scale is in
the center.
A perfect approach angle will show the GSD and LD coming together so that
the middle of each scale crosses at the center point of the HUD to form a
perfect cross.
> It's important to understand that your heading has nothing to do with
where the GSD and LD are placed on the HUD. The ILS only checks for
deviation between the current intercept of the aircraft with required
approach angle. That's why you still need to monitor the heading scale
during landing. In an example, a pilot who failed to monitor his heading.
For a brief moment, the ILS appeared to be perfectly aligned, because the
current aircraft position just happened to cross the ILS at the correct
point. Notice how everything is aligned in the HUD, yet the heading is
incorrect.
* Continue your downward approach, making sure that the GSD and LD are kept
in alignment. Use small movements to make course and altitude correction.
Don't overcompensate. Once you've fallen below 5,000ft, throttle back to
about 68% RPM and reduce your airspeed to 125-150 knots. Use the Air Brakes
("B" key) to help you decrease speed. However, make sure your airspeed
doesn't fall below 100 knots. At higher ranks, falling below 100 knots can
result in a stall, followed by a funeral.
> At upper ranks, a correct Angle of Attack (AOA) is extremely important to
the success of your landing. A plane's AOA should lie between 8 and 13
degrees (on the AOA Indicator). Dropping airspeed will increase your AOA.
Take a look at your AOA Indexer on the left side of the HUD. If the top
light is on, then you are coming in too steep and too slow. If the bottom
light is on, then your airspeed is too fast and AOA is too shallow. A
center light indicates that your airspeed and AOA are perfect. (You'll
learn more later on AOA.)
[P.34]
* When you get below 4,000 ft, drop your Landing Gear by pressing the "G"
key. Your NWS System/Landing Gear Status Indicator "RY" (ready) light
should be illuminated (just like it was before raising the gear earlier
upon takeoff). Check the Left View to make sure all three wheel lights are
lit. If not, you better prepare for a crash landing (remember, upper ranks
only).
* At this point, it's important that you monitor your altitude, airspeed,
GSD, and LD. Use throttle and air brakes to adjust your speed. If you're
going too slow, turn off you air brakes and increase throttle, or drop your
nose a little. (Don't get in the habit of dropping below 8 degrees AOA.)
Use Trim Control (Alternate key in conjunction with "stick" control) to
make small adjustments in your climb angle and bank. Right before touching
down (altitude under 1000 ft), make sure that your climb angle (Flight Path
Ladder, remember) is not less than -8 degrees. Note that the trim control
key is a toggle key.
* As soon as you touch down, reduce throttle to less that 60% RPM, and
apply Air Brakes, Flaps ("F" key), and Wheel Brakes until you come to a
complete stop. At this point, you may exit to an option menu by pressing
the "Esc" key. Select "END MISSION" to collect any ribbons and merits that
are due you. Click the mouse button on the Mission Results screen to see
the Sierra Hotel display. Congratulations!
After a little practice, you'll get the hang of flying your F-16 as well as
firing at the practice buildings in the Milk Run. Click on the Sierra Hotel
screen to get back to the duty roster.
[P.35]
You can take different approaches from here to experience more of FALCON
and progress in skill. Continue to perform the Milk Run (or just fly
around) at higher ranks to become adept at controlling an F-16 with more
realistic handling characteristics, or try some of the other missions while
remaining as a First Lieutenant.
> Use the First Lieutenant level as a "training simulator" to learn air
combat maneuvers that can "make or break" your ability to survive dogfights
at higher ranks. You can invoke a "Black Box" flight recorder that will
replay flight sequences for you to analyze, if you have a 1 MB system. See
the chapter "Air Combat Maneuvers."
Enemy Planes and Missiles -
The enemy has two ways to battle against you in FALCON. One is with the MiG
jet fighter; the other is via the Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM).
You can encounter the MiGs in a couple of different ways: Black Bandit is a
specific MiG mission where you encounter the plane simply by flying north
from your airfield. You will also have the chance of seeing enemy planes at
any time after you cross into enemy territory, no matter what the mission
is. Look at the FALCON landscape map on page 100 or on the quick reference
card to see where enemy territory lies. Fly at First Lieutenant level until
you get familiar with how the MiG performs, because you can't be shot down
be the MiG at this rank.
SAMs can be fired at you in two ways: from a specific "SAM site" on the
ground (that you can identify from the air) or via a "shoulder launcher."
Note that you have to fly at Captain rank (or above) to have SAMs be
active. However, your F-16 doesn't handle much differently at this rank,
and although either SAM type can be launched at Captain level, they can't
shoot you down.
[P.36]
On the next few pages, we'll give you an idea of what a typical MiG
encounter would be like, and how to down the enemy plane. Afterwards, we'll
do the same for the SAMs. To be truly effective against either MiGs or
SAMs, you need to become familiar with all the F-16's characteristics and
features in Part II. Study the differences in rank and mission guidelines
in Part III to see how and where events will tend to occur. Part IV goes
over advanced knowledge that will help you be a success in battle over the
long run.
F-16 Wingman -
You will find that there is another F-16 flying in the air. When you select
a waypoint, he will fly towards it and then circle around the area. Use him
to practice formation flying. He will appear on your radar. He is not an
enemy plane. If you shoot him down at Major rank or higher, you will be
busted.
[P.37]
Encountering the Enemy -
These examples are intended to give you an overview of the process involved
in encountering the enemy's arsenal. Details of your F-16's features used
in these examples are covered in Part II. Try the different HUD modes while
you're in the air. If you want a description of a heretofore unfamiliar
feature that begins to appear or operate during the process, simply press
the Pause ("P") key and read about it in Part II. (Specifications for the
enemy's MiG-21 jet fighters are on page 135.) Just like the procedures
involved in the previous orientation and flight, everything will become
second nature to you after awhile.
MiGs -
If there are any MiGs in the area, you'll usually know fairly quick because
a square blip (one pre MiG) will show up on your Threat Indicator (if the
MiG's radar is turned on). Also, if your COMED screen is in Radar mode and
a MiG is in front of you, the data displayed on Radar will give specifics
on one "targeted" MiG's position, its airspeed, and whether you are either
overtaking it, being left behind, or if it's coming straight at you. When
in "boresight scan mode" (like looking down the barrel of a gun), the
position of the MiG is displayed relative to the nose of Falcon. The
distance of the target from Falcon is displayed in the upper left corner of
the screen. The "targeted" MiG shows up on your Radar screen as a symbol
resembling a diamond with vertical bars left and right. Radar always
"targets" the first MiG to appear. If any additional MiGs show up on Radar,
they will appear as square symbols identical to those on the Threat
Indicator.
If there's more than one MiG around, you can alternate between which one is
"targeted" by pressing the Air Target Select ("T") key. The Radar screen
displays specific data on whichever MiG is "targeted."
Alternately, you can switch the radar to "search or tracking mode" by
pressing the F6 key. This gives you an "overhead" view of the targeted MiG,
in which the Falcon is located at the lower center of the screen. In this
mode, the number in the upper left of the screen represents a distance
range: 40, 20, or 10 miles. If the target is getting closer to you,
eventually the radar computer will change the range to 20, and then to 10.
To switch back to "boresight scan mode," press the F5.
When a MiG is behind you, you'll have to rely on the Threat Indicator and
your own eyes (by looking out the different views) to determine its
position. Radar can't detect anything to the sides or rear of your plane.
[P.38]
Pic of "Boresight" Scan Radar
Pic of Tracking View Radar (20 mile range)
[P.39]
Whenever possible, you want to maneuver your plane into position behind the
MiG (commonly termed "moving in on his six", where the nose of the MiG
represents 12 o'clock on a clock face and the rear signifies 6 o'clock).
It's certainly possible to hit the MiG with a head-on shot using well aimed
AIM-9's or gun bullets, but the law of averages favors the rear approach.
When the MiG is in front of your plane but out of visual range, the Target
Designator box will map the MiG's position onto the HUD. Continue to turn
and maneuver the F-16 until you're in a favorable position relative to the
MiG.
Improving Missile Hit Rate -
Use the later model AIM-9L "All Aspect" Missile whenever possible. This
model has three advantages over the older AIM-9J. First, the AIM-9L can
track an enemy plane regardless of the direction the target is facing. The
AIM-9J requires that you fire at the rear of the target to provide an
adequate heat source to track on. Second, the AIM-9L is less susceptible to
being fooled by enemy flares. Third, the AIM-9L is more lethal.
Don't fire missiles if you're too close to the target. (In fact, an
"X"-called the Break X- appears over the aiming reticle when you're too
close for missiles.) An ideal minimum distance is two-thirds of a mile.
Switch to the M-61 Gun when in tight, because anything closer than
two-thirds of a mile may result in a miss from the Sidewinders. One cause
would be the angular velocity of the plane relative to yours is too great
and the missile is unable to turn fast enough. The other cause is that by
the time the missile starts tracking, its target is out of position. The
best way to track the enemy is to use the Aspect Angle Indicator on the
HUD.
Aspect Angle -
Use the Aspect Angle Indicator to help you move in on the enemy's six.
Aspect Angle represents the MiG's current heading relative to your current
position. To calculate aspect angle, draw an imaginary line from FALCON's
current position to the target's current position. (This is called the
"position line.") Then draw another line through the target's longitudinal
axis (that is, a line that matches the target's heading). The aspect angle
is the intersection of these two lines. Note that in the following
illustration the aspect angle is 0 in all three examples. (The position
line and the heading line coincide. If the MiGs were heading directly
toward the FALCON, rather than heading away, the aspect angle would be
180.)
[P.40]
*Pic
In this illustration, only the center example has an aspect angle of 0,
because the MiG's heading relative to FALCON is different in each case.
Perhaps an easier way to think about aspect angle is visually. The little
caret symbol represents the nose of the target. When you look out the
FALCON's cockpit, the nose of the actual MiG would be pointed in exactly
the same direction as the aspect angle caret in the HUD.
[P.41]
The idea is to keep the aspect angle as close to the target's six (that is,
0 degree), while you get close enough for your Sidewinder to lock onto the
MiG's heat source. When you have a lock and are within a range of about 2
miles, launch the missile and watch it go after the MiG.
In the following example, everything is looking good except for one thing:
the Aspect Angle is 180 degrees. The MiG is coming directly toward the
FALCON. So even though the missile is locked onto a heat source, and you
are in range, chances of a successful hit are slim because the MiG can
easily maneuver out of position.
*Pic
Here, the Aspect Angle is around 10 degrees (7 o'clock), and the missile
has a much greater chance of tracking the target. In fact, it was so
successful that the MiG has exploded into a fireball.
*Pic
[P.42]
If you get too close to the target before you launch, the Sidewinder might
not have enough time to get a good lock. For this reason, the targeting
computer will display an "X" (called the "Break-X") across the center of
the HUD.
*Pic
Avoiding MiGs -
If you don't want to have enemy planes appear at all during the simulation,
you can always specify "zero MiGs" during the opening setup. However,
you'll probably want to have MiGs involved most of the time. Beyond enemy
lines or at any time after an initial enemy plane has appeared, more will
continue to appear (even after you shoot down the first one) if the
conditions are especially "ripe" for them to show up. The likelihood for
MiGs to appear increases dramatically if (1) you are flying beyond enemy
lines; (2) your Radar display is turned "on" (default mode is "on"; turn
"off" with the "R" key) and they can detect your radar emissions; (3) you
have an ALQ-131 ECM Pod installed and "emitting"; and/or (4) you are flying
at high altitudes. (In reality, you have to fly below 500 feet to defeat
enemy radar!) Obviously, if you want to keep fighting MiGs (even after your
basic mission requirements have been accomplished), you can do so. However,
once you're ready to return home and land your plane, you don't want to
have to keep fending off the enemy! Therefore, once you've completed your
missions requirements (or at any other time), turn off Radar and ECM, fly
low (Watch out for the mountains!), and make a hasty retreat for home. You
may still have to deal with the occasional persistent MiG, but the chances
of that happening will be much lower than before.
[P.43]
Generally get in the habit of flying low and fast with your radar off to
avoid MiGs as well as SA-2 and SA-6 missiles from SAM sites.
It follows from the above paragraphs that if you want to avoid MiGs during
the Milk Run mission, don't fly into enemy territory.
SAMs and MiGs will never appear at the same time. The enemy doesn't want to
shoot down their own planes!
Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) -
If you take a look at the FALCON landscape map, you'll notice quite a few
locations in enemy territory that are set up firing Surface-to-Air Missiles
(SAMs) at your F-16. SAMs are used primarily for defending ground
strongholds from air incursions. They can be fired at you in two ways: from
a specific "SAM site" on the ground (that you can identify from the air) or
via a shoulder launcher.
Ask any pilots who flew in Vietnam or the Middle East about SAMs and
they'll tell you that nothing is as scary as the sight of a SAM launching
off its pad, leveling off, and heading at Mach 3 directly toward your
plane. A SAM launch has been described as watching a telephone pole explode
from the ground with fire coming out its rear.
SA-2 Guideline Missile -
Guidance: Radar Max Speed: Mach 3+
Range: 31 Miles Service Ceiling: 70,000+ ft
The SA-2 was put into production in 1956 and designed to intercept high
flying, bomb-laden aircraft. This missile system is the most widely used in
the world. SA-2's have limited effectiveness against swift and maneuverable
aircraft. The ALQ-131 ECM jamming Pod will jam the guidance system of the
SA-2's, making them virtually useless. Using Chaff is another good way to
spoof an SA-2. These missiles are always launched from SAM sites.
SA-6 Gainful Missile -
Guidance: Radar Max Speed: Mach 2.8
Range: 20-37 Miles (depending Service Ceiling: 50,000+ ft
on altitude)
[P.44]
The SA-6 made its introduction in 1967. Before the ALQ-131 was placed into
operation, this missile could destroy its targets regardless of ECM or
maneuvering. The jamming pod usually will do a good job against the SA-6.
Chaff is minimally effective, but that's better than nothing. This missile
(like the SA-2) is launched from SAM sites only, and is all too effective
against aircraft flying at medium altitudes.
SA-7 Grail Missile -
Guidance: Heat-Seeking Max Speed: Mach 1.5
Range: 6-7 Miles Service Ceiling: 4,921 ft
The SA-7 is a shoulder launch heat-seeking missile. These missiles were
designed to be used against low-flying targets. The published service
ceiling of the Grail is 4,921 ft, but a Hunter in 1974 was hit at 11,500ft.
The missile is not considered very lethal. Over half the A-4 Skyhawks in
the Yom Kippur War that were hit by SA-7's returned to base. On the other
hand, half of them didn't.
Since any foot soldier can fire an SA-7, these missiles needn't be launched
from a SAM site, so you can't see the ground locations where they come
from. The best defense against an SA-7 is to fly above 10,000ft. A
combination of flares and high speed is also very effective.
Avoiding SAMs -
Intelligence has done a good job of identifying (on the landscape map) the
locations of all known SAM sites, where SA-2's and SA-6's are fired from.
Foot soldiers are always on the move, so you won't know an SA-7 is in the
area until it's launched and you see the launch light (LNH) appear on your
Threat Warning System.
SA-2 and SA-6 -
Carrying the ALQ-131 ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) Jamming Pod can
greatly improve your chances against these SAMs. When activated and
"emitting", the ALQ-131 completely jams SA-2 missiles to the point where
they don't even launch. The enemy may still launch an SA-6 in an attempt to
burn through the jamming.
> The only downside of using the ALQ-131 is that it broadcasts to the enemy
that you're around. Expect to see some MiGs appear in the near future.
[P.45]
Since SA-2 and SA-6 missiles are radar-guided, your Threat Warning System
will pick up the specific site that launches one and display it as a small
blip on the Threat Indicator at its location to your plane. (The site
itself projects the radar beam that the missile follows.) This blip is
smaller than the one that represents an enemy plane.
If you don't have an ALQ-131 pod, chaff combined with hard maneuvering can
defeat the SAM.
*Pic of Sam Launch
Avoiding a Sam -
The first thing you must do during a SAM launch is visually spot the
launch. Remember, look for an airborne object that resembles a telephone
pole with flames coming out the rear, as it leaves the SAM site. Turn your
plane toward the missile. Wait for the missile to begin leveling off. At
this point, roll your plane upside down and pull several g's into a dive.
Head directly toward the ground. At the same time, start releasing chaff.
Continue to dive for several seconds or until the SAM starts to dive. (You
may have to look out the side or rear views to relocate the missile.) At
this point, release some more chaff and pull back hard on the stick. Kick
in the Afterburner and start a steep climb. Because of the small fins that
maneuver a SAM and its great speed, it can't turn with an F-16, and will
eventually run out of gas.
> Another way to avoid SA-2's and SA-6's is to fly low and close to the
ground. However, doing so makes you vulnerable to SA-7 launches.
[P.46]
SA-7 -
Since these missiles are shoulder-launched, there's no SAM site to
identify. The SA-7 looks like a smaller version of the SA-2 or SA-6 when
it's in the air. They're not as lethal as the other SAMs, but they can
shoot you down. Flying fast and launching flares are a secondary defense
against the SA-7. The best defense is to fly high (above 10,000 feet),
beyond the SA-7's service ceiling.
You can use the same air-to-ground weapons against SAM sites that are used
to attack other ground targets.
[P.47]
Part II: The FALCON Experience:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Guide to the F-16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[P.48]
KEYBOARD COMMAND LAYOUT:
F1 - ZOOM IN
F2 - ZOOM OUT
F3 - SENSITIVITY DECREASE
F4 - SENSITIVITY INCREASE
F5 - RADAR MODE (BORESIGHT)
F6 - RADAR MODE (TRACKING)
F7 - ILS
F9 - CENTER YAW/PITCH
(F8 & F10 NOT USED)
KEY(S)
-----------------------------------
<1> COCKPIT VIEWS 3(FRONT),4(LEFT),5(REAR),6(RIGHT)
<2> OUT-OF-COCKPIT VIEWS 7,8,9,0 (TOWER TRACKING)
<3> STICK CONTROLS I OR "8",J OR "4",L OR "6",M OR "2"
<4> THROTTLE - OR "-"(DECREASE),+ OR "+"(INCREASE)
<5> AIR-AIR WEAPONS SELECT RETURN OR "("
<6> AIR-GROUND WEAPONS SELECT BACKSPACE OR ")"
<7> TRIGGER SPACEBAR
<8> MILITARY POWER AFTERBURNER / OR "/"
<9> AFTERBURNER STAGING <(DECREASE),>(INCREASE)
<10> FLARES "0"
<11> CHAFF "."
<12> PAUSE P
<13> LCOS O
<14> AIR BRAKES B
<15> WHEEL BRAKES W
<16> LANDING GEAR G
<17> VIEW WEAPONS STORES V
<18> FLAPS F
<19> COMED(RADAR/MAP DISPLAY TOGGLE) C
<20> RADAR ON/OFF R
<21> AIR TARGET SELECT T
<22> ECM E
<23> MENU SELECT ESC
<24> AUTOPILOT A
<25> SOUND S
<26> CLEAR A-G TARGET LOCK(RESET HUD) X
<27> CTRL-B(BLACK BOX) CTRL-B
<28> CTRL-C(JETTISON CENTERLINE STORES) CTRL-C
<29> CTRL-E(EJECT) CTRL-E
<30> CTRL-K(JETTISON ALL STORES) CTRL-K
<31> CTRL-D(CONTINUOUS AUTO) CTRL-D
<32> YAW/PITCH CONTROL SHIFT
<33> TRIM CONTROL ALT
<34> CENTER YAW/PITCH F-9
<35> CENTER/LEVEL PLANE "*"
<36> VIEW ROTATION 2
<37> SATELLITE VIEW U
<38> LOOK UP/LOOK DOWN [(UP),](DOWN)
<39> WAYPOINT SELECT ;(DECREASE),'(INCREASE)
NOTE: " " Keys are on the numeric keypad.
[P.49]
Keyboard Command Descriptions -
(1) COCKPIT VIEWS - Press any of these keys (top row number keys only) to
change the view looking out of your cockpit:
3 - Front
4 - Left
5 - Rear
6 - Right
(2) OUT-OF-COCKPIT VIEWS - Use any of these keys (top row number keys only)
to change to one of the views from outside the
cockpit of FALCON:
U - Satellite view
8 - Tower. This is the view from your airfield's control tower.
9 - Tracking. The view from a tracking plane. (Use the View Rotation (2)
key and the Zoom (F1,F2) keys to alter your orientation.)
(3) STICK CONTROLS - I = Nose Down "push forward on the stick"
J = Bank (or Turn Left) "pull left on the stick"
L = Bank (or Turn Right) "pull right on the stick"
M = Nose Up "pull back on the stick"
(4) THROTTLE - Press either "+"(plus) key to increase engine throttle,
reflected by an increase in RPM and (normally) airspeed.
Press either "-"(minus) key to decrease throttle and RPM.
(5) AIR-TO-AIR WEAPONS SELECT - Pressing the Return or "(" key once
activates the Air-to-Air HUD mode (if not
already present). Subsequent taps of the
Return key toggle through the different
missile and gun formats of the Air-to-Air
HUD.
[P.50]
(6) AIR-TO-GROUND WEAPONS SELECT - Press the Backspace or ")" key once to
activate Air-to-Ground HUD mode (if not
already present). Subsequent taps of the
Backspace key toggle through the
missile, bomb, and gun formats of the
Air-to-Ground HUD.
(7) TRIGGER - The Space Bar/fire button is used to fire all weapons and
release bombs.
(8) MILITARY POWER - The "/"(Slash) key selects 100% standard "MILITARY
POWER." It turns off the AFTERBURNER.
(9) AFTERBURNER STAGING - There are five stages of AFTERBURNER (when you
need to "put the pedal to the metal"!). >
increases the afterburner stage; < decreases it.
(10) FLARES - Press the numeric keypad key 0 to release FLARES when
heat-seeking missiles are being fired at you by enemy SAM
sites or MiGs.
(11) CHAFF - Press the numeric keypad key . to dispense CHAFF and avert
radar-guided missiles fired at you by enemy SAM sites or MiGs.
(12) PAUSE - Press the "P" key to temporarily PAUSE the simulation. Press
"P" again to continue.
(13) LCOS - The "O" key toggles the Lead Computing Optical Sight (LCOS), a
HUD feature used to determine flight direction of enemy MiGs
when you're aiming guns at them. The default is for LCOS to be
"on."
(14) AIR BRAKES - Pressing the "B" key activates the AIR BRAKES, used to
slow your plane while it's in the air (and in conjunction
with the WHEEL BRAKES upon landing). Pressing the "B" key
a second time releases the AIR BRAKES.
(15) WHEEL BRAKES - Apply the WHEEL BRAKES with the "W" key. Used solely on
the ground, these brakes slow the plane upon landing(in
conjunction with the AIR BRAKES), and prevent the F-16
from rolling after the engine is started. You can
release the WHEEL BRAKES by pressing the "W" key a
second time.
(16) LANDING GEAR - The "G" key is a toggle for raising and lowering the
LANDING GEAR.
(17) VIEW WEAPONS STORES - Press and hold the "V" key to view a list of all
the weapons that are presently on your plane.
(18) FLAPS - Toggle the "F" key to activate (deactivate) your wing flaps
for speed control.
[P.51]
(19) COMED (Combined Map/Electronic Display) - The "C" key flips this
display screen back and forth from a MAP detailing the mission
landscape to its default RADAR mode.
(20) RADAR MODES - Press the "R" key again to turn off your radar display
if you're trying to avoid being detected by enemy planes
during play at upper ranks. Pressing the "R" key again
switches on. Use F5 for boresight mode, and F6 for
tracking mode.
(21) ZOOM - Keys F1 and F2 enable you to zoom on the outside track or
satellite view.
(22) AIR TARGET SELECT - Pressing the "T" key in succession allows you to
switch between different enemy planes to aim at,
if more than one is in the air at a time.
(23) ECM - Pressing the "E" key turns on the ALQ-131 ECM (Electronic
Counter Measures) Pod (if you're carrying one) as a defense
against radar-guided SAMs. Press "E" again to shut it off.
(24) MENU SELECT - Hit the Esc key to bring up the Menu Box. From here you
can make various menu choices related to completing or
restarting a mission, or you can leave the program
entirely.
(25) DEMO - During Air-to-Air battle (dogfighting), press the Control D key
combination after your plane is in the air and the program will
take over displaying an intense battle sequence. You still
control weapons firing in DEMO mode. Tap the AUTOPILOT key
("A") once to exit DEMO mode. All characteristics particular to
the current rank apply in DEMO mode, so it's still possible to
get shot down at upper ranks, even in the DEMO. You can switch
to tracking view, adjust speed and watch a movie of air-to-air
combats.
(26) AUTOPILOT - If you keep the "A" key pressed during a dogfight, the
program's AUTOPILOT mode takes over and tracks the MiG for
you automatically. Releasing the A key reverts to normal
mode. If there are no MiGs present, the AUTOPILOT will
track automatically to the target for the current mission.
(27) SOUND ON/OFF - Press "S" to toggle the program sound on, engine off,
sound off.
(28) CLEAR A-G TARGET LOCK - During an Air-to-Ground mission, if you make
an unacceptable attempt at locking-on to a
target, simply press the "X" key to clear the
"lock" and try again. At other times, press
this key to reset the "max number of g's"
discrete on the HUD.
(29) BLACK BOX - If you are in a dogfight sequence and want view an
"instant replay" of the sequence so you can analyze the
results, press the Control-B key sequence to invoke the
BLACK BOX.
[P.52]
(30) JETTISON CENTERLINE STORES - You can separately jettison the ALQ-131
ECM Pod or any centerline-installed
external fuel tank (Control-C), if you
want added maneuverability or
acceleration and need to get rid of
excess weight.
(31) EJECT - When all else fails, press the Control-E key combination to
eject from your plane. Remember that ejection is not
necessarily the safest or smartest option to take in a
particular situation, and should be invoked only as a last
resort.
(32) JETTISON ALL STORES - If you fly into a predicament where you need to
add some maneuverability to your plane, press
the Control-K key combination to jettison
everything except your missiles. We don't want
you to be left totally defenseless!
(33) LOOK UP/LOOK DOWN - "[" gives a look up view, "]" gives a look down
view.
(34) YAW/PITCH CONTROL - Use SHIFT key in combination with the keyboard
"stick control" directional keys to make fine
tuning adjustments in your plane's PITCH and YAW.
This allows the F-16 to point in different
directions while travelling in an otherwise
straight line. (See p89 for more info on YAW/PITCH
CONTROL.)
(35) TRIM CONTROL - Pressing the ALTERNATE key toggles Trim Control on and
off. When on, the keyboard "stick control" directional
keys produce a more gradual change in direction when
banking left or right, diving, or climbing, than would
take place with Trim Control off. The sensitivity
number goes yellow when trim is on.
(36) CENTER YAW/PITCH - Pressing the F9 key provides a quick way to bring
your F-16's yaw or pitch back in center alignment,
rather than making repetitive keypresses with the
Shift key and the stick control keys.
(37) ILS HUD - Press the F7 key to activate the Instrument Landing System
(ILS) HUD, which is a special HUD mode designed just for
landing purpose.
(38) CENTER/LEVEL PLANE - Whenever you feel the plane is flying out of
control, press the HELP or * key on the numeric
keypad to force the F-16 to resume a straight and
level path. This feature is available at any
rank.
(39) SENSITIVITY - You can vary the F-16's sensitivity to banking,
climbing, or diving turns on a scale from 0-9 with the
F3 (decrease) and F4 (increase) keys. For example, you
might want to start learning how to make bombing runs
at "1" (one) sensitivity, but end up progressing to "9"
level eventually in aggressive dogfight battle.
[P.53]
(40) WAYPOINT SELECT - ";" decreases the Waypoint number, "'" increases the
number. Use these commands if you want the autopilot
to fly you toward a different mission's target.
(41) TOWER VIEW - Press key "8" for a view of the F-16 from the control
tower.
(42) SATELLITE VIEW - This view is from a satellite directly above the
F-16. Press key "U" to see it.
(43) VIEW ROTATION - When you have selected the Tracking View (9), use key
2 to rotate the view.
[P.54]
The FALCON Armament -
The F-16 can carry a wide assortment of weapons for different purpose.
Following are the ones available in FALCON and a diagram of how they are
placed onto your plane.
M61-A1 Vulcan Internal Gun -
Also called a cannon, we call the M61 a gun because of the information
displayed on the HUDs where its status will appear. Since the M-61 is an
internal weapon, your F-16 in FALCON automatically starts with 5000 rounds
of ammunition. The gun may be used in either air-to-ground strafing runs or
close air-to-air combat.
AIM-9J Sidewinder Missile -
The AIM-9J Sidewinder is a heat-seeking missile used in air-to-air combat,
with an average useful range of 5 miles. It is possible for the AIM-9J to
hit a plane as far as 11 miles out, but not probable. It needs a strong
heat source to track, and should be aimed at the rear quarter of an enemy
plane for it to be effective.
AIM-9L Sidewinder All Aspect Missile -
The AIM-9L Sidewinder is similar to the AIM-9J in that it's a heat-seeker
for air-to-air combat. However, it's called "all aspect" because it
contains filters that screen out extraneous heat sources. Because of this,
it's not as easily fooled by enemy flares, and a hit can be made without
having to aim directly at the MiG's rear exhaust. The effective range is
equal to the AIM-9J.
AGM-65B Maverick Missile -
The AGM-65B (pronounced "AIM"65B) is an optically-guided missile used for
air-to-ground missions only. In theory, an AGM-65B can be fired when a
target is within 14 miles, but its effective range is 7-8 miles. Although
it can be fired from any altitude, we recommend you fly below 20,000ft.
Since it's optically guided, you need to gain a good sight on the target.
Besides, long range SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) will be very happy to
see you above 20,000ft, and you don't want that. You must be diving in
order for Maverick to fire.
[P.55]
MK84 2000lb Low Drag Bomb -
The MK84 (pronounced "Mark"84) is a high quality, general purpose bomb. It
is used for any air-to-ground bombing run where you want to make maximum
impact. Bombs can be dropped from any altitude, but your accuracy increases
dramatically as you fly closer to the ground, since you're relying on
visual contact.
Durandal Anti-Runway Bomb -
The Durandal is a bomb that's especially destructive to airstrips. Whereas
conventional bombs (like MK84) create large craters where they hit, the
Durandal drives itself into the airstrip, blowing a hole from under the
pavement. This makes repairs much more difficult.
{ WARNING }
> Although you want to fly as close as possible to the ground on bombing
runs, don't move in below 2,000 feet or your bombs may eliminate you as
well.
ALQ-131 ECM Pod -
The ALQ-131 Pod should be carried (if available) on air-to-ground missions.
It is an ECM (Electronic Counter Measure) device that emits signals to jam
enemy radar, preventing SAM sites from getting missile lock on your F-16.
[P.56]
Fuel Tanks -
Your F-16 has an automatic internal capacity that averages 6,950 pounds.
You can add external 2,304lb. fuel tanks (up to three) if you wish to have
added fuel capacity. Remember that afterburner usage will eat up your fuel
quickly, but don't get in the habit of adding so much fuel (instead of
armament) that you're flying a fat cow with no protection or
maneuverability.
ARMAMENT CONFIGURATION -
*Pic
[P.57]
>Note the numbers for CAPACITY and LOAD FACTOR. You are shown the total
weight of your armament as selections are made via the Sarge. The LOAD
FACTOR represents the highest amount of g's that you should pull if weapons
are installed on that particular station. At the lower levels of the
simulation, you will have few limitations on your armament. However, at
upper levels you must adhere to the rules for placing weapons onto the
F-16. When you select and load your armament at the beginning of the game,
the Sarge will alert you as to what configurations are possible or not. He
will also place the weapons on your plane so that you maintain a symmetric
(balanced) load.
[P.58]
*Pic (The FALCON Cockpit)
[P.59]
Head-Up Displays -
The most prominent item in the F-16 cockpit is the HUD, or Head-Up Display.
The HUD is a piece of glass separate from the canopy that displays
electronic data on altitude, airspeed, and heading, as well as information
specific to weapons usage, such as aiming sights and distance to target.
Following is a list of items that exist on every HUD mode, as well as
discussion of the specific HUD types and their uses.
Items That Are in Every HUD -
Airspeed Scale -
The Airspeed Scale runs up the left side of any HUD mode and displays the
F-16's true airspeed in tens of knots. In other words, the number 20
represents 200 knots. The wider hash mark with the "T" over it denotes the
current speed at any particular time.
Mach Indicator -
The Mach Indicator shows the current airspeed as a percent of the speed of
sound (which is Mach 1).
Heading Scale -
The Heading Scale runs along the top of most HUDs and displays the
direction (in tens of degrees) that your F-16 is headed toward. The longer
hash mark in the middle of the scale displays the current heading at any
time. (In the Air-to-Air HUD, the Heading Scale is at the bottom.)
G Force Indicator -
Located just above the Airspeed Scale, the G Force Indicator displays the
"g" forces (of gravity) that are acting on you and your plane at any time.
G forces are discussed in detail in the section "General Flight Performance
of the F-16" of your Flight Manual.
[P.60]
Max G Force Indicator -
This indicator, located just below and to the left of the Mach Indicator,
tells you (and the engineers on the ground) the greatest number of g's you
have pulled. Pressing X resets this to zero.
Altitude Scale -
Located on the right side of every HUD mode, the Altitude Scale displays
your plane's altitude in thousands of feet. The wider hash mark in the
middle denotes the current altitude at any time. Note how the current
altitude is detailed in the lower right corner beneath the Altitude Scale.
Flight Path Ladder -
The Flight Path Ladder gives an electronic representation of the F-16's
angle of climb (or dive) at any point in time. The numbers go from 0
(straight and level) to 9 (90 climb straight up); or in the opposite
direction (with negative numbers representing a dive) to -9 (90 dive
straight down). (Also, the lines are solid when climbing; dotted when
diving.) For example, the Flight Path Ladder show opposite illustrates a
plane in a 38 climb. The figure immediately below is another way of
illustrating what the numbers represent.
[P.61]
Distance to Target and Waypoint Indicator -
Displayed on every HUD just under the Altitude Scale is the Distance to
Target and Waypoint Indicator. The first number is your current distance
from the target specified in your mission. Following the "D" is a number
that corresponds to that target. You may change the Waypoint by pressing '
(apostrophe) to increase the number, or ; (semicolon) to decrease the
number. (See the Missions chapter for details.)
Velocity Vector -
The Velocity Vector represent the degree of yaw and/or pitch that your F-16
is incurring. You have an ability to point the plane to a certain degree in
a direction that varies from the general direction that you are travelling.
In the opposite example, the F-16 is travelling straight and level, but the
plane is pointed slightly to the left. You'll use this feature primarily in
bombing runs when you want to aim at a target without having to travel
directly toward it.
To point your plane in the manner of this example, you would hold down the
SHIFT key while "pulling the stick right" on the keypad controls. Your
plane would point itself to the right while continuing to fly straight
ahead. If you wanted to point the plane back to the left (completely lined
up with your flight path again, if you want), you would hold down the SHIFT
key again and "pull left on the stick." When you perform these actions, you
are "yawing right and left."
"Pitching up and down" is the same theory applied to pointing the plane up
and down while you fly straight ahead. The only difference is that you
"push forward or pull back on the stick" while you hold down the SHIFT key.
For example, if you were going to fire at a ground target at a low
altitude, you might need to point ("pitch") the plane downward while you
aim, so you wouldn't have to dive any further.
[P.62]
Directional Indicator -
Represents any directional changes that you make either in bank or pitch.
Primarily designed as an aid for joystick and mouse users to orient
themselves while changing direction, this indicator serves as an additional
feedback for keyboard and mouse users as well.
Air-to-Air HUDs -
To select a particular Air-to-Air HUD mode (AIM-9J Missile, AIM-9L Missile,
M61-A1 Gun), tap the Air-to-Air Weapons Select key (Return) until your
selection appears in the HUD glass.
>Note: HUDs for the AIM-9J and AIM-9L missiles are selected and displayed
separately during the simulation since these missiles are operationally and
physically different. However, the HUDs are functionally identical, so
we'll discuss them together in one section.
Air-to-Air Missile HUD (AIM-9J or AIM-9L) -
[P.63]
Discretes -
The discretes on either A-A Missile HUD describe whether or not your
missiles are ARMed or LOCKed onto a target. If no message appears, it means
that there is something wrong with the system or that you are out of
missiles.
HUD Mode Indicator -
This indicates that missiles have been selected. Look at the Stores Control
Panel to see which type of missile is currently selected.
Target Designator -
The target designator will follow the target that your radar is tracking.
If you are in a multiple-bogey dogfight, use the Target Select key [T] to
track another plane. If the Target Designator has a flashing diamond in the
middle of it, your missile has locked-on to a heat source.
When the target leaves the HUD, the Target Designator appears with an "X"
across it. Look in this direction to find the bogey.
Five-Mile Radar Ranging Scale -
The Five-Mile Radar Scale graphically represents the distance between you
and the target you are tracking. The higher the arrow, the further away
from the target.
In Range Indicator -
This indicator will light up (IN RNG) when the lock-on diamond flashes.
Aiming Reticle -
This is a visual aid to help improve your probability of hitting a target.
If the target is inside the circle of the reticle, you have a good chance
of hitting the target-assuming that you
[P.64]
already have a lock-on (flashing diamond) and the target is in range (check
the In Range Indicator).
Aspect Angle Indicator -
Aspect angle is the angle formed by the intersection of two imaginary
lines: the line through the target's longitudinal axis; and the line from
the Falcon to the target (the "Position line"). If the MiG is coming at you
head on, the aspect angle is 180, and the aspect angle indicator will be at
the top of the aiming reticle (at 12 o'clock). An aspect angle of 0 means
you are on the target's six and the aspect angle indicator will be at the
bottom of the aiming reticle (at six o'clock). Otherwise, if you're facing
the MiG's right side, the aspect angle indicator will be on the right side
of the aiming reticle. It's on the left if you're facing the left side of
the target. (Note: Aspect angle is determined in relation to Falcon's
position, not heading.)
Target Locater Line -
This line points in the general direction of the targeted MiG if it is not
visible in the HUD. It is useful when the Target Designator box hasn't yet
appeared in the HUD. The line disappears when the Target Designator box
appears.
[P.65]
Distance Ranging Scale -
A line appears on the outside edge of the Aiming Reticle when a MiG is
within 12,000 feet. As the MiG moves closer, the line moves in a
counterclockwise direction around the reticle. Each "o'clock" equals 1,000
feet. (Movement of 90 represents 3/4 mile.)
Break X -
When you're too close to fire missiles, the Aiming Reticle is overlaid with
a large "X."
Air-to-Air Gun HUD (M61-A1) -
Discretes -
The Discretes on the M61 HUD indicate if the gun is ARMed and ready. If
this light doesn't come on, then your gun is either out of ammon or is
jammed.
HUD Mode Indicator -
DGFT indicates you're in Air-to-Air gun mode.
Target Designator -
Indicates the plane your radar is tracking.
[P.66]
Aiming Reticle -
Your F-16 firing control system automatically computes where fired bullets
would be by the time they reach target range. The firing control system
then plots the Aiming Reticle at the precise place the bullets would land
if you fired at that time.
In Range Indicator -
Appears (IN RNG) when the target is within 2 miles of you.
LCOS (Lead Computing Optical Sight) -
The LCOS line will always appear in conjunction with a target plane
(assuming LCOS is "on"). To toggle on the LCOS mode, use the [O] key. LCOS
is extremely helpful in helping you see the direction your enemy target is
heading. The solid black line extending from the Target Designator is the
F-16 computer's best guess on where the enemy target is heading. The dotted
line trailing represents where the target has been.
> LCOS comes in handy when you are trying to down a plane. You should
always aim at the position just in front of the LCOS line allowing yourself
to "pull lead" on your target. This is important because by the time you
fire your bullets and they arrive at the location you were aiming at, the
enemy plane would have already moved out of position.
Snapshoot -
The Snapshoot (nicknamed the "Snake") is an undulating tracer line that
extends from the Aiming Reticle. It indicates what the historical bullet
path would be if your gun were being fired continuously. Because you're not
always travelling in a straight line, it's difficult to know where your gun
bullets would actually end up when you're firing the gun and making a hard
turn at the same time. The harder your rate of turn when the gun is fired,
the longer the Snake will extend from the Aiming Reticle. The Snake is very
lively, and its position and length change continuously as your F-16
changes direction. You
[P.67]
should continue to use the theory of "pulling lead," but amend it to have
the trailing end of the Snake making contact with the leading end of the
LCOS. An optimal firing condition exists when the trailing end of the Snake
is on top of the MiG and positioned within the Aiming Reticle.
How to Fire Your Gun -
> Once you have lined up the Aiming Reticle with the LCOS, squeeze your
trigger in short bursts until the enemy plane explodes.
[P.68]
Air-to-Ground HUDs -
To select from Air-to-Ground HUD Modes, tap the A-G Weapons Select key
[Backspace] until your selection appears on the HUD Mode Indicator section
of your HUD.
Air-to-Ground Bombing HUD (Mk 84 or Durandal) -
The Mk 84 2000lb Low Drag Bombs and Durandal Anti-Runaway Weapons use the
same HUD sighting system, called CCIP Bombing.
CCIP Bombing -
CCIP is the acronym for "Continuously Computed Impact Point." The
targeting computer continuously calculates where a bomb will land, using
altitude, speed, flight path, aerodynamics of the weapons, and other
factor. It is very accurate method of bombing.
The impact point is displayed of the HUD by means of a symbol called the
CCIP Pipper. When the Pipper and the target coincide, the pilot presses the
trigger (Spacebar), and the bombs are released. (This is the situation
usually encountered in "dive bombing.")
Let's take a look at Pop-Up Bombing, which your Bombing HUD mode has been
specially designed for. This is the situation when unlike in Dive Bombing,
the actual impact point is below the HUD.
[P.69]
There are three major phases to Pop-Up Bombing. In each phrase, the Bombing
HUD changes. Phase 1 is called "pickling". This is where you lock onto the
target with your visual sighting system. Phase 2 is the approach. This is
where you level off and approach the target. Phase 3 is the climb and
release phase of the bombing. Pop-up bombing is effective at altitudes
between 2,000 and 10,000 feet.
Phase 1: Pickling -
[P.70]
Discretes -
The Discretes on the Bomb HUD indicate the status of your bombing. ARM
means that your bombs are armed. LOCK means that the target has been
acquired and that your trigger is "pickled" (bombs ready to be released).
REL signifies that bombs have been released.
HUD Mode Indicator -
This tells you that the bombs you are selecting are wither the Mk 84 2000bl
Low Drag Bombs (Mk 84) or the Durandal Anti-Runway Bombs (DUR).
Bombs Remaining -
Target Designator -
Indicates the target your radar is tracking. You use the Air-to-Ground
Reticle to aim at the target, and when you press the Trigger a first time
to "pickle" the target, a Target Designator appears in the aimed area. It
will follow the target up until bomb impact or until you have completely
passed over the target.
Air-to-Ground Reticle -
The A-G Reticle is the device you use to align with a target for a lock-on.
This form of Reticle is "fixed" on the HUD centerpoint for ease in aiming.
[P.71]
HOW TO LOCK-ON TO YOUR TARGET -
> Maneuver your plane so that the A-G Reticle is perfectly aligned with the
target you intend to bomb. This usually requires that your plane go into a
shallow dive. Press the Trigger once to "pickle", or "target designate"
whatever the Reticle is pointing toward. The target Designator will appear
within the Reticle. The LOCK discrete will appear on your HUD.
> Make sure that the Target Designator is totally aligned with the object
you intend to bomb. If it isn't, "clear the pickle" by pressing the Clear
A-G Lock key (X). The LOCK discrete will disappear when your clear the A-G
Target. Try to realign your Reticle and start the lock-on process again.
> If the target has been properly locked-on, level your plane out and fly
straight toward the target. Since your Trigger is already "pickled", a pair
of bombs will be released the next time you press it.
Phase 2: Approaching -
Distance to Target -
The distance to the target (in feet) will appear as you close in on your
objective. Altitude is considered in the distance computation.
Bombsight (CCIP Pipper) -
The Bombsight may appear as you get closer to the target. This represents
the location of where the bombs would hit if they were released at that
instant. Don't worry if you can't see the bombsight, it's probably below
your plane of view.
[P.72]
Release Que & Displayed Impact Line -
The Release Que and Displayed Impact Line will appear right before your
plane gets in range of the target. The Displayed Impact Line plots a direct
line between the Release Que and the bombsight. If the Bombsight is below
your plane of view, then the Impact Line will go to the edge of the HUD.
To stay on course, you must maneuver your plane so that the Displayed
Impact Line intersects the Center Point and the Reticle.
Phase 3: Release -
Release Que & Displayed Impact Line: Releasing the Bombs -
As you approach the target, the Release Que will slowly move down the HUD
toward the Reticle. Once the target disappears below your HUD, pull back on
the stick and start a shallow climb of about 10 degrees. When the Release
Que passes through the Reticle, press the Trigger to release a pair of
bombs. The further the Release Que is from the Reticle when you release
your bombs, the greater the distance between the impact point and the
target. The REL discrete will appear once the bombs are released. After
bomb release, increase to full power and initiate a 40 degree climb until
you have cleared the impact area. Depending on your altitude, angle of
climb, and speed the time it takes from release to impact will vary.
[P.73]
Air-to-Ground Missile HUD (AGM-65B MAVERICK) -
The AGM-65B Missile is designed to be visually locked-on to a ground target
by the pilot. In the front end of each Maverick missile is a TV camera with
a zoom lens. The television image is fed to the pilot through the COMED.
This allows you to acquire your target electronically from distances beyond
visual range.
[P.74]
Discretes -
The discretes on the AGM-65 HUD describe whether or not your missiles are
ARMed, LOCKed-on, in range of a target (IN RNG), or RELeased. If no message
appears, it means that there is something wrong with the system or that you
are out of missiles.
HUD Mode Indicator -
Displays AGM-65 to indicate you're in Air-to-Ground Missile HUD mode.
Air-to-Ground Reticle -
Use the "fixed" A-G Reticle to align with a target for a lock-on.
Target Designator -
Appears when you press the Trigger the first time to lock-on to a target.
It will stay locked-on to the target until you pass the target.
Distance to Target -
Once you have locked-on to a target, the distance to the target (in feet)
will appear in the bottom right HUD area as you close in on your objective.
Altitude is considered in the distance computation.
HOW TO FIRE A MAVERICK -
> Select the Air-to-Ground Missile HUD mode by pressing the A-G Weapons
Select key until AGM 65 appears on the HUD Mode Indicator line of the HUD.
Next, you need to make sure that you're in Radar mode on the COMED so that
you can view a target through the Maverick's zoom lens. If you're still in
Map mode, switch to Radar mode by toggling the COMED with the "C" key.
[P.75]
> As with bombing, firing a Maverick requires that you "pickle" your
Trigger. Align a target with your Reticle by flying directly toward it in a
shallow dive. Once you have aligned the target with the waterline in the
COMED or with the Reticle in the HUD, press the Trigger once to pickle the
target. Once you have pickled the target, LOCK or IN RNG will appear on the
HUD discrete line. If you misaligned the target, clear the lock-on by
pressing the Clear A-G Target Lock key (X).
> Once locked-on, you needn't continue to dive directly toward the target.
The target will continue to be locked-on as long as your plane is heading
in the general direction of you target. As soon as the IN RNG light
appears, you can fire a Maverick by squeezing the trigger. The target will
stay locked-on until you pass it or hit the Clear A-G Target Lock key.
Air-to-Ground Strafe Gun HUD (M61 A1) -
[P.76]
Discretes -
The Discretes on the M61 HUD indicate if the gun is ARMed or if you are
tracking your target (LCK). If no discretes appear, then your gun is either
out of ammo or is jammed.
HUD Mode Indicator -
Displays STRF to indicate that you are in A-G Strafe Gun mode.
Rounds -
Indicates the number (x10) of gun bullets remaining.
Target Designator -
Indicates the target your radar is tracking.
Distance to Target -
Once you have locked-on to a target, the distance to the target (in feet)
will appear as you close in on your objective. Altitude is considered in
the distance computation.
Air-to-Ground Reticle -
The F-16 firing control system automatically computes where your bullets
would be by the time they reach target range. The firing control system
then plots the "mobile" A-G Reticle at the precise place the bullets would
land if you fired instantly.
Displayed Impact Line -
Appears after you've locked-on to a target, and connects the Target
Designator with the Reticle.
[P.77]
HOW TO FIRE YOUR GUN -
First adjust your pitch with the Yaw/Pitch Control (Alternate) key by
holding it down while pushing your stick forward, so that the plane is
fully pitched down. Check your Velocity Vector on the HUD, or Yaw/Pitch
Control Indicator on the left side panel (Left View) if the HUD is damaged.
If the HUD is functioning, the Velocity Vector should rise above the Center
Point.
*The imaginary line ("vector") drawn through the Velocity Vectors symbol
represents your plane's true line of flight, while you are merely pointing
the nose of the F-16 downward and aiming your weapons through the center
point of the HUD in that general "downward" direction.
After you have switched into Strafe mode, you'll need to align the target
with the HUD Center Point and press your Trigger once for a lock-on
("pickle" the gun). LCK will appear on the HUD Discretes.
Maneuver the plane so that your Reticle is aligned with the target. Press
the Trigger to fire.
Once you have passed the target, you'll need to lock-on to the next target.
If you want to ignore the lock-on ranging system, pump your Trigger in
short bursts instead of holding it down in one long burst.
[P.78]
Front Panel -
AOA (Angle of Attack) Controls -
The AOA controls display the F-16's "angle of attack" and are used
primarily to assist in landing the plane. As the illustration shows, the
plane needs to approach the runway at the right angle when landing, and the
three components of the AOA display will give feedback on the plane's
attitude.
*Drawing of "ANGLE OF ATTACK (AOA) AND RESULTING FEEDBACK"
[P.79]
AOA Indexer -
The AOA Indexer is located to the left of the HUD and has three symbols
that light up separately depending on your landing approach angle. If the
middle light is on, you are at the perfect AOA (8 to 13 degrees) for
landing. If the top light is on, your angle is too steep. When the bottom
light is on, your AOA is too low.
AOA Indicator -
A numeric AOA Indicator is located in the main cockpit view to the right of
the COMED screen, and displays the AOA in degrees.
> You control the F-16's AOA by varying (1)the plane's speed with the
throttle controls, (2)the rate of the dive with the "stick" control, and
(3)the amount of pitch with the yaw/pitch control. During normal flying,
you can bleed off (reduce) speed with a high AOA. The more g's the plane
[P.80]
Nose Wheel Steering System/Landing Gear Status Indicator (NWSS/LGSI) -
RY (Ready) Light -
The RDY light on the NWSS/LGSI (whew!) signifies that the NWS system and
the landing gear are not damaged and you're ready to roll. The light will
stay on while the landing gear is down, assuming there is no damage to your
NWS System.
NS-Nose Wheel Steering System Operation Light (AR/NWS) -
Lights up to indicate that the Nose Wheel Steering System (front wheel) is
activated and operational. At this point the plane's steering mechanisms
switch from the ailerons to the nose wheel, so you can taxi the F-16 on the
runway. When you start down the runway before take-off, the NWS System is
automatically activated.
> The AR/NWS light will go out when the plane reaches 70 knots ground
speed, signifying that the Nose Wheel System is prevented from turning on
the runway. The NWS System does not truly "disconnect" until the plane has
left the ground, when the DISC indicator will light up.
DC Indicator -
The DC light turns on after the F-16 takes off. It's purpose is to verify
that the plane has left the ground and the steering functions have been
"disconnected" from the Nose Wheel Steering System and switched to the
ailerons, so the F-16 can bank and roll. The light stays on until the
landing gear is up.
> The landing gear should be raised immediately upon take-off ("G" key).
Don't exceed a speed of 300 knots with the landing gear down or you risk
damage to the mechanism. At the upper levels of FALCON, your plane will go
into a tailspin @ 300 knots if you haven't raised the wheels. Even though
the DISC Light pertains specifically to the Nose Wheel Steering System, it
serves as a reminder to raise the landing gear (or lower it during landing,
as it were, when the light is off).
[P.81]
Master Caution Light -
The Master Caution Light will light up when damage of any kind has occurred
to the F-16, whether induced by combat or random occurrence. This is a
signal to look at the right side of the cockpit for the specific warning
light.
> When the Caution light appears, press the "6" key on the top row of the
keyboard to toggle to the Right View. The panel below the canopy line
contains specific caution lights for the damage or malfunction that has
occurred.
Threat Indicator and Warning Panel -
The threat warning system alerts you if:
1) an enemy plane has been picked up on your Threat Indicator
2) an enemy plane has "radar missile lock" on you
3) a missile has been launched towards you
4) a SAM site has launched a missile
Enemy planes show up as dots on the Threat Indicator. The Threat Indicator
indicates relative position only, and not distance from the enemy plane to
you. (If the enemy MiG is in the 180 area in front of your plane, it will
also show up on the Radar Display, and show its distance from you when
within 28 miles.)
If the enemy has "missile lock" on you with a radar-guided missile, then a
flashing "LCK" will appear on the Threat Warning Panel. If a radar-guided
or heat-seeking missile has been launched toward you, a flashing "LNC" will
appear in the bottom Threat Warning Light location.
> At the Colonel level of FALCON, the enemy MiG's may not have their radar
systems turned on. The Threat Indicator only picks up planes which emit
radar signals, so you will have to make visual contact in this situation.
The first indication that a MiG's is in the area might be when the LOCKON
or LAUNCH lights appear. Comforting thought, huh?
[P.82]
Stores Control Panel -
This cockpit panel displays the conditions inherent in the currently
selected HUD mode. In the sample below, the Air-to-Air HUD is selected,
radar (APG-66) and LCOS are turned on, and AIM-9J missiles are activated
and ready.
> In FALCON, one way to see all the weapons stores currently on your plane
would be to toggle through the HUD modes. A more efficient way to do this
is by pressing the "V" key. You will see all the weapons listed on the
Stores Control Panel without having to exit the current HUD mode. In this
manner, you can monitor all the weapons you have remaining at any time,
something which must be done quickly in the heat of battle.
Engine Fire Light -
You may encounter an engine fire during battle if the enemy bullets are
well placed. When this light comes on, your only choice is to eject from
the plane. Refer to the Ejection Handle paragraph following for more
information.
Autopilot Light -
When the autopilot is engaged, this light will be lit. FALCON will track
toward the target for the current mission, or will track a MiG if one is
present.
Jet Fuel Start Light -
This light will turn red when the engine is started. On the ground, it is
green before the engine is started. Occasionally however, if you incur a
severe stall while in the air, you may have to restart the engine. You'll
know if the Start light is green.
[P.83]
> When starting up your engine at the beginning of the game, press either
"+" key once to initiate JFS Start. The engine RPM will increase until it
reaches 60 percent, when the Jet Fuel System Start light will go out, and
the main engine throttle control will take over. If you suffer a rare
engine shutdown due to a severe stall in the air, you'll know by looking at
the RPM gauge, where the needle will have dropped to zero. If the sound is
toggled on, you'll hear the engine die. The best way to restart the engines
in the air is to press either "+" (plus) key while in a controlled dive,
and level out once the engine is throttled up again.
Run Light -
When the engine is running, this light is red. Otherwise, it is yellow.
Flare Indicator -
Your F-16 is equipped with flares which are designed to fool hear-seeking
missiles. The Flare Indicator tells you how many flares you have remaining
on the plane. You start with 30 flares on board at the beginning of each
flight.
> Shoot off flares by pressing the Keypad 0 key. It's very important that
you don't release your flares too soon, in order to properly force the
incoming missile to seek the flare instead of your exhaust pipe.
Heat-seeking missiles are almost always used at close range. Remember, if
your Threat Warning light shows a "LOCK ON" (enemy missile lock-on) warning
before the "LAUNCH" (enemy missile launch) light appears, the enemy plane
has fired a radar-guided missile at your F-16, and flares won't do any
good. Be generous with flares! It won't make any difference if you have
flares remaining when a missile flies up your six!!! (P.S. Heat-seeking
missiles especially like planes with afterburners flaring.)
Chaff Indicator -
Chaff are packages of tiny foil strips which confuse radar-guided missiles.
The Chaff Indicator shows how much Chaff you have remaining on your plane.
Each plane starts with 30 packages of Chaff aboard at the beginning of the
game.
[P.84]
> You can dispense Chaff by pressing the "Keypad *" key. Chaff has no
effect on heat-seeking missiles, so only use it when the "LOCK ON" light
has appeared on the Threat Warning System before the "LAUNCH"light appears.
Missiles that are fired from distances of greater than 7 miles are almost
always radar-guided. The same generosity principle discussed in Flare usage
applies here as well.
Emit Indicator -
The Emit Indicator registers the use of ECM (Electronic Counter-Measures)
which is employed via the ALQ-131 Pod (and the "E" key) installed on the
bottom of your F-16 to foil ground based SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile)
sites. Emissions can also be used on MiG planes which have radar-guided
missile lock on you. This confuses their radar. The problem with using
ALQ-131 emissions is that it announces to the world that you are coming.
Therefore, you should use it only after being acquired by an enemy plane or
SAM site. By definition, ECM includes the Threat Warning System, Chaff, and
the above-mentioned ALQ-131 Pod, so you will hear it discussed as it
relates to each of the different systems.
> If you are going to fly a mission that involves being around SAM sites,
you should request an ALQ-131 ECM Pod from the crew chief during the
Armament screen sequence.
COMED (Combined Map/Electronics Display) -
The COMED is one of the most important monitors in the F-16 cockpit. This
view will update you constantly on enemy plane position relative to yours,
along with what changes are taking place as the MiG maneuvers and changes
position.
If you are on a mission that involves ground sites, you can toggle this
screen to a Map mode to aid in locating target positions.
[P.85]
> As important as the COMED screen is to your effectiveness in battle,
there are times when you may want to switch it off so as to avoid being
detected. The Radar screen can be toggled off and on with the "R" key.
Also, there is a possibility of your Radar being damaged by enemy fire. It
will still be possible to win the battle, especially at the lower ranks,
but any FALCON player who defeats an enemy MiG without Radar at the Colonel
level is pretty special. Sierra Hotel, if you know what I mean. (Just ask
any real fighter jock.)
Ejection Handle -
The Ejection Handle is the last hope for a fighter pilot in distress, and
an option you should choose only if absolutely necessary due to severe
plane damage.
> Press the "Control-E" key combination to eject from your F-16. Never
eject when the F-16 is upside down (or more than 60 degrees from level)
unless you want to be a human javelin and end up with a permanent headache.
Your chances of hitting the canopy shell upon ejection are high if your
plane is moving relatively slow or is in a flat spin (like a top). And we
all know what happens when that occurs.
{ WARNING }
> If you eject behind enemy lines, you're certain to be captured and
retained as a POW (Prisoner of War).
(Air) Brake Light -
Located to the right of the COMED and shows when Air Brakes are being
applied. Invoke them ("B") key when you need to make a quick reduction in
speed, whether in the air or on the ground. They should be used in
combination with Flaps and Wheel Brakes to completely stop your F-16 after
it has handed.
Flap(s) Light -
Located immediately above the Air Brakes and shows when (wing) flaps are
down. Wing Flaps are used both to create lift and help slow the F-16 upon
landing. They're toggled down and back up with the "F" key.
[P.86]
Afterburner/Military Power Indicator -
This cockpit light indicates whether you are currently using standard
Military Power, which is a term for normal engine usage and acceleration,
or invoking the engine's Afterburner for extra acceleration. There are five
stages of Afterburner use, as indicated by the cockpit lights. Stage 1 is a
little more power than MIL and Stage 5 is full burner.
> Afterburner vs. Military Power: In FALCON, the Afterburner is engaged by
pressing the "/" key. Pressing ">" increases the Afterburner stage, up to
stage 5. To decrease the stage, press "<". To return to Military Power,
press the "/" key. The use of Afterburner allows your plane to go
supersonic as well as improve acceleration and climb rate. It can also be
used to enable a faster take-off from the runway. The trade-off is that the
Afterburner uses a tremendous amount of fuel. Plus, remember that
heat-seeking missiles just love a little extra heat to go around.
Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) -
The ADI (sometimes called the "level ball") is used to help register your
plane's position relative to the horizon as it rolls and pitches in any
direction.
> Visualization Aids for the F-16 Pilot: When you're up in the air flying
around, watch the position of the ADI change as the plane banks and rolls,
or changes altitude. Note how the line separating the sky from the ground
matches to the "water line" on the Radar display, the lines of the Flight
Path Ladder, and to the real horizon line itself. Most pilots use all these
visual cues when flying their jets. When things get hot and heavy up there,
it's nice to have several ways to orient yourself as your eyes are darting
around the cockpit.
[P.87]
Sensitivity Indicator -
Another feature specific to your computer version of the F-16, this
indicator sets the sensitivity of the plane to pitch and roll speed. The
sensitivity varies from 1 to 9. If you select "1" sensitivity, the plane
will be less "sensitive" to changes in direction, and will be easier to
control. At the "9" setting, the turn, dive, and climb characteristics of
FALCON are virtually identical to the actual F-16, with the most realistic
setting being "9" sensitivity while flying at the rank of Colonel. The
default sensitivity level is "5". Press "F3" to decrease the sensitivity
level, or "F4" to increase it.
(Wheel) Brake Light -
The Wheel Brakes are used to control the F-16 when it is on the ground.
When this light is on, the Wheel Brakes are engaged.
> When you first enter the FALCON cockpit, the Wheel Brakes are engaged.
When you press the Jet Fuel System Start key ("+") to start your engine,
make sure the Wheel Brakes are left engaged unless you want the plane to
start rolling. You can release the Wheel Brakes at any point (by pressing
the "W" key) if you want to taxi the plane to a specific runway. Reengage
the Wheel Brakes when you wish to stop. When in position for take-off,
leave the Wheel Brakes engaged until RPM is between 60-80%, then disengage
them. If you wait until after RPM has reached 80% to release the Wheel
Brakes, the NWS (Nose Wheel Steering System) and/or Wheel Brakes may be
damaged, depending on your rank at the time. In similar fashion, the Wheel
Brakes are used to stop the plane completely upon landing (within the same
RPM guidelines). You should use Air Brakes to slow down the F-16 when its
still packing a full head of steam after touching down. Wheel Brakes are
designed to stop the plane only when it's moving slowly.
[P.88]
RPM Gauge -
The RPM (Revolutions pre Minute) Gauge reflects the percentage of power
being applied with your F-16's engine. The numbers on the gauge represent
increments of percentage (%) power that the F-16 engine is producing at any
particular time, from zero all the way up to 100 percent. All other factors
being equal, the percentage of RPM directly relates to the plane's
airspeed. After you play FALCON for a while, you'll know instinctively what
percentage of power to apply to reach a certain airspeed.
> As you increase in rank during the game, you'll be required to monitor
the RPM Gauge more closely. The most common situation with RPM percentage
is during the take-off procedure. Some of the percentages to remember: Your
plane will start to roll @ 40% RPM during start-up. From take-off position,
throttle should be increased to between 60-80% RPM before releasing the
Wheel Brakes to proceed down the runway. If you wait to release the Wheel
Brakes until after 80% RPM is reached, the NWS (Nose Wheel System) and
Wheel Brakes may be damaged. Increase RPM to 100% (and invoke the
Afterburner) for a shorter take-off, or to compensate for a heavy load.
Stall Light -
The Stall Light illuminates when you have exceeded the F-16's engine
performance envelope, causing it to stall. This can occur for various
reasons, but the most common one is that air intake has been reduced
sharply, due to performing maneuvers at either high altitudes in thin air
or at too low an airspeed.
> FALCON does not stall under any conditions at First Lieutenant or Captain
ranks. At Major level and up, however, the F-16 will be increasingly more
susceptible to stall conditions. During a stall, your plane will begin to
shake. The best action to take during a stall is to accelerate in a dive
until the engine refires and stabilizes, then level off. You'll start to
realize after playing the game for awhile why dogfight engagements take
place at middle altitudes. Planes engines gasp for air as well as fuel, and
there's not much of it at high altitudes. Plus, you occasionally need room
to recover beneath your position, and the ground can greet you fairly
quickly when you're flying at Mach 1.
[P.89]
The Left Side View -
Press the "4" key on the top keyboard row to switch to the left side view.
This view looks out the left side of the canopy glass, and gives access to
some very important gauges.
Yaw/Pitch Controls -
Yaw Trim and Pitch Trim relate directly to the Velocity Vector discussed
earlier in the HUD descriptions. Although you can visually line up your yaw
and pitch changes through the HUD, there may be times when the HUD is
inoperable due to damage, and the Yaw/Pitch Controls will serve as a backup
so you can re-orient the plane for landing or targeting reasons. Each dot
on the yaw or pitch dial represents two (2) degrees.
[P.90]
Fuel Gauge -
The Fuel Gauge represents the amount of remaining fuel in hundreds of
pounds. Because you may not be in the habit of looking out the Left View on
regular occasion, a prompt will appear near the center of the HUD glass if
your fuel is getting low. When the word "FUEL" appears on the HUD, you
should check the fuel gauge. If you have not yet reached the mission's
destination, you may have to abort the mission.
You'll notice there are two needles on the Fuel Gauge. One represents the
fuel remaining in any external tanks, while the other shows the remaining
internal fuel. Any added external tanks are used up first.
Your plane starts with 6950 points of fuel (give or take 300 pounds) in the
internal fuel tank, so one needle will be initially placed between "60" and
"70" on the dial. Each external tank adds 2000 pounds, so the other needle
will be placed appropriately, according to the total number of external
tanks added. If no external tanks are added, that needle will be resting at
"0" (zero) before you fire up the engine.
> Your Fuel Gauge will be a good indicator of how expensive Afterburner use
can be. Be conservative on fuel usage: only fly at high speeds and use
Afterburner when absolutely necessary. Missions at Colonel level won't be
accomplished by showboating. Save that stuff for your sports car.
Compass -
The Compass shows your plane's magnetic directional heading. Although
you'll orient yourself normally with the HUD Heading Scale, the Compass
makes an invaluable backup if your HUD has been damaged.
Landing Gear Lights -
The Landing Gear Lights will be illuminated when the gear is down. If you
try to toggle "on" the gear before landing and the lights don't appear,
you'll be forced to land on the F-16's belly.
[P.91]
Backup Airspeed Gauge -
The dial is a backup for the Airspeed Scale on the Head-Up Display, and
will be useful if the HUD electronics get knocked out by enemy fire. Just
like their counterparts in the HUD, the numbers represent the airspeed in
tens of knots.
The Right Side View -
Press the "6" key on the top keyboard row to switch to the right side view.
This view looks out the right side of the canopy glass, and gives access to
the secondary caution lights. Select this view when the Master Caution
Light has flashed and check for specific damage.
[P.92]
Caution Lights -
FLAP -
The Flaps have been damaged and frozen in their current state. If they were
up when the damage occurred, they stay up. Since Flaps help curb excessive
speed, the plane may be much harder to land. If the Flaps were down when
the damage occurred, they stay down. This will hamper your plane's
maneuverability, and prevent it from reaching top speed.
STORES -
If the STORES light appears, weapons cannot be released from external
stores. However, the M61 cannon (machine gun) and any AIM-9J/9L missiles
can still be used, if available.
BRAKES -
The BRAKES light indicates a failure in the Air Brakes system. If the Air
Brakes were open when the damage occurred, they stay open. Similar to Flaps
damage, this situation severely alters your plane's maneuverability, and
forces it to fly at reduced airspeed. If the Air Brakes were closed when
the damage occurred, they stay closed. The F-16 will be harder to land in
some situations without the ability to brake and slow down.
GUN JAM -
The GUN JAM warning indicates that your M61 cannon is jammed and won't
fire. You will have to rely on any remaining external stores for combat
purpose, assuming that they are functioning OK.
NWS -
If the NWS light is illuminated, the Nose Wheel System has been damaged due
either to (1)not following proper take-off procedures, (2)not landing well
on approach, or (3)being hit by enemy fire. If the NWS System is disabled,
the plane will not be able to be steered once it has landed, risking more
severe damage if it doesn't land very straight and moves off the runway.
[P.93]
WEP ARM -
Can't arm the selected weapons. Once again, you'll have to rely on any
remaining M61 rounds, if the gun is functioning.
ECM -
The Threat Indicator is out. You won't be able to detect incoming MiGs
unless they show up on your Radar screen, assuming it's functioning. You
may have to make visual contact. Make it through this and the Sierra Hotel
may be your permanent home.
BURNER -
The Afterburner cannot be invoked. This will eliminate quick acceleration,
which could make the difference in completing a maneuver successfully or
making a quick getaway.
RADAR -
The Radar display is inoperable. You will have to rely on the ADI and
visual contact to orient yourself to the horizon, and you'll be severely
limited in how well you can track a MiG on the screen.
ENGINE -
Signifies a partial or complete loss of power to your F-16. If you're not
able to maintain any altitude or momentum, the power loss is complete, and
you'll have to eject.
HUD -
When this light is on, you'll probably know it already, because the HUD
glass will be blank. At this point, you have to rely on visual sighting and
the backup gauges in the main cockpit and side views to survive. It's
probably a good idea to turn tail and head for home, if you can.
FUEL SYS -
Signals a leak in the Fuel System. Watch the Fuel Gauge closely to monitor
the severity of the leak. If your gauge starts to drop quickly, head for
home immediately, and prepare to eject if necessary.
[P.94] NAV -
Indicates that your Map is not functioning properly. The map grid will be
displayed on the COMED screen, but your relative position is not shown.
OXY LOW -
Indicates a drop in cabin pressure, usually caused by a bullet hole. Don't
fly above 27,000 ft or you're certain to black out, even if flying straight
and level.
[P.95]
Part III: Military Ranks and Missions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[P.96]
The Ranks -
The difficulty levels in FALCON are determined according to military rank.
The classifications include First Lieutenant (lowest) and continue through
Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel (highest). The ranks
determine not only your plane's characteristics but the nature of the enemy
as well. The charts on pages 98 and 99 summarize what the nature of play
will be at each of the ranks: first for you and your F-16, and then
following for the enemy. Most of the rank guidelines are self-explanatory.
For example, your F-16's flight performance and restrictions become more
"true-to-life" as rank increases, making the simulation more challenging.
The MiG opponent and SAMs also become more formidable.
At First Lieutenant level, the program's realism is dampened a bit so you
can easily become involved in the game and get a taste for most of its
features. Playing as a Colonel will give you a highly realistic experience
and require you to be very skillful to survive. However, just as the
experience will become more exciting and dramatic, the rewards will also be
more substantial at the upper levels. For example, it will be possible to
receive certain medals and merits only at higher ranks. A detailed look at
the scoring and awards process is included later on in Part III.
Super Engine vs. Normal Engine -
At First Lieutenant and Captain rank, FALCON has what we call a "super
engine". Airspeed is directly related to the percentage of RPM applied, and
no other factors are involved. This engine output is easier for you to
gauge because extraneous factors like climb rate are not considered. In
other words, you can initiate a nose dive at 50,000 feet going 500 knots
and when you hit the ground, you'll still be going 500 knots if you haven't
increased or decreased the throttle with RPM percentage. This engine also
does not stall.
Weight and Drag Influence from Armament -
At Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel ranks, the type and amount of weapons and
accessories that you carry on your F-16 will definitely affect its
performance. Your plane won't be able to pull as many g's, and certain
maneuvers may render the plane uncontrollable. The F-16 is a terrific
machine, but all jets have limitations.
Ground Crashes -
As rugged as a jet fighter seems to be from an outward appearance, their
landing mechanisms are somewhat delicate. Become adept at the takeoff and
landing procedures before flying at high ranks, because your landing gear
cannot take a lot of abuse. You won't necessarily have a fatal outcome from
a faulty landing (or even a belly flop!), but your superiors and the
taxpayers won't be too excited.
[P.97]
Possible Outcomes After Pilot Ejection -
Since FALCON isn't exactly real life, you don't have to worry about not
making it through an ejection sequence at lower ranks. However, at Major
level or above you risk being captured by the enemy if you bail out behind
enemy lines. The probability increases the further behind enemy lines that
you eject. In FALCON, being taken Prisoner of War (POW) is a permanent
condition. (If you crash behind enemy lines, you are declared MIA, or
Missing In Action.) Plus, fighter pilots know that ejection even in
friendly territory doesn't necessarily lead to a safe trip home, because of
possible complications from the ejection itself. Ejection should be treated
as a definite last resort at upper ranks.
Possibilities of Pilot Blackout or Redout -
Modern fighter jets can perform some pretty amazing maneuvers and still
retain their structural integrity. Now, if the same was only true for their
pilots! Even with advances in flight suits and cockpit design, there are
still limits to what a pilot's body can withstand from the force of
high-speed turns.
At Major rank or above, you risk pilot "blackout" if your plane sustains a
maneuver in excess of 8 g's. The excessive force crams the pilot into the
seat and pushes his blood supply downward. You'll know you're in trouble
because the screen will start to fade out before going completely black. (A
pilot loses the ability to distinguish colors during the initial stages of
a blackout, producing in effect a "whiteout".) Part IV discusses high g
forces, which are usually the result of sharp and climbing high-speed
turns.
Blackouts are the result of "positive" g forces. Equally as dangerous are
"redouts", which are caused by pulling "negative" g forces. Negative g's
are a result of pushing the stick forward into a dive too fast and for too
long. The blood rushes to a pilot's head as he effectively gets "pulled"
from the seat, and this time the screen will go progressively "black",
signifying the darkening effect from the blood pressure on your eyes. On
the average, the human body cannot withstand a negative g force in excess
of -2.5 g's before experiencing a "redout", and possible rupture of blood
vessels in the upper body.
> Pilots say that even when blackout or redout occur, they can still
recover from it and regain control of their senses. What you must do in
FALCON to recover from these kinds of situations is to try and remember
what the most recent event sequence was that got you in trouble. When the
blackout or redout starts to occur, move in the opposite direction (or at
least stop the current action). You should recover from the dilemma,
assuming all your other ducks are in a row, so to speak.
[P.98]
Effect of Rank on You and the F-16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FIRST LIEUTENANT | CAPTAIN | MAJOR | LIEUTENANT COLONEL | COLONEL
*****************************************************************************
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 and Drag | (Full Weight and Drag Influence)
| Influence) |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unlimited Fuel | Limited Fuel (Must Monitor Fuel Usage)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No Collisions | Collisions Possible with Ground Structures
Possible | (Fatal Collisions!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No Ground Crash | Ground Crash| Normal Ground Crash
| if Angle>60'|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ejecting Pilot Always | POW | POW or Fatal Outcome Possible
Lives and Returns |(Note) | After Ejection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unlimited Flares | Normal Limit on Flares (30)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unrestricted | Must Raise | Full Landing Gear and Nose Wheel System
Landing and | and Lower | Requirements for Landing and Take-Off
Take-Off | Landing Gear|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No Pilot Blackout or Redout | Pilot Blackout or Redout Possible
=============================================================================
NOTE (See POW Above): Possibility of Eject Behind Enemy Lines.
[P.99]
Effect of Rank on the Enemy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FIRST LIEUTENANT | CAPTAIN | MAJOR | LIEUTENANT COLONEL | COLONEL
*****************************************************************************
No MiG Missiles |No MiG Miss.;|MiG Miss. | MiG Guns are Very | Both MiG
or Guns |MiG Gun |and Guns | Accurate;MiG Missiles| Missiles
|Bullets Not |are | are Somewhat | and Guns
|Very Accurate|Somewhat | Accurate | are Very
| |Accurate | | Accurate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No MiG Flares |MiG Flares| MiG Flares are
|Exist, But| Totally Effective
|Not 100% |
|Effective |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only One MiG Onscreen | Two MiGs Maximum |Three MiGs
at Any Time; Can Force | Onscreen at Any Time;|Maximum
to Zero on Intro Screen | Can Force Downward |Onscreen
| on Intro Screen |at Any
| |Time; Can
| |Force
| |Downward
| |on Intro
| |Screen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No SAMs of |SAMs Launch, |SA-2 Radar| SA-2 Radar-Guided |SA-6 Radar
Any Kind |But Don't |-Guided | and SA-7 Heat-seeking|-Guided
|Strike You |SAMs Only | SAMs |and SA-7
| | | |Heat-seek
| | | |ing SAMs
=============================================================================
[P.100]
The Missions -
FALCON contains a variety of air-to-air and air-to ground missions to test
your flying skills. All missions take place in a landscape arena consisting
of enemy territory as well as a "friendly" area where your airfield is
located. The individual mission descriptions will detail where you need to
fly and how you need to perform the mission to be successful. The following
map of the FALCON landscape gives an overall view of what the arena looks
like.
In addition, your navigation computer has data on the locations of targets
for the various missions. Each target has been assigned a number (called
its waypoint). This waypoint number is displayed in the lower right side of
the HUDs, along with the current distance from that target. For example,
the first building in the mission "MIlk Run" has waypoint D1. When you are
fifteen miles from this target, the waypoint indicator will be 15D1. You
may change the waypoint number. Key '(apostrophe) increases the number;Key
;(semicolon) decreases it. If you engage the autopilot, FALCON will head
directly for the current waypoint (unless there's a MiG in the vicinity).
Note: Home Base has a Waypoint of D0.
[P.101]
Milk Run -
~~~~~~~~
Objective: Bomb Practice Buildings
Effective Weapons: Mk 84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Every rookie pilot needs a confidence builder and flying the Milk Run
should do just that. Use this mission to become familiar with both the Mk
84's and the AGM-65B Maverick's delivery systems. The Milk Run is also an
excellent choice for improving takeoff and landing skills.
Veterans enjoy flying the Milk Run. It gives them a chance to improve their
skills and explore the outer edge of the F-16's flight envelope, otherwise
known as "chasing demons". Use this opportunity to get familiar with the
way your plane flies at higher skill levels.
Food for thought: Many pilots have "bought the farm" while flying the Milk
Run because they were too busy showing off and hotdogging. Stay alert!
Black Bandit -
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Shoot Down One MiG-21
Effective Weapons: AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder Missile
AIM-9J Sidewinder Missile
M61 A1 Gun
The Black Bandit has been creating havoc for months. He's the enemy's best
pilot and today he's up, circling and challenging your base to send up
their best. Well kid, here's your chance to prove how good you really are.
Keep your eyes open. If you find yourself in a bad situation, get out of
it. Don't try to play hero. Take your best shot first. The Sarge may be
able to help out by getting you some AIM-9L All Aspect missiles. You'll
have a fighting chance to take him out with a head-on shot using these.
They're hard to come by, but if the Sarge can get some, use them.
The Bandit will come in from due north of your airfield. Good luck, you're
going to need it.
[P.102]
Rattlesnake Roundup -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Three SAM Sites
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
M61A1 Gun
Your commander has just gotten word that Strategic Air Command is going to
resume high altitude night bombing. The biggest threat to them are the
enemy's SA-2 and SA-6 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). You have to start
knocking out the SAM sites anyway you can. To complete your mission, you
need to destroy a minimum of three SAM sites.
Use your Mk84s, Mavericks, or M-61 to take'em out. If you can get the Sarge
to let go of an ALQ-131 jamming pod, it might make your life easier at
Major's rank or higher. The pod will jam the SAM's guidance system, and
increase your life expectancy.
Double Trouble -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Shoot Down Two MiGs
Effective Weapons: AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder Missile
AIM-9J Sidewinder Missile
M61A1 Gun
The enemy is hopping mad and sending up two of their best pilots to pay you
back for all the trouble your base has caused them behind enemy lines. They
are patrolling in their area and waiting for you to return. However, once
you cross into enemy territory, they may not appear right away. They like
to jump you when you least expect it. Keep your eyes open and monitor the
Radar screen and Threat Indicator.
Rookie pilots tend to make one particular mistake during multiple
engagements that all too often turns out to be fatal. They become obsessed
with chasing one bogey and forget about the others. MiGs like to work in
tandem. One plays the carrot, the other plays the stick... a very big stick
that loves to smash you from the rear.
Load your plane with as many AIM-9Ls and AIM-9Js as possible, because
you're going to need them. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge. Gas is gold.
Afterburner provides needed power in a dogfight, but costs an enormous
amount of fuel. You can add drop tanks if you want to increase loitering
capability, but be prepared to eject them before going into battle.
[P.103]
Dragon's Tail -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Enemy Suspension Bridge
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
One principle of war is to deny enemy access to supplies by cutting off
their lines of transportation. Knocking out the southside bridge is
critical to your side's success in controlling the enemy. Use Mavericks or
Mk84s to take out the bridge.
Since you'll be flying over enemy territory, you must keep your eyes open
for either MiGs or SAMs. There's one SA-2 or SA-6 site just southeast of
the bridge along the main highway. Also, if you're flying at Lieutenant
Colonel or Colonel rank, be prepared for lots of SA-7 shoulder launch
specials trying to nail you if flying below 10,000 feet.
Dragon's Jaw -
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Enemy Cantilever Bridge
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
The Dragon's Jaw has been an elusive target for your squadron. Early on,
planes have tried 1000lb'ers and Mavericks to take out the bridge, but they
just seem to bounce off or scorch the paint. Arm your plane with the 2000lb
Low Drag bombs. Try to avoid any dogfighting while you have any of these
fat bombs dangling from under your wings, as the plane wasn't designed to
dogfight with a full load.
Plan your mission carefully, avoiding SAM sites and MiGs until you deliver
your package to the Dragon. If the enemy engages you and forces you to dump
your load prematurely, the MiGs will have already won the battle before the
first shot is fired.
[P.104]
Hornet's Nest -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Enemy Runway
Effective Weapons: Durandal Anti-Runway Bomb
Denying the enemy use of their runway will severely cripple their ability
to harass your planes. Your job is to knock out the Central Airport with
the Durandal Anti-Runway weapon by hitting the airfield where the two
runways intersect.
Extra fuel tanks will help extend your flight time, giving you the luxury
of engaging the enemy after delivering your load. An ALQ-131 is also
recommended to protect you from SAM launches. This airport is heavily
protected by SAMs and MiGs.
Bear's Den -
~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Enemy Communication
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
The enemy's communication center handles all their logistics and
coordinates all attacks. Operation Bear's Den requires you to destroy this
hotbed of activity. The center is well protected by SAMs. Shoot at the
building's base to blow it up. We recommend that you come in low and fast,
deliver your weapons, and get out of there as fast as possible. Don't
loiter around and become MiG chicken feed.
Venus Flytrap -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy SAM Sites by Regional Airfield
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
M61A1 Gun
[P.105]
Within 24 hours, Strategic Air Command will launch a major strike to
totally destroy the enemy's Regional Airfield. Before they can launch, you
must destroy both SAM sites protecting the airfield. SAMs or MiGs will be
up. The Flytrap is heavily protected and the enemy doesn't take too kindly
to those wanting to bomb then. If you're shot down, there's a very low
probability of being rescued.
Like other bombing missions, avoid engaging any MiGs until you've
accomplished your primary objective. If you've successful at eliminating
the SAM sites and have enough weaponry left over to take out the airfield
for SAC's benefit, they will appreciate it very much. However, you will
have to decide at the time whether it's worth the extra risk.
Strike Palace -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Enemy Headquarters
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile
Enemy headquarters is located due north of the Flytrap and nestled in a
valley beneath the foothills. Attacking their headquarters will deliver a
blow t enemy morale as well as eliminate a key communications center. You
need to destroy both buildings to achieve your goal.
Take an ALQ-131 and beware of the SAM site adjacent to the headquarters
buildings.
Double Dragon -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Destroy Both Suspension and Cantilever Bridges
Effective Weapons: Mk84 Low Drag 2000lb Bomb
AGM-65B Maverick Missile (Suspension Bridge Only)
[P.106]
Every time we cut off one of their bridges, the enemy simply reroutes the
flow of traffic to another bridge. Your task in Operation Double Dragon is
to destroy both bridges.
The Double Dragon is no cake walk. It requires that you load up your plane
heavily, fly deep into enemy territory, and destroy both bridges. Because
of armament restrictions at any rank other than First Lieutenant, missing
the Cantilever Bridge once means that you've failed in your mission. You
wouldn't have enough weaponry to try a second run and still have enough
bombs or missiles for the Suspension Bridge. Completion of this mission
means you're one hot pilot.
Grand Slam -
~~~~~~~~~~
Objective: Shoot Down Four MiGs
Effective Weapons: AIM-9L All Aspect Sidewinder
AIM-9J Sidewinder Missile
M61A1 Gun
The situation is critical. Intelligence has confirmed that the enemy is
planning a full scale assault on your base today. Your job: do the
impossible, which is to intercept and destroy at least four MiGs. Note:
Incoming MiG heading is unknown.
Mission Results: Snapshots, Awards, and Merits -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the end of a mission, press the "Q" key to bring up the Menu Bar and
select "End Mission" from the File Menu. You'll see a special Awards screen
that contains information related to the mission that was just flown.
Hopefully, your completed mission will include a successful landing, and
would be the most desirable way to reach this screen. However, you might
not complete your mission. Even if you do, you may not make it back to your
home base for one reason or another. If you crash, eject, or otherwise have
your mission cut short, this screen will appear automatically after the
mishap. A series of snapshots may be displayed, along with a record of any
merits (points) or medals earned during the mission. After you're through
observing the Awards screen, click the mouse or Quick Stick button to move
on to the Sierra Hotel screen (p.105).
Snapshots -
You may see a series of snapshots that describe the events leading up to
the completion of your mission. Let's take a look at some of the snapshot
sequences and see how you should interpret them.
[P.107]
* snapshots of "MISSILE HIT", "EJECT", "GOOD CHUTE", and "RESCUED".
This is a typical missile hit sequence. Frame number 1 shows that an enemy
missile slams into your plane. Frame 2 displays an ejection sequence as the
canopy is jettisoned. The parachute opens cleanly in frame 3 and frame 4
shows the big bird coming to save you for another mission.
* snapshots of "CRASH LANDING", "A SORE NECK", and "COURT-MARTIALED!".
Here's what happens if you mess up! Forgetting to lower your landing gear,
travelling too fast down the runway, or taking off in the grass, you'll
quickly find yourself facing a court-martial.
* snapshots of "PLANE IS HIT", "UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN", "EXPLOSION AND CRASH",
and "FUNERAL AND THE MISSING MAN".
This is an example of "buying the farm". Engine fire... You black out and
go into an uncontrollable spin... then the unthinkable happens. BOOOM!
Crash and burn. In the end, your section flies the "missing man formation"
paying their final respects to you.
Decorations and Medals -
The armed forces recognizes acts of heroism by decorating its members with
medals. There are five medal that you can be decorated with during your
service as a FALCON "driver". These medals are awarded at the completion of
each mission where sufficient merit has been displayed.
[P.108]
Purple Heart -
The Purple Heart decorates any member of the Armed Forces that is injured
in action. The first Purple Heart decoration issued was a simple silk or
cloth purple heart trimmed with white lace. Today's medal has a profile of
George Washington in a field of purple.
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) -
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is given to pilots in recognition of
their outstanding achievement or heroism while flying. This medal was first
awarded to Charles Lindbergh by President Coolidge for Lindberg's
historical crossing of the Atlantic in 1927.
To qualify for a DFC, you must:
1. Successfully complete Dragon's Jaw, Dragon's Tail, Hornet's Nest, Bear's
Den, Double Dragon, or Strike Palace without using an ALQ-131 pod. You must
also fly at Major's rank or higher.
OR
2. Successfully complete Dragon's Jaw, Dragon's Tail, Hornet's Nest, Bear's
Den, Double Dragon, or Strike Palace; plus engage and destroy two or more
MiGs. You must also fly at Major's rank or higher.
Silver Star -
~~~~~~~~~~~
This medal was authorized in 1918 for the purpose of decorating armed
forced members who performed acts of heroism and gallantry against an armed
enemy. It is awarded for those acts not great enough to merit the Medal of
Honor or the Distinguished Service Cross.
To obtain a Silver Star, you will have to successfully complete one of the
following missions: Rattlesnake Roundup, Dragon's Jaw, Dragon's Tail,
Hornet's Nest, Bear's Den, Double Dragon, or Strike Palace without an
ALQ-131 jamming pod. Destroy two or more MiGs in a simultaneous engagement.
You must also bomb your primary target and a secondary target. You must fly
at Major's rank or higher.
A second way of receiving a Silver Star is to destroy four or more MiGs at
Major level.
[P.109]
Air Force Cross -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Air Force Cross was established by Congress in 1960 and is awarded only
to those individuals who have performed outstanding acts of heroism against
armed enemies in a hostile environment.
In FALCON, the Air Force Cross has the same requirements as the Silver Star
with two exceptions; you must fly at Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel rank,
and return the F-16 safely to your home base.
Medal of Honor -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Medal of Honor, sometimes called the Congressional Medal of Honor, is
the highest award in the nation and is presented by the President of the
United States. The Medal of Honor is given to those members of the Armed
Forces who perform acts of gallantry "above and beyond the call of duty"
against overwhelming odds and against an armed and hostile enemy. The
history of this medal dates back to 1861 when Congress first authorized it
for the Navy. The medal bears the head of Minerva, the Roman goddess of
war.
Only by flying at Colonel level are you eligible for the Medal of Honor.
YOu need to shoot down a minimum of three MiGs in at least one simultaneous
engagement. Also, bomb a primary and secondary target without an ALQ-131
ECM Pod in any of the following missions: Dragon's Jaw, Hornet's Nest,
Bear's Den, Strike Palace, Double Dragon or Grand Slam.
Ribbons -
~~~~~~~
Ribbons are awarded for successfully completing the objectives of any
mission. Returning your plane safely to the base is always important but is
not a requirement for receiving a ribbon. In the U.S. Armed Forces, an "oak
leaf" is presented instead of ribbon, if the particular ribbon has already
been received for previous success in a similar situation. The number to
the right of the ribbons represents the number of oak leaves you have
received since first appearing on the roster.
MiG Kills -
~~~~~~~~~
The program will automatically tally the total number of MiGs you've shot
down since your name first appeared on the Duty Roster list.
[P.110]
Bomb Hits -
~~~~~~~~~
Bomb hits record the total number of targets that you've successfully
destroyed since first appearing on the Duty Roster.
Merits -
~~~~~~
This represents the number of merits (points) you earned during your
flight. The merit system awards points based on the difficulty of the
mission and what you've accomplished.
MISSION MERITS
***************************************
Milk Run 1
Black Bandit 2
Rattlesnake Roundup 2
Double Trouble 3
Dragon's Tail 4
Dragon's Jaw 6
Hornet's Nest 10
Bear's Den 10
Venus Flytrap 12
Strike Palace 12
Double Dragon 15
Grand Slam 15
You will receive one additional merit point for every target that is
bombed.
Two merits are given every time you shoot down a MiG.
Two merits are awarded for executing a safe landing.
RANK MULTIPLES -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Wing Commander will multiply your merits by a rank factor.
Captain merits x 2
Major merits x 3
Lt. Colonel merits x 4
Colonel merits x 5
There is no multiplying factor for First Lieutenant, as it is the initial
rank.
[P.111]
BONUS MERITS -
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a pilot manages to stay alive and complete all twelve missions, the Wing
Commander awards an additional 3000 merits for being one hot pilot.
MEDAL MERITS -
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purple Heart 1
Distinguished Fly Cross 15
Silver Star 30
Air Force Cross 60
Medal of Honor 200
SIERRA HOTEL -
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This special screen lists the top ten pilots who have ever played from your
disk; "the best of the best". This list may include pilots who for one
reason or another are out of commission, but their scores are still
impressive enough to remain in the top ten.
* Click the mouse or Quick Stick button to return to the Duty Roster. From
there, you can start another mission or exit the game.
{ IMPORTANT! }
> Make sure that you go back to the Duty Roster screen before exiting, to
insure that your pilot's cumulative score, rank, etc., will be updated
properly. Just as with all Macintosh applications, you should exit the
program properly. (Don't just turn the switch off.) Plus, remember that
just to be safe, you should "restart" or "shut down" before and after
playing FALCON.
[P.112]
(BLANK)
[P.113]
Part IV: Advanced Fighter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[P.114]
General Flight Performance of the F-16 -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Nature of G Forces -
The key to a jet being a good Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) aircraft is in
its ability to "pull g's" (also called "turn g's"). G's represent the force
of gravity that is being applied to the plane and its pilot, and is
commonly called "centrifugal force". G's dictate how fast and how tight a
plane can turn at any given speed. All other things being equal, the plane
that can turn the fastest usually wins the battle.
The effects of g forces on aircraft and pilots must be understood by anyone
entering the air combat arena. Strictly speaking, a force of 1g is equal to
the force exerted by gravity on a body "at rest". When a jet is flying
straight and level, the lift generated by the plane's wings offsets its
weight, to the point that both plane and pilot are experiencing a gravity
force equal to 1g. This is equivalent to what you might feel while walking
along a level street. Since increasing units of g forces are used to
indicate the increasing force to which a body is subjected when
accelerated, a higher "positive" number of g's represents a higher force of
gravity. Decreasing positive numbers (even to the point of being negative)
signify a decreasing force of gravity. Whenever you pull your nose into a
turn or a climb (by pulling back on the stick or increasing your bank
angle), you'll pull an increasing amount of positive g's. You've probably
seen the centrifuge used in astronaut training that tests a person's
ability to withstand centrifugal force. Whirling a person around in a
circle at increasing speeds is very similar to what a pilot feels in a
banking turn, and many of these turns are performed almost instantly. You
begin to appreciate not only the pilot's ability to withstand the force,
but the plane's as well. Pushing the stick forward results in pulling less
or even negative g's, as you're not opposing the force of gravity anymore
per se.
Positive g's push a pilot into the seat. At 7g's, your body experiences 7
times the gravitational force than normal. This means that your 25 pound
head weights 175 pounds! At forces greater than 9g's, there is so much
pressure that the blood stops flowing in your head, causing you to black
out. A blackout results in a loss of vision or even passing out completely.
On the other hand, negative g's cause the blood to be forced into your
head. Your body and plane can tolerate many more positive g's than negative
g's. Excessive negative g's (greater then -3) cause the blood vessels in
your eyes to rupture. This is commonly referred to as a redout, which is
equally as dangerous as a blackout.
The F-16 is the first jet fighter specially designed to withstand a 9g
load. Before the F-16 arrived on the scene, the typical fighter could only
tolerate a maximum of 7g's, thus giving the F-16 a 2g advantage over older
aircraft such as the MiG-21. Still, a word of caution should be noted since
between 1982 and 1987 at least ten American F-16's crashed due to pilot
blackout.
[P.115]
In addition to pilots giving out during high g maneuvers, planes also fail.
In 1985, an F-15 pilot pulled his plane into a high g climb with a full
load of missiles and external tanks, causing his plane to go out of control
and disintegrate. You should take special note of this, especially if
you're flying with a Cat 3 load (carrying any external stores other than
AIM 9 missiles). Planes are restricted to 5.5g's and cannot fly inverted
with a Cat load.
Let's examine how much g forces play a role in your turn radius. The
following is a comparison of turn radii at different g forces.
Turn Radii by G's
(Speed: 600 knots Elapsed time: 22.14 seconds)
2g turn 69 degrees r = 18,399ft
3g turn 114 degrees r = 11,223ft
4g turn 156 degrees r = 8,242ft
5g turn 197 degrees r = 6,484ft
6g turn 238 degrees r = 5,390ft
7g turn 279 degrees r = 4,592ft
8g turn 320 degrees r = 4,026ft
9g turn 360 degrees r = 3,575ft
A plane travelling at 600 knots and pulling a 9g turn will have completed a
full 360 degrees, whereas a plane travelling at the same speed pulling a 2g
turn will have only completed 69 degrees.
[P.116]
Look at the following diagram. It compares planes pulling the same amount
of g's but travelling at different speed. A plane travelling at 200 knots
pulling 4g's will have a turn radius of 912ft and will have fully completed
a turn in 17.15 seconds, whereas a plane travelling at 1,000 knots will
have a turn radius of 22,885ft and would have only completed 72 degrees of
its turn in the same amount of time.
Turn Radii by Speed
(4g turn Elapsed time: 17.15 seconds)
200 knots 360 degrees r = 912ft
400 knots 180 degrees r = 3,659ft
600 knots 121 degrees r = 8,242ft
800 knots 91 degrees r = 14,638ft
1,000 knots 72 degrees r = 22,885ft
[P.117]
The ability to pull g's is dependent upon a plane's flight performance
envelope. Flying beyond the envelope (chasing too many demons too far) can
result in a stall or total loss of control of your plane. The two
constraining factors that limit your flight envelope are altitude and
speed. The Flight Performance Envelope Chart below illustrates the
sustained performance limitations of the F-16. Your F-16 might be able to
exceed these curves for brief moments of time without incident but we don't
think General Dynamics will honor any warranties is you push the envelope
too far and crash and burn your aircraft.
Keeping Your Energy High -
A common mistake made by rookie pilots is flying their aircraft either too
slow or too fast.
Those flying their planes too slow are under the false assumption that
slower speeds result in tighter turns and advantage during high-g ACM
environments. Pulling high g's bleeds off (reduces) airspeed. Note in the
Flight Performance Envelope chart that flying too slow results in lower g
capabilities. Pulling g's can force your F-16's airspeed to fall below the
stall rate, resulting in an uncontrollable dive. Remember: Speed is energy.
Energy helps you get in and out of battle. Running out of airspeed (the
same as running out of energy) is no fun in the heat of battle.
On the other hand, rookies have been knows to carry this too far and
attempt to dogfight travelling at Mach 2 (over 1,000 knots per hour).
Trying to maneuver at Mach 2 is like trying to control a rocket that has
gone ballistic.
As with everything else in the world, there is a happy medium. Most
dogfights occur between 500 and 700 knots. This is the optimum speed for
high g maneuvers as well as maintaining a high energy state.
[P.118]
How to Pull Out of a Stall -
Learning how to pull yourself out of a stall can be a lifesaving matter.
Flying beyond your plane's performance envelope can result in a stall. If
you're flying too fast and trying to pull too many g's, all you have to do
is relax off the stick.
Stalling because you've lost too much airspeed is a completely different
matter. You can convert altitude into energy (airspeed) by going into a
dive until you've built up enough airspeed and control before pulling out.
Pulling out too soon or too hard can result in another stall so we
recommend that you dampen your controls (at upper ranks) by using Trim
Control as you pull out of the dive.
>> Stalling (Speed < 100 knots)
>> Roll the F-16
>> Flip upside down
>> Pull into a dive
>> Build speed by releasing stick until speed > 300 knots
>> Gently, with trim control, pull out of the dive
How to Pull G's -
Pulling and pushing on your stick controls turn radius and g forces.
Banking your plane at steeper angles results in an increase in g forces and
a decrease in turning radius. Pulling back on your stick will add
additional g's. Pushing forward will subtract g's. Turns with excessive g's
(more g's than are required to maintain an angle of bank) will pull the
plane into a higher angle of climb. Turns made with less than the required
g's will cause the plane to drop.
Required G Forces to Maintain Bank
Number of G Forces Degrees of Bank
***************************************
2 60
3 70.6
4 75.5
5 78.5
6 80.4
7 81.8
8 82.8
9 83.6
[P.119]
Pulling Negative G's -
Your F-16 is capable of pulling up to 3 negative g's, though you'll start
to "red out" if you exceed -2.5g's. To pull negative g's, push your stick
all the way forward.
Inexperienced pilots will initiate a dive by pulling negative g's. A better
approach is to roll your plane upside down and pull positive g's toward the
ground. Using this technique, you'll use both gravity and the higher
positive g capability of your F-16 to go into a faster dive.
Fuel -
Fuel is the life blood of your plane. Planning your missions properly is as
important as flying them. The weight of your plane, its altitude, and
whether or not you are using afterburner or full military power are all
factors in determining how much fuel is used in the mission. The following
chart shows how much fuel your plane is consuming (pounds pre second) based
on altitude. Two plots are shown: one for afterburner, and the other for
100% military power.
[P.120]
Note that the use of afterburner burns four times the fuel as military
power. Essentially, an engine lights an afterburner by spraying fuel out
the back of the engine. Also, notice how much altitude plays a role in fuel
consumption. These are important factors to remember, especially if you try
to make it back to home base with very little fuel remaining.
> If you are carrying any external tanks of additional fuel, remember that
fuel is drawn from these tanks first before the internal capacity is used.
The main internal tank will automatically switch in once all the fuel from
the external tanks has been exhausted.
Check your Fuel Gauge on the left cockpit panel to make sure the needle for
any external tanks is at "0" (zero). At this point, you may jettison your
external tanks (Option-C) to reduce weight and drag, and therefore increase
your F-16's maneuverability, stability, and acceleration.
[P.121]
Air Combat Maneuvers and Training -
Fighter pilots have to rove in the area allotted to them in any way they
like, and when they spot an enemy they attack and shoot then down...
anything else is rubbish.
BARON VON RICHTHOFEN
To be successful in the fighter business the air crew must, first and
foremost, have a through background in fighter tactics. They must acquire
an excellent knowledge of all their equipment. Then they must approach the
problem with a spirit of aggression and with utter confidence.
LT. R.S. LORD
ROYAL NAVY
We agree with the Red Baron that a good pilot is more important than any
plane. However, if he had lived to see the agility of modern-day jet
fighters, he might have changed his tune about the simplicity of air
combat. Being aggressive isn't the only prerequisite to success in dogfight
battle today. Rather, the pilot must be well trained in air combat
maneuvers, and apply an aggressive behavior to the fighting situation in
light of his particular fighter's capabilities.
The superior agility of the F-16 enables the pilot to perform maneuvers
that have been impossible in the past. In the same light, its superior
capabilities can create such stress on the pilot that its agility can
create a problem in itself. For example, the plane's ability to pull 9 g's
in a matter of three seconds enable it to turn in an incredibly tight arc.
However, as you've already learned, that same capability will cause most
pilots to black out in the process. At the upper levels of the simulation,
FALCON is true to the F-16 in this respect. You must remember that the
pilot and plane are working together, and following any series of maneuvers
precludes that you, the pilot, know exactly what your plane can do and work
in harmony with it.
The maneuvers that we will be discussing are standard ones employed by
fighter pilots throughout the world.
[P.122]
Engage -
This is a basic offensive maneuver, where the MiG will try to do anything
in order to move in on your "six"; in other words, move in for the kill.
When you select this maneuver in training mode, the MiG will fly straight
and level in front of you for a brief period. It will then make a random
move in any direction to try and move in behind you.
Lag Pursuit -
When a plane under attack makes a "Break", the tendency is for the attacker
to overshoot. Sometimes though, the attacker is able to maintain its
advantage by performing the Lag Pursuit, where the favorable position is
held slightly behind and below the path of the target plane. Besides being
able to match the target plane's turn rate, the attacking plane is able to
prevent overshooting by occasionally pulling g's in a slight climb to bleed
off speed.
Immelmann -
The Immelmann is a defensive maneuver where the plane being chased is
trying to change direction in the least amount of horizontal area by
rolling in a vertical climb, rather than by using the more conventional
turn on a flat plane. Your F-16 is one of the few jets in the world capable
of performing this move adequately, and you will find it very useful in
battling the MiG. A hard vertical climb is followed by a roll into whatever
direction you wish to go at the top of the climb. Because you don't have
the same instinctive orientation to the ground during this maneuver, use
the Flight Path Ladder to determine your directional relationship to the
ground.
[P.123]
High G Yo Yo -
The High G Yo Yo is an offensive maneuver that is a reaction to the
"Break". Because the attacking plane is unable to hold position with the
plane that is "breaking", it starts to pull less of a hard turn and moves
vertical as well. During the climb, it rolls in the general direction of
the predominant turn, so it can make an aggressive dive at the breaking
plane from what is now a more favorable position. Like the Immelmann, this
maneuver is an example of using a vertical move to enable your plane to
change position in less of a horizontal plane than a more conventional
turn. If this maneuver is performed precisely, it can be very effective
because the other "breaking" plane will find it hard to detect your
position. However, if you combine an ineffective turn with inadequate speed
in the climb, the other plane will have plenty of time to move away.
Low G Yo Yo -
This maneuver basically takes the opposite approach than the High Speed Yo
Yo to resolve a stalemate with a "breaking" plane. Rather than go vertical,
the attacking plane goes into somewhat of a dive while maintaining as much
of the turn as possible. The attacking plane then pulls up behind the other
plane in a more favorable position. Don't dive too low or overturn, because
the other will probably roll in behind you.
[P.124]
Flip Yo Yo -
This is a slight variant from the Low G Yo Yo. Rather than do a pure dive
and risk pulling too many negative g's, roll your plane after initiating
the dive. You'll also be able to pick up speed faster in this move than the
more conventional Low G Yo Yo. Take care to not overshoot the other plane
because of excessive speed buildup.
Vertical Loop -
The Vertical Loop is used as an evasive maneuver. In its purest form, you
pull into a sharp climb and simply come over the top and continue in the
same direction. You may be able to pull in behind the other plane.
Otherwise, since the loop is relatively easy to perform, you can use it as
a decoy while setting up another maneuver to execute immediately after
coming out of the loop.
Straight -
If you select this maneuver from the ACM Menu, the MiG will travel in a
straight line, whatever the heading (not necessarily parallel to the
ground).
Level -
Even more straightforward than the previous sequence, the MiG will travel
not only straight, but level to the horizon as well. Like we said earlier,
use this "maneuver" and the previous "Straight" to get the feel of firing
at the MiG.
[P.125]
Scissors -
This maneuver results from a successful Break by the plane under attack. As
the attacking plane overshoots its target, the other plane tries to turn
the tables and move in behind the previous attacker, and both planes roll
and crisscross the other's path as each tries to gain the advantage. Your
F-16 has an inherent advantage over the MiG-21 in this maneuver because of
its better turning characteristics, but the MiG pilot is very skilled. The
Scissors can remain in a stalemate for a relatively long period of time,
until one plane takes the initiative and bails out or initiates another
maneuver.
Variable Scissors -
This move is a variation of the more classical Scissors maneuver shown
above. Rather than simply making rolling reversals in a relatively flat
trajectory, both fighters do a bit of diving and climbing while reversing
in and out of each other. This maneuver is very unlikely to end up in a
stalemate, because of the numerous changes in position.
Break -
The classic defensive maneuver. When a plane is attacked from the rear, it
turns hard into the pursuer's line of attack in an attempt to make the
attacker overshoot. The F-16's excellent turn rate can help you "beat the
break" often. Conversely, you are able to elicit a pretty fair Break
maneuver yourself, if you ever need to (and you will!).
[P.126]
Split S -
The Split S is a defensive maneuver that comes as a result of the attacking
plane moving in too close. The target plane will roll upside down and pull
into an accelerated dive before the attacking plane can react. The
important thing is to do the half-roll before you dive, so you'll pull
positive g's when you initiate the dive. You'll accelerate better and your
body will withstand the stress better (remember negative g's?).
Head On -
The classic confrontation, where unless either plane has been lucky enough
to strike the other on the way in, the advantage is gained by the plane
that can turn on the tighter arc to overtake the other. Because it's
difficult to guess which way the adversary is going to turn after passing
you, most pilots get used to looking over their shoulder to check on the
opponent's next move, even while they're making their own.
Rollaway -
This maneuver is similar to the High G Yo Yo discussed earlier. The main
difference is that the attacking plane rolls in the opposite direction of
the predominant turn before making its dive to regain advantage.
Dive Loop -
The Dive Loop is a good maneuver to perform when you are being trailed by a
pursuer that is still a relatively long distance away. As is the case in
some of the other maneuvers, you have a more efficient turn because of the
vertical emphasis. Plus, it's more difficult for your pursuer to tell what
you're doing, since there is no movement on the horizontal plane of sight.
The key is to do a half-roll (invert) as you initiate the dive, so as to
pull positive g's, initiate better acceleration, and achieve a tighter turn
radius.
[P.127]
The Black Box -
FALCON contains a cockpit flight recorder (commonly called a "Black Box")
that records your F-16's flight path (and the same for any MiGs in the
area) over a period of time. It's primarily designed for these purposes:
* To show an "instant replay" of a MiG encounter, so you can analyze your
performance in dogfighting the enemy plane;
* To play back any of the sequences selected from the ACM Menu, so you can
get a better perspective of the maneuver being executed;
* To play back any of your flight paths (even just messin' around) so you
can get a different view of what your plane is doing.
You can invoke the Black Box (with the Option-B key combination) at any
time after you're inside the plane; or during the Awards screen, if you
want t see the sequence of events that led to the end of your flight
(whatever the outcome!).
Your F-16's path is represented by a black line, while any MiGs appear as
gray lines. Any MiG that appears on a Black Box trail is picked up from one
of two ways: either because it showed up on your Threat Indicator, or your
ground support crew's electronics picked it up and communicated the data
through to your recorder.
As the next example shows, it keeps track of the flight path from three
different views: 1) looking down on the path from directly above, 2) ground
level looking from west to east, and 3) ground level looking from south to
north.
[P.128]
The Black Box starts recording from the moment you enter the cockpit and
remains on for the duration of any flight. It will record up to 10 minutes
of flight, with the average being about 4-5 minutes. The total time
recorded depends on the complexity of the event. For example, if there are
three MiGs in the area, it will record fewer total frames because of having
to keep track of the trails of four different planes. When it reaches the
end of its "tape", the history of the flight starts to diminish from the
beginning end. If you fly a long ways and encounter an enemy plane before
invoking the Black Box, the "beginning" of your taped path when you invoke
the Black Box may be well after takeoff.
Black Box Controls -
All controls are accessed by using the mouse pointer and pressing the
left-hand button.
Play -
Move the arrow cursor over the play symbol and click the mouse button.
Every click replays a point of the flight path(s). Hold the mouse down to
watch the whole path without interruption. When you reach the end of the
tape while pressing the play button, the sequence automatically restarts
from the beginning. Playback of the tape is sped up significantly over
original flight time so you can make a quick analysis.
[P.129]
Clear -
Clears the screen of the current trail(s) and re-centers the path(s) before
showing the next section. If you have a long recording and are viewing path
from a small scale, you will have to clear the views occasionally to see
the complete path. Pressing clear does not remove the path from memory. It
merely allows you to clear the screen of the previous path portion, so you
can better view the remainder to follow.
Rewind -
Click once on this control to go all the way back to the start of the tape.
Erase -
Wipes out any current flight path in the Black Box memory.
End -
Takes you back to the same location you were at when you invoked the Black
Box.
Frame Counter -
Keeps track of frame count over the course of a taped session. The Black
Box records "frames" of flight sequence, just like a video recorder. Each
digit on the counter really represents two frames, because the Black Box is
recording every other frame.
Scale -
Click on the buttons to change the relative scale at which you view the
tape playback. (The default is 8X.) Each square on the grid represents an
area of 10,000 by 10,000 feet, or approximately 3 to 4 square miles.
Glossary and Abbreviations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A-A - air-to-air
AB - afterburner
ACM - air combat maneuver
ADI - attitude director indicator
Afterburner - acceleration over and above normal military power, achieved
by spraying fuel out the back of the engine.
A-G - air-to-ground
AGM - American designation for air-to-ground missiles
AIM - American designation for air-to-air missiles
ALQ-131 - ECM (electronic countermeasures) jamming pod designed to confuse
ground-based radar systems
AOA - angle of attack
Bandit - plane identified as enemy aircraft
Bank - turn left or right in the air
Bogey - unidentified plane
Buy the farm - go the the big F-16 pasture in the sky
Call Sign - codename for particular fighter pilot
Cat 3 - short for Category 3; certification of plane carrying external
weapons in addition to AIM-9J/L missiles
COMED - combined map/electronic display
Coming over the top - aftermath of a vertical climb, leaving plane with no
power at the top of the climb. It has to roll over into a dive to pick up
airspeed again.
Cones of Vulnerability - circular aiming cues in head-up display
Court-Martial - court decision expelling a member from the Armed Forces
Driver - term for pilot flying (rather than navigating) the plane in a
two-seater; also used as a term for pilot in a one-seater, like the F-16.
Duty Roster - crew chief's list of available pilots
ECM - electronic countermeasures
Fighter Jock - slang term for fighter pilot
g - unit of acceleration
GSD - glide slope deviation
HUD - head-up display
ILS - Instrument Landing System
Jamming - act of confusing enemy radar systems with radio frequency noise
JFS - jet fuel system
LD - localizer deviation
Lock-on - acquire a target with radar for the purpose of firing a weapon
Mach - unit of speed measurement equal to the speed of sound
MIA - missing in action
MiG-21 - Mikoyan/Guryevich-21 Soviet-built jet fighter, the most common in
the world
ML - military power
Military Power - standard power and acceleration measure
Missing man formation - when a pilot meets an unfortunate and fatal demise,
his squadron flies a pattern where one of the planes peels off away from
the pattern, symbolizing their compadre's departure forever.
Move In on his six - come in on the rear of another plane
NWS - nose wheel steering
NWSS/LGSI - nose wheel steering system/landing gear status indicator
Pickling - setting a weapon to fire at one specific location, similar to a
lock-on.
POW - prisoner of war
Pulling lead - purposely aiming in front of enemy plane to allow for
distance to target and target speed in making sure fired weapon scores a
hit.
Rookie - pilot without flight experience
RPM - revolutions per minute
Splash one MiG - statement commonly spoken after successfully downing an
enemy MiG jet fighter
Spoof - slang term for "fooling" an enemy missile with flares or chaff
SRF - FALCON shorthand for "strafe"
Stick - pilot directional control
The F-16
~~~~~~~~
The F-16A Fighting Falcon is a multirole fighter jet with equally advanced
air-to-air combat and air-to-ground strike capabilities. It is a highly
maneuverable and relatively lightweight aircraft that was dubbed the
"Electric Jet" when General Dynamics introduced it to the world in the
mid-1970's. This nickname was applied because of the F-16's high dependence
on computers which translate the pilot's actions to the plane in a
"fly-by-wire" fashion, rather than conventional hydraulic means.
SPECIFICATIONS -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Engine: Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 turbofan; 23,840lb static thrust with
afterburner
Length: 49ft 6.75in (with nose probe)
Wingspan: 31ft 0in (without missiles); 32ft 10in (with two missiles)
Height: 16ft 8.5in
Weights: Empty 14,567lb; Normal Take-Off (Air-to-Air with fuel and two
missiles) 23,300lb; Maximum Take-Off 35,400lb
Max Speed: 795 knots/hr (Mach 1.2, or 915mph) @ Sea Level (with two
missiles); 1,172 knots/hr (Mach 2.05, or 1,350mph) @ 40,000ft (with two
missiles)
Service Ceiling: Over 50,000ft
The MiG-21
~~~~~~~~~~
The Mikoyan/Guryevich (MiG)-21 is the most common fighter jet in the world,
and although it originates from the Soviet Union, its influence is felt far
outside the Eastern Bloc countries. It carries AA-2-2 radar-guided Atoll
missiles, AA-2 Atoll heat-seekers, and a GSh-23 Gun similar to the F-16's
M-61A1 Cannon.
SPECIFICATIONS -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Engine: Tumanskii R-25-300 turbojet; 16,720lb static thrust
Length: 51ft 4in (with nose probe)
Wingspan: 23ft 6in (without missiles)
Height: 14ft 9in
Weights: Empty 13,500lb; Normal Take-Off (Air-to-Air with fuel and two
missiles) 19,300lb; Maximum Take-Off 22,000lb
Max Speed: 730 knots/hr (Mach 1.1, or 850mph) @ Sea Level (no
specifications on armament); 1,200 knots/hr (Mach 2.1, or 1400mph) @
40,000ft (no specifications on armament)
Service Ceiling: Over 50,000ft
Index
~~~~~
A-4 Skyhawk 44
A-A (see Air-to-Air)
Active Duty 9
Afterburner 25,48,50,86,131
Indicator 17,25,86
A-G (Air-to-Ground) 131
A-G Target Lock 27,51,69,71
AGM-65B Maverick Air-to-Ground Missile 19,27-29,46,54,56,68,70,101-105,131
AIM 131
AIM 9J Sidewinder Missile 39,54,56,101,102,106
AIM 9L All Aspect Sidewinder Missile 39,54,56,101,102,106
Aiming Reticle (Mobile) 66,76
Aiming Reticle (Fixed) 15,63,64
Air Brakes 34,48,50,92
Lights 13,85,92
Air Combat Maneuvers (ACM) 121-129,
Break 122
Dive Loop 125
Engage 122
Flip YoYo 124
Head On 125
High G Yoyo 123
Immelmann 126
Lag Pursuit 124
Low G YoYo 133
Rollaway 125
Scissors 122
Split S 124
Variable Scissors 123
Vertical Loop 125
Air Force Cross (see Medals)
Air Target Select Key 48,51
Air-to-Air 16,53,62-65,131
Gun HUD 65-67
Weapons Select 48-49
Air-to-Ground 53,68-77
Bombing CCIP HUD (mk84 or Durandal) 68-70
Missile (See AGM 65B Maverick)
Strafe Gun HUD (M61A1) 75-77
Weapons Select 48,50
Airfields 55,101-106
Airspeed 34,80,88,115
backup gauge 91
Scale 13-15,25,59
ALQ-131 ECM Pod 11,42-45,55-56,85,102,104,108,109,131
Altitude 14,31-34,117
Altitude Scale 13,14,60
AOA (Angle of Attack) 78-79,131
Indexer 13,17,31,78,79
Indicator 13,17,31,78,79
APG-66 (see COMED)
AR/NWS Light (see Nose Wheel Steering System/Landing Gear Status Indicator)
Armament 54-56
selection 10-11
unlimited 10,96
weight and drag influence from 96
Aspect Angle 37-39,64
Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) 18,31
Autopilot 48,51
Light 13,82
Awards 9,1-6-111
Screen 106-111
Bandit 101,131
Bank 21,49,131
Baudrate 8
Black Bandit 101,110
Black Box 48,51,127-128
Blackout 97-98,113
Bogey 131
Bombing 68-70
hits 110
Boresight Radar 37-38
Break-X 39,65
Brake (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Buy the farm 131
Call sign 131
Cantilever bridge 105-106
Captain (see Rank)
Cat 3 load 114, 131
Caution lights 92-94
BRAKES 92
BURNER 93
ECM 93
ENGINE 93
FLAP 92
FUEL SYS 93
GUN JAM 92
HUD 93
NAV 94
NWS 92
OXY LOW 94
RADAR 93
STORES 92
WEP ARM 93
Center/level plane 48,52
Center Yaw/Pitch 48, 52
Clear Air-to-Ground (A-G) Target Lock 48,51,71,75
Chaff 43-45,48,50,83
Indicator 83
Climb 28,29
Climb angle 15,25,28,34,60
Climb rate 26
Closure rate 38
Cockpit 58
Cockpit Views 18
front 48,49
left 18,25,48,49
right 48,49,91-94
Collisions 98
Colonel (see Rank)
COMED (Combined Map/Electronics Display) 12,17,30,48,51,58,84-85,100
Map mode 17,30,48,51,84-85,100
Radar mode 17,37-38,48,51,84-85
Compass 90
Court-martial 9,107,132
Crash (ground) 29,30,34,96-97,107
Directional Indicator (HUD) 62
DISC (disconnect) Light (see Nose Wheel Steering System/Landing Gear Status
Indicator)
Discretes (HUD) 63-67
Displayed Impact Line 72
Distance to Target 68,71,74
Distance Ranging Scale 65
Distinguished Flying Cross (see Medals)
Dive angle 60
Dive Loop (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Double Trouble (see Missions)
Dragons Jaw (see Missions)
Dragons Tail (see Missions)
Driver 132
Durandal anti-runway weapon 55,68,104
Duty Roster 8-9,132
ECM 44,55,84,93,132
EMIT Indicator 84
Eject 48,52,85,93,97,98,106
Ejection Handle 85
End Mission (see File Menu)
Engage (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Enemy territory 103
Engine Fire Light 82
External fuel tank 90,120
F-16 (specifications) 134
Fighter jock 132
First Lieutenant (see Rank)
Flaps 34,48,50,85
Light 59,85
Flares Indicator 83
Flip YoYo (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Flight Path Ladder 13-15,34,58,60
Flight Performance Envelope 115
Front View (see Cockpit Views)
Fuel 90,119-120
external tank 56,120
Gauge 90,120
internal 56,120
G (Gravity) Forces 113-118
Indicator 13,16
Glide Slope Deviation (GSD) Scale 32-33
Head On (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Head-Up-Display (HUD) 13,58-77
Heading Scale 13
High G Maneuver 113-118
High G YoYo (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
HUD mode indicator 58-77
Immelmann (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
In Range Indicator 58-77
Instrument Landing System (ILS) 31-35
Jamming 132
Jet Fuel System (JFS) Start 24,82
Jettison
all stores 52
centerline stores 52
Joystick 3,22
Keyboard
command descriptions 49-53
command layout 21,48
Killer Bees (see Missions)
Lag Pursuit (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Landing 30-35
Landing Gear 48,50,80
Landscape 26
LCOS (Lead Computing Optical Sight) 66
Left View (see Cockpit views)
Lieutenant Colonel (see Rank)
Load factor 57
Localizer Deviation (LD) Scale 32-35
Low G YoYO (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
M61A1 Vulcan internal Gun 54
Mach 59,132
Major (see Rank)
Master Caution Light 81
Medals 108-111
Air Force Cross 109
Distinguished Flying Cross 108
Medal of Honour 109
Purple Heart 108
Ribbons 109
Silver Star 108
Menu Select 48,51
Merits 110-111
MIA (see Mission in action)
MiG-21 135
Military Power 17,25,50,86
Milk Run (see Missions)
Missile
launching 27-29,62-65
Missing in action (MIA) 9
Missing man formation 107,132
Missions 101-106
Bear's Den 104
Black Bandit 101
Double Dragon 105
Double Trouble 102
Dragon's Jaw 103
Dragon's Tail 103
Grand Slam 106
Hornet's Nest 104
Milk Run 101
Rattlesnake Roundup 102
Strike Palace 105
Venus Flytrap 104
Mk84 2000lb Low Drag Bomb 55
Move in on his six 13
Normal engine 21,96
Nose Wheel Steering (NWS) System 13,25,80
Number of Missiles on board 81
Numeric keypad
using a 21,53
Oak leaf 109
Pause key 50
Pickling 27,69
Pitch 59-60,79
Prisoner of War (POW) 9,98
Purple Heart (see Medals)
Radar (see COMED)
Radar-guided missile 81,84
Rank 9,11,33,34,96-99
Rattlesnake Roundup (see Missions)
RY (ready) Light (see Nose Wheel Steering System/Landing Gear Status
Indicator)
Redout 97,98
Rear View (see Cockpit views)
Release Cue 72
Reticle
fixed 66
moving 63,76
Ribbons 109
Right View (see Cockpit views)
Rollaway (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Rookie 8
RPM 13,18
Runway 30,34
SA-2 Guideline Missile 43-45
SA-6 Gainful Missile 43-45
SA-7 Grail Missile 44
SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) 35,42-43,102
Sensitivity Indicator 13,87
Sierra Hotel 9,111
Silver Star (see Medals)
Snapshots 107
Sound 7,51
Split S (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Spoof 133
Stall 88
Stall Light 88
Stick control 49
joystick 22-23,53
keyboard 20-21
Stores Control Panel 13,82
Strike Palace 105
Super engine 21,96
Surface-to-Air Missile (see SAM)
Target Designator 62-63,70,76
Targeted MiG 37
Taxiing the aircraft 24
Threat Indicator 37-38,81
Threat Warning Light 81
Threat Warning System 81
Throttle 25,49
Trigger 2250
Trim control 52
Turn radius 26,114-115
Variable Scissors (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
Velocity Vector 61,68,77
Venus Flytrap 104
Vertical Loop (see Air Combat Maneuvers)
View weapons stores 48,50
Waterline 18
Wheel Brakes 13,25,48,50,87
Yaw 61
Yaw/Pitch Control 52
Zoom 48,51
Additional Reading
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is an abundance of good books on the market that explain the F-16 and
jet fighter technology in greater detail than is possible in this Flight
Manual. The following is a representative list of those books.
Basel,G.I. Pak Six (A story of the war in the skies of North Vietnam). La
Mesa, CA: Associated Creative Writers, 1982.
Drendel, Lou. F-16 Fighting Falcon in Action (Aircraft No. 53). Carrollton,
TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1982.
Gunston, Bill. F-16 Fighting Falcon (Modern Combat Aircraft 16).
Shepperton, Surrey, England: Ian Allan Ltd, 1983. Distributed in the USA by
Motorbooks International Publishers and Wholesalers Inc. of Osceola, WI.
Gunston, Bill. Mikoyan MiG-21. London, England: Osprey Publishing Limited,
1986. Distributed in the USA by Motorbooks International Publishers and
Wholesalers Inc. of Osceola, WI.
Gunston, Bill, and Mike Spick. Modern Air Combat. London, United Kingdom:
Salamander Books Ltd., 1983. Published in the USA by Crescent Books,
distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc., of New York, NY.
Mason R.A. Air Power: An Overview of Roles. London, England: Brassey's
Defence Publishers Ltd., 1987.
Richardson, Doug. An Illustrated Guide to the Techniques and Equipment of
Electronic Warfare. London, United Kingdom: Salamander Books Ltd., 1985.
Published in the USA by Arco Publishing, Inc. of New York, NY.
Richardson, Doug. F-16 Fighting Falcon (Modern Fighting Aircraft, Volume
2). London, United Kingdom: Salamander Books Ltd., 1983. Published in the
USA by Arco Publishing, Inc. of New York, NY.
Shaw, Robert L. Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering. Annapolis, MD:
Naval Institute Press, 1985.
Sims, Edward H. Fighter Tactics and Strategy, 1914-1970. Fallbrook, CA:
Aero Publishers, 1980.
Walker, J.R. Air-to-Ground Operations. London, England: Brassey's Defence
Publishers Ltd., 1987.
The quote on the FALCON Flight Manual title page is taken from the above
listed title Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering, by Robert L. Shaw.
The remainder are in the public domain or have unknown origins.
HOOK'S GUIDE TO FIGHTER JOCKEY TERMINOLOGY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This list was compiled for us by Lt. Col. B. Hukee, a F-16 pilot. This list
is good for use when trying to impress friends and applying for TOP GUN
school.
Action - The point of the IP to Target run where the pre-briefed pop-up
manuever is begun... Officer's club on Friday.
Admin Formation - A non-tactical formation with the wingman far enough out
to be able to do cockpit duties.
Angels - Altitude in thousands of feet... "Viper is at angels 23"
(23,000)... U.S. Navy demo team.
Ballistic - Used to describe someone who is mad or who is off doing his own
thing, as in, "that jerk, Bob has gone ballistic." - Also used to describe
a heater (Sidewinder/AIM-9) or Maverick that doesn't guide. Never used to
describe F-16 BCM maneuver - See unload and extend.
BFM - Basic Fighter Maneuvers. What you do to kill the other guy once you
are in visual fight. - implies single ship.
Bingo - Fuel level is such that immediate RTB is required.
Bomb Check - After dropping live bombs, a flight will rejoin to close
(finger tip) formation to check for damage... not a good time to pass
important info.
Break Turn (Break) - A turn of 6+ Gs used to defeat an enemy missile or
fighter gun attack.
Charlie - Cool pilot talk for Yes... little bad guy. "That's a charlie."
Check Turn - A short, crisp hard turn of specified number of degrees...
"Viper 2, check 10 right."
Cons - Contrails... "The cons are at 35."
Cross turn - A 180 degree turn from speed toward each other... also Deep-6,
Hard-6.
Delta Sierra - Dog Excrement or bad as in "The weather is Delta Sierra."
DTOS - Dive Toss: Backup computed bombing mode in F-16 and A-7 (generally
less accurate than CCIP) Only computed mode in older F-4's as in "It's time
to get serious about Dive Toss."
Extend - Go faster straight ahead as in "Viper, extend." (See Unload)
Extended Trail - Trail flown up to 3000 feet back... usually tactical. (See
Trail)
Fighting Wing - A "tactical" formation where 2 flies in a 60 degree cone
behind lead from 500 to 1500 feet back... developed during Korean war. (See
Delta Sierra)
Finger Tip - A non-tactical formation used on initial and in the weather in
non-tactical situations
Fox 1 - Training radio calls that tells the opponent and friendlies that
you have fired a radar missile. (Not applicable for F-16)
Fox 2 - Training radio call that tells the opponent and friendlies that you
have shot a heat seaker (Sidewinder). If both Limas and J's are loaded,
"Fox 2 Lima" is used to differentiate.
Fox 3 - Training radio call that tells the opponent and friendlies that you
have fired your gun. Not used as much as "Tracking, tracking, tracking."
Foxtrot Uniform - Screwed Up as in "My radar is Foxtrot Uniform." (See
Tango Uniform)
Good Landing - One you walk away from.
Hard Turn - A turn of 4-6 G's used when a break turn is not required. Used
to turn while conserving energy.
I-Place90/180(R/L) - A 90 degree or 180 degree turn from speed leaving
formation in trail (90 degree) or spread (180 degree).
[Page]
InterFlight - A call that says the last radio call you heard was not
intended for you as in "Viper, say again." "Brewery, disregard. Viper was
interflight."
Joker - Fuel level is such that plans for egress and RTB are begun.
Locked - A call indicating a radar lock-on or Maverick lock-on.
Manual - (as in 2 is going to manual) To bomb without the system (computer)
like we used to do all of the time. Also can refer to a manual radio
frequency. (See Delta Sierra.)
Mover - A moving target on the ground as in "Viper has a mover 2 klicks
west moving east." Clear him on it; he wouldn't have pointed it out if he
didn't want to hit it.
No Joy - I don't see it (wingie, lead target, etc.) The opposite of no Joy
is NOT joy!
NORDO - No Radio as in "Viper one is NORDO."
Ops Check - A cockpit check of engine, fuel, oxygen, etc. as in "Viper ops
check, one has 34."
Overshoot - To fly outside the flight path of another aircraft. (See Delta
Sierra)
Padlocked - I can't look away or I will lose tally.
Pigeons - Bearing and range: What direction and how far? as in "Brewery 20
give me pigeons to Nellis." Not used much anymore.
Pitch (Back) (R/L) - Climbing hard turn (usually 180 degrees) as in "Viper,
pitch right."
Pitch Out - A 180 degree turn to downwind executed over the end of the
runway.
Puke - An insult to another pilot. An Eagle driver to a F-16 driver could
be referred to as a twin engine puke.
Push-it-Up - Add power.
Reverse - Reverse direction of the turn as in "Viper 2, reverse left!"
Roger
Roger that - I heard and understood your last transmission. (See Wilco)
Route - A non-tactical formation flown 2 to 4 ship-widths apart.
Scissors - An air-to-air situation where two aircraft attempt to slow down
to get behind the other.
Shackle - A formation maneuver where flight members change sides by turning
toward each other... used to check 6. Sometimes called Weave.
Shooter-Cover - A tactic where the wingman (cover) will stay back to
protect leader (shooter).
Sierra Hotel - Shit Hot, good, as in "The weather is Sierra Hotel."
Slice (Back) (R/L) - Descending hard turn, usually 180 degrees, as in
"Viper, slice back left..."
Socked In - Weathered in, unable to fly, as in "The A-10s are socked in at
Nellis." (See Delta Sierra)
Speed of Heat - Somewhere between the speed of sound and the speed of
light. Often used when egressing the target are:; the folks back there are
no doubt angry and you want to put as much distance between them and your
jet as quickly as possible. Also used to beat the crowed to Happy Hour at
O'Club.
Spread - A tactical formation where fighters fly 6000 to 9000 feet line
abreast... defensive in nature... not well suited to very low altitudes
(less than 200')
Tactical Formation - A formation flown in tactical situations, such as
spread.
Tac Wing - A semi-tactical formation with the wingman 2000 feet + line
abreast.
Tally (ho) - I see it (wingie, lead, target, etc.)... sometimes means
bandit only. (See Visual)
Tango Uniform - Tits Up, as in "My FM radio is Tango Uniform." (See Foxtrot
Uniform)
Trall - A formation where 2 flies less than 500 feet behind lead (avoiding
dead 6)... may be either tactical or non-tactical. (See Extended Trail)
Tumbleweed - I am out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas... No tally, no
visual, no clue! (See Delta Sierra)
Unload - Push forward on the stick to reduce drag in order to accelerate.
Visual - "I see whatever it is you are describing." Sometimes used to mean
"I see my Wingie (or lead)" as opposed to Tally which then means "I see the
bandit." (See Tally)
Wedge - A tactical formation where the wingman flies on a 45 degree line
back from the leader... offensive in Nature... good at very low altitudes.
Wilco - I will comply with your instructions. (See Roger)
Winchester - Out of ordnance.
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