MiG-29 Fulcrum - Manual
FOREWORD by JOHN FARLEY - Test Pilot
Ever since the MiG-29 was first displayed in public at the Farnborough'88
airshow I've wanted to test fly the plane to see for myself how it handled.
At Farnborough'90 I met Mikhail Waldenburg, chief designer for the Mikoyan
Bureau, and Valery Menitsky, chief test pilot, to discuss the plane's
aerodynamic achievements. Valery then offered me the chance of a lifetime -
a flight in their two-seater to see how their plane flew. I wasn't
disappointed, after years testing aircraft such as the Harrier for British
Aerospace, the MiG-29 proved one of the most exhilarating flights I've ever
had.
Now with Domark's MiG-29 Fulcrum flight simulation, you can experience the
nearest thing to actually flying the plane; this is no over-simplified game -
I was surprised at how accurate the model is. Practise flying using the
combined 'angle of attack' and 'g' meter. But remember, too much 'g' and
you'll lose your colour vision or, worse, black out - real features copied
from the MiG-29 for the simulation.
The Soviet plane has several important features which make it different from
British and American fighters. For example, on the Russian display of
altitude, the little plane symbol banks in the instrumental panel as you turn
(whereas with western avionics, the plane symbol is fixed and only the
background banks).
I was pleased to see that the model reacted very realistically during
testing. When flying, note how the high thrust and low drag of this
remarkable machine allows it to accelarate at low level during a 9g turn -
just like the real thing.
Try your hand at air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. But recognise that
while you train and take risks, real MiG-29 pilots have only one life!
Good luck and good flying.
John Farley
P.S.: Do try the tailside - a feature unique to the MiG-29 air display
routine. Start from level flight at 500kph, pull to the vertical and hold
it. Close the throttles and wait until you slide back. To recover, pull the
stick back until the nose starts to come down, at which point you should
apply full power, relax the stick and accelerate away.
INTRODUCTION
THE SOVIET AIRFORCE: AN OVERVIEW
When Hitler's forces rolled into the Soviet Union in 1941, the Soviet
defenses were literally overwhelmed by the suddeness of the attack.
Thousands of Soviet warplanes were destroyed - caught unprotected by the
swiftness of the Blitzkrieg. But the Soviets worked day and night to replace
the lost aircraft, even during air-raids! Much of the manufacturing was
moved eastwards away from the frontline, out of bomber reach. Perhaps it is
this economy of design, born out of necessity as supplies of raw materials
became even more difficult, that still pervades the Soviet aircraft design
philosophy.
Traditionally, Soviet fighter designs are produced by the Design Bureaux
(OKB's) to fulfill a requirement published by the central bureau. The most
famous of these in the West is the Mikoyan and Guryevich Design Bureau known
more commonly as MiG. Sukhoi and Yakovlev (SU and TU) are also prominent if
a little less known counterparts. The word MiG has become synonymous with
the Soviet airforce or WS as it is known, due to the exploits, in export
form, of its planes in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Regardless of the
design studio, all Soviet aircraft share a common ideology - simplicity of
design, ease of maintainance, toughness and where possible the ability to
operate from rough unpaved airstrips of the shortest possible length. The
MiG-29 for example, can take off from a strip of only 240 metres! (787 ft),
the American F16 by comparison typically needs twice this.
WS cadets who pass the rigorous weeding-out process typically begin their
jet-propelled flying career on an L29 jet trainer. These are flight
instructor controlled flights (FIC), but gradually pupils will do more and
more of the flying until, after a year's intensive training, they graduate
from the Gugarin Higher Aviation Academy. Pilots are then sent to
operational conversion units where they learn to fly supersonic planes such
as the MiG-21, a MACH 2 fighter whose role the MiG-29 was designed to
replace. The MiG-21 is encountered in this simulation in its export form -
the Chinese built Shenyang F-7M.
Soviet training has traditionally concentrated on the basics of flying -
formation flying, low level navigation and rigid regime of tactical combat
flying. Historically this has led to criticism of soviet Air Combat
Manoeuvres (ACM), as being too rigid and inflexible during actual combat -
'Show a soviet pilot initiative, and the next thing you know he's landing in
Japan' as the joke goes - a reference to the famous defection of MiG-25
pilot, Lt Belyenko to Japan in 1976. This inflexibility has had more to do
with the aircrafts' relative inferiority at dogfighting than any lack of
ability on the part of the pilots. Recent advances in Soviet Aerodynamics in
the shape of the MiG-29 and the SU-27 however, will probably lead to a new
style of flying being taught at soviet air academies, although whether this
will result in American - style 'Top Gun' schools remains to be seen.
The Soviet Airforce is known as the WS (Voyenno - Vosdushnye Sily) and is
itself divided into two main divisions, the FA (Frontovaya Aviatsiya, or
frontal aviation) which is the tactical wing and the DA (Dalnya Aviatsiya,
long-range aviation) which is the strategic air arm.
THE SIMULATION
In this simulation you will operate the MiG-29 initially as a pilot
undergoing conversion training, before achieving combat status. In combat
you will fly the MiG in a variety of locations within the Soviet sphere of
influence. Each scenario has its own challenge and therefor tests the pilot
in different areas of skill - air to air, air to ground, unguided missile
attack and of course cannon.
Don't forget to use your MiG's amazing manoeuvrability to dodge missiles,
deploy chaff to confuse radar guided missiles and flares for IR guided air to
air missiles. Remember to study the performance characteristics of the
aircraft you encounter - A 'Mirage' is a much more formidable opponent than a
'Shenyang'!
NOTE
If you have 1MB of memory then you can select 32 colour display. On 512K
machines select 16 colour display, on NTSC or 512K machines select 200 lines.
That's a lot of options so here they are fully listed:
512K machines:
PAL 200 line 16 Colour (fastest)
NTSC 200 line 16 Colour (fastest)
1MB machines:
PAL 200 line 16 Colour (fastest)
256 line 16 Colour (bigger screen)
256 line 32 colour (best display)
NTSC 200 line 16 Colour (fastest)
200 line 32 Colour (better display)
QUICK START
MISSION SELECTION:
Selecting an option
You are placed in a briefing room with your options shown on a whiteboard.
You may select an option with the number keys (1 to 7) or using the cursor
keys (up/down). To confirm a choice press Enter or Space.
Scenario Summary
1. Basic Training.
Some ground targets and a safe enemy aircraft to practise dogfights.
2. Artic scenario.
A submarine to photograph and some 'Harriers' as opposition.
3. Chinese scenario.
Dogfighting with 'Shenyang' fighters over Great Wall.
4. Oil field Scenario.
An island with storage silos, some oil rigs and ships with SAMs and
anti-aircraft guns.
5. Anti-terrorist ground attack scenario.
Bridges, trucks, SAMs, train, buildings.
6. Final scenario.
Multi-role combat in the desert. Destruction of nuclear power plant.
Pilots Log
You may enter yourself in the pilot's log.
Dying
In the training scenario dying puts you back on the runway. In all the
remaining scenarios dying is terminal! You are placed back in the briefing
room.
Debriefing
You may enter the briefing room during a mission (provided that you have
landed) for a debrief of the current state of play by pressing CTRL-D. To
continue the mission press SPACE to re-enter the game from the briefing room.
CONTROLS
Head Up Display
H - Hud on/off
Flight Controls
E - Engine on/off
= - Throttle up
- - Throttle down
SHIFT + - Full power
SHIFT - - Idle power
L - Landing gear
W - Wheel brake
B - Air brakes
CTRL-E - Emergency Eject
Control Stick
CTRL-L - Selects analogue joystick
ALT-J - Selects switched joystick
CTRL-K - Selects keyboard
CTRL-L - Selects mouse
CTRL-Z - Calibrate analogue joystick (move stick to extremes, press
fire button to exit).
Keyboard Controls
LEFT ARROW - Roll left
RIGHT ARROW - Roll right
DOWN ARROW - Pitch up
UP ARROW - Pitch down
PAD 0 - Centre
Z - Joystick centre
1, 2, 3, - Joystick control power
PAD + - Pitch trim up
PAD - - Pitch trim down
PAD * - Zero pitch trim
<, > - Rudder
Weapons System
Cannon always available
S-240 unguided rockets
AA-8 'Aphid' heat seeking air to air missile HUD marker turns red for good
lock.
AS-7 'Kerry' air to surface heat seeking missile. The target for guided
weapons must be selected before launch.
DELETE - Fire Cannon
BACKSPACE - Select Weapon
RETURN - Select Target
SPACE - Fire Weapon
F - Drop Flares
C - Drop Chaff
Aircraft System
A - Autostab on/off
/ - Cycle radar range
SIMULATION CONTROLS
Sounds
N - Engine noise on/off
Q - All noise on/off
Views: Key in () are active when flying from the keyboard
PAD 8 (F8) - Forward view with head down display
PAD 5 (F5) - Forward view without head down display
PAD 9 (F9) - Forward right
PAD 6 (F6) - Right
PAD 3 (F3) - Rear right
PAD 2 (F2) - Rear left
PAD 4 (F4) - Left
PAD 7 (F7) - Forward left
V - MiG outside view
O - Tower View
M - Missile View
J - Jump to enemy view
P - Pause on/off
X - Fast time on/off
[ - Toggle hedges
CTRL-D - Debrief (only when on runways)
ESC - End Game
NAVIGATION
You have four waypoints preset for each scenario
Waypoint ZERO is always over your home base
Waypoints ONE, TWO and THREE are set over enemy targets
Select waypoint (;), this cycles through the waypoints
There is a red steering pointer in the heading tape in the HUD.
There is a combined direction/range pointer in the head down compass, a red
LED just to the right shows the currently selected waypoint.
BRIEFING
When MiG-29 has been loaded you will find yourself in the briefing room. The
pre-flight briefing allows you to choose which mission you wish to undertake.
The missions available are projected onto a whiteboard in the briefing room,
the selected mission is highlighted. There is considerable competition
between the elite pilots of the MiG-29 squadron, this is reflected by a pilot
ranking table which is maintained in the briefing room. To enter the ranking
select the PILOTs option.
SELECTING A MISSION
On startup the training mission is selected. You may select an option on the
whiteboard using the number keys (1-7) or with the up/down cursor keys.
To begin the selected mission press RETURN or SPACE.
During the loading sequence for each mission a scene setting picture is
displayed. (With the exception of training which will take you straight to
the runway).
The missions available are:
Training
Solo Codename 'Blue SeaSprite'
Codename 'Yellow Dragon'
Codename 'White Pegasus'
Codename 'Red Witch'
Final (you must attain a certain score to fly this mission).
More details about each mission may be found in the MISSIONS chapter
PILOT RANKING
To enter the pilot ranking system select PILOTS and press return, the current
rankings will be projected onto the whiteboard. You may enter the rankings
by selecting the 'New Pilot' (6) option and entering your name (max 10
characters).
You may play as a ranked pilot by selecting a pilot (1-5). The ranking table
is saved to disk every time you display the table or, if you are flying as a
ranked pilot, each time you exit a mission.
DISPLAY AND CONTROLS
Flight Instruments
The primary instruments provide the pilot with all the crucial information
required to fly the plane. This information is projected onto the Head Up
Display, where it is instantly available. The head down display contain a
set of instruments which duplicate this information. They are called
reversionary instruments, because they provide backups in case of HUD
failure.
MiG-29 Head Up Display Unit
+----------------------------------------+
| HEAD UP DISPLAY |
| Airspeed Heading |
| (Km/hr____________|__________________ |
| \ |06 09 12 I |
| 1206 | | 420<----Altitude
| Waypoint |
| Direction |
| {}_ >+< Indicator |
| / | |
| / - | \__LFD ] |
|Pitch \ | |-VSI |
|bars \ | | |
| -|-- Velocity Vector |
| G |
| \ |
| 2 2 |
| \ |
| AOA |
+----------------------------------------+
The MiG-29 HUD has a narrow field of view. It has been praised for the
manner in which it presents complex data in a simple and easily
understandable way.
ALTITUDE
Vertical height above the ground is shown in metres.
AIRSPEED
Airspeed is shown in Kilometres per hour (100Km/h = 54knots).
PITCH BARS
The pitch bars stay parallel with the ground at all times. You can therefor
use them to recover from unusual altitudes and to keep your wings level when
the horizon is not visible. The lines are 10 degree intervals with a cross
at 90 degrees. When you see the cross you are either heading straight up or
straight down.
VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator)
This shows your rate of climb or descent. It is especially useful when
turning steeply near the ground. The VSI has two fixed markers in it, the
upper marker is the centre point (zero rate of climb), the lower marker is
the maximum rate of descent which the MiG can tolerate on landing.
LFD
The Longitudinal Fuselage Datum marker shows the direction the nose is
pointing.
G
This shows the G-force currently on the MiG. The MiG-29 service limit is
9.5g, however the airframe can stand considerably more.
AOA (Angle of Attack)
The angle of attack is the angle between the direction of the airflow
approaching the aircraft and a line joining the leading and trailing edges of
the wing. For normal flight AOA is red lined at 26 degrees on the MiG-29,
however the airframe will remain controllable at higher AOA for short periods
of time.
The lift generated by the wings is dependant upon this angle. If the angle
is too high the wing stalls, lift is reduced dramatically and control of the
aircraft may be lost. Conventional wings may stall at AOA of less than 20
degrees.
VELOCITY VECTOR
This red marker shows the direction the MiG is flying.
HEADING
The horizontal band across the top of the HUD shows the current heading in
tens of degrees. 00 is north, 90 is east, 27 is west and 18 is south.
WAYPOINT DIRECTION INDICATORS
This red marker in the heading band shows the heading to the currently
selected waypoint. To fly to that waypoint you should turn until the marker
is directly above the central tick.
HUD on/off 'H'
Turns the head up display system on/off, when the display is off (or damaged)
a revisionary LFD will be projected onto the HUD.
REVISIONARY FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
ALTITUDE
Vertical height above the ground is shown in metres. One revolution of the
needle is 1000M, the thousands of metres are shown as digits in the centre of
the dial.
AIRSPEED
Airspeed is shown in Kilometres per hour (100Km = 54knots)
ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND TURN
This is a uniquely Soviet instrument. It shows the pitch and roll elements
of your altitude separately on the same instrument. The pitch element is
shown on a rotating cylinder as horuzontal lines which move up and down in
the display. Flying flat (zero pitch) puts the zero degree line in the
centre of the dial. The roll element of your altitude is shown by a bar
rotating about the centre of the dial.
Traditional western artificial horizons use rotating roll lines free floating
in pitch (as in MiG HUD).
VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator)
This shows your rate of climb or descent.
AOA/G
Combined angle of attack and G meter. AOA shows on the left half of the
dial, it is redlined to 26 degrees. G is shown on the right side of the
dial, it registers 0->9G's
ENGINE INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
ENGINE GAUGE
This pair of bars shows the engine rpm's. There are three colour bands.
Yellow is the idle band, green is the normal operation band. Red shows the
afterburners are on.
FUEL
This gauge shows the amount of fuel left. There is also a low fuel warning
lamp.
ENGINE: 'E'
Turns engine on/off. The engine must be started before the throttle control
work. You must switch the engine off after landing to refuel and rearm.
THROTTLE UP: '='
Increases throttle. When throttle is at maximum throttling up further turns
on the afterburners.
THROTTLE DOWN: '-'
Decreases throttle
FULL POWER: Shift '+'
Sets throttle to maximum. Does not turn on afterburners.
IDLE POWER: Shift '-'
Sets the throttle to minimum. The engines will die.
HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS
The Hyraulic indicator shows the position of the hydraulically driven systems
on the aircraft.
INDICATOR
WHEEL BRAKES
This single green light indicates that the wheel brakes are applied.
GEAR POSITION
Three greens show that the landing gear is down. The indicators show red
when the gear is retracted.
AIR BRAKES
Two greens show that the airbrakes are applied.
FLAPS
Two greens show that the flaps are extended.
CONTROLS
LANDING GEAR: 'L'
The landing gear produces a great deal of drag and should be raised for
normal flight to increase performance. You will not be able to lower or
raise the landing gear after hydraulic system failure. It is possible to
land with the gear up if the descent rate is very low and the wings are
almost level.
WHEEL BRAKES: 'W'
The wheel brakes work on all wheels and are needed for slowing down after
landings. You must release the brakes before starting your takeoff. A
useful technique is to throttle up to full power before releasing the brakes
as this reduces your takeoff run.
AIR BRAKES: 'B'
The airbrakes provide extra drag. This helps you to reduce speed which can
be useful while in a steep ground attack or when you are too fast on a
landing approach. Slowing down reduces your turning circle, which makes the
air brakes useful in dogfights.
EMERGENCY EJECT: 'CTRL-E'
If you lose control of your aircraft - 2 missile hits or low altitude stall,
you can eject to safety by pressing CTRL-E. After a few moments the
parachute will open and you will begin to spin to the ground. You can still
look round using the Pad/Function keys. Press SPACE to exit and return to
the briefing room.
FLAPS
Two green's indicate that the flaps are out. The flaps increase the drag and
lift of the wing, effectively braking the aircraft and increasing its
performance at low speed. The flaps automatically extend below an airspeed
of 250 knots.
FLIGHT CONTROLS
CONTROL STICK
The joystick is used to control the orientation and the direction of the
plane in the air. You may choose between a number of ways of controlling the
joystick from your computer.
1. Keyboard.
2. Mouse.
3. Switched game joystick.
4. Analogue joystick.
The control selected at startup is PC-Joystick.
To change the input
CTRL-J selects analogue joystick.
ALT-J selects switched joystick.
CTRL-K selects keyboard.
CTRL-L selects mouse
CTRL-Z: calibrate analogue joystick (move stick to extremes, press fire
button to exit).
KEYBOARD
The arrow keys are use to control the joystick.
/\
Pitch / \
Down / \
/__ _\
| |
+---------------+
| +----+ +----+ |
| | | | | |
Cannon------> | | <------Rocket
| | | | | |
| +----+ +----+ |
/| | | |\
/ +----| |----+ \
\ +----| |----+ /
\| | | |/
Roll | | Roll right
Left +---------------+
| |
---+ +--- Pitch up
\ /
\ /
\ /
\/
MOUSE
The mouse is used to represent an aircraft joystick. Imagine that the mouse
is the top of the joystick. Pushing the mouse away lowers the nose of the
aircraft, pulling it towards you raises the nose. Moving the mouse left
rolls left and moving right rolls right.
The neutral position is wherever the mouse started and it must be returned to
this position for no control input. The joystick position indicators on the
display are useful for fine centering of the mouse. It takes a while to get
used to using the mouse, but once mastered the extra control and precision
makes the keyboard or switched joystick control seem inadequate.
SWITCHED JOYSTICK
A switched joystick provides a crude but intuitive way of controlling the
game. It requires no calibration.
ANALOGUE JOYSTICK
An analogue joystick is the most realistic way of controlling the game, it
provides an accurate and intuitive input. You will have to calibrate your
analogue joystick before use, this can be done from within the game by
pressing CTRL-Z whilst on the runway. Move the joystick to all extremes,
press a key on the joystick to end the calibration.
JOYSTICK CENTRE: 'Z'
This centres the joystick, it is most useful with the mouse.
JOYSTICK CONTROL POWER: Main keyboard '1, 2, 3,'
You can choose the mouse control response that is best for your flight mode
and experience. Low power (1) is useful for training, normal power (2) is
useful for most flying, high power (3) is best for dogfights but makes
precise control difficult.
PITCH TRIM
Pitch Trim up: 'PAD +'
Pitch Trim down: 'PAD -'
Zero Pitch Trim: 'PAD *'
RUDDER '<', '>'
The rudder has two uses. On the ground the rudder input is used to control
nose wheel steering. In the air the rudder turns the aircraft without roll,
but the effect is small. You can use the rudder for small aiming corrections
while attacking ground targets and for final heading correction while
landing.
WEAPONS SYSTEM
CANNON
The MiG-29 is armed with a 23mm cannon, used for air combat and ground
attack. The cannon fires about 1000 rounds per minute and is initially
loaded with 250 rounds. The number of rounds left is shown at the top of the
stores display.
AIR-TO-SURFACE ROCKETS
The MiG-29 is armed with unguided rockets housed in rocket pods, these are
used in its ground attack role. You are initially armed with 36 S-240
unguided rockets, these are fired two at a time.
AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES
Your MiG is supplied with the AA-8 'Aphid' dogfighting missile. The Aphid is
a sophisticated modern heat seeking air to air missile. Your MiG is armed
with up to four Aphids on the outboard wing pylons. On mainly air attack
missions an additional two Aphids are mounted on the inboard pylons.
AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSILES
For the MiG's ground attack role it is armed with AS-7 'Kerry' air to ground
guided missiles. The Kerry missiles are loaded on the four inboard wing
pylons. On missions with mainly ground attack targets an additional two
AS-7's are mounted on the outboard pylons.
HELMET MOUNTED DISPLAY
The MiG-29 has a helmet mounted sighting system displaying current weapon
status and missile 'lock' in the pilot's helmet. The sighting system allows
true offboresight missile firing capability, freeing the pilot from the
necessity of pointing the nose of the aircraft at the target to lock it up.
WEAPON SELECT
This shows the currently selected weapon. The MiG is armed with S-240
unguided rockets, AA-8 'Aphid' air-to-air missiles and AS-7'Kerry' air-to-
surface missiles.
TRACK BOX
When a guided missile is selected and a target is being tracked a track box
is displayed outlining the target.
SELECTING WEAPONS
The cannon is always selected on the primary fire control. One of the S-
240/AA-8/AS-7 may be selected on the secondary fire control. The selected
secondary weapon is shown in the helmet mounted display.
Fire cannon: 'Joystick or Mouse button 1 or DELETE
Select Secondary Weapon: 'BACKSPACE'
This cycles the currently selected weapon S-240-> AA-8-> AS-7
Select Target: 'RETURN'
If the secondary weapon selected is a guided missile (AA-8/AS-7) the weapon
system must attain a 'lock' on a target before a missile can be fired.
Pressing RETURN when a target is selected deselects it.
The target only stays selected for a limited time (-30 seconds).
Fire secondary weapon: 'Joystick or Mouse button 2' or SPACE
S-240 - fires two rockets.
AA-8 - if target is selected fires one air-to-air missile.
AS-7 - if target is selected fires one air-to-ground missile.
COUNTERMEASURES
The MiG-29 countermeasures system comprises Flare and Chaff launchers.
Flares are used to decoy heat seeking missiles. Chaff is used to confuse
radar guided missiles.
DROP FLARES: 'F'
4 Flares are dropped.
DROP CHAFF: 'C'
Chaff is dropped 8 units at a time.
AIRCRAFT SYSTEM
WARNING LAMPS
These are situated on the right side of the cockpit. There are two banks of
lamps, 4 failure indicators and 4 warning indicators.
FAILURE LAMPS:
HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FAILURE
This indicates that the hydraulic system has been damaged, your landing gear
and air brakes will remain in their current positions. You should attempt
landing for repair.
NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILURE
The navigation computer has malfunctioned or been damaged.
RADAR/IR FAILURE
The radar and/or IR system has suffered a failure. You may lose some or all
of the information displayed on the radar/IR display.
HUD FAILURE
The head up display computer has been damaged, you will have no head up
display.
LOW ALTITUDE:
STALL
The aircraft is in a stall
LOW FUEL
Low fuel warning. Return to base for refuelling
AUTOSTAB
Autostab on when indicator is lit.
THE AUTOSTABALISER
Your MiG-29 is fitted with an autostabalising system. The autostabaliser
enhances the aircrafts stability. This makes it return straight and level
flight although you can still fly in the normal way. You should use the
autostab while you gain experience and it will always be useful for long
distance straight and level flying. For combat the autostab hinders
aerobatic manoeuvres and should be switched off.
Autostab on/off 'A'
NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The MiG-29 compass is a rotating ball with the heading marked in tens of
degrees. Your current heading is shown in the centre of the ball. This
compass duplicates the heading band in the head up.
The MiG-29 inertial navigation system has 4 waypoints which are preset before
each mission. The cockpit display consists of a pointer overlayed on the
compass dial. The direction of the pointer indicates the relative bearing to
the waypoint. The pointer is half green and half red with the green half
indicating the direction to fly. When the green pointer is oriented directly
North then you are on course for the waypoint. A white bar crosses the
pointer indicating the distance to the waypoint. When the bar is at tyhe end
of the pointer the waypoint is 25KM or more away. When the bar crosses the
centre of the pointer you are directly over the waypoint. The relative
bearing to the current waypoint is also indicated by the red steering
indicator in the head up display.
WAYPOINT SELECTED
This single digit shows the current waypoint selected. There are 4 waypoints
(0-3) which are preset before flight.
WAYPOINT CYCLE ';'
This cycles the currently selected waypoint 0-> 1-> 2-> 3-> 0->. The
currently selected waypoint is displayed on the head down display.
RADAR AND INFRA RED SYSTEMS
The combined radar and Infra Red display is situated at the top right of the
cockpit. It displays the information obtained from the forward looking radar
and all around IR sensors.
The radar covers a 90 degree forward cone with maximum range of 30
kilometres. The radar range is selectable from 30km, 15km, and 8km; the
range is shown at the bottom left of the display.
The Infra Red sensors provide all round directional information, but not
range IRals are shown as spokes on the radar.
CYCLE RADAR RANGE '/'
This cycles the current radar range (Km) 30->15->8->30. The current range is
shown in the radar display.
SIMULATION CONTROLS
SOUNDS
Engine noise on/off: 'N'
All noise on/off: 'Q'
VIEWS
Views from aircraft;
The numeric keypad is used to select all round views from the plane.
PAD 8 - Forward view with heads down display.
PAD 5 - Forward view without head down display.
PAD 8/5
PAD 7 PAD 9
PAD 4 PAD 6
PAD 1 PAD 3
PAD 2
If the keyboard is being used as the primary control input then the function
keys control the outside views.
F8 - Forward view with head down display
F5 - Forward view without head down display
F9 - Forward right F6 - Right
F3 - Rear Right F2 - Rear
F1 - Rear Left F4 - Left
F7 - Forward Left
VIEW CONTROLS
MIG OUTSIDE VIEW ON/OFF: 'V'
This places you outside the aircraft. The relative position of the viewer to
the aircraft can be controlled on the numeric keypad (or Function keys) as
above.
MISSILE VIEW: 'M'
If a guided missile is in flight this shows the view from the missile's
infra-red eye.
While you are looking from the missile's point of view you are still in
control of your own aircraft. It is advisable to be in straight and level
flight before selecting another view!
JUMP TO ENEMY VIEW: 'J'
This allows you to see the world from the enemy's point of view. If an enemy
target is selected (air or ground) by the weapons system 'J' will jump to the
enemy view. It is most entertaining to select an enemy plane whilest
dogfighting and follow his manoeuvres!
CONTROL TOWER VIEW: 'O'
This selects a view of your aircraft from your home runway. You can fly the
MiG-29 like a radio controlled aircraft! The control tower view
automatically zooms in on you when you fly away from the tower. The maximum
range is 10km.
OTHER CONTROLS
DEBRIEF: 'CTRL-D'
This places you in the briefing room for a post mission debrief. You can
only be debriefed after you have landed on the runway.
PAUSE ON/OFF: 'P'
FAST TIME ON: 'X'
Turning on fast time speeds up the simulation for the entire game by a factor
of 3.
DEBRIEFING
You can enter the briefing room for a debrief at any time during a mission
(provided that you have landed).
Your mission debrief informs you if your mission is complete, and if not how
many targets remain. Your current score is also shown.
To continue the mission press RETURN or SPACE to get to the briefing room and
RETURN or SPACE again to restart.
DYING
In the unfortunate event of your crashing or being shot down the screen
blacks out and a death screen appears describing the reason for your crash.
You are then placed in the briefing room.
MISSIONS
The missions available in MiG-29 are:
TRAINING
SOLO: Codename 'Blue SeaSprite'
Codename 'Yellow Dragon'
Codename 'White Pegasus'
Codename 'Red Witch'
FINAL Codename 'Desert Strike'
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Each mission features an aspect of flying the MiG-29 and demands a different
level of pilot skill. In the training missions a high level of skill is not
required giving you the opportunity to learn in a benign enviroment. The
solo missions each feature a different aspect of flying the MiG-29 and all
require similar levels of skill. The Final game requires skill in all areas
of combat.
TRAINING MISSIONS
'You're welcome to the Elite Pilots' School'
Welcome to the pilots' school at Orzusk Aerodrome. As one of the elite group
of cadets chosen to train on the prestigious MiG-29 you will be under a lot
of pressure to perform well during your training and go on to one of the many
MiG-29 squadrons around the USSR.
Once you have completed the training missions you will be assigned a number
of missions based on real-world scenarios which must be completed
successfully. Each scenario is designed to test one particular area of the
MiG-29's theatre of operations, and your skill in completing these missions
will dictate how soon you can pass on to join the elite cadre of MiG-29
veterans.
THE TRAINING SCENARIO
The training scenario features a number of elements to introduce you to the
capabilities of the MiG-29. There is a firing range designed to exercise use
of your 23mm cannon and unguided rockets. the lake has targets for your
guided air to surface missiles. There are a number of manoeuvring and non-
manoeuvring air drones allowing you to learn the art of dog-fighting with.
Each of these elements is marked with a waypoint preset in thye navigation
computer.
Waypoint 0 Home runway (one)
Waypoint 1 Firing range.
Waypoint 2 Lake.
Waypoint 3 Runway two.
Your training will require the completion of the following tasks. (If you do
not master these skills in training you will certainly die when you attempt a
solo mission - but you are free to try!)
SUGGESTED TRAINING PROGRAMME:
Takeoff, perform a controlled turn and land on visuals.
Takeoff, fly to firing range (waypoint 1), destroy targets, return (waypoint
0)
Takeoff, fly to lake (waypoint 2), use AS-7s to destroy targets, return and
land.
Takeoff, fly to next airfield (waypoint 3), engage enemy drones using AA-8s
and land on runway two.
SOLO MISSIONS
CODENAME 'BLUE SEASPRITE'
The counter-intelligence analysis section of the GRU has intercepted American
communications traffic indicating that two days ago a Dallas 'Boomer' class
ICBM submarine developed a reactor fault and has had to surface. It is now
trapped in ice but latest weather estimates suggest that the ice will start
breaking up in the next twenty-four hours. The submarine is trapped INSIDE
NATO territorial waters and consequently is unapproachable by one of our
Russian sea based fleet. A continual heavy cloud layer prevents the use of
spy satellites to photograph the submarine. This is too valuable opportunity
to miss, so a single MiG-29 will be despatched to fly a covert mission to
film the sub. To further complicate matters there are believed to be up to
three British 'Sea Harrier' jets operating from the ice providing air cover
for the sub.
MISSION:
Takeoff from airbase in Siberia.
Navigation at normal flight levels to within 30km of submarine.
When within visual range of sub fly towards it at 200 metres, approach to
within 100 metres of submarine. Note number on side of submarine.
Return to base 'ASAP'!
NB: We are not prepared to start WW3 so if you are intercepted by British
fighters, do not REPEAT DO NOT engage, if necessary terminate the mission.
Waypoint 0 Home base
Waypoint 1 Submarine
Waypoint 2 Harrier base
CODENAME 'YELLOW DRAGON'
Over the last week there have been a worrying number of 'incidents'
involving Chinese illegal incursions into Soviet airspace. These incidents
have always taken the same form with a group of three Chinese fighters flying
into restricted airspace towards Tbliski aerodrome. Units of the Tbliski
ageing Su-21 fighters are scrambled, but as soon as they fly into visual
range of the Chinese the Chinese fighters turn around and fly home. That is
until yesterday when the Chinese shot down one of the Soviet fighters. The
Chinese Ambassador has sent his deepest regrets for this unfortunate
'accident'! We have decided that a single MiG-29 should fly an intercept
mission to teach the Chinese an important lesson about 'Tickling the bear's
nose' too many times!
MISSION:
Scramble from Tbliski.
Fly towards Shenyang fighters and shadow them until they leave Soviet
airspace.
Do NOT engage in hostilities unless provoked by direct action.
Return to base.
Waypoint 0: Home base. Waypoint 1: Great Wall.
Waypoint 2: Chinese runway. Waypoint 3: Chinese runway.
CODENAME 'WHITE PEGASUS'
Tension has been rising over the last few days after the leader of the Middle
Eastern state of Arzaria, General Hasouz proclaimed that Arzarian territorial
waters would henceforth stretch 200 miles into the open sea. (The
internationally accepted standard is 12 miles). In addition, he has
proclaimed that all sea traffic within this 'Territorial Sea Zone' directly
violates Arzarian territorial waters, and that any such shipping would be
fired upon. Yesterday, a Soviet oil tanker, the Rodina, ran into severe
difficulties after a fire in the engine room completely destroyed all rudder
control. The Rodina drifted for 12 hours to within 80 miles of the Arzarian
coast. Despite numerous pleas for help it was ignored. Eventually an
Arzarian gunship was despatched and the Rodina boarded. After much arguing
and posturing by the gunboat captain, the crew of the Rodina were 'removed'
from the ship and the Rodina was then sunk by a torpedo launched from the
gunboat. It has been decided that this incident cannot pass without notice
and that some form of retaliatory action MUST be taken. Since Hasouz has
directly attacked the Soviet oil supply, it has been decided that the same
should happen to him. A single MiG will fly a covert mission to attack
targets opportunely (preferably oil refineries or oil rigs.)
MISSION:
Take-off from island aerodrome.
Low level flight towards oil fields.
Air-to-ground missile attack on refinery and oil rigs.
Return to aerodrome
Waypoint 0: Home base Waypoint 1: Island
Waypoint 2: Oil rig. Waypoint 3: Oil rig.
CODENAME 'RED WITCH'
A Terrorist group operating WITHIN Soviet territory have been destroying road
and rail links between major cities. One of the reasons they have been so
hard to track down is that they constantly move their base thus making it
difficult to pinpoint their location. It is also believed that they only
travel on backroads and always at night to avoid detection. Fortunately the
KGB have managed to infiltrate an agent into the terrorist group, and he has
given us a date, time and approximate position of their convoy. Your mission
is to provide air support for a Spetnatz commando group acting covertly to
'remove' the terrorist threat.
MISSION:
Take-off from airbase.
Navigate to predict area of operations.
Track terrorist vehicle to base.
Destroy vehicles and base.
Return home.
Waypoint 0: Home base. Waypoint 1: Bridge
Waypoint 2: Enemy HQ1. Waypoint 3: Enemy HQ2.
FINAL MISSION:
CODENAME 'DESERT STRIKE'
Terrorist elements of a Middle Eastern state have been attacking merchant
ships in the straits of Hormuz. The leader of the state has been shown on TV
publicly ridiculing both the USA and the USSR as weaklings.
Normally this would be of no consequence, but the other elements in the
Middle East are now looking towards a potential 'Jihad'.
Over the last few months the KGB's Satellite Intelligence Service (SIS) have
noted a large amount of construction work in one particular area of the Lahal
desert. Analysis indicates that this construction is for a fast breeder
nuclear reactor. The technology to develop nuclear weapons is already
possessed by the Middle East; this reactor would provide the plutonium
required for production.
It has been decided that this reactor MUST be destroyed at all costs.
MISSION
Take off from airbase in 'friendly' Middle Eastern state. Fly across border
and secure an advance airbase for further operations. Create safe path
through ground defence network by destruction of ground defences and
aerodromes.
Destroy nuclear facility and support complexes.
Return to friendly airbase.
Waypoint 0: Advance base. Waypoint 1: Desert fort.
Waypoint 2: Truck base. Waypoint 3: Fuel dump.
FLIGHT AND COMBAT
BASIC FLIGHT TUTORIAL:
A flight simulation on a personal computer can't move you physically in the
same way that a real aircraft would. This means that instead of you rolling
with the aircraft as it banks, the simulated world is rolled the other way
instead. You will soon get used to compensating this as you move and the
world staying still. Until this happens you may find it confusing that
banking to the right makes the world roll to the left or that pitching up
makes the world move down.
The control of the aircraft cause the aircraft to move while the control is
applied and to stay at the same altitude when the control is neutral. This
means that the aircraft will not return straight and level flight just
because the controls are central.
The main control for a fighter aircraft is a joystick. Moving this backwards
and forwards changes the angle of the tailplane which causes the aircraft
change its pitch. Pulling the joystick back causes the nose to pitch up, and
pushing it forward causes the nose to pitch down. Moving the joystick from
side to side changes the angle of the ailerons which cause the aircraft to
roll. Moving the joystick left rolls left and moving it right rolls right.
The control works by reacting against the air flowing over them which means
at low speeds the control has less effect.
The ideal control for a simulated aircraft is an analogue joystick. This has
a greater effect the further it is moved and is spring-loaded back to the
centre position. The next best is a mouse, which gives very precise control
but is hard to return to its starting position to give zero control input.
The simulation cockpit has a special joystick position display to make it
easier to return the controls to neutral.
In the absence of an analogue joystick or mouse a switched joystick or the
keyboard can be used. Both these controls have more effect the longer
pressure is applied or the keys are held down. Reversing the direction
immediately returns the control to zero and then continues in the new
direction. The effects can be seen by noting the control postion indicator.
The best way to learn to fly is to practise. MiG-29 has a special training
scenario which simply returns you to the starting position on the first
runway if you crash. This allows you to learn to control the MiG without
waiting for the program to go through the long restart sequence.
You can select the training scenario from the briefing room. You will placed
on the first runway with your engine idling and wheel brakes on. Press CTRL-D
to exit the briefing room and select another scenario.
TAKE OFF:
When you are ready to take off check that your controls are central and then
use the = key to throttle up to full power. You will start to move as the
brakes are not powerful enough to hold you against full power. Press W to
release the wheel brakes which allows you to accelerate faster.
Your airspeed is the number at the top left of the Head Up Display (HUD).
This is in kilometres per hour (km/h). 2km/h is about 1 knot. When your
airspeed is over 300Km/h you should pull back on the joystick to take off.
This may take a large control input but as soon as you leave the ground
return the elevator to neutral. If your nose has pitched up to more than
about 10 degrees you should move the stick forward to reduce your pitch to 10
degrees. 10 degrees is the first line marked with a 1 on the HUD and the
central green cross gives the position of your nose.
You should retract your landing gear by pressing L as soon as convenient.
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT:
Keep your wings level by correcting with sideways movement of the joystick.
If the left wing is low then move the joystick to the right until the horizon
is level and then centre the joystick. If the right wing is low use left
joystick. If the horizon is out of view you can look at the lines in the HUD
which are always parallel to the horizon.
Initially you should try to fly at a height of between 1000 and 2000 metres.
Your height is shown at the top right of the HUD. Maintain height by keeping
the central green cross on the horizon.
If you get into an unusual altitude you should always level your wings before
using the elevator to pitch your nose back to the horizon. if you lose
control you can use the auto-stabiliser by pressing A. You may prefer to
leave the auto-stabiliser on for your initial flights.
TURNS:
When you have mastered flying straight and level it is time to practise
turning. A fast jet is not easy to turn quickly. The faster you fly the
more force is required to make the turn. This force is known as g force and
the MiG can produce over 10g in a tight turn. This is 10 times the force of
gravity. The only of producing this force is by using the the wings. When
you are banked over the lift from the wings is going sideways rather than up
and you use this force to turn. Pulling back on the joystick not only
pitches the nose up but also increases the angle of the wings to the airflow,
thus producing more lift and therefor more g force.
Flying straight and level requires 1g of lift. Simply banking the aircraft
produces just 1g over to one side allowing the aircraft to turn slowly. To
turn fast the aircraft should be banked until the wings are nearly vertical
and then the elevator can be used to control the rate of turn. It is quite
difficult to control the bank angle while pulling back on the joystick, but
controlled high g turns are an essential part of flying a high performance
aircraft like the MiG-29.
While practising turning you will probably notice that the nose of the
aircraft drops towards the ground. This is caused by sideslip and makes
turning at low altitude difficult. The best way to counteract this is to
bank to less than 90 degrees and to use the elevator to keep the nose up.
The closer you are to 90 degrees the more elevator you will need.
NAVIGATION:
When you make controlled turns it is time to learn to navigate. Fighter
aircraft have simple navigation systems so that the pilot can concentrate on
flying and combat. The MiG-29 simulation includes several waypoints, which
are points on the ground preprogrammed into the navigation system.
The training scenario starts with waypoint 0 selected which is set to the
centre of your base runway. To return to this runway you can use the red
line on the compass display at the top off the HUD. When the red line is
centred you are flying directly to the selected waypoint. The head down
navigation instrument also shows information about the waypoint. The green
line shows the direction relative to your nose and the white cross bar shows
the distance. You can change waypoints by pressing the ; key.
To return to base keep heading to waypoint 0, and keep your altitude to about
1000 metres. If you are too high you won't see any ground features.
If you fly with afterburners on you will use more fuel and your range will be
much less. If you have gone too far during practise you may run out of fuel
before you can land to refuel. This an easy way to get back to base.
Try and experiment with different throttle settings and the airbrake to see
what effect they have on speed. It takes a long time to lose speed in
straight and level flight, but tight turns at low throttle will burn of speed
much faster. Climbing steeply will reduce speed and diving steeply will
increase it.
At low levels the speed of sound is a barrier which the MiG can only just
break. Its top speed is 1400Km/h at sea level and even afterburners increase
you top speed by less than 150Km/h. If you go higher the top speed will
increase to 2500Km/h at 10000 metres.
LANDING:
When you can navigate back to your base runway, the next problem is landing
on it. A good landing requires a low descent rate with the wings nearly
level and a low enough forward speed to stop before the end of the runway.
The secret of a good landing is a good approach. This means that you need to
start a long way out from the runway. The base runway is aligned North-South
and there is no wind so you can land from either end. A simple way to align
the aircraft with the runway is to fly over the runway heading North or South
and keep going at an altitude of about 1000 metres for at least 30 seconds.
Then make a tight 180 degree turn until you are heading back to the runway.
Unless you have flown slightly off the due North or South course, the turn
will put you to one side of the direct line to the runway. You should get
back to a straight line from the runway as soon as possible.
A good speed for the approach is 500Km/h. The throttle should be reduced to
zero and the airbrake used if needed. At 500Km/h and about 5 kilometres from
the runway, lower the landing gear and take off the airbrake. Point the
aircrafts nose down, directing it at the start of the runway. Increase
throttle slightly if the speed gets too low. The steeper your descent the
less throttle you will need to maintain airspeed. The landing gear adds drag
and therefor slows you down. When you are about 2 kilometres out you should
start to slow down to about 250Km/h and lower the landing gear.
There is a red aircraft symbol in the centre of the HUD. This is your
velocity vector. It shows the direction in which you are actually travelling
as opposed to the direction the aircraft's nose is pointing.
The slower you fly the more you have to keep your nose up to maintain level
flight. The velocity vector shows your true direction and as you slow down
you can use it to show you where you will land. Your nose can be well above
the horizon but your downward speed can still be too high to enable a safe
landing. The velocity vector shows this. In addition, the vertical speed
indicator in the HUD shows your descent rate. This has to be above the lower
line for a good landing. When you are down to about 10 metres you should
pull back on the joystick to round out for a gentle touch down.
If you slow down too much you will stall. This happens when the angle of
attack of the wings to the airflow is greater than about 20 degrees. If you
stall, the nose will drop and you will lose height. If you are low you will
hit the ground. If while landing the velocity vectors get close to the
bottom of the screen, there is a good sign of an impending stall. The angle
of attack indicator at the bottom right of the HUD is also useful.
When you are safely on the runway, ensure that the nose is down, apply wheel
brakes and use the rudder/nose wheel steering to stay on the runway. You will
automatically be refueled when you stop.
ADVANCED FLIGHT:
The MiG-29 uses advanced aerodynamics. It does not have a fly-by-wire
computer system and therefor relies on good handling and pilot skill for its
performance. The most remarkable feature is its controllability at very high
angles of attack. A conventional wing stalls at about 15 degrees but the MiG
is still under control at 25 degrees. The drag is of course considerable at
high angles of attack and the afterburners are essential for maintaining
speed.
This MiG-29 simulation has two different aircraft models. The standard model
is designed to compromise between ease of flying and realism. There is also
a more advanced model that is much more accurate simulation, but which
requires a fast computer to run effectively.
This is because the forces acting on the aircraft are calculated and then
used to determine its acceleration and velocity. If the time step for this
calculation is more than about 1/10 second, inaccuracy can build up causing
oscillations. It is more difficult to fly. (A fast response time to control
inputs is important). This limits the advance model to 16/32 bit computers
with a clock speed of 16 MHz or above which can maintain a frame of over 10
Hz.
A good analogue joystick is also an advantage for flying the advanced model.
A good joystick has very little backlash which means that it returns to
precisely the central position when released. A second joystick for rudder
and throttle is also very useful. With enough practise the mouse works quite
well but keyboard control is difficult.
Some of the manoeuvres and techniques discussed in this section can only be
performed by the advanced model. This is enabled by pressing CTRL-A.
Using the fast time feature makes the advanced model hard to control and it
may become unstable on slower computers.
The MiG-29 airframe is very strong and can take about 13g. An experienced
pilot can take about 10g after which there is a high risk of blacking out.
Blacking out is not covered in this simulation, but using full elevator
control at high speeds is unwise as there is no fly-by-wire system to prevent
you breaking the airframe. There is a g meter at the bottom left of the HUD
and this should be used to avoid pulling more than 10g.
The reduction of air density with altitude is simulated. This means that the
aircraft can fly much faster at high altitude, but it becomes harder to
control. Thin high altitude air does not provide much lift so high g
manoeuvres become increasingly difficult. The MiG has an operational ceiling
of about 20,000 metres (60,000 feet). Above this altitude the air is too
thin for the jet engine which produces almost no power.
The drag increases at the speed of sound is also simulated. This prevents
high speed flight at low level. The MiG-29 can fly at 1,400Km/h (Mach 1.1)
at sea-level, but up to 2,500Km/h (Mach 2) at an altitude of 10,000 metres.
This means that flying high is the best way to reduce travel time. However,
dogfighting at high levels is difficult.
The simulation deals with unusual aircraft altitudes and continues to
calculate forces on the aircraft even when far outside the normal flight
envelope. This allows you to perform the full range of aerobatics.
There is a velocity vector in the HUD. This is the red aircraft symbol. It
shows you the point in space towards which you are actually moving. It stays
close to the central green cross at high speed and low g. When flying at low
speed or high g, the velocity vector can be a long way from the centre. For
example, at 25 degrees angle of attack, the velocity vector is 25 degrees
below the centre line of the aircraft, and out of field view of the HUD.
The velocity vector can be very useful for accurate flying. For example,
when you are pulling a high g turn you have to keep the velocity vector above
the horizon to avoid losing height. If you are below 100 metres and the
velocity vector is much below the horizon you should start worrying. The
velocity vector will show you exactly where you will touch down when landing.
For a controlled, slow landing, the nose may have to be nearly 10 degrees
above the horizon and you have to use the velocity vector to monitor your
'round out'.
The elevator on the MiG-29 is very powerful and is easily capable of holding
the nose up even when the wings are fully stalled. The design of the wings
prevents them from producing roll instability as they stall, so it is quite
easy to fly the aircraft with the wings at 25 degrees angle of attack.
However, there is a large amount of drag at these high angles and you will
need lots of engine power to sustain them for long periods of time. if you
fly slowly enough and with insufficient power, the elevators will be
incapable of holding the nose up and a full stall will develop.
The controls become less effective as airspeed drops. Below about 200Km/h
this effect is very noticeable and there is no choice but to wait for
airspeed to build to regain full control.
AEROBATIC STUNTS:
The MiG-29 is famous for its tailslide manoeuvre which would probably be
outside the envelope allowed by a fly-by-wire aircraft. This manoeuvre is
quite easy to perform provided you have sufficient height for recovery.
Fly straight and level at about 500 metres and about 800Km/h airspeed. Pull
back hard on the stick while reducing throttle to an idle. Aim to climb at
80 degrees upwards as shown by the HUD and ensure the wings are level while
you still have sufficient airspeed for control.
Your airspeed should drop to zero by about 1,500 metres altitude and you will
then start to slide backwards. Note that the elevator controls is reversed
when moving backwards so you will need to pull back on the joystick to make
the nose drop faster.
Let the nose drop until you can see the velocity vector again and apply full
power and pull out carefully. You should be back in level flight at about
500 metres altitude. The only real problem is trying to recover too soon and
getting locked into a stall right down to the ground.
Another fun manoeuvre is a dead stick landing. Start from about 2,000 metres
near a runway and switch the engine off. You need to descend at an angle of
about 10-20 degrees to maintain airspeed and pulling any tight turns will
lose speed very quickly. Wait until you are very low before lowering your
landing gear and 'round out' precisely. Any ballooning after the 'round out'
can lead to a stall and a crash.
AIR TO GROUND ATTACK
You have three different weapons to use for ground attack. The simplest is
the cannon. This is always ready for use simply by pressing the main
joystick or mouse button, or by pressing the DELETE key. Some of the shells
are 'tracer' which mark the path of the shells. The trajectory of each shell
is simulated as it falls under gravity and you will see it explode on contact
with the ground or any solid object. The explosions clearly mark the impact
point of the shells and you can use this to steer a long burst onto the
target. You only have 250 rounds so you can only do this a few times in a
sortie.
The effective range of the cannon is about 2 kilometres, but you will
probably not hit anything at over 1 kilometre. The cannon is useful against
soft ground targets which includes trucks, anti-aircraft guns, SAM sites and
some buildings. The best way to use the cannon is to apprach in a shallow
dive at low throttle. If you miss on the first pass, the simplest way to get
back is to open up to full power and fly straight ahead a few seconds. Then
do a fast half loop, cutting power as you go over the top, and keep going
over until you can see the target. Do a quick half roll to level, apply
airbrakes and fire when close. Allow plenty of height to pull out of the
dive as pressing on until the target is hit often does not give you time to
recover.
The S-240 unguided rocket is the default weapon selection as shown by the
type at the bottom left of the helmet mounted display. A salvo from both
underwing stations can be fired at any time by the second joystick or mouse
button, or by pressing SPACEBAR.
The S-240 will destroy any target, although some may require several hits.
The rockets drop with gravity, but are fired slightly upwards so that they
cross your centreline after about 1.5 kilometres, which is a good firing
range. The tactics for the S-240 are very similar to the cannon, but you
only have 36 salvos so they should not be wasted in ranging shots.
The AS-7 'Kerry' heat seeking missiles can be used to attack any major ground
target. The AS-7 is activated by cycling your chosen weapon using the
BACKSPACE key. Any target that is tracked by your combined infra-red and
radar system, and shows as a yellow point on your head down screen, may be
designated by looking at it and using the RETURN key. The target nearest the
centre of your view will be chosen. This means that you can designate
targets while looking sideways. The selected target will be shown by a box
drawn around it on the helmet mounted display. However, the missile will
only lock onto targets within 45 degrees of your heading, so you should be
flying towards the target before firing.
Some targets may require more than one hit to destroy them and you only have
up to 6 AS-7's so you will have to use them carefully.
Some ground targets are defended by anti-aircraft guns or SAMs. It is
advisable to reduce these defences before attacking the main target.
Anti-aircraft guns may be ground based point defences or mounted on a tank or
a ship, depending on the scenario. They are fairly accurate and difficult to
hit without being shot down. They use a simpler predictor system so the best
defence is to weave continuously while flying away and trust to luck while
attacking. Either cannon or rockets will destroy anti-aircraft guns.
The SAMs are radar guided, with various ranges. The launchers appear as red
points on your radar when active. The only way to avoid their attention is
to fly low. They can be destroyed by cannon, rocket or AS-7 missiles.
If your infra-red system detects a SAM launch you will hear a warning and the
direction of the missile is shown as a red line on the head down display.
Your only defence is to drop radar reflective chaff and turn hard. Some
missiles may have enough fuel to turn back for a second pass if you manage to
dodge the initial attack.
The training scenario allows you to practise ground attack without any
opposition. There is a rocket firing range at waypoint 1 which is North-West
of your base. You should approach the range from the South to see the range
markers on the ground. The target is at the North end of the white V. If
you enter the South end of the V at about 200 metres and about 800Km/h and
fly straight at the point of the V, you should be able to fire your rockets
from a range of about 1500 metres and score a direct hit.
Waypoint 2 is a lake with a target barge in the middle and a tank on the
shore. Both of these targets can be designated for the AS-7 missile,
although a successful rocket attack is more satisfying. The tank is
difficult to hit.
Waypoint 3 is an airfield. There is a hangar there which can be destroyed by
AS-7 or rocket and a 'Mirage' aircraft on which to practise with air-to-air
weapons. The hangar will keep producing replacement 'Mirages' until you
destroy it.
AIR COMBAT
Dogfighting is an essential part of the MiG-29 simulation. The final
scenario is probably impossible to conplete without gaining air superioity.
In the final scenario the enemy aircraft are 'Mirage 2000' and 'MiG-29's'
which means that you have some strong opponents. You will also be
outnumbered, sometimes by as many as 4 to 1. The only advantage you will
have is pilot skill, so it is worth using the harmless aircraft in the
training scenario for practise.
You have 2 air combat weapons. The first is the cannon. You have to be very
close to the enemy aircraft and probably behind it to stand much chance of
hitting it. If it is turning you will have to shoot a considerable distance
ahead. It takes a lot of practise to judge the lead distance, but the first
time you see the explosions of your shells hitting the airframe, followed by
a trail of smoke as it spirals towards the ground, it will seem worthwhile.
The easier of the weapons is the AA-8 'Aphid' heat-seeking missile. You
select this with the BACKSPACE key. You designate your target with the
RETURN key. The chosen target is the one nearest the centre of your view,
which does not have to be forwards. The AA-8 has similar limitations to the
AS-7 and can only lock onto a target within its view cone. You should only
fire at a selected target that is ahead of you. The selected target is boxed
in a standard HUD colour which turns red when the heat signature is very
strong. This is when its jet exhausts is towards you and your missile has
the best chance of hitting. You can fire when the box is green but the
success rate will be lower.
The enemy is also equipped with cannon and heat-seeking missiles. If you
avoid flying straight and level in front of enemy aircraft you will probably
not be hit by cannon fire. However enemy missiles are a bigger problem.
There is a warning alarm sound when an enemy launch is detected and the
direction of the missile is shown by the red line on the head down display.
You can decoy the missile with well timed flares and by pulling high g
evasive manoeuvres. Once the missile has gone past it is harmless and cannot
return for another pass. Enemy aircraft can only launch missiles when you
are in front of them, so the best defence is to get behind them. This is
often impossible when fighting more than one opponent.
The head down display shows the position of enemy aircraft when in front and
when range can be measured by radar or laser ranging. They appear as a green
point. When they are out of the range sensors' field of view, their
direction is measured and shown as a green line.
There are many different successful tactics for air combat, but there are a
few golden rules. The most important is maintaining energy. The energy is
in two forms, height and speed. You can usually trade one for the other, but
both at once is an advantage. However too much height puts you into thin air
where high g turns are impossible and it is much harder to avoid missiles.
It is best to stay below 5000 metres for good manouevrability.
It is very easy to lose airspeed when performing high g combat manouevres.
You should usually use afterburners to maintain speed. If you have some
spare height you can dive to regain speed, but otherwise you must level out,
which makes you more vulnerable to missile attack.
A useful technique is to make sure your opponent is designated and use the
direction line in the helmet display to keep in touch with his position. The
all round infra-red sensors can track an enemy aircraft when its out of view.
APPENDICES
AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA
MIKOYAN MIG-29 FULCRUM
DIMENSIONS (Metres to nearest .5m)
Length: 17.50m
Span: 11.50m
Height: 4.50m
Wing Area: 32.00m2
WEIGHTS (kg to nearest 100kg)
Empty: 10,200kg
Takeoff: 16,000kg
Combat: 13,700kg
POWER (kN, from 2 x Tumansky R-33D turbofans)
Thrust (Dry): 81.3
Thrust (Augmented): 50.0
PERFORMANCE
Vmax (High Altitude): Mach 2.2
Vmin (Sea level): Mach 1.1
Ceiling: 16,800m
ARMAMENT
Internal Cannon: 30mm
Missiles: AA-8 Aphid, AA-9 Amos, AA-10
Alamo, AS-7 Kerry
BRITISH AEROSPACE SEA HARRIERS FRS.1
DIMENSIONS ( metres to nearest .5m)
Length: 14.50m
Span: 7.50m
Height: 3.50m
Wing Area: 18.50m2
WEIGHTS (kg to nearest 100kg)
Empty: 5,900kg
Takeoff: 8,900kg
Combat: 7,800kg
POWER (kN, from Pegasus 104)
Thrust (Dry): 95.5
Thrust (Augmented): N/A
PERFORMANCE
Vmax (High Altitude): Mach 0.97
Vmin (Sea level): Mach 1.2
Ceiling: 16,800m
ARMAMENT
Internal Cannon: Two 30mm Aden
Missiles: AIM-9L Sidewinder, or
.550 Magic, AIM-120 Amrram
SHENYANG F-7M AIRGUARD
DIMENSIONS (metres to nearest .5m)
Length: 14.00m
Span: 7.00m
Height: 4.00m
Wing Area: 23.00m2
WEIGHTS (kg to nearest 100kg)
Empty: 5,300kg
Takeoff: 7,900kg
Combat: 6,800kg
POWER (kN)
Thrust (Dry): 60.0
Thrust (Augmented): 34.0
PERFORMANCE
Vmax (High Altitude): Mach 2.00
Vmin (Sea level): Mach 1.0
Ceiling: 18,200m
ARMAMENT
Internal Cannon: Two 30mm
Missiles: PL-2, PL-2A, PL-7, can also be
configured for Sidewinder and Magic
DASSAULT-BREGUET MIRAGE 2000
DIMENSIONS (metres to nearest .5m)
Length: 14.00m
Span: 9.00m
Height: 4.50m
Wing Area: 41.00m2
WEIGHTS (kg to nearest 100kg)
Empty: 7,600kg
Takeoff: 11,800kg
Combat: 10,200kg
POWER (kN from SNECMA M53)
Thrust (Dry): 95.0
Thrust (Augmented): 64.0
PERFORMANCE
Vmax (High Altitude): Mach 2.35
Vmin (Sea level): Mach 1.20
Ceiling: 18,300m
ARMAMENT
Internal Cannon: Two 30mm
Missiles: Matra Super 530D, or Matra .550
Magic
AIR TO AIR MISSILE PERFORMANCE
Many simulations simplify the operations and aerodynamics of missile systems.
In MiG-29 we have attempted to model this as accurately as possible. In
practice this menas that a missile has a 30%-40% chance of impact if fired
without red lock, rising to 80%-90% chance of impact with confirmed red lock.
The reasons for this are many and complex, but put simply, an object
traveling at Mach 3 may travel very fast, but dosen't turn exceptionally
well. Altitude and launch velocity (the speed at which the fighter that
launches the missile is traveling) make a big differance to effectiveness.
Missiles travelling at Mach 3 can pull turns of up to 30g which sounds
formidable but produces a turning circle of no better than 16 degrees/sec - a
figure any respective fighter can manage at subsonic speeds. The Mig 29 uses
IR guidence on its AA-8 Aphid, a short range Missile, which gives true fire-
and-forget performance ie; a plane is free to manoeuvre once the missile has
been launhed. As previously stated the optimum firing position is therefore
with the target directly in front of you, heading away from your aircraft -
the IR heat signiture is at its best and the target has less chance of out-
manouvering your missile.
