F19 - HINTS, TIPS AND BUG REPORTS



I'll start with SAMs... in this game, the most commonly encountered SAMs
are the SA-14, SA-10 and HAWK. The SA-14 is an IR SAM, and all you have to
do is stick the IR jammer on! In fact, sometimes you don't even need to do
that, as it often runs out of fuel before it gets anywhere near you! The
HAWK is also a bit of a loser- just put the ECM jammer on and it will fly
blindly past. The SA-10, however, is a bit more dangerous. The best
strategy is to dump a decoy, fly at right angles to the missile (use
tactical map) and dump chaff if it gets close. And pray...

Next, what weapons to choose... if you know that you are going to encounter
a lot of enemy aircraft, load up with Sidewinders. In fact, if you are on
air-to-air missions and the secondary target is a strike mission (not a
recon mission), then take nothing but Sidewinders, unless you need extra
fuel. Why take no air-to-ground weapons? Because you have a very good gun!!
The gun can take out just about anything, as long as you hit the target in
the right place. When strafing a ground target, it often helps to aim
slightly below the target- this definitely works when strafing SAM
batteries anyway.

Sidewinders are preferable to AMRAAMs most of the time, because you can
carry four Sidewinders in one bay, and only three AMRAAMs. And the
Sidewinders actually seem to have the same range as an AMRAAM- over 35
kilometers! Never mind that they should run out of fuel after 15-20 km...
these are Super-Sidewinders! Against an aircraft flying towards you, you
could probably get away with firing a Sidewinder at 40 km!

The gun also has a longer range than the manual says- I've splashed MiGs
that were 18 km away, on numerous occasions. And it is VERY powerful! For
instance, I have destroyed the following targets with the gun... USS
America (whoops), Missile Boats, Oil Rigs, SAM Radars, Tank farms... I
think just about anything can be destroyed by the gun if your aim is true.

Dogfighting is EASY... first, the enemy doesn't use guns on you. Second,
they hardly ever fire missiles when up close. And third, they have this
great habit of flying in straight lines (even Veterans!). I don't know much
about Elite enemy pilots; I've only engaged them with AMRAAMs, and never
got up close. But I do know that Elite pilots seem to have a knack of
avoiding Sidewinders that are fired at long range (i.e. above 15 km).

What planes are friendly and what ones are hostile? Well, all Boeings are
civilian airliners and the only other friendlies are the F-18s, so shoot
anything else...

Taking off is so easy I won't mention it. Landing is also surprisingly
easy, even on Realistic Landings you can come down very fast indeed and
still come out without a scratch. Carrier landings are tougher... if you
don't hit the rear quarter of the deck, then the arrestor wires won't catch
you. If they do catch you, you stop almost immediately, so you're ok! If
you do miss them, then it IS possible to stop just by using the brakes and
shutting down the engine, but it will look very scary- the nosewheel will
hang over the edge of the deck! And maybe even the main wheels too, so
it'll look like you're hovering in front of the carrier... this is because
the deck is a bit longer than it actually is on screen.

Ok, next is fuel. If you fly with the throttle around the half-way mark,
you will use fuel at a VERY low rate- so low that you can loiter for up to
half and hour (real time) in any area, waiting for bad guys to show up (so
you can shoot them down!). Two disadvantages with this throttle setting are
that you will have to put down the flaps to stay in the air, and your
airspeed will probably be as low as 200 knots- accelerated time is a good
idea!

To finish off with... radars. I hate 'em! Damn things! Pulse radars aren't
too worrying, but Doppler ones are very dangerous - if there are any near
your flight path, take them out with a Maverick, or you could risk going in
and strafing the radar, but that means risking SAM launches against you.
Missile boats are also best destroyed if any are near your flight path. In
mountainous areas, radars are less of a problem; it's quite easy to zoom in
and strafe one before it even realises you exist!

Now... bugs. The major one is that sometimes the plane flips upside down
for no reason! This can cause a crash if you are using autopilot at the
time, as the dumb autopilot tries to correct by rolling over and diving
into the ground! When the plane does this little party trick, it sometimes
does an instant 180 degree turn as well! Another bug I've noticed is that
when your plane is heavily damaged (8 out of the 9 damage lights were on),
then selecting the damage display (F6) locked up the game. But I only saw
it do that once, because normally I'm so brilliant at the game that I don't
get damaged (ego!)... The final bug I have had happen to me twice now; in
Libya, for no apparent reason, it crashes out, displaying the registers,
exception type, etc. A little bit annoying when I had spent half an hour
sneaking around mountains avoiding detection... oh well, at least it isn't
as buggy as v1.01 (the version released on the continent. That's Europe to
you Americans!).

zed by a seeker with advanced computer logic, and once recognized the
seeker actually homes on the jammer, instead of being confused by it.
 Therefore, it's unwise and sometimes downright dangerous to leave a jammer
running when second-generation IR missiles are getting close (not to
mention the jammer overheating and shutting off at an inconvenient time).
 Flares: Although called "flares", these are really small, finely tuned
heat decoys. A flare lures an IR missile toward it (and away from you), but
only during the 2 to 3 seconds it burns. After that the flare dies and the
missile resumes seeking. Therefore, like chaff, the standard technique is
to wait until the missile is a couple of seconds away (the klaxon sounds),
then drop a flare while you turn away.
 Maneuvering: Maneuvering techniques against IR missiles are the same as
those used against radar guided missiles. The only difference is that IR
missiles tend to be smaller and more maneuverable. Second generation
missiles are often the most maneuverable, so you're best off relying on
decoy, jammer and/or flares against them.
 Unlike radar guided SAMs, most IR SAMs are very maneuverable, with the
ability to turn toward their target almost immediately after launch. As a
result, flying low and close to a battery of maneuverable IR SAMs is very
dangerous!
 Warnings & Responses: Your first warning of an IR missile attack can occur
at any time. A search or tracking radar may alert you, just like a radar-
guided SAM attack. In fact, at that point you can't tell that an IR missile
attack is coming. However, when the missile is launched, the "I" missile
warning light goes on (rather than the "R" light).
 In many cases your first warning of an attack is the "I" missile warning
light. This is because lots of cheap IR SAMs have no search radar - just
eyesight searching. Your first warning is their launch.
 If you know the missile is a first-generation homer, you can turn on the
IR jammer, change course and laugh it off. However, it pays to be wary.
Against second generation missiles the IR jammer may still work - if you
can get outside its 45 degree field of view before it gets too close, or
the jammer overheats. The reduced airspeed due to using the jammer doesn't
help, either. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the proximity alarm
klaxon. Many IR missiles are fired from very short ranges, so short that
the "I" light is almost immediately followed by the proximity alarm klaxon.
When you hear the klaxon and see the "I" light burning, your first act must
be to drop a flare and then dodge!

OUTMANEUVERING A MISSILE
 Whether you're using jammers, decoys, or just plain guts, the basic
principles of outmaneuvering a missile remain the same.
 Evading the Missile's View: SAMs can only "home" on targets within the
acquisition arc of their seeker. This arc is a bare 45 degrees ahea. If
decoys, jammers, or whatever temporarily confuse a missile, you evade
attack by moving outside this 45 degree arc. Usually the quickest escape
course is one perpendicular to the missile's flight path.
 Turning inside a Missile: When a missile is close, you still have a chance
to outmaneuver him. Its turning arc is larger than yours.
 If the missile is trying to fly up your tail, roll over onto a wingtip for
a tight turn, then pull back hard on the control stick to tighten the turn
further. Keep an eye on the airspeed, since you can't stay long in this
kind of a turn - soon the plane will stall. But meanwhile, the missile is
making a wider, faster turn that causes it to zoom past harmlessly.
 Turning toward a Missile: If a SAM approaches you from the side, gradually
turn toward it, increasing the tightness of your turn as it comes closer.
The objective is to keep the missile's course at right angles
(perpendicular) to your own.
 This tactic works because the missile cannot turn with you. Instead it
gradually falls behind, zooming past your tail.
 Evading Frontal Attacks: If a SAM approaches you from the front, wait
until it's about 8 to 12 kilometers away (about 2/3rds of a grid square on
the tactical display).
 Then make a quick 90 degree turn. This puts the missile facing your side.
Now roll over 180 degrees and turn toward the missile. Now you're set up
for a turning battle (see "Turning toward a Missile" above).

SPECIAL TACTICS & PROBLEMS
 Missile Minimum Range: Large less-maneuverable missiles fire straight up
when first launched. This means that they can't begin homing until they're
beyond a certain distance (in range and altitude) from their launchers. As
a result, circling right over a battery of low-maneuverability SAMs can
actually be very safe.
 Doppler Missiles: Enemy missiles with doppler guidance systems are a
special danger. These missiles will not home on the chaff unless your
course is perpendicular (at right angles to) the missile. If the missile
chases you from the rear or attacks from straight ahead, chaff has no
effect.
 Only three SAMs (Surface-to-Air missiles) currently have doppler guidance:
the SA-10, SA-12, and SA-N-6. Only one AAM (air-to-air missile) has doppler
guidance: the AA-10.
 The "Doppler Cross" Missile Evasion: The F-19 observes an enemy doppler-
guided SAM approaching (SA-10, SA-12 or SA-N-6), and until his course is
perpendicular (at right angles to) the missile, Then the F-19 drops chaff
or a decoy, and continues on a perpendicular course, keeping the missile at
a constant range. Flying on a different course can be disastrous, as the
missile will "see" the doppler shift as you change range.

End.