Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon X
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 6 CREDITS...................................................................................................................................................
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual RIGHT AUX CONSOLE ......................................................................................................................... 21 EPU FUEL ....................................................................................................................................... 21 PFD ................................................................................................................................................ 21 LIQUID OXYGEN .............
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual HORIZONTAL SITUATION INDICATOR ............................................................................................. 28 INSTRUMENT MODE PANEL ........................................................................................................... 28 MARKER BEACONS......................................................................................................................... 29 Master Caution .......................................................
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual PILOT VISOR ...................................................................................................................................... 37 LASER PODS ....................................................................................................................................... 37 TWEAKING ............................................................................................................................................
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual INTRODUCTION It took a long time to finish this project and during development we met some serious problems. But the F-16 had to be done. It’s the best known fighter after all. But soon after the project started it grew into a multi headed monster that was being pulled by many people into many directions, everybody wanted their ideal F-16 and the project nearly spun out of control because of that.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual F-16 FIGHTING FALCON HISTORY Started as a project to construct a small high maneuverable light fighter, and at lower costs than ever before the Tactical Fighter Requirements Division of Air Force Headquarters funded a study in the early seventies for the preliminary design and analysis of several configurations for a lightweight fighter.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual MODELS AND PRODUCTION In 1975 when the U.S. Air Force started its production, Belgium, The Netherlands Denmark and Norway followed with their orders a few months later, bringing the initial program to 998 aircraft. Ten years later, 17 air forces in 16 nations had ordered more than 3,000 F-16s. In 1983 the 1000th aircraft was delivered, the 2,000th in 1988, the 3000th in 1991 and the 4000th in 2000.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual FUTURE PLANS As there are already unmanned aircraft, the so-called Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV), Lockheed Martin is researching a demonstration type of an unmanned F-16 to prove autonomous vehicle control, up-link command technologies, and to develop operational requirements. But also there are also studies to modify the F-16 into a remotely piloted drone: the aircraft could be piloted from the ground.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual FLIGHT SYSTEMS To fully understand the flying capabilities of the F-16 it is important to understand some of the main systems and principles that make it the maneuverable fighter it is. Translated from RNoAF F-16AM technical training documents to a very basic technical English by Dag R. Stangeland. F-16AM FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM (FLCS) The Flight Control System in the F-16 is a computer controlled system.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual RELAXED STATIC STABILITY As opposed to many other aircraft the F-16 is built for an unstable mode, so called Relaxed Static Stability (RSS). RSS means that aerodynamically the F-16’s point of lift is forward of the aircraft’s Center of Gravity (CG). This means that with increased AOA the lift will increase and thereby the AOA will increase and increase lift further. In the end the aircraft will break or stall.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual FLIGHT MODELS IN FSX The described systems all have been faithfully reproduced in the FSX version of the F-16 and result in an aircraft that is easy to fly. Very easy to fly in fact as it tends to go where the nose is pointed. As long as you follow the checklists and the data note in there you should find no great difficulties in handling the F-16. There are two aspects though, that have proven difficult to our testers. The first is that landing.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual VIEWS AND PANEL NAVIGATION The cockpit of the F-16 is rather special as there are very few aircraft that give that much external visibility. The whole cockpit is very low and when you sit in it you really feel like you are sitting on top of the aircraft. For flight simmers this brings a new problem as many of the controls are not visible in the default views.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual Shown above is the assignment of a secondary four-way switch on the joystick to the movement of the viewpoint. A fifth switch is assigned to a reset of the view because it is very easy to lose orientation. The movement is set to repeat, the reset is a single event. FSX VIEWS The third way to navigate the panels is with the built in views of FSX. With the [s] key you select the main category of view and with the [a] key you select the view inside that category.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual CONSOLES, PANELS AND CONTROLS There are 3 major cockpit layouts used in the F-16 and we included the two most used, the C-model and the MLU-model. They differ in several panels but for some less important panels we chose to use only one version. It is not always clear what mouse button to use on what control, so small graphics are added to help with this. Left and right mouse buttons are used to use the control.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAYS The two large displays on both sides of the center console are used for navigation and as the radar screen. The MFDs are activated with the Avionics Power panel on the right console. LEFT MFD (RADAR) The left MFD is dedicated to the radar. It will be able to track all the AI aircraft that you see in the simulator.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual RIGHT MFD (NAVIGATION) The right MFD has three main pages HSI page - shows a large HSI that is a lot easier to use then the smaller HSI on the center console. SMS STORES page - shows the current stores that are underneath the aircraft and the Maximum G-load of the current configuration. Exceed this load and things could break. MAP page - Shows a moving map.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual HEADS UP DISPLAY By far the most important display for the pilot is the HUD that allows the aircraft to be flown without having to look at any other instrument. It is displayed on a thick plate of glass directly in front of the pilot. The HUD is switched on with a control on the ICP (the top right wheel) and the HUD CONTROL panel on the left console where you can select what is seen.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual LEFT AUX CONSOLE The Left Aux Console holds most controls dealing with the wheels and brakes. The following panel parts do not have functions on this console; THREAT WARNING AUXILIARY PANEL Panel not operational because it has no meaning in FSX. CHAFF/ FLARE PANEL Panel not operational because it has no meaning in FSX. HELM MOUNT DISPLAY PANEL Panel not operational because it has no meaning in FSX. ALTERNATE GEAR DOWN CONTROL Panel not operational.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual ACES-II EJECTION SEAT CONTROL The ACES-II is the standard ejection seat in many US military aircraft. It’s known as a Zero-Zero ejection seat meaning it can operate from zero altitude and zero airspeed. Though highly complex in construction the actual use is limited to two controls, the Firing Control handle (that is inop in our model) and the Ejection Control Safety Lever.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual FUEL QUANTITY The Fuel Quantity gauge shows the fuel remaining in the tanks. What is actually shown depends on the Fuel Quantity knob on the Center Console. The total remaining fuel is shown in the digital display. CAUTION PANEL The Caution Panel warns the pilot about system problems. When there are no systems in FSX that could trigger these failures the lights are not used.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual LEFT CONSOLE The left console holds most and communication and electrical controls, all engine start and fuel controls and the flight control panels. The following panels are not used at all in our simulation of the F-16. ANTI G PANEL Panel is non functional AUDIO Panel is non functional. ELECTRONIC COUNTER MEASURE PANEL Panel is non functional EPU The Emergency Power Unit provides hydraulic power to the aircraft for a period of up to 10 minutes.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual AUX COMS PANEL We implemented only the channel setting and linked to the Transponder in FSX. Click with the left mouse to set the transponder codes. Some important military routine codes: 0001 - High speed uncontrolled flight 4000 - FR Military training 7001 - Sudden climb out of low level military VFR (UK only) 7777 - Military intercept CANOPY CONTROLS The canopy is opened with a small switch above the Left Console.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual EXT LIGHTS PANEL All external lights are controlled by this panel. MASTER - Main power switch for all external lights ANTI COL - Toggles strobe light (top of vertical tail) WING/TAIL - Toggles navigation lights (wingtips, tail, and engine inlet) FUSELAGE - Toggles formation lights (top, bottom) FLASH/STEADY – inop AERIAL REFUEL - inop NORM/BRIGHT - Logo Lights (Formation lights) The formation lights are supported by the logo lights in flight (see below).
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual AIR REFUEL OPEN - Opens the refuel door on top of fuselage, opens all inter-tank connections and enables refuel door lights. If you activate this switch over 5000 ft AGL and your airspeed is below 300 knots, your tanks will slowly refuel, simulating an aerial refueling. The right indexer next to the HUD will show RDY when the door is open.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual CENTER CONSOLE The center console contains all of the most important gauges and controls. The most complex parts (HUD, DED, ICP and MFD’s) are discussed in separate sections. AIRSPEED INDICATOR The airspeed indicator on the Center Console is a backup of the speed indication on the HUD. It shows airspeeds between 80 and 800 knots in Indicated Airspeed ALTIMETER The altimeter on the Center Console is a backup of the altimeter on the HUD.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual the gear is down and the aircraft not on the ground. There is a backup AOA indicator on the lower center panel that is more robust and not depending on the more complex parts of the systems. AUTO PILOT The auto pilot systems in the F-16 are rather rudimentary with just pitch and roll controls. Please note you will need to cycle through modes to get to a certain setting sometimes.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual MARKER BEACONS The Marker beacon light will show when the aircraft is over a beacon. The color indicates the kind of beacon. Marker Outer Marker Middle Marker Inner Marker Short OM MM IM Distance 4.0 NM 0.6 NM 0.1 NM Modulation 400 Hz 1.300 Hz 3.000 Hz Ident ---.-........
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR The VVI shows the vertical speed of the aircraft. There are two versions, one with a needle (European) and one with a vertical moving bar (US). This instrument is a backup of the primary VSI indicator on the HUD. RIGHT CONSOLE The following panels are not simulated in this model. OXYGEN REGULATOR Though FSX has functions for it we decided not to include this to reduce the complexity. Therefore this panel is not simulated.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual AIR CONDITIONING AIR SOURCE Controls the pressurization of the cockpit and fuel tanks. Use left and right mouse key to operate.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual INTEGRATED CONTROL PANEL & DATA ENTRY DISPLAY The ICP is the main interface to most systems in the F-16. Many parts of it have no function in FSX or are classified but we were able to include a lot of the functionality. The DED shows the information selected on the ICP on 5 lines of 25 characters. ENTERING DATA When you need to enter data you will first need to select the correct line using the Cursor Movement switch.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual OVERRIDE BUTTONS When none of the function override buttons is pushed in the DED will show the base screen as shown above. The function buttons work like radio buttons so only one can be in (active). When you press the button that is in (active) it will pop out and no function will be selected and the base DED screen will be displayed.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual SIDE STICK CONTROLLER, THROTTLE QUADRANT SYSTEM AND ANIMATIONS There are many special animations that have no real function but increase the realism of the cockpit. SIDE STICK CONTROLLER The side stick was one of the major innovations of the F-16. It was located to the side of the cockpit so the full arm of the pilot could be supported making high G maneuvers easier to control. Furthermore the stick was almost fully static.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual RUDDER PEDAL SYSTEM The whole pedal control system can be moved forward and backward to suit the pilot with the pedal adjust lever. Drag this lever up and down with the left mouse button. Please note there is NO movement of the pedals when you control the aircraft on the ground (the pedals are not used in flight) as it uses the same system as the stick. It measures force applied to it, not movement.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual EJECTION CONTROL SAFETY LEVER The ejection seat is nothing more than a bomb/rocket that a pilot sits on. It is very important the systems are locked when the aircraft is not being flown so unwanted deployment is impossible. The moment you are shutting down the engine you flip this lever up and the system will be safe. The ground crew will always check this before they reach inside the cockpit.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual TWEAKING We encourage people to alter this product and assist that process in many ways. Feel free to discuss this in our forum. MODEL CONFIGURATION FILES Although it is NOT possible to change the visual model of the aircraft you can change the behavior of the aircraft. The aircraft.cfg files for each model actually contain the information for ALL the models and we simply disable the lines that should not be used. Take the weight and balance section for example.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual All the lines starting with // are not used by FSX but if you’d like to make the aircraft fly as it would with an external center tank it is easy to take this line: // station_load.X= 354.0, 0.00, -0.00, -4.00, EX-TANK 300 // Station 5 and add it to the active section. The stations that can be used are shown here. Note the two stations ON TOP of the fuselage; they are only for the conformal fuselage tanks.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual REDUX SHOCKWAVE LIGHTS FSX has serious problems with lights (as noted in other sections of this manual) and some of these problems are solved by A2A’s Redux lights. And they are more than a fix as they look really nice and we advise you to use them. We provided the configuration files for them to make it easy to use them. In every aircraft.cfg you will find the correct light locations with // in front of that line.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual FAQ Q: I want to shoot and bomb stuff. A: Sorry, very early in the project development we decided to keep this about flying and not about fighting. Not only because we think FSX should not be seen as a combat sim but also because there are many things that are technically impossible or would require a lot of additional resources to complete. Q: The afterburner does not look as I expect it to be.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.00 Manual AFTER ENGINE START [ ] INS [ ] SENSOR POWER [ ] AVIONICS POWER [ ] HUD + HUD MODES NORM ALL ON ON ON and SET ENGINE CHECK [ ] Verify FUEL FLOW [ ] Verify RPM [ ] Verify FTIT [ ] Verify HYD/OIL lights 500…1500 PPM 60%...
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
Aerosoft F-16 Fighting Falcon 1.
