User Guide

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TIPS AND TRICKS
Your missions are dangerous and the only
way to get through them all is to y, shoot,
and bomb well. Here are some tips you can use
when you climb into the cockpit.
Read. Watch. Do. You can learn how to
ght effectively in this theater through three
resources: handbooks, training movies, and
training missions. The handbooks provide you
with all of the information you need to know.
The training movies show you a few key maneuvers
you need to learn. The training missions let
you practice these skills. Access the handbooks
through the Options tab, the movies through
online Help, and the training missions through
the Missions tab.
Know your aircraft. Understand the strengths
and weaknesses of the planes you y and those
of the enemy as well. Some aircraft are particu-
larly good or bad for any particular mission.
The Machines of War handbook on the compact disc
is an excellent resource for this information.
Recognize their aircraft. Don’t shoot your
buddy! Planes can look alike, especially from
a great distance. Use the Machines of War hand-
book to learn how to distinguish an Fw 190 from
a Thunderbolt, a Mustang from an Me 109, and a
Ju 88 from a Mosquito.
Don’t get shot. If your plane is taking
hits from another plane, you’re doing something
wrong. Nothing is worse than getting shot so
you’re free to try anything to shake the enemy
loose, no matter how risky.
If you practice, practice. If you plan
on ying with the ight model set to “Hard,”
then do not practice on a setting lower than
“Medium.” Practicing on a lower setting teaches
you bad habits that can get you killed when
combat starts.
Don’t be a cowboy. Tactical combat is a
tough job and not every mission is going to be
winnable the rst time you y it. It’s better to
live to ght another day, so instead of ghting
to the death, bug out of a deteriorating combat
situation that could cost the lives of too many
of your fellow pilots. Get some distance if you
can, regroup, and aim to win the campaign, not
the battle of the moment.
Keep an eye out. When focusing on a bomb
run or making sure you can nd your target,
it’s easy to forget that there are enemy planes
in the sky whose only purpose is to shoot you
down. Watch what’s behind you as well as what’s
in front.
Avoid xation. It’s easier than you think
to forget about the ground and then y right
into it. Don’t focus on a target so closely that
you neglect to leave yourself enough altitude
to pull out of a dive.
Set trim. Set your engine power to 70%
(press the 7 key), and then let go of your joy-
stick to see if your plane climbs or dives on
its own. If it does, the trim may not be set
properly, which can be a problem when you’re
ying ten feet off the ground. Use the 1 and 7
keys on the numerical keypad to set the trim so
your plane ies level on its own.
Know your computer. There’s a lot to tweak
on your computer to make the game run smoothly.
Experiment with the settings in CFS3 to see
which options create the most satisfying game
experience for you.
On the Fly