User Guide

2: COCKPITS
As systems and weapons technology grow increasingly complex, flying a
helicopter becomes a more difficult task. Pilots constantly have to scan 360° for
threats while keeping both hands and feet on the controls at all times. And over
the last few years, targeting, night vision and display systems have added new
gauges, switches, displays and controls.
The size of the helicopter cockpit and its panels hasn’t increased much to
accommodate these new avionic systems. This has necessitated a more
automated cockpit in which instrument readings are displayed onscreen and
system adjustments are controlled by a computer.
Before your first takeoff, read the following descriptions of the aircrafts’ instrumen-
tation and systems. You can fly either the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the Longbow
without Radar, the Kiowa Warrior or the Black Hawk in any mission.
Game vs. Reality
The heart of Longbow 2 is its level of realism. Actual Apache pilots have logged
hours testing the game, giving the development team valuable feedback on how
the helicopter should handle and how the weapons should act. Dozens of note-
books full of manufacturing specs, physics, operating characteristics, aerodynam-
ics and other resources were used as well, resulting in a nearly perfect simulation
of helicopter flight.
Cockpit. The real Longbow Apache and Kiowa Warrior have separate cockpits for
the pilot and co-pilot/gunner, as does the game. The CP/G functions (target sight-
ing, prioritization and countermeasures) are automated in the single-player game,
although you can also take direct control over them by adjusting game options. In
a multi-player game, a different player can man each position. The Black Hawk
has only one cockpit, but a door gunner station is modeled, which allows the play-
er to take the part of a crew member manning one of the two pintle-mounted guns
on either side of the Black Hawk’s body.
Flight Dynamics. The dynamics in
Longbow 2 match the actual helicopter and
have been aeronautically designed to correctly respond to control inputs and
external physics. However, because piloting a helicopter — in reality and in this
game — is not easy, you have the option of setting the level of realism (and thus
difficulty) you prefer. (See
OPTIONS menu in the Install Guide for details.)
Terrain. The maps used in this game were generated from actual U.S. Geological
Survey maps and offer a variety of interesting combat environments. Perspective-
correction technology also adds detail to the terrain and gives hills and canyons
smooth edges.
Weapons. In the Longbow Apache, the TADS system automatically rotates the
M230 Chain Gun (as the actual Longbow does) as you slew the camera. (You can
view this in the exterior camera views.) Additionally, the weapons for all aircraft
have realistic dynamics, graphical effects and operational ranges.
2.1