User Guide

PLANE SPECIFICATIONS
Engines. The number of engines the plane has. Unless noted otherwise, assume jet engines.
Max Range. Operational range (one way) of the aircraft in nautical miles on internal fuel assuming
a constant throttle of MIL 4 and a clean plane.
VmaxHi. Maximum speed in knots, clean, on full afterburner at 36,000 ft.
VmaxLo. Max speed clean in knots, full afterburner at sea level.
Ceiling. The maximum altitude in feet the plane can reach in stable flight.
Loadout. The standard gun loadout on the plane.
Fighter type. A rough estimation of how advanced the fighter is, based as much on the
sophistication of its radar as on any other criterion. First generation is oldest; Third is most
advanced.
Maneuv. A general agility rating based on turn radius, roll rate, wing drag and rate of climb.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Engines.................1
Max Range............905 nm
VmaxHi.................1158 knots
VmaxLo.................791 knots
Ceiling...................49,530 feet
Loadout.................M61A1 20mm Vulcan
Fighter type ..........Third
Maneuv.................Excellent
The F-16 is the plane you must master and is one of
the most versatile and maneuverable planes in the
world today. It is a “fly by wire” plane; the ailerons
and other moving surfaces are activated via electrical
impulse rather than by bulky hydraulic actuators.
The electrical signals from the pilot’s controls are fed
into a computer which determines the best way to
move the control surfaces to achieve the result the
pilot asked for. It sounds cumbersome, but the fly-
by-wire system was a quantum leap in aircraft
control technology. The electronic controls are triply
redundant, making them dependable in the most
arduous conditions.
F/A-18 Hornet
Engines................2
Max Range............950 nm
VmaxHi.................1032 knots
VmaxLo.................795 knots
Ceiling...................50,400 ft.
Loadout.................M61A1 20mm Vulcan
Fighter type ..........Third
Maneuv.................Good to very good
The Hornet was designed to be a jack-of-all-trades
aircraft. Unfortunately, that made it master of none.
It has a very good radar and can carry a great deal of
ordnance, is very maneuverable, has a great roll
rate, but is a mediocre dogfighter due to the weak
engines.
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