Games PC EUROPEAN AIR WAR-PILOT S GUIDE User Manual

PILOT’S GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Book 1: Game Players’ Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

viii

Requirements and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Technical Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Installing the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

The Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

IFFICULTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

ONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

RAPHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

OUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

AUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

UITTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Joystick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

The Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Flying a Single Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Hangar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Mission Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

IME PERIOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

IME OF DAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

EATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

NSTANT ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ISSION TYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

ARGET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

UMBER OF AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

RUISE ALTITUDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

OME BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

RIENDLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY: SECONDARY AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

ORMATION SIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

ILOT SKILL LEVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

EXPECTED ENEMY ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY LEVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

RIMARY AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

ECONDARY AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

AAA A

CTIVITY LEVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

AVING A MISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

OADING A MISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

AKING REVISIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Armaments Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Fly Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Take-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

The Cockpit Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

ISSION MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

OCKPIT RADIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

UTOPILOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Viewpoint and the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

F-

KEY VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

NAP VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

HANGING PLANES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

ARGETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

IRTUAL COCKPIT MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

ADLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

HE EXTERNAL CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Accelerating Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Encountering the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

DENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

ROUND TARGETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

YCLING YOUR GUNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

OGFIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

ADLOCK AND TARGETING FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

IVE BOMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

TRAFING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

IRING ROCKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Getting Shot Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Returning and Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Debriefing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

iii

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

Career Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creating a Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Loading a Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

The Briefing Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

The Hangar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

RMAMENT BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

LY MISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

The Aerial Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

ATTLE LINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

HANGING BASES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

EPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

ILOT FATIGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

OCKPIT RADIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

ESCUE, CAPTURE, AND DEATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Debriefing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Medals and Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Barracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

OGBOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

IEW MEDALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

ADIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

EAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

UNK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Tour of Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Squadron Commander’s Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

QUADRON BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

The End of the War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Multi-Player Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Connecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

IPX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

TCP/IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

ODEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

ERIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Joining a Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Hosting a Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Session Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Flying a Multi-Player Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

OMMUNICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

EATH DURING TOTAL MAYHEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

LAYER KILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

The End of the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Newsreel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

View Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Book 2: Pilot’s Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Why You’re Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

HE COMBATANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

The Battle of Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

HE FALL OF FRANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

NGLAND STANDS ALONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

HANNEL RAIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

HE CALM BEFORE THE STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

HE STORM BREAKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

DLERTAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

HE BATTLE CONTINUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

ONDON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 9

HE CRISIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Fortress without a Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

HESE MAD AMERICANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

CHWEINFURT/REGENSBURG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

PERATION ARGUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

IG “B”, MARCH 6, 1944 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

REPARING FOR INVASION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

UPPORTING THE INVASION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

PERATION BODENPLATTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 0

HE FALL OF THE THIRD REICH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

REA BOMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

TRATEGIC BOMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

HE INTERDICTION CAMPAIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 4

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

Flight School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

135

The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

SSENTIAL AERODYNAMICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

EVEL FLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

CCELERATION AND DECELERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

EVEL CLIMB AND LEVEL DESCENT (RISING AND FALLING) . . . . . . . .143

LIMBS AND DIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

IMPLE TURNS (BANKING) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

INAL ADVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 5

Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

OMPASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

RTIFICIAL HORIZON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

IRSPEED INDICATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

ACHOMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

LTIMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

IL PRESSURE GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

NGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

UEL GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

ANIFOLD PRESSURE GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

ATE O F CLIMB INDICATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

MMUNITION COUNTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

Formations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

CHELON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

INGER FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 2

OMBERS AND ESCORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

Simple Manoeuvres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

ILERON ROLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

ARREL ROLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

OOP OVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

OOP UNDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

ING OVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Emergency Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

ECOVERING FROM A STALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

HE POWER STALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

ETTING OUT OF A SPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

OW FUEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

AMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

OMING INONAWING AND A PRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

IRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

BAILING OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Advanced Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

A L

ITTLE AIR COMBAT THEORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

OUR WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

PPROACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

OGFIGHT VS. HIT-AND-RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

MMELMANN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

PLIT-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

NTENTIONAL STALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189

KID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190

LIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 0

CISSORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191

HACH WEAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

DVANCED MANOEUVRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194

Some Further Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

ACTICAL QUICKIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

LTERNATIVE DELIVERY TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

ANDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

The Cockpits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

217

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

United States Army Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

OCKHEED P-38 LIGHTNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

EPUBLIC P-47 THUNDERBOLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

ORTH AMERICAN P-51 MUSTANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Royal Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

AWKER HURRICANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

AWKER TEMPEST V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

AWKER TYPHOON MK IB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

UPERMARINE SPITFIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Luftwaffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

OCKE WULF FW190 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

ESSERSCHMITT BF109 (ME109) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

ESSERSCHMITT ME110 (DESTROYER) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

ESSERSCHMITT ME262A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Glossary of Terms and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

246

customer support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

253

credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

255

vii

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

Book 1: Game

player’s Guide

Great Britain and France declared war on Germany in early September of 1939, a mere two days after Germany had invaded Poland. Less than a year later, France would be occupied and England fighting for her own independence. Thus began the European campaign of the Second World War. The conflict flared on ground and at sea, bloody and hard-fought, but it would be in the air that the war was won.

Most of the fighting over Europe was too high for people down below to see. The sole signs of the melee overhead were the distant buzz of engines and the occasional wreck, yet battle was no less fierce in the air than on the ground. With only a thin skin of metal as a shield, pilots had little room for error. Their fate was in their own hands. Success was, of course, only fleeting—failure often final.

From the Battle of Britain in the summer months of 1940 until the day of Axis capitulation five years later, the world’s military leaders engaged in a struggle for control of the skies over western Europe. Aerial support was key to any offensive assault and a principle means of defense as well. Crippling a nation was as simple as wearing down its supply of pilots and planes.

In European Air War

™

, you step into the cockpit of a 1940’s fighter plane and join your country’s daily struggle to achieve air superiority. Germany is wearing away the RAF’s resources. The Allies strive to beat back the onslaught and shove their way straight to Berlin. Now you assume your place in the pilot’s seat.

This book, the Game Player’s Guide, contains complete instructions on installing, running, configuring, and playing

European Air War™The Pilot’s Handbook (later in

this manual) has historical background and a little advice on piloting. The Quick Reference Card is a one-stop reference to all of the keyboard, mouse, joystick, and

other controls. Changes made to the game after this manual was written are described in the Readme file; that file was written last, so any notations in it supersede all other information.

Requirements and

Installation

You’ve got the box open, the CD-ROM in your hands, your flight jacket on, and that manic gleam in your eyes. What do you do now?

The Technical Prerequisites

For European Air War to work, there are a few things your computer must have.

The processor has to be a 166 MHz Pentium or better. If you have a 3D graphics acceleration card, you can play on a 133 MHz Pentium.

You must have at least 32 Mb (megabytes) of RAM (working memory).

You must have a CD-ROM drive.

Since the installation program will copy parts of European Air War onto your hard disk, you must have a lot of empty storage space on your hard drive. How much you need depends on how much of the game you choose to install; the different amounts are calculated for you by the installation program, and it shows you what you need versus what you have.

Your computer must be capable of SVGA quality graphics.

There must be a working mouse (or a device that fulfills the same function) attached to the computer.

You must have DirectX version 6.0 (or higher). If you don’t have this, you can install version 6.0 as part of the installation process. To use the game’s 3Dfx Glide support, you must have Glide API version 2.43 (or higher) installed and working.

There are also a few pieces of equipment that we strongly recommend you have:

To hear the game, you must have a sound card and the requisite drivers to support DirectSound.

To fly well, we recommend you use a joystick. We encourage the use of throttle controls and foot pedals (for the rudder).

For modem play, we recommend you use a modem capable of 28.8 kps or faster.

If you think you have all of these, but still have a problem running the game,

please contact MicroProse Customer Support for assistance.

Installing the Game

Before you can play European Air War, the installation program must copy some files onto your hard disk. To have it do so, follow these instructions:

Turn on your computer. Windows 95 should load the Microsoft CD-ROM Extension when the computer starts up. (If you have problems installing, this extension may not be loaded. Check your computer manuals for instructions on getting it loaded.)

Open the CD-ROM drive, place the European Air War CD in it, and close the

drive.

European Air War is a Windows 95 “AutoPlay” CD-ROM. That means that just

putting the disk in the drive for the first time starts up the installation program.

Click on Install to continue. (If you change your mind at this point, click Exit.)

As is usual in Windows 95 installation procedures, there are two decisions you need to make before the installation process can begin. The first decision is to what directory you want to install the game. You can accept the default, type in a directory path, or use the Browse button to seek out a directory. Click OK when you’re done.

The second decision is what sort of installation you want to do. Pick one of the options presented:

Typical installs the required program files and some other stuff. This type of installation strikes a balance between the needs of game speed (more files copied) versus conserving hard disk space (less files copied).

Compact is the minimum; it installs only the required program files.

Custom gives you control of what gets installed. How much disk space

this takes up depends on what you select.

European Air War will now copy the files you selected to your hard drive from the CD-ROM.

After the game itself has been copied over, European Air War installs a few necessary utility programs. These include Microsoft’s DirectX drivers (version

6.0). The space these take up was included in the total noted on screen.

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

REQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION

Lastly, use the check-boxes to decide whether to add a shortcut on your desktop for this game and whether to begin the game immediately when the installation is done.

Once the installation is complete, the game is ready to play.

If you checked the play box, the game begins right away. If you forgot, you can still start playing now:

Leave the European Air War CD-ROM in the drive.

Click the Play button.

To play later:

Make sure that the European Air War CD-ROM is in its drive.

If you checked the shortcut box, click on the European Air War shortcut on your desktop.

If not, open the Windows 95 Start menu, then open the European Air War sub-menu, then click the European Air War option.

You can also wait for the AutoPlay menu to pop up, then click the Play button.

Have fun!

The Controls

European Air War is an advanced, complex, historical military simulation. You cannot play if you use only keyboard controls. Use of a mouse is absolutely necessary, and a joystick comes in handy, too. In fact, we strongly recommend that you use both.

What follows is a brief introduction to the use of the configurable game options and the standard game controllers. European Air War is designed to work with most of the available Windows 95 compatible flight simulation add-on hardware systems (“peripherals”). If you follow the installation instructions and the documentation that came with the peripheral you’re using, you should not have any problems. Customer Support will likely be able to solve whatever trouble you do encounter. Calibration settings for joysticks and other hardware is taken from Windows data; if you installed the hardware correctly, you should have no need to recalibrate just for this game.

Configuration

The first time you fire up European Air War, before you even consider stepping into the cockpit, you should click on the Configure Game button. Use the configuration setup to specify how you want to control the game, as well as to adjust the settings of such things as sound, screen resolution, and level of detail.

DIFFICULTY

These three menus—Flight, Combat, and Display—let you adjust the level of realism and difficulty of each mission you fly. As you enable more realistic settings, the overall Difficulty Rating increases, thus increasing your score at the end of every mission (a reward for playing at a harder level).

Flight

Flight Model Depending on your abilities and what you want out of this game,

you can decide whether to use a Realistic flight model—with all the difficulty of piloting a real aircraft—or an Easy one, which is more forgiving.

Stalls/Spins This option, when enabled, makes it possible for your plane to

stall (when your speed is below that needed to sustain lift) or go into a spin. Turn this option Off, and stalls and spins will not occur unless your plane has been damaged.

Torque Effect Radial engines create a turning force known as torque (see the

Pilot’s Handbook for details). Pilots of single-engine planes must take this into account. Twin-engine machines don’t suffer the same pull, because their engines rotate in opposite directions and cancel the torque effect. If Torque Effect is Off, your plane will show no signs of pulling. However, when this is toggled On, single-engine aircraft will pull one side according to their manufacture. Torque has no effect when the autopilot is engaged, since the autopilot makes the necessary corrections.

Blackout\ Redout

While designers can tinker with planes to make them react better at high acceleration, it’s harder to enhance the human body’s performance under similar conditions. High-speed manoeuvres can prevent a pilot’s heart from pumping enough blood into his brain. When an airman pulls hard out of a dive, turns his aircraft tightly at top speeds, or performs other high-speed aerial moves, he may lose consciousness—black out.

Forcing too much blood into the brain (as when throttling forward into a steep dive) is also a problem. If the pressure becomes too great, tiny blood vessels in the pilot’s eyes burst. This is known as a “redout.” Severe brain damage or death can result.

Losing consciousness is especially dangerous at low altitudes, when you have too little time to recover, but even at great heights it poses serious risks. These days, pressurized suits help fighter pilots maintain control at high speeds. During World War II, such suits were too bulky and unpredictable to be practical, so pilots had to know their own limits.

If you enable blackouts, you subject yourself to the laws of nature and human limitations. If not, you’ll maintain both vision and consciousness even when performing unheard-of aerial feats.

THE CONTROLS

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

This pilot is at risk of blacking out.

Engine Overheat

Even when equipped with complex cooling systems, engines generate a lot of heat, and the harder they have to work, the more heat they put out. It’s possible to damage an engine if you run it too hard for too long. In some planes, holding the throttle fully open for as few as ten seconds can lead to overheating, and overheating can quickly escalate into permanent engine damage—or complete failure. When Engine Overheat is disabled, you can run your craft all day without once approaching the danger point. If you opt for a more realistic scenario, beware a heavy hand on the throttle.

Structural Limits

Even the sturdiest and most dependable of planes has its limitations. When it’s pushed beyond them, anything can happen, from the annoying—like buffeting in a dive—to the downright dangerous. A craft can fall into a spin or a stall, or a wing might break off in mid-flight and leave you plummeting helplessly back to the ground.

By selecting On, you open yourself up to many irksome but realistic problems that pilots of the day had to contend with. Leaving the option in the Off position, you avoid such troublesome issues and can push your plane beyond its physical limits.

Wind/ Turbulence

When enabled, this option makes flying a bit harder, because wind can slow you down, adjust your course, and generally complicate things. Select Off if you do not wish to have your course deviate due to the effects of wind and turbulence.

Combat

Enemy Skill Level

This option provides a quick and easy way to modify the overall difficulty. You can choose between Green (to face inexperienced pilots), Veteran (pilots who have been in a few dogfights), and Ace (the most experienced the enemy has to offer). Be forewarned that the enemy skill level Ace is designed to push even the most fanatic flight simulation veterans to the limits of their abilities.

Landing A combat pilot can count on very few certainties, but one thing is

sure—what goes up must come down. Assuming that you haven’t bailed out or showered down in a thousand pieces somewhere over Europe, you know that you’re going to have to land your crate. How you do that depends on your plane and your piloting prowess. Some planes are easier than others to set down, but bringing one in for a successful landing always requires skill and an excellent knowledge of your machine. When you enable Realistic, you must cope with the vagaries of bringing your craft in manually. If you select Simple, touching down is a much simpler affair.

Realistic Gunnery

In actual air-to-air combat during World War II, it was no mean feat to hit your target. Pilots needed great skill and marksmanship (and sometimes luck) to down an enemy plane. Fortunately, in European Air War it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Using a more blocky, less-than-precise silhouette of enemy aircraft to determine hits can turn many near misses into scores. Of course, if you’d rather have the greater challenge, that can be arranged, too. If Realistic Gunnery is off, you’ll have a slightly easier time finding your mark. With the option on, hits on enemy aircraft are determined using a slimmer and more realistic silhouette.

THE CONTROLS

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

Mid-Air Collision

The limited range of World War II weapons means that air-to-air combat takes place at close quarters. For your guns to be effective, you have to be frighteningly near your target. Mid-air collisions are of great concern; especially in the heat of battle, it’s easy to lose track of who’s around you and where exactly they are. This can be a fatal slip if Mid-Air Collision is enabled—aircraft coming into contact with each other explode in a fireball. With quick reflexes you might bail out, but at best you’ll be headed for a dirt bath or a dousing. If you leave this option off, one aircraft can pass right through another without effect.

Unlimited Ammo

Ammunition is a valued commodity in aerial combat. Armed, you’re a lethal threat, but when you run out of ammo, you must break off the attack and head home, vulnerable the entire flight. Every plane has weight and storage restrictions that limit how much ammunition the ground crews can pack on board. During the Second World War, a full load of bullets could be measured in seconds of firepower. In addition, most pilots had to estimate their remaining rounds without benefit of the ammunition counters now standard on warplanes. If you enter battle without Unlimited Ammo, be advised to use your weapons judiciously. If you opt instead for a limitless supply, just try not to give yourself away by the unrestrained use of your guns. (Note that this option is always Off in multi-player missions.)

Invulnerable This option allows you to designate whether or not your plane

takes damage—from enemy fire, friendly fire, the ground, or anything else. If you want to practice flying without having to worry about damage, set this option On. When you’re ready to fly in a real dogfight, turn this back Off. (Note that this option is always Off in multi-player missions.)

Display

Display Unit This option controls what system of measurement is used by

your commanding officers, your cockpit instruments, and your map. Select English to use the Imperial system or Metric for (oddly enough) the metric system. If you choose Default, each nationality uses the system they had in place at the time of the war.

HUD Display You can use this to turn on the cockpit Head-Up Display, which is

something no pilot during the war actually had. This projects useful information in front of you.

Altimeter Display

There are two types of altimeter. The type used during the war gives readings based on ambient air pressure. This is ASL (Above Sea Level). Modern radar altimeters read altitude AGL (Above Ground Level). During the war, planes did not use radar altimeters, and the description of the altimeter in this manual reflects that. If you choose to use AGL, that description no longer applies.

Airspeed Display

Select the way you want the Airspeed Indicator in your cockpit to work. IAS (Indicated Air Speed) measures your velocity relative to the air around you; this is the type of indicator used in WWII-era planes. TAS (True Air Speed) measures your actual rate of movement relative to the ground below you; this is more reliable for navigation, but less historically accurate.

CONTROL

This is where you designate exactly what hardware you’ll use to control which aspects of the game—and exactly what controls correspond to which commands.

The Flight Control is the important one; it’s the main instrument for flying your aircraft. Selections for the other options might change or be limited depending on what you select here. In general, for instance, you cannot use the same instrument as both Flight Control and for controlling the external camera—the exception being that if your joystick is your flight control, you can use the joystick “hat” to manoeuvre the camera.

THE CONTROLS

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

To customize (or completely reconfigure) the controls for the game, select Advanced. This option gives you control over all four groups of controls—View controls, Flight controls, Weapon controls, and general Game controls.

When you’re done, click OK to save your changes or Cancel to undo them.

GRAPHICS

The options on this screen influence how everything in every mission looks. Generally, more detail makes playing the game more realistic and fun, but it also tends to slow down the game’s operation. If you notice that your plane doesn’t respond as quickly as you would like, or that movements on the screen are jerky, you may need to lower the level of detail. Adjusting the settings to lower detail levels or turning some of the options off should result in a smoother picture and faster responses.

Make sure you select the correct 3D Renderer option—the type of 3D acceleration you’re using. You can also adjust your distance visibility. The higher the visibility, the farther you (and other pilots) can see.

If the background or the colour level is darker than you would prefer, try sliding the Gamma Correction to the right to brighten the entire viewing area.

SOUND

The Sound screen lets you control not only the volume of game sounds but also their quality. Choose between 8-bit and 16-bit sound. The higher setting (16-bit) sounds better, but requires quite a bit more memory, as well. You can also determine the number of sound effect channels; generally, more channels means better quality, though you are limited by what your computer’s capabilities.

You adjust the levels for the different sound effects and the music separately. Click anywhere along a line or drag the volume controls where you want them. Bear in mind that the engine sound effects can clue you in to the health of your plane—your engine may begin to labour before it actually fails. You can only react in time if you hear the change in pitch. You probably don’t want to turn these sound effects completely off.

The last option in the sound configuration allows you to turn the subtitles on or off. The officer presenting your briefings speaks in the language of his homeland, as do all pilots on your radio. Thus, for example, if you are flying a German plane, but you do not understand German, you would turn this option on to have your briefing information and communications subtitled in your native language.

Keyboard

The keyboard is the primary control device for your computer, but it is often a secondary controller while playing European Air War. Keystroke commands are most commonly used to change the viewpoint while flying, to enter text in certain fields (naming pilots, for example), and to control things like the throttle, gear, and brakes.

Keyboard controls are represented in this manual by symbols. Thus, for example, Function Key #1 would appear as 1, just as it does on the keyboard itself. Key combinations that should be pressed at the same time are separated by plus signs, as in c+a+d. All keys will be capitalized, but you do not need to enter capital letters. (A capital P, for example, would appear as s+P, while a lowercase p would be P.) We use the standard abbreviations for the special keys.

Though some of the keyboard commands are described in the relevant sections, please refer to the Quick Reference Card for the exact default keystrokes used in controlling European Air War. You can change many of these defaults using the Control option on the Configure Game menu, described in Configuration. There are some keyboard command standards that are shared by virtually all MicroProse games.

Note that on most of the game screens (not during missions), you can use the

to toggle labelling of all the hot spots on and off. This can be quite helpful when you aren’t sure exactly what you can do on a particular screen. You can also right-click to briefly view the hot spots; they stay visible as long as you hold down the [RMB].

THE CONTROLS

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

PAUSING

At any time while in flight, you can press a+P to pause the game. All action in the game will stop until you restart it, but you still have control of the external camera and the viewpoint controls. Note that none of the controls except those relevant to the camera and viewpoints will function while the game is paused. To restart the action, press a+P again.

QUITTING

The Main menu includes an Exit option for leaving the game, but real life doesn’t always allow enough time to work your way back to this menu to quit. To leave European Air War at any time, you can press a+Q. The game prompts you to verify that you want to quit. Note that if you are in the middle of a career mission when you quit, your career continues with that mission when you come back to the game.

If you wish to end your current mission without shutting down the whole game, press q. You must verify this command. If you do, you proceed directly to your debriefing, and the mission is counted a failure unless you completed your objective before quitting.

Mouse

If you do not have a joystick attached to your system, the mouse is likely to be the primary controller for European Air War. Even if you do have both a mouse and a joystick, the mouse is important. The mouse is necessary for selecting from menus and maps and moving around the briefing screens.

Mouse controls are represented in this manual in a manner similar to keyboard controls. Thus, for example, the Left Mouse Button would appear as LMB. Directional controls are represented by “mouse” commands in brackets—[Mouse Left], for example.

Throughout this manual, we stick to the standard terms for using the mouse:

‘Click’ means to click the left mouse button (LMB).

‘‘Right-click’ means to click the right mouse button (RMB).

‘‘Drag’ means to hold down the LMB while you move the mouse.

‘‘Right-drag’ should be obvious enough.

‘‘Double-click’ means to click the LMB twice rapidly.

The mouse controls for the external camera are described in the relevant section. You can also use the Quick Reference Card as a quick reference. The mouse motions used to fly the plane are summarized here. You can change these defaults using the Control option on the Configure Game menu, described in

Configuration.

[Mouse Fwd] Stick forward, nose down (dive)

[Mouse Back] Stick back, nose up (climb)

[Mouse Left] Stick left, bank left (left turn)

[Mouse Right] Stick right, bank right (right turn)

Joystick

If you have access to one, it’s best to use a joystick as the primary control device for European Air War. Even in tandem with a mouse, the joystick is essential—a joystick is the optimum controller for the plane in flight.

Directional controls are represented in this manual by “stick” commands—[Stick Left], for example. Joystick controls other than those for flight are described in the relevant sections. You can also use the Quick Reference Card as a quick reference. The default joystick controls used to fly the plane are standard and fairly obvious; they are summarized here. You can change some of these defaults using the Control option on the Configure Game menu, described in Configuration.

THE CONTROLS

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

[Stick Fwd] Elevators down, nose down (dive)

[Stick Back] Elevators up, nose up (climb)

[Stick Left] Bank left (left turn)

[Stick Right] Bank right (right turn)

[Button 1] Fire guns

[Button 2] Fire Selected Weapon

Pedals

Foot pedals are optional hardware for controlling the rudder of the plane. If you do not have rudder pedals, don’t worry; European Air War also allows you to control the rudder from the keyboard, joystick, or mouse. Using rudder control, several useful manoeuvres are available to you that are not possible using the stick alone.

Rudder pedal controls (rudder controls in general, in fact) are represented in this manual in bold type and enclosed in brackets. Thus, for example, sliding the left pedal forward and the right pedal back would appear as [Rudder Left]. The direction of the control (i.e. “left” or “right”) is based on the direction in which the control motion moves the rudder, as is standard in aviation.

The rudder is the pilot’s only direct method of controlling the yaw of the plane. (Please refer to ‘Yaw’ in the Glossary for a brief definition.) The primary uses of the rudder are to counteract the adverse yaw caused by banking with the ailerons and to steer the plane while on the runway. The rudder can also be helpful when you’re making those little sideways adjustments as you approach the runway. The two pedal controls are as follows:

[Rudder Left] Yaw left (counteract adverse yaw

of right bank)

[Rudder Right] Yaw right (counteract adverse yaw

of left bank)

The Main Menu

Once the opening animation has come to an end, European Air War’s Main menu appears. From this panel, you control how you will enter the European Theatre of Operations. You can join the battle for a few brief months in the early years of the war, fighting over Britain and the English Channel for victory and the greater glory of your country, or sign on in 1943 for the duration of the hostilities over Europe. You might even choose to test your wings and your daring on a single mission into the depths of enemy territory. Once the battle has cooled, you can brush up on the overall aerial campaign with special features like European Air War’s Newsreel, also found on the Main menu.

Main menu screen

Quick Start This is the fastest way to jump into the cockpit and get your

first taste of air combat.

Single Mission Design and fly individual missions for either the Axis or the

Allies. Single missions are a good way to practice in preparation for a piloting career.

Pilot Career Start your career as a pilot for the RAF, USAAF, or Luftwaffe.

Configure Game

Choose how to control your aircraft and other aspects of the game.

Multi-Player Test your aerial combat skills against those of your friends.

Newsreel Watch brief films on some of the major aerial operations in

European Air War.

View Objects Examine

—in detail—all the planes in European Air War.

Exit Quit the game and return control to Windows.

Book 1: Game Player’s Guide

Our thanks to RAF Wing Commander James Isles (Retired) for these brief insights into the air war in defense of England, and for all the other information he so thoughtfully supplied.

A Personal Experience of a Civilian

The Sunday morning of 3rd September 1939 was beautifully sunny and warm, with the first tints of autumn beginning to appear. On this particular morning, I had motored from my home in North Berkshire to be with my future wife, who was at that time nursing at Lord Mayor Treloar’s Hospital at Alton.

For many months, there had been speculation whether or not there would be war or peace in Europe in our time, since Hitler was already using force to gain his way with a programme of annexations. It was known that the offer of British support in the event of anyone threatening the independence of Poland had become relevant on the 1st September. Thus, Britain was under obligation to stand by her treaty.

An ultimatum issued by the British Government to Germany for the withdrawal of troops from Poland had been rejected by Hitler. Thus, the Prime Minister made his radio broadcast to the British people. The Matron of the Hospital at Treloar’s had invited me into the hall where staff were assembled to listen to the announcement. I shall always remember the empty silence in that hospital in the moments that preceded the broadcast. When Mr. Neville Chamberlains, the British Prime Minister, came to the microphone to speak to the British nation he said:

“This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by eleven o’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.”

Those awesome words that came over the air on that peaceful Sunday morning stunned everyone into a silence like that which precedes an approaching storm. Within a few months, that storm front had broken for me, and I had become a Volunteer Reserve in the Royal Air Force.

A pre-arrangement with a elderly aunt of mine living in London was that if war was declared on 3rd September, I would drive direct from Alton to London, collect my aunt, and deliver her to some relatives in Berkshire. The general belief was that as soon as war had been declared, the German Luftwaffe would release an onslaught of bombers against major cities in Britain—but particularly on London. Having reached London in less than an hour and driving eastwards along the Great West Road, I noticed that the streets were almost deserted. I had seen some air-raid wardens ushering people into the shelters, and I realised that an alert had been sounded. My aunt lived in nearby Hounslow, and I arrived to find her and my uncle together with their dog in the air-raid shelter at the bottom of the garden, where I joined them until the all-clear was given.

As we found out later, soon after the declaration, two officers of the French Air Force had been on their way to join the Allied Air Mission in Britain. The Observer Corps had spotted the French plane crossing the coast and flying towards London, but they failed to identify the aircraft. However, it was plotted and transposed to the Operations Centre at Headquarters Fighter Command, who gave the signal “Air Raid Warning Red”. This brought the warning sirens into use, and the civilian population—believing that the German air raids had begun—made for the nearest shelters.

In the meantime, the French aircraft had landed at Croydon, a de-briefing had sorted the matter out, everything was in order, and the all-clear was sounded.

As it turned out, this was an excellent exercise to test not only the Air Defence System of the UK, but also the Civil Defence Organisation—all on the very first day that war had been declared.

Quick Start

If you’re one of those people who like to leap straight into the cockpit and leave the details for later, here’s the shortest route to the open skies:

On the Main menu, choose Quick Start.

The game automatically recruits you for duty based on what plane you last selected in the Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force (RAF), or United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and designates where over Europe the air combat will unfold. European Air War also selects your armaments and makes all other pre-flight decisions.

Fly. The plane is already aloft and engaged with the enemy when you slide into the cockpit. The skill of your adversaries is based on the selection you made in the difficulty options. Your objective is simply to down them all before they do the same to you.

Quick Start missions use the same aircraft controls as the rest of the game. For details on how to pilot your plane, please refer to the Quick Reference Card and to the Flying a Single Mission section in this manual. Operations in Quick Start are small in scope, covering less terrain than other available flights, but they let you dive in and get your feet wet (preferably not in the drink). At mission’s end— success or your own untimely demise—you receive a mission summary report and then return to the Main menu.

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