Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3 User Manual

Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator 3.0

http://www.replacementdocs.com

Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo

FLIGHT SCHOOL

handbook

FLYING CLASSROOM: A FOR

MATION OF AT-6 “TEXAN”

TRAINERS.

Basic Flight

If you make assumptions about how an airplane works you put your machine, your life, and your country at risk. Practice and study every aspect of ight and combat, and when you go to sleep--dream it.

First Things First................ 3

The Instrument Panel.............. 4

Flight Controls................... 5

Engine Controls................... 8

Getting Up and Back.............. 11

Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo

Basic Flight Maneuvers........... 14

Why it All Works................. 18

Basic Aerobatic Maneuvers........ 22

* * *

Air Combat

Dropping a bomb onto a moving target–-it seems like you’ll never get it right. Your troops are depending on you to clear out the hornets nest impeding their advance. What can you

do? Plenty!

Tools of the Trade............... 26

Ground Attack Philosophy......... 31

Basic Air Combat Maneuvers....... 38

Authorized licensees of this game may print (or have printed at their expense) a single copy of this manual for their personal home use in conjunction with the play and use of the game on this CD.

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Tactical Air Combat Maneuvers.... 43

A Few Tips....................... 49

Telling Friend from Foe.......... 50

Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo

BASIC FLIGHT

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

You’re about to take on a huge responsibility by participating in the greatest struggle so far in the 20th century. Are you up to it? Your country and your squadron mates are counting on you, so we’re going to get you up to speed.

You’ve been assigned to the tactical air support role, which means you’ll be ying low where you’re vulnerable to enemy antiaircraft guns. Give yourself a ghting chance by rst going through training. Military ight training consists of these three steps:

1. First, you’ll read this handbook.

2. Then you’ll watch movies that show several basic combat maneuvers you need to master.

3. Finally, you’ll practice what you’ve learned by actually ying.

When you’re done training, you’ll know how to handle

a powerful airplane and how to use it to hit the enemy hard.

The Flight School handbook

Read this handbook and study the diagrams to learn

the basics of ight, how your plane works and ies, and how to execute combat maneuvers. If you’re a novice, begin with the basics of ight; if you’re an experienced yer, jump right into the air combat training section so we can use you as soon as possible. If you understand the material in this handbook, you’ll be a better ghter. Read it now!

The movies

After you’ve read the handbook, watch the training

movies. (You can access them in the CFS3 Training

Materials section of online Help.) These movies demonstrate two tactical air combat and two dogghting maneuvers that can be applied in a variety of situations.

The training missions

Finally, get in the plane and practice tactical air combat maneuvers, such as dive bombing, strang, and level bombing. You’ll use these skills to aid the ground soldiers as they advance. Practice the maneuvers until they’re second nature so you don’t have to think about them when you’re in combat. Here are some tips for getting up to speed quickly:

- Study the Quick Reference Card. Memorize key commands to help you do things quickly when time is of the essence.

- Familiarize yourself with the instrument panel. Roll the cursor over each instrument to see both what it is and its current reading.

- Use the Free Flight option. (Click the Quick Combat tab, and then click Free Flight.) Use Free Flight to practice both basic and combat maneuvers without getting shot at. You need to master these maneuvers to stay alive and help us WIN!

- Fly some training missions. (Click the Missions tab, and then select a mission from the Training tab.) By ying training missions, you can practice what you’ve learned, but with the heat turned up a notch.

- Practice your level bombing skills. Level bombing means you must y level over the target, which can be difcult when you’re being shot at. You’ll need to switch between three positions: cockpit, gunner, and bombardier. You can y your plane from the cockpit, but you can also jump to a gunner position and defend, or jump to the bombardier position and drop your load on the target. Dropping a bomb load while looking through a bombsight is tougher than it might seem. Practice!

Time is wasting so get busy. We’ve got an important

mission and we need you!

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THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

The instrument panel in your aircraft provides key information about your position and your aircraft’s health, among other things. It may look confusing and foreign at rst, but you’ll come to rely on it after you get used to it. Every aircraft has a different panel, but for the most part, each panel features the same basic elements.

- Gauges: Each aircraft has its own set of gauges that indicate how your aircraft is performing and where you’re going.

- Mouse rollover Help: While you y, you can nd out an instrument’s name by pointing to the instrument with the mouse.

Although there area several aircraft for each

nationality in Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator 3, you only need to learn three basic instrument sets. The accompanying images show the basic set of instruments for American, German, and British aircraft.

* * *

AMERICAN GERMAN BRITISH

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HEADING INDICATOR ALTIMETER AIRSPEED ARTIFICIAL HORIZON

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FLIGHT CONTROLS

PRIMARY CONTROL SURFACES

Ailerons

Moving the stick left and right moves your plane’s ailerons. These hinged rectangular surfaces are located on the trailing edges of the wings near the wing tips, and they control your plane’s banking (rolling) motion.

The ailerons move in opposite directions. If you move the stick left, the left aileron moves up, reducing lift (upward force) on the left wing. At the same time the right aileron moves down, increasing lift on the right wing. The result? The airplane banks (rolls) to the left. When the wings reach the angle of bank you want, center the stick. Banking with the ailerons is what causes a

plane to turn

Note: All keyboard commands noted in this manual are the default

Combat Flight Simulator 3 combat keyboard commands. If you

want to change your settings to your own keyboard commands

or to Microsoft Flight Simulator keyboard commands, click

Control Options on the Options tab and follow the prompts.

KEYBOARD ACTION JOYSTICK (NUM LOCK ON)

Bank left/ Move joystick left Num Pad

Left aileron

Bank right/ Move joystick right Num Pad

Right aileron

Stop banking/ Center joystick Num Pad

Center ailerons

Aileron

Trim

Rudder

Elevator Flap

You control an airplane’s movement with the stick and rudder pedals. In Combat Flight Simulator 3 (CFS3), the stick and rudder are simulated by the joystick and rudder pedals (both optional), and the keyboard. No matter what your setup, you’ll use these controls to move control surfaces that cause the airplane to turn, climb, and descend.

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Rudder

Pushing the rudder pedals moves your plane’s rudder. The rudder is a hinged surface located on the vertical stabilizer of the tail. It controls your craft’s yawing (pivoting) motion to the left and right. The rudder is used to counteract your plane’s tendency to yaw in the direction opposite a turn, and to counteract your engine’s torque. (Learn more about the effects of torque in “A few words about torque” later in this handbook.)

JOYSTICK/RUDDER KEYBOARD

ACTION PEDALS (NUM LOCK OFF)

Yaw left/ Twist joystick left (not Num Pad

Left rudder all joysticks twist) or

press left rudder pedal

Yaw right/ Twist joystick right or Num Pad

ENTER

Right rudder press right rudder pedal

Yaw center/ Center joystick or Num Pad

Neutralize center rudder pedals rudder

Elevator

Moving the stick forward and backward moves your plane’s elevator. This hinged surface is located on the horizontal stabilizer of the tail and controls your airplane’s pitch (up and down) motion. Moving the stick forward decreases pitch attitude (lowers the nose), while moving it back increases pitch attitude (raises the nose).

The elevator controls pitch attitude, but it doesn’t necessarily make your plane climb or descend. You’ll learn

why in “Basic Flight Maneuvers” later in this handbook.

KEYBOARD ACTION JOYSTICK (NUM LOCK OFF)

Pitch up Move joystick back Num Pad

Pitch down Move joystick forward Num Pad

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Flaps

Flaps are hinged surfaces on the trailing edges of the wings, next to the fuselage. They are usually used during takeoff and landing. When extended, the  aps increase lift by helping the wings de ect more air downward, which means your plane can ascend more rapidly. They also increase drag (the resistance of the air), allowing your aircraft to descend more steeply without building up speed.

The  aps are extended in increments, which vary depending on the aircraft. As you extend or retract the  aps, be prepared for changes in pitch. The nose will rise or fall from the resulting change in lift. Add forward- or back-pressure on the stick to maintain the pitch attitude you want, and after the airspeed stabilizes, use elevator trim to relieve that pressure.

ACTION KEYBOARD

Retract  aps fully

SHIFT+V

key

Retract  aps in increments

key

Extend  aps fully

SHIFT+F

Extend  aps in increments

key

SECONDARY CONTROL SURFACES

Trim

Trim tabs are small, hinged surfaces on the elevator, rudder, and ailerons that help you maintain speci c control positions without needing to exert pressure on the controls. Moving a trim tab one way de ects the elevator, rudder, or aileron the other way. When your airplane is properly trimmed, you can  y “hands off,” applying only occasional, small control-pressures to compensate for the occasional bump or minor changes in heading. (On some aircraft, elevator trim moves the entire elevator slightly, instead of moving a tab on it.)

Use trim to relieve control pressure, not to  y.

If you want to change the airplane’s attitude (position relative to the horizon),  rst move the stick or rudder and change the power setting if necessary. Then, after the airplane stabilizes, trim off the pressure.

ACTION KEYBOARD (NUM LOCK OFF)

Aileron trim left

CTRL+

Num Pad

Aileron trim right

CTRL+

Num Pad 6

Rudder trim left

CTRL+

Num Pad

Rudder trim right

CTRL+

Num Pad

ENTER

Elevator trim up Num Pad

Elevator trim down Num Pad

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ENGINE CONTROLS

ACTION COMMAND

Engine auto-start

key

Throttle (decrease)

(MINUS SIGN)

Throttle (increase)

(EQUAL SIGN)

10% throttle Keyboard

20% throttle Keyboard

30% throttle Keyboard

40% throttle Keyboard 4

50% throttle Keyboard

60% throttle Keyboard

70% throttle Keyboard

80% throttle Keyboard 8

90% throttle Keyboard 9

100% throttle Keyboard 0

Prop (decrease rpm)

SHIFT+-

(MINUS SIGN)

Prop (increase rpm)

SHIFT+=

(EQUAL SIGN)

Prop (min pitch)

CTRL+F6

Prop (max pitch)

CTRL+F7

Mixture (lean)

CTRL+-

(MINUS SIGN)

Mixture (enrich)

CTRL+=

(EQUAL SIGN)

Mixture (idle cutoff)

CTRL+SHIFT+F6

Mixture (full rich)

CTRL+SHIFT+F7

Engage War Emergency Power (WEP)

key or Water/Methanol-Water injection (toggle)

To start the engine automatically, press the E key: You’ll see the controls move, and then you’ll hear the engine start. If you’d rather do all the work yourself, you can start the engine manually. For details, see the next section in this handbook, “Starting the engine.”

Your aircraft has three basic engine controls:

- Throttle control lever (the control that has the most direct effect on power)

- Propeller control lever (to adjust the prop’s pitch angle and thus the prop’s rotation speed)

- Mixture control lever (to adjust the air/fuel mixture as the airplane climbs and descends)

All three levers can be controlled with the keyboard.

You can also control the throttle with a slider or wheel on your joystick (optional).

Starting the engine

In most missions you’ll start on the runway, all

lined up and ready to go. Start your engine, and follow your squadron mates into the sky!

To automatically start the engine

- Press the E key.

To manually start the engine

1. Set the prop control lever to the Max. pitch position (CTRL+F7).

2. Set the mixture control lever to the Full Rich position (CTRL+SHIFT+F7). If you’re ying a jet, instead move the fuel valve to On (CTRL+SHIFT+F7).

3. Set the throttle control lever to the Idle position, and then move it forward just a bit (MINUS and EQUAL keys).

4. Turn the battery switch to On (CTRL+B).

5. If your aircraft has a magneto, click the Magneto switch to move it to the Both position (CTRL+M or

SHIFT+M).

6. Engage the starter and then release it (CTRL+S).

Throttle control lever

The throttle regulates the amount of fuel and air that enters the engine cylinders. When fully open, the throttle allows the maximum amount of fuel and air to enter the system to produce maximum power. When the throttle is closed, only a small amount of fuel and air can get in, and the engine produces minimum power.

To open the throttle, move the control lever forward. To close it, pull it backward. The manifold pressure gauge on the instrument panel shows the pressure of the air moving into the engine’s cylinders, and it gives an approximate measurement of engine power. Generally speaking, the higher the manifold pressure, the more power you have.

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Mixture control lever

Because your aircraft’s engine operates over a wide range of altitudes, you can adjust the air/fuel mixture for maximum ef ciency as you climb into less dense air or descend into more dense air. A mixture that is too rich contains too much fuel for the amount of air available at that altitude and will cause the engine to run rough and lose power. The solution is to “lean the mixture.” As you climb, make the mixture leaner by pulling the mixture control lever backward. Don’t lean the mixture too much, though--a mixture that is too lean can cause the engine to overheat or cause detonation (a sudden, explosive combustion of fuel within the cylinders).

Note: By default, mixture control is handled automatically in

Combat Flight Simulator. To adjust the mixture manually,

click Realism Options on the Options tab, and in the Aircraft

section clear the Auto mixture check box.

Propeller control lever

Adjusting the propeller in an airplane is a lot like using gears in a car. In low gear the engine turns fast to get you moving. Once you’re underway, there’s no need to use a lot of power, so you shift to a higher gear to make more ef cient use of less power. In an airplane, the propeller control lever indirectly changes the angle at which the propeller blades meet the air, which affects how fast the engine turns. The tachometer on the instrument panel shows how fast your engine is turning.

During takeoff, in combat, and during landing (in case you need to abort and take off again) you’ll need every bit of power your engine can develop. So during these three phases of  ight, keep the propeller lever forward: the angle of the blades will be low, slicing through the air easily so you can get the engine’s full power (like using a low gear in a car). During cruise, you can pull the propeller lever backward a bit: the angle of the blades will increase and take a bigger bite out of the air, making more ef cient use of the engine’s power (like using a high gear in a car).

Because your aircraft has a constant-speed propeller, any time you change the throttle setting a governor automatically adjusts the angle of the blades to maintain that speed. This reduces your workload!

Note: The default setting of your airplane’s prop control lever is the

forward (high speed) position. Don’t change this setting if

you don’t need to. As a  ghter pilot, you’ll want this setting

most of the time. Leaving the prop control lever forward during

cruising  ight means you’ll  y less ef ciently and use more

fuel, but it won’t cause any damage.

P-38 LIGHTNING BANKS FOR BOMB RUN.

Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo

GETTING UP AND BACK

TAXIING

When you’re taxiing, remember that if you’re ying a taildragger (an aircraft with a tailwheel instead of tricycle landing gear), it’s hard to see over the nose when you’re on the ground. To get a good view, make gentle S-turns by using the rudder pedals, and look to either side. Aircraft with tricycle landing gear are easier to manage on the ground--you can see over the nose so you just use the rudder to steer the aircraft.

Note: When auto-rudder is set to On, you can steer by moving

the stick left and right—the ailerons and the rudder are

connected. To turn auto-rudder on or off, click Realism Options

on the Options tab, and in the Aircraft section select or clear

the Auto-rudder check box.

To taxi

1. Hold the stick back to keep the tailwheel on the ground (with a taildragger).

2. Taxi with the throttle at idle and use the brakes as little as possible.

3. To turn sharply, brake just on the side you’re turning toward (press the COMMA for the left brake or the PERIOD for the right brake).

4. When you reach the runway, stop at a right angle and scan the sky for any approaching aircraft.

TAKING OFF

Taking off is something even experienced pilots get excited about. But don’t lose your head during this critical stage of ight. Every plane performs differently during takeoff, so use the checklists in online Help for specic aircraft specs. Here are some general guidelines:

To take off (taildragger)

1. Line up on the runway. LOCK THE TAILWHEEL (SHIFT+L). This is important as the airplane’s left turning tendency is exaggerated in a tailwheel airplane.

2. Incrementally add some aps if appropriate in your airplane (press the F key).

3. Make sure the prop control lever is in the full forward position (default setting), and then smoothly advance the throttle to takeoff power.

See “Engine Controls” earlier in this handbook for details. Do not jam the throttle forward, or

torque effect may cause loss of control!

4. Maintain back-pressure on the stick to keep the tailwheel on the ground until your rudder becomes effective.

5. Slowly ease forward on the stick so the tail rises.

6. At your aircraft’s takeoff speed, gently pull back on the stick and y the plane off the runway.

7. Once airborne, retract the landing gear (press the

G key) and aps (press the V key repeatedly until

the aps are fully retracted).

8. Adjust your pitch attitude to climb out at your plane’s best-climb speed.

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Air Force Historical

Research Agency Photo

To take off (tricycle landing gear)

1. Line up on the runway.

2. Incrementally add some  aps if appropriate in your airplane (press the F key).

3. Make sure the prop control lever is in the full forward position (default setting), and then smoothly advance the throttle to takeoff power.

See “Engine Controls” earlier in this handbook for details.

4. At your aircraft’s takeoff speed, pull back on the stick so the nose rises.

5. Once airborne, retract the landing gear (press the G key) and  aps (press the V key repeatedly until the  aps are fully retracted).

6. Adjust your pitch attitude to climb out at your plane’s best-climb speed.

LANDING

A good landing starts with a good approach, and that means setting up with the right speed and con guration. Every plane lands differently, so check the online Help checklists for best approach speeds, gear extension speeds, and  ap settings. Here are some general guidelines:

To land (taildragger)

1. Slow your plane down to its maximum gear-extension speed.

2. Lower the landing gear (press the G key) and start a shallow 500-foot-per-minute descent toward the runway. Watch the descent rate by looking at the runway and occasionally glance at the rate of climb/descent indicator on the instrument panel.

Note: If your hydraulic system is damaged, you may need to

manually pump the landing gear down (press SHIFT+G key repeatedly).

3. Incrementally add  aps to steepen the approach (press the F key).

4. Maintain the approach speed recommended for your aircraft, and use pitch to control airspeed. To speed up, move the stick forward slightly to lower the nose. To slow down, gently pull the stick back.

5. Pick a touchdown point and use the throttle to control descent rate. If the touchdown point appears to move down your windscreen, decrease power: you’re too high. If the touchdown point seems to move up, add power: you’re too low.

6. As you cross the end of the runway, ease the throttle back to idle.

XIX TAC THUNDERBOLT LANDS ON A NEW AIRSTRIP

IN FRANCE.

7. Flare about 20 feet above the runway by pulling back slowly on the stick to raise the nose slightly, and touch down in a nose-high, “threepoint” attitude. All three wheels should contact the ground at the same moment. Hold the stick full back after you touch down.

8. During and after touchdown, maintain directional control with the rudder. (If auto-rudder is on, then move the stick left and right--the ailerons and the rudder are connected.)

9. After the aircraft has slowed to walking speed, apply the brakes (press the B key).

10. Unlock the tailwheel to taxi (SHIFT+L).

To land (tricycle landing gear)

1. Slow your plane down to its maximum gear-extension speed.

2. Lower the landing gear (press the G key) and start a shallow 500-foot-per-minute descent toward the runway. Watch the rate of climb/descent indicator on the instrument panel.

Note: If your hydraulic system is damaged, you may need to

manually pump the landing gear down (press the SHIFT+G keys).

3. Incrementally add aps to steepen the approach (press the F key).

6. As you y across the end of the runway, ease the throttle back to idle.

7. Flare about 20 feet above the runway by pulling back slowly on the stick to raise the nose slightly, and touch down on the main landing gear rst. After you touch down, hold the stick full back to keep the nose wheel off the ground until it gently settles as you slow.

Note: With tricycle gear aircraft, you don’t want all three wheels

touching simultaneously—you’ll bounce.

8. During and after touchdown, maintain directional control with the rudder. (If auto-rudder is on, then move the stick left and right--the ailerons and the rudder are connected.)

9. After the aircraft has slowed to walking speed, apply the brakes (press the B key).

* * *

USING CHECKLISTS

Good pilots don’t rely solely on memory. As you y,

you can view checklists for takeoff, cruise, descent, and landing to help you with these important phases of ight. To display the checklist, press F1 to display Help, and then click the link for the checklist you want to use.

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Air Force Historical

Research Agency Photo

Air Force Historical

Research Agency Photo

BASIC FLIGHT MANEUVERS

FLYING STRAIGHT-AND-LEVEL

Flying straight-and-level may look simple, but it’s

one of the more dif cult maneuvers to master. Because hotshot pilots like to be in control, they overdo it most of the time and interfere with their airplane’s basic stability. Like a balancing act, straight-and-level  ight requires that you make smooth, small corrections to keep from wobbling all over the sky. There are two components to  ying straight-and-level: holding a constant altitude and holding a constant heading

Hold a constant altitude

Keep an eye on the altimeter. If your altitude starts

to change, make small, smooth corrections on the throttle or the stick. Use the stick to correct deviations of less than 100 feet. If your altitude has deviated more than 100 feet, you may want to add or reduce power a bit. Use elevator trim to keep the pitch attitude where you want it.

To slow down without losing altitude

- Reduce power and keep the nose from falling by gently pulling back on the stick.

To speed up without gaining altitude

- Add power and keep the nose from rising by gently pushing forward on the stick.

Hold a constant heading

Check the heading indicator on the instrument panel

frequently to make sure the nose is pointed in the right direction. Crosscheck the turn indicator and the wing tips to hold the wings level and to correct minor deviations. Pick a point on the horizon and keep  ying toward it. Use aileron trim and rudder trim if available to make the job easier.

There are four basic maneuvers to master:  ying straight-and-level, turning, climbing, and descending. Practice these maneuvers in Free Flight so you don’t get shot down.

HAWKER TYPHOON IN FLIGHT.

B-26S OVER THE COAST OF

FRANCE.

TURNING

You might think that the faster you go, the faster you can turn. But ying fast in a turn means more centrifugal force, and that means a bigger turn radius. The result? The turn takes longer! So sometimes to turn faster you’ll need to y slower. How fast you can turn (and how much sky you can do it in) depends on your bank angle and your airspeed. How well you can turn depends on your ability to simultaneously bank the wings and add both rudder and up-elevator while you “paint the horizon” with the nose of the plane.

Bank the wings

Move the stick right or left to manipulate the ailerons and initiate a bank. Center the stick when you reach the bank angle you want. By banking the wings, you deect some of their vertical lift sideways. This part of the airplane’s total lift is called the “horizontal component of lift,” and it is this force that pushes the plane around in a turn.

Add some rudder

Your plane will have a tendency to yaw (pivot) opposite the turn. So as you bank, apply some rudder pressure in the same direction as the turn using rudder pedals, a joystick that supports rudder control, or the keyboard (press the numeric keypad 0 key for left rudder or the keypad ENTER key for right rudder). As you bank left, add a little left rudder, and vice versa. How much rudder? Just enough to keep the ball/needle in the turn indicator centered. In theory, you could skid an airplane through a turn without banking using just the rudder, but it’s an inefcient and uncomfortable way to change direction. (In combat, though, you can use skidding to confuse an enemy on your tail.)

Note: Auto-rudder is automatically set to Off if rudder controls are

detected. Otherwise auto-rudder is automatically set to On. When auto-rudder is set to On, the rudder moves automatically to maintain coordinated ight in turns, making your airplane easier to y. To turn auto-rudder on or off, click Realism Options on the Options tab, and in the Aircraft section select or clear the Auto-rudder check box.

Use some up-elevator

Because some of the lift is deected sideways in a turn, you need to raise the nose slightly to generate more lift. Add a little back-pressure on the stick as you roll into a turn. The steeper the turn, the more upelevator pressure you add to maintain altitude. You might even need to add some power. As you roll out of the turn, remember to relax the back-pressure on the stick.

“Paint the horizon”

To maintain level ight as you turn (or to turn while climbing or descending at a constant speed and rate), “paint the horizon” with the nose--keep the pitch attitude the same after you’ve started the turn. In general, if the nose moves up as you’re turning, you climb. If it moves down, you descend.

* * *

CLIMBING

There are two ways to get your aircraft to go up-by using momentum or by using excess thrust.

Use momentum

Pull back on the stick to create a “hill” and your airplane will start to climb. You’ll go higher but you’ll also slow down--just like climbing a hill on a bicycle. Pulling back on the stick to go up means you trade airspeed for altitude.

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+ 35 hidden pages