PC Pilot

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Preface: FIRST IN FRIGHT
The Day They (Almost) Strafed Callaghan's Beach.

Introduction: WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT
And Who This Book Is For

Chapter One: FLIGHT SIMULATION 101
What the heck is flight simulation anyway? And what's "virtual reality" got to do with it? Does anybody seriously believe flying your computer is flying? How to tell a good flight sim from a bad one.

Chapter Two: HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS
Forget everything else—go for the fastest CPU. What you'll need in the way of video, flight controllers, sound and game cards, RAM, hard disks, VGA-to-NTSC, and so on. Described: "Dream Machine"; minimalist and optimum systems.

Chapter Three: MICROSOFT'S FLIGHT SIMULATOR
The original flight simulation program—now in its fifth revision—is still the best. A true simulation, not a game, Flight Simulator is more like flying a real plane than anything else you can get. Optional scenery and "expansion" disks add to the pleasure. The only thing missing: air-to-air combat.

4 Planes: Cessna 182RG Skylane; Gates Learjet 35A; Schweizer 2—32 Sailplane; and Sopwith Camel.

Chapter Four: SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE'S FALCON
As close as you can get to an authentic military simulation—in fact, it's based on one. Fly fiendishly complex missions alone in your F-16, as commander of a squadron, head-to-head, or mix it up in a free-for-all…last pilot alive wins. Seven theaters: Kuwait, Syria, and Panama (Falcon 3.0 and/or MiG-29); Bosnia ("F/A-18 Hornet" add-on disk); Pakistan, Korea, and Japan's Kurile Islands ("Operation: Fighting Tiger" add-on disk).

4 Planes: General Dynamics F-16 Falcon (Falcon 3.0) and FSX ("Operation: Flying Tiger" add-on disk); Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum (MiG-29 stand-alone or add-on disk); McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet ("F/A-18 Hornet" add-on disk).

Chapter Five: ORIGIN'S STRIKE COMMANDER
Phenomenal graphics and a cinematic "plot" make this like a movie …starring you! You join a mercenary squadron early in the next century and fly for gold, guts, and glory.

4 Planes: General Dynamics F-16 Falcon; Lockheed F-22 Lightning 2 (Strike Commander); Lockheed F-117A Stealth; McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom (Tactical Operations).

Chapter Six: MICROPROSE'S F-15 STRIKE EAGLE III AND F-14 FLEET DEFENDER
The ground-strike version of America's hottest operational air-superiority fighter is faithfully simulated. If you'd rather dogfight, jettison your ordnance and tangle with the top Soviet fighters over Iraq, Panama, and North Korea. Excellent multiplayer options (including a "pit for your Wizzo"). Switch from the F-15's offensive role to defending priceless carrier groups with the Navy's Top Gun, the F-14 Tomcat.

2 Planes: McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (Strike Eagle III); Grumann F-14 Tomcat (Fleet Defender).

Chapter Seven: MICROPROSE'S F-117A STEALTH 2.0
If you're fascinated by stealth technology (and like to stalk around at night), this on-the-job training is a delight. A wide variety of theaters (Libya, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea, and Europe). Great ground detail.

2 Planes: Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk; MicroProse F-117A Stealth.

Chapter Eight: ELECTRONIC ARTS' CHUCK YEAGER'S AIR COMBAT
Easily the most likable game. Your instructor is none other than famed World War II ace and the first pilot to break the sound barrier (the original aviator with "the right stuff"), General Chuck Yeager. Pilot fighters from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

6 Planes: North American P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre; McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom; Focke-Wulf FW-190; Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Faggot, and MiG-21MF Fishbed.

Chapter Nine: LUCASARTS' SECRET WEAPONS OF THE LUFTWAFFE
From master-strategist Larry Holland comes the ultimate "what-if" scenario: suppose Germany had had a full arsenal of advanced fighter jets? Then imagine what might have happened if the United States had had the P-80 Shooting Star by the end of World War II.

12 Planes: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt; North American P-51B and P-51D Mustang; Messerschmitt Bf-109, Me-163, and Me-262; Focke-Wulf FW-190; Gotha Go-229 (SWoTL); Lockheed P-38 Lightning and P-80 Shooting Star; Heinkel He-162 Salamander and Dornier Do-335 Pfeil ("Tour of Duty" add-on disks).

Chapter Ten: DYNAMIX'S ACES OVER EUROPE AND ACES OF THE PACIFIC
The air wars in the European and Pacific theaters are covered in these two sims; from December 7, 1941, to the end of the war in 1945 … and beyond. "World War II: 1946!" speculates what might have happened if we had not developed the atom bomb and were forced to invade Japan.

38 Planes: Arado Ar-234; DeHavilland Mosquito; Focke-Wulf FW-190; Hawker Tempest and Typhoon; Lockheed P-38 Lightning; Messerschmitt Bf-109 and Me-262; Republic P-47 Thunderbolt; North American P-51 Mustang; Supermarine Spitfire (Aces Over Europe); Aichi D3A1 Val; Bell P-39 Airacobra; Chance-Vought F4U Corsair; Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and P-40 Warhawk; Douglas TED Devastator and SBD Dauntless; Grumann F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, and TBF Avenger; Kawanishi N1K1 George; Kawasaki Ki-45 Nick; Lockheed P-38 Lightning; Mitsubishi A6M Zero; Nakajima B5N Kate, Ki-27 Nate, Ki-43 Oscar, Ki-61 Tony, and Ki-84 Frank; North American P-51 Mustang; Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (Aces of the Pacific); Goodyear F2G Corsair; Grumann F7F Tigercat and F8F Bearcat; Kyushu J7W Shinden; Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star; Mitsubishi Ki-83 ("World War II: 1946!").

Chapter Eleven: DYNAMIX'S RED BARON
The dawn of the age of dogfighting; from the perspective of the Germans, the French, the British, and the Americans. Pit your "crate" against von Richthofen (the Red Baron), other aces, or against artifacts like artillery observers' balloons or armored ammunition trains.

35 Planes: Airco D.H.2. and D.H.4; Albatros D.II, D.III, V, and Va; Aviatik C.I; Bristol F.2B and Fighter; F.E.2b; Fokker D.VII, Dr. 1, and E.III; Junkers J.1; Morane-Saulnier N; Nieuport 17; Gotha G.IV; Handley Page 0/100 and 0/400; Pfalz D.III; R.E.8; Roland C.II; Rumpler C. IV; S.E.5a; Sopwith Camel, Pup, Snipe, and Triplane; Spad 7 and 13 (Red Baron); Fokker D.VIII; Halberstadt D.II; Nieuport 11 and 28; Siemens-Schuckert D.III ("Red Baron Mission Builder").

Chapter Twelve: VERTICAL FLIGHT
Explore the straight-up-and-down world of helicopters and Harriers—does it bear any resemblance to the familiar flight envelopes of fixed-wing aircraft? You make the call.

8 Aircraft: Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche (Comanche Maximum Overkill); Bell AH-1 Cobra, McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache; Sikorsky AH-66 Comanche: UH-60 Blackhawk; Bell OH-58 Kiowa; Hughes AH-6 Defender (MicroProse's Gunship 2000); BAe/McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier (Domark's AV-8B and MicroProse's Jump Jet).

Chapter Thirteen: OTHER FLIGHT SIMULATIONS
So many sims, so little time. If you haven't found what you want, you might check out these long shots.

35 Planes: Airbus A320; Boeing 727, 747, and 767; Shorts 360 (SubLogic's Air Transport Pilot); Dornier Do-17; Hawker Hurricane; Heinkel He-111; Junkers Ju-87 and Ju-88; Messerschmitt Bf-109 and Me-110; Supermarine Spitfire (LucasArts' Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain); Chance-Vought F4U Corsair; Douglas B-26 Invader; Focke-Wulf FW-190; Lockheed P-38 Lightning; Messerschmitt Bf-109; Mitsubishi A6M Zero; Nakajima Ki-84 Frank; North American P-51 Mustang; Supermarine Spitfire (Konami's Air Warrior); Panavia Tornado (Spectrum HoloByte's Tornado); General Dynamics F-16 Falcon; Grumann F-14 Tomcat; Lockheed F-22 Lightning 2; McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet; Northrop F-23 Black Widow II (Velocity's JetFighter II and "Operation: Lightning Storm" add-on disk); Chance-Vought F4U Corsair; Douglas TBD Devastator and SBD Dauntless; and Grumann TBF Avenger, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, and F8F Bearcat (Origin's Pacific Strike).

Chapter Fourteen: FLAPS DOWN, GEAR DOWN
Where does flight simulation go from here? Sims get photorealistic, sound gets big, CD-ROM comes on strong, the good old days make a comeback, fly-ins go electronic, and the biggest surprise is saved for last.

Appendix I: RATING THE PROGRAMS
Subjective ratings for each of the games discussed in this book, broken out by categories such as "Concept," "Interface," and "Flight Model."

Appendix II: RESOURCES
A compilation of names, addresses, and phone numbers for the products mentioned in this book.

A Critical Bibliography
Suggested readings for those interested in computer flight, with a brief critique of each source.

Glossary
What is all this obscure aeronautical jargon and computerese?

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This site maintained by Kevin Savetz. PC Pilot is copyright © 1994, and is posted on www.FlightSimBooks.com with the permission of the copyright holder. Do not redistribute, mirror, or copy this online book.