FAST WALKTHROUGH FOR ACE COMBAT 2 - ver. 1.70a by ROliveira 05/25/2001 INDEX: 1 - Legal stuff (READ THIS, IT CHANGED!!) 2 - Intro 2.1 - About me 2.2 - History Review 3 - About the game 3.1 - Useless stuff 3.2 - Useful stuff 3.2.1 - The commands 3.2.2 - The briefing 3.2.3 - Instruments 3.2.4 - The radar and the map 3.2.5 - The sight 3.2.6 - Secrets 3.2.7 - Ranking 4 - Aircrafts & ground targets 4.1 - Aircrafts 4.1.1 - Fighters 4.1.2 - Helicopters, cargo, etc. 4.2 - Ground targets 4.2.1 - Air defences 4.2.2 - Ships 4.3 - Targets resistances 4.4 - Legend Pilots 5 - A mini-guide to the victory 6 - Combat Tactics 6.1 - Dogfights 6.2 - Ground Attacks 7 - Aircraft data 8 - Abbreviations 9 - Questions & Answers 10 - Acknowledgements 1 - Legal stuff Ace Combat 2 and all related stuff are properties of Namco inc.. Any other trademarks not mentioned here are still acknowledged. Everything else that isn't of my own will be in "Acknowledgements". If you think you have any credits, please e-mail me. I sincerely apologize for anyone I forgot. THIS GUIDE IS FREE FOR ALL PURPOSES. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT WITH IT, EXCEPT FOR MAKING PROFIT - but I don't think you can make profit with such a scrub guide, anyway. :) For those Game magazines (coughEGMcough) and Games centers (coughGameCavecough) who have used stuff from GameFAQs to make money with them, beware: YOU CANNOT USE ANYTHING FROM THIS FAQ. I did not spend my time to give you any profit, direct or indirect. Access to this FAQ must be 100% free: no passwords, charges, conditions, etc. of any form. I AM NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE MIRRORING OF MY FAQs for some time. When it changes, you'll know. THIS MEANS: DO NOT ASK MY PERMISSION TO POST IT IN YOUR WEBSITE. THE ANSWER IS NO - at least for now. It can ONLY be found at: GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) VGStrategies (http://vgstrategies.about.com) Gamers Domain (http://www.gamersd.com) PSX Codez (http://www.psxcodez.com) Absolute PlayStation (http://www.absolute-playstation.com) CheatStop (http://www.cheatstop.com) My FAQs are only available for FREE, and only in the above mentioned sites. If you got'em anyway or anywhere else, e-mail me ASAP! This is the 2nd released version of the FAQ. This document is best viewed with WordPad and/or simmilars, 640x480 or greater. P.S.: I don't know everything. Don't blame ME if anything here is wrong! If you have any add-ons, suggestions, etc., E-MAIL me at renatohm99@yahoo.com 2 - Intro 2.1 - About me I am Brazilian, male, hetero, born 08/19/1979. Please excuse the errors, my English is very bad. Ace Combat 2 (AC2) isn't very realistic, but very cool to play. Unfortunately, it is an easy piece of cake... I will not write a detailed FAQ on the game for 2 reasons: 1) I don't have a PSX, so I can only play in games centers; 2) This is an old game, so a complete FAQ is needless. But as I like military airplanes - and games with'em - I decided to write this mini FAQ. There are also some tactics for dogfights. As dogfights will be present in the entire game, this should help you a little. Moreover, the game is so easy that details are needless. I think this guide is good for beginners, but some good players might also find something useful. No guarantee though! ;) Search for walkthroughs and more complete FAQs in: GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) VGStrategies (http://vgstrategies.about.com) Gamers Domain (http://www.gamersd.com) PSX Codez (http://www.psxcodez.com) Absolute PlayStation (http://www.absolute-playstation.com) CheatStop (http://www.cheatstop.com) You will find FAQs for nearly every game you that exists, no wonder! :) Say NO to drugs! :( Say YES to aircraft simulators! :D 2.2 - History Review 0.00 - 02/14/2000 - First version, unreleased. 0.00a - 03/01/2000 - 2nd version. Big update. 1.00 - 03/20/2000 - Pre-release. Don't read previous versions, they suck! 1.01 - 04/07/2000 - Final revision. 1.01a - 05/03/2000 - 1st complete version released. 1.50a - 05/19/2000 - If nothing new happens, this will be the last released version. Added link to VGStrategies and Gamers Domain. 1.51a - 08/07/2000 - Corrected some info on the A/Cs data, minor changes. 1.55a - 08/28/2000 - Added links to PSX Codez and Absolute PlayStation 1.60a - 10/25/2000 - Minor changes, added link to CheatStop. 1.70a - 05/09/2001 - CHANGED LEGAL STUFF. Small add-ons and changes. 3 - About the game As usual, let's write something about the game - maybe you'll find something useful here, no guarantee at all! 3.1 - Useless stuff You are a mercenary, and have to accomplish several missions. You have an awesome aircraft arsenal at your disposal, and several enemies to defeat. An old and easy game, but still fun to play. The more Legend Pilots you defeat, the more stages and aircrafts you enable. This FAQ is just about it: how to beat the game and defeat as many Legend Pilots as possible. Blah, blah, blah,... Let's go to business! 3.2 - Useful stuff This game has several important features to help you, but there are some I wanna emphasize. 3.2.1 - The commands Learn to play with the control in Expert mode. It is harder but far better. I also play in config A. In Options, you can also change the measures from feets/knots to meters/kilometers per hour (KPH), and vice versa. As in Brazil (and most of the world) we use metrical units, I play in meters/KPH. The conversion factors are: 1 meter (m) = ca. 3.281 feet (ft) 1 KPH = ca. 0.538 knot The commands for normal game (Expert mode) are: up-left=front-left up up-right=front-right (nose down + roll) (nose down) (nose down + roll) left NEUTRAL right (roll counter-clockwise) (roll clockwise) down-left=back-left down down-right=back-right (nose up + roll) (nose up) (nose up + roll) The above is also for left analog control, I didn't test the right. L1: air brake/brake (when you land) R1: thrust up L2: nose to the left (rudder left) R2: nose to the right (rudder right) Square (hold): map Triangle: change target X : gun Circle: missiles Select: internal/external view (toggle) Start: pause Viewing Aircraft In 3D: select a plane and press Circle. D-Pad: rotates the plane Triangle, Square or X: exit Circle or Select: N/A L1 or L2: zoom out R1 or R2: zoom in START button: resets position and shows different paintings schemes of the plane (when applicable). Music Test D-Pad: move cursor Triangle, Square or X: exit Circle: execute selected command L1 or L2: play previous track R1 or R2: play next track Start: Play/Stop (toggle) Select: plane display/"light-show"/no menu bars (toggle) NOTE: the plane shown here will be the last plane selected in the "Viewing Aircraft in 3D" before you exit this, or the plane you selected for a mission/free mission. The most recent prevails. 3.2.2 - The briefing The Briefing is essential. Here you can see your targets, enemy fighters, etc.. In the Briefing you will also know where they are, and this is REALLY important. Moreover, it gives you some good hints, so watch it. The briefing shows the positions of enemy aircraft, some ground units may not appear. Just keep in mind 4 types of objects: Target (TGT) - goal objectives: destroy all Hold your fire (NTGT) - non-target: DON'T destroy Protect (FRND) - friends: protect Danger - Legend pilots. The more of them you kill, the more aircrafts and stages become available. More in "Legend Pilots". After the briefing, you may be asked to hire a wingman. You have 2 wingmen to choose: Slash (male, blergh!) and Edge (a meowrr! lady). If you hire one, you will also have to choose what the wingman will do. You will hardly need a wingman if you are careful, but some beginners may find'em handy. But, unlike FAQ authors, you must pay for their work, so don't hire them too often. 3.2.3 - Instruments When you are inside the airplane, you will only see the HUD, that shows all the info you need in the game. An aproximate HUD disposal is (inside): =======ZZ% Fuel | | | | | | | | | | | | | | yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy yyy Direction Speed Altitude XXXX | xx ---------------- xx | YYYY XXXX | | YYYY * XXXX | xx ----WARNINGS---- xx | * YYYY XXXX | | YYYY XXXX | xx ---------------- xx | YYYY Angle of attack ----------- MSSL/GUN In Rng | | Caution Hit/Miss | RADAR | /\ | OR | Missiles | | Damage | MAP | $$ | | &&&% | | !! | | !! ----------- ---- Outside: =======ZZ% Fuel Speed XXXX WARNINGS YYYY Altitude ----------- | | | RADAR | /\ | OR | Missiles | | Damage | MAP | $$ | | &&&% | | !! | | !! ----------- ---- * - In some aircrafts, the current speed/altitude/direction will appear inside a box As your status change, the numbers vary accordingly. It's more or less like a speedometer: as you accelerate or brake, the speed changes. The indications are: * MSSL/GUN: missile/gun mode. Just tells which weapon is best at the current target range. * In Rng: Enemy in range (inside only). Tells you if you are in range for missile attacks at your enemy. * Hit/Miss: hit/missed missile (inside only). Tells you that a fired missile has just hit/missed its target. These above are almost useless. * yyy: the direction of your fighter (inside only). Saves time if you know where to go. * ZZ: remaining fuel percentage. Keep an eye on it, but you will hardly be w/out fuel if you play seriously. * xx: angle of attack (inside only). Positive indicates you are climbing, negative tells you that you're diving. Important only in low/high altitude flight. More on "A mini-guide to the victory". * XXXX: speed. Keep it over 400 kph (215 knots) or you may stall. But in high speeds, it is hard to maneuver, so keep it about 800 kph (430 knots), faster if you are at high altitudes. More on "A mini-guide to the victory". * YYYY: altitude. Don't fly under 300 meters (1000 feet), unless in some missions. 500 m (1700 ft) or more is recommended. More on "A mini-guide to the victory". * $$: remaining missiles. How many missiles your fighter still has. Extremely important, keep a good eye on it. * &&&: damage taken. indicates how much damage your fighter has taken. The color changes when your damage increases. When it flashes, in red, beware: you are almost dead. The most important info!! * !!!!: the amount of armed missiles (those that you can fire at a row). All planes except the XFA-27 can fire a max of 2. The XFA-27 can fire up to 4 missiles at a time. Each "!" indicates an armed missile. No simbols means that you have to wait until you can fire missiles again. Watch it, or you may miss a good opportunity... :( * WARNINGS: instant instructions for you: Bingo/Bull's Eye: good, you have just killed an enemy :) Pull Up/Down: guess what? FOLLOW THE ORDER ASAP! :P Missile Alert: GET OUTTA HERE!! A missile is chasing you! :( Danger: yeah!! Legend Pilot coming!! ;) Stall: uh-oh - you have just stalled. If you are low, use the air brakes and level your fighter - if you have time, that is. At high altitudes, punch your afterburner and point your nose up. If you are in a dangerous place, get ready for punishment - you were not gentle with your fighter! ~_~ Caution: someone is hunting you. Wake up! :< Out of Course: you are near the boundaries of the stage. Look at the Map (just below) in order to get back!! Moereover, there is a large circle when you are from inside. If you shoot at an enemy out of this circle, your shot will probably miss. So, keep your enemies inside that circle to shoot. 3.2.4 - The radar and the map The radar scheme is more or less like this: ______________ | \ / | Arrows: indicate air targets | \ / | Squares: indicate ground targets | \ / | Small squares: indicate missiles (yours or not) |-----A------| Red: indicates TGT | | | Yellow: indicates NTGT | | | Blue: indicates FRND | S M L | S/M/L: indicates distance of targets by your zoom -------------- (S: smaller distance, bigger zoom; L: longer distance, smaller zoom) A: indicates your position as seen from above * The vertix of the arrow indicates the nose of the enemy aircraft. Always try to attack from behind, so use it at your advantage. * Stealth Warplanes are harder to spot, specially if they are behind and/or far from you. * In some stages, your radar will malfunction, due to enemy jamming (interference) or rain (if you climb over the clouds, this malfunction disappears). More on "A mini-guide to the victory". The Map works more or less like a long range radar, covering a much wider area. It works (and malfunctions) just like the radar, but with some differences: * A large, blue, flashing arrow indicates the direction of TGTs, and it only appears when there is no TGT in map range. * The Map only indicates TGTs and FRNDs. * There are no differences between air and ground targets. * The Map doesn't zoom. * Red borders tell that you are about to leave the stage area; DON'T make it, or it is Mission Failed!! Get back to action and pay attention! 3.2.5 - The sight When you engage an air (ground) target, a square (circle) surrounds it. The appearence is more or less like this: _______ TYPE | | the vehicle/building type of target FUNCTION | | TGT, NTGT, FRND or name (Legend Pilot) ------- DISTANCE how far the target is from you For ground targets, consider a circle instead of a square. 3.2.6 - Secrets No Game Shark? Here are some secrets that don't depend on it. MISC (any level) * Extra Mode: beat the game * Free Mission: beat the game in Extra Mode * Viewing Aircraft in 3-D: kill all Legend Pilots * Music Player & Bonus ending: beat the game as Captain or better HIDDEN STAGES * Destroy transport ships in "City on Fire" to open "Opera House" * Destroy C-5 in "Greased Lightining" to open "Bear Tracks" * Destroy transport ships in "Sledge Hammer" to open "Cuckoo's Nest" * Protect ALL allied ships in "St. Elmo's Fire" to open "Juggernaut" * Destroy B-2s landed in "Dead End" to open "Electric Dreams" * Destroy Legend Pilot in "Kingpin" to open "Last Resort" * Destroy SLBM in "Last Resort" to open "Fighter's Honor" ENDINGS * Normal Ending: DON'T kill the Legend Pilot in "Kingpin" * Bad Ending: DON'T kill the SLBM in "Last Resort" * Bonus Ending: BEAT the "Fighter's Honor" stage You know any other secrets and/or have corrections? E-mail me. 3.2.7 - Ranking I don't really know the factors that determine your ranking. My assumptions go here: * Game level - Hard raises faster than Easy * Destroy Legend Pilots * Destroy all enemies * Time elapsed, but not as important as the others above. The ranking seems to have influence in the aircrafts available. The ranks are: * Airman * Senior Airman * Airman First Class * Sergeant * Staff Sergeant * Master Sergeant * Senior Master Sergeant * First Sergeant * Warrant Officer * Second Lieutenant * First Lieutenant * Captain * Major * Lieutenant Colonel * Colonel * Brigadier General * Major General * Lieutenant General * General * Commander In Chief 4 - Aircrafts & ground targets One good feature of AC2 is the great variety of aircrafts and ground targets. This small guide will give you some info and hints. 4.1 - Aircrafts This is a flight sim, right? So, it is natural that several aircrafts, of different types, will be found. A small guide helps to distinguish and know more about'em. Read section "Aircraft data" for more details. 4.1.1 - Fighters Money and performances are the keywords when you choose a fighter to buy. The game isn't that realistic, but there are lots of fighters at your disposal, so a quick guide might help you. There are 2 modes of play: Normal and Extra. 8 fighters are common for both, 8 only for Normal and 8 only for Extra. In order to enable Extra, you must beat the game once. The fighters (in order of availability) are: NORMAL EXTRA A-4 A-4 F-4 MiG-21 KF-C7 X-29 A-6 A-6 F-16 F-16 X-29 SF-35 A-10 Su-25 MiG-29 MiG-29 F-14 TND-F3 F-117A* F-117A* R-M01 MiG-31 EF-2000 SF-39 F/A-18E EF-2000 Su-35 F-15S YF-23A* YF-23A* F-22* XFA-27* (* indicates Stealth Warplanes) I suggest the following order of acquirance: NORMAL sell the A-4 - when possible (WP), buy the KF-C7 and sell the F-4 - WP, buy the F-16 and sell the KF-C7 - WP, buy the F-14 and sell the F-16 - WP, buy the Su-35 and sell the F-14. (If you want, buy the F/A-18E WP. Then, when the Su-35 is available, buy it and sell the F/A-18E. It isn't worthy, because you will only play 2 missions with her, but she is great!) EXTRA sell the A-4 - WP, buy the X-29 and sell the MiG-21 - WP, buy the F-16 and sell the X-29 - WP, buy the TND-F3 and sell the F-16 - WP, buy the F-15S and sell the TND-F3 - WP, buy the XFA-27 and sell the F-15S. (If you want, buy the SF-39 WP. Then, when the F-15S is available, buy it and sell the SF-39. It isn't worthy, because you will only play 2 missions with her, but she is an awesome girl!) Enemy fighters include all above related (except XFA-27), plus: F/A-18D, F-15E, Su-37, BS-2B, Mr-2000, SF-37, AV-8B, Yak-141, JF-2A and ADF-01*. 4.1.2 - Helicopters and other aircrafts Enemies have helicopters: AH-64, Mil-24 and RAH-66. They aren't very dangerous, but don't sleep or they may hazard you. Other aircrafts include: C-5, C-17 (cargo), E-767 (AWACS), B-1B, B-2*, XB-70, XB-10*, B-52 (bombers) and SR-71 (recon). None of them may hazard you, except the B-52 - it has a gun on its tail, so beware when you attack one from behind. 4.2 - Ground targets Most ground targets are harmless. But some have built-on air defenses, and some require you to shoot from a certain position. 4.2.1 - Air defenses Uh-oh. There is big danger on the air, but far more in the ground. Any contact with the ground (except good landings) means instant death. Also, in the ground you will find several threats, like SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) and AAAs (Anti-Aircraft Artillery). Both can make your life a lot harder, watch for them! Mssl (SAM) - Very high damage per hit - sometimes over 40%!! When you see a "Missile Alert!!", break hard to escape. Kill SAMs ASAP. Gun (AAA) - Very low damage per hit, but don't sleep or they will really hurt you, specially if they are in group. Fly high. Tank/ADATS (SAM and/or AAA) - Unlike the previous, they are mobile. Armor assures higher resistance. :( 4.2.2 - Ships Some ships have its own defenses. If you want fun/money, destroy one by one, but if you want safety/ammo/speed, aim directly at "Ship" or "Warship". 4.3 - Targets Resistances The resistance of the target depends on the Power of your fighter. With the MiG-29 as a reference, the resistances are: Helicopters, Ships, most ground targets: 1 missile Tanks, ADATS, most fighters: 2 missiles Heavy fighters, Legend Pilots, bombers, etc.: 3 missiles XB-10: 6 missiles Some targets may only be destroyed with guns. The chart above is based on my assumption, so it may be wrong. Moreover, it depends on the A/C you use. 4.4 - Legend Pilots You have a board of medals (Decoration). When you kill a Legend Pilot, you get his medal. They are cool, watch them. You cannot - as you will see below - kill all the Legend Pilots beating the game only once: you will have to do it at least twice. Their fighters have more resistance than standard fighters. They also are the most skilled enemies of the game, so beware. In the order of the Decoration, from top left to bottom right, they are: 1ST LINE: Z.O.E pilots Their ranks increase here. E.G.: if you do not kill the Major in "Seagull", the Legend Pilot in "Power Play" will NOT be the Colonel, but the Major. If you don't kill them all, the last one will NOT be the Commander. Captain (F-14) - MISSION 7: Sledge Hammer Major (F/A-18E) - MISSION 11: Seagull Colonel (F-22) - MISSION 13: Power Play General (F-15S) - MISSION 19: Kingpin Commander (ADF-01) - MISSION 21: Fighter's Honor (stay too long on his tail and he may fire a missile BACKWARDS!!) 2ND LINE Superfly (F-4) - MISSION 2: Easy Money Ricochet (MiG-29) - MISSION 4.1: Tin Castle D.Cowboy (Su-25 x 2) - MISSION 4.2: Opera House Razorback (F-117A x 2) - MISSION 6.1: Midnight Assassin or MISSION 6.2: Bear Tracks Tallman & Metal Sphere (F-16 x 2) - MISSION 9: Swordsmith 3RD LINE Stalker (MiG-31) - MISSION 10: Toy Box Hangmen (R-M01 x 2) - MISSION 11: Seagull Max & Goose (TND-F3 x 2) - MISSION 14.A: El Dorado Death Rave 2000 (EF-2000 x 3) - MISSION 14.B: Dark Star Dao, Xian & Xiao (F-15E x 3) - MISSION 15.A: St. Elmo's Fire Fox Force Four (YF-23A x 4) - MISSION 15.B: Dead End 5 - A mini-guide to the victory Well, we wanna beat all Legend Pilots and the game, right? So here go some hints for each stage. All stages are listed by its code name. DON't hire a wingman, except in the "Sledge Hammer" stage (and possibly in the "St. Elmo's Fire" stage also). The tips are: 1) destroy Legend Pilots 2) destroy all enemies you want/can and 3) destroy TGTs. More specific tactics are listed below. * MISSION 1: Gambit Piece of cake. Kill everyone, and beware of the B-52s's rear guns. * MISSION 2: Easy Money (Superfly) Piece of cake. Kill Superfly 1st, then kill everyone else. * MISSION 3: City on Fire Easy. Beware, there are air defenses here. Use the buildings as shields. Kill everyone if you want. HIDDEN MISSION: Destroy transport ships here to open "Opera House". * MISSION 4.1: Tin Castle (Ricochet) Easy. Beware of air defenses, and kill Ricochet 1st. Kill everyone if you want. * MISSION 4.2: Opera House (D.Cowboy) Piece of cake. kill Cowboys 1st, and beware of air defenses. Watch your ammo. * MISSION 5: Greased Lightining Hard. You can't fly above 300 m (1000 ft), or you will be killed. In some parts, however, you MUST fly over 250 m (800 ft) or you will crash in the tight stone walls. If you destroy the C-5 near the tower in the ending of the stage, you might not be able to hit the Tower - the only TGT - and it means "Mission Failed". If you are playing Free Mission with the XFA-27, never mind. :) Beware of air defenses. The F-16 can destroy the C-5 if you fly with the air brake activated. HIDDEN MISSION: Destroy the C-5 to open "Bear Tracks". * MISSION 6.1: Midnight Assassin (Razorback) Average. The problem here are the jamming aircrafts: 2 E-767 planes. The TGTs are disposed more or less like this: ** ** ** ** $$ where * means F/A-18D and $ means E767. Using your map, fly straight to the E767s and displace both. Then, look for Razorbacks and kill them. After that, do what you want. Just remember that the F/A-18Ds are tough guys. * MISSION 6.2: Bear Tracks (Razorback) Average. Just bear in mind that you need a good position to attack targets in the crates, or your missiles will hit the stone walls. Displace Razorbacks 1st, then have fun. Beware of air defenses. * MISSION 7: Sledge Hammer (Z.O.E. Captain) Annoying. Call the wingman with "Commence escort operation" and in a MiG-29. Look for the Z.O.E. Major (fly to the left side of the bay) and waste him. Destroy the cargo ships - beware of their AAAs. Return ASAP to protect the bombers. Annoying to death. HIDDEN MISSION: Destroy the 2 cargo ships to open "Cuckoo's Nest". * MISSION 8.1: Rising High Average. The worst thing here is the stall. Keep your AOA small when you are over 2500 m (7500 ft). Fly at high speeds - over 1000 kph (540 knots) - when you are at high altitudes. Maneuver VERY smoothly or you will stall. If you are careful, the MiG-29 will do. The F-14 and TND-F3 are even better. The targets themselves are sitting ducks. * MISSION 8.2: Cuckoo's Nest Average. You can't lock missiles on the crates, so you are a sitting duck to the fighters. Waste the C-17s to earn big money. Be careful. * MISSION 9: Swordsmith (Tallman & Metal Sphere) Easy. Displace Tallman and Metal Sphere. Then, go and eliminate the targets, always watching for air defenses. A missile may destroy a NTGT if you aren't careful, even if you don't aim at it. Find the correct position to fire. * MISSION 10: Toy Box (Stalker) Easy. Displace the Stalker 1st. Beware of air defenses near hangars. If the hidden bomber appears, all remaining hangars become normal ground targets. The bomber requires 3 missiles to be destroyed. * MISSION 11: Seagull (Hangmen & Z.O.E. Major) Average. Search the Z.O.E. Major and Hangmen 1st. After you displace them, attack the ships. If you wanna make the mission faster, more safely and still save your ammo, hit the Warship/Carrier, instead of Mssl/Gun. If you want fun and money, hit each one separately. After that, you have to land. Hold Brake and put the fighter according to the HUD markings. This is the hard point. * MISSION 12: One Night Stand Average. Looks like the "Greased Lightining", and the same rules apply here indeed: fly under 300 m (1000 ft). Don't be worried with the path you choose, all of them take you to the target. Beware with Mi-24s: they can fire guns or missiles at you. * MISSION 13: Power Play (Z.O.E. Colonel) Average. Displace the Z.O.E. 1st. When you shoot the Guns/Mssls (AAAs/SAMs), be careful or you may hit a NTGT, as in "Swordsmith". The Missions 15, 16 and 17 depend on your choice in Mission 14. You may choose Mode A or B (that's why you can't kill all Legend Pilots if you beat the game only once: you need to beat it in both A and B Modes to kill them all). MODE "A" (ALPHAVILLE) * MISSION 14.A: El Dorado (Max & Goose) Hard. Search and destroy Max and Goose 1st. Destroy air defenses and attack the silos. But the silos must be attacked by the FRONT, at low altitudes, or you will miss. REALLY watch your ammo and fuel here or you are doom. * MISSION 15.A: St. Elmo's Fire (Dao, Xiang, Xiao) Hard. It won't be easy to protect ALL ships AND displace all Legend Pilots, but it is possible - even flying solo. Concern about the ground enemies. Whenever a fighter tries to attack the convoy, threat it. You don't have to beat all the fighters, that is not hard. HIDDEN MISSION: Protect ALL battleships to open "Juggernaut". * MISSION 16.1.A: Visiting Hours Hard. There is a clock on the upper right corner of the screen, marking 14:57 when the action begins. Go to the target area and displace any air defenses you find. Watch the island: it has 2 large doors. Align yourself with any of them when the clock marks 15:00 and get in. You will only have 1min30sec, so be fast. Without an Expert control here, it is very, very hard to get in. Lock on the target and blow it away! * MISSION 16.2.A: Juggernaut Average. Copy of "Seagull", but the ships are more heavily defended. You also have to land in a carrier. :( * MISSION 17.A: Sentinel Hard. You must destroy the radar sites, and you can only make it using your gun. As you don't have to worry about ammo, kill everyone if you want. Just be careful not to crash the stone walls. END OF MODE "A" MODE "B" (BELLISSIMA) * MISSION 14.B: Dark Star (Death Rave 2000) Hard. Due to the rain, your radar will malfunction. Find and destroy all C-5s, then the DR2000 trio. After that, waste the remaining. If you want a clean radar reading, climb above the clouds. * MISSION 15.B: Dead End (Fox Force Four) Very hard, if you want the surprise attack. If you successfully get on surprise, the B-2s will be landed, and will be easy to kill. If you don't (Spike!), climb to a safe altitude. The FFF team is a good match, watch your tail and ammo! Landing here is far easier than in the carriers, but it is the same way indeed. HIDDEN MISSION: Destroy both B-2s to open "Electric Dreams". * MISSION 16.1.B: Cavalry Hard. Fly straight to the downed plane - it is right in your direction, near the end of the stage, so fly fast. Displace all ADATS/Tanks here. Return ASAP to the beginning of the stages - the ground units will be in trouble, help them. DON'T bother with the MiG-31s, they will hardly be a hassle. * MISSION 16.2.B: Electric Dreams Easy. If you manged to arrive so late in the game, you are a master in evading SAMs. There is little fighter resistance. The only bad thing is that the SAMs are located underground, rendering them invulnerable. If you fly low & fast, you will make it untouched. Just beat the ground targets. * MISSION 17.B: Final Countdown Hard. Watch your ammo here, because the Su-37s are awesome fighters, better than your Su-35. The pilots are also very good, and they will avoid your missiles all the time. You may run out of missiles if you aren't careful. Looks like "Seagull". END OF MODE "B" END OF MODES * MISSION 18: Jewel Box Average. Beware of heavy air defenses. Landing is easy. * MISSION 19: Kingpin (Z.O.E. General) Hard to very hard. Look for the Z.O.E. General after you displace some TGTs, at least those near the beginning of the stage. Heavy air defenses, including Tanks/ADATS. Watch your ammo. HIDDEN MISSION: KILL the Legend Pilot to open "Last Resort" NORMAL ENDING: DON'T kill the Legend Pilot * MISSION 20: Last Resort A nightmare if you aren't careful. Displace air defenses. Then, when you can hit the submarine, shoot 2 missiles and TURN. Fly heading to the city. Fire 2 missiles at the sub, always firing your gun. When the SLBM comes out, run after it firing your gun. The SLBM is MUCH HARDER to beat than any fighter in the game. You will certainly have problems here, so use all your skill to beat the SLBM. Accelerate, brake and turn accordingly. DON'T release the Gun button, or you won't make it. By far, the most ANNOYING stage. HIDDEN MISSION: KILL the SLBM to open "Fighter's Honor" BAD ENDING: DON'T kill the SLBM. * FINAL MISSION: Fighter's Honor (Z.O.E Commander) Very hard. Fly straight to meet the last and harder Legend Pilot: the Z.O.E. Commander. Displace him. After that, destroy the Fortress TGTs. Don't waste time with the F-15Ss, they are endless. Return to the beginning of the stage and destroy all remaining TGTs. Align and enter the fortress. It is very hard, because it has only one entrance, and there are several SAMs and AAAs that are impossible to destroy. Shoot as many missiles you want in the last TGT of the game. BONUS ENDING: BEAT this stage. 6 - Combat Tactics To reach the victory, some hints are very handy: * Displace SAMs before you displace AAAs. SAMs are far deadlier. * Enemy fighters will only shoot at you if you fly straight too long. Turn constantly and they will have a hard time to hit you. * Missile Alert!! When it happens, break hard to escape, but watch the ground! For some more specific hints, read below. 6.1 - Dogfights Close air combats among fighters and/or interceptors are called dogfights, because they are as brutal as fights among dogs. In order to win a dogfight, the best hint is to get close, and stay close. The best position to shoot is from behind, and closer than 500 m (1500 ft). Use your Brakes and Accelerator accordingly, to get an advantage position. If your enemy is turning, follow him and WAIT: when he quits from turning, fire 2 missiles at him and wait. If you made everything right, then both missiles should hit, and the fighter is killed. Always fire 2 missiles against a fighter. If both hit, the fighter will probably be destroyed. In some few cases - specially Legend Pilots - you need to hit 3 times, but it is not the rule. Against non-fighters, shoot 2 missiles, wait and shoot a 3rd missile. Or, if you want, use your gun more often. Against choppers, try not to attack from the front or you may be hit. A single missile will do. Some enemies will use guns against you, beware. Break hard and maneuver briskly if an enemy is on your tail, specially if he manages to fire a missile at you. Turn hard and try to engage him. Now, it's party time! 7 - Aircrafts Well, here go the data on the aircrafts, mostly based on the data I personally have, not on the game's data - it would cost me a lot more to get those, because I can only play AC2 in games centers. NOTE: my opinions here are not personal; they are based in the many (specialized) books and magazines I've read in my whole life, so don't just call me a "commie sympathizer" or whatever. I'm impartial, that's what I mean. The data below are FACTS, not ASSUMPTIONS. Any information regarded as "rumour" means that it came from a dependable, yet unofficial, source. The aircrafts will be described like this: Game Name: The name that appears in the briefing (* for Stealth) Available: Available or not for you, in Normal, Extra or Both True Name: The true designation of the A/C, plus "codename/nickname" Function : Primary mission of the A/C (carrier based indicates that the A/C is able to operate in carriers. If it can operate in carriers, it obviously can operate in ground) Origin : Country of origin# Wingspan : Distance between wingtips, in m (for helicopters, rotor diameter; if the wingspan is variable, the value given here is the maximum) Lenght : In m (for helicopters, including rotor) (1m is ca. 3ft) Height : In m MTOW : In metric tons (1 ton here means 1000 kg, or ca. 2000 lb) #note: Russia here refers to former Soviet Union (FSU), and in the current days the producer might be located outside Russia yet inside the Commonwealth of the Independent States (CIS). If you have any questions, please refer to "Abbreviations" and "Questions & Answers", just below. If even so you have quetions, feel free to e-mail me. The data on Kosovo War losses can be found at: Venik's Aviation Page Game Name: A-4 Available: Yes/Both True Name: A-4 "Scooter" Skyhawk Function : Carrier based light attack A/C Origin : USA Wingspan : 8.38 Lenght : 12.27 Height : 4.57 MTOW : 11.113 This A/C entered service in early 1950s, but is still in service in several countries - e.g., Brazil, Argentina, Singapore. It has made nearly every mission possible: it was originally planned as a light attack A/C for the USN, to carry a single nuke, but when SSBNs - and their deadly SLBMs - became available, this function was quickly cancelled. After this, it spent most of its service life as a conventional attack and CAS A/C. It has also served as "agressor" for the "Topguns" and was also used by the "Blue Angels", until the early 1990s for both. It is so small that doesn't need foldable wings to be carrier-used. Other important missions made by the A-4 include: training (recently replaced by the T-45 Goshawk), SEAD (replaced by the F-4) and mini-tanker (using the "buddy-buddy" system, replaced by the KA-6D). It was fully replaced in the USMC and "Blue Angels" by the F/A-18 Hornet, and in the USN by the A-7. The current users of the A-4 are now upgrading their A/Cs. Kuwait used it in the Gulf War. The nickname: the A-4 was one of the early carrier based jets. The pilots, admired by its fast acceleration and good speed, the same as the fighters of that time, said it's as fast and compact as a scooter (another novelty at that time), hence the nickname. This is the 1st A/C available in the game, in both Normal and Extra. In my opinion, you will never have to use it, sell ASAP. Game Name: F-4 Available: Yes/Normal True Name: F-4 "Old Smokey" Phantom II Function : Carrier based heavy multirole fighter Origin : USA Wingspan : 11.71 Lenght : 19.20 Height : 5.02 MTOW : 28.030 One of the most versatile A/Cs ever, the F-4 has been built in several different versions, for missions ranging from long range fleet defense interceptor (original function) to recce (last version produced). It had the best performances ever shown by a fighter: climbing speed and maximum speed were awesome, beaten only by newer A/Cs, like the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It also worked as: SEAD, training, fighter-bomber, fighter, attacker, precision attack, escort... It was originally planned as a long range interceptor for the USN, in the late 1950s, but soon entered service in the USAF, and was used in all the missions above by both forces. It is the only A/C until today that was simultaneously used by the "Blue Angels" and the "Thunderbirds". As a long range interceptor, it was replaced by the F-14 (USN), F-15 (USAF, Israel, Japan) and Tornado F.Mk3 (RAF). As a multirole A/C, it was replaced by the F-16 (USAF) and F/A-18 (USN and USMC). It is still in service, with upgraded versions, in Germany (as F-4F ICE), Israel (F-4 Kurnass 2000; kurnass is the Israeli word for phantom) and Japan (F-4EJ Kai; kai is the japanese word for plus, or improved, or better). In Spain, the recce version RF-4C is still in service. It is the most produced supersonic fighter in the US, even more than the F-16. The Gulf War was it's last war with the US forces - the SEAD version was used. The nickname: the engines of the F-4 REALLY make a lot of visible smoke. The 2nd A/C available in Normal. Use it until you can buy the KF-C7. Game Name: MiG-21 Available: Yes/Extra True Name: MiG-21 "Fishbed" Function : Light multirole fighter Origin : Russia (former USSR) Wingspan : 7.15 Lenght : 15.76 Height : 4.12 MTOW : 10.400 The most produced supersonic A/C ever. Originally planned as a light fighter/interceptor to hunt B-52s, it has made almost every mission possible. Over 13,000 MiG-21s were produced, and China has built some more - and some modified versions of this excellent A/C, and one of them intercepted (and collided with) the US EP-3 recently. In the years just after the Korea War, the USSR government decided to make an A/C as agile as the awesome MiG-15 (far better than the F-86, no matter what Americans say). First, they made the MiG-17, little more than a MiG-15 with afterburners - but even so it ruined USAF, USN and USMC in the Vietnam War. Later, the huge MiG-19, the 1st supersonic fighter that entered service - 2 years before the US F-100 Super Sabre, according to recently declassified data. But the evolution was so fast, that the Mach 2 MiG-21 appeared in less than 5 years and made the MiG-19 obsolete. The MiG-21, as all USSR A/Cs, was built to be cheap and simple. This means easy maintenance and low costs, coupled with high dependability and huge numbers and, unlike most US A/Cs, it can be used in rough runways. Even being much simpler and cheaper then the US F-4s, the MiGs -17, -19 and, specially, the -21, proved to be lethal dogfighters, and the US didn't repeat the (claimed) awesome feats of the Korea War. The MiGs were so effective that they forced US forces to make 2 things: 1) new fighters were planned, with high maneuv capabilities: the F-14, F-15, F-16 and F/A-18; 2) creation of "figter pilots schools", like the "Topguns". The low acquisition price and service costs, coupled with huge numbers produced, made it the fighter of choice of several countries in the world, and it is being upgraded in several places. The 2nd A/C in Extra. Use until you can buy the X-29. Game Name: KF-C7 Available: Yes/Normal True Name: Kfir C7 Function : Medium multirole fighter Origin : Israel Wingspan : 8.22 Lenght : 15.65 Height : 4.55 MTOW : 16.500 After the incredible Six Days War, in 1967, several countries (including France) seized the sale of military equipments for Israel. The Israeli government knew they would need a new A/C, so the IAI company was created. Based in the older French fighter Mirage III, IAI built a much better A/C, the Kfir (Israeli word that means little lion, or lion pup), using the same engine of the brand new F-4s (the original French made Atar engine sucks), Canard forewings and other minor changes. It entered service, as the Nesher prototype, in the Yom Kippur War (1973), and operational service soon after. The C7 is its latest version. It has been used as interceptor, fighter, bomber, precision bomber, CAS... It was complemented by the F-15 and F-16, as the weapons seizures ended just after the Yom Kippur War. The Kfir was exported to few countries, including South Africa - where it was used as the basis for the local Atlas Cheetah (unofficial info). A good A/C for Normal. Use it until you can buy the F-16. Game Name: X-29 Available: Yes/Both True Name: X-29 Function : Light experimental A/C Origin : USA Wingspan : 8.29 Lenght : 14.66 Height : 4.36 MTOW : N/A Made for SFW investigation, only 2 prototypes were built. It's not a very good A/C, specially due to its unstability. But the X-29 is good for the "Rising High" stage. Game Name: SF-35 Available: Yes/Extra True Name: J-35 Draken Function : Light multirole fighter Origin : Sweden Wingspan : 9.40 Lenght : 15.35 Height : 3.89 MTOW : 12.270 Sweden has a long history of politic neutralility, and was neutral even in both World Wars and the the Cold War. To be truly neutral, they need to have its own military industry. One of the early Mach 2 fighters was planned and made in Sweden, the J-35 Draken (dragon). This is a unique fighter. It was the 1st operational A/C to use "double-delta" wings, some 25 years before the US-made experimental F-16XL. It provides huge lift and wing surface, even with a minimal wingspan. It is in use in Sweden and Austria, more than 40 years after its maiden flight, and is being replaced in Sweden by the JAS 39 Gripen. I really see no need for this A/C, but if you want some fun... Game Name: AV-8B Available: No True Name: AV-8B "Jump jet" Harrier II Function : Light multirole V/STOL fighter Origin : UK/USA Wingspan : 9.25 Lenght : 14.12 Height : 3.55 MTOW : 14.061 (non-VTOL) For several years, the main weakness of A/Cs was the need of long runways, making them vulnerable to attacks at their bases. The 1st A/C that successfully solved this problem was the British light fighter Harrier. Subsequent updates turned the light fighter in a true multirole warplane. Its TVC is different of any other, and allows excellent maneuv capabilities. When UK retired the conventional carriers and introduced the "straight-deck cruiser" (term used to distinguish from carriers, avoiding troubles with politicians), the RN adopted a naval version, the Sea Harrier. Both the Harrier/Sea Harrier were decisive in the Falklands War (1982). But, surprisingly, the Harrier is not much used, possibly because of old-minded politicals and military that don't trust in the V/STOL concept. USAF and USN rejected it, probably because UK made it before the US. The USMC, however, DID need a CAS A/C, and a V/STOL one was splendid. It could operate from small and rude airfields near the FEBA, and fly CAS faster than any other A/C. The AV-8B is an upgraded version of the Harrier, and is produced under license by Boeing (former McDonell Douglas). It has larger and foldable wings, and is very simmilar to the UK's Harrier GR.Mk7 (why does UK likes Mk so much???). All the versions of the Harrier share the "Jump jet" nickname, due to the capability to "jump", that is, to take-off vertically. The major problem of the Harrier: the engine nozzles are located in the middle of the fuselage. An IR-guided missile, even a shoulder-fired one, is enough to destroy the plane; that happened in the Gulf and Kosovo, when some planes were destroyed by MANPADS. Unavailable. *sob* Game Name: A-7 Available: No True Name: A-7 "SLUF" Corsair II Function : Carrier based medium attack A/C Origin : USA Wingspan : 11.80 Lenght : 14.06 Height : 4.90 MTOW : 19.050 Planned in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a medium attack A/C, simpler and cheaper than the A-6 but heavier than the A-4, it has excellent ground attack capabilities, and is fairly agile. It can carry more payload than the A-4, for longer distances; for this reason, it replaced the Skyhawk in the USN. It was widely used in Vietnam, and was also used by USAF. It was completely replaced by the F-16 (USAF) and F/A-18 (USN). The USMC didn't like it, and preferred to keep with the older A-4, mainly due to the fact that the A-4 is easier to operate in the small USMC carriers. It has foldable wings. USN retired it after the Gulf War, but it is still in service, mainly with the Greek AF. SLUF goes for Short Little Ugly Fellow. Unavailable. Game Name: BS-2B Available: No True Name: Buccaneer S Mk.2B Function : Carrier based heavy attack A/C Origin : UK Wingspan : 13.41 Lenght : 19.33 Height : 4.95 MTOW : 38.132 Planned at about the same time of the A-6, the "Buc" has the same capabilities overall, and is one of the fastest planes for low-altitude flights ever built. It has small wings - for stable flights in the turbulent airs of the low altitudes - but a special device deviated some of the air that passed in the engine, to create a superlift effect on the wings, that can be folded. It doesn't have guns. When UK decided to retire conventional carriers, due to the huge service price, the RN had to give all their "Bucs" to the RAF. RAF used it in the Gulf War, and South Africa used it in the mid 1980s. It is now retired in both countries.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: A-6
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: A-6 Intruder
 Function : Carrier based heavy attack A/C
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  16.15
 Lenght   :  16.69
 Height   :   4.93
 MTOW     :  26.580


      The A-6 was planned as a long range, N/AW A/C. It used a very
 complex radar, and its avionics allowed high precision attacks, even
 in N/AW conditions. It evolved as a multirole A/C, serving also as
 a tanker (KA-6D) and jamming (EA-6B Prowler) platform, both still in
 service. It entered service just before the Vietnam war, and was
 heavily used there. Its last operational use was the Gulf War. Its
 was only used by the USN and USMC, and completely replaced by the
 F/A-18 Hornet; but KA-6D and EA-6B will work for some more time... It
 has no internal guns nor missiles for self-defense.
      You won't need it, but it's a good choice for ground attacks,
 altough its low mobility makes it a poor dogfighter.





 Game Name: Yak-141
 Available: No
 True Name: Yak-141 "Freestyle"
 Function : Heavy multirole supersonic V/STOL fighter prototype
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  10.1
 Lenght   :  18.3
 Height   :   5.24
 MTOW     :  18.500


      USSR developed some V/STOL fighters at about the same epoch of
 the Harrier, but they did not succeed. Yak DB designed the Yak-34,
 -36 and -41. The -34 had a short service life, being replaced by the
 -36. The Yak-41 was developed as an advanced V/STOL fighter, but the
 collapse of the USSR caused the end of the plane that would be the
 1st operational supersonic V/STOL fighter (altough the Mirage III V
 was the 1st supersonic V/STOL ever, it was cancelled). Pity. The
 Yak-141 is a modified Yak-41 prototype, for high-speed trials.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: SF-37
 Available: No
 True Name: JA-37 Viggen
 Function : Heavy interceptor/fighter
 Origin   : Sweden
 Wingspan :  10.60
 Lenght   :  16.30
 Height   :   5.80
 MTOW     :  17.000


      The Viggen (lightining) was developed as an attack A/C, even for
 N/AW conditions. It was the 1st operational plane to use Canard
 forewings (fixed) and thrust reversor. Several versions were
 developed, including recce, training and fighter - and the fighter
 version is the JA-37 of the game. It has a newer radar, and superb
 interception capabilities. All Viggens are being replaced by Gripens
 in Sweden.
      Unavailable.




      
 Game Name: F-16
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: F-16 "Electric Jet" Fighting Falcon
 Function : Ground based medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  10.00
 Lenght   :  15.03
 Height   :   5.09
 MTOW     :  19.187


      Just after the F-15 entered production, the USAF, concerned with
 its huge cost, made a request for an experimental LWF. At first, USAF
 only wanted to know it it was possible to make an advanced fighter,
 yet less expensive than the F-15. However, it leaded to a mass
 production "light" (actually, a medium) fighter, and the winner was
 the F-16. It was the 1st production fighter to use "true" LERX
 (actually, the SR-71, the YF-12 and the F-5 had it already, but in
 the F-5 it is MUCH smaller than in the F-16; the YF-12 was cancelled
 and the SR-71 is a dedicated recce plane) and "true" FBW (that means,
 no hydro/mechanic backup) to control its natural unstability; this
 improves agility, but makes the A/C completely dependent of its
 computers (that's why it's called "electric jet"). It is completely
 better than the F-4: it is more agile, has better climbing ability,
 cheaper, more advanced and economic. It will double the payload for
 the same range, or double the range for the same payload. Moreover,
 its upgrade potential is far from being exhausted, and it is still a
 1st grade fighter, almost 25 years after it entered service. It was
 sold to several countries, and is the most widely used A/C of the
 USAF. It can accomplish all the missions the F-4 can, plus several
 others. It was the most numerous A/C at the Gulf War, and some were
 downed. It's the current A/C of the "Thunderbirds". An F-16 was
 destroyed in a BVR combat by a missile (R-27/AA-10 "Alamo"?) launched
 by a MiG-29 in the Kosovo War. Unfortunately, the pilot was killed.
      Excellent overall A/C. But, as in true world, it is no better
 than the Russian MiG-29, so replace your F-16 by a MiG-29 when you
 can.






 Game Name: JF-2A
 Available: No
 True Name: F-2A
 Function : Medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : USA/Japan
 Wingspan :  11.13 (with wingtip missiles)
 Lenght   :  15.52
 Height   :   4.96
 MTOW     :  22.100


      The F-2A is the conclusion of the FSX project. It is a version
 of the F-16C, produced in Japan with Japanese avionics.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: Mr-2000
 Available: No
 True Name: Mirage 2000
 Function : Medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : France
 Wingspan :   9.13
 Lenght   :  15.36
 Height   :   5.20
 MTOW     :  17.000


      The last fighter of the French Mirage clan, the Mirage 2000 is
 equipped with FBW, giving it high agility. It can be compared in most
 things to the F-16, but the latest versions are quite better. 2 were
 lost in the Kosovo War.
      Unavailable.




 Game Name: F-117A*
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: F-117A "Black Jet" Nighthawk
 Function : Long range precision attack medium A/C
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  13.30
 Lenght   :  20.08
 Height   :   3.78
 MTOW     :  23.814


      It is the 1st true Stealth Warplane operational in the world. It
 entered service in the early 1980s, but USAF denied its existence
 until the quick operation in Panama, in 1989. Most details are still
 secret, and the only payload type observed were two GBUs, in an
 internal bay. It is the "silver bullet" of the USAF, used for
 dangerous missions, like those over Bagdahd in the Gulf War. It can
 attack with very high precision, because the pilot don't have to
 worry very much about the enemy's defenses. One of the "Black Jets"
 (why the nickname? See a picture of a true F-117A and you will know)
 destroyed over the former Yugoslavia was smothered by the Yugoslavian
 AAAs and SAMs. Rumours say that 1 Nighthawk was destroyed in the
 Kosovo War by a MiG-29 attack, and a 3rd one was destroyed by a SAM.
      The only good thing of this A/C: it's Stealth. You'll be
 harder to hit. But you won't need it anyawy...





 Game Name: Su-25
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: Su-25 "Frogfoot"
 Function : Ground based medium attack A/C
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  14.36
 Lenght   :  15.53
 Height   :   4.80
 MTOW     :  18.600


      Planned in the late 1970s as a CAS A/C, it fought in the
 Afghanistan War, in the 1980s - a war that much contributed for the
 collapse of the USSR. It is somewhat simmilar to the canceled YA-9,
 the A/C who lost the A-X competition to the A-10. An excellent
 A/C, with vital points armoured. The efficiency of the project may
 be proved by a simple fact: in 8 years of crude war and more than
 60,000 missions, only 23 Su-25s were lost. In the short Gulf War, for
 example, 6 RAF Tornados were lost. The Su-25 is a very agile A/C,
 with a powerful 30 mm gun and 10 hardpoints to carry weapons. In
 fact, it is one of the very best "Tank Killers" in the world, only
 inferior to the Su-39 (an upgraded version of the Su-25 itself) and
 the big bad A-10. Carrier-based versions of the Su-25 were planed,
 specially a twin-seat for training, they seem to be stalled.
      You won't need the Su-25 in the game, but it's pretty good for
 ground attacks.





 Game Name: A-10
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: A-10 "Warthog" Thunderbolt II
 Function : Ground based heavy attack A/C
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  17.53
 Lenght   :  16.26
 Height   :   4.47
 MTOW     :  22.680


      The A-10 was planned in the mid-1970s as a CAS A/C, and won
 the A-X request. It carries the most powerful gun ever used by an
 A/C: the GAU 8/A Avenger. It fires 30 mm shells (bigger, tougher
 and heavier than any other 30 mm available) through its 7 barrels, at
 an astonishing 4,200 rpm rate. The recoil force equals the thrust of
 one engine of the A-10! It is heavily armoured, far more than any
 other A/C flying today (except, possibly, the Mil Mi-24). A proof of
 this: in the Gulf War, no A-10s were lost. One of them ate 300+ 23mm
 bullet impacts, and landed normally! It was the A/C that destroyed
 more targets (and tanks) over there. It has 13 harpoints to carry
 weapons, and at low speeds it's more agile than the F-15 and F-16!
 Its unique engines allow it to fly for a long time at reduced speeds
 - 500 kph and less - an ability that light supersonic multirole
 fighters (coughF16cough) don't have. For these and other several
 reasons, it's the best CAS A/C in the world. However, it's operated
 by the US Air Force, not the Army. USAF doesn't like the A-10,
 because it ain't a fighter, but used the A-10 for other missions -
 like FAC and SAR escort; the A-10 proved to be unbeatable in both.
 The A-10 was to be retired by the USAF, but the Gulf War proved that
 the A-10 is still an awesome war machine - doing its job as well as
 the sophisticated F-117A Stealth, 4x the cost F-15E, and F-16. The
 nickname comes for several reasons: people say that it is ugly, rude,
 has "thick skin" (the armour) and "big teeth" (the Avenger), just
 like a big, bad, wild warthog. The nickname "tankbuster" is often
 used and needs no explanation... Just to see the efectiveness of the
 project: in the Kosovo War, one OA-10A (designation of the A-10 when
 used in FAC missions, but it is the same plane, no changes at all)
 was hit by a man-portable SAM SA-7 "Grail". It made an emergency
 landing, but was repaired and is in service again. Several Harriers
 hit by the very same SAM were immediately destroyed.
      As it was not planned to be a fighter, you won't have any need
 for the A-10 in the game - but she looks pretty cool anyway, and is
 lethal for ground attacks.





 Game Name: MiG-29
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: MiG-29 "Fulcrum"
 Function : Ground based medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  11.36
 Lenght   :  17.32
 Height   :   4.73
 MTOW     :  18.500


      The USSR government made a request, in 1969, for 2 new figters,
 that should replace older A/Cs, both heavy as the Su-15 "Flagon" and
 light as the MiG-21 "Fishbed". The winners were Su and MiG DBs. As
 usual, always based on the CAGI (former TsAGI, the Russian NASA)
 studies, the MiG DB designed the "light" fighter, and Su DB the
 "heavy". The MiG-29 entered service 2 years before its big sister,
 the Su-27. Both A/Cs appeared very simmilar, but the MiG-29 was
 smaller by about 1.25-1.30. The MiG-29 quickly proved its worth: it's
 cheaper than the F-16, both to acquire and to maintain; even so, it's
 has far better climbing ability, agility at subsonic speeds (in
 dogfights, the speed rarely goes over 750 kph) and radar. Recently,
 several new versions of the "Fulcrum" have been planned, but the
 economical situation of Russia makes them appear slowly. It has an
 awesome IR/LRMTS pod in front of the cockpit which enables the
 "Fulcrum" to acquire targets at long range w/out the radar. The LRMTS
 enhances the precision of fixed weapons, in such a level that took
 the MiG-29 chief designerRotislav Belyakov to state "if I knew that
 the gun would have such a pinpoint accuracy, I would have used half
 the ammo!". The MiG-29 was the 1st A/C (along with the Su-27) to
 combine several devices to increase lift: twin stabilizators, LERX
 and wide fuselage. This combination results in better agility than
 the F-16, but the MiG-29 doesn't use FBW! It is a lot more safer than
 the F-16, because the stability is absolutely normal. However, many
 Americans still believe that the F-16 is better... pity. At least one
 F-117A was destroyed by the MiG-29s in the Kosovo War (unofficial).
      Buy it when you can: it is an excellent A/C, and the only
 disadvantage in comparison with the F-16 is its price. In the game,
 that is, because in true world it is cheaper than the F-16. But if
 you can wait the F-14 or the TND-F3 are even better, and come
 immediately after the MiG-29.





 Game Name: F-14
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: F-14 "Turkey" Tomcat
 Function : carrier based long range interceptor
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  19.54 (smaller angle)
 Lenght   :  19.10
 Height   :   4.88
 MTOW     :  32.098


      During the Vietnam War, the USN made a request for a new heavy
 interceptor, to destroy the newer USSR bombers outside the range of
 their huge nuclear anti-ship missiles - that is, 300+ km. The result
 was the F-14, whose long range interception missiles - the big bad
 AIM-54 Phoenix - were only recently beaten by the Russian R-37. 1 of
 them was destroyed in the Gulf War by a Vietnam-era SA-2 "Guideline"
 SAM. The nickname may look nonsense for such a big and beautiful A/C,
 but if you see one of them landing, you'll notice that the large
 wings (at a small sweep angle) and the high landing gear give the
 F-14 a strange look, resembling a turkey running! Gobble, gobble!!
      Even better than the MiG-29; if you have already bought the
 Fulcrum, forget the Tomcat.





 Game Name: TND-F3
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: Tornado F.Mk3
 Function : Ground based long range medium interceptor
 Origin   : Multinational (UK, Germany & Italy)
 Wingspan :  13.91 (smaller angle)
 Lenght   :  18.68
 Height   :   5.95
 MTOW     :  27.586


      The Tornado was a joint European project for a long range
 interdiction A/C, able to attack at low altitudes and supersonic
 speeds, with high precision, even in N/AW conditions. It is one of
 the only 2 modern fighters to have thrust reversor - the other is the
 Viggen. Later, UK alone made an interceptor version, by increasing
 its lenght in ca. 1.5 m, by changing the radar and equiping it with
 Sky Flash MRAAMs. It was planned to replace the aging Phantoms and
 Lightinings as UK's interceptors. It can also be used as a long range
 escort A/C, due to its enormous combat radius. It also has awesome
 operational ceiling and is one of the fastest A/Cs at low altitudes.
 It has 1 gun, and the ground attack version has 2. Several Tornadoes
 were destroyed in the Gulf and Kosovo Wars.
      Almost equal to the F-14, same uses indeed. If you have the MiG,
 forget the Tornado.





 Game Name: R-M01
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: Rafale M01
 Function : Carrier based medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : France
 Wingspan :  10.90
 Lenght   :  15.30
 Height   :   5.34
 MTOW     :  21.500


      Just after the initial testings with the Mirage 2000, France
 developed the Super Mirage 4000 (a 2 engine, 1.25x larger version of
 the Mirage 2000) as the ACX. But the high prices killed the project.
 Few years later, the EFA consortium was created, and France was in
 it. However, the EFA would not be carrier-usable, because only France
 had conventional carriers (and enabling an A/C to be carrier-usable
 makes it heavier and more expensive). The French Navy was in a
 desperate need for a carrier-based A/C, so France quit the EFA
 consortium. Based on the Super Mirage 4000, they planned the ACT,
 which drove to the Rafale (squall) ACF. Its composite wings cannot be
 folded, but it can still be carrier-based. It is not as good as the
 Typhoon - mainly due to the engines - but France is largely
 independent of foreign weapons producers. Large Canard forewings.
      I think it's useless...





 Game Name: EF-2000
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: EF-2000 Typhoon
 Function : Heavy multirole fighter
 Origin   : Multinational (England, Germany, Italy & Spain)
 Wingspan :  10.95
 Lenght   :  15.96
 Height   :   5.28
 MTOW     :  21.000


      By the mid 1980s, the original constructors of the Tornado began
 to plan a new A/C, to replace it in the early 2000s. After several
 political problems, the Eurofighter is slowly being produced. Despite
 its conventional looking, it's, at least, as advanced as any modern
 fighter - like Rafale, Gripen and Raptor. It has an IR/LRMTS in front
 of the cockpit, and 2 huge Canard forewings. The planned export
 version of the EF-2000 was first named Taifun (read typhoon, same
 meaning), after the light German scout plane of WWII, but was later
 named Typhoon, after the great UK attack fighter of that war.
      For me, useless as the Rafale.





 Game Name: MiG-31
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: MiG-31 "Foxhound"
 Function : Heavy interceptor
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  13.46
 Lenght   :  22.69
 Height   :   6.20
 MTOW     :  46.200


      By the early 1960s, USAF began testing on a new bomber, to
 replace the B-52. It was planned to be a high altitude, high speed
 A/C, and testings proved that it could fly at 24,000+ m height and
 3,000+ kph speed. The XB-70 Valkyrie was a serious threat to the
 USSR, and the Soviet government made a urgent request for a high
 performance interceptor to destroy that dangerous bomber (the XB-70
 was cancelled later). The result was the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It was the
 1st operational jet fighter in the world with twin stabilisators and
 to surpass the 3000 kph speed. Rumours in NATO were that it was a
 superfighter, able to destroy any A/C available, and that was not so
 wrong. To counter it, USAF urgently requested the F-X program, which
 leaded to the F-15. But the MiG-25 was a dedicated interceptor, not a
 dogfighter. When the Tomahawk and AGM-86 ALCM cruise missiles entered
 service, USSR realized that they didn't have a missile/interceptor
 combination for extreme ranges: the AIM-54 was a Mach 5 missile with
 100+ km range, but the best Soviet missile, although also able to fly
 at Mach 5 speeds, didn't pass the 70 km range. Also, the MiG-25
 couldn't effectively "look and shoot down", which is a vital feature
 against low altitudes/high speed attack planes (like the Tornado) and
 cruise missiles. So, they made the MiG-31, basically a super-upgraded
 version of the MiG-25. Today, the MiG-31 is the 2nd best long-range
 interceptor (1st is Su-37), and the best in service. Also, it's the
 fastest fighter flying today - over 3,000 kph. A most interesting
 feature of the MiG-31: 4 of them can be controled in unisson by the
 wing commander! This way, they form a 900+ km barrage against any air
 targets!! Very cool indeed! In the Gulf War, an F/A-18C Hornet was
 destroyed by a MiG-25. Rumours say that the effectiveness of the
 MiG-31 forced the retirement of the SR-71.
      Awesome climbing ability, low agility. You won't need this one.





 Game Name: SF-39
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: JAS-39 Gripen
 Function : Light multirole fighter
 Origin   : Sweden
 Wingspan :   8.40
 Lenght   :  14.10
 Height   :   4.50
 MTOW     :  12.473


      Some years before the EFA request, Sweden made a request for a
 new multirole fighter, to replace several models in their AF, like
 the J-35, JA-37, AJ-37 and others. This new fighter should be lighter
 and easier to mantain than its predecessors, yet able to carry the
 same payload at longer distances. The result is the Gripen (griffon),
 an excellent A/C, much lighter, cheaper and smaller than the EF-2000
 and Rafale, yet able to carry the very same payload. It is already in
 service in Sweden and in a close future will possibly fly in several
 AFs. It doesn't have a thrust reversor like its predecessor, but the
 insanely large Canard forewings made such a device useless.
      Very cool fighter; its mobility is one of the very best of the
 game, only slightly less than the XFA-27. Howerver, its low
 resistence make it a poor fighter for stages with heavy air defenses.
 You won't need her, but she's still a great baby.





 Game Name: F/A-18D
 Available: No
 True Name: F/A-18C Hornet
 Function : Carrier based medium multirole fighter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  12.31
 Lenght   :  17.07
 Height   :   4.82
 MTOW     :  25.401


      Just after the F-15 entered service, USAF made a request for
 a LWF, just to know if it was possible to make a good fighter, less
 expensive than the F-15. Two prototypes were to be availed: the YF-16
 and the YF-17. The request suddenly changed to mass production
 instead of evaluation only. The YF-16 was better for production than
 the YF-17 and won the competition, being produced as the F-16. Soon
 thereafter, the USN made a request for a LWF. The logical start point
 were the two USAF LWF prototypes. But as the companies that made both
 planes didn't have experience with carrier-based A/Cs, they joined
 more experienced companies. The YF-16's weak structure and landing
 gears would not be able to withstand the difficult carrier landings,
 and a modified version of the YF-17 entered production as F/A-18. The
 F/A-18 is the best aircraft ever used by the USN and USMC. It
 completely and successfully replaced the A-4, A-6, A-7 and F-4 in
 both corps, in the "Blue Angels" and the "Topguns", proving to be the
 most versatile A/C ever deployed by USN and USMC. It is even more
 versatile than the F-16, and the better design gives the F/A-18
 (sometimes called only F-18; that's incorrect, however, because
 hiddens the awesome attack capabilities of the A/C) many advantages
 in comparison with the F-16: the twin-engine enhances survivability,
 and the twin-stabilisators enhances controlability. The F/A-18 also
 has a FBW, but not as complex as the F-16's, because the plane has
 better stability, and maneuvers even better at low speeds - the most
 usual in dogfights. It is being exported in good numbers.
      Unavailable. Altough the game says that the fighter shown is the
 F/A-18D - a two-seat version of the F/A-18 - the plane shown in the
 Display is a single-seater, and the modern single-seat F/A-18 is the
 C version.





 Game Name: F/A-18E
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: F/A-18E Super Hornet
 Function : Carrier based heavy multirole fighter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  13.62
 Lenght   :  17.07
 Height   :   4.66
 MTOW     :  29.937


      One of the reasons that caused the YF-17 to loose the USAF LWF
 request, and a serious problem of the F/A-18A/B/C/D is the low fuel
 capability, which results in a small combat radius. Combined with the
 end of the XFA project, this factor leaded to the Super Hornet
 (sometimes referred as Hornet 2000, but that is unofficial). It is
 based (as the name proves) in the normal Hornet, but with larger
 wings and fuselage. The new air intakes solved 2 other problems: 1)
 allowed the A/C to reach Mach 2 and 2) reduced the RCS. The Super
 Hornet is just entering service in USN and USMC, and is a big update,
 with much better N/AW attack capabilities.
      An excellent plane, the same case of the SF-39: you don't need
 it, but it's a cool fighter anyway.





 Game Name: F-15E
 Available: No
 True Name: F-15E "Beagle" Eagle
 Function : Heavy multirole fighter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  13.05
 Lenght   :  19.43
 Height   :   5.63
 MTOW     :  36.741


      After the bad experiences in Vietnam and the rumors about the
 MiG-25, the USAF requested a new fighter, the F-X, with better
 performances than the F-4 yet more agile than the MiGs. The winner
 of the F-X request was the F-15 Eagle. For 10 years, before the Su-27
 enter in service, the Eagle was the premier fighter in the world, and
 still is the modern fighter with better air to air results. In the
 mid 1980s, the F-15E - an upgraded version of the two-seater F-15B
 Eagle - won the USAF competition for a new attack fighter, to replace
 the aging F-111. It has a newer radar, and is equipped with the
 LANTIRN, which enables the "Strike Eagle" to be as good in ground
 attack as the F-111. The "Beagle" (bomber eagle) was just beginning
 its service life when the Gulf War started. It performed awesome
 feats there, so good that some F-15Is and F-15Ss were sold - they are
 downgraded versions of the "Beagle" for Israel and Saudi Arabia,
 respectively. It seems that 2 were lost in the Gulf War and some more
 in the Kosovo War.
      Unavailable.






 Game Name: F-15S
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: *N/A*
 Function : *N/A*
 Origin   : USA?
 Wingspan :  13.05
 Lenght   :  19.43
 Height   :   5.63
 MTOW     :  30.845


      The fighter is ficticious, because the true F-15S looks like
 the F-15E. The F-15S of the game resembles the SMTD plane. It
 demonstrated new technologies for the future fighters, and had 2 big
 Canard forewings. But unlike the AC2's F-15S, the F-15 SMTD doesn't
 have the wings, tailplanes and engine nozzles of the F-22.
      Excellent plane. Use it until you can buy the XFA-27.







 Game Name: Su-35
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: Su-35 "Super Flanker"
 Function : Heavy multirole fighter
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  14.70
 Lenght   :  21.935
 Height   :   5.932
 MTOW     :  33.600


      In 1969, the Su DB won a governmental contract to design a long
 range interceptor that would be superior to Western jet fighters and
 would replace several Soviet fighters already in service. This new 
 A/C had to surpass even the F-14 and F-15 - and it did. The Su-27
 "Flanker" has better engines, better aerodynamic design, carries
 better weapons and radar. It entered service 1 or 2 years after the
 MiG-29, but that was due to the slower development of its far more
 advanced avionics. The collapse of the USSR caused the best fighter
 in the world to be produced in small numbers. Several upgraded
 versions were planned. One of them is the single-seat Su-35, with
 better avionics, radar, "true" FBW and Canard forewings. It is far
 better than the US F-15E, and has better multirole capabilities. The
 limiting factor of the F-15E's missions is the pilot's physical
 conditions. The plane doesn't have a food heater, nor a waste
 disposal system (the Su-35 has both), which makes the pilot's life
 more difficult in long time operations: due to the long range of
 these heavy A/Cs, the missions can be as long as 8 hours, limited
 only by the pilot's conditions. The Su-35 carries so much fuel
 internally that it won't need external fuel tanks, while the F-15
 is rarely seen wihtout'em. Its engines are far better than the
 American fighters', specially in regard to the disturbed airflow
 during harsh maneuv situations.
      BEST Normal A/C. Nuff said.


 Game Name: Su-37
 Available: No
 True Name: Su-37 "Terminator"
 Function : Heavy multirole fighter
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  14.70
 Lenght   :  22.18
 Height   :   6.43
 MTOW     :  34.000


      Upgraded version of the Su-35, with TVC and up-to-date avionics
 and radar.
      Unavailable. *sob*





 Game Name: YF-23A*
 Available: Yes/Both
 True Name: YF-23A Black Widow II
 Function : ATF prototype
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  13.27
 Lenght   :  20.54
 Height   :   4.74
 MTOW     :  29.000


      When US discovered about the last Russian superfighters (Su-27
 and MiG-29), they planned the ATF to counter them. It would be a
 Stealth Warplane, with supercruise capability, very long range and
 agility. Two A/Cs reached the finals: the YF-23A and the YF-22A. The
 YF-23A lost the competition - mainly due to agility, inferior to the
 F-22's due to the TVC of the latter. Only 2 prototypes were built. It
 was proposed a carrier version of the ATF, currently stalled. Maybe
 the YF-23 isn't dead yet - remember the YF-17? It reborn as the
 awesome F/A-18!! Why can't it happen again?
      Excellent Stealth Warplane, but you won't need it. The Su-35
 and F-15S are better.





 Game Name: F-22*
 Available: Yes/Normal
 True Name: F-22 "Raptor" Lightining II
 Function : ATF
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  13.56
 Lenght   :  18.92
 Height   :   5.00
 MTOW     :  24.950


      The F-22 won the ATF competition. Its service conditions have
 been changed several times, due to the HUGE costs involved - a single
 F-22 costs over US$ 250,000,000 - nearly the price of 13 F-16s! Not
 even the USAF can afford too many of them. If it works properly (the
 program is having several problems) it will be an awesome fighter,
 but ground attack ability is low. It is a rapine bird, a raptor,
  hence its nickname.
      Good, but useless as it is no better than the Su-35.





 Game Name: XFA-27*
 Available: Yes/Extra
 True Name: *N/A*
 Function : N/A
 Origin   : USA?
 Wingspan : N/A
 Lenght   : N/A
 Height   : N/A 
 MTOW     : N/A


      I don't know much about the XFA program, but this seems to be
 based in the initial conceptions of the XFA (cancelled by 1993).
      The BEST A/C you can buy in the WHOLE game. Needless to say
 more.





 Game Name: ADF-01*
 Available: No
 True Name: *N/A*
 Function : N/A
 Origin   : USA?
 Wingspan : N/A
 Lenght   : N/A
 Height   : N/A
 MTOW     : N/A


      Seems to be an SFW version of the XFA-27.
      Unavailable. *sob*




 Game Name: B-52
 Available: No
 True Name: B-52 "BUFF" Stratofortress
 Function : Strategic bomber
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  56.39
 Lenght   :  49.05
 Height   :  12.40
 MTOW     : 221.353


      By the mid 1950s, the "BUFF" (Big, Ugly, Fat F****r) entered
 service, and works until our days. It was one of the best bombers
 ever built, but the RCS and IRCS are huge. It has astonishing combat
 range and huge bomb load, but is a sitting duck for modern air
 defenses and fighters. It suffered heavy losses in the Vietnam War,
 and it seems that 1 was destroyed in the Kosovo War.
      Unavailable





 Game Name: XB-70
 Available: No
 True Name: XB-70 Valkyrie
 Function : Strategic bomber prototype
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  32.0
 Lenght   :  14.66
 Height   :   9.1
 MTOW     : 221.794


      Planned in the early 1960s, it was a Mach 3, high altitude
 bomber, to replace the B-52 as a deep attack bomber. Altough it was
 the 2nd fastest bomber ever (1st was Su DB's T-4), it would be as
 easy to kill as the B-52, if faced the newest Soviet SAMs, specially
 due to its immense IRCS and RCS. A fatal accident, combined with the
 low survivability, impossibility to fly low altitude/high speed
 missions and the astonishing costs killed the XB-70 programme.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: B-1B
 Available: No
 True Name: B-1B "Bone" Lancer
 Function : Strategic bomber
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  41.67 (smaller angle)
 Lenght   :  44.81
 Height   :  10.36
 MTOW     : 216.365


      The AMSA project, of the early 1970s, was meant to replace the
 B-52. After almost 20 years of changes and cuts in budget, the B-1B
 finally entered full service in USAF by 1993. It can double the
 payload of the B-52, and can fly much better in low altitude. It is
 one of the best bombers ever, with the same RCS of the F-16. The
 nickname: B-one (B-1), read "bone".
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: B-2*
 Available: No
 True Name: B-2 Spirit
 Function : Strategic Stealth bomber
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  52.43
 Lenght   :  21.03
 Height   :   5.18
 MTOW     : 152.633


      By the end of the 1940s, a huge Delta bomber, the YB-49, was
 built. It had minimal RCS, but was almost impossible to control.
 Decades later, the FBW technology allowed such a bomber to be
 controlled normally. The B-2 was the winner of the ATB concept: a
 Stealth, strategic bomber, to make deep attacks within USSR. The
 collapse of USSR almost killed the B-2, and only 20 will be built.
 The main reason of so few B-2s: it is the most expensive A/C ever,
 costing US$ 2,200,000,000+ a piece!!! :o Rumours say that one was
 destroyed in the Kosovo War.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: XB-10*
 Available: No
 True Name: *N/A*
 Function : *N/A*
 Origin   : USA?
 Wingspan : N/A
 Lenght   : N/A
 Height   : N/A
 MTOW     : N/A


      Ficticious Stealth bomber.
      Unavailable, but the strongest target of the game - 6 missiles
 are required to kill it!





 Game Name: C-5
 Available: No
 True Name: C-5 Galaxy
 Function : Strategic airlifter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  67.88
 Lenght   :  75.54
 Height   :  19.85
 MTOW     : 379.657


      This was, for about 15 years, the largest A/C of the world.
 When the An-124 entered service, and then the An-225 prototype (only
 one built), it was then settled as the 3rd. Its service life is near
 the end, and the C-17 (and others) will most likely replace it.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: C-17
 Available: No
 True Name: C-17 Globemaster III
 Function : Heavy tactical/strategical airlifter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  52.20
 Lenght   :  53.04
 Height   :  16.79
 MTOW     : 263.083


    The C-17 was planned to replace the C-141 Starlifter and some of
 the C-5s of the USAF. After a long development, with technical and
 political problems, it is now fully in service. Excellent airlifter,
 able to carry almost the same load of the C-5 yet able to operate in
 smaller and rougher runways.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: E-767
 Available: No
 True Name: E-767
 Function : AWACS
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  77.57
 Lenght   :  48.51
 Height   :  15.85
 MTOW     : 172.350


      When USSR put the "Moss" - a modified version of the "Bear"
 strategic bomber - in service, USA realized they needed an AWACS
 programme, and they built several models. The latest for JSDAF is
 the E-767, based on the Boeing 767 airliner. Its huge "mushroom"
 radar can track over 600 A/Cs at distances over 400 km. This
 marvelous plane can also be equipped with a jamming device, for
 self-protection or to protect friendly A/Cs.
      Unavailable.


 Game Name: SR-71
 Available: No
 True Name: SR-71 Blackbird
 Function : Strategic recce
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  16.94
 Lenght   :  32.74
 Height   :   5.64
 MTOW     :  77.111


      By the early 1960s, along with the XB-70, a high performance
 interceptor was planned, the YF-12. Unfortunately, it was cancelled,
 but some improvements took to the amazing RS-71 Blackbird. When the
 US President Lyndon Johnson announced it, he spelled SR-71 Blackbird,
 and the plane was called this way from that day on. The fastest plane
 ever (officialy admited, of course) was also the 1st Stealth and
 titanium-made A/C. It is not completely Stealth due to some parts -
 like the air intakes - that could not be built with RAM in the time
 it entered service, by the mid 1960s. Altough able to fly at over
 3,600+ kph / 27,000+ m altitude (unofficial data say 28,000+), it
 would be a sitting duck to modern Russian missiles - for the S-300PMU
 (SA-10 "Grumble") Russian SAM, for example, speeds of 7,000+ kph and
 heights of 30,000+ m are piece of cake! :o There are more problems
 with the SR-71: its service cost is $200,000+ / hour of flight!!
 And the big bad MiG-31 can easily intercept it(!). These reasons
 caused the retirement of the SR-71, but no other plane in the world
 can match the speed of the Blackbird.
      Unavailable.





 Game Name: Mil-24
 Available: No
 True Name: Mil Mi-24 "Hind"
 Function : Gunship
 Origin   : Russia
 Wingspan :  17.30
 Lenght   :  21.35
 Height   :   5.47
 MTOW     :  11.800


      The "Hind" was one of the first "gunships". It was not meant as
 a tank killer, but as a CAS helicopter. It is the most armoured A/C
 ever, and has excellent weapons. It can carry up to 8 men, being an
 excellent A/C for infiltralting "special forces". It's one of the
 fastest helicopters ever, an excellent "flying artillery" chopper,
 although not very agile at low speeds; this makes it a poor tank
 killer. It was very widely used in the Afghan War, and hundreds were
 lost there, due to accidents and war losses.
      Unavailable





 Game Name: AH-64
 Available: No
 True Name: AH-64 Apache
 Function : Anti-tank helicopter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  14.63
 Lenght   :  17.76
 Height   :   4.66
 MTOW     :   9.525


      The Apache was the first true anti-tank helicopter. It has very
 advanced sensors for tank killing, and its Hellfire missile is a good
 tank killer. It was not designed as a gunship, so the agility at low
 speeds/altitudes are more important than the top speed. Several were
 destroyed in the Kosovo War.
      Unavailable.




 Game Name: RAH-66*
 Available: No
 True Name: RAH-66 Comanche
 Function : Recon/scout/attack Stealth helicopter
 Origin   : USA
 Wingspan :  11.90
 Lenght   :  14.28
 Height   :   3.39
 MTOW     :   7.790


      The Comanche is the first Stealth helicopter. Although not as
 fast as an Apache, it is far more agile. It was specially meant to be
 a "scout", that is, an FAC chopper, leaving most of the attacks to
 the Apache and other A/Cs.
      Unavailable.





      If you want more data on aircrafts, feel free to e-mail me.



                               8 - Abbreviations

      No one likes more of abrreviations than the military... here are
 those used in this FAQ.


 AAA     - Anti-Aircraft Artillery
 AAM     - Air to Air Missile
 A/C     - aircraft
 ACF     - French shorts for Future Combat Aircraft
 ACT     - French shorts for Tactical Combat Aircraft
 ACX     - French shorts for eXpreimental Combat Aircraft
 ADF     - Air Dominance (Defense?) Fighter
 AF      - Air Force
 AIM     - Air Intercept Missile (US designation of AAM)
 AL      - Absorption Level (related to RCS)
 ALCM    - Air Launched Cruise Missile
 Alpha   - same as AOA
 AMRAAM  - Advanced MRAAM
 AMSA    - Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft
 An      - Antonov
 AOA     - Angle Of Attack
 ATB     - Advanced Technology Bomber
 ATF     - Advanced Tactical Fighter
 AWACS   - Airborne Warning and Air Control System
 A-X     - Attack-eXperimental
 BVR     - Beyond Visual Range
 BVRAAM  - BVR AAM
 CAGI    - Russian shorts for Aerospace Research Institute (now TsAGI)
 CAS     - Close Air Support
 DB      - Design Bureau
 EFA     - European Fighter Aircraft
 FAC     - Forward Air Controller
 FEBA    - Forward Edge of Battle Area
 FBW     - Fly-By-Wire
 FSX     - Fighter/Strike eXperimental
 F-X     - Fighter-eXperimental
 GAU     - Gun, Air Unit
 GBU     - Guided Bomb Unit
 G-LOC   - G-forces-induced Loss Of Consciousness 
 HUD     - Head-Up Display
 IAI     - Israel Aircraft Industry
 ICE     - Improved Combat Equipment
 IR      - Infra-Red
 IRCS    - IR Cross Section
 JSDAF   - Japan Self Defence Air Force
 m       - meter (ca. .3281 feet)
 kg      - kilogram (ca. 2.205 lb)
 kph     - kilometer per hour (ca. .5379 knot)
 LANTIRN - Low Altitude Navigation/Targeting IR for Night
 LERX    - Leading Edge Root eXtensions
 LRMTS   - Laser Range-finder and Marked Target Seeker
 LWF     - Light Weight Fighter
 MANPADS - MAN Portable Air Defense System (shoulder-fired SAMs)
 MATV    - Multi-Axis TVC
 MiG     - Mikoyan & Gurevitch
 Mil Mi  - Mikhail Mil
 MRAAM   - Medium Range AAM
 MTOW    - Maximum Take Of Weight
 N/AW    - Night/Adverse Weather
 RAF     - Royal Air Force (UK)
 RAM     - Radar Absorbing Material
 RCS     - Radar Cross Section
 rpm     - rounds per minute
 SAM     - Surface to Air Missile
 SAR     - Search And Rescue
 SMTD    - STOL and Maneuvers Technology Demonstration
 ton     - metrical ton (1000 kg or 2,205 lb)
 TsAGI   - Russian shorts for Aerospace Research Institute
 TVC     - Thrust Vector Control
 V/STOL  - Vertical/Short Take Of/Landing
 SEAD    - Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses
 SFW     - Swept Forward Wing
 SLBM    - Submarine-Launched Balistic Missile
 SSBN    - Strategic Submarine Balistic Nuclear
 Su      - Sukhoi
 USAF    - United States Air Force
 USMC    - United States Marine Corps
 USN     - United States Navy
 XFA     - eXperimental Fighter/Attack
 Yak     - Yakovlev


      If I missed anything, please e-mail me.



                           9 - Questions & Answers

      Well, I'll put here the questions that I think that will be the
 most common. As more questions come, I'll put them here.

 01) What is AOA?
 02) What is a "Stealth Warplane"? Are they "invisible" to radars?
 03) What is the SFW concept?
 04) What are the Canard forewings?
 05) What is TVC (and MATV)?
 06) What is CAS?
 07) Who are the "Blue Angels" and the "Thunderbirds"?
 08) What is jamming?
 09) What is the HUD?
 10) How do A/Cs fly?
 11) What is stall?
 12) What is Mach?
 13) What are the G-forces?
 14) What is LERX?
 15) What is afterburner?
 16) What determines the agility?
 17) What is BVR combat? Which weapons are used in them?
 18) Is it true that the F-15E has better payload than the Su-35?


      Q.01: What is AOA?

      A.01: AOA is the angle that the fighter's nose makes with the
 straight flight direction. Most planes are hard to maneuver with an
 AOA of 20 degrees or so, but some planes may be controlled (for some
 instants) in very high alpha - the Russian Su-27 reachs the highest
 alpha of current aircrafts, ca. 120 degrees, for 3 sec..



      Q.02: What is a "Stealth Warplane"? Are they "invisible" to radars?

      A.02: Stealth technology has been, for almost 20 yars, THE top
 secret of the military aviation, specially in U.S. Just after WWII
 (the first war where the radar was used in large scale), it was
 observed that some A/Cs had smaller RCS than others. It was soon
 discovered that several factors have influence in the the RCS of a
 A/C. Vertices, rect (90 degrees) angles and metal w/out painting, for
 example, are excellent reflectors, rsulting in a high RCS. So, shape
 and materials do have a big influence in the RCS of an object. That's
 why a 3-ton truck - with its several rect junctions, vertices and
 metal structures - may have twice the RCS of a Jumbo Jet! And a B-2
 bomber, with its curves, RAM coating, no vertices - has the same RCS
 of a seagull!! Stealth may also refer to IRCS. Some of the most
 advanced military A/Cs flying (or being developed) today are, in some
 manner, Stealth, for Radar and/or IR. Stealth technology, however, is
 too expensive, so not all air forces may have Stealth A/Cs (or
 weapons) so soon. Most current warplanes adopt certain measures to
 reduce RCS and/or IRCS, but in a level very small to be called a
 Stealth Warplane, although improving combat capabilities in a great
 deal. The Italian/Brazilian AMX, for example, has both RCS and IRCS
 very small. In the Kosovo War, it proved to be vital, as NO AMXs were
 hit nor lost!! Moreover, today's radar technology can detect Stealth
 Warplanes - and if an A/C can be detected, it can be destroyed.



      Q.03: What is the SFW concept?

      A.03: The SFW concept was first tested (as the conventional
 swept wings) by German scientists, just before the end of WWII. But
 they did not have good results with SFW, due to the lack of light
 but stiff materials in that time. The X-29, based in the F-5E light
 multirole fighter, was built 40 years after WWII, in the mid 1980s,
 to investigate the properties of the SFW design. A modern FBW was
 used, as were used modern composite materials and large Canard
 forewings. The SFW proved to be MUCH better than the conventional
 wing, specially in high alpha. However, it causes excessive tensions
 in the wingroots (the problem that Germany could not solve in 1944);
 the TVC technology is better for maneuv, and still saves the
 structure from excessive tensions. The SFW concept was reborn in the
 modern Russian fighter S-37, from the Su DB. Another factor that US
 scientists ignored: the SFW design also reduces the RCS of the A/C,
 because the radar waves are reflected back to the A/C and scattered!
 The Su DB scientists didn't ignore it, and the S-37 is currently the
 most advanced A/C flying, and one of the stealthier ones.



      Q.04: What are the Canard forewings?

      A.04: They are small wings, located in front of the main wings.
 They may be mobile or fixed; in the newer A/Cs, they are mobile and,
 in the latest they are independent - that is, if one moves up, the
 other may move down. They are used to move back the incoming airflow,
 generating vortex - that improves lift. This is very important,
 specially for high alpha maneuv and take of/landing. The last
 generation of fighters have mobile Canards, independent in most
 cases.



      Q.05: What is TVC (and MATV)?

      A.05: TVC means that the vector of the air flow that gives
 thrust may be controlled. Usually, the engine's nozzle may be moved.
 If the nozzle can be moved in several different directions - not just
 up/down - the TVC is called MATV. The X-31, F-16 MATV, F/A-18 MATV
 all have MATV capabilities, while the F-22 has 2D TVC, and Su-30MKI
 has 1D TVC. The Harrier's TVC is different: The nozzle angle variates
 in relation to the A/C's AOA, and it's not as useful for maneuv as
 the X-31's MATV. The function of TVC in the Harrier is to allow
 V/STOL, not for maneuv - although Harrier's pilots have successfuly
 used it for dogfights.



      Q.06: What is CAS?

      A.06: CAS is the mission of supporting allied ground units. That
 means attacking the enemy's ground forces, to destroy or stop an
 enemy's attack. "True" CAS means to stay on the attack for as many
 time as possible, distinguish enemy and allied forces, and then fire.
 There are only 2 modern airplanes able to execute "true" CAS: the
 A-10 and the Su-25. Both can fly close to enemy forces by 1 hour or
 more. "False" CAS may be executed for fighters unable to fly for long
 periods at low speeds: F-16, MiG-29, F/A-18... they are able to make
 only 1 or 2 attacks and then leave. Moreover, CAS missions ave very
 dangerous because the plane has to fly too close from the enemy,
 getting in range of air defenses. The A-10 and the Su-25 are armoured
 and can withstand damage enough to destroy any multirole plane.
 Helicopters are good for CAS, but they don't have as much firepower
 as the Su-25 or the big bad Avenger of the A-10. Unfortunately for
 ground forces, no Army today has its own tactical aviation with
 modern jets; as both A-10 and Su-25 aren't fighters, no Air Force is
 interested on them, and the soldiers don't have such a good backup...



      Q.07: Who are the "Blue Angels" and the "Thunderbirds"?

      A.07: The "Blue Angels" are the USN acrobatic team; their planes
 are deep sea blue with yellow details. The "Tunderbirds" are the USAF
 acrobatic team; their planes are in the colors of the USA flag, with
 a big thunderbird (a mystical bird) in the back.



      Q.08: What is jamming?

      A.08: When EM (ElectroMagnetic) waves (radio waves, visible light,
 IR, ultraviolet, microwaves, etc.) reach an object, they are
 reflected or absorbed. The radio waves used by the radars are of EM
 nature. One way to confuse the enemy's radars is the jamming. False
 "pulses" (designations of reflected radio emissions) are generated by
 jamming equipment, making it hard to distinguish true pulses from
 false, but technology will soon find a solution. Whenever a new
 technology appears, another one appears to counter it, so the
 equilibrium is kept. E.G.: first, came the tanks. Then, the anti-tank
 weapons. Then, new armors. Then new anti-tank weapons, and so on.



      Q.09: What is the HUD?

      A.09: The HUD is a sort of a TV panel, located at about the same
 height of the pilot's eyes. It can display several important data, so
 the pilot won't have to look down and search in the instruments the
 desired info. Helmet-mounted sights (and displays) will hopefully
 replace HUDs in a close future.
 


      Q.10: How do A/Cs fly?
      
      A.10: When a curved surface gets in an airflow, the air flows
 faster in the curved side than in the plain one. This leads to a
 smaller airflow, and a resulting smaller pressure. Then, due to the
 difference between pressures, a force will  appear, directed to the
 smaller pressure (this is called the Coanda effect). Wings (and
 rotors) are curved in the top side, while airfoils for high speed
 cars are curved in the lower part, working as a wing upside down. But
 to generate a force big enough to lift the A/C, the airflow has to be
 average. It's easier in higher air densities/airspeeds. In an
 airplane, the faster it goes the higher is the lift. In rotorcraft,
 the higher the rotation the higher the lift. But there are
 limitations: the airplane can't fly too fast, or the wing may break -
 due to tension forces - and/or overheat - due to friction between the
 air and the airplane. In rotorcraft, the problem is another. When an
 object makes a circular movement, the speed increases as you get
 farther from the center of the circle. If the rotortip speed becomes
 supersonic, the efficiency is decreased. That's why the bigger the
 rotor the slower they beat.



      Q.11: What is stall?

      A.11: Stall is a term widely used, and has several meanings.
 Engine stall, or flameout, means the engine is inoperant - possibly
 due to disturbed airflow or smoke. But stall usually means the A/C
 has not enough lift to keep flying, mainly due to low airspeed
 and/or high AOA. When it happens, the A/C will fall, and the stall
 conditions last until the A/C reaches enough airspeed to generate
 lift. Stall during a low altitude condition usually means crash. In
 high altitudes, the lower air density results in smaller lift,
 requiring a higher speed to fly. But the A/C can't just accelerate
 forever, due to temperature increase in high speeds, originated in
 the friction between the air and the fuselage. During a dogfight, the
 low speeds combined to high alpha situations may lead to a stall.
 This usually means the defeat of the careless pilot.



      Q.12: What is Mach?

      A.12: Ernst Mach was an important Austrian scientist. To honor
 his memory, the sound speed was named Mach. The Mach number (Mach 1
 or 1M or M1) depends, basically, on the material's density; the
 higher the the density, the higher the sound speed. In sea level,
 Mach 1 for air is about 1,200 kph; in water, it's over 4,000 kph, and
 in steel is almost 20,000 kph. In higher altitudes, Mach 1 decreases
 to about 1,000 kph or less due to the smaller density of the air.



      Q.13: What are the G-forces?
      A.13: As the A/C maneuvers, centrifugal accelerations appear. To
 make it easier to express these accelerations, they used the Earth's
 gravity, which is called 1 G. Positive G numbers indicate nose up,
 and negative G indicate nose down. E.g.: 2 G indicate that the
 current acceleration equals 2 times the Earth's gravity, so the
 force needed to move the head doubles! Positive Gs pull the blood out
 of the pilot's brain, and may cause uncosciousness (known as G-LOC)
 if 9 G is sustained for 5+ sec. or momentary blindness (known as
 blackout) if 4-8 G is sustained dor some time. Negative Gs push blood
 into the brain, elevating the pressure in the eyes and brain itself.
 This initially takes to a redout, but may rapidly cause the head's
 veins to break and lead to the pilot's death or severe health damage.
 The human body can, for these reasons, support far more positive Gs
 than negative: the G-force range for humans is +9 / -3, for a few
 seconds. Ejection seats generate up to 30 Gs, but for no more than
 some milliseconds. Modern fighters can support 10+ Gs for relatively
 long periods of time, so the limiting factor is the pilot, not the
 fighter. Why fighter pilots and flight surgeons want to avoid G-LOC?
 During G-LOC absolute incapacitation lasts 12 to 20 seconds and
 relative incapacitation can take 3+ minutes!! Imagine what can happen
 to the pilot in a real combat situation within that time!!




      Q.14: What are LERXs?
      A.14: LERXs are extensions, like a knife's blade, in the
 junction wing/fuselage. They act just like the Canard forewings, but
 are far more effetive due to the larger surface. They generate vortex
 to increase lift, resulting in better agility and high-alpha control.



      Q.15: What is afterburner?

      A.15: The afterburner - or post-combustor, or reheat, or AB - is
 a technique that burns fuel after the combustion chamber. This
 generates a big volume of superheated air, vastly improving thrust -
 sometimes doubling. However, the fuel consumption is far more
 increased, in some times up to 12x. That's why the AB is only used
 in difficult situations, like take off, tight turns etc..



      Q.16: What determines the agility?

      A.16: Several factors determine agility. To have a good agility,
 the fighter needs LIFT and CONTROL. The main factors are:
 a) G tolerance - the higher the A/C's tolerance to high acceleration
 forces, the higher is the agility;
 b) wide fuselage - generates lift;
 c) LERX - generate vortex, that improves controlability, specially in
 high alpha;
 d) twin stabilisators - they produce better aerodynamics and are
 lighter than a single huge stabilizator, like the Tornado's or F-16's
 stabilisator's;
 e) canard forewings - work as mini-LERXs;
 f) TVC - for high AOA moves;
 g) SFW - for improved lift at high alpha.

 The wing load (A/C weight per wing surface ratio) is very important.
 The smaller the wing load the better. But if the wing load is too low
 (like on a sailplane), the fighter will be highly sensitive to
 disturbed airflows, common on low altitudes, and if the wing is too
 large, it needs higher resistance. This may lead to high weight,
 which is unacceptable. The solution is to use composite materials or
 find another way - LERX, for example. By no means high speed
 maneuvers are vital in dogfights: the G-forces depend heavily on the
 speed, so most dogfights occur in of 900- kph, 750+ kph is default.
 The 1st A/C with all the improvements above is the Russian S-37.



      Q.17: What is BVR combat? Which weapons are used in them?

      A.17: BVR combats mean that you will destroy your enemy before
 you can even spot him visually - that is, 20+ km away. It became a
 reality only recently, although some visionaires could foresee this
 type of combat nearly 50 years ago. But even today it is not very
 usual, mainly due to political restrictions and to avoid accidents -
 like incorrect identification of the "enemy", as happened to some
 unhappy civilian A/Cs: an Airbus airliner of Iran Air was destroyed
 by a USN RIM-66 Standard missile and a Boeing airliner was destroyed
 by a Russian Su-15 "Flagon" fighter, both in the mid 1980s. Both A/Cs
 invaded military airspace - pilot's error, according to the official
 versions of both cases. Anyway, over 200 civilians were killed in
 each one of the incidents. The preferred weapons today are active
 radar guided missiles, such as the US AIM-120 Slammer (AMRAAM), the
 French MICA, the Russian RVV-AE and the future Meteor BVRAAM, a
 multinational missile developed in Europe.



      Q.18: Is the F-15E's payload bigger than the Su-35's?

      A.18: Depends on the point of view. The nominal (theoretical)
 payload may be of 2 different types:
 1) MTOW - (A/C's weight + fuel weight + ammo weight). This is the
 case of the F-16, the AH-64 (the max payload depends on the ammo
 for the Chain Gun) and the A-10 (the max payload depends on the
 internal fuel and GAU-8 ammo). Remember that the MTOW depends on
 several factors: local temperature, local height, flight height,
 available runways, enemy defenses, maneuver demands, etc..
 2) Maximum weight supported by the pylons (hardpoints for payload
 carriage). The case of most Russian planes, F-15, etc..
 In some cases, type 1 and 2 mix togheter to give practical payload.
 Some people say that the F-16 can carry 9+ tons of payload, but I
 really doubt that its pylons have such space/capability to carry that
 much. Moreover, due to the poor operational range, most A/Cs (like
 the F-15E) need to carry external fuel tanks, ocuppiyng weight and
 space that could be used to carry weapons. For examle: the payload of
 the F-15E, Tornado and the "Flanker" family are of the type 2. The
 max payload is 11 ton for the F-15E, 9 ton for the Tornado and 8 ton
 for the Su-35/37. But the Tornado rarely flies w/out 2 external fuel
 tanks of 1.5 ton each (3 ton total) and the F-15E usually carries 1-2
 tanks of ca. 2.3 ton each (ca. 4.5 ton total). So, the payload of the
 Tornado goes down to 6 ton, and the F-15E down to 7.5 ton, both less
 than the Su-35/37's 8 ton. Also, notice that the Tornado engines work
 poorly on high altitudes and/or temperatures - the Tornado was
 basically meant for low altitude flights in the cold Europe. During
 the Gulf War, the payload of the Tornado was 3 ton(!), 1/3 of the
 nominal max. Also, if enemy activity is intense, you need to have a
 good maneuvering capability, hence a smaller payload.




                             10 - Acknowledgements


      1 - Namco (http://www.namco.com)
      This game rocks! Congratulations! Namco is a very long date
 softhouse, producer of several cool games: Pac-Man, Galaga, Ridge
 Racer and several others. Their games are of a very high level.


      2 - GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com)
          VGStrategies (http://vgstrategies.about.com)
          Gamers Domain (http://www.gamersd.com)
          PSX Codez (http://www.psxcodez.com)
          Absolute PlayStation (http://www.absolute-playstation.com)
          CheatStop (http://www.cheatstop.com)
      Well, you wouldn't be reading this FAQ without them! They
 have tons of cool FAQs, just search! My FAQs are only available for
 FREE, and only in the above mentioned sites. If you got'em anyway or
 anywhere else, e-mail me ASAP!


      3 - Cecil-X (?)
      I couldn't find you, but I LOVED your FAQ, and learned LOTS of
 things with it. I wrote most of this FAQ before I read yours, but you
 DO deserve credit here. If anyone knows Cecil-X's current e-mail,
 please tell me. And if you, Cecil-X, is reading it, PLEASE e-mail
 me. Congratulations for the excellent work!!


      4 - Local Games Centers
      I don't have money to own a PSX, so I couldn't play AC2
 without'em! Thanks to Virtual Games (arcades/videogames center) and
 Lucky Video (videos/videogames center). Thanks to lots of games
 centers all around.


      5 - Anna Paula @}-`-,---
      Who? My girlfriend! She gives me all the love support I need.

      
      6 - Friends
      Friends are some of the best things you may have in life!
 Thanks to all those who helped me when I was a newbie, and those who
 help me today, as an average player. Some names (no order in
 particular): F bio (owner of Virtual Games), Gaston, Robson, Jeffery,
 Johnatan, Max, Ricardo, Marcos, Hugo, Norbert and Leandro.
 I'm building a site about firearms and ammo, in Portuguese (our
 official language, rather than Spanish), with my bud Marlon.


      7 - Aviation freaks
      Well, I'm one of them! Thanks for those who teached me what I
 know today. Thanks to specialized press and for guys who make cool
 sites. Some of them:

 OFFICIAL SITES

 Boeing
 http://www.boeing.com
 Awesome. THE largest A/C producer in the world, home of the F-15,
 F/A-18, AH-64, co-producer of the F-22 and RAH-66, etc..


 Lockheed Martin
 http://www.lmco.com
 Producer of the F-16 and co-producer of the F-22.

 Saab
 http://www.saab.se
 Swedish. Home of the Gripen, Viggen and Draken, with English pages.

 Northrop Grumman
 http://www.northgrum.com
 Home of the B-2 Spirit, F-14 Tomcat, X-29, YF-23...

 British Aerospace
 http://www.baam.bae.com/
 Largest European (excluding Russian) A/C producer.

 Embraer
 http://www.embraer.com
 Brazilian producer of A/Cs, with English pages.

 Dassault
 http://www.dassault-aviation.com/
 France; home of Mirage 2000 and Rafale, with English pages.

 Eurofighter
 http://www.eurofighter.org
 Home of the EF-2000 Eurofighter.

 Sukhoi DB
 http://www.sukhoi.ru
 This site is growing - Sukhoi DB is THE most advanced A/Cs producer
 in the whole world.

 Federation of American Scientists - Military Analysis Network
 www.fas.org/man/index.html
 Awesome site, with tons of info on modern aircrafts & weapons
 system of the world. Excellent source of info for US equipment, very
 good source for equipment made outside the US.


 PERSONAL SITES

 Sukhoi Gallery
 http://sukhoi.cjb.net
 AWESOME info on Sukhoi planes!!! Don't miss videos and interview with
 mr. Simonov, former CEO of the most advanced DB in the world!!! It
 was updated with info on the MiG DB and some American aircrafts!!
 Cooler still!!

 Russian Aviation Museum
 http://hep2.physics.arizona.edu/~savin/ram/
 WOW! You will find TONS of info about Russian planes, from the early
 cloth biplanes to the most advanced Stealth Warplanes of our days.
 (had a bug with Netscape 4.5 and above, don't know if was fixed)

 Watson's Military
 http://canopus.lpi.msk.su/~watson/militair.html
 Excellent site about Russian aviation, with pro-level info and pics.

 Missile Index
 http://www.index.ne.jp/missile_e/
 Here you will find info on most missiles and guided bombs ever made,
 including SLBMs and ICBMs. COOL!!

 US Jets on the Web
 http://www.ujw.org
 This is for American aviation freaks. Tons of pics, info and links.

 Venik's Home Page
 http://www.aeronautics.ru
 For serious, open minded only aviation freaks, with tons of info and
 pics. Info on the NATO losses during Kosovo War.

 Air Force Technology
 http://www.airforce-technology.com
 Interesting site, part of a network of technology - there are the
 Army, Naval, Air Force, etc. Technology sites. Up to date info and
 pics, don't miss them!!



      8 - You, the reader!
      I hope I could help you! Thanks for your patience and
 confidence to read this FAQ. If you wanna know more about the
 planes, e-mail me. It will be my pleasure to give you any info I
 can.


      If you think your name should be listed here, please e-mail me.
      Thanks for reading!

 ROliveira
 renatohm99@yahoo.com

      This document Copyright 2000,2001 by Renato Oliveira, solely.