FIGHTER PILOT - DIGITAL INTEGRATION

FIGHTER PILOT is a real-time flight simulation based upon the F15 Eagle, USAF
air-superiority jet fighter.

This supreme simulation offers many of the features found on modern flight
simulators including 3-D view from the cockpit, fully aerobatic performance.
air-to-air combat, crosswinds, turbulence, and blind landing.

The program offers training modes for each option and a pilot skill rating for
varying difficulty levels.

OPTIONS

(1) Landing Practice - Your aircraft is positioned at an altitude of 1700 ft, 6
miles from touchdown at runway BASE. The undercarriage is lowered, ready for
landing.Use the throttle, flaps and elevator controls to adjust your rate of
descent and approach speed. Guidance may be taken from the Instrument Landing
System (ILS) or the Flight Computer. Once you have landed, reduce the thrust to
zero and apply the brakes.

(2) Flying Training - Your aircraft is positioned at the threshold of the
runway BASE, facing due North. Take off by opening the throttle, typically to
100% or full reheat, and pulling back on the joystick (or key 6) when you reach
take-off speed. Maximum acceleration on take-off is achieved by applying the
brakes until full thrust is reached, Raise the undercarriage shortly after
take-off if you intend to exceed 300 kts. Take-off is possible at a lower speed
with full flaps. Steer on the ground by using the rudder controls, easiest if
your speed is below 10 kts.

(3) Air to air combat speeds - You are positioned 2 miles behind the enemy
aircraft at the same altitude. Select Combat Mode and the Flight Computer to
obtain a readout of enemy bearing, range and altitude. The enemy will be flying
at 550 kts and will not return fire during the dogfight. Manoeuvre your
aircraft when you see the enemy and open Fire as he passes through your sights.

(4) Air to Air Combat - In the final option, you are responsible for defending
the four airfields BASE, TANGO, DELTA and ZULU. Your mission begins with a
scramble from runway BASE. Use your radar and flight computer to determine the
location of the enemy aircraft, and after assessing his likely target, fly your
aircraft on an intercept course. Visual contact will occur at less than 1 mile
and less than 5000 feet altitude difference and the dogfight begins with the
enemy manoeuvring to gain advantage. Damage to your own aircraft is indicated
by a colour change of the aircraft symbol on your radar. A fourth strike by the
enemy is fatal! If you wish to break-off during the dogfight because of
extensive damage or no ammunition left, the enemy will cease to attack once you
are over 1 mile away or more than 5000 ft altitude difference. At this stage he
will lock-on to his original ground target and pursue his ultimate objective of
destroying all airfields. This will leave you free to return to any remaining
runway for repairs, re-armament and refuelling.

(5) Blind Landing - This option simulates landing and and take off in fog. No
visual display is given whenever the aircraft is above 50 ft and the horizon is
not displayed at any time. Navigate by using your radar; flight computer and
map. Press key 5 to switch this option on or off.

(6) Crosswinds and turbulence - This option gives crosswind effects and random
aircraft disturbances due to turbulence. Selection of this option will make
flying and navigation more difficult and is recommended after a little
practice. Press key 6 to switch this option on or off.

(7) Pilot Rating - Skill level increase from trainee to ace. This feature
varies the skill of the enemy pilot during combat. e.g. how soon he will detect
your approach, the types of manoeuvres he can execute, how quickly he can get
you into his sights, and how close you have to get to shoot him down. Your
pilot rating does not affect the flight characteristics of your own aircraft.
Beware, an ace enemy pilot is very mean!

(8) Controls - Select your joystick type by pressing key 8. The AGF option
corresponds to keys 5,6,7,8 and O.

CONTROLS

During flight, your aircraft is manoeuvred using the elevator, aileron and
rudder controls. The ELEVATORS are operated using keys 6 and 7 (back and
forward on a joystick) to pitch the aircraft up and down. The AILERONS are on
keys 5 and 8 (left and right on a joystick) used to roll the aircraft left and
right. Finally, the RUDDER control uses keys Caps Shift and Z for left and
right rudder. The rudder gives both a heading change and a roll change. During
aerobatic manoeuvres, the effectiveness of the controls will vary. For example,
at near 90 degrees roll, the elevator control will have a primary effect on
heading, not pitch, The aircraft will also tend to pitch nose-down when in a
steep turn. Your pitch rate, roll rate and yaw (heading) rate will all increase
in proportion to how long the control is applied. This feature gives a good
approximation to the feel of a real aircraft.

The THROTTLE control uses keys Q and A; Q to increase engine THRUST, and A to
decrease thrust. As well as affecting the aircraft speed, your pitch angle will
vary when changing the thrust setting. The amount of thrust required to
maintain a particular speed depends primarily on pitch angle and altitude. At
low speeds, for example on the approach, the aircraft must adopt a nose-up
attitude to maintain lift on the wings. This generates more drag and will
require more thrust as a result. At higher speeds, this nose-up attitude is no
longer necessary and the same thrust will maintain a higher speed. Your maximum
speed will increase with altitude because of the decreasing air density.

The FLAPS are on keys W (up) and S (down) next to the throttle controls. The
flaps are used to give a slower runway approach speed and a reduced rate of
descent. The stall speed varies with flap setting, and operation of the flaps
during flight will affect the pitch angle. Operation of the flaps at speeds
above 472 kts will cause them to fail

The UNDERCARRIAGE is raised and lowered using the key U. Lowering the
undercarriage will have a small effect on aircraft speed. BRAKES remain on
whenever the key B is pressed, indicated by the panel BRAKES light. The brakes
do not function when airborne.

The GUNS are fired by pressing key 0 (zero) after selecting COMBAT mode with
key C. The ammunition status is shown at the bottom right hand corner of the
instrument panel. The 3 lightning symbols above the ammo indicate that enemy
aircraft are present. The number of enemy aircraft destroyed is to the right of
these One final point... flying a fighter aircraft is not easy and will take a
little practice -particularly air-to-air combat!

INSTRUMENTS

Artificial Horizon - This instrument, in the centre of the panel, shows the
roll angle and pitch angle of your aircraft, and is particularly useful during
aerobatic manoeuvres or air-to-air combat when you will frequently lose your
view of the horizon. The small aircraft symbol rotates to show your roll angle
relative to the ground, and the roll angle, Left or Right, is shown underneath.
A roll angle over 90 degrees equates to inverted flight. The pitch angle is
shown on a "moving tape" with blue to indicate nose-up (skywards) and yellow to
indicate nose-down, towards the ground. 90 degrees equates to a vertical climb
or dive.

Speed - To the left of the artificial horizon is your speed, in Knots.

Altitude - Aircraft height, in feet.

Vertical Speed Indicator, VSI - This gives your rate of climb or descent in
feet per second. When your aircraft is gaining height the arrow will point
upwards, and when you are losing height the arrow will point downwards. Your
rate of descent on the approach should be approximately 20 ft per sec.

Flaps - Flaps may be set at any angle from zero to Full. The stall speed varies
from 130 kts at zero flaps, to 120 kts at full flaps.

Thrust - The engine thrust indicator is a bar scale running along the bottom of
the instrument panel. The green region represents 0% to 100% engine thrust, and
the red region indicates reheat. Reheat gives a considerable boost to your
thrust at the expense of heavy fuel consumption.

Radar and Compass - This is the instrument on the far left of the panel. The
readout above the aircraft symbol is your compass heading. At the bottom of the
Instrument is shown the bearing and range of the beacon on which you are
currently logged As you select the Next Beacon by pressing N, the beacon
Identifier will change and new range and bearing Information will be displayed
The flashing cross shows the bearing of the beacon relative to your own
aircraft. To fly to the beacon, bank your aircraft until your heading matches
the beacon bearing. You should now see the flashing cross at the nose of the
aircraft symbol on the radar.

Combat Mode - Switch to Combat Mode using key C. This switches on your sights,
activates the guns, and locks your radar and flight computer onto the enemy.
Combat mode is shown on your radar by the lightning symbol. The range and
bearing is now that of the enemy, and his bearing is shown as the flashing
cross. Select the Flight Computer to find his altitude.

ILS Flight Computer - To the right of your altitude and VSI is a dual-purpose
instrument used for landing guidance and air-to- air combat. Switch between the
two modes by pressing Symbol Shift ("symbol change").

(I) Instrument Landing System ~ This mode gives the pilot direction guidance
when approaching a runway and may be demonstrated by selecting the "landing
practice" option. By keeping the flashing square in the centre of the
Instrument, you will be flying on the correct glide slope to the runway at the
correct rate of descent (3 degrees) for a good landing. As the flashing square
drifts from the centre of the instrument, turn towards it and you will return
to the correct approach. For example, if the square drifts left and up bank
your aircraft to the left and pull back on the joystick (or key 6) and the
flashing square will slowly return to the centre.

(b) Flight Computer - Select the Flight Computer by pressing Symbol Shift. This
displays your precise ground position, in units of feet. North, South. East or
West of any runway with a beacon within a radius of 6 miles. The distances are
relative to the beacon currently indicated on your radar. However, if the
runway has been destroyed or it is out of range, the computer will be inactive,
shown by black and yellow stripes.

The FIight Computer will also display the altitude of enemy aircraft when the
radar is in combat mode. During a dogfight, try and keep your altitude roughly
equal to that of the enemy, pointed to by the arrow on the flight computer.

Fuel. This is a simple fuel gauge showing the amount of fuel left.

Undercarriage. The Indicator for the undercarriage is below the fuel gauge.

3 reds and an UP arrow = undercarriage UP
3 greens and a DOWN arrow = undercarriage DOWN

Map - switch between the map and normal visual display Using key M. Your
instruments are displayed at all times enabling safe flight to continue.

SUMMARY OF CONTROLS
5 - Joystick LEFT
6 - Joystick BACK
7 - Joystick FORWARD
8 - Joystick RIGHT
Caps Shift - RUDDER LEFT
Z - RUDDER RIGHT
Q - Increase THRUST
A - Decrease THRUST
W - Flaps UP
S - Flaps DOWN
U - Undercarriage UP and DOWN
B - Brakes ON
N - Next Beacon
M - Map
Symbol Shift - ILS Flight Computer
0 - GUNS (active only in Combat mode)
H - Hold
J - Release
XVYI- To return to menu


PILOT'S NOTES

Take-off speed: zero flaps - 140 kts. Full flaps - 130 kts
Stall Speed: zero flaps - 130 kts. Full flaps - 120 kts.
Flaps: Vmax full flap - 352 kts. Vmax any flap - 472 kts.
Undercarriage: Vmax - 300 kts.
Vmax on ground - 250 kts.

Performance: Vmax 802 kts, at sea level, full reheat Vmax - 1439 kts at
60,000ft., level flight.

Ceiling: approx 65,000 ft.

Approach:

Thrust	Flaps	U/C 	Pitch	VSI		Speed, kts
74%	Full 	Down	+3 	Less than 9 	125
62%	Zero	Down	+6	112		135

Technical Data - McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle

Role: Air superiority fighter.

Performance: Max speed 800 kts at sea level. (Mach 1.2); 1440 kts at 60,000 ft
(Mach 2.54); Landing speed 130 kts Take off run: 900ft., 8 secs with reheat.

Ceiling: 65,000 ft

Initial climb rate greater than 50,000 ft/min

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofans each giving 17600 Ibf thrust,
dry; 25000 Ibf thrust, reheat.

Dimensions: Wing span 42 ft. 9 in.

Length 63 ft 9 in

Wing area 608 sq ft

Weight: Intercept mode, full internal fuel 41,500 Ibf.

All of the above information is approximate and widely published. Although
considerable effort has been given to achieving a realistic simulation,
approximations have been made due to the limitations of the Spectrum and
certain technical data not being available to the public.
