[The A-10 Attack! FAQ]

Version 1.4.1

Compiled by Petteri Sulonen

psulonen@helsinki.fi

Home page: http://www.cs.hut.fi/~psu

form to BBS's, ftp sites and other online services, give it to your friends,

or include it in shareware/freeware collections. However, please don't

distribute any modified versions you may make of it. (A "modified version"

is one where the body text has been changed; conversions to different file

formats don't count.) You may not charge money for it, other than nominal

fees covering material/copying costs. For further information, contact the

author.

All trademarks mentioned in this document are property of their respective

owners; any use here is for an editorial purpose and does not constitute an

infringement.

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Table of Contents

* Introduction

o Release history

* Section I: About A-10 Attack!

o What is A-10 Attack!?

o System requirements

o Demos

o Speed tips

+ All systems

+ Power Macintosh only

o Bugs

+ Crashes

+ The amazing self-repairing runways

+ Non-centered rudder with Thrustmaster system

+ Missing serial numbers

+ Altitude limit

+ The bad spelling and grammar

o Announced but as yet unimplemented features

+ Save Mission

+ Networking

* Section II: Control, Waypoints, and AI

o Taking control of a plane

o Waypoints and battle plans

+ Assigning new waypoints

+ Changing your mind

+ Tips about placing waypoints

* Section III: Flight and Combat

o Wind, and how to live with it

+ Navigating

+ Landing

+ Targeting

o Bombing

+ Bombing with the CCIP

+ FAR (Feels About Right) bombing

+ Dive bombing

o The tools of the trade

+ The GAU-8/A Avenger gun

+ Free-fall bombs

+ The CBU-15 Durandal

+ Laser-guided bombs and missiles

+ Hyper-velocity rockets (HVR's)

+ The AGM-88A HARM

+ The Maverick (AGM-65B, AGM-65D)

+ The AIM-9L Sidewinder

+ Fuel tanks

o Managing loadouts

+ "Cheat"

+ Use Post-Its on the function keys

+ Standardize your loadouts

+ Ripples

* Section IV:The Missions

o Prelude to War

o Retaliation

o Docklands

o Marauding BMP's

o Antinov [sic] Armada"

o Demolition Crew

o Assistance Needed

o Old Man River

* Section V: Where to get background info?

o The aircraft

o Internet resources

o Documents

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Introduction

This FAQ is meant to help solve some of the problems the beginner Hog driver

is liable to run into. It is a compilation of stuff I've discovered myself,

stuff that's been posted at comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim, and stuff from

certain WWW sites. Some major sources are Tom Morrison, Scott Cherkofsky,

Tim van der Leeuw, and Art Day. They've provided invaluable background

information on the game, the plane, and many related topics, and made it

available on various Internet services.

This FAQ will not include any of this rich background info - if you decide

you like A-10 Attack!, it's strongly suggested that you check it out

yourself. There are pointers in Section V of the FAQ.

One more thing: this document is anything but definitive. Suggestions, tips,

questions, answers, comments, resources etc. are welcome - mail them to me

(psulonen@helsinki.fi), and I'll include them in the next update to this

FAQ.

Release history

Important note: Starting from version 1.3.6, I will be maintaining two HTML

versions of this document. In addition to the standard HTML 2.0 compatible,

Netscape enhanced version I will support an "F" or "framed" version of the

document. To view it, you will need a frames capable WWW browser, such as

Netscape 2.0b1.

I'll do my best to keep the versions identical, but this looks like a

hopeless task. Because of the sheer amount of work involved, I won't be

putting as many hyperlinks in the "standard" version as in the "framed"

version. Sorry.

If you notice any incompatibilities between the texts of the various

versions (HTML and plain text) of this FAQ, please let me know.

1.0 Initial release

1.1 Added section on wind and the problems with it

Added questions list before each section

1.1.1"Fully functional" HTML version; minor stylistic changes

1.1.2Added illustrations.

1.2 Added section on mission tactics

Added description of AGM-65

Split Section II into several parts

1.2.1Added description of Rockeye cluster bomb

1.2.2Added some links, corrected some inaccuracies; minor stylistic

changes

1.2.3Added SpeedDoubler to Speed tips section; minor corrections

1.3 Expanded descriptions of weapons systems

Split "Speed tips" into "Power Macintosh" and "All systems" sections

1.3.1Added Andre Molyneux's mission strategies to Section IV

Added bug report on non-centered rudder

1.3.2Added mention of missing serial numbers

1.3.3Added description of version 1.1 and updated some info accordingly

1.3.4Minor corrections.

1.3.5Added note about laser designation, Rockeyes, fuel tanks, and maximum

altitude (from Dieder Bylsma).

1.3.6Minor changes. Birth of version 1.3.6F, viewable with frames

compatible WWW browsers.

1.4 Added note on the different demos available. Added Web Dove's more

elaborate AppleScript for quitting other applications. Added section

on aircraft and other objects appearing in the game.

1.4.1Expanded description of C-5. Edited description of CCIP.

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Section I: About A-10 Attack!

"What is this game anyway?"

"Will it run on my machine?"

"What's this VBE thingy?"

"A-10 crawls on my PowerMac. What gives?"

"A-10 crashed again. What am I doing wrong?"

"I just bombed a runway into a potato field, but the enemy planes land like

nothing's the matter. What's the problem?"

"Hey, where are the Save Mission commands they describe in the manual?"

"My Network button won't work!"

What is A-10 Attack!?

A-10 Attack! is a game by Parsoft Publishing International that combines a

combat flight simulator with a tactical game. It features the best flight

modelling currently available on the Macintosh (or, many argue, on any

microcomputer), a wide variety of ordnance, many different kinds of

vehicles, and a "virtual battlefield environment". The latter means that it

is easily expandable with plug-in type modules. Parsoft has announced its

intention to release VBE modules with more missions, more maps, more

aircraft to fly, etc.

System requirements

A-10 Attack! requires System 7.0 or newer, 4 MB of free memory, a 640 x 480

pixel or bigger 256-color (or grayscale) monitor, and a 68030 or faster. It

fully supports larger and multiple monitors. It is partly Power Macintosh

optimized. It performs well on all Power Macintoshes (especially after

implementing the speed tips below) and 68(LC)040 based Macintoshes. Maximum

performance is achieved on the Quadra 840AV and the new PowerPC 604-based

Power Macintoshes, or Power Macintoshes running Connectix Speed Doubler.

Demos

Two demos of A-10 Attack! have been released: A-10 Attack! demo 1.1.1, and

A-10 Cuba demo.

The original one, A-10 Attack! demo 1.1.1,, is not Power Macintosh native

and has a good deal of beta code in it (among other things, the CCIP does

not work correctly). It runs very well on 68(LC)040-based Macs, and

sluggishly on Power Macs. It consists of the Quick Start missions also

included in the game; "Fly A-10" and "Attack!". The former has no enemies,

the latter pits you against MiGs, tanks, AAA, and hydrofoils, armed with

your gun, AIM-9's and Mk82's.

The original demo, as released, has a stupid five-minute time limit. Luckily

a Parsoft-approved patch to remove this exists and his highly recommended -

five minutes is barely enough to get you in the air.

The new demo, A-10 Cuba, is fully Power Macintosh native. Performance on

Power Macs is very good, the level of detail is extremely high, and there's

a lot going on all the time. Unfortunately, it runs rather slowly even on

the Quadra 840AV. Like the first one, this demo has two missions: "Heavy

Metal" and "Smoke 'em". Both are combat missions. In the first one, you'll

have to destroy two MiG-29's, and in the second one you're sent against a

group of tanks, with two F-16's providing air cover and another A-10 helping

you. No time limit here, thank goodness.

The Cuba demo is available from Morrison's Mac flight sim site. The original

demo may still be available at major Mac ftp sites, such as Sumex, Umich and

mirrors.

Versions

Currently, there are two versions of A-10 Attack! around: version 1.0

(initial release) and version 1.1. Despite the "large" increase in the

version number, 1.1 is a minor update, providing mostly bug fixes and only a

few new features. This is what the Readme has to say about it:

Bug fixes

* Pilots list. Pilots were sometimes disappearing. Scores not consistent.

* Wayinfo Dialog. Velocity, altitude sometimes garbled.

* System crash when switching from simulator back to map mode.

* C5b gear damaged after takeoff.

* System crash when dropping multiple Rockeye cluster bombs.

* Black mask drawn when CMD-I to hide instruments performed on 19 and 21

inch screens

* System crash when double clicking on VBE or mission icons from finder.

* "Sound Effects" system prefs non-functional

* VBE Icons disappearing from finder

* A10 sometimes displayed behind mountains.

New features

* HUD brightness can now be controlled by holding down PageUp/PageDown or

Y/U keys.

* Bomb craters last longer now and cause more damage when encountered.

The only "most wanted" fix that made it into this update was the pilot list

fix. The bomb craters still vanish rather fast, and performing certain

missions by hitting at a runway takes very good timing (or the craters will

vanish before anyone tries to use the runway).

Speed tips

(These are from Tom Morrison's flight sim page.)

All systems

* Re-boot with all inits/cdevs off, except your joystick software and

software required for the game.

* Switch to 256 colors.

* Close all Finder windows (like Launcher, Monitors) and quit all

background applications.

* Trash your A-10 prefs file (don't trash your pilot file if you want

them), re-boot, rebuild desktop and re-enter your serial number.

* Quit the Finder using an AppleScript, a dedicated program such as

NoFinder or Peek-a-boo (available at

ftp://ftp.hawaii.edu//mirrors/info-mac/cfg/peek-a-boo-11.hqx), or with

a system modification program that adds a "Quit" to the Finder's file

menu.

An appropriate AppleScript would be:

tell application "Finder"

quit

end tell

Here's another AppleScript, from Web Dove (dove@spcot.sanders.com). It

quits not only the Finder, but all other open applications. However,

you need the "processes" scripting extension in order to run it, and it

needs some customization (regarding the path to the A-10 application),

so it's recommended only if you're somewhat familiar with AppleScript.

tell application "Finder"

set procs to get processes

-- This does not include the finder

end tell

-- Quit them

repeat with proc in procs

tell proc to quit

end repeat

-- Start the desired solitary process using finder

-- So the Thrustmaster extension notices.

tell application "Finder"

open file Â

"A-10 Attack! 1.1" of folder Â

"A-10 Attack!" of folder Â

"Entertain A-Dn" of startup disk

end tell

-- Quit the finder

tell application "Finder" to quit

* If you have over 16 MB RAM, make a 9 MB RAM disk, copy the game onto

it, and play from there. This won't help the frame rate, but will stop

the occasional halts when A-10 has to access the disk during flight.

N.b.: if you give the application more memory, it'll have to access the

disk less. Normally, halts caused by disk access shouldn't be a major

problem.

Power Macintosh only

* Move the "PowerPC Only" VBE file into the same level (folder) as the

A-10 Attack! game.

* Install the native sound manager (or don't use sound manager for

sound.) It is available at:

ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/USMacintosh/System/

Other_System/Sound_Manager_3.1.sea.hqx

* Buy and install Connectix SpeedDoubler. To enjoy major performance

increases in A-10 Attack! with it, quit the Finder and terminate all

processes except A-10 Attack!, using one of the programs mentioned

above in the "all systems" section.

N.b.: A-10 Attack! may even slow down with SpeedDoubler if all other

processes are not terminated.

N.b.: Some users (including me!) have reported an incompatibility with

Speed Access (a Speed Doubler module). With Speed Access in the

Extensions folder, A-10 Attack! has been known to crash inexplicably

(but reproducibly). If this happens to you, drag Speed Access out of

the Extensions folder and reboot to disable it. Speed Emulator and

Speed Copy can be left on, and provide all their benefits.

Bugs

A-10 Attack! 1.0 is something of a rough diamond. There are many documented

bugs and some rather inexplicable ones. Here are some:

Crashes

Several people have reported crashes especially when switching from tactical

view to simulator view and back and when firing large ripples of HVR's. Some

of these crashes have the very nasty side-effect of mangling your pilot

roster.

There seems to be no easy fix for this. The game is somewhat sensitive to

INIT conflicts and low memory situations, so it is advisable to give the

game as much memory as possible and to play with minimum extensions. Also,

the presence of a preferences file that's from the demo can mess up the

game. Trash your preferences file, re-boot, rebuild desktop, and re-enter

your serial number, and see if the problems disappear.

Many of these crashes were reported fixed in version 1.1.

The amazing self-repairing runways

Runway damage is not handled correctly. Bomb craters in runways disappear in

less than a minute. This is very annoying, as one very nicely modeled

weapon, the Durandal, becomes next to useless. Also, this makes it

impossible to try alternate approaches to certain missions. The fix in

version 1.1 makes things a bit better, but they still disappear within

minutes, making timing very critical when hitting runways in e.g. Antonov

Armada.

Non-centered rudder with Thrustmaster system

With a Thrustmaster FCS and WCS (but no rudder pedals), it has been reported

that if you "take command" of an A-10 on the ground (rather than letting it

take off under TACAN), the aircraft has right rudder applied. To rectify

this, remember to center the rudder, or else get a nasty surprise once your

airspeed exceeds 50 knots on takeoff.

Missing serial numbers

Several people have reported that their copy of the game doesn't have the

stickers with the serial number, making it impossible to install and play

the game. Needless to say, this is exceedingly annoying. The only way to go

is to contact Parsoft about it. Please don't post on the Usenet asking for

serial numbers, as there's no way to tell a legitimate post apart from a

pirate's, and in any case it's illegal to "share" serial numbers.

Altitude limit

In "Retaliation," send the F16's up the 32+k feet. Funny things happen after

that magical number of 32768 feet is reached.

The bad spelling and grammar

The mission briefings are abysmally badly written, with spelling and grammar

errors galore. Obviously this doesn't affect actual flight much, but it is

annoying.

Announced but as yet unimplemented features

Save Mission

The manual (page 3-15) states that the File menu includes commands for

saving and reloading missions. This is not true, more's the pity. The

commands in question are to be implemented in a future update.

Networking

One of the most hyped-about things about A-10 Attack! (before release!) was

networking. This did not make it into version 1.1, but Parsoft has promised

a free update for it.

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Section II: Control, Waypoints, and AI

"I select Return to Cockpit and nothing happens. What gives?"

"How do I set these #%&@!! waypoints?"

"How do I get planes to take off and fight under computer control?"

"My computer-controlled plane is just ignoring targets!"

"My computer-controlled planes fly into the ground!"

Taking control of a plane

To make it possible to take control of a Hog, drag a pilot from your pilot

roster to it. The pilot with the red check mark next to it is the one that

the Return to Cockpit command will return to. You can move the check mark by

clicking next to a pilot. You can take command of any plane with a pilot in

it by selecting Take Command from the chit pop-up menu. If there's no pilot

in the plane, this command will be disabled. However, you don't have to have

a pilot in the plane to have the computer fly it in combat.

Note that taking command of a plane disables the battle AI of the plane -

after that, the autopilot will just fly the plane from waypoint to waypoint.

Waypoints and battle plans

The most confusing part about A-10 Attack! is the waypoint system. It's

badly documented and the user interface isn't too good either. However, once

you get the hang of it, it isn't so bad. Much of the enjoyment in the game

comes from being able to make your own battle plans and implement them;

therefore it's worth the trouble to figure out the system.

To begin with, in most missions one A-10 has pre-set waypoints. It's

represented by a chit with the waypoint symbol (sort of like crosshairs) in

the corner. Chits that don't have that symbol don't have assigned waypoints.

There is no way to copy a set of waypoints from one plane to another; you

have to place each waypoint separately.

Assigning new waypoints

1. Select the waypoint tool from the palette.

2. Select the plane you want to give waypoints.

To do this, select New Waypoints from the chit pop-up menu (hold down the

mouse button on the little arrow in the appropriate chit to see the menu).

If the plane already has waypoints, select Way Info.

You'll notice that a waypoint marked IN (initial) will turn red.

3. Add the first waypoint.

Hold down the option key. The cursor will change to a boxed "+". Click

wherever you want to place the waypoint.

4. Add the other waypoints.

Repeat step 3 for all other waypoints.

5. Move the waypoints.

If you like, you can move around the waypoints with the waypoint tool.

6. Add waypoints in the middle.

If you like you can add waypoints in the middle of the path by holding down

the option key and clicking on a line between two waypoints. Useful for

rounding out tight turns.

If you just want to use the waypoints as navigational aids for the plane

you're going to fly, this is enough. However, if you want to "program" the

autopilot of the computer-controlled planes, read on:

7. Assign attributes to waypoints.

Waypoints can be assigned different kinds of attributes, including targets,

airspeed, and altitude. Note that the attributes only take effect once your

plane arrives at the waypoint.

a. Altitude and airspeed

In the waypoint window, click on the line representing a waypoint. To the

left are two fields. Enter the desired airspeed in the Set Vel: field, and

the desired altitude in the Set Alt: field. Check the TFR box if you want

the Hog to use its terrain following radar instead of barometric altitude.

b. Targets

You can set the Hog to search for targets. Select the desired target type(s)

from the pop-up menu labeled Targets:. This will cause the Hog to start

looking for targets at the waypoint in question; i.e., if you put the

waypoint directly on top of a target the plane will be past it before it

sees it. (See below for tips about placing waypoints.)

c. Actions

The Hog knows how to take two actions: Take Off and Land. If you want the

Hog to take off by itself, you must give the initial waypoint the Take Off

command (with the check box). If the Hog is on the airfield, it will take

off.

If you put a waypoint lined up with a runway (not on the runway!) and give

it the Land command, the Hog will land.

8. Switch on the TACAN with the On button in the waypoint window.

Off he goes!

Changing your mind

If you want to change the attributes for a waypoint, note that the commands

only take effect if the altered waypoint is after the current waypoint. To

make sure, you should use the Next button to scroll once through the

waypoint list - this updates all the commands.

Tips about placing waypoints

Targets

Do NOT place a waypoint with a Targets: command directly on top (or even

very close to!) a target. Instead, place the waypoints so that the flight

path of the plane goes over the targets, and have the plane look for targets

well in advance. This gives the pilot time to deploy his weapons. Also, note

that hills block line of sight - if you're having your pilot sneak on a SAM

site from behind a hill, he might not see it until it's too late to shoot

it.

[Image] [Image]

Like this!Not like this!

Note that if you take command of a plane, it stops performing attack actions

thereafter; instead, it just flies from one WP to another.

Tight turns

If the Hog is damaged or heavily loaded (or if you're assigning waypoints to

C-5's), the poor pilot might fly his plane into the ground when trying to

pull a tight turn close to the ground. Most commonly this happens when you

have the initial waypoint at one end of the runway and waypoint 1 "behind"

the plane - the pilot will start a tight turn immediately after take-off and

may crash. To avoid this, either drag the initial waypoint to the right end

of the runway or use more waypoints to round out the curve.

[Image] [Image] [Image]

Not like this! Like this, ...or like this.

Flying into hills

If a heavily loaded and/or damaged Hog flies low and slow and runs into a

hill, it might not have enough power to clear it, and you might lose a

perfectly good pilot and plane for nothing. Make sure your damaged Hogs get

to limp home safely by giving them enough altitude in the waypoints!

Threats

If enemy chits (especially radar!) appear under your flight paths, take some

action - otherwise your planes are liable to be cut to shreds by SAMs.

Either take out the SAM site or move the waypoints so that the planes will

steer clear of the site.

Landing

It's a good idea to use two waypoints to set up for landing - one placed

some way back from the end of the runway, with the Land command, and another

before it so that the flight path of the plane is parallel to the runway.

Otherwise damaged or heavily laden planes might find the maneuvering a bit

too tough. Besides, it makes lining up easier for you, the human pilot, as

well.

[Image]

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Section III: Flight and Combat

"My plane won't fly straight. What's wrong?"

"I can't land without making a mess of my plane."

"My wheels scream every time I land on a runway."

"What's a Rockeye?"

"My Mavericks won't track moving targets!"

"I can't hit anything with the CCIP!"

"I get myself killed while diddling with ripple settings."

"I always get confused when trying to select ordnance in combat. What should

I do?"

Wind, and how to live with it

A-10 Attack! is the only Mac combat flight sim that realistically simulates

wind. You can turn it off, though, but it makes things more interesting by

giving some challenges of its own. Gusts of wind will cause the Hog to yaw

or pitch and the wind will carry you "diagonally" relative to the ground.

It's also worth noticing that unlike many other sims, you often have to

maintain stick pressure (or use the trim tabs) to keep the Hog in level

flight. This is not a bug; it's realism: when your airspeed increases, you

generate more lift and the plane starts to climb; when it decreases the

opposite happens. You have to use the elevators to counter the effect.

Navigating

The Total Velocity Vector (TVV) is the little circle with three lines from

it in the HUD. It indicates where the plane is heading relative to the

ground. Use it rather than the gun cross to navigate - for example, if

you're heading at a waypoint but have crosswind, you'll drift in the wrong

direction if you point the gun cross at the waypoint. Note that when you're

flying from one place to another, there's no point in trying to correct the

heading with the rudders - it will just increase drag.

Landing

The TVV is an invaluable aid when lining up on a runway in crosswind. By

keeping the TVV on the end of the runway while lined up, you'll land in the

right place. However, unless you correct your heading relative to the

ground, you're liable to start slewing around with wheels screaming once you

touch down. To do this, you're going to have to create a sideslip opposite

to the wind direction - the A-10 will be flying straight relative to the

ground, but diagonally relative to the wind. This takes a little practice,

and requires coordinated use of the rudder and the ailerons. If you have a

flightstick (as is highly recommended!) you can do this with the normal

controls; if not, you're going to have to use the trim controls.

[Image] [Image] [Image]

This could break your gear. Recipe for disaster! Correct approach.

To introduce a sideslip, simply apply rudder in the direction of the TVV,

and correct the resulting roll with opposite aileron (flightstick pressure

or trim tabs). For example, if the TVV is to the right of the centerline,

apply right rudder and left stick pressure. (An alternative way to think

about it is "aileron into wind, correct with rudder"; use whichever is

easier for you as it comes down to the same thing.)

Targeting

Wind can also be a problem while targeting, especially with the CCIP. The

trick is again to keep the plane lined up with the selected target. The

symbols on the CCIP are somewhat confusing when bombing in a crosswind -

technically, flying level in the correct direction should work, but it might

be easier to introduce a sideslip and fly straight relative to the ground.

Practice helps!

Bombing

There are three bombing methods: CCIP, FAR, and dive-bombing. CCIP

("continuously calculated impact point") bombing is best used for

high-altitude bombing runs in calm situations to carpet bomb large targets

or drop single big bombs on smaller targets such as ships. It can also be

used with retarded bombs in low-altitude runs on the battlefield.

The checklists before each description are not definitive, but serve as

reminders of the things you should take into account. For example, it is

quite possible to dive-bomb ripples.

Bombing with the CCIP

Checklist:

HUD mode Set to CCIP

HUD Barometric modeON

Weapons stations Selected

Release mode Set accordingly

Ripple count Set accordingly (if any RIP mode)

Ripple interval Set accordingly (if any RIP mode)

The CCIP (Continuously Calculated Impact Point) system helps target

free-fall bombs. It's far from foolproof, and is best used in "calm"

situations, when nobody's shooting at you, and you can get a nice, safe,

straight approach to the target. It's often used for carpet bombing large

targets such as runways or airfields, or for releasing single big bombs at a

safe altitude.

To bomb with the CCIP, locate the target, point your gun cross at it, and

press the release button to pickle it. Then fly straight and level towards

the target. The bombs will be released at the appropriate moment.

On the battlefield, the Mk82HD can be used with CCIP in fast, low-altitude

attack runs very effectively. In such a case you're very close to the target

when the bombs are released, and you don't need to fly as accurately. Pickle

somewhat ahead of the target, as the retarding fins will cause the bomb to

fall slightly behind the calculated impact point.

For higher-altitude attack runs you have to be very precise, as even small

deviations in flight path and attitude can mean that your bombs miss.

When doing high-altitude bombing runs on "long" targets like ships or

runways, it's better to fly lengthwise to the target.

The A-10 CCIP is not as sophisticated as in some newer aircraft.

Furthermore, wind increases the difficulty of bombing, as you might be

flying somewhat diagonally relative to the ground. Practice makes perfect,

though - fly the Air to Ground training mission and practice CCIP bombing.

You should be flying level or at most at a 5 degree angle of descent and 1 G

when the bombs are released.

Important: Don't forget to switch your altimeter to barometric mode before

bombing with CCIP.

There's been a good deal of controversy regarding the "realism" of the A-10

Attack! CCIP. It's clear that the one in the game is not the sophisticated

CCIP installed in certain LASTE-upgraded A-10's, and the jury seems to be

still out when it comes to comparing it with the CCIP in pre-LASTE A-10's.

At this writing, it seems that the operating parameters of the game's CCIP

are slightly tighter than those of the real thing. However, within its

parameters (level flight or slight dive, 1 G) it works correctly.

FAR (Feels About Right) bombing

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Single

The FAR (Feels About Right) method is very effective but hard to explain.

Basically, you find a target, fly at it level or in a shallow dive, and

release the bombs when it Feels About Right. With practice, you can get

quite accurate at this. Most of the bombing in battlefield situations is

done with this method. Dive bombing is a somewhat more disciplined version

of this.

Dive bombing

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Single

The idea with dive-bombing is that you increase the downward velocity of the

bomb by diving prior to release. This means that the bomb will take less

time to hit the target and it'll fly in a straighter line, making aiming

easier.

Usually dive-bombing is used against small, hard targets such as buildings,

ships, or vehicles (tanks etc.). Therefore, ripples are not often used.

Ideally, you'd want to dive-bomb from at least 5000 feet. Locate the target,

line up on it, and go into a steep dive (at least 45 degrees). Control your

airspeed with the brakes. Point your gun cross somewhat ahead of the target

and release the bomb at around 1500 feet, then pull up.

After a little practice, you'll be able to estimate the right moment and

position for bomb release.

You can also dive-bomb from different altitudes and different dive angles.

If you start really high, you can fly almost or completely vertically for

maximum accuracy, but you'll have to pull up much earlier. Similarly, in a

battlefield situation you might have to bomb from a much lower altitude, and

will have to do with a shallower dive.

Note that you're going to have take into account your weight (the heavier

you are, the longer it'll take to pull out of the dive), the kind of bomb

you use (it's very dangerous for your health to get too close to the blast

from a Mk84), and wind. Long hours at the practice range are highly

recommended!

The tools of the trade

In this section are practical tips about using the different kinds of

weaponry available in A-10 Attack!. The checklists aren't "rules", instead

they remind of the things that should be taken into account and describe

typical uses for each weapon.

Which weapon to use on which target?

Target Weapons

Tank, artillery The gun, Maverick, Hellfire, HVR's, Rockeye, Mk82HD, Mk82

Paveway

AAA Maverick, HVR's , the gun

SAM site HARM, Maverick, HVR's, the gun

Oil tank Maverick, HVR's, the gun, Mk 82, 83, 84

Boat Maverick, HVR's, the gun

Ship HARM (radar), Maverick (other defences), Mk 82, 83, 84

Fighter AIM-9, HVR's, the gun, HARM

Bomber, transportAIM-9, HVR's, the gun

The GAU-8/A Avenger gun

The gun carried by the A-10 is one of its deadliest weapons. It can be used

with devastating effect against all kinds of targets up to medium-sized

boats. Use the "low" fire rate against tanks and small buildings as one or

two hits are enough to destroy the target. Against aircraft, boats, AAA

defences etc. use the "high" fire rate, as they take more damage to destroy

or are important to destroy at extreme range. (The "low" fire rate tends to

spread the bullets too widely at extreme range.)

Free-fall bombs

See above (Bombing section) for descriptions of the different ways to use

free-fall ordnance.

Free-fall bombs are bombs that have no guidance system of their own. They're

simply dropped on the target. When a free-fall bomb is released from a

plane, it continues in the direction the plane was going at the moment of

release, and starts to fall downwards. This means that if a plane is flying

straight and level and keeps going after the bomb is released, it will be

very nearly above the bomb when it impacts. At low altitudes this can be a

problem, as the blast radius of the bigger bombs is considerable. In other

words, keep enough altitude, and pull up after releasing the bombs.

(Drag will slow down the bomb slightly, but at low altitudes not enough to

significantly affect the impact point, except with the Mk82HD).

The Mk82, the Mk83, and the Mk84 general purpose bombs

These are basically iron shells filled with a high explosive and equipped

with a fuse that causes them to explode upon impact. The Mk82 carries 500

lbs of explosives, the Mk 83, 1000 lbs, and the Mk84, 2000 lbs. They are

very effective against all kinds of ground targets, provided you can score a

hit. ("Remember: big dumb bombs kill just as dead as small smart bombs.")

The CCIP is very helpful with free-fall bombs, if you're not being fired

upon and can get a good, steady approach. In combat situations, dive-bombing

or the FAR (Feels About Right) method works better. See above for

descriptions of the different bombing methods.

The Mk82HD

The Mk82HD ("high-drag") bomb is a variant of the standard Mk82 500 lb bomb.

It is not strictly free-fall, as it pops retarding fins after being

released. This means that the bombs "fall back" from the plane after

release, and the plane has time to fly out of the blast radius before the

bomb impacts. They're meant to be used in battlefield situations at low

altitude.

The CCIP is useful with them, too, if you use them at an altitude of ca. 200

feet. At higher altitudes, the slow-down caused by the retarding fins

renders the CCIP useless. They're not well suited for dive bombing, as the

retarding fins make it difficult to judge the point of impact.

A typical way to use Mk82HD's is to get a tank or group of tanks in your gun

cross, pickle slightly ahead of the target with the CCIP, and pull to level

flight. When the bombs release, pull up. With a little practice, you'll find

that you can score accurate hits this way or even without the CCIP, by

estimating the right moment for release - you're quite close to the target

anyway.

The Mk20 Rockeye cluster bomb

These bombs are particularly badly documented: they're not even mentioned in

the printed manual. The Rockeye cluster bomb is a special-purpose weapon

designed to destroy large numbers of small targets, such as small buildings,

tanks, or personnel. When it is released, it falls some distance, then

bursts, releasing a cloud of bomblets, each of which produces its own small

explosion. A single Rockeye can cover a fair amount of terrain, and destroy

several targets at a go.

Rockeyes are used much like ordinary free-fall bombs. They can be targeted

with the CCIP or used in dive bombing. Only the targets are different (small

targets as opposed to big, hard ones).

Rockeyes are most effective if released from an altitude of a few hundred

feet: this gives the bomblets time to spread, and enables them to cover a

larger area.

A problem with Rockeyes in A-10 Attack! is that they're so accurately

modeled. Each bomblet is individually tracked and produces its own

explosion. This means that some slow-down (read: jerkiness) is guaranteed on

all but the most powerful Macs. Also, several people have reported system

crashes when using multiple Rockeyes. For this reason, in version 1.1 the

maximum number of Rockeyes used simultaneously was hard-coded to 4.

The CBU-15 Durandal

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Set accordingly

Ripple count Set accordingly (if any RIP mode)

Ripple interval Set accordingly (if any RIP mode)

The CBU-15 Durandal is an anti-runway bomb. A drag chute pops up, slowing

down the bomb and pointing it downwards. Then it fires the warhead straight

down, which pierces the concrete of the runway and explodes. This makes a

crater and causes a "bulge" around it - not even an ATV can drive around in

it, let alone an aircraft. (In A-10 Attack! the bulge is modeled as a

crater.)

As stated in the Bugs section, Durandals are next to useless as the runway

damage is repaired very quickly. They're also a beast to target, as the CCIP

is useless with them because they're not free-fall bombs. A good technique

is to fly fast over the runway as if you're landing but at a couple of

hundred feet and ripple lots of them on the runway with a ripple interval of

50 to 99. But for the bug, this would really mess up a runway.

Laser-guided bombs and missiles (Mk 82, 83, 84 Paveway, AGM-114A, AGM-65E)

Checklist

HUD mode PAVE

Weapons stations Selected

Target designation from HUDSelected (Tab key)

Release mode Single

Laser-guided bombs are very easy to use, and hit almost every time. The only

limitation is that a target has to be painted with laser light by other

forces - either ground units or aircraft specially equipped for the task.

(In A-10 Attack! it's always ground units.) Such targets show up on the HUD

as little diamonds, when PAVE mode is set.

The laser designation is chosen by the computer and can vary on the

computer's whim. Typically it is 'chosen' by the computer on mission

startup, but it is within the computer's code to choose different targets

while the mission progresses. So if a designated target flickers out, then

it isn't a computer bug, but a real feature designed into the software.

To use laser guided bombs, select a target from the HUD with the Tab key,

and when the text "release" appears on the HUD, release the bomb.

LGB's have little fins which correct their flight path. They don't really

glide, though, which means that you have to have sufficient altitude for the

bomb to reach its target. A few hundred feet is enough, and the "release"

sign won't light until you're within range.

Laser guided missiles work just like the bombs, except that they have

smaller warheads and greater range. The AGM-114A Hellfire comes in pods of

four, which would be useful if there were more laser-designated targets in

the game. It carries a fairly small warhead and has limited range. The

AGM-65E is a "miracle weapon" with excellent range, pinpoint accuracy, and a

considerable warhead, but the scarcity of laser-designated targets seriously

reduces its usefulness.

Hyper-velocity rockets (HVR's)

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Ripple Single (RMRS)

Ripple count 06

Ripple interval 01

HVR's work like a kind of "long-range cannon". They're so fast they don't

need much leading and they do a lot of damage. A ripple count 06 with an

interval of 01 tears up pretty much anything up to small boats. They're

rather devastating against other aircraft, too. They're simple to use: just

get whatever you want to hit under the gun cross, and release a ripple. For

fast-moving targets such as aircraft, you might have to lead a little (shoot

ahead of its flight path).

HVR's are particularly useful against AAA sites, because of their superior

range and velocity.

The AGM-88A HARM

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stations Selected

Hand-off selection from RWRSelected (H key)

Release mode Single (RMS)

The HARM is used primarily against SAM sites. Note that in A-10 Attack! the

ground-based radar is fairly smart: it doesn't just sit there and wait to be

hit. Instead, it only switches on the radar when it is needed - this means

that HARMs are often usable only at close range.

To use a HARM, select the radar source from the RWR with the H key, point

your nose level or slightly down towards the target, then release the

missile. An altitude of 1000 to 4000 feet (depending on range) is

recommended.

The HARM is useful not only against ground-based radar sources, but also

against radar-emitting aircraft (such as the MiG-29). I don't know if this

would work in real life, though. It carries a much bigger warhead than the

AIM-9L, but it turns slower. This means that it doesn't hit as often, but

does more damage if it does hit.

The Maverick (AGM-65B, AGM-65D)

Checklist:

HUD mode Any (see below for CCIP)

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Single (RMS)

The Maverick is possibly the most useful weapon the A-10 can carry. It has

fairly good range and is effective against all kinds of targets, from AA

defenses to tanks to boats to buildings. It homes on stationary targets and

it tracks moving ones. It comes in three flavors, the AGM-65B, D, and E. The

AGM-65B is the standard, TV-guided version; the D has an infra-red camera

for use in low-light situations, and the E is laser-guided (and discussed

above with the other laser-guided ordnance).

To use a Maverick, center the crosshairs in the TV display on the target,

then press to release.

The CCIP mode can also be used to release Mavericks. With it, the first

press of the release button pickles the target. The diamond marking the

target can be seen on the HUD. A second press releases the missile. This

helps avoid false locks -Êin real life, it's not at all uncommon to have

Mavericks lock onto bushes etc. instead of the intended target.

In windy conditions it can be quite difficult to get a good lock, what with

your Hog bumping around all over the place. You might think you have a lock,

only to have the Maverick fly straight and miss the moving target you're

aiming for. There's no easy way around this, but practice helps. Rest

assured that the weapon works correctly.

AGM-65D's work just like AGM-65B's, except that they can see in the dark. In

the Gulf war, Hog drivers used the infra-red camera on the AGM-65D to look

for targets. In A-10 Attack! this is made even easier, as the infra-red

image is projected onto the HUD.

The AIM-9L Sidewinder

Checklist:

HUD mode NAV or PAVE

Weapons stationsSelected

Release mode Single (RMS)

The AIM-9L Sidewinder is a heat-seeking A/A missile. When it's picking up a

heat source, you hear a growl. When the source is stronger, the growl is

louder. Release when the growl is loud. If there are several heat sources in

the area, the Sidewinder will track the strongest one near the gun cross.

Ideally, the Sidewinder should be fired from behind the target, but it is an

"all aspect" weapon and works from other directions as well.

Fuel tanks

Fuel tanks aren't exactly weapons, but they too can be loaded at certain

hardpoints. The internal tanks are more than big enough to hold all the fuel

you'll need (and more!) for all the missions in A-10 Attack!, so they're

something of an extra. The only use for them that I've managed to invent is

exploring the flight model - you can make a Hog really heavy with them.

Note that you can't jettison a centerline (station 6) fuel tank.

Managing loadouts

The variety of ordnance and the large number of hardpoints pose a problem:

in the heat of battle, it can be tough to select the right weapon and

release mode. Three solutions have been proposed.

"Cheat"

Hit Command-P to pause the game, then select the ordnance at leisure, then

return to game. Of course, this isn't exactly fair - and probably won't work

with networked games once they become available.

Use Post-Its on the function keys

Paste a Post-It (or similar) next to each function key, specifying which

weapon is at which hardpoint. Helps a lot!

Standardize your loadouts

In other words, decide which hardpoints to use for which weapons and

memorize them. The "general-purpose" mix I use has Mavericks at points 3 and

9, Mk 82's at points 4 and 8, HVR pods at 2 and 10 and an ECM pod at 1. For

specialized missions use loadouts with fewer different kinds of weapons -

for radar-busting, say, load up with an ECM at pod 1, Mavericks at 3 and 9,

and HARMs in all the other hardpoints. For a carpet-bombing mission, just

load up with free-fall ordnance at every hardpoint. Once you decide on a

"system" to use, you'll find that it's easy to find the right weapon at the

right time.

Ripples

Rippling ordnance is especially useful for two things: free-fall bombs

(carpet bombing) and HVRs. If you're carrying enough bombs for carpet

bombing, you probably won't be carrying HVRs, and vice versa. This means

that you can "pre-set" your ripple to match your mission - for example,

ripple count 6 and interval 1 for HVR's, and ripple count 4 and interval 8

for carpet bombing. Set these before you actually get into battle. When

you're in combat, all you have to do is switch between RMS (single) and RMRS

(ripple). (If you want something in between, use RMP and RMRP instead of

diddling with the actual ripple setting.)

Of course, some sort of programmable weapons system controller (the

Thrustmaster WCS, a game pad or the as yet unreleased CH Products Pro

Throttle) helps a lot here - you can just program one button for RMS and

another for RMRS.

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Section IV: The missions

"I'm stuck with mission X. Help!"

A-10 Attack! being the dynamic beast that it is, and giving the player lots

of freedom in selecting the way he/she approaches the missions,

"walkthroughs" in the traditional sense can't really be written. Instead,

this section covers some tips in dealing with the challenges each mission

poses. Different approaches are possible, and indeed are a large part of the

fun.

My appeal for mission strategies has been answered: Andre Molyneux sent me

descriptions of his solutions to several of the missions. Here's what he has

to say about them:

Obviously, I've found that a few 2000 pound bombs will go a long

way. In some cases it may be more fun to go after targets

individually with the gun, but when you need to take out multiple

targets fast there's nothing like Mk84's to do the job. With the

exception of "Old Man River", I've found that the right weapons

load-out will allow me to complete the mission with a single Hog

(although I will use the F-15 and F-16's where available to take

out enemy planes).

Editor's note: Make sure you have enough altitude when using 2000-pounders.

The blast radius is big, and a Hog carrying multiple Mk84's handles much

more heavily than a more lightly laden one.

There are still plenty of missions looking for a strategy, and other

approaches are appreciated. Mail me if you want to have your strategies

included in this section!

Prelude to War

This is an easy mission. There's nothing particularly deadly around - even

the SAMs are quite light and most often don't do any serious damage to the

Hog. The most straightforward method is just to fly in, shoot everything and

fly back out. This is a good mission to practice A/G attack skills - there

are stationary targets, radar-emitting targets, laser-designated targets,

and moving targets, some of which even shoot back. If you use Mavericks,

make sure to get some altitude, as otherwise they tend to hit the lip of the

tin mining pit in which the fuel dump is.

Retaliation

This is a bit more difficult: the Wildcat batteries are nasty, if you get

within range. One method is to plot a course avoiding them, sink the ferry

with Mavericks and the gun, and get back home. Another method is to find the

Wildcats, hit them with the Mavericks or HARMs before you're in their range,

and then go for the ferry. This can be tough, as time is a factor here -

spend too long playing with the Wildcats, and you're liable to "miss the

boat". (Incidentally, letting the ferry blow up the dam is good for laughs;

try it once...)

Andre's strategy:

"The quickest way to take out the boat is to take off, fly at a heading of

120-125 degrees, and stay close to the ground once you've reached the first

set of hills. The SAM batteries (not mentioned in the mission briefing, but

shown on the map) will take potshots at you and the F-16's, so staying low

keeps them (and the anti-aircraft batteries) from hitting you. Once you're

over the hill, skim the water and head straight for the boat. With the

firing rate on "high", a single pass is usually enough to take out the boat

with the cannon, at which point you can just circle around and land. On the

other hand, you can go up with HARMs and take out the AA and SAMs for more

points."

Docklands

This is basically another "target practice" mission. The tanks don't shoot

back. The only major danger is the SAM battery (where the "radar" chit shows

up). Don't use the default waypoints: instead, plot a course avoiding the

radar on the way back. Otherwise all your Hogs might get shot up on their

way back.

Sinking the cruiser is a bit more difficult. One method that works is to

send one A-10 to knock out its defences with HARMs and Mavericks. A HARM or

two will knock out its main radar, and Mavericks sprayed from stem to stern

will destroy the chaingun. Then have another A-10 loaded up to the armpits

with free-fall bombs do a couple of nice, safe, high-level bombing runs at

it (once you've mastered the CCIP). It takes two direct hits from Mk84's to

sink the ship.

Andre's strategy:

"Load up with five Mk84 LGB's, three infra-red Mavericks, two Mk83's, and

two HARMs. Follow the pre-set waypoints on the way in. Of the three groups

of parked tanks, at least two will have one or more tanks that are being

"painted" by a laser. Set the HUD to PAVE as you approach. Select one of the

painted tanks in the first group (the one in the center if multiple tanks

are painted) using the tab key, and release a Mk 84 LGB once "RELEASE" is

indicated in the HUD. Press the tab key until you have selected a tank in

another group, and do the same. One bomb will take out all three tanks in a

group, so if every group has a tank painted by a laser, you can easily knock

out all tanks in one easy run.

"Use the HARMs on the cruiser (they'll take out the main radar and one of

the others). Fire the infra-red Mavericks at the central portion of the ship

to take out the chain guns. At this point it's fairly safe to make a CCIP

pass (dead on from the bow or stern is best) and use two of the Mk84's to

take out the ship (the LGB's can be dropped as normal bombs if you run out

of lased targets). With whatever ordnance you have left, take out one or

both of the tankers/transports/whatever they are.

"With judicious use of ordnance, a single Hog can take out every enemy in

this mission except the SAM battery. That hillside SAM site is vicious, and

is best avoided altogether."

Marauding BMP's

This mission is a bit tougher than the first two, as there are threats

approaching from several directions. One working strategy is to have one Hog

fly straight to the artillery pieces shelling your airfield and knock them

out, another (targeting anti-aircraft on the first pass, tanks on the

second) to harass the BMP's. Once the first Hog is done with the artillery,

he can come back to kill the BMP's with all he's got. Mavericks, HVR's,

Mk82HD's, and the gun work well here.

It's very important to get the AAA tanks knocked out fast - otherwise

they'll smoke you while you circle around after the others. Try to pick them

out from the crowd from a safe distance, and kill them with Mavericks. When

you're getting closer, use HVR's - they're a lot faster than the cannon

rounds and have better range. And if they're still not dead at cannon range,

shoot hard.

Andre's strategy

"Load up with six Mk 84's and two HARMs. Take off and nail the artillery

battery (there may be two) with the gun, then swing back around and head for

the groups of BMP's. For each of the two main groups, select a HARM as you

approach. If you get painted by the AA radar before you're really close,

fire a HARM at the radar source and turn away (it'll be firing at you, and

the HARM may get hit on the way in. If you change your heading it won't be

firing in the HARM's direction.) If you don't get painted by the radar until

you're really close, or you've already taken it out, select 3 Mk84's, go to

CCIP, set release mode ripple single and ripple count 03 (helps to have

buttons programmed to do this quickly). Pickle a point a bit ahead of the

BMP's (they're moving forward, so give them a fair lead), then fly level and

wait for the bombs to release. Make a hard break to one side or the other,

you don't want to be above the Mk84's when they go off. As long as your

salvo of three big bombs hits close-by, you'll wipe out the entire group.

"Use the same strategy for the second group, and if there are any BMP's to

the SW of you base (occasionally two or three will be approaching from that

direction with no AA support) take them out with the gun. With this strategy

I've been able to take out each group with a single pass with just one

plane."

Antinov [sic] Armada

Actually, it's Antonov with an "o", whatever Parsoft says.

There's only one challenge with this mission: the MiG-29's escorting the

Antonovs. One good strategy is to have the F-16 fly above and behind the

enemy planes (this takes some careful tweaking of waypoints) and have him

try to take out the MiGs. After they're down, killing the Antonovs is easy

and fun.

For the ones who like a tough dogfight, it can be fun to try to kill the

MiGs yourself. This is not easy, though - first you'll have to dodge their

Atolls, and then you'll have to outfly them. Not an easy task, considering

that the MiG-29 is one of the best fighters around. However, if you fly low

(below 150 feet) and slow (below 150 kts), you'll be able to out-turn them

and give them the Warthog Stomp with the gun, or they might stall their

planes and auger in, trying to follow your maneuvering. (In real life, the

MiGs would probably just take off with full afterburners and come back for

high-speed slashing attacks; you'd be in a lot more trouble then.)

Of course, whatever you send against the MiGs will slow them down, enabling

another Hog to sneak up on the unprotected Antonovs, again toasting them. An

entirely different approach to this mission involves destroying the runway

at the planes' destination base. However, this is currently impossible

because of the Amazing Self-Repairing Runway bug.

Demolition Crew

This is a quite a difficult mission. There are lots of targets, many of

which shoot back, and time is definitely a factor. One tactic that works is

to send one Hog after the column of tanks and another after the boats - if

you're the one who attacks the boats, try to get two boats with one pass

each, and then hit the tanks. You have to be quick, or the tanks will get to

their position and blow up the nice building that Parsoft seems to think

constitutes Hamburg downtown. Tactical finesse doesn't seem to help much

here; what is needed is some very sharp flying.

Andre's strategy

"Similar strategy to Marauding BMP's. Head straight for the tanks, taking

them out with a few well-placed Mk84's. Nailing the tanks right away is

paramount - once they're gone you can take your time. Carry a few harms as

well, to help reduce the amount of fire coming from the boats. Use the gun

to take out the boats, them mop up any AA pieces left behind. Oh, and don't

forget to vector your F-16's up that valley to the north to catch the

Su-25's well before they can start bombing."

Assistance Needed

Two good strategies have been suggested. The first one is to do what the

mission briefing says: load up one Hog with HARMs, Mavericks, and an ECM pod

and send it against the SAM site, and the others against the airbase, loaded

with bombs and Mavs. Note that each SAM launcher has its own short-range

radar: destroying the radar truck isn't enough to knock the site out, you

have to get each launcher too (or have it launch all its missiles).

Fly along the preset waypoints at around 3000 ... 4000 feet, until you see

the spike corresponding to the main radar of the site. Kill it with a HARM,

and keep your trigger finger ready when closing in. When you're quite close,

the launchers will target you. Now's the time to hit them with the HARMs,

duck any missiles coming your way, and get in close. If some are still up,

you can get them with Mavericks or your gun - the SAMs seem to be

intermediate range and can't lock onto you if you stay very close to them.

An easier way to complete this mission is to tell the generals to go fish,

disobey your order to destroy the SAM site, and program the Tornados to

avoid the site altogether and fly straight to the enemy base at top speed.

Have your Hogs (loaded up with Mavs and Mk82HD's) fly to the same

destination. After your visit, the enemy airbase will look much like a

potato field.

Old Man River

This can be very tough, if the enemy decides to send its bombers in: if one

of those Sukhois gets through, you can kiss your tanks good-bye. Have the

F-15 fly to the area ASAP and intercept any incoming bombers. However,

you're going to have to deal with the SAM in the town first, or good-bye

Eagle. One A-10 (flown by you, preferably) will fly like a bat out of Hell

to the SAM site, destroy it (at one pass, of course) and then find and

destroy the S-2 artillery pieces. The others will follow hot on his heels,

targeting anything that moves. The rest (tanks) are easy - if you get that

far, the M1A1's won't have a whole lot to do once they get to the garrison.

It's also possible to complete this mission without flying the planes

yourself: you'll just have to program the waypoints with appropriate targets

(no more than two different kinds at a time; one recommended), move them,

and change the programming as the situation progresses.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section V: Where to get background info?

"What's a C-5?"

"Are there any WWW pages about A-10 Attack!?"

"Where can I find out more about the plane/the gun/the ordnance/the flight

model/the missions..."

There's a lot of info available about A-10 Attack!, the A-10 plane, the

various weapons and related topics.

The Aircraft in A-10 Attack!

There's a large number of different objects in the game. Here's a very

brief, rudimentary description of the most important ones, aircraft. If you

want more info, a trip to the local library ("militaria" section) is highly

advisable.

If someone would like to help me by providing more info about the C-5 and

the An-124, as well as stuff about the other objects in the game (tanks,

Wildcat batteries, SAM sites, boats...) I'd be very happy about it! And

please let me know if you find any errors in the descriptions.

The Fairchild-Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II

This is what you're flying. The manual contains a history and a complete

description of the aircraft. Read through it for detailed info. Briefly, the

A-10 is a plane built to fly low and slow, turn on a dime, loiter over the

battlefield for a long time (combat endurance of about an hour), carry lots

of ordnance, and be able to take about as much punishment as a tank. It also

carries the biggest gun ever put into an airplane. It has been in active

service since 1977, but despite its excellent performance in the Gulf War,

it is scheduled to be replaced by an attack version of the F-16 (see below).

The General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon

One of the most successful and widely deployed fighters in the world, the

F-16 is a small, light, agile, multirole fighter with a very high

thrust-to-weight ratio that comes in several variants. It's used by NATO and

other US-allied countries around the world, and was first put into service

in 1979. The most important versions are the F-16A and the F-16C. The main

difference is that the latter is equipped with A/A radar and (in its newest

versions) a more powerful engine to compensate for the increase in weight.

The F-16C is capable of performing A/A as well as strike missions, although

it is not quite as versatile in this respect as the somewhat larger F/A-18

Hornet. Its top speed (current version) is 1390 MPH at 36,000 feet, and can

carry up to 6 air-to-air missiles. Its largest problem is a limited range

and a combat endurance of only a little more than a half an hour.

The McDonnell-Douglas F-15C Eagle

The F-15 Eagle heavy interceptor is regarded by many to be the best fighter

in service anywhere. It is rather large and heavy, but has an astounding

thrust-to-weight ratio of approximately 1.4, enabling it to accelerate

straight up. Its combat endurance is very high for a figher - about 1 hour.

It carries the powerful Hughes APG-70 radar system, and can carry up to 8

air-to-air missiles. The most important variants are the F-15A (original

version), F-15C (improved avionics, radar, and engine), and F-15E (longer

operating range, strike-optimized).

The Eagle was put into service in 1972, and was designed to be a "Foxbat

killer", countering the new Soviet MiG-25. Its top speed of 1750 MPH doesn't

quite match the Foxbat's, but its avionics and dogfighting capabilities are

considerably superior. Its greatest fault is that it is very expensive and

has high operating costs.

The Panavia Tornado IDS

The Tornado is a product of European collaboration: Panavia was founded by

British Aerospace (Great Britain), Aeritalia (Italy), and MBB (Germany). It

is considered by many to be the best all-weather long-range low-level

interdiction aircraft in service. It is capable of carrying practically any

NATO-operated tactical weapon, has advanced avionics including fly-by-wire,

artificial stability, and TFR, a dash speed of 920 MPH at sea level, is

exceptionally gust-resistant and, thanks to its small and fuel-efficient but

powerful engines and swing-wing, has a combat endurance of nearly an hour.

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

For a long time, the C-5 was the largest aircraft in operation. It is a huge

transport, designed to ferry troops and materiel to operating theatres. Its

maximum wartime takeoff weight is 840,000 pounds (378,000 kg), its four

turbofan engines develop a combined thrust of over 160,000 pounds (nearly

74,000 kg), and it has a crew of six. It can carry a payload of over 290,000

pounds (130,000 kg) thousands of miles (maximum range empty is over 5000

nautical miles). The Galaxy has a top speed of 541 mph and a ceiling of

about 34,000 feet. It was first deployed in December, 1969, and is no longer

in production, the last C-5B having been delivered in April, 1989.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum

Along with the very similar Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, the MiG-29 is the best

Soviet-built fighter. It has an astounding thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.5, is

highly maneuverable in a very wide flight envelope (its stall speed is not

much higher than that of the A-10, while its top speed is a whopping 1545

MPH!), has very good avionics including a passive infra-red detection system

(although not up to par with the best Western fighters), and can carry a

large variety of ordnance. A strike-optimized model has also been developed,

but has not been produced in significant numbers.

The Fulcrum first saw service in 1984. After the collapse of the Warsaw

pact, it has been widely seen in air shows around the world and has been

sold to several foreign clients. The MiG-29 is a very nasty opponent in a

dogfight. Its greatest failing is a combat endurance of less than a half an

hour.

The Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot

This is the Soviet Union's answer to the A-10. It resembles the Northrop

YA-9 in many respects. Compared to the Hog, the Frogfoot is smaller, less

heavily armored, carries a smaller cannon, lighter ordnance load, and has

shorter range and loiter capability, but it is more maneuverable and faster.

It has been operational since 1983.

The Antonov An-124

Currently the largest aircraft in service, the An-124 is in many respects

similar to the C-5. It has also been used to "piggy-back" the Russian

"Buran" space shuttle.

Internet resources

* The comp.sys.mac.games.flight-sim newsgroup. This is where most of the

A-10 related discussion is.

* Tom Morrison's flight sim home page:

http://www.xmission.com/~morrison/MFS/home.html

The best archive of Mac flight-sim related stuff, with links to many

other pages.

* Scott Cherkofsky's flight sim home page:

http://www.shirenet.com/~crusader/html/Flight_Simulators.html

Another archive of stuff related to Mac flight sims. Notably, the

Things to do, Places to see list can be found here.

* Tim van der Leeuw's A-10 Attack! home page:

http://www.cs.vu.nl/~tnleeuw/A10/

* Todd Hartmann's home page: http://www.metronet.com/~toddh/.

* The Rosebooms' A-10 page: http://www.rahul.net:80/roseboom/a10/

Tips on the missions, easter eggs, and more.

* The home of this document: http://www.seittipaja.fi /A10FAQ/

The documents below can be found at these sites.

Documents

"A-10 Flying Qualities" by Art Day

A very detailed and enjoyable tour of the A-10 Attack! flight model.

Taught me that "Dutch roll" isn't some kind of pastry...

"An A-10 Attack! primer" by Petteri Sulonen

A document intended for the beginning Hog driver or flight simmer. It

consists of exercises covering the basic topics of flight simming, from

take-off and landing to basic combat maneuvers, such as high-G turns

and CCIP bombing.

"A-10 FAQ*Rev 1.1"

This is an FAQ about A-10 the plane, not A-10 the game. It contains

lots of info about the Hog, the Avenger gun, and related topics.

Definitely worth a read!

"A-10 Attack! demo help" by Michael Hutchens

A how-to guide for the A-10 Attack! demo. A bit dated now that the

actual game is out, but worth a look.