Shows info on the MARK points. Press RTN to return to CNI page (required before accessing any other page).

FIX page (8 button)

Permits selection of sensors to update INS position (N/I).

A-CAL page (9 button)

Used to update system altitude and/or INS position (N/I).
Identify Friend or Foe (IFF )
Displays some info about your IFF settings. IFF is not implemented.

LIST page

Used to access various additional subpages:

Destination page (DEST)

Displays the GPS coordinates of the selected steerpoint (see STPT page above). Use the PREV or NEXT button to change the selected steerpoint. The waypoint coordinates may be changed using the Secondary buttons. Enter the GPS coordinates of the new waypoint destination and press ENTR to implement the change. There will always be an error shown for the coordinates you are entering. This is not a bug of SP, but the way F4 calculates coordinates in game. For the target waypoint (needs to be the currently selected waypoint), up to two Offset Aimpoints (OA) may be entered: Use the sequence button to cycle between the two OA and DEST, then input an OA by entering it's bearing and distance relative to the target waypoint.

BINGO page

Sets the BINGO Fuel warning level. It can be set using the Secondary buttons. Push the ENTR button to implement the changed warning level.
Visual Initial Point page (VIP)
Set location information for the Visual Initial Point (VIP). Enter a Visual Initial Waypoint for the target waypoint (the target waypoint needs to be the active waypoint).

Navigation page (NAV)

Displays and controls FCC NAV Filter operation and some GPS functions. Not implemented.
Manual Gun Funnel Adjustment page (MAN)
Set the manual ballistics for the gun using the DED scratchpad. Valid data entries change the size of the gun funnel to match the wingspan of known threats. The default is 35 feet, an effective setting for small to medium fighters (e.g. MiG-29).
Aircraft A-10 F-111 F-14 F-15 F-16 F-18 F-4 F-5 MiG-21 MiG-23 MiG-25 MiG-29 MiG-31 Su-24 Su-25 Su-27

The MENU page is the top-level page. All other MFD pages are be accessed from this page. Pressing the highlighted OSB 12, 13, or 14 (the one in primary mode) will switch to this page. The OSBs on this page access other primary MFD pages or apply a function.
OSB 1 BLANK OSB 2 HUD OSB 3 RWR OSB 4 RCCE
Access blank MFD page Mirror HUD display Mirror RWR display Access Reconnaissance Pod page when loaded on a hardpoint
OSB 5 RESET MENU Access the Reset page OSB 6 SMS Access Stores Management page OSB 7 HSD OSB 8 DTE OSB 9 TEST OSB 10 FLCS OSB 11 DCLT OSB 12 <mode 1> OSB 13 <mode 2> OSB 14 <mode 3> OSB 15 SWAP OSB 16 FLIR OSB 17 TFR OSB 18 WPN OSB 19 TGP OSB 20 FCR Access the Horizontal Situation Display page Access Data Loading page (N/I) Access Test pages Access the FLCS page Declutter display (if in supported mode) Direct access mode (FCR on this screen) Direct access mode (HSD on this screen) Direct access mode (TEST on this screen) Swap left and right MFD displays Access FLIR display Access TFR on the MFD Access Weapon Display page Access Targeting Pod page Access Fire Control Radar page
NOTE: It is not possible for both MFDs to display the same data simultaneously and therefore some MFD combinations are not possible. When attempting to display something currently displayed on the other MFD in either primary or secondary buttons, the item will be stolen from the MFD and replaced with a blank setting.
HORIZONTAL SITUATION DISPLAY (HSD)
The Horizontal Situation Display is a Gods eye view of the airspace and relevant ground based objects where the aircraft is currently located. It shows your current position together with a collection of other relevant features, such as Bullseye, waypoints, SEAD threats, wingmen location, and radar information. SEAD threats are shown based on the known data that is available at take-off time. If a JSTAR aircraft is active, you will receive updates on this information every 30 seconds for the immediate surrounding area. Wingman positional data may be shown on the HSD. This requires both data links (ownship's and wingmans) to be powered up and working. All wingmen will be displayed on the HSD with their number and altitude. If they bug a target, it will be indicated together with a number and the bugged target altitude. These displays may be suppressed (see below). The HSD has three modes, two of which are implemented in SuperPAK: HSD Mode 1: Base Page The Base page is the default view.

Two pseudo-faults are recorded; the take-off time (TOF), and landing time (LAND). Pressing the CLR button will clear the fault list. A maximum of 17 faults (including the two pseudo-faults) may be recorded. Subsequent faults are not recorded, unless they are duplicates. PAGE 1 OSB 1 BIT1 OSB 3 CLR OSB 6 MFDS OSB 7 RALT OSB 8 TGP OSB 9 FINS OSB 10 TFR OSB 16 RSU OSB 17 INS OSB 18 SMS OSB 19 FCR OSB 20 DTE Indicates BIT 1 tests. Pressing this button changes to the BIT 2 page. Clears the Maintenance Fault List (MFL) if displayed MFD Self Test (N/I) Radar Altimeter test (N/I) Targeting Pod test (N/I) Fixed Imaging Navigation Set (N/I) Terrain Following Radar Test (N/I) Rate Sensor Unit (N/I) Inertial Navigation System test (N/I) Store Management System test (N/I) Fire Control Radar test (N/I) Data Test Loading (N/I)
PAGE 2 This page contains additional built-in tests. OSB 1 BIT2 Indicates that these are the BIT 2 tests. Pressing this button will change to the BIT 1 page. Clear fault list (N/I) IFF1 Self Test (N/I) IFF2 test (N/I) IFF3 test (N/I) IFF Mode C test (N/I) TACAN Test (N/I) Target Identification Set, Laser (N/I) Up-Front Controls (N/I)
OSB 3 CLR OSB 6 IFF1 OSB 7 IFF2 OSB 8 IFF3 OSB 9 IFFC OSB 10 TCN OSB 19 TISL OSB 20 UFC

RESET PAGE

The reset page allows various symbology and lighting levels to be reset. OSB 1 BLANK OSB 5 RESET MENU OSB 6 SBC DAY RESET OSB 7 SBC NIGHT RESET OSB 8 SBC DFLT RESET OSB 9 SBC DAY SET OSB 10 SBC NIGHT SET OSB 18 NVIS OVRD OSB 19 PROG DCLT RESET OSB 20 MSMD RESET Switches off the MFD display Return to main menu page Reset day symbology to default value (N/I) Reset night visibility symbol data (N/I) Reset default symbology visibility settings (N/I) Set the SBC daylight settings (N/I) Set the SBC nighttime settings (N/I) Night visibility override mode (N/I) Programmed declutter reset (N/I) Master mode initialization data reset (N/I)
FIRE CONTROL RADAR (FCR) PAGE
The FCR page displays all the radar modes. There are eight main radar modes, each with sub modes. OSB buttons 1-5 select the current radar sub mode. The currently selected major mode is shown at OSB 1. The radar will start up in OFF mode. In this mode the screen displays limited information and no radar specific selections are possible. Only the generic OSBs 11-15 are active. To turn the radar ON, power must be applied to the radar system, using the avionics power switches (This can not be done through the MFD). When power is applied, the radar goes through a self-test, then enters the Stand-By (STBY) mode. In this mode, the radar is inactive and the radar dish is stowed. Pressing OSB 1 (STBY) will take you to the radar sub-mode menu page. This will continue to display the current radar picture if any, but allow selection of a different sub mode. The ground radar options are displayed down the right side, and the air radar modes down the left side. The options are: OSB 1 OSB 2 OSB 3 NRM OSB 4 OVRD Menu page (select a different mode) Shows the current sub-mode Toggle expansion of the area of interest Override will stop the radar emitting in any of the modes. It will become highlighted when selected, and pressing it again will allow the radar to start scanning again. Control page (displays the radar parameters to be modified) Ground Map radar Ground Moving Target radar Sea Mode radar Beacon mode (N/I) STBY mode Declutter display (if in supported mode)

Azimuth Step The Azimuth scan width step can also be changed between 60 and 30 degrees using the radar cursor: Slewing it to one side of the display toggles an Azimuth step change and moves the radar cursor back in range on the MFD. ACM modes ACM submodes are accessible via OSBs on the MFD by cycling through the A-A radar modes. Direct access to individual submodes is possible through keyboard shortcuts [Ctrl-F5/F6/F7] or by switching to dogfight master mode [d] ([c] to cancel).
AIR-TO-GROUND RADAR MODES
Air-to-Ground Ranging (AGR) The Air-to-Ground Ranging mode is automatically selected during continuously-computed impact point (CCIP) and dive-toss attacks. It is used by the FCC to generate the slant range measurement to a designated surface location. This means that the radar basically "looks" through the CCIP pipper to provide the fire control computer with the range and elevation of the target. The FCC then makes its calculations and releases the bombs as soon as you press the pickle button. If you push the pickle button while the plane is still a bit too far away for the bombs to reach the target, the usual CCRP solution cue comes up in the HUD. Once the solution cue drops and meets the flightpath marker (while you are on the CCRP steering line), the bombs will be released (just as in normal CCRP mode). Ground Map (GM) / Ground Moving Target (GMT) With SP3, GMT is now only showing targets that are actually moving (and not all vehicles, regardless of their speed, as it did in all previous versions of Falcon). If a contact is moving slower than 5 kts or faster than 100 kts, it will therefore not show up on the scope. All targets that are not moving will instead show up on GM (not just buildings as it did before). So if you have a tank column that is speeding towards it's destination, they will show up on GMT. When they arrive in their destination area, they will move slower. Then, as soon as they move at less than 5 kts, they will disappear from GMT. Finally, once the have stopped completely, they will show up again on the GM scope. Furthermore, Soldiers will not show up on any radar mode anymore: Since these troops don't really have a radar signature, they simply can't be detected by the APG-66.
If you want your wingman to attack an infantry target that doesn't show up on the radar, just padlock the target visually (you can use the new Padlock AG keys), then issue the "Attack Targets" radio command. This is also a neat trick when flying the A-10, as the Warthog doesn't feature an AG radar! Once you designate a target in either GM or GMT, the radar displays a cross and dot symbol over the target location as the radar enters a stabilized ranging and tracking mode similar to A-A STT mode and stops sweeping the entire selected azimuth. The moment you undesignate the target, the A/G radar returns to the usual azimuth sweep display. Auto/Manual ranging Auto and Manual ranging has been implemented. This option can be toggled through OSB2. What it does is rather simple: In Auto mode, you can use the cursor to bump the radar range up and down - just move it to the top or bottom of the display. In Manual mode, the bump will not happen and you will have to change the radar range through the OSB keys or by using the appropriate keyboard shortcuts [F3/F4] Azimuth Step The other thing added is that the azimuth sweep of the radar can now be set just like it can for the A-A radar. Pushing the OSB that is labeled with "A" and a number will change between 60,30 and 10 degrees sweep. This is useful if you only need a specific patch of ground map updated (where your target is). When reducing the azimuth scan, you'll get faster target updates. Radar map gain In GM and GMT modes, adjusting the radar gain can improve the picture quality of the display, thereby providing more details and better information about the target and it's surroundings (like displaying hills, valleys, rivers and roads. To help you taking advantage of this, the default gain settings have been adjusted. In addition, check out the HOTAS chapter earlier in this manual: proper key shortcuts [Ctrl-F3/F4] have been added to allow the correct simulation of the radar range knob on the TQS, doing range switching in A-A modes and radar gain adjustment in A-G modes.

HEADS UP DISPLAY (HUD)

HUD FEATURES
A roll cue is displayed in normal mode and shows your roll angle up to 45. This roll indicator is only displayed when the FPM is visible (switched on) and the system is not in AG or DGFT master mode. A bank indicator is displayed when FPM is visible (switched on), the system is in AG master mode, the gear is down and the scales switch is set to VV/VAH. The AOA indexer lights only work when the gear is down When the landing gear is down, a -2.5o ladder bar appears. As well as showing the approximate best descent angle, it is another visual cue that you are in landing mode. in addition, Calibrated Airspeed is displayed (regardless of switch position). The heading cue on the heading tape has changed: In ILS master mode, it's a "V"; in NAV mode, it's an inverted triangle If the HUD is SOI, a star () is displayed in the HUD's top left corner. In the HUD-only view [1], all MFDs can now be turned off (g_bNoMFDsIn1View)

SWITCHES

HUD power switch Use the SYN dial on the UFC to toggle the HUD on and off [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-b]. Drift C/O switch The Drift C/O switch [Ctrl-PageDown] on the UFC centers the FPM in the center of the HUD. Without it, the FPM is off to one side depending on the prevailing winds. During take-off and landing, you usually switch to normal mode, which means you see the effect the wind has on your flight path. Once in the air, you no longer need to worry about the wind, so you use that switch to center the HUD ladder and fpm for better visibility.

HUD CONTROL PANEL

This panel in the right auxiliary console determines how the HUD displays information: Scales Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-s] Off VAH AH Digital readouts for velocity and altitude All scales except vertical velocity All scales
Flight path Marker Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-f] FPM ATT/FPM Flight Path marker Flight Path marker and attitude reference bars
DED Data Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-d] PFL DED Pilot Fault List Data Entry Display
Manual Bombing Switch [Shift-Ctrl-m] STBY PRI DEPR RET Backup reticle Manual Bombing reticle
Velocity Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-v] GND SPD TAS CAS Ground Speed True Air Speed Calibrated Air speed
Altitude Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-a] ALT RADAR Radar Altitude Above Ground Level (AGL) BARO AUTO Mean Altitude Above Sea Level (MSL) Radar altitude while below 1500 fe et AGL / MSL when higher than 1500 feet AGL,
Brightness Control Switch [Shift-Ctrl-Alt-b] DAY AUTO NIGHT Full brightness Auto brightness Half brightness

RADAR ALTIMETER DISPLAY

The HUD symbology has been changed to match the RALT changes. The altitude is displayed rounded to the nearest tens of feet (571 becomes 570). An AR or R is displayed below the altitude tape depending on the position of the altitude scales switch. This reflects radar altitude when the Radar-Altimeter has been turned on. Below the altitude readout is the low altitude alarm (ALOW) setting. Should the aircraft descend below the ALOW setting the AL readout starts flashing. If the landing gear is retracted Bitchin Betty will call out Altitude, Altitude. With the gear extended, the readout still flashes, but without the cockpit voice warning. The RALT readout box will flash if the Radar Altimeter fails.

INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The INS uses gyroscopes and other electronic tracking systems to detect acceleration and deceleration of the airplane. With this data, the INS computes the aircraft's position in latitude and longitude. As the INS is aligned on the ground before take-off, it's accuracy declines on long flights. In modern jets, the INS is coupled with the GPS to gain additional precision. In SuperPAK, INS is partially implemented: When doing a ramp start, the INS must be aligned. (Full alignment takes 8 minutes, but INS will be useable after 90 seconds of alignment). Wrongly entered INS coordinates will result in waypoint offset (coordinates are automatically preset upon start - but can be changed manually through the DED) The INS drifts if GPS is turned off (HUD waypoint and HSD stuff drifts). Drift depends on alignment time. The longer aligned, the smaller the drift will be: With full alignment, INS drifts 1 NM per hour, with minimum alignment, INS drifts 10% more. The jet may not be moved during alignment, or alignment will stop (it continues once the jet stops again). If the plane moves faster than 60kts on ground and in Align mode, INS has to be shut down before it can be aligned again. Pitch ladder and heading tape numbers aren't shown when the INS is powered off or not aligned

HOW TO USE THE INS

To align the INS, the UFC must be turned on. Then, switch the INS knob on the right panel to ALIGN NORM [Ctrl-Alt-F7/F8]. Alignment will now begin. The alignment status is shown in the HUD and on the INS DED page: During alignment, ALIGN is displayed in the HUD and flashes after full alignment. On the DED, the 1st line shows RDY as soon as the INS is useable (after 90 seconds). When the INS is fully aligned (after about 8 minutes), this RDY indicator will flash.
The timer on the INS DED page will count on after 8 minutes, but status won't go below 10. If coordinates are entered in the DED after 2 minutes of alignment, alignment starts anew. Should you have a total power loss in flight or switch the INS to OFF, turn the INS knob to IN FLT ALIGN. The INS will then use GPS information to re-align itself

ENGINE

DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY
The jet engine system in the F-16 consists of several engines actually. There is the main engine, and a small jet engine known as the Jet Fuel Starter (JFS) [SHIFT-J]. This engine is used to bootstrap the main engine to life by spinning up the main engine to an adequate RPM where the fuel can be fed and ignited. What spins up the JFS engine to a point where it can light? Hydraulic power, stored in two hydraulic pressure accumulators, is used to accomplish this. When you start the JFS, hydraulic accumulators discharge through the JFS to spin it up to starting speed. Once running, the JFS can then start the main engine. The JFS accumulators are a one-shot process. Once the accumulators are discharged (one JFS start attempt), they must be recharged before another attempt can be made. Running the engine at greater than 12% RPM about one minute is enough to charge the accumulators.
If you discharge the JFS accumulators on the ground and the JFS fails to start for any reason (like you had the switches wrong), the normal method for a restart is to get the crew chief to pump up the hydraulic reservoir by hand. This is done through an external port. As this procedure is time consuming and takes several hundred pumps to achieve, you end up with one sweaty and annoyed crew chief. You will probably be late for your take-off slot too. It is not especially recommended as a method to win the heart of your crew chief or the respect of your fellow pilots, tapping their feet in their jets. It will probably also cost you a case or two of beer. In the air your options are more limited.
Power to move the control surfaces and other parts is supplied through the A and B hydraulic systems. These are pressurized from pumps driven by the main engine. When all other systems fail, and the aircraft is in the air, the Emergency Power Unit (EPU) starts up automatically. The EPU has ten (10) minutes of fuel, total. When the engine is offline, the secondary hydraulic system, Hydraulic B, fails. The primary hydraulic system, Hydraulic A, fails when the EPU shuts down. None of the aircraft control surfaces function when both systems are down. This is a good time to leave the cockpit. If the EPU switch is in the NORMAL position during flight, the EPU will start and run automatically. In the OFF position, the EPU doesn't run. In the ON position, the EPU runs regardless of the main engine status. The EPU can be set manually [ALT-e].
Switching the EPU to ON has no noticeable effect if the engine RPM is above 80%, as it will simply derive power from the main engine. However, as soon as RPM drops below 80%, the EPU will start to burn EPU fuel. The throttle on the F-16 has various stops where the normal sliding motion stops (called detents). The throttle must either be lifted or an interlock lever pulled to move it further. One of these detent settings stops the throttle before it moves into afterburner position, so the pilot has feedback that he is about to go into afterburner. There is another position at the other end of the throttle travel that stops the throttle from moving below the idle setting to the cut-off setting (which avoids accidental shutdowns). In the F-16, a small lever must be engaged to move the throttle below idle and shut down the engine: Use the throttle idle detent [ALT-i] to cut-off the fuel flow to the engine. One of the preflight checks is to check the throttle travel and confirm that the detents are working correctly.

When the A hydraulic system fails the following systems will fail: speed brakes fuel flow proportioner
All other systems are served by both A and B.
This is an example of how to get yourself into an unrecoverable situation. It happened while testing out the F4 engine restart code. A nice day for a training mission, flying nice and high, around 30,000ft so that shutting down the engine would leave plenty of room to try restarts and other procedures. Throttle to idle, Idle detent selected. The engine spools down nicely to about 7%. A quick check of the gauges shows EPU fuel slowly decreasing, Hydraulic B system down, Hydraulic A working. Everything is looking good. Now to test a few other things. Deploy the landing gear, a quick check before hand that we are less than 300knots, good. Gear fails to deploy check. That is correct the B system is down. So, switch to Alternate Gear select. The gear drops correctly, and wont retract. Ok the test is over, time to get back. I set Throttle to Idle, engage the JFS. I hear the sound of the accumulators discharging but the RPM remain static. Hmmm what went wrong? Speeds ok, but the Altimeter is reading 26,000ft! Damn thats the problem. OK but at 26,000ft I might be able to dive and recharge the accumulators. However, if I do that, Im going to be traveling at 400+ knots, which will wreck the landing gear, which I cant retract. OK Im now officially screwed! I need the engine to retract the gear, but I cant start the engine without breaking the gear. A dead stick landing is the only option left. This is not going to look good on my record!

START-UP SEQUENCE

When you select to start from the hanger by clicking RAMP start in the mission loader screen, the game will start with the F-16 in its powered off, cold state. The jet therefore needs to have a full preflight sequence before being ready to take off. Currently twelve (12) minutes are allowed to preflight the aircraft, start the engine, and taxi to the runway. The AI aircraft, and players using Combat AP, will do this automatically. Check out Training Mission SP01: Ramp Start / engine startup for a complete walk-through! There is also an appropriate check-list included at the end of the manual. When you start at the ramp and hear the jet power up without having touched anything yet, you are probably hearing your wingmans engine. They are very keen to get started and light up as soon as they can! It may be your own jet if you selected Combat Autopilot in which case it will preflight your jet for you.

It was a cloudy day but we knew that above 10,000 feet it would be clear. A 2 vs. 2 DACT ride was my favorite those days. We took off in formation and came out of the clouds. Lead sent us to line abreast, 1.5 NM. The jet was trimmed up, and everything was ok. I was checking leads 6 visually, but I remembered the instructors comment, "If everything feels ok, there is something wrong, so check everything again." I looked inside the cockpit. Saw a red light. Looked outside again, and said to myself, "Wait a second, did I see a red light there?" I looked inside again, there it was - LEFT FIRE. I did the CAPS: throttle to idle the light stayed on, throttle off - the light went out. I shut down the left engine quickly and started to turn back. I called on radio "Knock it off #2, left engine fire, shut down engine, turning back" The light was off, so I sat back and relaxed. I had one more engine, and everything looked fine. I checked the TACAN, 45nm to go. I did a descent calculation, put fpm to descent. "Whoa that was my unlucky day" I said to myself with a smiling face, while I checked off the checklist items. Coming down to 10,000 feet. I started to fly on instrument because of the IMC. The RIGHT FIRE light blinked once. I said, "Oh no! I was so full of adrenaline, I knew I must calm down. It blinked again and I stared, "God no, you have got to be kidding me." I began to lose my self-confidence. Had I misjudged the fire light and shut down wrong engine? "No it can't be!" I said to myself. I started to pull the right throttle back. The light turned off at %85 RPM. On single engine with limited thrust, I glided down to the runway. I landed with no problem but without the utility hydraulics. "Phew a good day after all." I thought. After inspection it turned it out that the light circuit had a problem. The FIRE lights were false. Some people thought it was funny. I almost bailed out. I never got the joke.

Weapons

WEAPON SYSTEMS
The EEGS display levels have been further expanded to reflect increased realism: The funnel disappears when firing and reappears shortly after firing stops. If the SCOR button on the MFD is enabled, FEDS bullet markers replace the funnel while firing (only if no target is locked and the Master Arm switch is set to either to SIM or ARM). If a target is locked, a level V director piper appears, giving a true "death dot" in a stabilized situation against a target on a predictable flight path.

TSFC Values Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption values do change over airspeed and altitude. To reflect this properly would have required a large amount of code work. It was considered best to use the single published values for MIL and AB power alone. This means that the fuel usage will be a little higher than it should be in some flight regions. Flaps The broad range of aircraft simulated in Falcon 4 brings with it a broad range of lifting devices. Some aircraft, like the F-18C, have LEFs and TEFs that deploy over both an AOA and Mach region. This would have required building a table into the data file for the simulation to read for the proper scheduling of these devices. Because of the complexity of this issue and the small amount of time, this was not done. This means that some aircraft will not have their lifting devices deploy as they do in the real world. Stall Model One particular glaring omission in Falcon 4.0 from the beginning is the lack of a true stall model. The FM team tried hard to work out a stall model, but complexity and a lack of time prevented this from happening. This means that angle of attack stall and slow speed stall are not modeled correctly. Aircraft will still fly in attitudes and speed ranges that they should not.

CONCLUSION

This introduction to the flight models showcases the vast amount of improvement that SuperPAK brings to Falcon 4.0. From new wings, engines, flaps, etc., SuperPAK takes Falcon 4.0 one giant step forward in realism and immersion. The virtual battlefield has just become even more exciting to fly and fight in. Enjoy! Tom Saint Launder and The Flight Model Team

Special Features

SKYFIXES
When Falcon 4 was originally published, many people didn't like the default color tones in the 3D world (like the Grey sky and yellow haze). Soon, modifications of these color schematics (known as "skyfixes") appeared and varied according to the individual tastes and realism. SuperPAK helps you in finding your preferred skyfix: Select the Graphics tab from the Setup menu and click the Skyfix button. You can now select a skyfix and preview it at different daytimes. Make your selection and enjoy the improved colors on your next flight!

WEATHER

SuperPAK features integrated weather effects! While in the mission briefing, select the Graphics tab from the Setup menu and click the Weather button. You can then select a weather pattern and view a simulated "radar" picture of the weather situation in the theatre. If you choose the DEFAULT selection, Falcon will continue using the weather that was saved in your mission the last time you saved it. If you choose RANDOM, Falcon will select one of the weather patterns for you. BLUE SKY is the default Falcon sky (without any clouds). Do not forget to leave clouds enabled in the Simulation tab of the Setup menu. Clouds can easily be modeled on mid- to high-end machines (3D card, CPU >500 Mhz)

CARRIER OPERATIONS

Check-out the training missions for easy access to carrier operations.

TAKE-OFF

Missions begin with the aircraft located at the center of the aircraft carrier's deck. Depending on fuel and weapons load, you may need to turn your aircraft around and taxi to the end of the carrier. Once at the end of the carrier, point your nose to the front of the aircraft carrier, lock the brakes, push the throttle up to full afterburner, release the brakes, and takeoff. Raise the gear [g] as soon as the aircraft is airborne to gain additional velocity. If the mission includes wingmen, they will start in the air above the carrier. Radio them to "rejoin" the flight once you are airborne.

NAVIGATION

Follow the waypoints back to home plate. The carrier will likely have moved since your take-off, so do some searching to locate it. You can also request "Vector to Carrier Group" from AWACS, as the carriers now feature dynamically allocated TACAN (like the refueling tankers do).

LANDING

For a successful approach, align the aircraft behind the carrier. Lower the landing gear [g] and the tail hook [CTRL-k]. Set the AOA and throttle so the FPM is located on the end of the carrier's deck. Once within several hundred feet of the end of the carrier deck, increase the throttle and/or pull back slightly to move your FPM to the middle of the carrier's deck. Keep in mind that the heavy-duty landing gear typically found on carrier aircraft is not modeled, so set down gently. Mission accomplished! 146

IN-AIR REFUELING

In previous Falcon versions, the tanker used to fly straight and level after it received a request for fuel, therefore flying deep into enemy territory or far away from the FLOT and away from the action. Luckily, this changes with SuperPAK 3! First of all, the tanker will now set up a 60x25nm track pattern for jet aircraft and a 40x20nm pattern for turboprops (each aircraft can be defined to have its own track pattern size, refueling altitude and speed) along the FLOT. Turns will be smooth with a low turn rate, so you can stay connected to the refueling boom while the tanker turns (In fact, AI aircraft will now stay connected to the boom during the turn). In addition, a few miles before the tanker begins a turn, it will warn you accordingly by radio - so be prepared! (The tanker operator will say: "Heads up, tanker is entering turn"). As shown on the right picture, the tanker searches the closest FLOT object when an aircraft is asking for fuel, and sets up a track pattern to keep near the FLOT. Furthermore, the tanker doesnt always fly at the same speed and altitude anymore (An A-10 that can barely fly 260 kts has a hard time to keep up with a tanker flying 310 kts!). Instead, the tanker adjusts its speed and height to the tanking plane's requirements. In Multiplayer games, the tanker is no longer controlled by the host all the time. As soon as a human requests to refuel, the control is handed over to this client (which is the only way to allow refueling in multiplayer sessions with the new MP code). For AI planes, which are controlled by the host, the tanker is handed back over to the host. There is also a new refueling help option for beginners: Checking this option in the config editor will give you 50% AI steering input on your aircrafts maneuvering in Realistic refueling mode and 100% AI input (apart from the throttle) in Easy refuel mode. In Simplified mode you must head to the tanker and get to the boom, but once you are connected, the AI takes over full control. At last, the IL-78 tanker finally works as it should: Due to an erroneous distance calculation in the previous code, the tanking aircraft could never reach the refueling position. Therefore, Russian aircraft never got a single drop of fuel from an IL-78. This is now fixed. All these tanker changes together with the realistic fuel flows put the virtual pilot into an even more exciting experience of refueling. While giving more help to beginners, it allows "hardcorerefuelers" to encounter a much more realistic challenge in refueling operations.

With this new initiative point system the transition from defensive to offensive states and vice versa should be smoother, more understandable, and better grounded in the actual status of each team in the war. You can set this new initiative point system in effect by putting NewInitiativePoints = 1 in the [Campaign] section of your falcon4.aii file.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

There are many other aspects in Falcon 4 that have direct or indirect effects on campaign behavior: For example, the new flight models with new fuel flow rates will have a significant impact on the campaign because the air tasking manager uses fuel rate calculations for generating missions and weapon loadouts (more auxiliary fuel tanks will therefore be carried). Tanker availability is now of higher importance, too. New terrain masking capabilities and improved, realistic detection algorithms influence the success of strike missions. New types of airplanes could have a strong impact also (because one of the big weaknesses of North Koreans air force is the lack of a real air to ground capable fighter).
A further aspect is airbase relocation. You can now determine the time it takes to make the relocated squadron flight ready. The relevant variable is g_nRelocationWait in the falconsp.cfg file. The default value is 3. Helicopter squadrons are ready more rapidly (the default value divided by three, one hour by default) and are now relocated even if the air (army) base is destroyed. A new feature is the capability to easily change campaign priorities before the air task manager creates missions. The campaign priority window appears when a new campaign is started and the clock is stopped. This allows you to preset your campaign priorities to influence the type of missions that are generated by the computer. After closing the priority window, click on the OK button to start the campaign.

REMAINING ISSUES

Blue superpower Selecting the new campaign changes available since SuperPAK 2 makes it easier to win the war from the blue side. The removal of the player rating bug (see section Removing Bugs) is the main reasons for this. This bug has been in the code since the beginning of Falcon 4, so the standard campaigns were tuned under flawed conditions. Without this bug it turns out that the forces of North Korea are too weak to be a real challenge for the US Air Force. This is perfectly realistic. Every other outcome would be suspicious. The problem is that some people will now find it too easy. How to resolve this problem? 1. 2. Shift the force ratio sliders more to the left at the start of a new campaign. Wait until someone makes new campaigns with stronger opponents. This may happen very soon. Perhaps the Balkan Theatre campaigns will be balanced for this realistic campaign engine. Make the forces of North Korea stronger. Use the TacEdit utility to add squadrons for the north. Particularly important are units with strong air to ground capability, for instance Mi-24 squadrons, and the addition of more modern air to air fighters. Play the campaigns from the red side for a real challenge.

Thanks to the pilots, operational and retired, who told us what we could ask, and gave us detailed information on what they could.
Thanks and apologies to the SuperPAK "widows" - our beloved wifes and girlfriends, who had to spend many a lone hour while we were working on "yet another feature".
In addition, our thanks go to the folks who dedicated thousands of hours of professional work to build the base for SuperPAK: the Realism Patch Group (Realism Patch 5) and the eTeam (eFalcon 1.10). Thanks to all of you out there! None of this would have been possible without the visionary design and outstanding achievement of Gilman Louie and his team at MicroProse - thanks, thanks and thanks again! Last, but not least, we thank G2Interactive and Infogrames Inc., the current holders of the Falcon series' intellectual property, for trusting us and allowing us to build the ultimate combat flight sim! Their generosity has allowed us to fix remaining "showstoppers" well after the agreed deadline.

Disclaimer

Due to changes in the data structure and new features in SP, F4UT have made some edits to the RP5 data files. These were made without the permission of RPG or any consultation from the RPG. As a result SP cannot be considered RP5 compatible and F4UT make no claims of compatibility, integration, or performance of RPG work. RPG feel that their permission should have been sought but in the interests of improving relations agree to let the matter end here.
While much improved in relation to the original Falcon 4, SuperPAK still has its share of bugs and issues. Some are known, others are still undetected. Meet us online (www.frugalsworld.com, forums.delphiforums.com/falcon4) and help improve SuperPAK by giving us your feedback! Graphics problems (Radar garbled, Text on HUD and MFD unreadable etc.) On nVidia cards: Disable FSAA and anisothropic filtering. Reset the texel alignement slider: Right click on a free part of Desktop > Properties > Settings > Advanced > Tab "name of your graphics card" (e.g. 3D Blaster GeForce 256) > Additional properties > Direct3D settings > More Direct3D > Texel Alignment. Reset the slider (to the mark just left of the middle). Click 4x OK to save. Reboot. If you have a GeForce 2 MX graphics card: select the "Direct3D HAL" (not "Direct3D T&L HAL") as Video Card and disable FSAA (the MX series aren't made for that).
Try a different sort of drivers for your graphics card, like the older 7.97 for nVidia cards (Be sure to delete all files from the previous driver by using a tool like NVMAX). Voodoo 5 cards running 4xFSAA under Win9x will display a flashing box in the upper left corner of the screen when the A/G radar display is visible and the "Fast A/G Display" option is checked in the FalconSP Config Editor.