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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Friday September 07, 2001

PC News

Ghost Recon Hits The Web
Ubi Soft has launched the official website for the upcoming Tom Clancy title "Ghost Recon". The website features, Web Kits, Online Polls, Exclusive screenshots, Designer diaries, Game features and Fan Forums. Future regular updates will include Weapon lists, Character bios, Gameplay videos, Early game concept art, Developer diariy updates, announcements about special events and more. Ghost Recon

The Art of War Screens
German publisher CDV Software has released brand new screenshots of the add-on to the bestseller "Cossacks: European Wars", "Cossacks – The Art of War".


The add-on will be produced in co-operation with developers Ukrainian GSC Gameworld, who were already responsible for the previous RTS. The focus is on an improved and more dynamic single player mode with adjustable difficulty levels. In addition to that the internet play and community features have been greatly improved allowing players to check out each other histories and review recorded games. Additional features include, new units, nations, ships, a map editor, joining forces with the computer and exchanging resources. Release date: Q4, 2001.

Medal of Honor Movies
IGNPC has posted 5 short clips of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Click here

Military News

First Phase Of F-16 CFT Flight Testing Completed
Lockheed Martin has completed the first phase of flight testing of its new conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) for its F-16 multirole fighter. Flight testing with aerodynamic shapes was conducted on an F-16C at Eglin Air Force Base, in Florida, from March through August. A total of 24 test flights and 65 flight test hours were accomplished, and testing involved loads, flutter, and stability and control.



"Lockheed Martin has made a substantial investment in CFTs for our advanced F-16 versions," said Donald W. Jones, vice president of F-16 Programmes. "We have done this in response to international market demands for more range and payload. CFTs have become a very popular option in recent orders and new business pursuits."

Lockheed Martin began F-16 flight demonstration of an initial CFT shape in 1994 to investigate performance and handling quality characteristics. Subsequent wind tunnel testing led to the current external lines, which were initially validated in flight testing of high angle-of-attack handling characteristics at Edwards AFB, Calif., last year.

"The flying qualities of the F-16 with CFTs are essentially unchanged when compared to a non-CFT equipped airplane," said Stephen W. Barter, chief F-16 test pilot and company CFT project pilot. "For most combat flight conditions, it's as if the CFTs are not even there. The surest way for me to tell if CFTs are installed is to look over my shoulder."

"The CFTs have very little adverse affect on the F-16's renowned performance," said Maj. Timothy S. McDonald, US Air Force project pilot for CFT testing at Eglin. "The aircraft retains its full 9-g capability and flight envelope with the CFTs installed. The drag impact is very small -- less than one percent in combat configuration at cruise conditions."

A shipset of two CFTs provide a total of 440 US gal, or approximately 3,000 lbs of additional fuel for the F-16. The extra fuel can significantly extend mission range, time on station or time engaged in combat. This range/persistence enhancement is very valuable for countries that do not have tankers for aerial refuelling. For countries that do have tankers, CFTs can reduce the tanker offload demand and extend the fighter's penetration distance.

CFTs also increase the F-16's payload flexibility. For medium range air- to-surface missions, CFTs can eliminate the need for wing tanks. This allows doubling the F-16's primary weapon capacity and flying with two, rather than one, types of large weapons in a balanced configuration.

F-16 CFTs are located on the upper fuselage surface, which significantly reduces stores recertification requirements and the associated costs. The upper surface arrangement allows the CFTs to be relatively light weight because nothing is suspended from them. The CFTs do not interfere with daily inspections and servicing and can be removed or installed in about two hours.

The test aircraft has been returned to Fort Worth and has been fitted with the first functional set of CFTs. Ground systems testing of fuel transfer will begin this month, and functional flight testing is scheduled to begin in late October. Flight testing will be conducted at both Fort Worth and Eglin.

Air Force Officials Investigating Two C-130 Engine Incidents
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Air Force officials are investigating two C-130 Hercules engine malfunctions that caused those aircraft to make emergency landings. In the first incident, a C-130 assigned to the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., experienced an engine malfunction immediately after takeoff from St Johns, Newfoundland on Sept. 4. The malfunction caused a portion of the engine to disintegrate and a small piece of the debris hit an unoccupied parked car. The crew declared an emergency and returned to St Johns. The aircraft landed without further incident.



The second incident involved a C-130 from the 41st Airlift Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., which made an emergency landing Sept. 5 at the Fayetteville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The plane was forced to land after the No. 4 engine detached from the plane about 25 miles southwest of the airport.

During that flight the C-130 crew noted indications of problems with the No. 4 engine. Shortly thereafter, the engine caught fire and the crew shut it down according to flight manual procedures. Following the shut down, the engine fell off the aircraft.

Air Force crews are well prepared and trained to handle such emergencies, Air Mobility Command officials said. AMC is the parent command for the C-130s. The officials also said they are thankful that no one on the aircraft or on the ground was injured.

T-37 Trainer Crashes In Mississippi
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- An Air Force T-37 Tweet jet trainer crashed Sept. 5 in a wooded, unpopulated area near Montpelier, Miss. The student pilot, 2nd Lt. James King, ejected safely from the aircraft and was not harmed. King was flying a solo training mission at the time of the crash.



"The instruction that Lieutenant King received during his flight training up to this point was instrumental to his safe ejection and recovery," said Col. Tom Quelly, 14th Flying Training Wing commander. "I would also like to thank all of the local authorities and agencies who responded quickly and assisted with the recovery of Lieutenant King."

The T-37 is a twin-engine jet used for training undergraduate pilot, undergraduate navigator and tactical navigator students in fundamentals of aircraft handling and in formation, instrument and night flying.

The last T-37 crash at Columbus was in April 1992. The 14th Flying Training Wing flies about 65,000 missions per year. A board of Air Force officers is investigating the accident.

P-51 Glamorous Glenn III Wrecked in NC Woods
The Aero-News Network (ANN)is reporting that a P-51 went down near Lake Norman, in North Carolina, yesterday. Aboard the ship, known lately as Glamorous Glen III, were two Mustang-rated pilots: usual stick Butch Caudle, and (P-51) Obsession owner/pilot Jeffrey ("Jim") Michaels. The plane was on an IFR flight plan from Rowan County (NC) to Springfield (OH). According to ANN the pilot radioed the Charlotte tower, saying he had engine overheating trouble; he was then vectored to Lincoln County Regional (IPJ) Airport. They went down six miles east of the airport, at 11:20AM. When he saw he wasn't going to make it, he and his passenger jumped out. The plane continued for a short way, and crashed into the tree-covered hilly ground, where all but one wing, it looked like from photos, caught fire. The wing that wasn't burning was a considerable distance from the rest of the wreckage. [More...]


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