Page 4
Falcon 4 Plus
By Bob "Groucho" Marks
The default front office
Here we have your garden variety default cockpit. If you are still flying with this cockpit, I have a question for you- What the hell are you thinking?
The default cockpit is the only one of the following that is based on the older-build Block 30-32 F-16s. It contains many inaccuracies, and is also a graphical nightmare. Bone ugly, actually. From a functional standpoint, it’s also a kludge. The fonts are hard to read, the detail is crummy, and it does not offer a 6 o’clock view at all. More on that later.
OK, OK. It’s ugly, and your SA suffers. But it’s fast, right? Nope. Check out the FPS counter, and note that it is the slowest of the bunch- 11-12 FPS. Not sure why that is. Perhaps it’s the F4 graphics engine being it’s own art critic.
Wide Field of View Cockpit, v5.
I’m not exactly sure who Paul Wilson is, but I’m glad that he’s got (a) loads of talent, (b) technical expertise and (c) lots of time on his hands. Paul was the first to offer a wider field of view than the default panel, making the fuel quantity gauge, AoA indexer, mechanical ADI, and VSI tape all visible in the main forward view. From an SA standpoint alone, this is a winner- particularly during landings.
I for one do not find the AoA bracket on the HUD very intuitive- being able to glance down at the AoA and VSI tape is very helpful at making truly squeaky landings. The AoA indexer is also handy in knife fights, helping the Viper driver to keep that airplane in the best turn rate envelope. The enhanced outside view helps there also- the canopy rails are lower, and you can see around the sides of the instrument panel. The biggest addition to dog fighting SA, however, is the ability to see directly behind you.
Check Six!
For a short while, a debate raged as to whether this 6 o’clock view was realistic. The general consensus, backed up by comments from actual F-16 drivers, was most of the time. Provided that the Gs being pulled are not too great, an F-16 pilot can peek around the back of his/her ACES II seat and get a glance behind them. I like using it to make sure that my iron has shacked the target in question, too.
