By Thomas "AV8R" Spann

  After installing F2, you are greeted with a multimedia intro that may upset those of you that are USAF patriotic, so I warn you. Remember, Flanker 2 is a simulation of the best dogfighter the East Block has to offer: the Sukhoi Su-27 and navalized version Su-33 fighter/bomber/interceptors, both designed to deal with the F16 and F15 air superiority fighter. So if seeing a F16s and F18s blown away bothers you, Flanker may not be for you. Enough said.

The other expectation setting warning I have for the readers is that you WILL have to do your homework to get proficient at flying and fighting with the "Zhuravlik" (little crane). While you don't have F4's 600 page manual with its very detailed radar modes, you do have to learn a new set of weapons, HUD symbology and target designation concepts.

This actually is another very attractive aspect of F2, that being it represents the "other side" and with it the different aircraft and subsystem design concepts. If you're not the hardcore type and the idea worries you, don't pass over F2 too quickly because the narrated tutorials, top notch 260 page manual, quick reference cards and variable users options help bring F2 down to earth.

Furthermore, there are many already existing Flanker community add-ons that change the avionics symbology to English for the Cyrillic challenged (and you can go with English HUD via the preferences). For first timers I do strongly recommend that you go through all the tutorials and study the avionics explanations in the manual before getting into a battle, unless you want to go into the instant action "god" mode - but that's like driving a corvette into a parking lot.

No review of a hot simulation is complete without going through what I call the fundamental functions: Graphical User Interface (GUI), Flight Model (FM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cockpit modeling style, Viewing system situational awareness (SA), Padlocking system (PL), Graphics and Sounds effects (FX), Mission Editor, Manual, and Multiplayer (MP). There are many more aspects to a sim, but these core ones should give the reader enough to get the big picture.

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The GUI

F2's GUI is simple and intuitive in its layout, but rich in its feature offerings. If you are familiar with Su27 v1.5, you will be very comfortable in Flanker 2.0. There are graphical menu picks that make choosing between setup options, instant action, missions, network game play, and encyclopedia. From there you branch out into the details of each of these.

For example, the Options menu is designed very much like a MS Windows interface. By clicking on the plus sign, you expand the options below each category. In this way you can go through many user selections without going through screen after screen. Very efficient layout.

What is really powerful is the joystick and key mapping setup. There are three user defined options available: joystick configuration, button mapping and axis response customization. Joystick configuration allows you to reassign the functions of your stick depending upon what game combat mode you're in: BVR, CAC, NAV, HELMET (SHELM), A2G, and Longitudinal The button mapping lets you directly assign game functions to each of your controller buttons. The response curve tools let you customize the "feel" of your stick, throttle and rudders.

This way you can apply the appropriate amount of control surface pressure by the desired controller deflection. In this way you effectively can have a programmable controller done in software versus implemented in hardware like a programmable stick and throttle. Note that if would you rather use your programmable controllers programming, my TM F22Pro works fine with F2.

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