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I have now had about six hours in JANE'S F/A 18 beta, so it's time to share with you some first impressions.

In a word.. WOW! There is no doubt that the Skunkworks are about to pull off another incredible bit of work. The overall quality shows throughout. The graphics engine is fantastic. COMMS appear to be solid. The use of additional voice cues is going to be a fantastic aid for the novice.

I haven't yet had a chance to seriously test the AI; that will come tonight and tomorrow. My goal has been to supply the demand for a good look around while becoming familiar with the interface.

The mission builder looks to be incredible, by far the most advanced one we have seen from JANE'S yet. I have taken all my shots at 1024x768 with all graphics options cranked to the max. I'm not certain if ALL effects and objects are in place yet, but it looks to be fairly complete.

Believe it or not, I have had only one lock up and no crashes to desktop. The sim appears to be amazingly solid. My system is an overclocked Celeron (558 MHz) running a Guillemot Xentor 32 (TNT2 the slow version). Frame rate has been excellent so far, and it's likely there is still some optimization to be done.

IFR.. hold still!

ZOOM In MFD

Oh-oh... I'm in trouble!

Yep, that's trouble.

Zowie! (That's a complex journalistic term I learned somewheres...) Bring up the large image and notice the dynamic light reflection from the fire! Gulp!

A fascination with fire.

What goes up...

Where'd they put the carrier?

Outa time, but yes, the FLIR looks great and have you seen how many kinds of weapons they mount on these birds???

Imagine F15 in high resolution. Now add clouds like WW2 Fighters, but increase the complexity and variety of formations. Next, imagine an entirely new terrain engine capable of detail beyond that of WW2 Fighters. Then further develop the AI, increase the range of wingman commands available, and add complete cooperative play: single missions or in campaign mode.

Finally, add a mission builder that exceeds the power of Jane's F15. Then add a host of new weapon systems, and carrier ops in all kinds of weather. Welcome to JANE'S F/A 18 Super Hornet!

The Carrier's the Thing

Unlike Digital Integration's Super Hornet, you won't find a fully populated deck in the JANE'S simulation. But you will find all kinds of COMMS, and you will notice a pitching deck as you sit on the cat. Hmm.. that adds a unique atmosphere of its own!

The first time I lifted off the deck I had images of Graphic Simulations Hornet: Korea come to mind. The clouds in JANE'S FA18 rival those incredible formations we saw back then. But the avionics in this new simulation leave that earlier work far behind, and there are more weapon systems in this simulation than ever seen in a single simulation before.

After a series of cat launches, getting off the deck fully loaded is considerably easier in JANE'S simulation than in DI's. This is because the flight controls are handled by the computer until you are off the deck. On the other hand, getting back ON the deck holds plenty of challenge, and the FM feels very good once in the air.

Wingman View

Most people will be surprised, in either simulation, that a loaded F18 Super Hornet doesn't accelerate like a drag racer in the sky. It isn't the pig that the F15 Eagle is, but it's no rocket with wings either.

Tomcat in Silhouette

On achieving some height I noticed a huge increase in the visibility of carrier at distance in the JANE'S game. I think this is for a number of reasons. First, reflectance. You will occasionally get the glint from the deck when you are at the right angle.

Second, the scale of the carrier seems increased at distance in comparison to DI, likely to compensate for the restrictions of a computer display. Third, the wake is also modeled, and you will see the wake before you can actually make out an object in the distance. Generally you will spy the carrier up to 25 miles in good weather.

No Cockpit View

The Skunkworks have included a no cockpit view, a nice option that helps to make up for the fact that you can't zoom the 3d cockpit into a wide angle mode. Better still, the MDI function keys are still clickable on screen!

Custom Arming Interface

The arming interface allows the kind of flexibility we are seeing more often, with pre-built loadouts for typical missions as well as the ability to custom arm all aircraft, and even build and save custom loadouts.

The mission builder looks to be incredible, by far the most advanced one we have seen from JANE'S yet. This module is going to occupy many late evenings for the mission builders out there, and I expect we will see some very complex campaign scenarios constructed.

A populated deck.

The beta appears perfectly solid. My system is an overclocked Celeron (558 MHz) running a Guillemot Xentor 32 (TNT2 the slow version). Frame rate has been excellent over all, with some slowdown on deck with all details to the max. It's likely there is still some optimization to be done.

Mission Planning: Map Zoom

You can use the map zoom feature in mission planning to get a close up of any area you like. If the mission has targeted a fixed structure, then you can use the targeting button to get an instant close up, or to alter the selection of targets for any flight member.

Mission Planning: Targetting

In spite of the fact that this looks to be a fantastic game, involving and flexible according to the whim of the player, I miss the interface from iMagic's iF18 Carrier Strike Fighter. Getting the briefing in a briefing room, then clicking on the door, which would swing open as you head for the flight deck, was a nice way to increase immersion via the interface. No matter, JANE'S is bound for more glory with F/A-18.

F/A 18: Comms and Control

I've covered the interface and offered a few dozen screens. It's time to look at COMMS and wingman control and interaction. I'll outline the functions first, then next up will be a step by step mission report. First, some quotes from our interview:

"We greatly expanded the capabilities of the ground FAC. We also added airborne FAC's to the game. One of the cool aspects of the FAC's is that they can put smoke on targets for you and, if the ground FAC has a laser, they can designate for you.

"You can communicate with your immediate flight, but also with members of the package (like SEAD and Sweep escorts). We've added additional commands along these lines since F-15. There are several new wingman commands. A couple of examples are of SEAD commands and also the ability to tell wingmen how many weapons to put on targets. And several new AWACS commands have been added.

Sounds good so far. Let's have a look at the actual command structure. The TAB key accesses the RADIO 1 command structure, while SHF TAB brings up the RADIO 2 Menu.

Radio 1: Top level menu.

Wingman Menu

Ground Attack Sub-Menu

"Attack With" Sub-Menu

AWACS Menu

AWACS Sub Menu

Tower Sub-Menu

Radio 2 Menu

HSI Zoom in MAP mode.

COMMS II

Next we look at the FLIGHT menu. This one is also accessed via the Radio 1 Menu with the TAB key.

Radio 1: Top level menu.

The flight menu gives you access to a host of pre-combat commands that aren't found on the Wingman and Division menus. From here you can order ECM on, radar to silent mode, sorting of bandits, formation changes and RTB. The Status command and Formation command bring up other sub-menus.

Flight Sub-Menu

Status Sub-Menu

Formation Sub-Menu

With control options exceeding F15 considerably, you are going to need to look at some serious options for handling your communications. There are really only two ways to go with this: a programmable pad, or Game Commander.

Night Cockpit with WP data in the MPCD.

My initial experiments with Game Commander haven't been as successful as in other sims, likely because of the additional demands of the AI on the CPU, especially with all graphics options hiked to the max. I was frequently getting misreads beyond two levels.

Flying in storm conditions.

For example, I have FORMATION programmed as TAB,4,8, but often only TAB and 4 is read and 8 is skipped.

This leaves two solutions. First, two levels as in the FLIGHT command (TAB,4) or AWACS command (SHH+TAB,1) work quite reliably, so I could make some of these two stage commands, programming FLIGHT and then various formation commands such as "V FORM" (8,3) and "Wedge FORM" (8,4). Second, I could program my Quickshot Masterpilot as I have for Falcon 4, with the base level commands up one side (TAB plus 1-4) and then number keys around two legs with hot key commands on the bottom.

COMMS III

Personally, I am into streamlining wherever possible. Ideally, using both Game Commander and the Masterpilot is useful. Any commands that don't need immediate access (nav commands and many systems like flaps and gear) can be programmed into a pad like the Masterpilot. (Note: There is an issue with the Masterpilot on some BX mainboards that will not allowing the programming software to work.)

Any commands that need quick access or realistically apply to a voice system I prefer to use within Game Commander. After adjusting volume and the command delay, reliability went way up and I am getting 95% accuracy or better, quite acceptable!

Mission Report: First Campaign Mission

Campaign GUI

Phase One Briefing

First Campaign Mission Interface

As promised, I am offering this mission report on the first campaign mission. I flew this mission twice in order to complete it. The briefing above gives the scenario: "Fly along the Russian border to induce surface-to-air radars to illuminate you. Intel will use this information to plot the location of air defense systems around Murmansk."

On my first flight I had two problems: lack of familiarity with the offensive and defensive systems of my shiny new airplane, and lack of familiarity with the COMMS structure, hampered in part by the problem I was having with Game Commander.

This wouldn't have been any problem at all, except that a batch of MiG 29s decided I looked like a novice and came at me like hungry wolves. I took out two, but lost my wingman. Incidentally, I had enemy AI set at one step up from novice.

At this point things became interesting, with a MiG quickly manouvering onto my tail as I attempted to respond to my wingman who was requesting that I radio SAR. While manouvering to keep the MiG off another proceeded to launch on me. I managed to get a call in to SAR and another one in to AWACS requesting assistance. In the meantime, I heard my wingie call that he was laying low as a result of heavy enemy activity. Unfortunately, I took a hit a moment later and my aircraft became difficult to control, so I hit the silk. I never heard whether SAR reached my downed wingman.

Mission Planning from First Mission

Mission Report II

This gave me the opportunity to try the mission again! This time I was better prepared. When we made contact with the enemy I ordered my wingman into a bracket manouver. We too out two aircraft quickly before things started getting hot.

No reason to play the hero, I called for backup and was rewarded with the Alert 5 aircraft off the deck in about sixty seconds! That was a bit surprising, but put it in the context of this response from Matt Wagner of Jane's Combat Simulations:

"You're much more likely to receive fighter and SEAD support in F/A-18 than F15 for two reasons. First, more such flights are in the missions. There is generally at least an alert 5 ready to go. Second, the conflict area is generally smaller than in F-15. The determination of getting support is based on distance, on whether they're tied up, and on weapons/fuel load."

Not only were my squadron mates in the air in record time, but they engaged the enemy within another thirty seconds, taking the load off my flight. We managed to complete the mission as a result, with neither of us taking any damage.

It was quite interesting listening in on the Alert 5 flight as they engaged and interacted with the AWACS flight. It also complicates things considerably, as you begin to receive comms from additional sources. I was getting messages from my wingman, from the carrier, from AWACS, and from the Alert 5 flight. I was also sending some messages during that time. The comms channels really start to hum!

These two engagements taught me quite a bit about F/A 18. Here are the lessons learned:

• You aren't alone out there! You can usually rely on your squadron for backup.
• You had better know your callsign!
• You will be responsible for calling in SAR.
• Even low levels of enemy AI can be dangerous.
• Standard missile evasion techniques will work as expected.
• Conserving energy even in the Super Hornet is critical.
• Man can this platform mount a lot of missiles!

Incidentally, when you fly in bad weather you will see both forked lightning and sheet lightning. It's quite impressive.

I know that some of you are going to want my Thrustmaster files, so here they are: JANE'S F/A 18 for F22/TQS. This zip file includes a WORD '97 file you can print out.

HARM Training Debrief

F/A 18 comes with a full suite of training missions, including voice narration prior to the mission and an instructor guiding you through essential steps within the mission. Click HERE to listen to the briefing from the HARM training mission.

Clicking on the lower left icon brings up the planner screen. From here you can get a close look at your flight path as well as zoom in to the target area.

Mission Planning

Mission Planning Zoom View

There seem to be no real limiations on the zoom level and you can go in much closer than this if you prefer to do so.

This shot was taken about sixty seconds after entering the mission. The instructor had already told me how to bring up the EW Page on my the Up Front Display. I then selected the SEMI automatic setting for my ALE-47 electronic warfare system to place the unit in RECEIVE mode so that threats would be jammed when necessary. This leaves dispensing of chaff and flares in my control.

I also switched my left MDI to the SA (situation awareness) display so that my datalink would give me immediate awareness of any threat aircraft in the area. The SA display also shows targets detected with your own sensors. Other information includes waypoint and distance information, command altitude, airspeed and heading.

A moment after the shot above was taken I got a good lock on a SAM radar and let fly with a single HARM. The radar went dead about ten seconds later so it's likely that I would not get a hit.

The SAM site locked and launched on me, and in the next shot you will see that I began a turn to place the radar lock on my beam. The shot immediately following is a zoom view of the EW Page. Note the critical threat icon and bearing line contained in the gold box I added for emphasis.

The goal is quite simple; to turn the aircraft until the critical threat line is contained within the Beam manouver cue on either side of the display (the doubled lines at 3 and nine oclock). "Beaming" the threat gives the greatest likelihood of successfully defeating the threat.

I was quite interested to see what kind of success I could have with jamming only when placing the threat in the Beam manouver cue, and I didn't release chaff or flares. That gave me an opportunity to get my first close up look at a SAM.

I had a chance to briefly padlock the incoming missile using the F3 key. I expected I would probably be hit and was about to begin a dive and a jink when the missile did indeed hit me. I had an air bleed in the left engine but no other damage.

I was about to shut down my left engine when the second missile missed about five seconds later. But a third one got me, knocking out my right engine and some of my avionics. All the following shots were taken at the same time.

On my second try I used better technique, including chaff and flares (duh!). This generated some nice screen shots and a "mission success."

HARM Training Report

AAA - From a different mission.

Zoom View of the Shot Above
Notice the SAM launch trail.

Did You Know?

• That the AIM 120 has a fully active mode so that it launches with internal radar active?
• That the AIM 7 has a "Home on Jam" mode that is useful against enemy jamming?

Multiplayer and Avionics #1

My spider senses are tingling... I know there is a serious simulation nearby, loaded with many weekends of intense military gaming!

After close to ten hours flying the F/A 18 beta, I am astonished by the depth in this simulation. To place a rough value on the expansion of gameplay as compared to F15, I would guess we have between 150 and 200% of the game value here. Oh.. did I mention I am having great fun?!

The comms structure is actually more extensive than either F4 or F15, and the comms structure in multiplayer is more extensive yet. Last night Limech and I connected briefly to check out the ease of connection and stability, and didn't have a single problem. Furthermore, it enabled my discovery of an expanded comms structure compared to the single player game.

Compare this to the single player menu:

The sub-menus for the multiplayer comms are also expanded and differ from the single player game. Here are two sub-menus, beginning with the flight reports sub-menu.

You can tell that Jane's is indeed taking multiplayer co-op very seriously with this release. This is also supported by the full-featured FAC component. A player can act as an FAC for another player, dropping smoke to mark a target area. A ground based FAC can use a laser (if he has one) or smoke to mark the target.

Ready to go against a Russian SAG.

Last night I flew a strike mission against a Russian naval force, and barely survived to tell the tale. Air cover was supplied by other aircraft, and my sole concern was to put Harpoons on target.

I discovered a number of features in F/A 18 in the process. First, a Harpoon can be programmed to fly at three different altitudes, and if you choose high or medium altitude approach, you can still program the missile to skim for its final approach. Not only that, but you can save your preferred program in the onboard computer for instant call up later!

Second, I discovered the usefulness of pre-programmed jettison stations. While inbound to the target I programmed for a high approach and then sea-skimming to the target. I also programmed my center station for quick jettison (330 gal tank) as soon as it went empty (#1 Figure 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

As soon as I reached cruising altitude of 30,000 feet I went nose cold and ordered my flight to the same, relying on AWACS for bogey warnings. When I had exhausted the fuel in my center tank I jettisoned it and prepared to lock my first target. (#2 Figure 3 shows only 200 pounds of fuel in the external.) Click on Figure 1 for the full cockpit, showing Radar in silent mode (4) and HARM "TOO" lock (3).

Figure 3

For some reason the Russian surface action group wasn't as thrilled about my presence as I was thrilled about being there. The moment I switched on radar and locked my first target at about 55 miles they proceeded to launch all kinds of nasty weapons at my four ship (radar is not strictly necessary for Harpoon launch since it has its own search radar, but accuracy is heightened by pre-launch lock - R/BL vs BOL mode.)

Multiplayer and Avionics II

With that kind of range, I had time to lock and launch all four of my Harpoons before breaking at 90 degrees to the target area. My ECM unit was on semi-auto, but I had to use chaff and flare to break the locks. My flight had to get even more aggressive defensively. My number two jettisoned his entire A2G stores, and number three deployed the ALE 50 decoy in tow.

Decoy in Tow

On an earlier excursion I wasn't quite as successful, and after taking a SAM hit had to limp home with most of my systems out. After two fly throughs of the Alpha Strike single mission I decided to try a different tactic. I entered the mission planning screen and restructured the mission.

Systems Out

Pilot Records

Original Mission Plan

Added SEAD Flight: Course in Blue

It is not normal for a four ship flight to take on an entire SAG group. Rather, there would usually be a SEAD mission preceding to take out most of the fire control radars. Since the Alpha Strike single mission is optimized as a multiplayer mission, the SEAD mission is left out. I added them back in to increase my chances of success.

Back on Deck: Bolter 1

To listen to a RealAudio clip from my carrier take off on this mission, click FA 18 Takeoff - 750K. Be warned that this was recorded from a stereo speaker on to a walkman then transferred back to digital via a small mike.

Air to Ground Report

Yesterday I flew a practice mission on ground targets. I loaded up with a diversity of weapons solely for the sake of checking out systems and employment.

The Super Hornet can haul an incredible payload, and an incredible diversity of weapons. In this screen you can see that I have added both types of FLIR, rocket pods, MK77 incendiary, a pair of Mavericks, a pair of MK20s, not to mention the standard 20mm cannon rounds and the ubiquitous AIM9X. Note that the Super Hornet does not require balancing stores per wing since the FLCS is capable of adjusting for unequal weight and drag.

Custom Arming Screen

JANE'S Online Reference: Fire Bomb

Inbound to Practice Range

Armed Hornet

FLIR NAV camera in HUD

The image above shows the FLIR NAV camera superimposed on the HUD for superior low light vision. The left MFD shows the AGM65G Maverick selected and we are drawing an image from the weapons onboard camera. Next is an uncompressed zoomed shot of the FLIR HUD.

Custom Arming Screen

In the above image I have gone to A2G mode, reflected by the change in the right MFD with ground radar now on. The Advanced Targetting FLIR has now been selected in the Up Front Controller. The A/GATFLIR consists of four pointing modes in addition to an Autotrack mode. The target designation laser is also part of the ATFLIR pod, and is always slaved to the current FLIR image.

The four pointing modes are divided evenly between ground and aircraft stabilization. A gound stabilized display means that the ATFLIR pod tries to remain pointing at the same spot on the ground regardless of aircraft motion. An aircraft stabilized display maintains the current azimuth and elevation settings for the pod while the aircraft manouvers (also called a "snowplow" mode).

Next I selected EXP3 mode to zoom in the ground radar and obtain a better defined look at the target area. I then slewed the TDC (cursor) onto a target of interest and designated. The target popped up in the maverick camera in the left MFD. I could also have used the AT FLIR for this purpose if I didn't have Mavericks. In the image below I have broken lock with ground radar to show you the EXPAND mode in the right MFD.

FLIR NAV camera in HUD

The next image following shows ground radar in MAP mode. Then the next image shows the radar with target designated and a new target selected. The cockpit is slewed downward slightly which produces a slight distortion of the MFD images.

Ground MAP mode.

The small box you see in the radar screen above pops up after you select the EXP 3 mode (the highest level of focus.) You then slew the box like a cursor and designate the area you want to focus and zoom the radar.

Zoom shot of left MFD above.

Maverick Launch

Launch seen by AT FLIR Camera.

Outside View of Maverick Launch

Next View of Maverick Launch

Impact on Target

To listen to a RealAudio clip from a carrier take off in F/A 18, click FA 18 Takeoff - 750K. Be warned that this was recorded from a stereo speaker on to a walkman then transferred back to digital via a small mike.

I made a second run at the target practice area to learn how to use the AT FLIR component. First, I called up the display in the up front MFD. Then I went from black hot to white hot mode by clicking where you see the BLK letters. Next I slewed the display down from its default boresight setting to locate the target area.

AT FLIR Ground Stabilized

Next I clicked on the TGT button at screen right to go to Ground Stabilized mode. Then I slewed the target reticule over some white dots and then zoomed the display from WIDE to Narrow view.

Next I went to extremely narrow view so that I could choose an individual target. Note that all this can be done on the display itself and I have programmed the cursor control on my TQS to the SHF ARROW functions. You can also adjust the brightness of this display using the LVL and BRT indicators you see at the left.

Note the diamond over the target.

Once the + symbol was over the target I used the designate (ENTER) function to lock the target. I was rewarded with the AUTOTRK designation in the display. I could now engage the laser if I had guided bombs, which I wasn't carrying. Instead I had Mavericks on the rails. If you bring up the larger image above you will see the red diamond in the HUD also indicating the target.

Next I swapped to another target and used the AT FLIR to designate for a Maverick launch. The hardened target didn't respond to my single Maverick!

Note that you can use radar to designate for the AT FLIR, or you can designate directly. In this next shot I had the AT FLIR pointing along my Velocity Vector on some distant objects. I adjusted and slewed the display to get a better look.