Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator - Manual - PC

RESTRICTED AIR PUBLICATION X03-73361
PILOT’S MANUAL
®
MICROSOFT COMBAT
FLIGHT SIMULATOR
WWII - EUROPE SERIES
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

This manual will assist the pilot in
the maneuvers of air combat and
general comportment of fighter
aircraft during time of war.
M ocs.com
http://www.replacementd
Key Commands Quick Reference
For a complete list of commands see the back pages of this book, or the “Keyboard Command Reference” topic in online Help.
GAME COMMANDS OTHER AIRCRAFT COMMANDS

Open online Help F1 Landing gear (toggle) G key
Key Command Quick Reference F2 Brakes PERIOD (.)
Pause P key
WEAPONRY
Skip to next action X key
Bail out O key (3 times) Fire guns 1 key (keyboard)
Sound (toggle on/off) Q key Fire cannon 2 key (keyboard)

Fire guns and cannon SPACEBAR
Exit game CTRL+C
Fire rocket 3 key (keyboard)
FLIGHT CONTROLS (Num Lock Off) Fire timed rocket CTRL+3
Bank left (ailerons) Num Pad 4 Release bomb 4 key (keyboard)
Bank right (ailerons) Num Pad 6 Switch from reflector to gyro BACKSLASH (\)
gunsight (P-51 only)
Yaw left (rudder) Num Pad 0
Yaw right (rudder) Num Pad ENTER VIEWS (Num Lock On)
Bank/Yaw Center (ailerons/rudder) Num Pad 5 Left 45 degrees Num Pad 7
Pitch down (elevator) Num Pad 8 Left 90 degrees Num Pad 4
Pitch up (elevator) Num Pad 2 Left 135 degrees Num Pad 1
Elevator trim up Num Pad 1 Right 45 degrees Num Pad 9
Elevator trim down Num Pad 7 Right 90 degrees Num Pad 6
Retract flaps in increments F6 Right 135 degrees Num Pad 3
Extend flaps in increments F7 Up 45 degrees Num Pad 8+5
Up 90 degrees Num Pad 5
ENGINE CONTROLS
Rear Num Pad 2
Display/Hide engine controls SHIFT+2
Full screen (toggle) ALT+ENTER
Auto engine start E key
Cockpit/Full view with HUD/ W key
Decrease throttle F3 Full view (toggle)
Cycle views S key
Increase throttle F4
Padlock view (toggle) `key
Decrease prop r.p.m. CTRL+F2
Increase prop r.p.m. CTRL+F3 Padlock view: next target TAB
Mixture idle cutoff CTRL+SHIFT+F1 DISPLAY COMMANDS

Lean mixture CTRL+SHIFT+F2
Cycle through checklists SHIFT+C
Increase mixture CTRL+SHIFT+F3
Tactical display (toggle) F9
WEP or W/MW inj. (toggle) F10
Enemy indicator (toggle) U key
Aircraft labels N key
Damage text (toggle) F key
*X03-96714*
Coordinates/Frame rate (toggle) SHIFT+Z
M
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The names of companies, products,
people, characters, and/or data mentioned herein are fictitious and are in no way intended to represent
any real individual, company, product, or event, unless otherwise noted. Complying with all applicable
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agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these
patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, MS-DOS, MS, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and/or other countries.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator
WWII Europe Series
Pilot’s Manual
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Contents
Grateful Acknowledgement ........................................................... v
The WWII Cartoonist .......................................................................................................................... v
The Pilots ............................................................................................................................................ vi
The Production Team ........................................................................................................................ viii
Introduction: Before You Fly ........................................................ 2
Chapter 1: Getting Started ......................................................... 6

Installing Combat Flight Simulator ..................................................................................................... 7
Game Modes ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Free Flight .................................................................................................................................... 7
Quick Combat ............................................................................................................................... 7
Single Missions ............................................................................................................................ 8
Campaigns .................................................................................................................................... 9
Multiplayer ................................................................................................................................. 10
Training Missions ....................................................................................................................... 10
Other main screen options .......................................................................................................... 10
Game Controllers ............................................................................................................................... 10
Flying with a mouse ................................................................................................................... 10
Flying with a joystick ................................................................................................................. 11
Joystick commands ..................................................................................................................... 12
Keyboard commands .................................................................................................................. 12
Chapter 2: Flight School ......................................................... 22

The Basics .......................................................................................................................................... 23
The instrument panel .................................................................................................................. 23
Using the Flight Controls ................................................................................................................... 23
Primary control surfaces ............................................................................................................. 24
Secondary control surfaces ......................................................................................................... 25
Using the Engine Controls ................................................................................................................. 26
Basic Flight Maneuvers ..................................................................................................................... 29
Flying straight-and-level ............................................................................................................ 29
Turning ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Climbing ..................................................................................................................................... 31
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Descending ................................................................................................................................. 32
Don’t stall! .................................................................................................................................. 32
Don’t spin! .................................................................................................................................. 33
Getting Up and Back ......................................................................................................................... 34
Why It All Works ............................................................................................................................... 36
Lift ............................................................................................................................................ 36
Weight ......................................................................................................................................... 38
Thrust .......................................................................................................................................... 38
Drag ............................................................................................................................................ 39
A few words about torque .......................................................................................................... 40
Navigation .......................................................................................................................................... 42
Communications ................................................................................................................................ 44
Basic Aerobatic Maneuvers ............................................................................................................... 46
Aileron Roll ................................................................................................................................ 46
Barrel Roll .................................................................................................................................. 47
Loop Over ................................................................................................................................... 48
Loop Under................................................................................................................................. 49
Chapter 3: Air Combat........................................................... 50

Tools of the Trade .............................................................................................................................. 51
Using views ................................................................................................................................ 51
Getting a good look .................................................................................................................... 52
Using the Heads Up Display (HUD) .......................................................................................... 52
Using the Enemy Indicator ......................................................................................................... 53
Using the Tactical Display.......................................................................................................... 53
Displaying aircraft labels ............................................................................................................ 53
Using gunsights .......................................................................................................................... 53
Using weapons ........................................................................................................................... 54
Air Combat Maneuvers ...................................................................................................................... 55
Important concepts ..................................................................................................................... 55
The five stages of aerial combat ................................................................................................. 56
The element of surprise .............................................................................................................. 57
Immelmann ................................................................................................................................. 58
Lead Turn ................................................................................................................................... 59
Lag Turn ..................................................................................................................................... 60
High Yo-Yo ................................................................................................................................. 61
Low Yo-Yo ................................................................................................................................. 62
Scissors ....................................................................................................................................... 63
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Up and Under ............................................................................................................................. 64

Head-On Attack .......................................................................................................................... 65
Strafing ....................................................................................................................................... 66
Dive Bombing ............................................................................................................................ 67
The Break ................................................................................................................................... 68
The Split-S .................................................................................................................................. 69
Damage Effects .................................................................................................................................. 70
Inflicting damage ........................................................................................................................ 71
Sustaining damage ...................................................................................................................... 71
Chapter 4: The Missions ......................................................... 76

Single Missions vs. Campaign Missions ........................................................................................... 77
Campaign: Battle of Britain ....................................................................................................... 78
Campaign: Battle Over Europe .................................................................................................. 82
Campaign: Battle Over Europe .................................................................................................. 86
Chapter 5: The Campaigns ....................................................... 88

Luftwaffe (German Air Force) vs. RAF (British Royal Air Force) ........................................... 89
Kanalkampf: the war over the Channel ...................................................................................... 90
Destroy the RAF! ....................................................................................................................... 92
An accident becomes a strategy ................................................................................................. 94
The Battle Over Europe ..................................................................................................................... 98
USAAF (American Army Air Force) vs. Luftwaffe (German Air Force) ................................. 98
Daylight bombers & short-range fighters ................................................................................... 99
“Free to Roam”: Paving the way for invasion .......................................................................... 100
Closing in on the Reich ............................................................................................................ 102
Chapter 6: Medals & Promotions ................................................ 108

Luftwaffe Medals and Promotions ........................................................................................... 109
USAAF Medals and Promotions .............................................................................................. 111
RAF Medals and Promotions ................................................................................................... 112
Chapter 7: Hall of Fame ......................................................... 114

Fighter Aces ..................................................................................................................................... 115
RAF Aces (Battle of Britain) .................................................................................................... 115
Luftwaffe Aces (Battle of Britain & Battle Over Europe) ....................................................... 117
USAAF Aces (Battle Over Europe) ......................................................................................... 120
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Key Players of the War .................................................................................................................... 122

Sir Hugh Dowding (1882–1970) .............................................................................................. 122
Hermann Göring (1893–1946) ................................................................................................. 123
James “Jimmy” Doolittle (1896–1993) .................................................................................... 124
Reginald Victor (R.V.) Jones (1911–1997) .............................................................................. 124
Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) ......................................................................................... 125
Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) ......................................................................................................... 126
Chapter 8: Machines of War .................................................... 128

The Fighter Planes ........................................................................................................................... 129
Other Aircraft ................................................................................................................................... 142
Aircraft Operational Speeds and Flap Settings ........................................................................ 154
Aircraft Operational Speeds and Flap Settings (continued) ..................................................... 155
Aircraft Strengths & Weaknesses ............................................................................................. 157
Aircraft Strengths & Weaknesses (continued) ......................................................................... 157
Vehicles .......................................................................................................................................... 158
German Vehicles, Vessels, and Trains ...................................................................................... 158
British Vehicles and Vessels ..................................................................................................... 161
American Vehicles and Vessels ................................................................................................ 161
Aircraft Armaments ......................................................................................................................... 164
Rifle-caliber (light) machine guns ............................................................................................ 164
Heavy machine guns ................................................................................................................ 165
20-mm cannon .......................................................................................................................... 166
30-mm cannon .......................................................................................................................... 168
Rockets ..................................................................................................................................... 168
Appendix: Joystick and Keyboard Commands ......................................170

Joystick Commands .................................................................................................................. 170
Keyboard Commands ............................................................................................................... 171
Recommended Reading ............................................................178
Glossary ......................................................................... 180
Index .............................................................................186
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Grateful Acknowledgement
The team of the Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator manual received some wonderful help from some
extraordinary people. We wish to thank them for their cheerful and unique contributions to our book.
The WWII Cartoonist

In 1942 George Rarey, a young cartoonist and commercial artist, was drafted into the Army. During his
service he kept a cartoon journal of the daily life of the fighter pilots.
Those journals became a legacy to his son Damon, who was born in 1944 while Rarey Sr. was stationed
in England. When Damon grew up he decided to share his father’s joyful spirit with others through a
book, Laughter and Tears, A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks of World War II Squadron Life. Damon’s
mother, Betty Lou, also shared Rarey’s letters with her son for the making of the book and later, for an
extraordinary web site he created in his
father’s memory.
From her letters: “In January, 1942, Rarey
was ordered to report to a Greenwich Village
induction center, and report he did, carrying
his toothbrush and shaving gear in a shabby
little brown bag, a sketchbook under his arm,
his pockets bulging with several pipes,
tobacco, and pencils. He sent a quick and
telling cartoon of a bewildered disheveled
little civilian saying adieu to the world as he
had known and loved it.
“For three days he had been subjected to a
battery of tests—physical, psychological,
intelligence, etc.—at the end of which he
was informed that the U.S. military felt he
had all of the attributes needed to fly one of
its very expensive planes—a real shocker
because at that point he had never even
learned to drive a car.”
Rarey then joined the Army Air Corps (later
Detail from Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks of
World War II Squadron Life, by George Rarey. (©Damon Rarey)
the USAAF), in the 379th Fighter Squadron,
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flying P-47s over Europe, sketching and writing about his experiences all the way. He helped the other
men paint nose art on their planes, immortalized in gentle sketches the friends he lost, and sent letters
carefully decorated with his signature Rarey bird, a favorite of the U.S. Post Office. A few weeks after
D-Day he was killed in combat over France.
In our endless combing of the Internet we were fortunate enough to stumble upon Damon Rarey’s Web
site (http://www.rarey.com/sites/rareybird/index.html) and to make contact with Damon Rarey himself.
We were delighted that he graciously and generously allowed us to reprint some of George Rarey’s
cartoons for this manual. We hope you explore his site and learn more about life in an American fighter
squadron, and the extraordinary spirit and compassion of one of its most beloved members.
The Pilots
We had the pleasure of consulting with a number of experienced pilots during this project, some of
whom gave us firsthand accounts of what it was like to fly fighter planes and bombers in World War II.
We are grateful for the cheerful cooperation of these men:
Jack Stafford
Jack left his native New Zealand for England in January 1943,
and was assigned to the RAF’s 486 (New Zealand) squadron as
a Sergeant Pilot in November. Based at Tangmere, he flew
Hawker Typhoons in dive-bombing and ground attack
operations. In 1944 he flew Hawker Tempests on fighter sweeps,
shipping strikes, and ground attack missions before D-Day. He
shot down eight V1 “buzz bombs” over Southern England
between June 19 and August 29, 1944, including two on the 4th
of July. In September 1944 Jack flew fighter cover for the
airborne attack to capture Arnhem and the Nijmegen bridges in
the Netherlands. As part of RAF Second Tactical Air Force in
Belgium, he attacked locomotives in the campaign against
enemy rail transport. On Christmas Day 1944 he shot down a
German Me 262 fighter when his squadron intercepted two of
the jets. He also shot down a Bf 109 south of Munster, one of a
group of seven orbiting over a group of American P-47
Thunderbolts. And on April 12, 1945 he shot down a long-nosed
Fw 190D. For these achievements he was awarded the
Jack Stafford. Distinguished Flying Cross. Now semi-retired, Jack lives in
Okareka, New Zealand.
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Ted Johnston
Ted entered the USAAF in December 1942 as a cadet, graduating in February 1944.
He went through B-17 training, then flew with his squadron to England as part of the 398th Bomb
Group. He flew 30 combat missions, becoming a Lead Pilot after 15. Ted flew in the reserves after the
war.
Jack Gentry
Jack entered Naval Flight Training in 1949, receiving his wings just before his 21st birthday in 1951.
Assigned to the West Coast Air Group 2, he was sent to Korea in the spring of 1952, and during a
seven-month tour flew 30 combat missions in Corsairs off the aircraft carrier Boxer. On his second tour
of duty he flew jet fighters off the carrier Yorktown. Of his 100-plus carrier landings without a mishap
he comments, “Not a ‘piece of cake’!” Jack went on to fly with United Airlines for 34 years, retiring in
1990 as Captain on DC-10s and 747s.
Al Jones
Al joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. He was assigned to a squadron in England, then went
to North Africa, where he flew 40 missions in Wellington Bombers. In 1943 Al was assigned to a night
fighter squadron, in which he flew Beaufighters first, then switched to the P-61 Black Widow. After the
war he remained in the reserves, flying F-86 and F-100 jets. He became a test pilot with Boeing, and
rose to become Chief Pilot of Flight Crew Training.
Ron Smith
Ron became a USAAF Cadet in July 1942. He trained first as a glider pilot, then switched to twin-
engine aircraft. He became co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber in January 1944, flying out of Sudbury,
England with the 486th Bomb Group, then flew 33 missions in B-17 Flying Fortresses. After that tour
of duty Ron was reassigned to a Scout Fighter group, accumulating 100 hours flying time in P-51
Mustangs.
Ian Brodie
Ian is curator of the New Zealand Fighter Pilot’s Museum in Wanaka, NZ. He has provided invaluable
technical and background information on the fighter aircraft (including a very hard-to-find Focke-Wulf
190A operations and maintenance handbook), as well as helpful feedback on Combat Flight Simulator
as both a pilot and gamer. We recommend you visit the museum’s Web site (www.nzfpm.co.nz) for a
wonderful collection of information about these planes.
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The Production Team

Business Unit Manager
Ed Fries
Product Unit Manager

Dean Lester
Product Planning
Shawn Firminger, Bruce Williams
Marketing
Beth Featherstone, David Hufford, Susan Kittleson, Andrew McCombie, Jose Pinero
Game Design
Rob Brown, Christina Chen, Jon Seal, Kris Shankar
Program Management
Scot Bayless, Christina Chen, Todd Roberts, Kris Shankar, Eric Straub
Development
Matt Bamberger, Craig Cook, Steve Coy, Bob Day, Dave Denhart, Angel Diaz, Paul Donlan, Nick Feng, Eric
George, Tim Gregson, Eran Haimberg, Youxuan Jin, Lee Kail, John Kane, Fred Kerr, Todd Laney, Kevin
McGrath, Barry Oliver, Mark Richardson, Victor Santodomingo, Mike Schroeter, Steve Setzler, Larry Shatos, Joe
Stacy, Jeremy Stone, Phil Teschner, Dan Weber, Chris Wu, Tony Zander, Jan Zukin
Setup Development
Melody Hillier
Product Support
Phil Saitta
Subject Matter Expert

Beth Oliver
User Assistance
Michael Ahn, Diana Boyle, Kate Camber, Brian Hunt, Kiki McMillan, Yasmine Nelson, Marjorie Osterhout, Jon
Seal, Mike Singer, Caitlin Sullivan, John Sutherland
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Art Team
Courtney Barnes, Kate Bigel, Jennifer Bixler, Craig Blum, David Choi, Jim Deal, Carolyn Farino, Peter Fries,
Tony Gale, Nick Heitzman, Jeff Howell, Suzanne Kaufman, Janine Klees, Eric Kruske, Gordon Nealy, Rob Olson,
Andrew Pennock, Elizabeth Read, Jason Waskey, Rick Welsh, Kiki Wolfkill, Peter Zahn
Test
Tammy Baltazar, Patrick Barker, Hal Bryan, Caleb Cha, Wayne Comerford, Brent Conklin, Khoi Duong, Andy
Grant, Tychaun Grimes, Greg Hader, Doug Jelen, Tom McDowell, Roy McMillion, Yasmine Nelson, Michelle
Schultz-Schroud, Tom Sperry, Jon Stanley, Greg Swanson, Juichi Takahashi, Charlie Whiton, Steve Wilson
Audio
Barry Dowsett, Matthew Lee Johnston, Nancy Mutzel, Paul Trice, Ronnie Van Zandt
Intellectual Property
Teri Cianciola, Nancy Figatner, Christine Larsen
Administrative Assistance
Bryan E. Nelson, Victoria Olson, LouAn Williams
Voice Talent
Shawn Archer, Richard Barrie, Rob Beddard, Joshua Bihun, Mark Bramley, Rob Brown, Hal Bryan, John Cobasic,
Mark Dias, Russell Eames, Chris Faolchu-Heaney, Greg Hader, Mark Jeffrey, Dean Lester, Tom McDowell, Roy
McMillion, Hans Reutter, Will Rose, Tom Roush, Marcin Sawicki, Christopher Schuler, Darren Sillett, Mike
Singer, Jemery Stone, Chris Tarnawski, David White, Charlie Whiton
Photo Sources
Archive Photos, Bildarchiv der Oesterreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Corbis, Culver Pictures, Damon Rarey, J.H.
Stafford, John Batchelor, Microsoft Corporation, The National Archives, Robert Opie, SuperStock, Tony Stone
Images
Mission maps modified by Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator from Encarta Virtual Globe 98© & 1995-1998
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Aerial photos provided by Walker and Associates.
Some medal images provided by Sydney B. Vernon, http://home.earthlink.net/~svernon
Reference Art
3D Models provided by Viewpoint DataLabs International, Inc., http://www.viewpoint.com
©3D Models Copyright Viewpoint DataLabs Int’l, Inc.
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Introduction: Before You Fly
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Before You Fly

Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator puts you into the cockpit of a powerful propeller-driven fighter
aircraft, then sends you into hostile skies over an embattled Europe during World War II. Victory is
your ultimate goal, but survival is your more immediate concern: let your attention lapse for even a
moment, and your next of kin will receive regrets from the government. If you can master your aircraft
and the intricacies of aerial combat, you’ll join the ranks of the Aces. If you can’t, you’ll be a statistic
before you clear the end of the runway.
Getting help
This book will teach you the basics as well
as give you background information to
make flying and fighting more interesting
and fun. For in-depth coverage of topics
discussed in the book, and for step-by-step
procedures, see online Help. Just press F1 at
any time. To bring up the Key Command
Quick Reference screen as you fly, press
A Supermarine Spitfire shows its unique elliptical wings. (UPI/Corbis)
F2. While you’re flying, you can find out

which instrument is which by pointing to
the instrument with the mouse. You can find
out exactly what an instrument does by
right-clicking on it, and then choosing the
“What’s This?” option.
Combat Flight Simulator is designed to
work on many different kinds of computers,
with many different kinds of accessories.
Before you fly, make sure your system and
your settings in Combat Flight Simulator
are configured to maximize the hardware
you have. How well the simulation
performs on your system will depend in
large part on how you set certain options.
For detailed procedures, see online Help. Sgt. Robert L. Golay makes sure his two-seater has sting.
(Corbis)
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Some of the things to keep in mind:

• You don’t need a joystick, throttle control, or rudder pedals to use Combat Flight Simulator, but they
make for a more realistic experience. If you have these accessories, make sure they’re properly installed
and set up in Windows®, enabled in Combat Flight Simulator, and configured to work the way you want
them to.
• Check your screen resolution. By default, Combat Flight Simulator is set to display at 640x480, which
delivers the best performance on many systems. If you have a fast system, you may want to set the
resolution to 800 x 600 or higher.
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• If you have a 3D card installed, make sure that it’s enabled in Combat Flight Simulator.
• Experiment with display settings in Combat Flight Simulator to find the best balance between scenery
detail and system performance.
• You can make your flights more challenging and realistic by adjusting options like the sensitivity of
the flight controls, the realism of the flight model, and the skill level of the enemy.
Visit the Web site
Be sure to check out the Combat Flight Simulator Web site at www.microsoft.com/games/combatfs. It’s
the place to go for new software downloads, patches, the Software Developer’s Kit, links to Microsoft
Technical Support, articles about the game, and more.
A note for Flight Simulator users
Combat Flight Simulator was developed with the same core technology as Microsoft® Flight Simulator,
and the two products have many similarities. Combat Flight Simulator simulates mission-oriented
combat during World War II, while Flight Simulator simulates present-day civilian flying. For this
reason there are also many differences—some features are new, and some have changed from the last
version of Flight Simulator.
For example, in Flight Simulator you can choose to enable “auto-coordination.” In Combat Flight
Simulator the same feature is called “auto-rudder.” In Flight Simulator you can select Flights,
Challenges, Adventures, and Lessons. In Combat Flight Simulator you can choose from Free Flight,
Quick Combat, Missions, Campaigns, and Training Missions. While many Flight Simulator options
concern flying, many Combat Flight Simulator options concern fighting.
For a detailed discussion of the differences between the two products, and for information about
importing Flight Simulator 98 aircraft and scenery into Combat Flight Simulator, see “Notes For Flight
Simulator Users” in online Help.
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Chapter 1: Getting Started
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Installing Combat Flight Simulator

1. Insert the Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator compact disc into the CD-ROM drive. If your
computer has automatic install, a setup screen will appear on your monitor.
2. Click the Install button.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions for game setup.
If your computer doesn’t have automatic install
1. After you have inserted the disc into the CD-ROM drive, click Start and then on the pop-up menu
click Run.
2. If your CD-ROM drive letter is D, type D:\setup and click the Install button.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions for game setup.
What you’ll see next
After you’ve installed, you’ll see the main screen with the major game buttons. Following is a quick
description of all of the buttons.
For even more detail, press the F1 key on your computer keyboard for online Help.
Game Modes
Free Flight
Poster image from the period. (Culver Pictures)
Here you can fly without anyone shooting at you. Free Flight is much like Microsoft Flight Simulator
with vintage 1940s aircraft. Experiment with maneuvers in your aircraft, or just enjoy the scenery.
Quick Combat
Quick Combat throws you into a combat arena with a group of computer-generated planes, all of which
are your enemies, regardless of their national origin.
This is where you can practice your moves against other planes before you go on any actual missions.
You’ll go directly to a combat arena with computer-generated planes. Just shoot at anything that flies,
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because they’ll all be shooting at you. You can fly any type of aircraft you want from any of the three
air forces.
In Quick Combat you can fight against wave after wave of enemy planes. Once you shoot down all the
planes in the first wave, the next wave of planes will start.
Choose the maximum number of enemies you want to face in each wave. Just to keep you on your toes,
the actual number will be somewhere between one and the number you choose. You will have your
choice of facing bombers or fighters. You can also practice being on the offensive, the defensive, or
simply head-to-head with the enemy.
Later, your missions will take you through all sorts of weather, so Quick Combat is the place to get
used to a wide range of conditions, such as time of day, the amount of cloud cover, and so on.
You can also set the skill level of the aircraft that are trying to shoot you down. If you choose Ace,
you’ll be going up against some very skillful opponents. Start at the Rookie level, then work your way
up through the Veteran and Ace levels for a real challenge.
You can choose an airfield or go directly to an exact location in the air. This allows you to practice
flying in the mission’s staging area before actually undertaking it.
Single Missions
Single Missions are historical missions that you can fly. If you want to fly missions in the larger context
of the war, click the Campaigns button instead.
The Enemy level setting (Rookie, Veteran, or Ace) affects the number of enemies you will encounter in
a mission, as well as their skill level. If you choose Ace, you will meet more enemy aircraft than you
would in a Rookie mission, and they will be much more adept at shooting you down. If you’re new to
this game, try the Rookie level in the Enemy level setting first, then move up as you gain experience.
You can fly any mission for any of the three air forces. After you click the mission you want to fly, a
short summary of the mission will appear. For more details on the mission, go on to the Mission
Briefing.
Mission briefing
The mission briefing will give you the essential data you need and a description of the immediate
situation. You’ll also get a map with the waypoints denoted, so you’ll know how to get where you’re
going.
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Debriefing
After you’ve flown a mission, a Debriefing screen will appear to tell you about your individual
performance as well as the outcome of the mission. Those could be two different things, since you
could shoot down enough planes to make you an ace, but still fail at the objective of the mission.
Campaigns
In this game Campaigns are the famous Battle of Britain in 1940, and the Battle Over Europe from
1943–45. You will progress through each mission while within the context of a major campaign of the
war.
You will create a pilot who will have a career in one of these campaigns, complete with a combat
record, advancements in rank, and medals for service.
Battle of Britain
In this, perhaps the most pivotal conflict of the war, you can choose to fly for Britain’s Royal Air Force
(RAF) on the Allied side, or Germany’s fabled Luftwaffe on the Axis side. Once you’ve chosen, create
a pilot who will fight in this campaign.
Battle Over Europe
In this campaign you can choose between the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on the Allied
side, or Germany’s Luftwaffe on the Axis side. Once you’ve chosen, create a pilot who will fight in this
campaign.
Debriefing
After each mission in a campaign, a Debriefing screen will appear to tell you about your individual
performance, your level of success or failure in that mission, and any medals or promotions you
received as a result of that mission. You can also view your case of medals to see what you have earned
so far in the campaign. Check out the Pilot’s Log to see a summary of your performance for all the
missions in the campaign so far.
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Multiplayer
In Multiplayer you can choose to fly against (or with) other real players over a network or the Internet.
Test your skill against other human pilots—for details on hosting or joining a multiplayer game, press
F1 on your keyboard for online Help.
Training Missions
Training Missions teach you the classic aerial maneuvers that you’ll need for combat. Practice all of
these until they become second nature to you.
To view a training video of the maneuver, click the Play button in the lower-left corner of the picture.
Other main screen options

Settings
Use the settings screen to control a variety of technical options in the game. You can choose the settings
for your computer display, your game controller (keyboard or joystick), and the level of realism you
want for your airplane.
For details on all of the settings, press F1 for online Help.
Exit
This allows you to leave the game.
Game Controllers
After you’ve chosen your settings, you have a choice of flying with a joystick, your computer’s mouse,
or your computer’s keyboard.
Flying with a mouse

You can use your computer mouse as the flight control stick in Combat Flight Simulator. Right-click
anywhere on the aircraft control panel and choose “Mouse as stick” from the menu that appears. Then
any movement you make with your mouse will control your flight just like a joystick. (Moving the
mouse to the left will cause your aircraft to bank left, and so on.)
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To affect a certain control on the cockpit panel, right-click the panel again and turn off “Mouse as
stick” on the menu. Then click on the control you want to affect. Some controls (like landing gear) will
be toggles, meaning one click will change their state. Other controls (like the flap switch) will have
moving parts. Drag and drop these controls, just like you would adjust them with your hand in a real
airplane.
Flying with a
joystick BUTTON 1(TRIGGER): HAT SWITCH:
You don’t need a joystick to FIRE GUNS BASIC VIEW
COMMANDS
use Combat Flight
Simulator, but it does make
for a more realistic BUTTON 3:
BUTTON 2:
experience. You’ll control FIRE CANNONS
NEXT TARGET
your aircraft’s movement
with the stick, and you’ll
BUTTON 4:
have buttons for shooting BUTTON 5: FIRE ROCKET PREVIOUS
and changing views quickly. BUTTON 6: RELEASE BOMB TARGET
BUTTON 7: ENGAGE WEP or W/MW INJ.
To get the most out of your BUTTON 8: PADLOCK VIEW (TOGGLE)
joystick, make sure you
have the latest drivers. If in
doubt, download them from
THROTTLE
the manufacturer’s Web CONTROL
site. Different joysticks
have different
configurations, so read your
joystick’s documentation to
learn where the different
buttons are located. Also,
before you fly, be sure to
click the Settings button and
make sure your joystick is
enabled and calibrated.
This Microsoft® Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick is ideally suited for use
For more detailed with Combat Flight Simulator.
instructions on settings,
press the F1 key on your
keyboard for online Help.
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Joystick commands
Here are the main commands you can make with your joystick. You can find the procedures for
customizing your controls by pressing F1 on your keyboard for online Help.
Action Command
Bank left (ailerons) Move stick left
Bank right (ailerons) Move stick right
Pitch down (elevator) Move stick forward
Pitch up (elevator) Move stick backward
Yaw left (rudder) Twist stick left (Not all joysticks can do this)
Yaw right (rudder) Twist stick right (Not all joysticks can do this)
View up 45 degrees Hat up
View left 45 degrees Hat up/left
View left Hat left
View left 135 degrees Hat down/left
View right 45 degrees Hat up/right
View right Hat right
View right 135 degrees Hat down/right
View rear Hat down
Fire guns Button 1 (Trigger)
Fire cannons Button 2
Next target Button 3
Previous target Button 4
Fire Rocket Button 5
Release Bomb Button 6
Engage WEP or W/MW Inj. (toggle) Button 7
Padlock view (toggle) Button 8
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Flying with a keyboard

Here are the key commands for Combat Flight Simulator. In the back of the book you’ll find an easy-
to-reference list of all these commands. While you’re flying, press the F2 key to bring up the Key
Command Quick Reference screen, which lists the basic commands you’ll use the most.
Game commands
Use these commands to perform general game functions.
Action Command
In-game menu (toggle when in full screen mode) ALT key
Open online Help F1
Key Command Quick Reference F2
Pause P key
Bail out O key (press three times)
Select time compression (toggle) R key
Sound (toggle) Q key
End Training Mission CTRL+U
Reset Training Mission CTRL+R
Exit game CTRL+C
Exit game immediately CTRL+BREAK
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Flight commands
These commands are the primary ones you’ll use to fly your airplane. For details, see the Flight School
chapter.
Action Command (Num Lock Off)
Bank left (ailerons) Num Pad 4
Bank right (ailerons) Num Pad 6
Aileron trim left Num Pad CTRL+4
Aileron trim right Num Pad CTRL+6
Yaw right (rudder) Num Pad ENTER
Rudder trim left Num Pad CTRL+0
Rudder trim right Num Pad CTRL+ENTER
Bank/Yaw center (ailerons/rudder) Num Pad 5
Pitch down (elevator) Num Pad 8
Pitch up (elevator) Num Pad 2
Elevator trim up Num Pad 1
Elevator trim down Num Pad 7
Retract flaps fully F5
Retract flaps in increments F6
Extend flaps in increments F7
Extend flaps fully F8
Spoilers (toggle) SLASH key ( / )
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Engine commands
These commands help you make the most efficient use of your ship’s engine. To learn more about using
engine controls, see “Using the Engine Controls” in the Flight School chapter.
Action Command
Decrease throttle F3
50% throttle 5 key (keyboard)
Minimum prop r.p.m. CTRL+F1
Increase prop r.p.m. CTRL+F3
Maximum prop r.p.m. CTRL+F4
Mixture idle cutoff CTRL+SHIFT+F1
Enrich mixture CTRL+SHIFT+F3
Full rich mixture CTRL+SHIFT+F4
Engage War Emergency Power or F10
Water/Water-Methanol Injection (toggle)
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Other aircraft commands

You’ll use these commands less frequently than Flight and Engine commands, but they’re still
important.
Action Command
Landing gear (toggle) G key
Manually pump gear CTRL+G
Parking brakes CTRL+PERIOD (.)
Brakes PERIOD (.)
Left brake F11
Right brake F12
Radio (toggle) B key
Pitot tube heat (toggle) SHIFT+H
All lights (toggle) L key
Panel lights SHIFT+L
Landing lights CTRL+L
Weaponry commands
Once you have a target in your sights, you can destroy it. The following commands will help you. See
the Air Combat chapter to learn how to win a fight.
Action Command
Fire guns 1 key (keyboard)
Fire cannon 2 key (keyboard)
Fire timed rocket CTRL+3
Release bomb 4 key (keyboard)
Switch from reflector to BACKSLASH (\)
gyro gunsight (P-51 only)
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Basic view commands

In a real airplane you can look around by turning your head. In Combat Flight Simulator you’ll need to
use views. Cockpit view is the default view with the instrument panel. Full view provides the best
visibility and a useful Heads Up Display. Virtual cockpit view lets you pan around the inside of a
three-dimensional cockpit. Spot view gives you an outside view of your aircraft. Padlock view locks
your view onto the closest enemy; it’s as if your head is always looking at the enemy aircraft. Chase
view puts you behind your own aircraft or any other. Bomb/rocket view puts you at the front of a
bomb or rocket you launch. To learn more about views, see “Using Views” in the Air Combat chapter.
Action Command (Num Lock On)
Forward Default view
Left 45 degrees Num Pad 7 or 8+5
Left 90 degrees Num Pad 4
Right 45 degrees Num Pad 9 or 8+6
Right 90 degrees Num Pad 6
Rear Num Pad 2
Rear, Up 45 degrees Num Pad 2+5
Left 45, Up 45 degrees Num Pad 7+5
Right 45, Up 45 degrees Num Pad 9+5
Full view (toggle cockpit view: forward/ W key
Full View with HUD/Full view without HUD)
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Basic view commands (continued)
Action Command
Cycle views (Cockpit, Virtual Cockpit, Spot) S key
Cycle views backward SHIFT+S
Padlock view (toggle) ` key
Next target TAB
Previous target SHIFT+TAB
Cancel target SHIFT+` key
Chase view (toggle) C key
Chase view: next aircraft TAB
Chase view: previous aircraft SHIFT+TAB
Bomb/rocket view (toggle) A key
Bomb/rocket view: next bomb/rocket TAB
Bomb/rocket view: previous bomb/rocket SHIFT+TAB
Panning view commands

In Virtual Cockpit and Spot views you can use keyboard commands to “pan around” like a camera and
look at things from different perspectives.
Action Command
Pan left CTRL+SHIFT+BACKSPACE
Pan right CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER
Pan up SHIFT+BACKSPACE
Pan down SHIFT+ENTER
Snap to front view CTRL+SPACEBAR
Snap to rear view CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR
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Display commands
You can use these commands to view or hide valuable information as you fly. Checklists help you
during Takeoff, Cruise, Descent, and Landing. The Tactical Display shows your position relative to
other aircraft, and provides waypoint navigational information. The Enemy Indicator is a three-
dimensional arrow that points to the nearest enemy. In Full view, the Heads Up Display (HUD)
provides information you’d normally find on the instrument panel. Aircraft labels make other aircraft
easier to see. Damage text lets you know what sort of damage you’re inflicting or receiving. Display
coordinates/Frame rate shows exactly where you are and how well your computer is performing. For
more information about these features, see the Flight School and Air Combat chapters.
Action Command
HUD (toggle Cockpit view: forward/ W key
Full View with HUD/Full view without HUD)
HUD colors (toggle) SHIFT+W
Measurement system for HUD (toggle) CTRL+W
Aircraft labels (toggle) N key
Display coordinates/Frame rate (toggle) SHIFT+Z
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Slewing in Free Flight and Quick Combat

In the Free Flight and Quick Combat modes, you can “slew” to rapidly change aircraft position,
direction, location, or altitude without actually flying in real time. Use these commands to slew.
Experiment a bit to see what they do!
Action Command
Turn Slew mode on/off Y key
Set aircraft position to north heading, level pitch, level bank SPACEBAR
Move forward Num Pad 8
Move backward Num Pad 2
Move left Num Pad 4
Move right Num Pad 6
Freeze horizontal movement Num Pad 5
Move up slowly Q key
Move up quickly F4
Move down slowly A key
Move down quickly F1
Freeze vertical movement F2 or F3
Rotate left Num Pad 1
Rotate right Num Pad 3
Freeze rotation Num Pad 5
Move nose up 9 key (keyboard)
Move nose up quickly F5
Move nose down 0 key
Move nose down quickly F8
Bank left Num Pad 7
Bank right Num Pad 9
Freeze banking Num Pad 5
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Windows
The flexibility of the Combat Flight Simulator window system gives you many options. You can use
these commands to manipulate the windows. To learn more, press the F1 on your keyboard for online
Help.
Action Command
Create new view window LEFT BRACKET ([)
Close view window RIGHT BRACKET (])
Panel window 1 on/off (toggle) SHIFT+1
Bring window to front APOSTROPHE (’)
Switch to next view window CTRL+TAB
Switch to previous view window CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Zoom in EQUAL SIGN (=)
Zoom out HYPHEN (-)
Zoom normal (1x) BACKSPACE
Bring up chat window (Multiplayer) ENTER
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Chapter 2: Flight School
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The Basics
We’ve sent some of our boys into combat with far less than the standard six months’ training, and they
haven’t made us sorry we did. They’ve succeeded in learning a difficult skill quickly by keeping their
minds open to new ideas. If you make assumptions about how an airplane works you will put an
expensive machine, your life, and your country at risk. If you learn to trust the laws of physics you will
fly well, you will fight well, and we’ll win this war.
Learning to fly really isn’t all that complicated. But you’ll pay
a high price if you make a mistake. So pay attention to what
Poster “Wartime Collage” from The Wartime Scrapbook. Courtesy of Robert Opie Collection
follows! First, we’ll talk about how to get your ship to behave
like you want it to. Then we’ll take a look at why it all works.
The instrument panel

You don’t need an instrument panel to fly, but it sure helps! Every aircraft has a different panel, but for
the most part, they all feature the same elements. While you’re flying, find out which instrument is
which by pointing to the instrument with your mouse. To find out what an instrument does, right-click
it, then choose the “What’s This?” option.
Using the Flight Controls

You control your ship’s movement with the stick, pedals, buttons, and levers. In Microsoft® Combat
Flight Simulator, these controls are simulated by the joystick and rudder pedals (both optional), the
keyboard, and the mouse. No matter what your setup, you’ll use these controls to move “control
surfaces” that deflect air in one direction and cause the airplane to move in the opposite direction.
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Primary control surfaces

Ailerons
Moving the stick left and right moves your
ship’s ailerons. These hinged rectangular
surfaces are located on the trailing edges of AILERON
the wings near the wing tips, and control your
plane’s banking (rolling) motion from side to
side. TRIM
The ailerons move in opposite directions: if

RUDDER FLAP
you move the stick left, the left aileron moves ELEVATOR
up, reducing lift (upward force) on the left
wing. At the same time the right aileron
moves down, increasing lift on the right wing. Control surfaces.
The result? The airplane banks (rolls) to the
left. When the wings reach the angle of bank you want, center the stick. Banking with the ailerons is
what causes a plane to turn.
Action Joystick Keyboard (Num Lock off)
Bank left Move joystick left Num Pad 4
Bank right Move joystick right Num Pad 6
Bank center Center joystick Num Pad 5
Rudder
Pushing the rudder pedals moves your ship’s rudder. The rudder is a hinged surface located on the
vertical stabilizer of the tail that controls your ship’s yawing (pivoting) motion to the left and right. The
rudder is used to counteract your ship’s tendency to yaw in the direction opposite a turn, and to
counteract your engine’s torque. (Learn more about the effects of torque in “A few words about
torque” later in this chapter.)
Action Joystick/Rudder Pedals Keyboard (Num Lock off)
Yaw left Twist joystick left Num Pad 0
(not all joysticks twist) or
press left rudder pedal
Yaw right Twist joystick right or Num Pad ENTER
press right rudder pedal
Yaw center Center joystick or Num Pad 5
center rudder pedals
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Elevator
Moving the stick forward and backward moves your ship’s elevator. This hinged surface is located on
the horizontal stabilizer of the tail, and controls your airplane’s pitch (up and down) motion. Moving
the stick forward decreases pitch attitude (lowers the nose), while moving it backwards increases pitch
attitude (raises the nose). The elevator controls pitch attitude, but it doesn’t necessarily make your
plane climb or descend. You’ll learn why when we discuss “Basic Flight Maneuvers” later in this
chapter.
Action Joystick Keyboard (Num Lock off)
Pitch down Move joystick forward Num Pad 8
Pitch up Move joystick back Num Pad 2
Secondary control surfaces

Trim
As you fly, the oncoming air puts pressure on the primary control surfaces. Trim tabs are small hinged
surfaces on the elevator, rudder, and aileron that help you maintain specific control positions without
your needing to exert pressure on the controls. Moving a trim tab one way deflects the elevator, rudder,
or aileron the other way. When your airplane is properly trimmed, you can fly “hands off,” applying
only occasional, small control pressures to compensate for the occasional bump or minor changes in
heading. (In some aircraft, elevator trim moves the entire elevator slightly, instead of moving a tab on it.)
Use trim to relieve control pressure, not to fly. If you want to change the airplane’s attitude (position
relative to the horizon), first move the stick or rudder and change the power setting if necessary. Then,
after the airplane stabilizes, “trim out” the pressure.
Action Keyboard (Num Lock off)
Elevator trim down Num pad 7
Flaps
Flaps are hinged surfaces on the trailing edges of the wings, next to the fuselage. When extended, they
increase lift by helping the wings deflect more air downward. They also increase drag (the resistance of
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the air), allowing your ship to descend more steeply without building up speed. The flaps are extended
in increments, and are usually used during takeoff and landing.
As you extend or retract the flaps, be prepared for changes in pitch. The nose will rise or fall from
the resulting change in lift. Add forward or back pressure on the stick to hold the nose on the horizon,
then use elevator trim to relieve that pressure.
Action Keyboard
Using the Engine Controls

The engine controls are displayed in a separate window (press SHIFT+2 to toggle on and off). To
automatically start your aircraft’s engine, press the E key: you’ll see the controls move, and then you’ll
hear the engine start. If you’d rather do all the work yourself, you can start the engine manually. For
details, see online Help.
Action Keyboard
Engine auto start E key
Lean mixture CTRL+SHIFT +F2
Engage War Emergency Power F10
or Water/Methanol-water injection
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Your aircraft has three basic

engine controls: a throttle
control lever (the control that War Emergency Power (WEP)
has the most direct effect on If you’re flying the P-51 and you need an extra boost of
power), a prop control lever (to power to get out of a tight situation, you can activate
adjust the propeller’s rotation War Emergency Power (press the F10 key or joystick
speed), and a mixture control button 7) and open the throttle to its absolute limit.
lever (to adjust the air/fuel Your engine is not designed to operate at this high power
mixture as the airplane climbs setting for more than five minutes at a time.
and descends). All three levers
can be controlled through the
keyboard or mouse. You can
also control the throttle with a slider on your joystick (optional).
(Note: the Focke-Wulf 190 has one
lever that collectively controls throttle,
prop, and mixture; the Messerschmitt
Water/Methanol-Water Injection 109E and 109G only have throttle and
prop control levers—mixture is con-
In some airplanes, you can increase the
trolled automatically.)
maximum power of your aircraft for short periods
of time by injecting water (P47) or a methanol-
water mix (Focke-Wulf 190 and Messerschmitt Throttle control lever
109G) into your plane’s engine (press the F10 The throttle determines how much
key or joystick button 7). The injection increases power the engine can develop by
manifold pressure (and thus power output) for controlling the amount of fuel and air
up to 10 minutes. entering the engine cylinders. When
fully “open,” the throttle allows the
maximum amount of fuel and air to
enter the system to produce maximum
power. When the throttle is “closed,” only a small amount of fuel and air can enter the system, and the
engine produces minimum power. To open the throttle, move the control lever forward. To close it, pull
it backward. The manifold pressure gauge on the instrument panel shows the pressure of the air
moving into the engine’s cylinders, and gives an approximate measurement of engine power. Generally
speaking, the higher the manifold pressure, the more power you have.
Propeller control lever
Adjusting the propeller in an airplane is very similar to using gears in a car. In low gears the engine
turns fast to get you moving. Once you’re underway, there’s no need to use a lot of power, so you shift
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to a higher gear to make more efficient use of less power. In an airplane, the propeller control lever
changes the angle at which the propeller blades meet the air, which affects how fast the engine turns.
The tachometer on the
instrument panel shows how
When using the throttle and prop control levers, remember fast your engine is turning.
these basic rules to avoid overstressing the engine:
During takeoff, in combat, and
—To increase power, first increase propeller speed by during landing (in case you
pushing the prop control lever forward, then increase need to abort and take off
manifold pressure by pushing the throttle control lever again) you’ll need every bit of
forward. power your engine can develop.
—To decrease power, first reduce manifold pressure by So during these three phases of
pulling the throttle control lever backward, then decrease flight, keep the propeller lever
propeller speed by pulling the prop control backward. forward: the angle of the blades
will be low, slicing through the
air easily so you can get the
engine’s full power (like using a
low gear in a car). During cruise, pull the propeller lever backward a bit: the angle of the blades will
increase and take a bigger bite out of the air, making more efficient use of the engine’s power (like
using a high gear in a car).
Because your aircraft has a “constant-speed” propeller, any time you change the throttle setting a
governor will automatically adjust the angle of the blades to maintain that speed. This reduces your
workload!
Note: The default setting of your airplane’s
prop control lever is the forward (high
By default, mixture control is handled
speed) position. Don’t change this setting if
automatically. To adjust the mixture
you don’t need to. As a fighter pilot, you’ll
manually, from the Main menu click
want this setting most of the time. Leaving
Settings, and in the Controls section clear
the prop control lever forward during
the Enable Auto Mixture check box.
cruising flight means you’ll fly less effi-
ciently and use more fuel, but it won’t
cause any damage.
Mixture control lever

Because your aircraft’s engine operates over a wide range of altitudes, you can adjust the fuel/air
mixture for maximum efficiency as you climb into less dense air or descend into more dense air. A
mixture that is too rich contains too much fuel for the existing atmospheric conditions and may cause
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the engine to run rough and lose power. The solution is to “lean the mixture.” As you climb, make the
mixture leaner by pulling the mixture control lever back until the engine starts to sputter, then push it
back in a little. Don’t lean the mixture too much, though: a mixture that is too lean can cause the engine
to overheat or cause detonation (a sudden, explosive combustion of fuel within the cylinders).
The Pilot’s Golden Rule

Pitch + Power = Performance. “Pitch” is the angle of the airplane’s nose above or below
the horizon. If you establish a specific pitch and set power at a constant level, your
airplane will fly at a particular airspeed and either maintain level flight, or climb or
descend at a constant rate.
Basic Flight Maneuvers

There are four basic maneuvers to master: Flying straight-and-level, turning, climbing, and descending.
Flying straight-and-level
Flying straight-and-level may look simple, but it’s one of the more difficult maneuvers to master.
Because hotshot pilots like to be in control, they overdo it most of the time and interfere with their
airplane’s basic stability. Like a balancing act, straight-and-level flight requires that you make smooth,
small corrections to keep from wobbling all over the sky. There are two components to flying straight-
and-level:
Hold a constant altitude
Keep an eye on the altimeter.
If your altitude starts to change, make small, smooth corrections with the throttle or the stick. Use pitch
to correct deviations of less than 100 feet. If your altitude has deviated more than 100 feet, you may
want to add or reduce power a bit. Use elevator trim to keep the pitch attitude where you want it.
To slow down without losing altitude: Reduce power and keep the nose from falling by gently pulling
back on the stick.
To speed up without gaining altitude: Add power and keep the nose from rising by gently pushing
forward on the stick.
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Hold a constant heading

Check the heading indicator on the instrument panel frequently to make sure the nose is pointed in the
right direction. Cross-check the turn indicator and the wing tips to hold the wings level and to correct
minor deviations. Pick a point on the horizon and keep flying toward it. Use aileron trim and rudder
trim to make the job easier.
Turning
An airplane turns by banking (dipping one wing and raising the other). In a bank, some of the lift that
the wings produce push it “around the
corner.” Add a little rudder pressure
simultaneously to make the turn more TOTAL LIFT
coordinated. In theory, you could skid an VERTICAL
airplane through a turn without banking COMPONENT
using just the rudder, but that’s an inefficient OF LIFT
and uncomfortable way to change direction.

(But in combat, you can use skidding to
confuse an enemy on your tail.)
You might think that the faster you go, the
faster you can turn. But flying fast in a turn
means more centrifugal force, and that means
a bigger turn radius. The result? The turn
takes longer! So sometimes to turn faster HORIZONTAL
you’ll need to fly slower. How fast you can COMPONENT
turn (and how much sky you can do it in) OF LIFT
depends on your aircraft, its engine, and your

airspeed.
An airplane turns when banked because of the
A note about auto-rudder horizontal component of lift.
(Auto-rudder is called auto-coordination in
Microsoft® Flight Simulator.) By default,
auto-rudder is set to Off. This adds realism to your flights—you can control the rudder yourself with
rudder pedals, a joystick that supports rudder control, or the keyboard (press the numeric keypad 0 key
and the keypad ENTER key). When auto-rudder is set to On, the rudder moves automatically to
maintain coordinated flight in turns, making your airplane easier to fly.
To turn auto-rudder on or off, from the Main screen, click Settings, and in the Controls section select or
clear the “Enable auto-rudder” check box.
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How to turn
Bank the wings: Move the stick right or left to manipulate the ailerons and initiate a bank. Center the
stick when you reach the bank angle you want. By banking the wings, you deflect some of their vertical
lift sideways. This part of the airplane’s total lift is called the “horizontal component of lift,” and it is
this force that pushes the plane around in a turn.
Simultaneously add some rudder: Your plane will have a tendency to yaw (pivot) opposite the turn.
So as you bank, you’ll need to apply some rudder pressure in the same direction as the turn. As you
bank left, add a little left rudder, and vice versa. How much rudder? Just enough to keep the ball/needle
in the turn indicator centered.
Use some up-elevator: Because some of the lift is deflected sideways in a turn, you’ll need to raise the
nose slightly to generate more lift. Add a little back-pressure on the stick as you roll into a turn. The
steeper the turn, the more up-elevator pressure you’ll need to add to maintain altitude. You might even
need to add some power. Remember to relax the back-pressure on the stick as you roll out of the turn.
“Paint the horizon”: To maintain level flight as you turn (or to turn while climbing or descending at a
constant speed and rate), “paint the horizon” with the nose—keep the pitch attitude the same after
you’ve started the turn. In general, if the nose moves up as you’re turning, you’ll climb. If it moves
down, you’ll descend.
Climbing
There are two ways to get your ship to go up:
Use momentum
Pull back on the stick to create a “hill”—your airplane will start to climb. You’ll get higher but you’ll
also slow down—just like climbing a hill on a bicycle. Pulling back on the stick to go up means
trading airspeed for altitude.
Use excess thrust
A sustained climb is made possible by using thrust to pull your plane up the “hill.” Determine how
steep the “hill” is by moving the stick. Then add power with the throttle to pull yourself up, just like
pedaling a bike faster. Using excess thrust is a way to gain altitude without losing airspeed.
Every aircraft has a “best-climb speed.” With full power, this is the speed that lets the airplane gain
altitude fastest in a sustained climb. Adjust your speed by raising or lowering the nose. To find your
aircraft’s best-climb speed, see the chart in the “Planes” section of the Machines of War chapter.
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Descending
There are two ways to get your ship to go down:
Dive
Push forward on the stick to make a steep “hill” to dive down. As you descend, your speed will
increase. Pushing forward on the stick to go down means trading altitude for airspeed. Be careful! If
the air traveling over your wings in a high-speed dive exceeds the speed of sound, your control surfaces
may lose their effectiveness. “Compressibility” is a very dangerous condition, and you may not be able
to pull out of the dive.
Glide
To descend more slowly than in a dive, make a shallow “hill” with the stick (or leave the stick where it
is), and reduce your throttle a bit. When the engine stops producing enough thrust to maintain level
flight, your plane will start to glide slowly toward the ground. Gliding is a way to lose altitude without
gaining airspeed.
Every aircraft has a “best-glide speed.” If the engine quits, this is the speed that lets the airplane glide
the farthest. Adjust your speed by raising or lowering the nose. For your aircraft’s best-glide speed, see
the chart in the “Planes” section of the Machines of War chapter.
Don’t stall!
A stall is an aerodynamic phenom-
enon—it has nothing to do with an
airplane’s engine sputtering. You can INTENDED
stall at any airspeed—even when the PATH
plane is in a fast dive!
The reason for this is what is called the
“angle of attack.” This is the angle at
which a wing meets the oncoming air
(the difference between where the wing
points and where it’s actually going). If
ACTUAL
you increase the angle of attack too PATH
much, the wings just disturb the air
instead of deflecting it downward. The
resulting lack of lift is called a “stall”:
the wings can’t generate enough lift to
Be careful: No matter how fast you’re going, if you pull back on the stick too
hard, your wings will stall!
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counteract the plane’s weight, so it starts to fall toward the ground. (For more information on angle of
attack, see “Why it All Works” later in this chapter.)
A wing always stalls at the same critical angle of attack, no matter how fast or slow you’re flying.
If you add weight to your airplane, it will stall at a higher speed. More fuel and more ammunition will
make the plane weigh more. But so will maneuvering. In a turn, for example, centrifugal force will pull
you into your seat: both you and the airplane will seem heavier. Even though the “real” weight of the
airplane hasn’t changed, the “apparent weight” has—and more lift is required to offset this weight and
maintain level flight. To generate this additional lift you’ll need to increase the angle of attack, which
means you’ll be closer to the critical angle of attack and a stall.
So go easy on the stick when you’re maneuvering. Just because you’re going fast doesn’t mean you
can’t stall!
Learn to recognize the warning signs
A stall near the ground can be deadly. But you can learn to sense one coming and prevent it. As the air
flowing over the top of the wings becomes turbulent, you’ll feel a slight shaking or buffeting, and
you’ll see a “Stall” text message on the screen. This means that your airplane is about to stall, so reduce
the angle of attack!
Recover promptly
The only way to recover from a stall (or to prevent one) is to reduce the angle of attack. Apply
forward pressure on the stick, and add power to minimize loss of altitude. If you continue to pull back
on the stick (the intuitive thing to do, since your nose is dropping!), your ship will not recover. If one
wing drops before the other, the stall may become a spin.
Don’t spin!
A spin occurs when one wing stalls first. The ship corkscrews toward the ground at a steep angle of
descent, at a low airspeed. Sound scary? It’s no big deal once you’ve done a few. But understand that
for an airplane to spin it must first be stalled. Avoid a stall and you’ll avoid a spin.
Note: When auto-rudder is set to Off, it’s unlikely a stall will develop into a spin. To turn auto-rudder
on or off, from the Main screen, click Settings, and select or clear the “Enable auto-rudder” check box.
If you find yourself in a spin close to the ground, your options are limited. Bail out (press the O key
three times)! If you think you have enough altitude to recover (at least 5,000 feet in most aircraft),
here’s what to do:
1. Center the stick—you’ll neutralize the ailerons.
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2. Apply full rudder opposite the direction of rotation, and relax back-pressure on the stick to decrease
the angle of attack and break the stall. (In some planes you’ll have to “pop” the stick forward sharply.)
3. As soon as the rotation stops, neutralize the rudder.
4. Add power and ease back on the stick as airspeed builds.
Getting Up and Back

In most Combat Flight Simulator missions you’ll start on the runway, all lined up and ready to go. Start
your engine, and follow your squadron mates into the sky!
Starting the engine
To automatically start your aircraft’s engine, press the E key. For details, see the “Using the Engine
Controls” section earlier in this chapter.
Taxiing
In general, you won’t need to taxi (move on the ground) unless you want to. If you do, remember this:
because your aircraft has a tailwheel, it’s difficult to see over the nose when you’re on the ground. To
get an unobstructed view ahead as you taxi, make gentle S-turns by using the rudder pedals and look to
either side.
Note: When auto-rudder is set to On, you can steer by moving the stick left and right—the ailerons and
the rudder are connected. To turn auto-rudder on or off, from the Main screen, click Settings, then in
the Controls section, select or clear the “Enable auto-rudder” check box.
Hold the stick back some to keep the tailwheel on the ground. Taxi with the throttle at idle and use the
brakes as little as possible. To turn sharply, brake just on the side you’re turning toward (press F11 or
F12 key). When you reach the runway, stop at a right-angle and scan the sky for any approaching
aircraft.
Taking off
Taking off is something even experienced pilots get excited about. But it’s important that you don’t lose
your head during this critical stage of flight. Every plane performs differently during takeoff, so use the
chart in the “Planes” section of the Machines of War chapter for best climb speeds and flap details.
Here are some general guidelines:
1. Line up on the runway.
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2. Incrementally add some flaps if appropriate in your airplane (press F7 key).

3. Make sure the prop control lever is in the full forward position (default setting), then smoothly
advance the throttle to takeoff power. See the “Using the Engine Controls” section earlier in this
chapter for details. Do not jam the throttle forward or torque effect may cause loss of control!
4. Maintain back-pressure on the stick to keep the tailwheel on the ground until the rudder becomes
effective. This also locks the tailwheel in some aircraft.
5. Slowly ease forward on the stick so the tail rises.
6. At your aircraft’s takeoff speed, gently pull back on the stick and fly the plane off the runway.
7. Once airborne, retract the landing gear (press G key) and flaps (press F6 repeatedly until the flaps
are fully retracted).
8. Adjust your pitch attitude to climb out at your plane’s best-climb speed.
Landing
A good landing starts with a good approach:
1. Slow your ship down to its maximum gear-extension speed (see the “Planes” section chart), then
lower the landing gear and start a shallow 500-foot-per-minute descent toward the runway. (Do this by
pressing the G key or CTRL+G to manually pump the gear down if your hydraulic system is
damaged.) Watch the vertical-speed indicator on the instrument panel.
2. Incrementally add flaps to steepen the approach (press F7 key).
3. Maintain the approach speed recommended for your aircraft (see the “Planes” section of the
Machines of War chapter for details), and use pitch to control airspeed. To speed up, move the stick
forward slightly to lower the nose. To slow down, gently pull the stick back.
4. Pick a touchdown point and use the throttle to control descent rate. If the touchdown point appears to
move down your windscreen, decrease power: you’re too high. If the touchdown point seems to move
up, add power: you’re too low.
5. As you cross the end of the runway, ease the throttle back to idle.
6. “Flare” about 20 feet above the runway by pulling back slowly on the stick, and touch down in a
nose-high, “three-point” attitude. All three wheels should contact the ground at the same moment.
7. During and after touchdown, maintain directional control with the rudder. (If auto-rudder is on, then
move the stick left and right—the ailerons and the rudder are connected.)
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8. After the aircraft has slowed to walking speed, apply the brakes (press PERIOD key).
Using checklists
Why rely on your memory? As you fly, you can view Takeoff, Cruise, Descent, and Landing checklists
to help you with these important phases of flight. Press SHIFT+C to display and cycle through the
available checklists. To close the checklists, click the X in the lower-right corner of the checklist, or
press SHIFT+C when the last checklist appears.
You can also get to the checklists from the pull-down menu. On the Aircraft menu, point to Checklists,
then select the checklist you want to display.
Note: You can edit the checklists or create customized checklists. For more information, type “Custom-
izing Checklists” on the Index tab of online Help.
Why It All Works

There are four forces that affect an airplane in flight, and they act in pairs. Lift opposes weight, and
thrust opposes drag. To get your ship to behave like you want it to, you’ll need to manage these four
forces. Understanding them makes it easier.
Lift
Lift is the upward force
produced by a wing as it
moves through the air. It’s
the force that counteracts
the downward-pulling
LIFT
effects of an airplane’s
weight.
THRUST DRAG How a wing works
Ask engineers how a wing
WEIGHT
works and they’ll rant

about circulation theory,
the shape of the wing, and
“Bernoulli’s Theorem.”
They’ll talk your ear off
The four forces that affect an airplane in flight.
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explaining something quite

simple: A wing keeps an
airplane up by deflecting the
air down.
AIRPLANE’S MOTION
The angle that matters most
The angle at which a wing ANGLE OF
meets the air is called the ATTACK
“angle of attack.” This is not
the angle between the airplane’s
nose and the horizon. It’s the
difference between where your
RELATIVE WIND
wing is pointing and where it’s
actually going. Angle of attack: the angle at which the wing meets oncoming air.
Changing the amount of lift

You can control the amount of lift a wing generates by adjusting two things: speed and angle of attack.
To produce a certain amount of lift at low speeds, the air must be deflected using a large angle of
attack. To produce the same amount of lift at high speeds, the air must be deflected using a small angle
of attack. If the speed is very low, the angle of attack you’ll need to maintain lift will be so large at a
certain point (the “critical angle of attack”) that the air will not be able to flow smoothly over the wing,
and the wing will stall.
You can also add lift by extending the flaps, which increase the curvature of the wing. With the flaps
extended, more air is deflected downward, so there is more lift. Flaps also cause an increase in drag.
Experimenting with lift
Think about what happens to your hand when you stick it out the window of a moving automobile,
letting it be bounced around by the wind. If the car speeds up, you can reduce the angle of your hand
relative to the wind (the angle of attack) to keep it from blowing upward. If the car slows down, you
can increase the angle of your hand to keep it from falling downward. If you increase the angle of your
hand too much, it will stop generating lift, and fall (stall).
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Weight
Weight opposes lift—it’s the downward force caused by gravity pulling an airplane toward the center of
the earth.
For your ship to fly, the wings must develop enough lift to counteract its weight. The “real” weight of
your aircraft changes only as fuel and ammunition are used up. But changes in “apparent gravity”
(measured in G-forces) are caused by maneuvering. For example, a turn with a 60-degree bank puts a
2G load on the plane and its pilot. Both seem to weigh twice as much as they do when in straight-and-
level flight—and in a way they do—because of the increase in “apparent weight.”
Compensating for G-forces
During maneuvers, you have to adjust the amount of lift to compensate for the changes in weight
caused by G-forces. To stay level during a steeply banked turn, for example, you’ll need to raise the
nose slightly (increase the angle of attack) and add more power (thrust) to produce more lift to balance
you out.
Physiological effects of G-forces
Most maneuvers create only slight, brief G-forces. But combat maneuvers produce strong, rapidly
changing G-forces that can be uncomfortable, or even incapacitating.
Positive Gs: Rapid pull-ups and steeply banked, level turns create positive G-forces that act toward
your feet. As the blood circulation to your brain decreases, your visual field narrows and you may
experience “blackout”: you’ll lose color vision and eventually lose consciousness.
Negative Gs: Rapid pushovers and certain aerobatic maneuvers create negative G-forces that act toward
your head. As the forces increase, you’ll experience discomfort, headache, “redout” caused by
excessive blood flow to your eyes, and even unconsciousness. Most pilots have a much lower tolerance
for negative Gs than for positive Gs.
Thrust
Thrust is the forward force provided by an airplane’s propeller, and is opposed by drag (the resistance
of the air as the airplane moves through it).
An airplane’s propeller creates thrust in the same way its wings create lift: air is deflected backward, so
the propeller (and the aircraft) move forward. The more powerful the engine (and the bigger the
propeller), the greater the thrust, and the faster the airplane can fly. Thrust is also the most important
factor in determining a plane’s ability to climb.
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Drag
Drag is the rearward-
pulling force that
opposes thrust, and has
two components:
“parasite drag” and
“induced drag.”
Parasite drag
Parasite drag is caused
by friction between the
air and an airplane’s
structure. The more
things there are sticking
out into the airflow
(antennas, landing gear,
bombs), the higher the
parasite drag. Your plane
is designed to have as
little parasite drag as
possible, but the faster Detail from Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks of
you go, the more there World War II Squadron Life, by George Rarey. (©Damon Rarey)
will be.
Induced drag
As the angle of attack increases, lift pulls an airplane upward and backward. The upward component of
lift is called “effective lift”; the backward component is called “induced drag.” Effective lift counteracts
weight to keep the airplane flying. Induced drag counteracts thrust and slows the airplane down. The
slower you go (the bigger the angle of attack), the greater the induced drag. Eventually, you’ll need to
add more power to generate the lift necessary to remain aloft.
Experimenting with induced drag
You can understand how induced drag works by sticking your hand out the car window again. If you
hold your hand relatively flat (at a low angle of attack), your hand gets pushed upward and slightly
backward. As you increase the angle of attack you’ll notice an increase in both the upward force
(effective lift) and in the backward force (induced drag). Increase the angle too much and your hand
will stall.
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A few words about torque

Torque is a catch-all term used to describe your ship’s tendency to yaw and bank in either one direction
or the other at certain power settings. A fighter’s powerful engine and big propeller make this effect
very pronounced, especially when the throttle’s on high but the airspeed is low (as during takeoff). To
counter torque you’ll need to use the rudder and ailerons, although torque can be used to your advan-
tage in a dogfight.
What causes torque? Four phenomena:
Reactive force
When the powerful engine of a fighter plane turns the propeller in one direction, there is an “equal and
opposite force” that makes the plane roll in the other direction. When your throttle’s high but your
airspeed’s low (as during takeoff), the plane will roll in a direction opposite to the rotation of the prop.
This is most pronounced during acceleration.
Spiraling slipstream
A propeller’s spiraling slipstream (the air mass that the propeller “propels” behind it) will hit one side
of the tail and cause the nose of the plane to yaw (rotate left or rotate right around the vertical axis) in
the same direction the reactive force causes it to roll. The result? An even stronger tendency to turn.
Gyroscopic precession
Because it’s big and spins rapidly, your plane’s propeller behaves like a gyroscope. This makes it
subject to the effects of “gyroscopic precession.” When a force acts on a gyroscope, the gyroscope acts
as if the force were applied at a point 90 degrees in the direction of rotation. If the propeller turns
clockwise when viewed from the cockpit, pushing the stick forward (nose down) will make the plane
swerve to the left. Kicking the left rudder will make the nose come up, and so forth. On the takeoff run,
when the tail comes up the nose goes down. So if the prop rotates clockwise, there can be a strong
tendency to turn to the left due to precession.
P factor
A propeller is a bunch of small wings moving around a crankshaft. Each propeller blade produces a
certain amount of thrust. When an airplane is flying at a high angle of attack, the downward-moving
propeller blades have higher angles of attack and produce more thrust than the upward-moving blades.
The result is “P factor,” or asymmetric propeller loading, which creates a yawing motion.
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German Heinkel 219 used as a night fighter-bomber.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Navigation
Finding your way through the sky using ground references, a map, and your compass can be quite a
challenge. Combat Flight Simulator makes navigating a bit easier. If you’re up for a challenge, you can
fly using ground references. Or, you can take advantage of the waypoint information on the Tactical
Display. If you don’t want to bother with navigation at all, you can easily skip to the next waypoint.
Using these three methods in conjunction with the mission map displayed on the mission briefing
screen and the map in the back of this manual, it’s easy to find the action.
Using ground references
If you want to fly from your base to the mission objective and back in real time, you can find your way
using references on the ground. “Pilotage” is the most basic way to stay on course. It involves matching
terrain features with symbols on a map. Pilotage depends on reasonably good weather and a pilot who
pays attention to each checkpoint along the route.
“Deduced reckoning” is a bit more complicated than pilotage. It involves measuring distances, keeping
track of time elapsed between checkpoints, and estimating the effect of wind.
Navigating successfully using ground references depends on making accurate corrections for the effect
of wind on your airplane’s flight path. For example, suppose you’re flying east from Biggen Hill and
the wind is from the north at 20 knots. If you fly a compass heading of 090 degrees, after an hour,
you’ll be 20 nautical miles (nm) south of your intended course. To compensate, you must turn your ship
slightly into the wind. The magnitude of this wind correction angle depends on how fast your aircraft
flies. The faster you fly, the less of a wind correction angle you need. In most missions, wind is not a
significant factor. You can manually set winds in the Free Flight and Quick Combat area.
Using waypoint information
Whenever the Tactical Display is on (press F9 key to toggle) and you’re not engaged in combat,
waypoint information appears. You’ll see a line extending from the symbol that represents your aircraft
toward the next waypoint. Under the Tactical Display, you’ll see the distance and magnetic bearing to
the next waypoint or action sequence.
Using waypoint information to navigate in real time is simple: just turn your aircraft so that the line
points to the top of the screen and your heading matches the suggested bearing. You’ll see the distance
to the waypoint decrease as you fly toward it. Waypoint information turns off when you’re engaged in
combat so that the Tactical Display is easier to read. Waypoint information turns back on when combat
is over.
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Skipping to next action

If you’re itching to get into a fight and you don’t want to find your way to the mission objective by
flying the route in real time, you can skip right to the next action. Just press the X key.
Slewing (Free Flight and Quick Combat)
In Free Flight and Quick Combat, you can slew to rapidly change your aircraft’s position, direction,
location, or altitude without flying. Slewing is a good way to speed up a long flight, or to reposition
yourself quickly. When Combat Flight Simulator is in slew mode, you can use a joystick, the keyboard,
or the mouse to change your aircraft’s position, heading, and altitude.
To turn on slewing, press the Y key. Your current latitude, longitude, and altitude will be displayed in
the upper-left corner of the view window and the word “Slew” will appear in the status indicator. Use
the mouse, keyboard, or joystick to change your position.
Note: If your aircraft is on the ground and you slew up, you may drop like a rock when you switch back
to normal flight. Once you gain airspeed, you can pull out of the dive.
Action Command (Num Lock off)
Turn slew mode on and off Y key
Move forward Num pad 8
Move backward Num pad 2
Move left Num pad 4
Move right Num pad 6
Freeze horizontal movement Num pad 5
Move up quickly F4
Rotate left Num pad 1
Rotate right Num pad 3
Freeze rotation Num pad 5
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Communications
During a mission, your radio is on by default and can provide you with good information. (To turn the
radio off or back on, press the B key.) Pay attention to what you hear!
Here are some examples of common radio transmissions:
“Bandits! Nine o’clock low!”
Imagine that your aircraft is at the center of a clock, with the nose at 12. This transmission means that
the enemy is off your left wing, lower than you.

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“That’s a clean kill!”

One of your squadron mates can see that you’ve finished off an enemy, and is telling you that you can
go on to pursue others.
“I’m taking hits!” or “Need Help!”
A friendly is being attacked and needs your help.
“Break off! You’re shooting at friendlies!”
You have mistaken one of your own planes for an enemy, or your gunfire is coming dangerously close
to a friendly aircraft.
“We’re clear of bandits.”
The immediate dogfight is over, so you’re free to proceed with your mission.
“Commencing bomb run.”
The bombers are starting the bombing leg of their mission.
“Bombs away!”
The bombers are dropping their bombs.
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Basic Aerobatic Maneuvers

Now that you know how to fly an airplane, it’s time to learn
how to fly in combat. These basic aerobatic maneuvers will
improve your skills, and get you familiar with handling your
ship in a variety of attitudes. Master them, and learning
combat maneuvers will be a snap!*
Aileron Roll
Purpose
Rarely used on its own in battle, the Aileron Roll is worth learning because it’s part of many combat
maneuvers.
To Perform
Raise the nose slightly. Pick a reference point on the horizon, then smoothly push the stick all the way
to one side and hold it there. Use the stick to keep the nose on the reference point, then center the stick
as the wings approach level again. Practice stopping the roll partway through for a half-roll. That’s an
easy way to get inverted quickly.
* For complete instructions on air combat maneuvers, see the Air Combat chapter.
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Barrel Roll
Purpose
The Barrel Roll is a basic aerobatic maneuver that can also be used in combat to shake an enemy from
your tail. You’ll corkscrew through the sky and lose airspeed, causing your opponent to fly right by.
To Perform
Raise the nose, bank sharply left or right, and gently pull back on the stick to maintain the roll. Hold the
sideways pressure on the stick as you roll inverted, then center it when you return to level flight. During
this move, the stick is essentially in the left- or right-rear corner of the cockpit. The nose will draw a
circle on the horizon instead of rotating around a point, as in an aileron roll. If you do a Barrel Roll
perfectly, you won’t lose any altitude.
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Loop Over
Purpose
A Loop Over (commonly referred to as a “loop”) is a way to make a vertical circle in the sky and end
up back where you started. Practicing Loop Overs will help you get accustomed to unusual pitch
attitudes, rapidly changing airspeeds, and the effects of G-forces.
To Perform
Make sure you have enough airspeed or you’ll stall at the top of the loop. Slowly pull back on the stick.
As you climb, you’ll lose airspeed. Once inverted, ease off on the stick. Add a little back pressure as
you start down the back side, and reduce the throttle as you dive. A tip: watch your left wing tip to see
where in the loop you are. The wing should draw a circle on the horizon.
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Loop Under
Purpose
A Loop Under is basically a reverse Loop Over, but it’s more useful in combat since you gain speed
early. Whereas your airspeed has to be high to do a Loop Over, your ship has to be high to do a Loop
Under—or you’ll hit the ground! Make sure you have enough altitude before you try this one, and don’t
pull too many negative Gs. The negative G loads most aircraft can handle are half that of the positive G
loads.
To Perform
Do a half–Aileron Roll to get inverted, then pull back on the stick smoothly. You’ll gain airspeed,
which will let you start up the other side of the loop. As you start to climb, keep back pressure on the
stick. You’ll slow down as you become inverted. Push forward on the stick slightly to stop the loop,
then finish the maneuver with another half–Aileron Roll: you should be flying in the same direction you
were when you started, and at the same altitude.
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Chapter 3: Air Combat
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Tools of the Trade

Although experience is the best teacher, going into combat
without any aerial combat training would be a death
sentence. To the enemy, your ship is just a target. He doesn’t
care who you are or how much you know—his goal is to shoot
you down. If you are to survive and prevail, you must
understand some basic concepts.
Using views
You can use a joystick, keyboard commands, and the items on the Views menu to see everything you’d
see from the cockpit of a real airplane—and more. Different views serve different purposes. Experiment
with them in Quick Combat and learn your favorites to keep track of where the enemy is. For a detailed
list of all the views and view commands available, see the Key Command table in the back of the book.
In combat, you’ll probably use a combination of views:
• Cockpit view is the default view, and provides the most realistic flying experience.
of World War II Squadron Life, by George Rarey. (©Damon Rarey)
• Full view (cycle with the W key—it’s a three-way toggle) provides the best visibility, and when
Detail from Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks
used with the Heads Up Display gives you most of the important information you need.
• Bomb/rocket view (press A key to toggle on and off) puts you at the front of the bomb or rocket
you’ve launched. Press the TAB key to cycle through all the launched bombs and/or rockets.
• Padlock view (press the ` key or Button 8 on your joystick to toggle on and off) locks your view
onto the closest enemy, and puts yellow brackets around the plane for easy identification. It’s as if
your head is always looking at the enemy aircraft. The “padlocked” aircraft will also appear as a
yellow dot on the Tactical Display (see “Using the Tactical Display” later in this chapter). To lock
onto a different target, press the TAB key or Button 3 on your joystick. SHIFT+TAB or joystick
button 4 cycles through the available targets backward.
Although it takes some practice to use Padlock view effectively, it’s a good way to stay on the
enemy’s tail once you’re there. When you exit Padlock view, the last padlocked target will still
appear as a yellow dot on the Tactical Display, and the Enemy Indicator (see “Using the Enemy
Indicator” later in this chapter) will point toward it. To cancel the target, press Shift+` key.
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• Virtual cockpit view (press S key once) lets you pan around the inside of a three-dimensional
cockpit.
• Spot view (cycle through S key twice), shows you an outside view of your aircraft. You can
position the spot plane anywhere around your plane.
• Chase view (press C key to toggle on and off) puts you behind your aircraft. Press the TAB key
to cycle behind each other aircraft.
Getting a good look

Experiment with the numeric keypad view commands to see how easy they are to use.
When in Cockpit or Full view: use your joystick’s hat switch or the number keys on the numeric
keypad. Make sure Num Lock is on. The default view is straight ahead. Pressing the 5 key shows you
the view directly overhead. Pressing the other number keys allows you to look to the side and behind
you. Pressing the 5 key and any of the other number keys at the same time allows you to look around
you and up at a 45-degree angle. For a detailed list of all these commands, see the Key Command table
in the back of the book.
In Virtual cockpit or Spot views, use your joystick’s hat button or the following keyboard commands:
Action Command
Pan Up SHIFT+BACKSPACE
Pan Down SHIFT+ENTER
Using the Heads Up Display (HUD)

Pressing the W key toggles between Cockpit view, Full view with the HUD, and Full view without the
HUD. In Full view, the Heads Up Display gives you important information without your needing to see
the instrument panel. To change the color of the HUD, press SHIFT+W one or more times. To change
the measurement system the HUD uses, press CTRL+W.
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Using the Enemy Indicator

The Enemy Indicator is on by default (press U key to toggle); it’s a three-dimensional arrow that points
to the nearest enemy aircraft, or to an aircraft you have “targeted” by using Padlock view (see “Using
views” earlier in this chapter) or by pressing TAB or joystick button 3. To find the plane, simply fly in
the direction the Enemy Indicator is pointing. When an enemy aircraft is visible through the front
windscreen, the Enemy Indicator will disappear.
Using the Tactical Display

The Tactical Display is on by default (press F9 key to toggle), and is a visual aid to help you keep track
of both friendly and enemy aircraft. It appears in the upper-left corner of the screen. Your aircraft is
represented by the symbol in the center of the screen, while other aircraft are represented by colored
dots. A “targeted” aircraft will appear as a yellow dot (see “Using views” earlier in this chapter). The
top of the screen is the direction in which you are moving. When you’re not engaged in combat,
waypoint information is also displayed. (To learn about navigating with waypoint information, see
“Navigation” in the Flight School chapter.)
Displaying aircraft labels

To display or hide a label next to each aircraft, press the N key. When labels are displayed, you’ll see
the name of each pilot in your formation, as well as the type of every enemy aircraft you see. You’ll
also see the distance between you and the other aircraft. With labels turned on, it’s much easier to spot
and keep track of other planes. By watching the distance change you can tell whether an enemy aircraft
is getting closer to you or farther away, and if it’s within range of your guns.
Using gunsights
Most of the aircraft in Microsoft® Combat Flight Simulator feature a reflector gunsight that consists of a
yellow circle of light with crosshairs and a center aiming point projected onto a glass screen. To hit the
target, take your own aircraft’s movement and that of the enemy’s into account: once you’re within
range, position the center aiming point where you think the enemy will be when the bullets converge.
Then fire!
Note: The P-51 features both a reflector gunsight and a gyroscopic gunsight. (To toggle between these
gunsights, press the BACKSLASH (\) key.) A gyroscopic gunsight takes the movement of your aircraft
into account. A moving circle of diamonds controlled by a gyroscope is projected onto a glass screen.
When the circle’s position is stabilized and the target is within range, it indicates the point where the
bullets will converge. When using the gyroscopic gunsight, there’s no need to take your aircraft’s
movement into account. Just point the diamonds ahead of the target, and fire.
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“In a dogfight, I was never really aware of the fact that I was in an airplane at all. My eyes
never left the enemy and my hands and feet just did what they had to do to put me on his
tail. If you’re chasing a pig [across the barnyard], you don’t stop to think, ‘If I put my left
foot over here I’ll be able to cut him off.’ You just do it.”
—Flight Lieutenant Jack Stafford, D.F.C., Ex 486 (NZ) Fighter Squadron
Using weapons
Depending on the aircraft you’re flying and your mission, you’ll have different weapons at your
disposal. If you want to change your weapons loadout, you can do so on the Change Aircraft screen.
Guns are used for attacking other aircraft and for strafing ground targets, including parked aircraft and
“soft-skinned” vehicles.
Cannons pack a heavier punch, but are used for the same purposes as guns, although they have less
range. The weight and explosive force of their projectiles makes armored vehicles, including tanks,
vulnerable.
Rockets are used by German pilots in air-to-air attacks on bombers, and by Allied pilots against tough
ground targets, including structures and tanks.
Timed Rockets explode three seconds after they’re launched, and are a useful way to create an
explosion in the middle of a group of bombers.
Bombs are used in fighter-bomber attacks against bridges, airfields, tanks, and other damage-resistant
ground targets.
Action Command
Fire guns 1 key (keyboard) / Joystick Button 1
Fire cannons 2 key (keyboard) / Joystick Button 2
Fire rocket 3 key (keyboard) / Joystick Button 5
Release bomb 4 key (keyboard) / Joystick Button 6
Fire guns and cannons SPACEBAR
Bomb/rocket view A key
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Air Combat Maneuvers

Important concepts
Know your airplane
Every aircraft has strengths and weaknesses. Make sure you know yours, and those of the enemy
aircraft you’re most likely to encounter. If you can out-climb, out-accelerate, out-turn, or out-gun your
foe it will change the way you fly. So will knowing your own ship’s vulnerabilities. For plane specs, see
the “Planes” section of the Machines of War chapter.
Keep your head on a swivel
Visualizing the positions and movements of fast-moving objects in a three-dimensional space is
difficult. But it’s what separates fighter pilots from fighter aces. Being a good shot is a useless skill if
you can’t keep track of the enemy. In Combat Flight Simulator, you can use joystick and keyboard
commands to rapidly scan the sky. To learn more, see “Using views” at the beginning of this chapter.
Use the element of surprise
When you come in from behind or below the enemy he can’t see you. But dropping in from above
gives you the potential for greater speed. While you’re closing in, use the enemy’s blind spots to your
advantage. Come out of the sun or the clouds with your guns blazing so you can shoot him down before
he even knows you’re there.
Stay one move ahead of the enemy
A good fighter pilot’s actions in the present are dictated by his prediction of the future. If you merely
react to your opponent’s actions you will be shot down. If you anticipate his actions and respond
intuitively without hesitation, you will emerge the victor.
Trade altitude and airspeed
Are you flying too fast? Pull back on the stick and you’ll slow down as you climb. Be careful though:
pulling up to shake the enemy off your tail is a dangerous move! Your airspeed will drop quickly, and a
slow ship under fire is a sitting duck.
Are you flying too slow? Nose your ship over into a dive to gain some airspeed. Trading altitude and
airspeed is an essential part of all aerial combat maneuvers.
Fly slower to turn faster
When you ride a bicycle around a corner quickly you want to go fast, but not too fast—it’s the same
with your ship. At fast speeds, centrifugal force causes the plane’s turn radius to increase, and its turn
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rate to decrease. Every ship has a speed at which maximum-performance turns are possible. In general
though, a slower-flying aircraft will out-turn a faster-flying one.
Turn into your opponent
Turning into the enemy’s direction of movement increases the angle between your movement and his
guns, making you harder to hit. Turning away decreases the angle, making you an easier target—and
making it much easier for him to get on your tail.
Use “deflection shooting”
Attacking an enemy aircraft from in front or behind is easy. Just aim and shoot when you’re close
enough to hit the target. Attacking from other angles is more complicated. You must coordinate your
shooting with your speed and fire ahead of the target so that he runs into your bullets. This difficult
skill is called “deflection shooting,” and is the mark of a good combat pilot. Learning it is essential to
your success. The P-51 features a gyroscopic gunsight that automatically accounts for deflection. See
“Using gunsights” earlier in this chapter.
Don’t shoot until he fills your windscreen
Wait until you’re so close that you’re sure you’ll hit him—you’ll save ammunition. This strategy takes
less concentration than deflection shooting, but it isn’t always practical—especially if you’re meeting
the enemy head on!
Never stop an attack once you’ve initiated it
If you run away when you’re within range of the enemy, it’ll be easier for him to get a shot at you.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s action in the face of fear. If you’ve decided to attack, be
courageous and follow through. Cowardice at close range will get you killed.
The five stages of aerial combat

1. Detecting
Find the enemy before he finds you, so that you have the advantage of surprise. Most pilots who are
shot down never see their attacker.
2. Closing
Once you’ve detected the enemy, move into a position close enough to shoot him down—without being
discovered.
3. Attacking
When you’re close enough to shoot the enemy, commence the attack. If you fire too soon you’ll waste
ammunition, and he might see you coming. Remember: your weapons don’t move. To aim, you must
move your entire ship and use a “deflection” angle.
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4. Maneuvering
Maneuvering happens in these ways: when neither side gains an advantage during detection, when the
enemy sees you during your closing, or when your attack fails to down the enemy ship. It’s a test of
skill in which each opponent tries to get into a position to fire.
5. Disengaging
Disengaging means putting space between you and the enemy so you’re out of the fight. You can
disengage on purpose, or by accident. Be careful though: just because you want to leave doesn’t mean
the fight will end.
Practice the following maneuvers like a musician uses scales. When you need them they’ll be
at your fingertips. Also be sure to try out the online Training Missions from the Main screen.
The element of
surprise
Purpose
In eighty percent of all kills,
the defender never knows
what hit him. Stalking your
prey and getting the jump on
him before he can react is
the surest way to survive in
air combat. This includes
coming in out of the sun,
flying in the enemy’s blind spot (such as below his plane) and using clouds to hide in.
Drawbacks
You’ll have to set up your attack, which means using more discretion than just ramming the throttle to
the firewall and diving in with guns blazing. This takes time and patience, and you may lose the
opportunity to attack while positioning yourself.
To perform
Keep your head on a swivel. Look for clouds, the position of the sun, the blind spots in the enemy’s
view. Use altitude to position yourself, then swoop in. Once you commit to the attack, follow through
and never give the enemy an opportunity to get his guns on you.
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Immelmann
Purpose
The Immelmann turn is a useful
way to gain altitude over an enemy
while turning toward him, and is a
good move to pull after performing
a high-speed pass.
Drawbacks
Because of the loss of speed
toward the top of the maneuver,
you should avoid using the
Immelmann when enemies are
within gun range—you’ll be a
stalling duck if you’re not careful.
To perform
The Immelmann is basically a half
loop with a half roll on top. After
you’ve passed your enemy, pull
back gently on the stick, apply full
throttle, and start climbing directly
up. Make sure you have plenty of
speed. Meanwhile, look behind
you to see what the bandit is
doing, and start planning your turn
toward him. Before you enter a
stall, do a half–Aileron Roll
toward the enemy and look for the
chance to drop in toward him. If
you time it right, you’ll get on his
six o’clock position and should be
able to get a decent deflection shot
at him.
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Lead Turn
Purpose
The Lead Turn is a “first move” to gain an advantage on your opponent by out-turning him.
Drawbacks
Begun too soon, the Lead Turn can put you in front of the enemy. Also, it’s somewhat predictable, easy
to counter, and does not present you with an immediate shot. Timing is key. Do not perform this
maneuver unless you’re certain your ship can turn with or out-turn your foe’s plane, or if his speed is so
great that he can’t turn tightly.
To perform
As you are merging, begin turning early into the enemy to gain a “snap shot,” then follow through with
the turn to put yourself on his six o’clock. Ease off the throttle to maintain a tight turn. Keep an eye on
the enemy using view commands—he should be in your upper canopy view. When you’re in the
tightest turn possible, apply full throttle while keeping the stick back as far as you can get it without
stalling.
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Lag Turn
Purpose
The opposite of a Lead Turn, the Lag Turn is used after a merge to gain an advantage on your foe and
to place your plane in his six o’clock position. The Lag Turn is useful if you are moving faster than he
is or if your plane can’t out-turn his.
Drawbacks
This may allow your foe to gain more distance over you, if you bleed off too much speed in the turn.
The window of opportunity for performing the maneuver is small and allows for little error.
To perform
Turn into the enemy, but not tightly, and allow your plane to drift wide. As you lose momentum, begin
tightening your turn, throttling up as you go. Never lose sight of your enemy—keep him in view at all
times! You should drop airspeed to just above stalling to maintain the tightest turn possible, pulling all
the way back on the stick. Then apply full throttle to stay above stalling, and keep the stick back.
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High Yo-Yo
Purpose
The High Yo-Yo is useful if you’re carrying too much speed to turn into your enemy’s breaking move.
This maneuver can also enable a plane with a wider turning radius to cut into a breaking bandit and get
a shot in.
Drawbacks
This maneuver is fairly difficult to perform as it requires good timing to get a lead on the target. Also,
it’s somewhat difficult to maintain sight of the target throughout the maneuver.
To perform
Pull up out of your enemy’s breaking turn, climb to reduce speed, then roll back down inverted toward
him to either lead or lag pursuit. Keep an eye on the enemy to make sure he’s continuing in his turn.
Remember that by climbing, you’re trading airspeed for altitude and you’ll slow down. This will enable
you to turn more tightly.
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Low Yo-Yo
Purpose
The opposite of a High Yo-Yo, the Low Yo-Yo allows you to gain energy while turning into your
opponent. This is useful when you’re close to stalling and need to pick up speed.
Drawbacks
Again, timing is the key to performing this maneuver. Your foe might also be able to gain an altitude
advantage over you.
To perform
Drop nose-down into the bandit’s breaking turn, gain speed in a diving turn, then bring your nose up
into him. As you do this you should have the throttle on full and be turning as tightly as you can.
Ideally, you should gain extra lead on your foe so that when he pulls his nose up he turns into your
guns. Keep in mind that if you’re already moving at well above stall speed, you’re going to gain speed,
which will make your turn wider.
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Scissors
Purpose
The Scissors is a series of turns forcing your plane into your enemy’s. The Scissors occurs when both
pilots are attempting to gain advantage over the other. The Scissors tends to happen when both planes
are parallel, moving in the same direction. Each plane attempts to turn into the other.
Drawbacks
The slower, more agile plane will usually win this fight, if its pilot knows what he’s doing. The
maneuver can be very disorienting though, and is dangerous to perform at low altitudes.
To perform
As your foe turns into you, you turn into him, and roll back as your flight paths cross. Once he clears to
the other side of you, roll back into him, turning as tightly as you can. Throttle back if you have to keep
a tight turn, but beware of stalling. Keep an eye on your enemy and roll your plane so that you can
track him. If you can get to his six o’clock, roll into the direction he’s moving.
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Up and Under
Purpose
This maneuver will put your fighter in the best position to attack a bomber right in its most vulnerable
area—the belly. It’s also effective for bouncing unsuspecting fighters.
Drawbacks
Climbing reduces your airspeed and makes you more of a target yourself. Luftwaffe pilots attacking
Allied bombers are vulnerable to the bombers’ defensive fire.
To perform
From a point at or above and behind the bomber, dive to gather speed. Once under the enemy aircraft,
pull your nose up into the belly of the target and attempt to stay in the target’s blind spot.
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Head-On Attack
Purpose
Allied fighters use this attack to attempt to scatter formations of Luftwaffe medium bombers, then “pick
off” the stragglers. German fighters use this type of attack against the heavily gunned Allied bomber
formations, since they have the least amount of firepower toward the front.
Drawbacks
The high rate of closure can lead to mid-air collisions. Even with the biggest bombers, the small
deflection angle means a very small chance of hitting any vital areas. A good target on a bomber is the
cockpit, but it can be hard to hit when the rate of closure is so high.
To perform
The trick is to attack at a zero deflection angle, flying straight at the bombers! Wait until the last
possible second to fire and pull up. Gutsy fliers will fly through the formation. A more conservative
approach is to break downward and away from the bombers’ defensive fire.
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“The first rule of all air combat is to see the opponent first. Like the hunter who stalks
his prey and maneuvers himself unnoticed into the most favorable position for the kill,
the fighter in the opening of a dogfight must detect the opponent as early as possible in
order to attain a superior position for attack.”
—Adolf Galland, The First and the Last: The Rise and Fall of the German Fighter Forces
Strafing
Purpose
Attacking ground targets and avoiding ground fire.
Drawbacks
Strafing is very dangerous due to the possibility of getting hit by ground fire or crashing.
To perform
The key to strafing is to stay as low as possible, giving the enemy very little to shoot at. Stay under a
hundred feet if you can, and start firing when your target comes into range. You may need to pop up
slightly before shooting. Stay low until you’re clear of ground fire. Fly as fast as your plane will go!
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Dive Bombing
Purpose
Attacking ground units with bombs. Dive
bombing is the most accurate way to put
your bomb on target.
Drawbacks
Fighters can carry bombs, but their
performance is hampered by the
additional weight. While on the crucial
bomb run, the fighter (or any plane for
that matter) is vulnerable to ground fire,
and is an easier target to hit.
To perform
From 10,000 to 15,000 feet, put your ship
in a dive toward the target. You should be
at an angle between 45 and 70 degrees.
Be careful not to dive too steeply—if you
get your plane inverted your bomb may
not release correctly. As you pick up
airspeed, make gentle turns to stay on
target, and throttle back if you have to, to
avoid excessive speed. At around 3,000
feet, release the bomb—you should think
about it dropping straight onto the target,
like dropping a “pickle into a pickle
barrel.” Because you’re not diving
straight down, you may need to
compensate by aiming slightly behind the
target. Once you release the bomb, pull
back on the stick gently to pull out of
your dive, and ease off the throttle if your airspeed is high. Be careful—if you pull back too hard too
quickly, you may stall or damage your plane! After you pull out of the dive, add power and either level
out or climb away from the target. Don’t get careless checking to see if your bomb hit—enemy fighters
or flak could catch you in this vulnerable moment.
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The Break
Purpose
Pure and simple, the purpose of the
break is to get out of the way of the
bullets coming from your six o’clock.
The break works best when your
attacker is carrying lots of speed and
can’t make a turn into you.
Drawbacks
This move is a momentary solution to
getting out of harm’s way, but it drains
your plane of any airspeed, making you
a sitting duck if you’re not careful.
Also, if your attacker can turn into you,
breaking does you no good. If your
attacker is in a more maneuverable
aircraft than yours, the break is a
temporary solution at best.
To perform
Throttle back so you can turn tighter,
roll toward the direction of your
attacker (if he’s coming from your
right, roll right), and turn as tightly as
you can into him. Pour on the gas if
you lose too much airspeed. If you find
that you’ve lost momentum after the sharp turn, lower your nose to gain more speed. Keep breaking
into your attacker if you have to.
“I never bothered with deflection shooting. My philosophy was to get on an enemy fighter’s
tail, get close, and let him have it. . .”
—Maj. Bill Chick, USAAF 325th Fighter Group, in Eric Hammel, Aces Against Germany
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The Split-S
Purpose
The Split-S is like a vertical
break, but instead of turning to
your left or right, you’re rolling
to dive down. Difficult to follow,
this is a very strong defensive
move in a pinch.
Drawbacks
You’ll need altitude to perform
the Split-S, and if you dive too
fast, you might damage your
control surfaces.
To perform
If you find an attacker at your six
o’clock, roll your plane inverted
and pull back hard on the stick.
Throttle back as your plane dives
to avoid gaining too much
airspeed. As the horizon appears
in front of you, increase power
and be ready to turn back into
your attacker. If you find that
you’re still at a disadvantage,
consider performing another
Split-S or, if you have the
momentum, use your superior
speed to put distance between
you and your attacker. But
whatever you do, don’t fly
straight-and-level!
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Damage Effects
What to do if you’re hit:
1. KEEP FLYING THE AIRPLANE.
2. Assess the damage.
3. Take appropriate action.
Teams of mechanics work day and night on the ground, but in the air it’s up to you to deal with any
damage that occurs.
Damage can be caused by three things:

1. Getting hit by a weapon
How bad it hurts you or your ship will depend on what kind of weapon it is, where it hits, and how fast
it’s moving.
2. Exceeding your aircraft’s performance limitations
Your airplane is designed for combat, and can withstand incredible amounts of stress. But there are
limits. Maneuvers that exceed your aircraft’s performance limitations can cause damage.
3. Collision with another aircraft, the ground, or a structure
Let’s put it simply: if you hit something in flight, you may not be around long enough to feel
embarrassed.
It’s your responsibility to assess damage to your own or an enemy aircraft and to decide what course of
action to take. If you know the damage to your own plane is so great that you cannot fight effectively or
complete your mission, then don’t tempt fate. Disengage and return to base, or bail out (press O key
three times).
When you cause or receive damage you’ll see a text message describing what’s been damaged (press F
to toggle the damage text on and off), and you’ll probably notice a change in aircraft performance.
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Inflicting damage
When you damage another aircraft, you may see:
• White puffs of smoke.
• Sparks as bullets hit the aircraft.
• Pieces of the aircraft fall off.
• An explosion.
• Smoke.
Note: White smoke indicates damage to the coolant or fuel systems. Black smoke indicates burning oil
or damage to the engine. Sputtering smoke means the aircraft is slightly damaged, while intermittent
smoke means the aircraft is moderately damaged. A steady stream of smoke means the aircraft is
seriously damaged.
Sustaining damage
Different kinds of damage have different effects. Here’s a list of what can go wrong, and what to do
about it:
Wounds
Explosions, shrapnel,
bullets, smoke, and fire can
all hurt you and seriously
affect your ability to fly. If
you’re wounded, you risk
losing control of your ship.
What to do: Assess your
injuries, then make a
decision to fight or flee. If
you choose to fight and you
survive, you’ll be rewarded
for your courage. (See the
Medals and Promotions
chapter.)
P-51 Mustang coming in for a landing hits a wrecked German plane that
had crashed a few minutes before. (UPI/Corbis)
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Fire
If your aircraft is on fire you’re in big trouble, and there’s not much you can do to stop it. The flames
will rapidly eat away at your ship.
What to do: Keep your speed up to keep things cool, but make sure you bail out (press O key three
times) before the flames enter the cockpit!
Explosions
A well-placed cannon round or another bad turn of fate may cause your ship to spontaneously explode
without warning.
What to do: Nothing. You’ll be dead before you know what hit you.
“Sailor” Malan’s Ten Rules of Air Fighting (1941):

* Wait until you see the whites of his eyes. Fire short bursts of one or two seconds, and
only when your sights are definitely ‘ON’.
* Whilst shooting, think of nothing else, brace the whole of your body, have both hands
on the stick, concentrate on your ring sight.
* Always keep a sharp lookout. ‘Keep your finger out!’
* Height gives you the initiative.
* Always turn and face the attack.
* Make your decisions promptly. It is better to act quickly even though your tactics are
not the best.
* Never fly straight-and-level for more than thirty seconds in the combat area.
* When diving to attack, always leave a proportion of your formation above to act as
top guard.
* INITIATIVE, AGGRESSION, AIR DISCIPLINE, and TEAMWORK are words that MEAN
something in air fighting.
* Go in quickly—Punch hard—Get out!
—Mike Spick, The Ace Factor
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Airframe damage
Shredded wings and
stabilizers will change your
ship’s flight characteristics.
Because a damaged
airframe is highly
susceptible to structural
failure, getting home in one
piece will require intense
concentration and a steady
hand.
What to do: Slow down
and maneuver gently to
avoid putting additional
stress on the airframe.
Control surface damage
A crashed Heinkel 111 is inspected in England.
If you notice the controls (Archive Photos)
sticking, or becoming
significantly less responsive to your movements, suspect damage to a primary or secondary control
surface (rudder, elevator, ailerons, flaps, trim tabs). This can be deadly, as it may impede your ability to
control the aircraft.
What to do: Do your best to maintain control, and avoid lowering the flaps or landing gear unless
absolutely necessary.
Engine damage/failure
When your engine is damaged, you’ll notice roughness, vibrations, and RPM variations. Smoke and
flames may spout from the nose. Monitor the tachometer, oil pressure, manifold pressure, oil
temperature, and engine temperature gauges for changes. Engine damage will likely turn into engine
failure.
What to do: Buy yourself some time by nursing the engine with a low throttle setting. If the engine
stops or seizes, maintain your airplane’s best glide speed (see the chart at the end of the “Planes”
section in the Machines of War chapter), then make an emergency landing without power, or bail out.
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Gun/Cannon/Rocket/
Bomb damage
A fighter plane is an
airborne weapons
platform. If the weapons
stop working, you can’t
accomplish your mission
or defend yourself
effectively.
What to do: If the
damage is so significant
that you can’t fight, make
a run for it.
Coolant/Oil leak
If your cooling system is
punctured, your engine
Photo taken from an American bomber after a Thunderbolt had scored a direct hit on a German
will run increasingly ammunition truck in France. (UPI/Corbis)
rough, and the
temperature will
increase. If the temperature increases too much, the engine will seize.
What to do: Monitor the coolant temperature, engine temperature, oil temperature, and oil pressure
gauges for abnormal readings. Try to keep temperatures down by flying with a lower throttle setting
and increasing your airspeed by lowering the nose.
Fuel leak
A punctured fuel system means that fuel is either leaving the aircraft in a vapor trail or not flowing
properly. Either way, you’ll run out of gas sooner than expected.
What to do: Monitor the fuel gauges and fuel warning light, but don’t trust them. Get home as soon as
you can. If you’re hit, a fuel leak can easily turn you into a fireball.
Hydraulic leak
A damaged hydraulic system means that hydraulically operated parts (like the landing gear and flaps on
some aircraft) will move more and more sluggishly until they stop responding entirely.
What to do: Keep an eye on the hydraulic pressure indicator. If necessary, use the manual backup
controls for these aircraft components.
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Landing gear damage

There’s nothing worse than completing your mission, then finding out that your gear doesn’t work or
that it’s been shot off.
What to do: Try to manually pump the gear down (press CTRL+G). If the gear won’t lower, your
choices are to bail out or slide your ship in. A belly landing isn’t easy, but it’s possible.
Radio damage
Bullets or flames that find their way into the cockpit may render your radio useless.
What to do: Nothing. If the radio goes dead, you’re on your own.
“There is some sixth sense that a man acquires when he has peered often enough out of a
perspex capsule into a hostile sky—hunches that come to him, sudden and compelling,
enabling him to read signs that others don’t even see. Such a man can extract more from a
faint tangle of condensation trails, or a distant flitting dot, than he has any reason or right
to do.”
—Larry Forrester, in his biography of Stanford Tuck, as quoted in Mike Spick, The Ace Factor
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Chapter 4: The Missions
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The Missions
Now it’s time to apply your training to actual air combat
missions. This chapter will serve as an introduction to
missions in general, as well as specific types of missions.
An RAF pilot successfully returns from his mission, but he had to swim part of the way. (UPI/Corbis)
Single Missions vs. Campaign Missions

You can fly missions two ways: On the main screen click either Single Missions or Campaigns.
• If you choose Single Missions, you will see a list of individual missions for all three air forces that
are from one of the major campaigns of the war, or are special missions that do not occur during the
campaigns.
• If you choose Campaigns, you will create a pilot for yourself to fly for a particular air force in a
particular historical campaign of the war. You will receive orders to fly a series of missions that
actually took place during that campaign. You will also be briefed before each mission and
debriefed afterward, and will have the opportunity to earn medals and promotions in rank.
Single Missions
You can click RAF, Luftwaffe, or USAAF to display only the missions for that air force, or you can
show all missions at once. Choose a mission from the list, and choose an Enemy level: Rookie, Veteran,
or Ace. If you choose a more difficult Enemy level (Ace being the most difficult), you will face more
enemy aircraft, and they will be more skilled.
When you’ve finished choosing a mission and a difficulty level, read the mission briefing.
The mission briefing will give you some basic information: the time and date of the mission, the airfield
you’ll be flying from, and the aircraft you’ll be flying in. This is followed by the actual Briefing, which
will describe the situation and give you specific instructions on your role.
Once the information in the Briefing is clear to you and you feel familiar with the waypoints marked on
the mission map, you may begin your mission.
Good luck!
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Campaigns
In Campaigns, you will never see a list of individual missions. Your mission briefings will be just like
those described previously, but will be given to you on a need-to-know basis. As the pilot you create,
you will have a career, complete with a combat record, promotions in rank, and medals for
commendable service or injury.
After you’ve clicked Campaigns on the main screen, choose which of the two campaigns and which
side your pilot will fight for. Then create a pilot, and assign an Enemy level (Rookie is the least
difficult, Ace the most difficult). You can create more than one pilot, each of whom may be designated
for either campaign and either air force.
After you have created at least one pilot, click a pilot name from the list and begin the campaign. At
that time, you’ll receive a mission briefing for the next mission in the campaign. Learn the information
well, and begin your mission.
Good luck!
Debriefing
If you’re flying a campaign, you will be debriefed after each mission. When you finish a mission you
will see a Debriefing screen that gives you a summary of how the mission itself went, not just how you
performed individually. On each Debriefing screen, you can click Pilot’s Log to see how the campaign
is faring so far (this will include a record of all your kills), or you can click Medals to see the awards
you’ve collected in the campaign.
Campaign: Battle of Britain

Fighter Force: Royal Air Force (Britain)
Terms to know
Angels: Altitude in thousands of feet. If you are told that enemy aircraft are at “angels thirteen”
you know their altitude is 13,000 feet.
Break!: This is a word of warning from a fellow flyer that you are being attacked. Assume the
attack is coming from behind, and take immediate evasive action whilst you locate your attacker.
Buster!: Full throttle.
Fighter Command: The RAF fighter organisation containing four Fighter Groups: 10 Group,
11 Group, 12 Group, and 13 Group.
Fighter Group: A fighter organisation consisting of approximately 20 squadrons.
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Fighter Squadron: A unit of 12 or 16 fighters.

Malan’s Formation: Three columns of
aircraft, with four aircraft arranged in line astern in
each column.
Sweep: Also known as a Free Chase, a fighter
sweep has no escort responsibilities. It is an offensive
move to draw up and engage enemy fighters in aerial
combat.
Vector: The direction you steer your
aeroplane, according to the compass setting in your
mission briefing. If you are told “steer vector 0-9-0”
turn your plane so the compass reads 90 degrees.
RAF pilots are debriefed after a mission. Vic: The most common type of formation
(Corbis) you’ll be asked to fly, with three aeroplanes in a V
formation, one at the head and two behind.
Waypoint: A geographical milestone in your mission. Your mission objective will always list
your waypoints, and they will also be shown on your briefing map.
Procedures
As you know, RAF strategy has been to rely on early warning information from radar operations. By
maintaining a policy of constant readiness, we can meet Jerry in the air at a moment’s notice with a
minimal consumption of fuel.
When the word does come in, of course, there will be no time to lose. Be at the ready for scrambling
orders at all times.
“Forget all the fancy pleasantries you learned to put before and after the message in
voice radio procedure. In your business there is no time for it and the message is the
important thing. The squadron leader is the only man who uses the RT for a transmission
when the squadron is in pursuit of the German. There is no need for you to say anything,
just keep your mouth shut and reflect on the ground controller’s messages to the
leader.“
—Reade Tilley, Hints on Hun-Hunting
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Directions
In your mission briefing, which you’ll see right before you fly, you will have whatever navigation
instructions are available from Fighter Command. If you receive vector information, remember that it is
always a three-digit number that corresponds with a compass heading on your cockpit panel. The digits
are always given individually for clarity. For example, if you are told to fly vector 0-7-0, turn your
aeroplane so that 70 degrees displays on the compass.
The compass is 360 degrees: 0-0-0 is north, 0-9-0 is east, 1-8-0 is south, and 2-7-0 is west.
Altitude is always given in angels, or thousands of feet.
It is recommended that you turn your tactical display on for heading information to your next mission
waypoint. The tactical display doubles as an enemy locator in case there are any bandits nearby.
Engagements have thus far taken place over the Channel and the south coast of England. Attempt to
engage the enemy over the water if you can.
“. . . the rigid duties of a wingman were a basic contradiction of one’s natural instinct to
seize on a 109, follow him down to ground level if necessary, fasten one’s teeth into him
and not let go until he hit the deck and burst open like a rotten egg. Had we obeyed
these instincts and broken formation to chase our own opponents we should have been
thrown out of the Tangmere Wing within a few minutes of landing.”
—J.E. “Johnnie” Johnson, Wing Leader
RAF Mission Types

The general strategy of the RAF is to keep fighter craft on the ground as long as possible to preserve
fuel, except in the instance of shipping escort. In all other cases, we rely on notice from early warning
radar systems to intercept enemy aeroplanes.
Intercept
This is the primary mission type in the RAF strategy to date. German attacks on civilian and military
targets in Britain have increased, and require an ongoing readiness for fighter aircraft.
When Scramble orders are received, you will be given the approximate number and direction of the
assault from radar data. Fly in tight formation to meet the enemy before they reach a likely target.
Convoy escort
Frequent Stuka dive-bombing attacks on supply shipping have necessitated fighter air coverage. You’ll
be given an initial waypoint along the Channel coast, and the patrol area for the convoy’s entire
journey.
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Campaign: Battle of Britain

Fighter Force: Luftwaffe (Germany)
Terms
Freie Jagd: A free chase or fighter sweep mission. Fighter aircraft have no escorting
responsibilities, and are free to take the offensive.
Gruppe: A fighter unit consisting of 30 to 40 aircraft.
Jagdstaffel: A fighter squadron consisting of 10 to 12 aircraft.
Kette: A three-plane V-shaped fighter formation.
Rotte: A unit of two fighter planes (a leader and a wingman).
Schwarm: A four-aircraft formation.
Procedures
Before each mission, you will receive a briefing on all essential information. You will be told the type
of mission, the location of the target, and specific navigational instructions.
The mission objective in your briefing will include all necessary information for your mission.
Waypoints are shown on your briefing map.
Directions
In your mission briefing, you will always have a target and a map with waypoints. Follow the
information on your tactical display to each mission waypoint until you reach your target.
The primary departure points are the Le Havre and Cherbourg air bases.
“. . . The defensive fire of the bombers and escorting fighters took great toll on our
force. [Above 20,000 feet] Numerous German pilots were sitting in their completely
iced-up cockpits, half blinded, to become an easy prey for the Thunderbolts.”
—Adolf Galland, The First and the Last: The Rise and Fall of the German Fighter Forces
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Luftwaffe Mission
Types
Freie Jagd (Sweep)
In this free chase mission, you
will not be given a specific target
to strike, but an area in enemy
airspace over which to fly and
draw up their fighters.
Bomber escort
We have learned from experience
that our medium bombers cannot
maneuver quickly enough to
defend themselves from the
English fighter planes. Escorts by
our Bf 109 fighters are absolutely
essential to allow bombers to
A fighter’s eye view of B-17 bombers in formation.
(UPI/Corbis) reach their targets without being
destroyed by the English Spitfires
and Hurricanes. Fly “high cover” above our bombers with the sun behind you. If the bombers are
attacked, you can then dive toward the English fighters. You will have the advantage of speed from
your dive, and invisibility from the sun’s glare. If these tactics are properly executed, you can strike
down the enemy before he has even seen you.
Convoy attack
This is a specific type of bomber escort in which you will act as a protective fighter screen for our
Stuka dive bombers while they attack shipping. The Englanders move a great deal of their industrial
and military supplies by boat in the English Channel. These ship convoys are vulnerable to our Stukas,
but the Stukas are vulnerable to English fighters. They cannot complete their missions without your aid.
Fighter-Bomber (Ground attack)
In this type of ground assault, heavy fighters will fly into the mission carrying bombs. As soon as the
ordnance is delivered, these fighters (being faster than regular bomber aircraft) can make a swift
escape.
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Campaign: Battle Over Europe

Fighter Force: United States Army Air Forces (USA)
Terms
Bingo: The point at which you have to turn back or you’ll run out of fuel. Don’t push this, or
you’ll find yourself swimming home.
I.P.: Initial Point. This is the place you reach just before your target, perhaps ten miles away.
You won’t always have an I.P., since you won’t always have a specific target in some missions, like a
Rodeo.
Landfall: The point at which you cross from water to land. Typically, you’ll make landfall
between two points on the north coast of Europe.
RV: Rendezvous point, where you will meet with bombers on an escort mission.
Rodeo: Offensive sortie without escort responsibilities, used to draw up enemy fighters.
Target: This could be
a bombing target on an escort
mission, or a strafing target
for purely tactical fighter
operations.
Zero Hour: The time
of the actual attack.
Procedures
During the mission briefing,
you’ll be told the type of
mission (we’ll discuss those
in just a minute), a target if
there is one, and directions to
get there. Sometimes you’ll
be given a secondary mission
after your primary mission.
Keep in strict formation with
your squadron unless the USAAF bombers destroy a railroad bridge across the Rhone.
mission briefing says you’re (UPI/Corbis)
free to roam.
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If you’re escorting bombers, the mission commander will give you a later takeoff time than the
bombers, so you’ll arrive at a rendezvous point at the same time. When you meet up with the bombers,
slow to their speed. If the weather is clear, assembly might take place between 5,000 and 10,000 feet,
but sometimes higher. In cloudy weather, we might have to go higher than 20,000 feet.
Directions
In your mission briefing, you will be given all necessary directions and objectives. If you are given a
vector for your heading, remember that it is always a three-digit number that corresponds with a
compass setting on your cockpit panel. The digits are always given individually for clarity. For
example, if you are told to fly vector 0-7-0, turn your plane so that 70 degrees displays on the compass.
The compass is 360 degrees: 0-0-0 is north, 0-9-0
is east, 1-8-0 is south, and 2-7-0 is west.
Not everything with Altitude is always given in angels, or thousands
square wings is a of feet.
Messerschmitt! If you’re
Secondary missions
flying around in a
Thunderbolt, don’t fire After your primary mission, let’s say it’s a
at the Mustangs. bomber escort, you may also have a secondary
mission, such as strafing an air field. Check your
fuel level before you begin. Just like with the
primary mission, if your ship isn’t fit, turn back.
USAAF Mission Types

Rodeo (Sweep)
This mission is named after rodeo clowns—the guys who wave their arms around and distract the bull
at the rodeo while the danger is removed. In aerial combat, we send our fighters up to a certain general
area over enemy territory to draw their fighters off the ground. This can be a useful strategy for a
variety of operations.
Ramrod
This is another name for a bomber escort mission. Our heavy bombers, despite considerable armament,
need fighter escorts in order to avoid being picked apart by Luftwaffe fighters. This can be a Close
Escort or a Free Escort, which we’ll talk about next.
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Close escort
A Close Escort is a fighter mission in which the fighters must remain in close contact with the bombers
they’re escorting, not searching for or pursuing enemy fighters.
Free escort
In a Free Escort, fighters have a good deal more freedom of movement than in the Close Escort. The
point is not simply to stick with our bombers, but to range the entire area and take out any Luftwaffe
aircraft that might be close by.
Ground Attack (Surface Attack)
A ground attack can be Strafing or Fighter-Bomber.
Strafing
In a strafing operation, you’ll attack a ground target with guns, cannon, or rockets, or some
combination thereof. Strafing involves fighter planes flying very low to the ground in a parallel
formation like a chorus line. Fly about 50 to 100 feet above the ground starting at your I.P., and then
pop up to about 200 to 300 feet just before you start shooting, so you can shoot with the nose of your
plane pointing down without crashing. Surprise is crucial, so you’ll only get one pass at the target. If
you go in twice, the anti-aircraft guns will be waiting.
Fighter-Bomber
This is where we boom and zoom: go in heavy, hit the enemy hard, and get out fast. Our P-47
Thunderbolts excel at this. They carry the bombs well, and after they’re delivered, can escape at top
speed.
Map of air support for troops landing on June 7, 1944.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Campaign: Battle Over Europe

Fighter Force: Luftwaffe (Germany)
Terms
Freie Jagd: A free chase or sweep mission. These are described in the Mission Types
discussion that follows.
Gruppe: A fighter unit consisting of 30 to 40 aircraft.
Jagdstaffel: A fighter squadron consisting of 10 to 12 aircraft.
Kette: A three-plane V-shaped fighter formation.
Rotte: A unit of two fighter planes (a leader and a wingman).
Schwarm: A four-aircraft formation.
Procedures
Allied attacks directly on the Fatherland are increasing. While it has been our preference to strike at the
enemy on our own terms, we must defend our homeland from American daylight bombing.
Directions
Most of our missions are defensive now, and therefore short-range. You will receive directions to
specific invasion points during briefings. If you are scrambled to intercept an enemy raid, you will be
given a compass setting and an altitude. These two pieces of information will speed you to the conflict.
Assume that you fly at top speed in all
such situations. If a compass setting is
not available, turn your tactical display
on for directional information. Be aware of the wing design of the
American P-51 fighters, which is
highly similar to our Bf 109.
Luftwaffe Mission Types
Intercept
Recent bombing attacks directly on the
Fatherland have increased. Fighters are to be ready at a moment’s notice to meet the invaders and
destroy them before they reach their targets.
Patrol
Patrol missions emphasize air readiness rather than ground readiness. Fighter aircraft remain in the air
in shifts, constantly patrolling a certain sensitive area of airspace. For example, if there is a
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German Ju-87 dive bombers in formation.

(Archive Photos)
manufacturing facility that we must defend, a patrol might be assigned to defend it against anticipated
Allied bomber attacks.
Strafing
In a strafing operation, you’ll attack a ground target with guns, cannon, or rockets, or some
combination thereof. Strafing involves fighter planes flying very low to the ground in a parallel
formation. Fly as low to the ground as possible, but leave enough room to avoid the shock wave or
debris from the target, especially if you are using rockets or cannons in your attack. Surprise is crucial;
often you’ll only get one pass at the target. If you go in twice, the antiaircraft guns will be waiting.
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Chapter 5: The Campaigns
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The Battle of Britain

Luftwaffe (German Air Force) vs. RAF (British Royal Air Force)
(July–November 1940)
You’re about to fly in the Battle of Britain, perhaps the most famous air battle in history.
No matter which side you fly, the stakes are high. One by one the nations of Europe have
fallen to the forces of the Third Reich. In July 1940, with the United States still neutral,
Britain fights on alone. As a Royal Air Force pilot, you are one of what Winston Churchill
called “the Few,” who stand between Britain and Nazi domination. As a Luftwaffe pilot,
your mission is to destroy British sources of supply and means of defense so Germany can
invade and occupy the British island nation, and complete its conquest of Europe.
For aviation-minded young men of both nations, the war provided an irresistible opportunity to fly the
fastest, most powerful, and most lethal aircraft in the world: the Hawker Hurricane, the Supermarine
Spitfire, and the Messerschmitt Bf
109. While patriotism motivated
many, for others this was a chance
to experience what until now only a
handful of test pilots and air racers
had known. Some remembered
London headlines, August 1940. (UPI/Corbis)
stories of WW I fighter combat, and

believed that this air war would be
clean, even chivalrous, compared to
the horror and the squalor of war on
the ground. The reality was
something entirely different.
Eighty percent of the fliers shot
down in the Battle of Britain—and
in World War II in general—never
saw their assailant. The preferred
method was to get to altitude, get A Bf 109 and pilots of JG 53, the “Ace of Spades” squadron.
(UPI/Corbis)
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the sun behind you, spot your enemy before

he spotted you, dive down, then pull up and
fire from below and behind, shooting him
down before he knew he was your target. The
weapons you used were designed to destroy
armored metal aircraft; flesh and blood were
minor inconveniences in a war where
destruction of whole air forces was the goal.
Although the Battle of Britain was relatively
short—10 to 20 weeks, depending on how you
define it—for pilots there was no end in sight,
and the various phases were not clear-cut. The
simple struggle to survive drove both sides.
Death rides a scythe on this 109. Note starter crank handle.
(The Mariners’ Museum/Corbis )
Sometimes you flew several sorties in a single
day, and for most of the battle it remained
unclear who, if anyone, would win. The Battle of Britain didn’t end with any fanfare; it simply subsided
after autumn weather forced Hitler to abandon Operation Sealion, his invasion plan.
Only when winter approached did it dawn on the British that they had survived the Battle—and now
had to fight the war.
Kanalkampf: the war over the Channel

(Phase 1, July 10–August 12, 1940)
From around July 10 until mid-August, the Luftwaffe attacked British shipping and harbor facilities,
particularly in the English Channel and the southeast coast. It also sent fighters on Freie Jagd (fighter
sweep) missions to probe British defenses and draw the RAF up to fight. The RAF had to defend the
convoys, while resisting the
temptation to rise to every
German challenge. Hitler and Shifting Targets and Missions
Göring spent their air force
The Battle of Britain was an evolving struggle; pilots began
with abandon, but the British
with one set of mandates and missions, and the battle
had to conserve theirs and
shifted over time to focus on different targets and
build it up as quickly as they
objectives. To understand your role as a pilot of either
could, against the time when
nationality, you must know how intentional and accidental
the Germans would be ready
events shaped the evolving role of both air forces.
to launch an all-out, large-
scale air attack.
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While twin-engine Me 110 “Destroyers” escorted the

Stuka dive bombers attacking convoys and the Dornier
Targets of “The Blitz” and Junkers bombers attacked coastal and Channel
London was the primary target of the facilities, Bf 109s flew high cover. The pilots flying
German bombing campaign the these single-engine fighters were severely limited by
British called “The Blitz,” but cities the 109’s lack of range. After crossing the Channel,
bombed during the Battle of Britain they could spend just 20 minutes in the sky above
also include (in order of the amount England before the red fuel warning lights began to
of damage they sustained): glow on their instrument panels. Even if they were in
Birmingham combat, they had to break off and head for home
Plymouth immediately, or wind up in the frigid waters of the
Bristol Channel.
Coventry
Portsmouth
Southampton New weapon: radar
Manchester The RAF had one incalculable advantage during the
Battle of Britain: radar. This new technology provided
advance information on the size, course, and speed of
German formations leaving the French coast and heading for England. This allowed RAF Hurricanes
and Spitfires to remain on the ground—fueled, armed, and ready—until a German raid materialized,
and then scramble to intercept. Flying
over their own territory and guided by the
calm, detached voices of RAF
controllers, the British fighters could
engage enemy formations and outlast the
fuel-starved Bf 109s. With the departure
of the single-seaters, the German
bombers and escorting Me 110s were
easy meat.
Stuka and Me 110 raids on coastal radar
stations in July and August proved almost
entirely useless, since it took pinpoint
accuracy to inflict significant damage on
the spindly radar towers. The Luftwaffe
failed in these attacks because they were
still unsure about the towers’ function
and significance. Tracking incoming raids in the RAF Fighter Command operations room at
Bentley Priory. (Imperial War Museum/Archive Photos)
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Destroy the
RAF!
A Strange Weapon
One defense tactic the British developed seems unlikely, but it
(Phase 2, August 13– worked. When low-flying Luftwaffe fighters or bombers were
September 6, 1940) spotted approaching the field, mortars spaced 60 feet apart
On August 1, Hitler fired rockets trailing 500-foot-long steel cables into the air.
ordered the Luftwaffe to The cables would slowly descend on parachutes. If an attacking
“ . . . use all forces at its aircraft ran into one of these cables, a parachute at the other
disposal to destroy the end of the cable would pop open. The weight of the cable and
British Air Force as parachutes pulled down some of the attackers. This was called
quickly as possible.” The Parachute and Cable Defense.
Göring responded with a
muddled air assault he
promised would soon leave the RAF in ruins and Britain vulnerable to invasion from across the
Channel.
From August 13 (which the Germans called Adler Tag or Eagle Day) until early September, large
formations of Luftwaffe bombers and fighters attacked RAF radar installations and airfields, aircraft
factories, and military and industrial targets, mostly in southeast England. This marked the period of
deepest danger for Britain, since the under-supplied RAF still could not afford to go one-on-one with
the Germans. The intensity of the assault developed rapidly, with multiple formations of 30-60 Dornier,
Junkers, and Heinkel bombers, escorted by twice as many fighters, hammering British airfields day
after day. RAF Fighter Command responded by scrambling dozens of squadrons, and soon dogfights
with 200 or more aircraft crowded the skies above England. Hard-pressed to stave off these massive
airfield attacks, RAF Fighter Command had to ignore provocative sweeps by up to 200 Bf 109s.
RAF pilots felt they had trained to kill tigers, and were now
ordered to shoot cows.
Chained dogs
At first, while the German bombers lumbered in low, at about 12,000 feet, their escort fighters flew
high cover, at 25,000 to 30,000 feet or even higher. The British generally responded by sending
squadrons of Spitfires to take on the fighters, and Hurricanes to take on the bombers. With its bomber
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losses mounting, the Luftwaffe

soon ordered its fighters to fly
close escort, sticking close to the
slower, low-flying bombers.
Luftwaffe fighter pilots chafed
under this directive, which kept
them from exploiting the 109’s
superior high-altitude perfor-
mance. It also meant that the
German fighters could no longer
dive down from high altitude to
bounce their adversaries.
Seeing these changed tactics, the
RAF responded by ordering all
fighters to go after the German
bombers, and to ignore or even A Bf 109 approaches the white cliffs of Dover.
run away from enemy fighters (Archive Photos)
unless specifically ordered to
engage them. These developments displeased fighter pilots on both sides. RAF pilots felt they had
trained to kill tigers, and were now ordered to shoot cows. Luftwaffe pilots had prepared to meet and
destroy their British counterparts, and found themselves shepherding the bombers instead. In this role
they called themselves Kettenhunde—chained dogs. Neither side could use the fighter pilot’s greatest
asset, superior altitude. The result was an endless series of increasingly large free-for-alls, aerial brawls
that left both sides bleeding—and RAF airfields in shambles.
Many RAF bases were hit day after day, their fields repeatedly cratered, patched, and cratered again,
their communications sometimes blacked out. Pilots flying several sorties a day were exhausted, and
the outlook was grim. The German High Command repeatedly assured its pilots that RAF Fighter
Command was decimated, England was down to its last 50 fighters, and victory was imminent. For
Britain, one of the few bright spots in this situation was its rapidly rising aircraft production. As the
fury of the German onslaught increased, it was met with increased determination, and large numbers of
replacement fighters. “Here they come again, the last fifty British fighters” became a bitter and often-
repeated joke among Luftwaffe pilots.
Despite the new fighters, RAF Fighter Command was a force approaching exhaustion by September. A
reprieve from the Luftwaffe’s relentless pounding came from a most unexpected source, Adolf Hitler.
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“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by

so many to so few.”
—Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), August 20, 1940, on the fighter pilots who fought
the Battle of Britain.
An accident becomes a strategy

(Phase 3, September 7–October 31, 1940)
With the RAF reeling from the German onslaught, Hitler missed a major opportunity to apply the coup
de grâce. On September 5, he ordered the Luftwaffe to bomb English cities, especially London, hoping
to destroy British resolve and bring about a quick surrender. His decision was the end result of an
accident. On the night of August 25 a single German bomber, headed for the oil facilities in the Thames
estuary, strayed off course and dropped its bombs on a London suburb. Churchill ordered a retaliatory
raid against Berlin, and Hitler’s choice to counter-attack against British cities provided the RAF a vital
and well-timed respite. Although they still had to defend London, their air bases were being left alone
at last.
On September 7, in the biggest German raid to date, the Luftwaffe put 348 bombers into the air,
escorted by 617 fighters. RAF
Fighter Command responded
by scrambling nearly 250
fighters from 21 squadrons. At
first RAF controllers assumed
that this armada was out to
destroy the southeastern
airfields in one devastating
blow, and ordered the fighters
to protect them. By the time it
became obvious that the target
was London, bombs were
already raining down on east
end docks and warehouses.
Hawker Hurricanes rise to meet German raiders.

(UPI/Corbis)
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The first four RAF fighter squadrons

to arrive on the scene hurled
themselves against one flank of the
German air fleet, and soon every
fighter within 70 miles of London
was in a deadly tangle with the
German escorts. A second wave of
bombers struck four hours later, and
successive waves continued to pound
the city for another eight hours.
Dawn found 448 civilians dead along
the Thames waterfront and in the
suburbs. The RAF lost 31 fighters
trying to beat back this massive
assault, and destroyed 39 German
aircraft in the process, one-third of
them bombers. A Heinkel 111 bomber over the Thames in London.
(Imperial War Museum/Archive Photos)
Big raids by Germans
Major raids continued on the 9th, 11th, and 14th of September. Despite the German commanders’
assurances that the RAF was almost annihilated, each time they attacked they were met by 60 to 70
British fighters at a time. RAF fighter losses were alarming, but it became increasingly obvious that the
Luftwaffe was not achieving the air superiority Germany needed for the invasion, now scheduled for
September 20.
September 15 later became known as “Battle of Britain Day,” but no one knew it at the time. This was a
pivotal day simply because it saw the last of the Luftwaffe’s massive daylight raids against English
cities. After this date it became clear that the British would not lose this crucial battle, and that the
German invasion of Britain (Operation Sealion) would never take place.
Simple survival
What was clear at the time was that the Germans were launching their biggest, most concentrated raids.
With their airfields free from attacks during this interval, RAF pilots were somewhat rested and ready
to meet the two massive raids the Germans launched in late morning and early afternoon. They met
both in force, throwing up to 170 fighters at each wave, overwhelming the escort fighters and savaging
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the slow-moving bombers. The results were disheartening for the once-confident Germans, who shot
down 27 RAF aircraft on this day, but lost 56 planes in the process.
Less than a week after Battle of Britain Day, Hitler canceled Operation Sealion. The Battle itself was
far from over, as many British and German pilots could attest, but in a sense it had already been won.
By simply surviving, RAF Fighter Command had staved off the greatest threat to the Allied cause. After
a small raid on London on September 18, and more ambitious ones on September 27 and 30, German
daylight bomber attacks on English
cities dwindled, although night
bombing of the cities continued until
spring of 1941.
Ending with a whimper
Fighter action continued unabated
through October and into November,
with German fighter and fighter-
bomber sweeps again targeting
airfields and aircraft factories. Bomb-
carrying Bf 109s did relatively little
damage, but the steady harassment
continued to wear down RAF Fighter
Command, which was forced to fly
more than a thousand sorties on
October 27 alone.
As November advanced, the daylight
battle waned. There was no formal
announcement; the Battle of Britain
simply petered out. The RAF had lost
some 900 airplanes, the Luftwaffe
London in the Blitz: St. Paul’s cathedral nearly destroyed.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Golf and War

During one air battle of the Battle of Britain, no less than four aircraft force-landed on
golf courses. As a result of these actions, the serious golfing community issued the
following temporary provisions in “The Golfers’ Handbook”:
(i) Players are asked to collect bomb and shell splinters to save these causing damage to
the mowing machines.
(ii) In competition, during gunfire or while bombs are falling, players may take cover
without penalty for ceasing play.
(iii) The position of known delayed action bombs are marked by red and white flags
placed at a reasonably, but not guaranteed, safe distance.
(iv) A ball lying in a crater may be lifted and dropped not nearer the hole without
penalty.
(v) A ball moved by enemy action may be replaced as near as possible to where it lay, or
if lost or destroyed a ball may be dropped not nearer the hole without penalty.
(vi) A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb or shell,
or by machine gun fire, may play another ball from the same place. Penalty, one stroke.
—From Francis K. Mason’s Battle Over Britain
about 1,700. The expansion of the Nazi empire was stopped at the English Channel, but the outcome of
the war was far from decided. It would take almost five more years of fighting, and the deaths of
millions, to lay the Third Reich to rest.
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The Battle Over Europe

USAAF (American Army Air Force) vs. Luftwaffe (German Air Force)
(July 1943–May 1945)
The Americans’ Battle for Europe begins in the summer of 1943 with the Luftwaffe at
the height of its power and capability, and the mostly inexperienced pilots of the
Eighth Air Force learning the hard way. It ends in May 1945 with Allied air supremacy
over Europe, and Germany in ruins. The air war is a war of attrition, a steady grinding
down of whole air forces—the side that runs out of men and machines first loses. This
doesn’t deter thousands of young men from eagerly joining the fight.
Forty years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, fast, powerful fighter planes seemed like the stuff of
science fiction to these new recruits. Like their fellow fliers in Britain and Germany, many couldn’t
wait to get a “ship” of their own. To rule
the sky at 400 mph and 30,000 feet was
their highest aspiration, but it exacted a
terrible price for thousands of them.
Dreams of chivalric glory in the skies
collided all too often with the products
of industrial and military science.
The Second World War was one in
which machines were designed to
destroy other machines. Flak, armor-
piercing ammunition, and explosive
cannon rounds and rockets were
designed to demolish all-metal aircraft.
The men huddled inside the aircraft had
little protection against these weapons;
their goal was to kill first and fastest.
Despite the terrors all this implies, there
was an undeniable exhilaration in this
P-51s with drop tanks.
competitive struggle to survive. (Corbis)
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A Battle for Air Supremacy

Like the Battle of Britain, in this campaign the fighter pilot’s mission shifts over time. As
an American fighter pilot, your initial role is to support the strategic daylight bombing
campaign against Germany. Specifically, your job is to bring the bombers back alive. As the
balance shifts in your favor, your primary mission is to destroy the enemy fighter force. As
a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, your job initially is to bring down as many bombers as you can,
ignoring their fighter escort unless they attack. Later, some of you are allowed to take on
the increasingly aggressive American fighters first. In a war of measures and
countermeasures, the common denominator remains the same: the lone fighter pilot must
face his adversary in a test of skill and courage above an embattled Europe.
Daylight bombers & short-range fighters

(Phase 1, July–December 1943)
The Battle for Europe began with the USAAF focused on the daylight bombing campaign against
industrial and military targets in Germany. Its goal was to destroy the Third Reich’s ability to wage war.
This task was made more difficult by two major constraints. The mandate was to “Bring the bombers
back alive,” but their fighter planes lacked the range to escort the bombers all the way to and from their
targets in Germany, and they had to fly close escort for the much slower heavy bombers. Sticking close
to the lumbering heavies denied the fighters the use of their best assets—speed and maneuverability.
This gave Luftwaffe fighter pilots an edge: they could form up at a distance, then hit fast and hard from
the most advantageous angle, leaving their opponents little time to react.
To stress the German fighter force, and to achieve maximum devastation of German industrial targets,
the U.S. Eighth Air Force planned its heaviest attacks against German targets for the last week in July.
During this operation, later called “Blitz Week,” the Eighth mounted six major bombing raids with
1,000 bomber sorties, massively escorted, against 15 targets. These big raids drew up the Luftwaffe
fighters, and the combat was hot: 33 German fighters fell during two Blitz Week missions. Both sides
paid a heavy price, but the Luftwaffe couldn’t afford its losses.
An inside job
In August and October the USAAF mounted massive raids against aircraft industry targets including the
Messerschmitt works at Regensburg and the ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt. These were air battles
that left both sides bloodied. With the Luftwaffe fighter pilots concentrating their deadly attentions on
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the bombers, it became clear that American bomber losses would remain unacceptably high until long-
range fighters like the P-51D Mustang could escort the bombers all the way to the target and back.
The battle only got tougher. In November the Eighth Air Force began operation Argument, its aim to
destroy the German fighter force by bombing aircraft factories and destroying Luftwaffe fighters on the
ground at their bases. Under increasing Allied air attack, the Germans pulled their fighters back to small
airfields nearer to or inside Germany. From these new bases they could attack incoming bombers, land
to refuel and rearm, and hit the bombers again before they reached their targets. From some airfields,
the Germans could even strike the surviving bombers a third time on their way home. This was rough
on U.S. bomber crews and escort fighter pilots alike—and it was no picnic for German fighter pilots,
either.
“Free to Roam”: Paving the way for invasion

(Phase 2, January–June 1944)
At the end of 1943, the role of American fighter pilots began to change. Instead of escorting specific
groups of bombers, they now patrolled zones along the bombers’ path. This gave them a better chance
to find and destroy enemy fighters. Their real emancipation came in January 1944, when General James
“Jimmy” Doolittle revised
American fighter escort
doctrine, permanently freeing
the pilots from close escort
duty. Their new mandate was to
“Destroy German fighters,” and
to gain air superiority.
The new offensive was planned
for February 20–25th, 1944.
Informally called “Big Week,”
the goal of these missions was
to destroy the Luftwaffe fighter
force at its source by targeting
Germany’s fighter plane and
ball-bearing plants. The plan
also called for the USAAF to
destroy enemy aircraft on the
ground, and to shoot down
fighters coming up to defend
the factories. The “Big Week” A Flying Fortress falls to German flak and fighters.
(Corbis)
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“We’ll still provide a reasonable fighter escort for the bombers,

but the bulk of your fighters will go hunting for Jerries. Flush
them out in the air and beat them up on the ground on the way
home. Your first priority is to take the offensive.”
—Gen. “Jimmy” Doolittle to Eighth Air Force fighter pilots
bombings forced the Germans to alter their tactics, too—from now on one group in each fighter
division would attack the Allied escort fighters, instead of ignoring the escort to concentrate on enemy
bombers.
As a further incentive, Doolittle offered Ace status to pilots who destroyed five aircraft on the ground, a
measure taken by no other combatant air force in World War II. There was some grousing about this
being the easy way to become an Ace, but flying into a wall of flak while attacking an airfield didn’t
seem easy to those who tried it.
Upping the ante
These tactics succeeded in shifting the focus of Luftwaffe fighter operations to defending their aircraft
industry. At first one squadron from each U.S. fighter group was allowed to pursue attacking German
fighters—even if this took them away from the bombers—and then search out and destroy targets of
opportunity. As spring approached, most were allowed to search out and destroy enemy aircraft, some
sweeping out almost 50 miles from the bomber stream. In the process they encountered enormous
gaggles of Luftwaffe fighters forming up to attack.
The only way to draw the German fighter force to its ultimate destruction was to raise the ante. It would
take some irresistible bait to lure the fighters up for this purpose: the USAAF strategists chose to use its
own heavy bombers over the heart of the Third Reich, Berlin. Beginning on March 6, 1944, a series of
raids on Berlin cost both sides dearly. In the first such mission alone, 69 B-17s and B-24s fell to
German flak and fighters. Fighter pilots on both sides died, as did civilians on the ground. Keeping up
the pressure brought big losses for both sides, but it became clear that while the U.S. could sustain its
losses of men and aircraft, Germany could not.
The beaches of Normandy
Meanwhile, the Allies began to prepare for their long-awaited and often-postponed invasion of Europe.
Part of the preparation was the use of strategic bombers and tactical fighters to win air supremacy over
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The P-38 Can Opener?

Developed in 1942 by the Subsistence Research Laboratory in Chicago, the “P-38” was
designed to open C-rations, but it came to be the most all-purpose tool a soldier could
have. It has never been known to break, rust, or need polishing or sharpening in its 56-
year history, earning it credit as the Army’s best invention.
The tool acquired its name from the 38 punctures required to open a C-ration can, and
from the boast that it performed with the speed of the P-38 fighter. But it was also used
as a screwdriver, a knife, for cleaning boots or fingernails, and an all-purpose tool in most
emergencies. This extremely simple, lightweight, multipurpose tool was called the “John
Wayne” in the Navy, and was carried by most men with their dog tags or on key rings.
the Normandy beachhead. RAF and USAAF air power did this by bombing German bases,
fortifications, armor concentrations, and lines of supply.
On D-Day (June 6, 1944), 150,000 Allied invasion troops arrived off the beaches of Normandy in an
armada of ships. A cloud of Allied aircraft controlled the air over the beachhead.
Thunderbolts, Mustangs, and P-38 Lightnings flew continuous patrols to suppress German fighter
opposition. At the end of their patrol they were free to attack ground targets, blasting coastal defenses,
enemy strongpoints, bridges, and rail targets. For awhile Allied pilots had it all their own way, but the
German fighter force wasn’t finished yet. Within weeks the Luftwaffe increased its strength in
Normandy, flying from small, improvised airstrips to avoid attack by Allied fighter-bombers.
With the D-Day invasion, the Allies kicked down the door of Hitler’s “Fortress Europe,” and what
followed proved the truth of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s observation that “when Hitler constructed that
fortress, he forgot to put a roof on it.”
Closing in on the Reich

(Phase 3, July 1944–May 1945)
After the Allied landings, the strategic air war intensified, and the battle took on an added dimension:
tactical cooperation between fighters of the Ninth Air Force and General George S. Patton’s Third
Army. Ninth Air Force pilots flew close support missions against Luftwaffe bases and German army
ground targets.
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With the western wall of Fortress Europe

breached, Germany was on the defensive,
forced first to yield conquered territory, then
parts of the Fatherland itself. The new
situation called for new tactics. With
American bomber streams up to 100 miles
long, and USAAF fighters flying a looser
escort, every raid provided a rich array of
targets. To make the most of these
opportunities, the Germans devised a fighter
force built around large “Storm groups,”
consisting of as many as 90 aircraft,
including the Fw 190 Sturmbock, or
“Battering Ram.” This armored 190 bomber
killer packed the massive punch of twin 30 A Thunderbolt living up to its name.
mm cannon and 21 cm rockets, but paid a (Culver Pictures)
price in performance. Escort groups of more
nimble fighters had to ward off Allied escorts so the Sturmbocks could do their deadly work. The
Americans responded with massive sweeps ahead of and beside the bomber stream to intercept the
Storm groups before they could strike.
Shoot anything that moves, and then some
Less than two months after D-Day, the American armies reached Saint-Lô, to the south of the
Normandy beachhead, and began their breakout toward Paris—and Germany. To support the troops on
the ground, on August 1, 1944 the Ninth Air Force’s XIX Tactical Air Command became operational. It
provided close air support to Patton’s U.S. Third Army on its push eastward across France. These
Fighter Groups were equipped primarily with P-47D Thunderbolts, the plane of choice for ground
attack missions. The P-51D Mustang could do as much damage in this role, but couldn’t take nearly as
“And while I am talking to you mothers and fathers, I give you

one more assurance. I have said this before, but I shall say it
again and again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent
into any foreign wars.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) Election campaign speech, October 30, 1940.
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Jimmy Stewart (1908–1997)

Already established as a Hollywood star before the war, Stewart enlisted in the U.S. Army
Air Force in 1942. As a bomber pilot he led many missions against targets in Germany,
including raids by up to 1,000 bombers, and was awarded both the Air Medal and the
Distinguished Flying Cross. By 1945 Stewart had risen to the rank of Colonel. After the war
he returned to Hollywood, filming “It’s a Wonderful Life” in 1946.
much without losing coolant. The Thunderbolt’s

massive Pratt & Whitney air-cooled radial
engine could take enormous damage from
ground fire and keep running, and gave its pilot
a giant frontal shield.
The tactical air mission included three
assignments: to neutralize enemy air power; to
destroy enemy road, rail, and river transport;
and to provide close air support for ground
forces. Thunderbolt and Mustang pilots, directed
by personnel on the ground, devastated German
troop concentrations, strongpoints, tanks, trucks,
trains, and barges—anything that impeded
Allied progress. German bombers and fighters
didn’t sit still under this onslaught. They
harassed enemy troops on the ground, and
attacked fighter bombers in the air with new
determination.
Last gasp
Now the floodgates were opened, and Allied
forces poured in. By August Paris was liberated,
and the German armies were pushed back
toward their border. It would take the Allies
until Christmas to force them out of France and
Belgium, and until March 1945 to cross the
Rhine onto German soil. The air war continued
unabated during these momentous months, but USAAF First Lieutenants James Stewart and Clark Gable.
(Culver Pictures)
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for the Luftwaffe, which was short of fuel,

spares, and especially trained pilots, the
handwriting was on the wall by the end of
1944.
Luftwaffe leadership decided to risk all on a
daring gamble, which failed disastrously:
Operation Bodenplatte was the Luftwaffe’s
last gasp as an aggressive force. On the
morning of January 1, 1945 the German
fighter force launched its last assault—a
massive blitz directed against Allied
airfields in France, Belgium, and Holland.
Thirty-three German fighter groups took
part, and claimed 500 British and American
aircraft destroyed, including 80 shot down
in air-to-air combat. The price for this
success was the loss of 250 pilots, 19 of
them experienced and irreplaceable
leaders—a cost the Germans simply could
not afford. Bodenplatte was the final spasm
of the Luftwaffe which had once nearly
conquered the world.
Relentless pounding
With the Luftwaffe on the ropes, Allied B-24s bombing Tours, France, 1944.
fighter bombers flew across Germany (Culver Pictures)
Clark Gable (1901–1960)

Clark Gable was already the “King of Hollywood” when his wife, actress Carole Lombard,
died in a plane crash while returning home from a war bond drive in 1942. In 1943 Gable
enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces, where he studied aerial gunnery and made a gunnery
training film. While stationed in England, Gable put his training into practice, flying
several missions over Germany as a B-17 tail gunner. Promoted to Major and decorated
for his wartime role, Gable returned to Hollywood in 1945.
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almost unopposed, blasting

anything that moved, but
few targets remained. These
late ground attack missions
still weren’t a piece of cake
for Allied pilots, because the
Germans massed flak
batteries around anything
worth protecting.
At the same time the Allied
strategic bombers continued
their relentless pounding of
German cities, meeting only
scattered resistance from the
crippled Luftwaffe. Allied
armies were closing in from
the east and west: the end
was in sight.
With the Russians at the
Reich Chancellery in Berlin
and Hitler a suicide beneath
it, the war in Europe came to
an end. Without its air force
Germany could not have
staved off defeat for so long,
and without overwhelming
strategic and tactical air
power, Allied victory, if
possible, would have come
at a far greater cost.
B-17s reach the smoke target marker over Berlin, February, 1945.
(UPI/Corbis)
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“Americans can make cars and refrigerators, but not aircraft.”

—Hermann Göring in 1941
Flying Fortresses under construction in Seattle, Washington.

(Culver Pictures)
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Chapter 6: Medals & Promotions
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Medals & Promotions

RAF Squadron Leader Douglas Farquar receives the Distinguished Flying Cross (for shooting down three enemy bombers) from King George.
Medals and Promotions are two different features of a pilot’s progress through a campaign.
Medals are awarded based solely on the number of enemy planes you shoot down.
Promotions are based on your mission success over the course of a Campaign and the
number of targets you destroy. Your level of success in a particular mission is based on a
number of factors that vary depending on the individual mission goals. For example, on an
escort mission success may be heavily weighted on whether or not the bombers success-
fully blew up their target. If you protected the bombers, chances are the mission was a
success. Be sure to read the mission briefing to find out where to focus your efforts in
that particular mission. Remember, shooting down a lot of enemy planes isn’t everything.
In a campaign, accumulating successful missions is the key to moving up through the
ranks, and choosing a higher difficulty level will get you promoted more quickly.
Luftwaffe medals and

promotions
Medals for merit are given for
outstanding service in the campaign,
specifically for the amount of damage
done to enemy targets, both on the
ground and in the air. Wound badges are
presented in three colors—Black, Silver,
and Gold—and are listed in order of
injury severity from minor to serious.
Captain D.S. Gentile on wing of P51 Mustang at Debden, England 10/4/44.

(Popperfoto/Archive Photos)
(UPI/Corbis)
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Luftwaffe Medals
MEDALS
Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Battle for Europe)
Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Battle for Europe)
Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves
Iron Cross
Gold wound badge (very severe injuries)
Silver wound badge (more serious injuries)
Black wound badge (minor injuries in the line of duty)
Luftwaffe Promotions
A pilot starts off as a Leutnant, and can reach the rank of Oberst. Ranks are shown in order from
highest to lowest.
PROMOTIONS
Oberst
Oberstleutnant
Major
Hauptmann
Oberleutnant
Leutnant
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“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear

ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth
last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their
finest hour.’”
—Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British prime minister. Speech in the House
of Commons, June 18, 1940, announcing the fall of France, and the start of the
“Battle of Britain.”
USAAF Medals and Promotions

Medals for merit are given for outstanding service in the campaign, specifically for the amount of
damage done to enemy targets, both on the ground and in the air. The first award given is the Air
Medal, and further meritorious service will earn you progressively more prestigious medals until you
have achieved the highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Purple Heart is awarded
for injuries in the line of duty.
USAAF Medals
MEDALS
Congressional Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal
Purple Heart (wound badge)
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USAAF Promotions
A pilot starts off as a Second Lieutenant and can reach the rank of Colonel. Ranks are shown in order
from highest to lowest.
PROMOTIONS
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
First Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
RAF Medals and Promotions

Medals for merit are given for outstanding service in the campaign, specifically for the amount of
damage done to enemy targets, both on the ground and in the air. The first award given is the
Distinguished Flying Cross, and further meritorious service will earn you progressively more
prestigious medals until you have achieved the highest decoration, the Victoria Cross.
RAF Medals
MEDALS
Victoria Cross
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross
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President Roosevelt
bestows Congressional
Medal of Honor on Brig.
Gen. James Doolittle, 5/
19/42. (l-r) Henry H.
Arnold, Mrs. Doolittle, Gen.
George C. Marshall.
(UPI/Corbis)
RAF Promotions
A pilot starts off as a Pilot Officer, and can reach the rank of Group Captain. Ranks are shown in order
from highest to lowest.
PROMOTIONS
Group Captain
Wing Commander
Squadron Leader
Flight Lieutenant
Flying Officer
Pilot Officer
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Chapter 7: Hall of Fame
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Fighter Aces
RAF Aces (Battle of Britain)
Douglas Bader
(UPI/Corbis)
Douglas Bader, often called “The Legless Wonder,” stands
out as a remarkable figure, even among the unique
characters in the Royal Air Force. An early convert to aviation, Bader
graduated from the RAF College at Cranwell in 1930. In 1931 he crashed Wing Leader Douglas
while performing aerobatics and had both legs amputated below the knee. Bader
“Let’s Go — Wings for Victory” poster from The Wartime Scrapbook. (Courtesy of Robert Opie Collection)
When the war started he campaigned to reenter the RAF as a combat

pilot. His extraordinary persistence paid off, and by July 1940 he was a (1910–1982)
combat veteran flying Spitfires as commander of 242 Squadron. By late Final Tally: 20
August he was an Ace, earning the DSO with eight victories. By the end
of the Battle of Britain his score was more than a dozen. Early in 1941 he Fighter Aircraft
earned a DFC and took command of the Tangmere Wing’s three Spitfire Flown: Supermarine
squadrons. Sweeps over France added to his tally of Messerschmitts, but Spitfire
Bader’s luck ran out immediately after his twentieth victory. Rank at End of War:
On August 9, 1941, he shot down his last two Bf 109s, but a collision Wing Leader
with a third forced him to bail out. He lost one artificial leg in the Medals and Awards:
process, and damaged the other upon landing. Hearing of the celebrity DSO, DFC
prisoner, German Ace Adolf Galland of JG 26 sent a car so that the
Campaign Flown:
recuperating Bader could visit his adversaries. Soon thereafter Bader
Battle of Britain
briefly escaped, but the Germans recaptured him. Such was his status
among fliers that his German hosts informed the RAF of his capture and
allowed a substitute set of legs to be dropped for him. After further
escape attempts Bader spent the remainder of the war—until April 1945—in the high-security camp at
Kolditz.
“The last man has his say. Words of advice; serious words. Orders to keep in formation.
Don’t stray off. If the Jerries get you alone, you’ve had it. Don’t play the hero. If you’re
in trouble, get out—you’ve got a fast airplane, use your speed, go for home.”
—Robert S. Johnson, Thunderbolt
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(Central Press/Hulton Getty/Tony Stone Images)
J.H. Lacey
James “Ginger” Lacey was the most successful RAF fighter pilot to
survive the Battle of Britain. In 1937 Lacey left his job as a drug store
clerk to join the RAF’s volunteer reserve. Soon this instinctively gifted
flier was a flight instructor. In May 1940 Lacey, now flying Hurricanes in
501 Squadron, went to France and shot down three enemy aircraft in a
single day to win the Croix de Guerre. He returned to England with five
victories.
Lacey added to his score as the Battle of
France wound down and the Battle of Britain
Squadron Leader heated up. On a cloudy day in mid-September
“Ginger” Lacey the 501 Squadron controllers called for a
volunteer to intercept a Heinkel 111.
(1917–1989)
Unbeknownst to them, the Heinkel had
Final Tally: 28 bombed Buckingham Palace. The weather
(UPI/Corbis)
was so thick that the volunteer would
Fighter Aircraft
probably have to bail out at the end of the
Flown: Hawker
sortie. Lacey managed to intercept and shoot
Hurricane
down the bomber, but had his radiator shot
Rank at End of War: away in the process. He bailed out and almost Wing Leader Adolphus
Squadron Leader fell victim to members of the British Home “Sailor” Malan
Medals and Awards: Guard. A string of Anglo-Saxon expletives (1910–1963)

Croix de Guerre, convinced the Guard that this was no
Final Tally: 27, plus
DFM+Bar German. In another action he attacked 12 Bf
ten shared or
109s single-handedly. He shot one down,
Campaign Flown: unconfirmed and 16
damaged two, and again returned home
Battle of Britain damaged
safely. By the end of October he ran his score
up to 18, getting shot down several times in Fighter Aircraft Flown:
the process. Supermarine Spitfire
Adolphus “Sailor” Malan Rank at End of War:
Born in South Africa, “Sailor” Malan earned his nickname by serving as a Wing Leader
cadet aboard a training ship. He soon found a higher calling, joining the Medals and Awards:
RAF in 1935. By 1938 he commanded a flight of Spitfires in 74 Squadron. DSO+Bar, DFC+Bar
Intelligent and amiable, Malan contributed to the development of RAF
fighter tactics, but brought a genuine hatred of the enemy to the task at Campaign Flown:
hand. He advocated damaging German bombers as much as possible Battle of Britain
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without shooting them down, reasoning that the return of crippled aircraft with dead and dying crews
would cause greater damage to German morale. His tally of aerial victories began over Dunkirk in the
spring of 1940, and by the end of the year he had shot down 14 German
aircraft.
One of Malan’s most notable successes occurred on July 28, when his
squadron intercepted Messerschmitts of JG 51, led by their new
Kommodore, Werner Mölders. Malan and Mölders each shot down one
( Courtesy of Bildarchiv der Oesterreichischen Nationalbibliothek)

adversary, and then the two leaders took each other on. Mölders got the
worst of it, managing to nurse his crippled fighter back to the French coast
despite leg wounds that put him out of action for a month. In 1941 Malan
took command of the Biggin Hill Wing, and added 13 more confirmed
kills to his score.
Luftwaffe Aces
(Battle of Britain & Battle Over Europe)
Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland was one of the most colorful characters in any WWII air Lt. General Adolf
force, and one of the most successful western-front aces. Seldom without Galland
his trademark cigar—even when flying his Bf 109—Galland was a (1912–1996)
handsome bon vivant who liked the good life and made good company.
Final Tally: 104
His personal symbol, a hatchet- and gun-toting, cigar-chomping version of
Mickey Mouse, was painted on his plane. Once he was almost shot down Fighter Aircraft Flown:
while flying a planeload of lobsters and champagne to a party. He was also Bf 109, Me 262
deadly efficient as a fighter pilot and leader, and a hardheaded advocate
Rank at End of War:
for the effective use of the German fighter force.
General der
An accomplished glider pilot in his teens, Galland became an instructor in Jagdflieger (Lt.
the fledgling—and still secret—Luftwaffe in the early 1930s. He first saw General)
combat in the Spanish civil war of 1936–1939, perfecting strafing and
Medals and Awards:
dive-bombing techniques in outmoded Heinkel biplanes. Recalled to the
Knight’s Cross with
Air Ministry in Germany, he was replaced by Werner Mölders, his future
oak leaves, swords,
mentor and rival. By May of 1940 Galland was flying Bf 109 fighters in
and diamonds
France and Belgium. During the Battle of Britain a rivalry sprang up
between Galland and Mölders, who had already scored 14 victories in Campaigns Flown:
Spain flying Bf 109s. By the end of the Battle Galland, who was now JG Battle of Britain,
Battle Over Europe
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26 Kommodore, had accumulated 52 victories, compared to Mölders’ 54 in the same period. After
another year of combat his score stood at 94.
In November 1941 Göring promoted Galland to succeed Mölders as General of Fighter Pilots, which
kept him mostly out of the cockpit and frequently at odds with the Reichsmarschall. Galland’s advocacy
of a concentrated, central fighter defense ran counter to Göring’s habitual
stance that the offensive should never be abandoned. He continually had to
defend his pilots against Göring’s accusations of cowardice, and made no
attempt to hide his outspoken views on weapons and tactics. This
inevitably led to his dismissal as General of Fighter Pilots. In January 1945
he was allowed to form an elite squadron flying the Me 262 jet fighter.
(UPI/Corbis)
Werner Mölders
The first WWII fighter pilot to capture the popular imagination in
Germany, Werner Mölders was the youngest Kommodore in the Luftwaffe,
Lt. General the first pilot to beat von Richtofen’s WWI record of 80 aerial victories,
Werner Mölders and the first to achieve 100. Unlike the dashing Adolf Galland, Mölders
(1913–1941) was quiet, serious, a practicing Catholic, and a tactical thinker. As a
fledgling flier he had to overcome airsickness, but ultimately replaced
Final Tally: 101 Galland in the Luftwaffe during the Spanish civil war of 1936–1939.
WWII victories, Flying the new Messerschmitt Bf 109B he accumulated 14 victories in
plus 14 scored in Spain. He added 25 more during the Battle of France, until he was shot
Spain down and taken prisoner. Repatriated after the fall of France, his famous
Fighter Aircraft Battle of Britain rivalry with Galland ran his score up to 54 (not counting
Flown: Bf 109 victories achieved in Spain), compared to 52 for Galland.
Rank at End of War: Mölders altered Luftwaffe tactics by adopting the four-plane Schwarm
General der formation. He nurtured new fighter pilots, including Galland, and his men
Jagdflieger (Lt. called him Vati (“Daddy”) although he was less than 30 years old. After
General) six months and 33 victories on the eastern front, Reichsmarschall Göring
promoted him in July 1941 to be General of Fighter Pilots—a position he
Medals and Awards: held only briefly. Four months later Mölders died in the copilot’s seat of a
Knight’s Cross with Heinkel 111 bomber that crashed in bad weather. Ironically, this happened
oak leaves, swords, while he was en route to Berlin for the state funeral of former WWI ace
and diamonds Ernst Udet, head of the Luftwaffe Technical Department and a recent
Campaign Flown: suicide.
Battle of Britain
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Egon Mayer
Egon Mayer was the first fighter pilot to score 100 victories entirely on the Lt. Col. Egon Mayer
western front, but he is best known as co-developer (with Georg-Peter (1917-1944)
Eder) of the head-on attack against Allied heavy bombers. To his British
and American opponents he was “the man with the white scarf,” even Final Tally: 102
though many fighter pilots wore a silk scarf to avoid chafing while craning (including 25 heavy
their necks to spot enemy aircraft. He joined JG 2, the famous Richtofen bombers)
Geschwader, at the end of 1939. He scored his first victory in the Battle of Fighter Aircraft
France, and was shot down four times during the Battle of Britain, once Flown: Fw 190
forced to float for an hour in the Channel before being rescued. By July
Rank at End of War:
1941 Mayer had raised his score to 20. During the summer of 1942 he
Obersleutnant (Lt.
downed 16 Allied fighters in 21 days, and was promoted to
Col.), Kommodore JG
Gruppenkommandeur of III/JG 2. On June 22, 1943 Mayer got the better
2
of USAAF ace Robert Johnson, damaging the American’s Thunderbolt so
severely that Johnson barely made it back to England. Medals and Awards:
Knight’s Cross with
In mid-1943 Mayer and Eder began experimenting with a more effective
oak leaves and
method of attacking Allied heavy bombers. They determined that the
swords
bombers’ defensive armament was weakest in the nose, so a head-on
attack afforded Luftwaffe fighter pilots the best chance to kill the flight Campaign Flown:
crew and destroy the bomber with minimum exposure to defensive fire. Battle Over Europe
By the summer of 1943 Mayer, now Kommodore of JG 2, was teaching
his pilots the new bomber-attack technique. He also practiced what he
preached: on September 16, 1943, Mayer shot down three B-17s in less than 20 minutes. The B-17G,
with its two forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns in a chin turret (and in some cases two more
“cheek” guns), was introduced to meet the threat of these head-on attacks. Five months later Mayer
scored his 100th aerial victory. He had survived many scrapes, including a forced landing in a quarry
and a bail-out at just 250 feet, but his luck was soon to run out. While leading an attack on Allied
bombers in his Fw 190 over France on March 2, 1944, Mayer was fatally bounced by escorting
Thunderbolts.
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USAAF Aces (Battle Over Europe)

Don Blakeslee
Don Blakeslee was not one of the top Allied aces, but his skill, experience, and
leadership stand him in the first rank of WWII fighter pilots. Blakeslee got into the war early; he joined
the Royal Canadian Air Force as a volunteer, and by May 1941 was flying Spitfires in the RAF’s 401
Squadron. In the summer of 1942 he joined 133 Squadron, one of three RAF “Eagle” squadrons whose
pilots, like Blakeslee, were American volunteers. By September 1942,
when the Eagle squadrons were merged to form the USAAF Fourth Fighter
Group, he had flown 120 sorties and scored three victories. He shot down
three more enemy aircraft while flying Thunderbolts, and began to
demonstrate the leadership that allowed the Fourth Fighter Group to amass
(The National Archives)
an enviable record.
On August 12, 1943 the 4th claimed 18 German fighters for the loss of a
single Thunderbolt. Blakeslee’s early experience as a Spitfire pilot made
him long for another Merlin-engined fighter, the P-51B. Promoted to
command the Fourth Fighter Group at the beginning of 1944, Blakeslee
conducted a long and eventually successful campaign to reequip his group
Col. Don Blakeslee with Mustangs. On March 6, 1944, Blakeslee led the P-51D Mustang
(1917– ) escort accompanying USAAF heavy bombers on their first big daylight
raid to Berlin. On this historic mission his group claimed 15 German
Final Tally: 14.5 plus fighters and lost just one Mustang in the process. By June Blakeslee had
three presumed shot down seven more enemy aircraft. His score would have risen higher,
destroyed and 10 but he often stayed above the fray, directing his pilots to combat
damaged opportunities, leaving the victories to them. After three years of almost
Fighter Aircraft continuous action, Blakeslee was sent home in October 1944.
Flown: P-51
Robert Johnson
Rank at End of War: Robert Johnson was the Thunderbolt pilot par excellence, an expert at
Colonel using the big fighter’s phenomenal roll rate to outmaneuver enemy aircraft
Medals and Awards: that were capable of tighter turns. Despite his flying skill, he was almost
DSC assigned to bombers because as a trainee his gunnery scores were
substandard. He worked hard on gunnery so that by early 1943 he was
Campaign Flown: allowed to join the 56th Fighter Group. He scored his first victory by
Battle Over Europe disregarding orders and breaking formation. Sternly chastised, he resumed
combat with a heightened sense of discipline. On June 22, 1943 Johnson
ran afoul of Luftwaffe ace Egon Mayer, and was barely able to nurse his
crippled Thunderbolt back to base.
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As he accumulated experience, Johnson became a source of tactical tips

for new pilots. His advice to pilots attacked from above was clear and to
the point: “If a Jerry comes down on you, pull up into him and nine times
out of ten, if you are nearly head-on with him he’ll roll away to his right.
(The National Archives)
Then you have him. Roll onto his tail and go get him.” By May of 1944 he
had scored 28 victories in just 91 sorties, surpassing Eddie Rickenbacker’s
WWI record of 26 kills. His score was equalled among American pilots in
Europe only by another 56th Fighter Group ace, Francis “Gabby”
Gabreski.
Francis Gabreski
Robert Johnson “Gabby” Gabreski, an American of Polish
(1920– ) descent, shared with Robert Johnson the
honor of being the USAAF’s top-scoring ace
Final Tally: 28 in the European theater. In January 1943
Fighter Aircraft Gabreski joined the 56th Fighter Group in
(UPI/Corbis)
Flown: P-47 Europe, and was for a time assigned to the
RAF’s 315 Polish squadron, in which he flew
Rank at End of War: Spitfires. Rejoining the 56th Fighter Group,
Captain he soon ran up an impressive string of Lt. Colonel Francis
Medals and Awards: victories in Thunderbolts, tying Robert
DSC, Silver Star Johnson’s 28-victory record to share top ace “Gabby” Gabreski
honors among Americans in the European (1919– )
Campaign Flown:
theater.
Battle Over Europe Final tally: 28 WWII
He summed up the confidence that the best victories
fighter pilots gain only through experience:
“It’s like an amateur boxer. You get into the ring, you’re slow, you’re not Fighter Aircraft Flown:
sure of yourself, you’re probing. But as you become more proficient, gain P-47
experience, you hit the other league, the professional league. Fear is no Rank at End of War:
longer there. You are part of your profession, and I felt that my profession Lt. Colonel
as a fighter pilot was to destroy the German Luftwaffe.”
Medals and Awards:
On July 20, 1944, Gabreski flew so low while strafing that his propeller hit DSC, Silver Star
the ground. He managed to pull up and then belly land, and spent the
Campaign Flown:
remainder of the war as a POW. During the Korean war Gabreski became
Battle Over Europe
a jet ace, scoring 6.5 victories against MiG 15s.
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Key Players of the War

Sir Hugh Dowding (1882–1970)
If anyone was responsible for saving England in the summer of 1940, it was Hugh Dowding. As
Commander in Chief of RAF Fighter Command from 1936 to 1940, he was instrumental in creating the
network of radar stations—and the communications and control system—that made it possible to track
and counter incoming German air raids.
An unlikely hero who earned the nickname “Stuffy” at Staff College, Dowding was quiet, austere, not
very social, and not at all political. He served as a pilot and squadron leader in World War I, rising to
the rank of Brigadier. As head of Fighter Command his grasp of emerging technologies and his
organizational genius made him the right man in the right place and time. In addition to the radar and
communications network, he also arranged for the acquisition of Spitfires and Hurricanes and oversaw
the building of many of the bases from which they flew.
Once the war started, Dowding used his resources—planes and pilots—
wisely. Seeing that the RAF could not match the Luftwaffe plane-for-
plane, he ran Fighter Command as a force that had to survive in the
present in order to prevail in the drawn-out battle to come. His intelligent
and determined leadership resulted in survival, success, and high morale
for Fighter Command, but didn’t always win him favor in the military and
political hierarchy. Despite Churchill’s promises, Dowding resisted
sending additional fighters across the Channel once it became clear that
France would fall to the Nazis and that Britain would be next on the list.
He also resisted the temptation to meet every German raid with maximum
Commander in Chief RAF Fighter force, instead doling out his forces when and where they were most
Command Hugh Dowding. needed. Some saw this as overcautious, particularly advocates of the “Big
(UPI/Corbis)
Wing” concept, who wanted to throw much larger formations at incoming
German bomber raids and fighter sweeps.
His measured use of force was eventually vindicated, enabling Britain to survive the battle to win the
war, but for his efforts Dowding was unceremoniously sacked in November 1940. Those who persisted
in criticizing Dowding’s leadership had Churchill’s ear, and Dowding refused to court political support
in the heat of battle, or at any other time. Eventually he earned public recognition, a noble title, and a
knighthood for his efforts, but his removal from command before the Battle of Britain ended was an
astounding injustice. It was also a low note for Churchill, who usually recognized and rewarded
effective leadership.
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Hermann Göring (1893–1946)

Hermann Göring’s dramatic career catapulted him from WWI fighter ace,
to Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe and number two man in Hitler’s
Third Reich, to condemned Nazi war criminal. He served with distinction
as a fighter pilot in the First World War, scoring 22 victories and winning
the coveted Pour le Mérite—the “Blue Max.” On the death of Manfred
von Richtofen—the “Red Baron”—in 1918, Göring replaced him as
squadron leader. Göring joined the fledgling Nazi party in 1922, and the
following year, as head of Hitler’s bodyguard, was wounded in the party’s
failed uprising in Munich. The morphine he received for this wound
started him down a lifelong road of drug addiction. Hermann Göring.
(Archive Photos)
By 1933 he was the second most powerful man in the Third Reich, builder
of the first two concentration camps for “political opponents,” and founder of the state secret police, the
dreaded Gestapo. In 1935 he became Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. The early success of his
air force in supporting the German army’s Blitzkrieg in 1939–1940 masked the fact that Göring was at
best an amateur strategist. In the Luftwaffe he created a magnificent fighting machine, but squandered
it by refusing to adapt to changing circumstances. The Battle of Britain highlighted the incompetence of
his leadership.
When the RAF not only refused to collapse, but shot down increasing numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft,
Göring berated his flyers, accused them of cowardice and threatened to have them shot. As the war
went on, their loyalty turned to contempt. At first they affectionately called the portly Göring der Dicke,
or “Fatty,” and he got many a laugh from his young fighter pilots by pretending to climb into the
cramped cockpit of a Bf 109 fighter. Later in the war, with German cities under almost continual
bombardment and Luftwaffe aircrew dying in ever-increasing numbers, Göring’s popularity plummeted
among his pilots, and they began to refer to him contemptuously as der Gröfaz, a satirical shorthand for
Grösster Feldherr aller Zeiten or “greatest military commander of all time.” He accelerated this process
with orders like the one he issued in the fall of 1943, that fighter pilots could release their drop tanks
only when struck by enemy fire. While they fought and died in the frigid skies over a bomb-cratered
Germany, Göring amassed a giant collection of artworks looted from conquered countries, collected
opulent estates, and designed increasingly resplendent uniforms. Long after Pearl Harbor, Göring
continued to believe that the Americans could exert little influence on the outcome of the war. But with
the collapse of the Third Reich Göring surrendered to American forces. Convicted for his complicity in
Nazi crimes, he escaped the hangman by taking poison in his cell at Nuremberg in October 1946.
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James “Jimmy” Doolittle (1896–1993)

“Jimmy” Doolittle’s long life included several careers: daredevil, aeronautical engineer, record-setter,
military hero. Best known as the architect and leader of the “Doolittle Raid” on Tokyo in 1942 and
eventual head of the U.S. Army’s Eighth Air Force in WWII, he was lucky to survive long enough to
play these wartime roles. In the First World War he served as a gunnery and flight instructor, and rose to
become the U.S. Army Air Corps’ chief of experimental flying. Winner of
many air races and setter of many records in the 1920s, his long list of
aviation “firsts” includes the first coast-to-coast flight in less than 24
hours in 1922, the first outside loop in 1927, and the first blind takeoff and
landing, relying solely on instruments, in 1929. In 1932 he set a world
airspeed record of almost 300 mph in the Gee-Bee R-1, an aircraft that
killed many less skillful or lucky pilots.
As head of the Aviation department of Shell Oil in the 1930s Doolittle
pushed the construction of refineries to produce high-octane aviation
gasoline, a move that paid off in the next decade when masses of new
military aircraft required huge quantities of the once-scarce fuel. In July
General Jimmy Doolittle. 1940 Doolittle rejoined the U.S. Army Air Corps. In April, 1942, four
(American Stock Photos/Archive
Photos) months after the Japanese attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor,
Doolittle planned and led a retaliatory raid on Tokyo, flying the first of 16
B-25 Mitchell medium bombers off the short and pitching deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet.
Although the raid did little damage to the Japanese capital, it gave an enormous boost to American
morale. Promoted to brigadier general and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Doolittle went
on to command U.S. air forces in North Africa. In 1944 he was given command of the Eighth Air Force
in England, where he did much to ensure that American air power was used effectively. His chief
contribution was to free his fighter pilots from flying close escort for the heavy daylight bombers. He
changed the rules to let them roam ahead of the bombers to find trouble before it found them, and to go
after German fighters in the air or on the ground once their escort duties were done.
With the German surrender in May 1945 Doolittle took the Eighth Air Force to Okinawa, directing B-
29 operations against Japan in the final months of the war. He finished the war with the rank of
lieutenant general. The title of Doolittle’s autobiography aptly sums up his long and varied career: I
Could Never Be So Lucky Again.
Reginald Victor (R.V.) Jones (1911–1997)

R.V. Jones was a scientist, a trickster, and a hero of the Battle of Britain. The war began just five years
after he had completed his doctorate in physics from Oxford, but this young scientist was to become the
most valuable intelligence asset in the British war effort.
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Radar was a new technology in 1940, and one area where the British were
more advanced than the Germans. It was Jones who discovered that Germany
had radar at all, and he proceeded to use that fact to Britain’s advantage.
When Luftwaffe bombers used radio beams to guide them on their missions
attacking England, Jones figured out the pattern and sent alternate signals
that led the bombers over lakes and fields instead of cities.
On the night of July 24, 1943, German radar operators flew into a panic and
alerted all defense systems, as their radar screens showed 11,000 Allied
bombers over German airspace. It turned out that there was no such colossal R.V. Jones.
(Reuters/Win McNamee/
bombing force in the skies at all. Jones had arranged for about 700 bombers Archive Photos)
to drop 92 million strips of tinfoil into the air, which showed up on German
early warning monitors as a massive invasion.
Winston Churchill said of Jones, “He did more to save us from disaster than many who are glittering
with trinkets.”
Years later, when Jones had returned to quiet academic life, he was fond of telling a story of how his
physics students were warned about him: “Be careful around Professor Jones. He thinks he won the war
by himself.” But considering the pivotal importance of the Battle of Britain, and Jones’s single-handed
contribution to that conflict, the statement is not far from the truth.
Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

Churchill is famous as the inspiring and pugnacious leader of Great
Britain during World War II, but he performed some of his most
significant services to his country long before he became Prime Minister
in 1940. His lifelong interest in new weapons and technologies, especially
aircraft, showed remarkable foresight, and eventually helped the nation to
survive the Battle of Britain.
Churchill participated in the last cavalry charge of the British Empire at
Sir Winston Churchill. Omdurman in 1898, but he carried a German Mauser automatic pistol into
(Culver Pictures)
combat instead of a saber.
In 1913, just ten years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, Churchill decided, at the age of 39, to learn
to fly. Within a year he had taken some 140 flights as a passenger or pilot, and he was sure that “One
day [airplanes] will be robust, and of value to our country.” This may have seemed far-fetched before
WWI, but the events of 1940 proved him right.
Churchill was one of the first to recognize the threat of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, and clamored
for British rearmament in an era of disarmament and appeasement. In November 1932, eight years
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before the Battle of Britain, he urged the government to take measures “. . . to place our Air Force in
such a condition of power and efficiency that it will not be worth anyone’s while to come here and kill
our women and children in the hope that they may blackmail us into surrender.” In 1933, he warned
that “. . . the crash of bombs exploding in London . . . will apprise us of any inadequacy which has been
permitted in our aerial defences.” In 1934 Churchill noted that “The flying peril is not a peril from
which we can fly. It is necessary to face it where we stand. We cannot possibly retreat. We cannot move
London.”
Churchill kept up the pressure for a strong air force throughout the ’30s. Slowly the government
responded, and by 1939 the RAF was ready, by only the smallest of margins, to withstand the German
air assault. In August 1940, having been Prime Minister for just three months and with the Battle of
Britain still raging, Churchill paid homage to the pilots of the RAF, calling them “The Few” who were
saving the nation. Churchill himself deserved the thanks of his people because his faith in air power
never wavered.
(Quotes taken from Martin Gilbert’s Churchill: A Life. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1991.)
Adolf Hitler (1889–1945)

Hitler was responsible for a world war and genocide, but he was law-
fully appointed as Chancellor in 1933, and the democratically elected
legislature soon granted him dictatorial powers. As a leader Hitler
sometimes demonstrated tactical brilliance, but showed little grasp of
strategy.
Hitler was Austrian born, but served as a Private in the German army in
WWI, then rode German resentment to control of the nation. The war’s
aftermath—massive unemployment and spiraling inflation—fueled
Hitler’s rise: he saw the resentments, fears, and prejudices of the people
Adolph Hitler as his path to power. He assured the battered population that the reason
(Corbis) for all this misery lay with enemies outside and within Germany,
especially Jews and Communists.
By 1930 the Nazi party had more than 100 elected members in the Reichstag (parliament), and Hitler
himself was lawfully appointed Chancellor in 1933 by President von Hindenburg. Soon the Nazi party
was the only party, German rearmament provided greater prosperity, and Hitler claimed that the Aryan
master race could rightfully take land and enslave nations.
The nonaggression treaty between Germany and Russia in August 1939 freed Hitler to start a war to
create a new world order more to his taste, and gave Stalin territory in eastern Europe. Both dictators
knew that ultimately their nations would fight to the death.
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Hitler tended to prefer dramatic gestures and bold strokes in war, scorning prudent planning as
overcautious. Starting on September 1, 1939, Hitler’s armies achieved stunning success against Poland
and used new Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) tactics, combining fast-moving armor, mobile infantry, and
air power to rapidly dominate Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, and France. Britain proved to be a
harder, more determined target. Hitler quickly lost interest in the details when the going got tough, and
allowed Göring to conduct the Battle of Britain with ill-defined and shifting objectives. The result was
the first of many major setbacks for Hitler.
Hitler’s management of the military inevitably led to the collapse of the Third Reich. His suicide
beneath the ruins of Berlin in April 1945, long questioned by many, seems indisputable now. Millions
of people paid the price of his “Thousand-year Reich,” which lasted just 12 years.
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RO F W A R: PLANES
ES
R
Chapter 8: Machines of War
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The Fighter Planes

Your job is to fly the fastest, most powerful, and most lethal aircraft in the world. These fighters are a
thrill to fly, but every one of them can bite you before the enemy gets a chance. Just getting one of these
babies off the ground in one piece can be a challenge. Using all of its horsepower and maneuverability
in combat can make you an ace—or a casualty. Knowing the capabilities and limitations of your
airplane can save your life in a contest where second best means you’re a statistic. But when you close
the canopy on any one of these fighters, you’ll experience the excitement and romance of the best—and
best-looking—piston-powered, propeller-driven aircraft ever built.
Note: For Aircraft Strengths and Weaknesses, see the end of this chapter.
U.S. B-24 bomber dodges flak. (Archive Photos)
Hurricane pilots scramble to their aircraft.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Hawker Hurricane I (RAF)

Empty/Max Weight & Dimensions:
Weight: 4,670 / 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg) Span: 40 ft (12.19 m) Length: 32 ft (9.75 m)
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin III 12-cyl V liquid cooled, 1,030 hp
Armament: Eight Browning .303 machine guns w/334 r.p.g
Max Speed @ Altitude: 318 mph (512 km/h) @ 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,980 m)
Climb Rate: 2,520 ft (770 m)/min
Range: 460 mi (740 km)
The Hurricane was Britain’s first truly modern fighter since the first World War, but its fabric-covered
fuselage was a step back instead of forward. It flew a year earlier than its more glamorous Battle of
Britain stablemate, the Spitfire. The Hurricane entered service earlier, was in greater supply during the
Battle, and shot down far more German aircraft. Easy to fly, solid and forgiving, it was a stable (and
well-armed) gun platform, giving inexperienced pilots the confidence to go into battle. But it lacked the
Spitfire’s glamour—and its performance.
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Although rifle-caliber projectiles are small, at close range the

eight guns pour out a destructive hail of lead. The Hurricane is
a stable gun platform; just make sure your foe “fills your
windscreen” before you open fire.
Hurricanes on a patrol mission.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Supermarine Spitfire Mark I (RAF)

Weight: 4,810 / 5,784 lbs (2,182 / 2,624 kg) Span: 36’10" (11.23 m) Length: 29’11" (9.12 m)
Engine(s): Rolls-Royce Merlin III 12-cyl V liquid-cooled, 1,030 hp
Armament: Eight .303 Browning machine guns w/300 r.p.g.
Ceiling: 34,000 ft (10,370 m) Climb Rate: 2,530 ft (770 m)/min Range: 395 mi (635 km)
The Spitfire Mk I came on the scene just in time to take a starring role in the Battle of Britain. Based on
Reginald Mitchell’s brilliant Supermarine floatplane racers, the Spitfire put the powerful Rolls-Royce
Merlin V-12 into a slim and elegant airframe with elliptical wings that carried eight machine guns. The
result was the equal of—some say superior to—the Messerschmitt Bf 109, its adversary in the Battle of
Britain. The Spitfire Mk I had the speed and agility of a thoroughbred, and serious punch by the
standards of 1940. However, like most other front-line fighters, it could be tricky if not handled with
care or skill. Its long nose made S-turns the only way to see ahead while taxiing, and a relatively
narrow undercarriage combined with powerful propeller torque made takeoffs and landings a handful.
Most pilots who flew the Spitfire loved it, and swear to this day that it was a machine that somehow
became an extension of the pilot’s nerves and muscles.
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Supermarine Spitfire IX (RAF)

Weight: 5,800 / 7,500 lbs (2,636 / 3,409 kg) Span: 36’10" (11.23 m) Length: 31’4" (9.55 m)
Engine(s): Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 12-cyl V liquid-cooled, 1,710 hp
Armament: Two 20-mm Hispano cannon, four .50 Browning machine guns
Ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,420 m)
Climb Rate: 4,100 ft (1,250 m)/min
The Spitfire was developed continuously

throughout the war, through some 24 Narrow undercarriage makes landing tricky for
versions. Two major revisions of the inexperienced pilots. Watch out for rough ground,
original Spitfire were the 1,440-hp Mark set her down gently, and avoid sudden turns.
V, of which some 6,464 were produced in
1941–1942, and the Mk IX, a model quickly cobbled together to meet the challenge of the newly
emerging Focke-Wulf 190. The high-altitude version of the Mk IX was essentially a Mk V with a
1,710-hp Merlin 70 engine, capable of more than 400 mph. From 1942 to 1944 5,665 Mk IXs were
built, and at war’s end many were still in RAF service.
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Messerschmitt Bf 109E “Emil”1939 (Luftwaffe)

Empty/Max Weight & Dimensions
Weight: 4,189 / 5,523 lbs (1,900 / 2,505 kg) Span: 32’4½” (9.87 m) Length: 28’4" (8.64 m)
Engine(s): Daimler-Benz DB601D 12-cyl V liquid-cooled, 1,050 hp
Armament: Two 20-mm MG FF cannon w/60 r.p.g. & two 7.9-mm MG 17 machine guns w/1,000
r.p.g.; E-1/B had racks for 4 110-lb bombs or 1 550-lb bomb
Ceiling: 34,450 ft (10,500 m)
When Willy Powerful engine and large prop cause strong swing to port on
Messerschmitt designed takeoff and landing. On takeoff, ease the throttle open and keep
the 109 in 1934 it was an applying right rudder—otherwise you’ll head off the runway, or
ultramodern fighter, even wind up on your back.
mating a big and
sophisticated V-12 to the smallest possible fuselage and a thin wing. Tested during the Spanish civil war
of 1936–1939, it proved fast and agile. The 109 evolved into the Bf 109E used in the Battle of Britain
in 1940, and the more numerous Bf 109G, which flew from late 1942 until the end of the war. Its
extremely narrow landing gear and massive propeller torque made the 109 tricky to take off and land:
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Messerschmitt Bf 109G “Gustav” 1942 (Luftwaffe)

Weight: 5,880 / 7,496 lbs (2,667 / 3,400 kg) Span: 32’6½” (9.92 m) Length: 29’8" (9.04 m)
Engine(s): Daimler-Benz DB605A V-12 liquid-cooled, 1,475 hp
Armament: One 30-mm Mk 108/one 20-mm MG 151 cannon firing through prop hub; two 13-
mm MG 131 machine guns w/300 r.p.g. above engine. Optional: Two 20-mm MG 151 cannon
w/150 r.p.g. in pods under wings (pods add weight & drag). G-6/R2 can mount rack for four
110-lb bombs or 1 550-lb bomb; G-6/R2 carried two WGr 21 rocket tubes.
Ceiling: 38,500 ft (11,750 m)
Climb Rate: 3,300 ft (1,005m)/min
Range: 450 mi (725 km); w/ belly tank, max. 615 mi (990 km) (Bf 109G can carry one 300-
liter tank under fuselage, or one on each wing)
five percent of the 109s destroyed weren’t shot down, they came to grief simply while getting off, or
back onto, the ground.
When the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 appeared, some thought it should replace the 109, but many ace pilots
preferred the superior high-altitude performance of the older aircraft and refused to give it up. By war’s
end some 35,000 Bf 109s had been produced. The 109 got its “Bf” designation because when he
designed it, Willy Messerschmitt was working for the Bavarian Aircraft Works.
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Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 1943 (Luftwaffe)

Weight: 7,055 / 10,800 lbs (3,200 / 4,900 kg) Span: 34’5½” (10.49m) Length: 29 ft
(8.84 m)
Engine(s): BMW 801D-2 14-cyl radial air-cooled, 1,700 hp
Armament: Two 13-mm MG131 machine guns & four 20-mm MG 151 cannon; A-8/U11 carried
one 550-lb bomb or four 110-lb bombs
Ceiling:37,400 ft (11,410 m)
The Fw 190 was probably the best German propeller-driven fighter of the war, except that its
performance fell off significantly above 20,000 feet. Easy to fly and a far better confidence-builder than
the twitchy Bf 109, the Fw 190 had an impressive rate of roll, excellent responsiveness, and the ability
to carry varied armament and still provide superior performance. All this spelled success for many
inexperienced pilots. Unlike many other radial-engined fighters, the 190 not only worked well, but
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Two 13-mm machine guns over engine and four 20-mm

cannon in wings pack a heavy punch. Sturmbock variant
substitutes 30-mm cannon, and adds 21-cm rockets under
wings. Note that the more armament you carry, the worse
your plane flies. Your dogfighting ability in a Sturmbock is
marginal, but three 30-mm cannon hits or a single 21-cm
rocket can knock down a heavy bomber.
looked good, and was the first fighter

Relatively high wing loading increases turn radius, but
to offer a clear view canopy for good
roll rate is unsurpassed. Stall is sharp and sudden;
all-around vision. Its basic armament
don’t let it bite you on landing.
of two-13 mm machine guns and four
20-mm cannon made it a formidable
weapon; when gunned up to attack heavy bombers, its Sturmbock variant could bring the heavy
firepower of 30-mm cannon and 21-cm rockets to bear with devastating effect.
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Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 1943 (USAAF)

Weight: 10,700 / 19,400 lbs (4,853 / 8,800 kg) Span: 40’9¼” (12.4 m) Length: 36’1¼”
(11.03m)
Engine(s): Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 Double Wasp 18-cyl radial air-cooled, 2,300hp
Armament: 6 or 8 .50 Browning machine guns w/267 or 425 r.p.g. and one 500-lb bomb. Late
config.: same guns + 2 1000-lb or 3 500-lb bombs or 10 5-in rockets
Ceiling: 42,000 ft (12,810 m)
Climb Rate: 2,750 ft (840 m)/min.
Range: 1,000 mi (1,610 km); with drop tanks, 1,900 mi (3,057 km)
The biggest, heaviest fighter of the war, the Thunderbolt, or “Jug,” as it was affectionately known, bore
the brunt of the USAAF’s fight in Europe until the longer-range Mustang made the scene. The P-47
continued to be the Allied fighter-bomber of choice, with its massive and durable radial engine.
Nothing could outdive a Thunderbolt, and its less than stellar rate of climb improved dramatically when
water injection and a massive “paddle-blade” prop were added. The Jug was fast and tough and had a
phenomenal rate of roll. For all its weight, power, and performance, it was an easy and forgiving
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“There, to my left—a Messerschmitt Me-110, escorted by two Focke-Wulfs. All three

planes in a long, shallow dive for the bombers, waiting to get into range for the Me-110
to lob its rockets. . . I line up on the Messerschmitt, fat and juicy in the sights. He tries
to evade, twists and turns; my bullets flash into the big twin-engine fighter. . . the Me-
110 tears apart. I am so close the Thunderbolt shakes from the violent explosion. I hear
sharp, banging noises, the thud of pieces of metal striking my airplane.”
—Robert S. Johnson, Thunderbolt
airplane to fly. According to pilot Jeffrey Ethell, “Looking around from the pilot’s perch on this massive
fighter. . . one feels. . . like King Kong setting out to destroy New York. The sheer size and heft of the
Jug [is] a real confidence builder for
new combat pilots.” Stoutly
constructed and powered by a
massive air-cooled radial engine, the
Heavily-framed canopy limits out-
Thunderbolt became the American ward view, particularly to the rear.
machine of choice in the ground- Later production P-47Ds feature a
attack role. bubble canopy for improved all-
around vision, but in the Razorback,
keep craning your neck!
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North American P-51D Mustang 1944 (USAAF)

Weight: 7,125 / 11,600 lbs (3,230 / 5,206 kg) Span: 37' ¼” 11.29 m) Length: 32’2½”
(9.81 m)
Engine(s): Rolls-Royce/ Packard V-1650-7 12-cyl V liquid-cooled, 1,590hp
Armament: 6 .50-cal Browning machine guns w/270 r.p.g. (ob&ctr pairs) & 400 r.p.g. (ib
pair); alt config: 4 .50s w/400 r.p.g. and two 500 or 1000-lb bombs or six 5-in. rockets
Ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,780 m)
Climb Rate: 3,475 ft (1,060 m)/min
Range: 1,300 mi (2,092 km); with drop tanks, 2,080 mi. (3347km)
The Mustang had an unusual beginning: it was designed by a German and first built for the British, then
became perhaps the best propeller-driven American fighter of the war. Edgar Schmued emigrated to the
U.S. in 1930; as a design engineer for North American Aviation in 1940 he drew the elegant and
efficient shape that became the supreme long-range fighter of the war. Combining a highly efficient
wing with a slender fuselage wrapped around the Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12, the Mustang was fast and
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“Our first combat mission as a full squadron flying P-51s with full internal and external
tanks was a bit of a mess. On climbing out from the base in full squadron formation at
800 ft, the unit in front of us had just pulled up into the lower cloud deck at 1000 ft,
when out of the bottom of the cloud came a spinning P-51. By some miracle the pilot
dropped his wing tanks and successfully pulled out of his dive at about 50 ft . . . in a
weak radio voice he announced that he was aborting.”
—Major Ed Giller, 55th Fighter Group, in Jerry Scutts’ Mustang Aces of the Eighth Air Force.
agile—and a handful for the unwary pilot. A light airframe, enormous propeller torque, and a heavy
hand on the controls could spell disaster.
When loaded with enough internal and
external fuel to fly from England to
Berlin and back, the P-51 could be With six .50-cal Browning machine
downright treacherous, especially guns firing API ammo, you can rip
when the fuselage tank behind the pilot enemy fighters apart with a
was full. Its liquid-cooled engine also
made it vulnerable in the ground-attack
relatively short burst.
role. But in fighting trim, this famous
fighter ruled the skies over Europe.
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Other Aircraft
Boeing B-17G (USAAF)

The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is one of the most familiar, and perhaps the most famous, American
aircraft of the Second World War. Designed in the mid-1930s, the B-17 bristled with 10 (and in some
later models, 13) .50-caliber Browning machine guns, and could carry up to three tons of bombs
internally. By the time B-17s were flying missions over Europe, fighters were faster, and the Forts
needed an escort to and from the target. German fighter pilots found that the American heavy bombers
were most vulnerable when attacked head-on. This tactic was countered by adding “cheek” guns to
some aircraft, and a two-gun chin turret on the B-17G model, which accounted for about 70 percent of
the 12,000 Flying Fortresses built during the war. The Fort proved incredibly tough, bringing crews
home despite massive damage. Like the Spitfire earlier in the war, the handsome B-17 caught the
public’s imagination, and it tended to overshadow its capable but homely stablemate, the Consolidated
B-24 Liberator. For Luftwaffe fighter pilots, attacking a B-17 or a B-24 could be a frightening
experience. Attacking a formation of these heavy bombers could focus the defensive firepower of
scores of heavy machine guns right back at you.
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Consolidated B-24J (USAAF)

The B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American aircraft of World War II,
with 18,000 rolling off the assembly lines. The B-24 wasn’t as handsome as its strategic bombing
partner, the Boeing B-17. The slab-sided Liberator looked and handled like a big truck. But it could
carry four tons of bombs internally, and could carry them much further than the B-17. On the other
hand, its thin Davis wing made the Liberator very hard to hold in formation at high altitudes: it couldn’t
fly as high as the B-17, making it more prone to punishment from flak and fighters, and it was not as
resistant to battle damage. Nevertheless, the Liberator was well-armed and proved to be as tough to
attack as the Flying Fortress.
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North American B-25J Mitchell (USAAF)

The B-25 may have been the best medium bomber produced by any combatant in World War II. It was
used by the American, British, and Russian air forces in every theater of the war. First flown in 1940,
the B-25 was named in honor of Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell, one of the earliest and most persistent
American advocates of air power, who was court-martialed for insubordination in 1925 and died in
1936. This belated honor was appropriate; B-25s were used in America’s first retaliatory blow against
Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the carrier-based raid on Tokyo led by “Jimmy” Doolittle. By
1943 more than 10,000 of these versatile aircraft had been produced, serving as high- and low-level
bombers, as heavily armed ground-attack aircraft, on antisubmarine patrol, and on reconnaissance
missions. The basic B-25 was well-armed, with five forward-firing .50-cal. machine guns, and another
five in top, tail, and side positions. For ground attack, the transparent nose of the bombardier’s
compartment was replaced by a solid nose with up to eight guns. Some models even mounted a 75-mm
cannon in the nose, which had to be reloaded manually after each shot. In whatever role it was used, the
Mitchell was stable, easy to fly, maneuverable, and highly effective.
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Douglas DC-3/C47 (Allied Forces)

The Douglas DC-3 first flew in December 1935, and immediately set the new standard by which
passenger and transport aircraft would be measured. It established the basic construction techniques and
appearance of what we recognize today as modern aircraft, compared to the visibly antiquated planes
that preceded it. Many DC-3s are still flying today. One of the most important incarnations of the
immortal DC-3 was its role as the major Allied military transport aircraft of WWII. More than 10,000
of the 13,000 DC-3s built were originally made for military service. In that role the USAAF called it
the C-47 Skytrain, while the British called it the Dakota. It delivered uncountable tons of supplies to
Allied forces in Sicily, Burma, and Normandy, dropped paratroops, towed troop gliders in, and ferried
personnel in war zones throughout the world. After the war General Eisenhower said that three vehicles
had been instrumental in achieving Allied victory: the Douglas DC-3, the landing craft, and the Jeep.
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Dornier Do 17Z (Luftwaffe)

Called “The Flying Pencil” because of its slender fuselage, the Do 17 was first designed as a fast mail
plane with room for six passengers. Its thinness made passenger access awkward, but it was redesigned
as a bomber and first saw service in the Spanish civil war of 1936–1939. Like other German aircraft
that did well during the Blitzkrieg early in World War II, it proved vulnerable to the point of
obsolescence against modern fighters in the Battle of Britain. Introduced in 1939, the Do 17Z was a
stable, strong, and reliable aircraft, but underpowered and lacking in armor protection. It carried six
light machine guns, two of which were mounted above and beneath the rear fuselage, firing rearward,
so attacking fighter pilots had to be cautious when approaching this otherwise easy prey. The Do 17
was eventually replaced in most bomber units by the more capable Ju 88.
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Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb (Luftwaffe)

The V1 “Buzz Bomb” was a pulse-jet–powered, pilotless aircraft with an 1,870-pound warhead. Shot
off a rail on the ground, it climbed to about 8,000 feet, flew a predetermined distance at about 400 mph,
then plunged to its target—a city in Britain, France, Belgium, or the Netherlands. Between June 1944
and March 1945 nearly 5,000 fell in London and Antwerp alone. It took about 20,000 V1s to make
those 5,000 hits, since some self-destructed on launch or crashed prematurely, and many were shot
down by Allied fighters and antiaircraft fire. The buzz-bomb (so-called because of the sputter of its
pulse-jet motor) was a flak gunner’s dream target, with its steady speed and trajectory, but shooting one
down from a fighter could be tricky. Pilots had to dive at the V1 to gain sufficient speed to get into
range, but close proximity to an exploding one-ton bomb was inadvisable. Some used even more
finesse, maneuvering close enough to get a wingtip under the V1’s wing. The resulting turbulence
destabilized the missile, causing it to dive into the Channel. The V1 (for Vergeltungswaffe, or reprisal
weapon) was also, if unintentionally, a psychological weapon, easily heard and seen as it approached.
When the V1 dived, its motor shut off for lack of fuel. This gave those on the ground a few silent
seconds to scramble for cover—and to contemplate the coming explosion.
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Heinkel 111H (Luftwaffe)

First flown in 1935 and combat-tested in the Spanish civil war, the He 111 was an elegant aircraft that
was as fast as many pre-WWII fighters, and capable of carrying two tons of bombs. Like other bomber
designs of the early ’30s, its speed made defensive armament seem almost unnecessary, and its early
successes lulled German planners into committing it to daylight operations over Britain in 1940. But
there reality set in, as modern Hurricane and Spitfire fighters mauled the relatively slow-moving
Heinkels. However, the 111 could take a lot of punishment, particularly from the rifle-caliber machine
guns of the British fighters, and many made it home peppered with bullet holes. Night operations
extended the usefulness of the He 111 and Do 17 bombers; while both were mostly supplanted by the
faster Ju 88, the 111 continued to serve in various capacities until the end of the war. After the war it
remained in production in Spain—ironically using Rolls-Royce Merlin engines—until 1956.
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Junkers Ju 87B Stuka (Luftwaffe)

The Ju 87 Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, or dive bomber) caught the world’s attention over Poland
in the fall of 1939. Its sinister appearance and the screaming siren on its fixed landing gear made the
swooping Stuka a psychological weapon, and gave it a reputation that far exceeded its actual
performance. Although it could dive steeply and put its bombs on target quite accurately, it was slow
and ungainly, and lacked armor. It did well in campaigns where air opposition was already neutralized,
but in the Battle of Britain it quickly became apparent that the Stuka was no match for any fighter, and
couldn’t withstand much damage from ground fire. The RAF shot down so many Stukas so rapidly that
the Luftwaffe was forced first to provide each one with as many as three escort fighters, and then to
withdraw them from the fight altogether. Stukas were used on the eastern front, but by 1943 they again
proved so vulnerable that they were relegated to night missions.
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Junkers Ju 88A (Luftwaffe)

The Ju 88 was the most successful and versatile bomber in the Luftwaffe arsenal, capable of carrying
almost two tons of bombs at almost 300 mph. It could deliver these bombs conventionally, or as a dive
bomber. It first flew in 1936, and by 1940 had served in actions against the British Royal Navy and
targets in Norway, Denmark, the Low Countries, and France. In the Battle of Britain the Ju 88’s speed
made it somewhat less vulnerable than its Dornier and Heinkel counterparts, but light defensive
armament made it hard to ward off attacking fighters. The 88 had a long evolution, and numerous
variants served in many roles throughout WWII, most notably as a fast “destroyer” and night fighter.
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Messerschmitt Bf 110C “Destroyer” (Luftwaffe)

The Bf 110 was an aircraft designed for one mission—as a strategic fighter to accompany bombers to
and from their targets—that found its greatest success in an entirely different role—as a night fighter.
First conceived in 1934, successive refinements led by 1939 to the Bf 110C model, which served with
some distinction during the Blitzkrieg from Poland to France and the Low Countries, but more than met
its match in the Battle of Britain. This twin-engine, heavily armed fighter, or “Destroyer,” as the
Luftwaffe classified it, had greater range than its single-engine counterparts, and was nearly as fast. The
problem was maneuverability. Spitfires and Hurricanes were far superior to any opposition the 110 had
yet encountered, and they made mincemeat of the slow-turning, slow-climbing 110. Over England it
became an escort fighter that needed its own escort, and before long the 110 was withdrawn from the
Battle of Britain. From 1942 on the 110 was developed into a highly effective night fighter, and in this
role it ran up an impressive tally of kills against British bombers. As the American daylight strategic
bombing campaign intensified, the 110 was pressed into service—escorted by high-flying Bf 109s—as
a bomber destroyer, lobbing rockets into bomber formations, and riddling stragglers with cannon fire.
Although always vulnerable to fighter opposition, the 110 carried two 20-mm cannon and four light
machine guns firing forward, and a single rearward-firing light machine gun, so approaching a 110,
even from behind, was risky. The last Bf 110 was delivered to the Luftwaffe in March 1945.
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Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a “Schwalbe” (Swallow) (Luftwaffe)

The Me 262 was the first operational jet fighter flown by any nation, and it influenced fighter design in
many countries for more than a decade after the end of WWII. These facts have given the 262 a
mystique far more powerful than its real performance or its actual contribution to the German war
effort. Although the Me 262 had a top speed more than 100 mph faster than other front-line fighters of
the time, its Junkers Jumo turbine engines, which required metallurgy beyond the limits of current
technology, were unreliable and provided poor acceleration. Suddenly increasing or decreasing throttle
could cause the engines to stall or explode. Although Hitler’s insistence on a bomber version, the Me
262A-2a “Sturmvogel,” delayed the jet’s deployment, the real problem was getting acceptable engine
performance and reliability. This kept the Me 262 fighter from entering combat until September 1944.
Its leisurely acceleration on takeoff and the need to slow down well before landing left the 262
vulnerable to enemy fighters. In a dogfight its turning radius was no match for more nimble, if slower,
propeller-driven opponents. Despite these problems, the 262’s speed advantage could leave other
fighters far behind, and with four powerful but slow-firing 30-mm cannon and 21-cm rockets it was a
fast and formidable bomber killer. The Me 262 provided an impressive glimpse of the future, but its
effect on the outcome of the war was negligible.
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RAF gun camera catches a Heinkel bomber’s final moments.

(UPI/Corbis)
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Aircraft Operational Speeds and Flap Settings

Focke-Wulf Messerschmitt Messerschmitt Hawker
190A Bf 109E Bf 109G Hurricane I
Takeoff 180 km/h 180 km/h 185 km/h 90-95 mph
Best Climb 260 km/h 245 km/h 250 km/h 155 mph
Stall* (gear/ 204 km/h 144 km/h 168 km/h 80-90 mph
flaps up)
Stall* (gear/ 164 km/h 136 km/h 160 km/h 60-75 mph
flaps down)
Extend flaps
225-270 km/h 250 km/h 250 km/h 120 mph
(max.)
Extend gear 255-300 km/h 250 km/h 250 km/h 120 mph
(max.)
Best Glide 250 km/h 210 km/h 230 km/h 100 mph
Touchdown 200 km/h 120 km/h 120 km/h 90 mph
Flaps 15 degrees 20 degrees 20 degrees Up (or 28

(takeoff) degrees for
short field)
Flaps Fully Down Up to 40 degrees Up to 40 degrees Up to 60

(landing) (or 30 degrees for degrees
balked landing)
*Stall speeds shown are for straight-and-level flight in aircraft without optional fuel tanks or armament
upgrades. Remember: you can stall at any speed, depending on the maneuver and aircraft attitude.
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Aircraft Operational Speeds and Flap Settings

Supermarine Supermarine North American Republic
Spitfire Mk I Spitfire Mk IX P-51D P-47D
Takeoff 95-100 mph 100-105 mph 115 mph 110-115 mph
Best Climb 160-185 mph 180 mph 152 mph 155-165 mph
Stall* (gear/ 73 mph 90 mph 103 mph 115 mph

flaps up)
Stall* (gear/ 64 mph 75-79 mph 96 mph 100 mph

flaps down)
Extend flaps
140 mph 160 mph 130 mph 195 mph
(max.)
Extend gear 160 mph 160 mph 170 mph 200 mph
(max.)
Best Glide 90 mph 105 mph 125-130 mph 140-150 mph
Touchdown 85 mph 90 mph 93 mph 115-120 mph
Flaps Up Up 15-20 degrees Up

(takeoff) (20 degrees in
combat)
Flaps Down Down Up to 50 degrees Up to 40

(landing) degrees
*Stall speeds shown are for straight-and-level flight in aircraft without optional fuel tanks or armament
upgrades. Remember: you can stall at any speed, depending on the maneuver and aircraft attitude.
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Aircraft Strengths & Weaknesses

Planes Strengths Weaknesses
Hawker • Easy to fly, stable gun platform; • Short on acceleration, climb vs.
Hurricane good starting plane. Bf 109.
(RAF) • Eight .303 machine guns. • Rifle-caliber bullets not as destructive
as larger rounds.
• Sturdy landing gear.
• Carburetor causes engine to cut
• Tight turn radius; very maneuver-
out under negative Gs.
able below 20,000 feet.
• Loses maneuverability above
• Can take a lot of damage; fabric-
20,000 feet.
covered frame is easy to repair.
Supermarine • Easy and pleasant to fly. • Carburetor causes engine to cut

out under negative Gs.
Spitfire Marks • Excellent maneuverability and rate
of climb; tight turning radius. • In Mk. 1, rifle-caliber bullets not
I & IX (RAF) as destructive as larger rounds.
• Good firepower from eight .303
machine guns in Mk. I; better • Limited range.
firepower in Mk. IX from mixed .50-
• Controls very heavy at high speeds.
cal guns and 20-mm cannon.
• Good visibility through canopy.
Messerschmitt • Highly responsive; excellent • Narrow, weak landing gear makes takeoff
acceleration, rate of climb, and landing tricky; plane swings hard to
Bf 109 maneuverability. left on takeoff.
(Luftwaffe)
• Fuel-injected engine performs well • Twitchy handling, heavy controls at high
under positive or negative Gs. speeds. Uneven slat deployment can make
• Excellent high-altitude aiming difficult.
performance. • Thin wing and light construction make it
• 20-mm cannon provide greater more fragile than some others; high wing
lethality than fighters with loading makes steep dives and high-G
rifle-caliber guns. pullouts dangerous.
• Superior at high altitudes. • Adding extra wing armament degrades
speed and maneuverability; even with
cannon, 109 is too lightly armed to be
an effective bomber interceptor.
• Very limited range, short duration over
England in Battle of Britain.
• Relatively poor visibility from cockpit.
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Aircraft Strengths & Weaknesses (continued)

Planes Strengths Weaknesses
Focke-Wulf • Fast, easy to fly, stable gun • Unexceptional turning radius and rate
platform. of climb.
Fw 190
• Excellent, responsive high-speed • Sudden and severe stall characteristics.
(Luftwaffe) handling and phenomenal roll rate.
• Poor zoom climb; loses energy rapidly.
• Strong and able to sustain damage.
• Sturmbock variant with 21-cm rocket
• Air-cooled radial engine can take a launchers loses agility and needs top
lot of damage. cover escort.
• Heavy firepower; great bomber
interceptor.
• Strong, wide landing gear makes
landing easy.
• Excellent visibility through canopy.
• Maintains good performance even
with most weapon upgrades.
North American • Excellent acceleration, speed, • Very sensitive to sudden throttle

handling, and maneuverability. application, which can cause severe
P-51 Mustang swing or rollover and crash on takeoff,
• Enormous range.
(USAAF) or induce spin in flight.
• Heavy firepower from six
• Treacherous handling with aft fuselage
.50-caliber guns.
tank full.
• Excellent pilot visibility.
• Liquid cooling increases engine
vulnerability to small arms fire.
Republic P-47 • Fast, stable, and easy to fly; • Initially mediocre rate of climb improved
a real confidence builder. by paddle-blade prop and water
Thunderbolt injection.
• Air-cooled radial engine shields
(USAAF) pilot, can sustain massive damage • Limited rearward visibility through
and keep running. “razorback” canopy.
• Impressive roll rate. • Mediocre turn radius and rate.
• Extremely rugged construction; • Poor zoom climb; loses energy rapidly.
can take major damage.
• Nothing outdives a Jug.
• Massive firepower from eight
.50-caliber guns.
• Turbocharger provides good
high-altitude performance.
• A great ground-attack fighter-
bomber.
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Vehicles
German Vehicles, Vessels, and Trains
Sd Kfz 231 Armored Car. Helpless against air attack; strafing it may ignite its fuel and ammo.
Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Sd Kfz 7 Halftrack troop carrier. Makes an easy target; its light machine gun is only a minor threat to
aircraft. Avg/Max speed: 20/45 mph.
Kübelwagen. This little VW makes a small target. If it is carrying an MG 42 machine gun, it can spray
out 1,200 rifle-caliber rounds per minute, so exercise caution. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Sd Kfz Flakvierling. Watch out for these mobile AA weapons, and for four-barrel Flakvierlings
everywhere: on halftracks, railroad cars, etc. These fast-firing multiple 20-mm cannon can
bring down a fighter flying within almost a mile. Avg/Max speed: 20/45 mph.
Wirbelwind Flakpanzer IV. This dark lump on the landscape is well-armed and dangerous. Its four 20-
mm cannon can be lethal to aircraft within almost a mile. Its ammo can make one big explosion
if you can hit it without taking hits yourself. Avg/Max speed: 12/25 mph.
Mercedes 6-wheel open staff car. This fancy vehicle may contain a high-ranking German officer.
Avg/Max speed:40/80 mph.
Opel “Blitz” S type 3-ton truck. This vehicle, seen everywhere on the front, may be carrying anything
from troops to ammunition. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Troop carrier Sd Kfz 251/1c. Good strafing target for Allied fighter-bombers. Helpless against air
attack; strafing it may ignite its fuel and ammo. Avg/Max speed: 20/45 mph.
Sd Kfz 232 armored car. Good strafing target for Allied fighter-bombers. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Tank, Tiger II. This big, slow-moving machine is tough to crack. Rockets and bombs are your best bet,
but you may be able to fire .50-cal API rounds from behind and bounce some up into a
vulnerable spot beneath the engine. Avg/Max speed: 10/23 mph.
Tank, Panther Ausf G. This tank is tough and requires the roughest treatment you can provide,
preferably bombs and rockets; you’ll be lucky to do significant damage with .50-cal ammo.
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Motorized gun, Wespe SP. This piece of roving artillery makes a more vulnerable target than more
heavily-armored tanks. Its howitzer is dangerous to ground troops, but its only weapon against
aircraft is a rifle-caliber machine gun. Strafe it on sight; fully loaded with ammo, it may make a
very big bang if you hit it hard enough. Avg/Max speed: 12/25 mph.
Ambulance. Not very sporting to strafe emergency vehicles! Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Fire truck. Not very sporting to strafe emergency vehicles! Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Gas truck. Strafing this truck may result in a gratifying explosion. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Light truck. Depending on what it’s carrying, this truck may blow up if hit. Avg/Max speed: 25/50
mph.
Submarine, Type VII. This sub makes an interesting strafing target and a hard one to bomb.
Tugboat. Not much of a challenge to strafe a tug, but it does interfere with the shipping the tugboat is
there to assist. Avg/Max speed: 7/15 mph.
Seine barge (towed singly or in a line by a tug). Strafing strings of river barges can provide some
explosive surprises, depending on what’s aboard; be ready to dodge fireballs and flying debris.
Rescue vessel. Carries light antiaircraft armament; with luck it can damage low-flying attackers.
Trawler. Small, slow-moving trawlers are common support vessels. Depending on what’s aboard, a
strafed or bombed trawler may blow up in a big way. Avg/Max speed: 8/17 mph.
One-man dinghy. A small, helpless, and inappropriate target! Avg/Max speed: 2 mph.
E-boat. Like the rescue vessel, the E-boat carries light flak armament; its torpedoes make it a
potentially explosive strafing target. Avg/Max speed: 12/35 mph.
Locomotive. Locomotives are big, easy to spot, and slow-moving, but if there are flak cars in front or
behind, they become dangerous targets. Successful strafing may produce huge jets of steam or
boiler explosions that can propel large pieces of jagged metal into your flight path. Avg/Max
speed: 25/60 mph.
Box car. Box cars can be unresponsive targets, but if the cargo is ammo or explosives, you may not
have enough altitude to evade explosions propelling large pieces of debris. Box cars can also
contain 20-mm Flakvierling four-barreled AA guns. If the sides hinge open and muzzle flashes
appear, get more distance and altitude ASAP.
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Flat car. Flat cars may carry 20-mm Flakvierling four-barreled AA guns, especially in front of or
behind the locomotive or at the end of the train. If you see multiple muzzle flashes from a flat
car, get more distance and altitude ASAP.
Tanker car. In wartime these probably aren’t carrying molasses, but something volatile that could
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British Vehicles and Vessels

Ship-based Barrage Balloon. Shooting these gasbags from above can make good target practice;
flying beneath them can be fatal if you get tangled in the steel cables that hang beneath them.
Tugboat. Not much of a challenge to strafe a tug, but it does interfere with the shipping the tugboat is
there to assist. Avg/Max speed: 7/15 mph.
Gunboat, MTB 5002. This small, agile vessel makes a difficult target. Its torpedoes, fuel, and ammo
make it potentially a highly explosive one. Avg/Max speed: 12/35 mph.
Merchantman/Convoy ship. Merchantmen are slow-moving, easy targets. Their cargo may make for a
very large explosion. Avg/Max speed: 6/12 mph.
Destroyer, Tribal class. This heavily armed ship must be approached with caution, as it can throw up a
lot of light but deadly flak. Strafing may not produce dramatic results, but if a bomb finds the
ship’s magazine, it might make a major-league explosion. Avg/Max speed: 12/40 mph.
Munition carrier. Small, slow-moving vessels like this don’t look like promising targets, but their
cargo may make hitting them quite exciting. Avg/Max speed: 7/14 mph.
Corvette, Kingfisher class. A nice little convoy escort with some antiaircraft teeth and a lot of ammo
on board, which may produce a very large explosion. Avg/Max speed: 12/23 mph.
Trawler. Small, slow-moving trawlers are common convoy escorts. Avg/Max speed: 8/17 mph.
Civilian lifeboat. A small, helpless, and inappropriate target! Avg/Max speed: 3 mph.
RAF Air/Sea rescue launch. This fast, agile 64-footer is not an easy target. Its light armament could do
some damage to attacking aircraft. Avg/Max speed: 15/35 mph.
Ambulance. Not very sporting to strafe emergency vehicles! Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
American Vehicles and Vessels

Gun, 75 mm Gun Motor carriage M3. This mobile antipersonnel weapon is useless against aircraft;
attack it at will. Avg/Max speed: 20/45 mph.
Dodge 4x4 Ambulance. Not very sporting to strafe emergency vehicles! Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
6x6 Deuce-and-a-half truck. This truck could be carrying anything from troops to ammo to fuel, so it
may make quite a big bang. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
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Willys MB Jeep. Can mount a .50-cal machine gun which, with luck, could hit or even down a low-
flying aircraft. Avg/Max speed: 30/65 mph.
M8 armored car. If you hit this car with .50 API or something bigger, its fuel and ammo may blow up.
Tank, M4A3 Sherman. German fighter-bombers can damage or destroy this tank with rockets or
bombs, or damage it with cannon fire. With a lot of luck, its single turret-mounted .50-cal.
machine gun could damage or destroy low-flying aircraft. If hit with bombs or rockets, its
ammo may ignite, causing quite a fireworks show. Avg/Max speed: 12/28 mph.
Tank, Sherman M4A3 with T34 rocket launcher. If you hit this launcher before it’s fired, its supply
of rockets could go up with quite a roar. Avg/Max speed: 12/28 mph.
M3A1 scout car. An easy target and no threat. Avg/Max speed: 30/65 mph.
Ford truck. Depending on what it’s carrying, this truck could explode. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
4x4 weapons carrier. If loaded with small arms ammo or bazooka rounds when you strafe it, this baby
might make a surprisingly big bang. Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Crash truck. Not very sporting to strafe emergency vehicles! Avg/Max speed: 25/50 mph.
Landing Vehicle Tracked LVT-4. A helpless target unless protected by AA guns on nearby vessels.
Avg/Max speed: 3/8 mph in water, 10/20 mph on land.
LCI (Landing Craft, Infantry). The LCI is a small, slow-moving, unarmed target, protected by AA
guns on nearby vessels. Avg/Max speed: 8/16 mph.
DUKW amphibian. The “Duck” amphib is another small, slow-moving and nearly defenseless target
on sea or on land. It may mount a .50-cal machine gun; with luck it can hit low-flying aircraft.
Avg/Max speed: 3/8 mph in water, 20/40 mph on land.
LCT (Landing Craft, Tank). The LCT is big and slow-moving; with tanks and ammo aboard, it makes
a juicy target. Avg/Max speed: 6/12 mph.
“Swimming” Sherman tank. This novel machine makes a small, very slow, and defenseless target in
the water. Avg/Max speed: 2/5 mph in water, 12/28 mph on land.
Cargo vessel. Thousands of these were offshore during the Normandy invasion, but the Allies enjoyed
air supremacy over the beachhead. Avg/Max speed: 3/8 mph.
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Ground crew wheels a P-47 Thunderbolt onto apron for a pre-flight check.
(UPI/Corbis)
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Aircraft Armaments
Rifle-caliber (light) machine guns
Browning Mk 2 .303-in./7.7 mm (Spitfire I and Hurricane I)
Projectile weight: 0.344 oz.
Muzzle velocity: 2,660 ft/sec
Rate of fire: 1,150 rpm
Ammo types: Armor piercing, incendiary, tracer
High lethality requires: >30 hits
Strengths Weaknesses
• High rate of fire: 3-second burst sends almost 60 • Rifle-caliber round lacks range and hitting power
bullets per gun toward target. In 8-gun Hurricane or of .50-caliber Browning or larger cannon.
Spitfire, that burst amounts to almost 10 pounds of
• If none of your hits strikes a vital spot, the
metal moving at high velocity.
enemy can still get home.
• .303 De Wilde incendiary bullet explodes with a bright
yellow flash on impact, confirming your target.
• Despite lack of range and power, downed more than
1,000 German aircraft during Battle of Britain.
• Tight turn radius; very maneuverable below 20,000
feet.
• Can take a lot of damage; fabric-covered frame is easy
to repair.
Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 7.92 mm (Bf 109E)

Projectile Weight: 0.45 oz.
Muzzle Velocity: 2,450 ft/sec
Rate of fire: 1,100 rpm
High lethality requires: >30 hits
• High rate of fire. • Rifle-caliber round lacks range and hitting power
of larger guns and cannon.
• Numerous hits can do major damage.
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Heavy machine guns

Browning M2 .50-in./12.7 mm (P-47D and P-51D)
Projectile weight: 1.6 oz.
Muzzle velocity: 2,750 ft/sec
Rate of fire: ≈800 rpm
Ammo types: Armor piercing, incendiary, tracer, and API (armor-piercing incendiary)
High lethality requires: >20 hits on fighter
• Flat trajectory, long reach, good hitting power. • Lacks destructive power of larger cannon.
• Short, well-aimed burst can saw the wing off enemy
fighter; in Thunderbolt or Mustang, 3-second burst
fires about 300 rounds, each round more than 4 times
heavier than smaller .303.
• API round pierces skin of enemy aircraft, then
explodes inside its structure for maximum damage.
• With luck can stop a German heavy tank; can bounce
the API round off road behind tank, striking its
vulnerable engine compartment from beneath.
Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 13 mm (Bf 109G and Fw 190A)

Muzzle Velocity: ≈2,700 ft/sec
Rate of fire: ≈850 rpm
High lethality requires: >20 hits on fighter
• Flat trajectory, long reach, good hitting power. • Projectile is slightly lighter, velocity slightly lower
than Browning .50.
• Rate of fire is a little higher than Browning .50.
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20-mm cannon
Oerlikon MG FF (Bf 109E)
Rate of fire: 520 rpm
Ammo types: Incendiary or high-explosive
High lethality requires: >10 hits on fighter, >20 hits on heavy bomber
• Cannon fires heavy projectile, giving Bf 109E a heavier • Slow rate of fire.
weapon than RAF adversaries, armed with rifle-caliber
• Low velocity.
light machine guns.
• Projectile can explode on impact instead of
penetrating structure of target aircraft, shattering
into small fragments that fail to deliver knockout
punch.
An American pilot smiles at his battle damage. (UPI/Corbis)

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Mauser MG 151/20 (Bf 109G and Fw 190A)

• 20 mm round packs twice the hitting power of a heavy • Projectile is slightly lighter and has less penetra-
machine gun. tion power than some other 20-mm cannon.
• Higher velocity and rate of fire than Oerlikon 20-mm
cannon.
Hispano Mk II (Spitfire IX)

Ammo types: Armor piercing, incendiary, tracer, and API (armor-piercing incendiary)
• Fires a hefty ¼-lb. projectile at high velocity; can • Feed problems kept it out of action in the Battle
inflict major damage on all-metal aircraft. of Britain.
• Pair of these, along with pair of .50-caliber Browning
machine guns, gives Spitfire IX a punch equal to new
Fw 190.
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30-mm cannon
Rheinmetall-Borsig Mk 108 (Bf 109G and Fw 190A-8 Sturmbock)
Projectile Weight: 11 oz.
High lethality requires: 1 hit on fighter, 5 hits on heavy bomber
• Takes very few hits to do the job; one well-placed • Low velocity and drooping trajectory—a drop of
round can destroy a fighter, 3–5 hits can knock down almost 100 feet in 1,000 yards—make Mk 108 a
a heavy bomber. close-in weapon, which risks exposure to
defensive fire.
• Single Mk 108 gives Bf 109G a massive punch; a pair
of these gives Bf 110s and Fw 190 Sturmbock unprec-
edented firepower.
Rockets
Wgr 21 21-cm/8-in. air-to-air rocket (Bf 109G and Fw 190A-8)
Projectile Weight: 90 lb (41 kg)
High lethality requires: Detonation within <30 yds
• 90-lb. warhead has devastating explosive power; can • Bulky rockets and launch tubes degrade fighter
destroy a heavy bomber within ~ 30 yards. performance; planes carrying them need to be
• Can be launched from a safe distance. conventionally escorted.
• Barrage of rockets can cripple bombers, forcing them • Unguided missiles lack accuracy, are simply
out of formation for easy prey to escort fighters. lobbed in the general direction of a bomber
formation.
• With luck can stop a German heavy tank; can bounce
the API round off road behind tank, striking its
vulnerable engine compartment from beneath.
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5-in./12.7-cm air-to-ground rocket (P-47D and P-51D)

Projectile Weight: »50 lb (41 kg)
High lethality requires: Detonation within <15 yds
• Warhead packs a lot of explosive power. • Not very accurate.

• Effective against ground targets; tactical pilots can • Not effective as air-to-air weapons.
use them to destroy tanks, trains, trucks, and other
surface targets.

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Joystick & Keyboard Commands

Joystick Commands
For more information about how to change the default button assignments, see Getting Started.
Action Command
Bank left (ailerons) Move stick left
Bank right (ailerons) Move stick right
Pitch down (elevator) Move stick forward
Pitch up (elevator) Move stick backward
Yaw left (rudder) Twist stick left (Not all joysticks can do this)
Yaw right (rudder) Twist stick right (Not all joysticks can do this)
View up 45 degrees Hat up
View left 45 degrees Hat up/left
View left Hat left
View left 135 degrees Hat down/left
View right 45 degrees Hat up/right
View right Hat right
View right 135 degrees Hat down/right
View rear Hat down
Fire guns Button 1 (Trigger)
Fire cannons Button 2
Next target Button 3
Previous target Button 4
Fire Rocket Button 5
Release Bomb Button 6
Engage WEP or W/MW Inj. (toggle) Button 7
Padlock view (toggle) Button 8
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Keyboard Commands
If you wish to change any of these commands, see the Getting Started chapter.
Game commands
Action Command
In-game menu (toggle when in full screen mode) ALT key
Open online Help F1
Key Command Quick Reference F2
Pause P key
Bail out O key (press three times)
Select time compression (toggle) R key
Sound (toggle) Q key
End Training Mission CTRL+U
Reset Training Mission CTRL+R
Exit game CTRL+C
Exit game immediately CTRL+BREAK
Flight commands
For details, see the Flight School chapter.
Bank left (ailerons) Num Pad 4
Bank right (ailerons) Num Pad 6
Yaw right (rudder) Num Pad ENTER
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Bank/Yaw center (ailerons/rudder) Num Pad 5
Pitch down (elevator) Num Pad 8
Pitch up (elevator) Num Pad 2
Elevator trim down Num Pad 7
Spoilers (toggle) / key
Engine commands
To learn more about using engine controls, see the Flight School chapter.
Action Command
Minimum prop r.p.m. CTRL+F1
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Action Command
Maximum prop r.p.m. CTRL+F4
Mixture idle cutoff CTRL+SHIFT+F1
Full rich mixture CTRL+SHIFT+F4
Engage War Emergency Power or F10
Water/Water-Methanol Injection (toggle)
Other aircraft commands

Action Command
Landing gear (toggle) G key
Manually pump gear CTRL+G
Parking brakes CTRL+PERIOD (.)
Brakes PERIOD (.)
Left brake F11
Right brake F12
Radio (toggle) B key
Pitot tube heat (toggle) SHIFT+H
All lights (toggle) L key
Panel lights SHIFT+L
Landing lights CTRL+L
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Weaponry commands
Action Command
Fire guns 1 key (keyboard)
Fire cannon 2 key (keyboard)
Release bomb 4 key (keyboard)
Switch from reflector to BACKSLASH (\ key)
gyro gunsight (P-51 only)
Basic view commands

For more information about views, see the Air Combat chapter.
Action Command (Num Lock On)
Forward Default view
Left 90 degrees Num Pad 4
Right 90 degrees Num Pad 6
Up 45 degrees Num Pad 8+5
Rear Num Pad 2
Rear, Up 45 degrees Num Pad 2+5
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Action Command
Full view (toggle cockpit view: forward/ W key
Full view with HUD/Full view without HUD)
Cycle views (Cockpit, Virtual Cockpit, Spot) S key
Cycle views backwards SHIFT+S
Padlock view (toggle) ` key
Next target TAB key
Previous target SHIFT+TAB key
Cancel target SHIFT+` key
Chase view (toggle) C key
Chase view: next aircraft TAB key
Chase view: previous aircraft SHIFT+TAB key
Bomb/rocket view (toggle) A key
Bomb/rocket view: next bomb/rocket TAB key
Bomb/rocket view: previous bomb/rocket SHIFT+TAB key
Panning view commands
Action Command
Pan UP SHIFT+BACKSPACE
Pan DOWN SHIFT+ENTER
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Display commands
Action Command
HUD (toggle Cockpit view: forward/ W key
Full view with HUD/Full view without HUD)
HUD colors (toggle) SHIFT+W
Measurement system for HUD (toggle) CTRL+W
Aircraft labels (toggle) N key
Windows
Action Command
Create new view window LEFT BRACKET ([)
Close view window RIGHT BRACKET (])
Bring window to front APOSTROPHE (’)
Switch to next view window CTRL+TAB
Switch to previous view window CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Zoom in EQUAL SIGN (=)
Zoom out HYPHEN (-)
Zoom normal (1x) BACKSPACE
Bring up chat window (Multiplayer) ENTER
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Slewing in Free Flight and Quick Combat

Action Command
Turn Slew mode on/off Y key
Set aircraft position to north heading, SPACEBAR
level pitch, level bank
Move forward Num Pad 8
Move backward Num Pad 2
Move left Num Pad 4
Move right Num Pad 6
Freeze horizontal movement Num Pad 5
Move up quickly F4
Rotate left Num Pad 1
Rotate right Num Pad 3
Freeze rotation Num Pad 5
Move nose up 9 key (keyboard)
Move nose up quickly F5
Move nose down 0 key (keyboard)
Move nose down quickly F8
Bank left Num Pad 7
Bank right Num Pad 9
Freeze banking Num Pad 5
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BIBL I
I O TGR R A P HY
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Recommended Reading
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R IG R A P H Y
B I B L IT O
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For a full listing of recommended books and Web sites, see Online Help.
Bickers, Richard Townshend, The Battle of Britain. London: Salamander Books, 1997.
Caldwell, Donald L., JG26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. New York: Ivy Books, 1991.
Deighton, Len, Battle of Britain. London: Coward McCann & Geoghegan, 1980.
Deighton, Len, Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain. New York: Harper Collins Publishers,
1977.
Ethell, Jeffrey et al, The Great Book of World War II Airplanes. New York: Crescent Books, 1996.
Galland, Adolf, The First and the Last: The Rise and Fall of the German Fighter Forces, 1938-1945.
New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1954.
Hallion, Richard P., Strike from the Sky: The History of Battlefield Air Attack, 1911-1945. Washington,
D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.
Hammel, Eric, Aces Against Germany: The American Aces Speak. New York: Pocket Books, 1993.
Hough, R., and Richards D., The Battle of Britain: The Greatest Air Battle of World War II. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 1989.
Johnson, J.E., Wing Leader. New York: Ballantine Books, 1957.
Johnson, Robert S. & Caidin, Martin, Thunderbolt! New York: Ballantine Books, 1959.
Churchill, carrying gas mask and helmet, tips his hat. (UPI/Corbis)
Mason, Francis K., Battle Over Britain. Bourne End: Aston Publications Ltd., 1990.
McFarland, Stephen L. & Newton, Wesley N., To Command the Sky: The Battle for Air Superiority
Over Germany, 1942-1944. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.
Price, Alfred, Fighter Aircraft-Combat Development in World War II. London: Arms and Armour Press,
1989.
Shaw, Robert L., Fighter Combat Tactics and Maneuvering. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985.
Spick, Mike, Allied Fighter Aces of World War II: The Air Combat Tactics and Techniques of World
War II. London: Greenhill Books, and Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997.
Spick, Mike, Luftwaffe Fighter Aces: The Jagdflieger and Their Combat Tactics and Techniques.
London: Greenhill Books, 1996.
Spick, Mike, The Ace Factor: Air Combat and the Role of Situational Awareness. Annapolis: Naval
Institute Press, 1988.
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aerodrome: (RAF) An airfield or airbase; includes airfield & related facilities. From the French, but
adopted into English and sometimes (later) called an “airdrome.”
abschuss: (German) Fighter victory; literally a “shoot down.”
ace: Since WWI, a pilot who has shot down at least five enemy aircraft.
ailerons: Movable control surfaces on the outer trailing edge of an aircraft’s wings that cause it to bank
or roll left or right.
air force: (USAAF) A fighter unit consisting of 16 fighter groups, ~768 aircraft.
Ami:(German) Slang for American.
Angels: (RAF) Altitude in thousands of feet.
armistice: A mutually agreed-upon end of hostilities.
bandit: (USAAF) Enemy fighter.
bank: Minor rotation of an aircraft about its longitudinal (nose to tail) axis, causing one wing or the
other to dip or rise; controlled by the ailerons. See Roll.
A victory V frames a flight of Spitfires roaring out across the Channel, August, 1941. (UPI/Corbis)
bingo: The point in a mission at which remaining fuel dictates an immediate return to base.
Blitzkrieg:(German) “Lightning war”—the highly mobile form of warfare used by the Wehrmacht
between 1939 and 194; an overwhelming combination of armor, air power, and mobile infantry.
bogey: (USAAF) Slang for an unidentified aircraft.
bounce: To attack unsuspecting enemy aircraft, usually from above and behind.
break!: A warning to friendly fighter aircraft that they are under attack and must break formation to
take immediate evasive action.
bunk flying: Hashing over a mission in the barracks.
chattanooga: Air-to-ground attacks on rail targets.
circus: (USAAF, RAF) A ruse, using many fighters and few or no bombers, to decoy Luftwaffe
fighters; the Germans used similar tactics.
close escort: A fighter mission in which the fighters must remain in close contact with the bombers they
are escorting, not searching for or pursuing enemy fighters.
combat box: (USAAF) A large, mutually defensive heavy bomber formation, generally consisting of
18, 27, 36, or 54 aircraft; devised by Curtis LeMay.
crate: (USAAF) Slang for plane.
D-Day: (USAAF, before the Allied invasion of Europe, 6/6/44) Planned day on which a major
operation was to be launched (at “H-Hour”). After the successful invasion, D-Day came to mean
the famous Sixth of June, when the Allies landed in France to drive the Germans out of the
territory they had occupied during 1939-1944.
deflection: The angle of a target aircraft relative to the aircraft shooting at it.
dicke Autos: Luftwaffe code word for Allied heavy bombers; literally, “fat cars.”
division: (USAAF) Two sections; also called a flight.
element: (USAAF) The equivalent of the German Rotte two-plane formation.
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elevators: Movable control surfaces on an aircraft’s horizontal tail surface that control its pitch (nose-
up or nose-down attitude).
fighter group: (RAF) Fighter organization consisting of ~350 fighter aircraft, about 20 squadrons.
(USAAF) 48 fighter aircraft.
fighter sweep: (RAF) An offensive sortie without escort responsibilities. (USAAF) Rodeo. (Luftwaffe)
Freie Jagd (“free chase”).
finger four: (RAF) Four-aircraft formation. (Luftwaffe) Schwarm. (USAAF) Flight.
flak: Anti-aircraft fire; acronym from the German FlugAbwehrKanonen. Light flak batteries might
consist of multiple 20 to 40 mm cannon. Heavy flak guns ranged from 75 to 150 mm. throwing
shells that exploded above 20,000 feet, spraying out 15-30 pounds of steel shrapnel.
flaps: Movable control surfaces on the inner trailing edge of an aircraft’s wings that increase lift when
deployed, usually for takeoff or landing.
flight: (USAAF) A unit consisting of four aircraft (two two-plane elements); also called a division.
free chase: (RAF) Offensive fighter sweep without escort responsibilities, used to draw up enemy
fighters. (USAAF) Rodeo. (Luftwaffe) Freie Jagd (“free chase”).
freie Jagd: (German) Literally “free chase”—an offensive fighter sweep without escort responsibilities,
used to draw up enemy fighters. (USAAF) Rodeo.
Gruppe: (Luftwaffe) Fighter unit consisting of 30-40 aircraft.
homeplate: A pilot’s “home” airfield.
Horrido!: (Luftwaffe) Fighter code word: “I’ve shot down an enemy aircraft!”
Hun: (RAF, USAAF) Slang for Germans.
intruder: Offensive small-scale sorties over enemy territory to destroy enemy aircraft near their own
airfields when they were taking off or landing. A secondary aim was to dislocate the enemy
defense organizations. Mostly, but not always, flown at night.
Indianer: (German) Fighter slang for American fighters; literally “Indians.”
Jabo: (German) Fighter-bomber, from Jagdbomber.
jackpot: (USAAF) Air-to-ground attacks on German airfields.
Jagdflieger: (German) Fighter pilot.
Jagdgeschwader: (German) Fighter unit consisting of ~120 aircraft.
Jagdstaffel: (German) Fighter squadron consisting of 10-12 aircraft.
Jagdwaffe: (German) Luftwaffe fighter force, consisting of single-engine fighters and twin-engine Me
110 and Ju 86 “destroyers.”
Jim Crow: (RAF) Reconnaissance flights over the English Channel in search of shipping targets for
attack by fighters and fighter bombers.
Katschmarek: (German) Slang for wingman, the pilot of the trailing aircraft in a two-plane Rotte;
required to stick with his leader, following his lead.
Kette: (German) V-shaped three-plane formation. (RAF) A “Vic.” An airshow formation used early in
the Battle of Britain and replaced by the “Finger Four” or Schwarm formation.
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kite: (RAF) Slang for plane.

Luftflotte: (German) Air Fleet, consisting of ~350 fighter aircraft and ~1,500 bombers.
Luftwaffe: The German air force.
noball: Missions against V 1 and V 2 rocket sites.
orbit: (RAF) To circle a given point or present position.
ops: Shorthand for “Operations.” “Fighter ops” refers to fighter operations in general. Each mission is
called a Fighter Operation, or “F.O.”
pancake: (RAF) To land, refuel, and rearm.
pauke-pauke: (German) Fighter code word for “Attack!” Literally, “rat-a-tat.”
pitch: An aircraft’s rotation about its lateral (wingtip to wingtip) axis, determining its nose-up or nose-
down attitude; controlled by the elevators.
R.A.F.: Britain’s Royal Air Force.
ramrod: (USAAF, RAF) Bomber-escort mission.
ranger: Operations of Squadron or Wing Strength (12-36 aircraft), as free-lance intrusions over enemy
territory, the main aim being to wear down the enemy fighter force.
razorback: Describes early versions of the P-47 and P-51 fighters in which the aft fuselage deck rises
behind the pilot’s head and the canopy can provide only limited rearward vision. Eventually these
were replaced by “bubble canopy” versions in which the aft fuselage deck was cut down to the
level of the pilot’s shoulders.
rhubarb: (USAAF, RAF) Small-scale harassing fighter operation against ground targets.
roadstead: Operations by fighters, or bombers escorted by fighters, to attack by dive-bombing or low-
level bombing attacks on ships at sea or in harbor.
rodeo: (USAAF) Offensive sortie without escort responsibilities, used to draw up enemy fighters.
(RAF) Fighter sweep. (German) Freie Jagd (“free chase”).
roll: An aircraft’s rotation about its longitudinal (nose to tail) axis, controlled by the ailerons. See Bank.
Rotte: (German) Minimum fighting unit of two aircraft; leader and wingman.
rudder: Movable control surface on the vertical portion of an aircraft’s tail (attached to the fixed
portion, or fin); controls the aircraft’s yaw, causing the plane to turn left or right.
RV: Rendezvous.
saunter: (RAF) Minimum cruising speed.
sandwich: A tactic by which two fighters turn to keep an attacking fighter between them, making the
would-be attacker the target.
Schwarm: (German) Four-aircraft formation consisting of two Rotten (see Rotte).
scramble: (RAF) To jump up, run to the aircraft, and take off in the shortest possible time.
section: (USAAF) Unit consisting of eight aircraft (two four-plane flights).
sortie: Armed attack made from a place surrounded by enemy forces. A flight of a combat aircraft on a
mission.
squadron: British or American fighter unit consisting of 12 (sometimes 16) aircraft.
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stud: (USAAF) Dive-bombing mission.

Stuka: Dive bomber (specifically, the famous Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber); from Sturzkampfflugzeug.
Sturmbock: (German) Specially armed and armored version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter
carrying 30 mm cannon and 21 cm rockets for attacking Allied heavy bombers. Literally,
“battering-ram.”
sweep: An offensive formation flight of fighters or fighter bombers, made with the object of drawing
the enemy fighter force into combat.
Tallyho!: (RAF) Am about to attack (or have sighted enemy).
Tommy: (German) Slang for Englishman.
USAAF: The United States Army Air Forces; until 1947 the Air Force was part of the U.S. Army, not a
separate service branch.
VE Day: “Victory in Europe” day, 5/8/45, when the Germans surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
VJ Day: “Victory over Japan” day, 8/9/45, when Japan surrendered after the second atomic bomb was
dropped on Nagasaki.
Valhalla: (German) Large formation of aircraft.
vector: (RAF) The course the pilot is following.
vic: (RAF) V-shaped three-plane formation. (German) “Kette.” An airshow formation used early in the
Battle of Britain and replaced by the “Finger Four” Schwarm or formation.
Wehrmacht: The German army.
wing: (RAF) Fighter unit consisting of three squadrons (36 aircraft). (USAAF) Unit consisting of
several 48-plane groups.
wingman: (RAF, USAAF) Pilot of the trailing aircraft in a two-plane element; required to stick with his
leader, following his lead.
yaw: Aircraft’s rotation in the horizontal plane, about its vertical axis (turning left or right); controlled
by the rudder.
184
B-17s bomb a German city.
(Corbis)
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Aircraft
Index Boeing B-17G 142
Consolidated B-24J 143
Dornier Do 17Z 146
Douglas DC-3/C47 145
Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb 147
A Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 135
Hawker Hurricane I 130
Abschuss, defined 181 Heinkel 111H 148
Ace, defined 181 importing from Flight Simulator 98 5
Ace, earning status 8, 101 Junkers Ju 87B Stuka 149
Aces Junkers Ju 88A 150
Luftwaffe 117 Messerschmitt Bf 109E 134
RAF 115–117 Messerschmitt Bf 109G 134
USAAF 120–121 Messerschmitt Bf 110C “Destroyer” 151
Acknowledgements v–vi Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a “Schwalbe” 152
Adler Tag 92 North American B-25J Mitchell 144
Aerial combat, five stages of 56 North American P-51D Mustang 140
Aerobatic maneuvers. See Basic Aerobatic Maneuvers operational speeds and flap settings 154
Aerodrome, defined 181 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 138
Aileron controls 25, 170 Supermarine Spitfire IX 133
Aileron Roll 46 Supermarine Spitfire Mark I 132
Aileron trim 14 Aircraft armaments 164–169
Ailerons 14, 24, 181 Aircraft carriers, U.S.S. Hornet 124
Ailerons damage 73 Aircraft labels 19, 53
Air combat, five stages of 56 Aircraft strengths and weaknesses
Air combat maneuvers Focke-Wulf Fw 190 157
Attack, Head-on 65 Hawker Hurricane I 156
Bombing, Dive 67 Messerschmitt Bf 109 156
Break, the 68 North American P-51 Mustang 157
Element of surprise, the 57 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 157
High Yo-Yo 61 Supermarine Spitfire Mark I 156
Immelmann 58 Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX 156
Important concepts 55–56 Airframe damage 73
Lag Turn 60 Airspeed 31, 55
Lead Turn 59 Altimeter 29
Low Yo-Yo 62 Altitude
Scissors 63 holding constant 29
Split-S, the 69 relationship to airspeed 31
Strafing 66 trading with airspeed 55
Up and Under 64 American vehicles and vessels 161–162
Air fighting, ten rules of 72 Ami, defined 181
Air force, defined 181 Amphibian, DUKW 162
Air-fuel mixture, adjusting 29 Angels, defined 78, 181
Air-to-air rockets 168 Angle of attack 32–33, 36, 37
Air/fuel mixture 27 Armaments, aircraft 164–169
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Armistice, defined 181 Battle Over Europe, the

Armored cars 158, 162 introduction 9
Arnold, Henry H. "Hap" 113 overview 98–106
Asymmetric propeller loading 40 Phase 1 99–100
Attack, convoy 82 Phase 2 100–102
Attack, head-on 65, 119 Phase 3 102–106
Attitude 25 Berlin, raids on 101
Auto engine start 15 Bernoulli’s Theorem 36
Auto-coordination. See Auto-rudder Best-climb speed, defined 31
Auto-rudder 30 Best-glide speed, defined 32
Bf 109. See Messerschmitt Bf 109
B Bibliography 179
Big Week 100
Bader, Douglas 114, 115 Big Wing concept 122
Bailing out 13, 33, 70 Bingo, defined 83, 181
Bandit, defined 181 Black smoke 71
Bank, defined 181 Blakeslee, Don 120, 121
Banking 12, 14, 24, 30, 31 Blitz, the 90
Barge, Seine 159 Blitz Week 99
Barrage balloon, ship-based 161 Blitzkrieg 127, 146, 151, 181
Barrel roll 47 Blue Max 123
Basic aerobatic maneuvers 46–49 Boeing B-17 83, 107
Aileron Roll 46 Boeing B-17G 101, 142
Barrel Roll 47 Bogey, defined 181
Loop Over 48 Bomb damage 74
Loop Under 49 Bomb/rocket views 17, 18, 51
Basic flight maneuvers 29–34 Bomber escort 82
Avoiding stalls 32 Bombing, Dive 67
Climbing 31 Bombs, releasing 16, 54
Descending 32 Bounce, defined 181
Flying straight-and-level 29 Box car 159
Holding a constant heading 30 Box, combat 181
Holding altitude 29 Brakes, keyboard controls 16
Turning 30, 31 Break, The 68
Battering Ram 103 Break!, defined 78, 181
Battle of Britain Day 95, 96 Britain, Battle of. See Battle of Britain, the
Battle of Britain, the 96 British vehicles and vessels 161
airplanes involved 132, 134 Browning M2 machine gun 164, 165
introduction 9 Buckingham Palace 116
overview 89–97 Bullets 71
Phase 1 90–91 Bunk flying, defined 181
Phase 2 92–93 Buster!, defined 78
Phase 3 94–97 Buzz Bomb. See Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb
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C Combat Flight Simulator

exiting 13
C-47 Skytrain. See Douglas DC-3/C47 getting help 3 See also inside back cover
Campaign missions installing 7
Luftwaffe 86 introduction 3
RAF 78 similarities to Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 5
USAAF 83–84 web site 5
Campaigns 88 Commands
Battle of Britain, the 9, 89–97 aircraft 16
Battle Over Europe, the 9, 98–106 display 19
described 78 engine 15
Cannon flight 14
20-mm 166–167 game 13
30-mm 168 joystick 12
damage from 74 weaponry 16
firing 54 window manipulation 21
Hispano Mk II 167 Communications 44–45
Mauser MG 151/20 167 Compass headings, described 80
Oerlikon MG FF 166 Configuration, maximizing 3
Rheinmetall-Borsig Mk 108 168 Consolidated B-24J 101, 143
Sd Kfz Flakvierling 158 Constant-speed propeller 28
strengths and weaknesses 166–168 Contributor biographies
Cannon, firing 16, 170 Gentry, Jack vii
Changing views Johnston, Ted vii
Keyboard controls 17, 18 Jones, Al vii
Using a joystick 12 Rarey, George v
Chase, Free 182 Smith, Ron vii
Chase views 52 Stafford, Jack vi
Described 17 Control pressure, relieving 25
Keyboard controls 18 Control surfaces
Chat window, displaying 21 ailerons 24
Chattanooga, defined 181 elevator 25
Checklists 19, 36 flaps 25
Chick, Maj. Bill 68 primary 24
Churchill, Sir Winston 88, 94, 110, 122, 125, 125–126 rudder 24
Circus, defined 181 secondary 25–29
Climbing 28, 31 trim 25
Close escort 85, 93, 181 Controls, customizing 12
Closing 56 Coolant leaks 74
Cockpit view 17, 51, 52 Corvette, Kingfisher class 161
Collisions 70–71 Crate, defined 181
Combat box, defined 181 Credits viii–ix
Crow, Jim 182
Cruising checklist 36
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D Elevator
defined 182
D-Day 102, 103, 181 trim 14
Dakota. See Douglas DC-3/C47 Elevator controls 24, 25, 170
Damage Effects 70–75 Elevator damage 73
Damage text, displaying 19 Enemy Indicator 19, 53
Debriefings 9, 78 Enemy levels 8, 77
Deduced reckoning 42 Engine
Deflection, defined 181 auto start 15, 26
Deflection shooting 56 commands 15, 172–173
Descending 28, 32 controls 26–29
checklist 36 damage or failure 73
Detecting the enemy 56 displaying and hiding controls 15
Dicke Autos, defined 181 starting 34
Difficulty levels 78 stops or seizures 73
Disengaging 57, 70–71 Escort, bomber 82
Display commands 19, 176 Escort, close 85, 93, 181
Display, Heads Up. See Heads Up Display (HUD) Escort, convoy 161
Display, Tactical. See Tactical Display Escort, free 85
Displaying Ethell, Jeffrey 139
aircraft labels 19, 53 Exit command 10
coordinates/frame rate 19 Exiting game 13, 171
damage text 19 Explosions 71, 72
in-game menu 13 Extending flaps 14
online Help 13
Dive Bombing 67 F
Diving 32
Division, defined 181 Failure, structural 73
Doolittle, Gen. James "Jimmy" 100, 113, 124, 125 Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb 147
Doolittle Raid 124 Fighter ace, earning status 101
Dornier Do 17Z 91, 146 Fighter aces
Douglas DC-3/C47 145 Luftwaffe 117
Dowding, Sir Hugh 122, 123 RAF 115–117
Drag 25, 39 USAAF 120–121
DUKW amphibian 162 Fighter Command, defined 78
Fighter Group, defined 78
E Fighter planes 129–141
Fighter Squadron, defined 79
Eagle Day 92 Fighter sweep, defined 182
Eder, Georg-Peter 119 Fighter-Bomber 82, 85
Effective lift 39 Finger four, defined 182
Effects, damage 70–75 Fire 72
Eighth Air Force 124 Firing guns and cannon 12, 16, 174
Eisenhower, Gen. Dwight D. 145 Firing weapons 16
Element, defined 181 Flak, defined 182
Element of surprise, the 57 Flap settings 154, 155
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Flaps Fuel leaks 74

damage 73 Fuel-air mixture, adjusting 29
defined 182 Full rich mixture 15
described 25 Full screen, keyboard control 21
extending and retracting 14, 26, 27 Full view
Flight, balance of forces 36–40 keyboard control 17
Flight commands 14, 171 with and without the HUD 51, 52
Flight control stick 10
Flight controls, overview 23 G
Flight, defined 182
Flight maneuvers, basic 29–34 G-forces 38
Flight School 22-49 Gable, Clark 104
Flight Simulator 98 Gabreski, Francis "Gabby" 120, 121
Similarities to Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 5 Gaining altitude 29
Flying Galland, Adolf 66, 80, 115, 117–118, 118
getting up and back 34–36 Game commands 13, 171
hands off 25 Game controllers 10
landing 35–36 Game modes
list of commands 14 campaigns 9
starting the engine 34 described 7–10
taking off 34–35 Free Flight 7
taxiing 34 Quick Combat 7
too fast or too slow 55 Single Missions 8
using a joystick 11 Gee-Bee R-1 124
using a keyboard 13 Gentile, Captain D.S. 108
using a mouse 10 Gentry, Jack vii
Flying Bomb. See Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb German trains, vehicles, and vessels 158–160
Flying Fortress, the 143 Gestapo 123
Flying Pencil, the. See Dornier Do 17Z Getting help
Focke-Wulf 190. See Focke-Wulf Fw 190 from Microsoft Technical Support See inside back cover
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Key Command Quick Reference screen 3
characteristics 133 online Help 3
engine controls 27 What's This? command 3
operational speeds and flap settings 154 Getting up and back 34–36
strengths and weaknesses 157 Gilbert, Martin 126
Sturmbock 184 Giller, Ed (Major) 141
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 136 Gliding 32
armaments 167, 168 Glossary of terms 181
increasing maximum power 27 Gold wound badge 110
Forces of flight 36–40 Golden Rule, Pilot's 29
Forrester, Larry 75 Göring, Hermann 90, 92, 107, 118, 122, 123, 127
Free chase, defined 182 Ground attack 85
Free escort 85 Ground references, using 42
Free Flight 7 Gruppe 81, 86, 182
Free Flight, slewing in 20, 43 Gun damage 74
Freie Jagd 81, 82, 86, 90, 182 Gunboat, MTB 5002 161
Guns, firing 16, 54, 170
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Gunsights, gyroscopic and reflector 53 Initial Point, defined 83

Gyro gunsight 16 Injuries, effect on ability to fly 71
Gyroscopic precession 40 Installing Combat Flight Simulator 7
Instrument panel 23
H Intercept 80, 86
Internet site. See Web site
Half-aileron roll 49 Intruder, defined 182
Hands off flying 25
Hardware, maximizing your configuration 3 J
Hat switch 52
Hauptmann 110 Jabo, defined 182
Hawker Hurricane I 89, 91, 130 Jackpot, defined 182
armament 164 Jagdflieger, defined 182
operational speeds and flap settings 154 Jagdgeschwader, defined 182
strengths and weaknesses 156 Jagdstaffel, defined 81, 86, 182
Head swiveling 55 Jagdwaffe, defined 182
Head-on Attack 65, 119 Jeep, Willy's MB 162
Heading, holding a constant 30 Jim Crow, defined 182
Heading indicator 30 Johnson, J.E. "Johnnie" 81
Heads Up Display (HUD) 52 Johnson, Robert S. 114, 119, 120–121, 121, 139
measurement system 19 Johnston, Ted vii
Heinkel 111 116, 118 Jones, Reginald Victor 124–125
Heinkel 111H 148 Joystick
Help aileron controls 25, 170
displaying 3 commands 12, 170
on instruments 3 elevator controls 24, 170
online Help 5 firing guns and cannon 170
High Yo-Yo 61 flying with 11
Hispano Mk II cannon 167 hat switch 52
Hitler, Adolf 90, 92, 93, 106, 125, 126–127 illustration 11
Homeplate, defined 182 rudder controls 25, 170
Horizontal component of lift 31 trigger (Button 1) 54
Horrido!, defined 182 view commands 170
Hun, defined 182 Jug. See Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Hurricane. See Hawker Hurricane 1 Junkers Ju 87B Stuka 91, 149
Hydraulic leaks 74 Junkers Ju 88A 150
Junkers Ju87b Stuka 91
I
K
I.P., defined 83
Immelmann 58 Kanalkampf 90–91
Importing aircraft and scenery 5 Katschmarek, defined 182
Increase prop r.p.m. 15 Kette, defined 81, 86, 182
Indianer, defined 182 Kettenhunde 93
Indicator, Enemy 53 Key Command Quick Reference Screen 3
Induced drag 39
Inflicting damage 71
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Keyboard Lift
aileron controls 25, 171 effective lift 39
brakes commands 173 experimenting with 37
commands 171–177 horizontal component 31
display commands 176 increasing and decreasing 24
elevator controls 24 overview 36–37
engine commands 172–173 Lights commands 173
engine controls 26 Lights, keyboard controls 16
extending and retracting flaps 27 Lockheed P-38 Lightning 102
flight commands 171 Loop Over 48
game commands 171 Loop Under 49
other aircraft commands 173 Losing altitude 29
padlock views 18 Low Yo-Yo 62
panning view commands 175 Luftflotte, defined 183
rudder controls 25, 171 Luftwaffe aces
slewing 177 Galland, Adolf 117–118
trim commands 25 Mayer, Egon 119
view commands 174–175 Mölders, Werner 118
weaponry commands 174–177 Luftwaffe aircraft
windows commands 176 Dornier Do 17Z 91, 146
Kite, defined 183 Fieseler Fi 103 (V1) Flying Bomb 147
Kolditz 115 Focke-Wulf Fw 190-A8 103, 135
Korean war 121 Heinkel 111H 148
Kübelwagen 158 Junkers Ju 87B Stuka 91, 149
Junkers Ju 88A 150
L Messerschmitt Bf 109E 91, 134
Messerschmitt Bf 109G 134
Labels, aircraft 53 Messerschmitt Bf 110C "Destroyer" 91, 151
Lacey, James "Ginger" 116, 117 Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a “Schwalbe” 152
Lag Turn 60 Luftwaffe, defined 183
Landfall, defined 83 Luftwaffe Medals and Promotions 109, 110
Landing 35–36 Luftwaffe mission types
checklist 36 bomber escort 82
Landing gear convoy attack 82
command 173 fighter-bomber (ground attack) 82
damage 75 Freie Jagd 82
keyboard control 16 intercept 86
Landing lights, keyboard control 16 patrol 86
LCI (Landing Craft, Infantry) 162 strafing 87
LCT (Landing Craft, Tank) 162 Luftwaffe terms 81
Lead Turn 59
Leaks 74
Lean mixture 15
Leaning the mixture 29
Left brake, keyboard control 16
Legless Wonder, the 115
Liberator. See Consolidated B-24J
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M Mickey Mouse 117

Microsoft Flight Simulator 98
Machine guns Similarities to Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 5
heavy 165 Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick 11
light 164 Microsoft Technical Support. See inside back cover
strengths and weaknesses 164, 165 MiG 15 121
Major 110, 112 Military transport aircraft 145
Malan, Adolphus "Sailor" 116–117 Minimum prop r.p.m. 15
Ten Rules of Air Fighting 72 Mission briefings 8, 77
Malan’s Formation, described 79 Mission types
Maneuvering 57 bomber escorts 82
Manifold pressure close escort 85
decreasing and increasing 29 convoy attack 82
gauge 27 convoy escort 80
Manual gear pumping, keyboard control 16 fighter-bomber (ground attack) 82
Marshall, Gen. George C. 113 free escort 85
Mason, Francis K. 96 Freie Jagd 82
Mauser MG 151/20 20-mm cannon 167 ground attack 85
Maximum power, increasing 27 intercept 80, 86
Maximum prop r.p.m. 15 Luftwaffe 82–84, 86
Mayer, Egon 119, 120 patrol 86–87
Measurement system for HUD 19 RAF 80–81
Medals ramrod 84
award basis 109 rodeo 84
earning 77 strafing 87
Luftwaffe 109–110 USAAF 84–86
RAF 112 Missions, secondary 84
USAAF 111 Missions, single 77
Mercedes 6-wheel open staff car 158 Missions, single vs. campaign 77
Merchantman/Convoy ship 161 Mitchell. See North American B-25J Mitchell
Messerschmitt Bf 109 89, 91, 92, 132 Mitchell, Reginald 132
strengths and weaknesses 156 Mitchell, William "Billy" (Gen.) 144
Messerschmitt Bf 109B 118 Mixture control lever
Messerschmitt Bf 109E 89, 91, 134 default setting 29
armaments 164, 166 described 27
engine controls 27 Mixture idle cutoff 15
operational speeds and flap settings 154 Mölders, Werner 117–118, 119
Messerschmitt Bf 109G 135 Motorized gun, Wespe SP 159
armaments 167, 168 Mouse, flying with 10
engine controls 27 MTB 5002, gunboat 161
increasing maximum power 27 Multiplayer
operational speeds and flap settings 154 chat window 21
Messerschmitt Bf 110C 91, 151 described 10
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a 152 Munition carrier 161
Messerschmitt, Willy 134–135
Methanol-water mix 27
MG 42 machine gun 158
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N P
Navigating P factor 40
skipping to next action 43 P-38 can opener 103
slewing 43 Padlock views 51, 53
using ground references 42 described 17
using waypoint information 42 keyboard controls 18
Nazis 123 using a joystick 12
Negative Gs 38 Paint the horizon 31
Ninth Air Force 102, 103 Pancake, defined 183
Noball, defined 183 Panel lights, keyboard controls 16
Normandy, beaches of 101–102 Panel windows, keyboard controls 21
North American B-25J Mitchell 144 Panning views
North American P-51D command 175
armaments 169 keyboard controls 18
North American P-51D Mustang 70, 102, 103– Panther Ausf G tank 158
104, 108, 120, 140 Parasite drag 39
armaments 165 Paris, France 103
gunsights 53 Parking brakes
operational speeds and flap settings 155 command 173
strengths and weaknesses 157 keyboard control 16
Nose, raising and lowering 25 Patrol 86–87
Numeric keypad 52 Patton, General George S. 102, 103
Nuremberg 123 Pauke-pauke, defined 183
Pausing 13
O Pearl Harbor 123, 124, 144
Performance limitations, exceeding 70
Oerlikon MG FF 20-mm cannon 166 Pilot, creating 78
Oil leaks 74 Pilotage 42
Online help 5, 7 Pilot's Golden Rule, the 28
Online help, "What's This?" command 23 Pilot's Log 9
Opel “Blitz” S type 3-ton truck 158 Pitch
Operation Argument 100 changes in 26–27
Operation Bodenplatte 105 defined 183
Operation Sealion 90, 95, 96 Pitch attitude
Operational speeds and flap settings decreasing 25
Focke-Wulf 190A 154 increasing 25
Hawker Hurricane I 154 Pitching up or down
Messerschmitt Bf 109E 154 using a joystick 12
Messerschmitt Bf 109G 154 using the keyboard 14
North American P-51D 155 Pitot tube heat 16
Republic P-47D 155 Positive Gs 38
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I 155 Power, decreasing or increasing 29
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX 155 Precession, gyroscopic 40
Ops, defined 183 Primary control surfaces, desccribed 24–25
Orbit, defined 183 Product Support. See Microsoft Technical Support
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Promotions RAF Promotions, list of ranks 113

award basis 109 RAF strategy 80
earning 77 Ramrod 84, 183
Luftwaffe 109–110 Ranger, defined 183
RAF 112, 113 Rarey, Betty Lou v
USAAF 111, 112 Rarey, Damon v
Prop control lever. See Propeller control lever Rarey, George v
Prop r.p.m. 15 cartoons v, 4, 39, 44, 160, 169
Propeller, adjusting 27 Razorback, defined 183
Propeller control lever Reactive force 40
default setting 28 Realism options 5
described 27–28 Reckoning, deduced 42
recommended settings 28 Recommended reading 178
Purple Heart 110, 111 References, ground 42
Reflector gunsight, keyboard control 16
Q Reichstag 126
Releasing bombs 16
Quick Combat Rendezvous point, defined 83
described 7–8 Republic P-47D
slewing in 20, 43 armaments 169
Quick Reference. See back cover Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 102, 103–104, 138
Quick Reference screen, displaying 3 armaments 165, 169
increasing maximum power 27
R operational speeds and flap settings 155
Radar 125 photograph 163
Radar, as RAF advantage 91 strengths and weaknesses 157
Radar stations 122 Retracting flaps 14
Radio Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 131 13 mm machine gun 165
communication examples 44 Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 7.92 mm machine gun 164
damage 75 Rheinmetall-Borsig Mk 108 30-mm cannon 168
keyboard control 16 Rhubarb, defined 183
turning off and on 44 Rickenbacker, Eddie 121
RAF aces Right brake, keyboard control 16
Bader, Douglas 115 Right-click help 3
Lacey, James "Ginger" 116 Roadstead, defined 183
Malan, Adolphus "Sailor" 116–117 Rocket launcher 162
RAF Air/Sea rescue launch 161 Rockets
RAF aircraft damage caused by 74
Hawker Hurricane I 91, 130 described 168–169
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I 91, 132 firing 16, 54
RAF, defined 183 firing timed 54
RAF Fighter Command 90, 92, 93, 94, 96, 122 strengths and weaknesses 168–169
RAF Medals and Promotions 112 Wgr 21 21-cm/8-in. air-to-air rocket 168
RAF mission types Rodeo 83, 84, 183
convoy escort 80 Roll, defined 183
intercept 80 Rookie 8
Roosevelt, Franklin D. 102, 113
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S
RE
Rotte, defined 81, 86, 183 Single Missions, described 8–9, 77

Rotte two-plane formation 181–184 Skill levels 8
Royal Air Force. See RAF Skipping to next action 13, 43
Royal Canadian Air Force 120 Slew mode 20
Rudder Slewing
auto-rudder 30 described 20
controls 25, 170 keyboard controls 20
damage 73 slew mode 43
defined 183 Slipstream, spiraling 40
described 24 Slowing down 29
Rudder pedals, using 24 Smith, Ron vii
Rudder trim 14 Smoke, different types of 71
RV, defined 83, 183 Sortie, defined 183
Spanish civil war 118, 134, 146
S Speeding up 29
Spins, avoiding and recovering from 33–34
Saint-Lô 103 Spiraling slipstream 40
Sandwich, defined 183 Spitfire. See Supermarine Spitfire Mark I
Saunter, defined 183 Split-S, The 69
Scenery, importing from Flight Simulator 98 5 Spoilers 14
School, Flight. See Flight School Spot view 17, 52
Schwalbe. See Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a “Schwalbe” Squadron, defined 183
Schwarm, defined 81, 86, 183 Stabilizers, shredded 73
Scissors 63 Stafford, Jack vi
Scout car, M3A1 162 Stalin, Joseph 126
Scramble, defined 183 Stall speeds 154
Screen resolution, default 4 Stalling 32–33, 154
Screen resolution, setting for a fast system 4 Starting the engine 34
Scutts, Jerry 141 Stewart, James (Jimmy) 105
Sd Kfz 231 Armored Car 158 Storm groups 103
Sd Kfz 232 Armored car 158 Strafing 66, 85, 87
Sd Kfz 7 Halftrack troop carrier 158 Structural failure 73
Sd Kfz Flakvierling 158 Stud, defined 184
Sealion, Operation. See Operation Sealion Stuka. See Junkers Ju 87B Stuka
Secondary control surfaces 25 Stuka, defined 184
Secondary missions 84 Stuka dive bombers 82
Section, defined 183 Sturmbock 103, 184
Seine barge 159 Sturzkampfflugzeug, defined 149
Settings, described 10 Submarine, Type VII 159
Sherman tank M4A3 162 Supermarine floatplane racers 132
Sherman tank, "Swimming" 162 Supermarine Spitfire Mk I 89, 91, 132
Ship, merchantman/convoy 161 armaments 164
Ship-based Barrage balloon 161 operational speeds and flap settings 155
Shooting, deflection 56 strengths and weaknesses 156
Shrapnel 71
Silver Star 110
Silver wound badge 110
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX 133 Tommy, defined 184

armaments 167 Torque, described 40
operational speeds and flap settings 155 Trading altitude and airspeed 55
strengths and weaknesses 156 Training missions 10
Supermarine Spitfire Mk V 133 ending 13, 171
Surprise, element of 55 resetting 13, 171
Sustaining damage 71–75 Training video 10
Swallow. See Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a “Schwalbe” Trains, German 158–160
Sweep, defined 79, 184 Trawler 159, 161
Sweep, fighter 182 Tribal class destroyer 161
Swimming Sherman tank 162 Trim
Switching aileron 14
among view windows 21 commands 25
from reflector to gyro gunsight 16 damage to trim tabs 73
described 25
T elevator 14
rudder 14
Tachometer, described 28 Troop carriers
Tactical Display 19, 42, 53 Sd Kfz 251/1c 158
Takeoff checklist 36 Sd Kfz 7 Halkftrack 158
Taking off 34–35 Tuck, Stanford 75
Tallyho! 184 Turn indicator, using 31
Tanker car 160 Turn radius and rate 55
Tanks Turning 30–31
Panther Ausf G 158 Turning into your opponent 56
Sherman 162 Turns
Tiger II 158 Lag 60
Target Lead 59
cancelling padlocked 51 Type VII Submarine 159
defined 83
Taxiing 34 U
Technical Support. See inside back cover
Telephone Support. See inside back cover U.S. Army Air Corps 124
Temperatures, monitoring 74 U.S. Eighth Air Force 99
Third Army 103 U.S.S. Hornet 124
Third Reich 123, 127 Udet, Ernst 118
Throttle United States Army Air Forces. See USAAF
commands 172 Up and Under 64
increasing and decreasing 15 USAAF aces
Throttle control lever, described 27 Blakeslee, Don 120
Thrust 38 Garbeski, Francis "Gabby" 121
Thunderbolt. See Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Johnson, Robert 120–121
Tiger II tank 158
Tilley, Reade 78
Time compression 13
Timed rockets, firing 16, 54
Tokyo, raid on 124
cxcvii
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INDEXT RI
S
RE
USAAF aircraft Viewing

Boeing B-17G 101, 142 outside your aircraft 17
Consolidated B-24J 101, 143 Views
Lockheed P-38 Lightning 102 cycling through 18
North American B-25J Mitchell 144 described 17
North American P-51D Mustang 102, 103–104, 140 menu 51–53
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 102, 103–104, 138 panning 18
USAAF, defined 184 using 51–52
USAAF Fourth Fighter Group 120 Virtual cockpit view 17, 52
USAAF Medals and Promotions 111 VJ Day, defined 184
USAAF mission types 84, 85 von Hindenburg, Paul 126
Using von Richtofen, Manfred "The Red Baron" 118, 123
checklists 36
ground references 42 W
gunsights 53
views 51–52 War Emergency Power (WEP) 12, 15, 26, 170, 173
waypoint information 42 Warnings 78
weapons 54 Water/Methanol-Water Injection 12, 15, 27
Waypoint, defined 79
V Waypoint information, using 42, 53
Weaponry commands 16, 174
Valhalla, defined 184 Weapons carrier, 4x4 162
VE Day, defined 184 Weapons, using 54
Vector, defined 79, 184 Web sites
Vector information 80 Combat Flight Simulator 5
Vehicles Damon Rarey vi
American 161–162 manufacturer's 11
British 161 Wehrmacht, defined 184
German 158–160 Weight 38
Vergeltungswaffe, defined 147 Wespe SP motorized gun 159
Vertical-speed indicator 35 Wgr 21 21-cm/8-in. air-to-air rocket 168
Vessel, cargo 162 Wgr 21 5-in./12.7-cm air-to-ground rocket 169
Vessels What’s This? command 23
American 161–162 White smoke 71
British 161 Willys MB Jeep 162
German 158–160 Window manipulation, keyboard controls
Veteran 8 keyboard controls 21
Vic, defined 79, 184 Windows commands 176
Victory in Europe day 184 Wing, defined 184
Victory over Japan day 184 Wing, how it works 36
Videos, training 10 Wingman, defined 184
View commands 170
View windows
creating 21
switching among 21
cxcviii
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Wings
banking 31
shredded 73
Wirbelwind Flakpanzer IV 158
World War II
Battle of Britain, the 89–97
Battle over Europe, the 98–106
D-Day 102
key players 122–127
role of weapons and machines 98
World Wide Web site. See Web sites
Wound badges 109, 110
Wounds 71
X
XIX Tactical Air Command 103
Y
Yaw
counteracting 24
defined 184
during a turn 31
Yawing 12, 14
Yellow dot 53
Yo-Yo
High 61
Low 62
Z
Zero Hour, defined 83
Zooming
in and out 176
keyboard controls 21
cxcix
M
CAPITAL RADAR STATION

WWII: AIRFIELD SUBMARINE PEN
EUROPEAN THEATRE 1942-44 V2 ROCKET SITE INDUSTRIAL SITE
AXIS NEUTRAL
AXIS OCCUPIED RIVER
ALLIED WATER MAGNETIC NORTH VARIES 90
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INSIDE MOVES is the companion guide that reveals
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RESTRICTED AIR PUBLICATION X03-73361

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

GAME COMMANDS OTHER AIRCRAFT COMMANDS

Sound (toggle on/off) Q key Fire cannon 2 key (keyboard)

Mixture idle cutoff CTRL+SHIFT+F1 DISPLAY COMMANDS

© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Before You Fly ........................................................ 2

Chapter 1: Getting Started ......................................................... 6

Chapter 2: Flight School ......................................................... 22

Chapter 3: Air Combat........................................................... 50

Up and Under ............................................................................................................................. 64

Chapter 4: The Missions ......................................................... 76

Chapter 5: The Campaigns ....................................................... 88

Chapter 6: Medals & Promotions ................................................ 108

Chapter 7: Hall of Fame ......................................................... 114

Key Players of the War .................................................................................................................... 122

Chapter 8: Machines of War .................................................... 128

Appendix: Joystick and Keyboard Commands ......................................170

Recommended Reading ............................................................178

Glossary ......................................................................... 180

The WWII Cartoonist

The Production Team

Product Unit Manager

Subject Matter Expert

Introduction: Before You Fly

Before You Fly

F2. While you’re flying, you can find out

Detail from Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks of

Some of the things to keep in mind:

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Installing Combat Flight Simulator

Other main screen options

Flying with a mouse

Flying with a keyboard

Other aircraft commands

Basic view commands

Basic view commands (continued)

Panning view commands

Slewing in Free Flight and Quick Combat

Chapter 2: Flight School

The instrument panel

Using the Flight Controls

Primary control surfaces

The ailerons move in opposite directions: if

Secondary control surfaces

Using the Engine Controls

Your aircraft has three basic

Mixture control lever

The Pilot’s Golden Rule

Basic Flight Maneuvers

Hold a constant heading

and uncomfortable way to change direction.

depends on your aircraft, its engine, and your

Getting Up and Back

2. Incrementally add some flaps if appropriate in your airplane (press F7 key).

Why It All Works

works and they’ll rant

explaining something quite

Changing the amount of lift

A few words about torque

German Heinkel 219 used as a night fighter-bomber.

Skipping to next action

Detail from Laughter and Tears: A Combat Pilot’s Sketchbooks of