Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest – Windows Manual – English

®

™

Manual ©1998 Hasbro Interactive and MicroProse, Inc. All Rights Reserved
TOP GUN ® & © 1998 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Used under license. Game design and underlying computer code © 1998 Hasbro
Interactive and MicroProse, Inc. All Rights Reserved. MICROPROSE is a U.S. registered trademark and HASBRO INTERACTIVE, the HASBRO INTERACTIVE logo, and HORNET’S NEST are trademarks of Hasbro or its affiliates. MicroProse is a subsidiary of Hasbro. The 3Dfx Interactive logo is a trademark
of 3Dfx Interactive. INTERNET GAMING ZONE is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries. Hasbro and its affiliates disclaim any responsibility or liability for any content on or available through the Internet Gaming Zone, an independent gaming service run by Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
INTENDED SOLELY FOR PRIVATE HOME USE. PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OR OTHER USE IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Starting the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Chapter 2: Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Are You Ready? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Up in the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Check Out the Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Keep an Eye on the Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Shoot Them Out of the Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
It’s Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter 3: Configuring Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Configuring Joysticks and Other Game Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Configuring Game Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Configuring Audio and Video Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Configuring Your Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 4: Instant Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Up an Instant Action Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Playing an Instant Action Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Ending an Instant Action Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 5: Campaign Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Starting a Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Mission Briefings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Loading Ordnance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Accomplishing Your Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Destroying the Opposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mid-Mission Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mission Debriefings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Completing the Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Chapter 6: Multiplayer Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Establishing a Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Starting a Multiplayer Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Playing a Multiplayer Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Ending a Multiplayer Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 7: The Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Changing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Understanding the Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Reading the Instrument Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Watching the Monitor Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Viewing the Multi-Function Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Using the Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 8: Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Flying Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Takeoff and Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Theory of Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
About the F/A-18 Hornet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Chapter 9: Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Air-to-Air Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Air-to-Ground Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Fighting with a Wingman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
F/A-18 Hornet Weaponry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Possible Enemy Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Other Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Chapter 10: Campaign Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Campaign 1: Siberia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Campaign 2: Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Campaign 3: Colombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Chapter 11: Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

You think you know what
you’re doing, son? Yeah, sure,
you’ve shown courage, reflexes
and a clear head under fire, but
don’t think you can just rest on
your laurels. You’ve done all
right so far; that just means the
Navy’s going to ask for more.
You’re being called up for special duty and it’s time to prove
it all again. I bet you think
you know everything there is
to know about flying and fighting, but why don’t you review
the manual, just in case some
tiny pearl of wisdom escaped
you. Then get out there
and show us that you deserve
your reputation!

2

Introduction
Top Gun®: Hornet’s Nest™ is an air combat game in which you pilot an F/A-18 Hornet, one of the fastest,
lightest, most maneuverable and most versatile fighter jets in active service today. Its large arsenal of air-toair and air-to-ground weaponry, along with an advanced radar system, make it highly effective at long-range
and close-quarters dogfighting, as well as able to pound ground targets into oblivion.
You are Maverick, a hotshot F/A-18 pilot with a name for recklessness. You’ve been asked to join an elite jet
squadron, despite the lingering doubts of your commanding officer, and it’s up to you to justify the decision
to have you on the team. You’re going to test your mettle in a series of missions that follow a unique story line,
throwing you full into the fury of fighter jet combat. Are you ready for the challenge? Then fire up the jets
and do the Navy proud!

The Hornet’s Nest Special Task Force
Through a joint agreement of the DOD, the CIA, the OSI and the Department of the Navy, a task force has
been formed to handle “hot” global situations. The Marines are to provide ground forces when needed, and
the Navy has committed the carrier U.S.S. Nimitz, various support craft and a squadron of its top fighter pilots,
flying specially modified F/A-18 Hornets. This force, code-named “Hornet’s Nest,” is composed of the best
the Navy has to offer; they are to be called in before any “officially sanctioned” response.

How to Use This Book
Naturally we think every part of this manual is important, but for those people who want to read the minimum
amount of instruction before getting in the air, we recommend that you at least skim through Chapter 2: Quick
Start. This section gives you the basics of flying, what’s in the cockpit of your F/A-18 and how to bring down the
enemy. If you have prior experience with flight simulators, you can just review Chapter 7: The Cockpit, to check
out the instruments particular to your Hornet. If you are new to flight sims, begin with Chapter 3: Configuring
Your System and proceed to Chapter 4: Instant Action to start playing a game. The chapters on The Cockpit,
Flight and Combat should give you plenty of practical information about your plane and how to operate it, as
well as the physics of flight and dogfighting.
When you feel comfortable in the air, go to Chapter 5: Campaign Play, and for specific information about the
campaigns, check out Chapter 10: Campaign Details. Finally, if you intend to fly against live opponents, read
Chapter 6: Multiplayer Missions. This provides information on creating and joining a multiplayer game using
a variety of connections.

Advice from Lieutenant Lodge
Lieutenant Lodge is your Mission Controller. In addition to giving you mission directives, warnings and other
help during the game, she can also be found throughout the manual dispensing words of wisdom. Keep
your eye out for Lieutenant Lodge; she’ll always have something to say that you can’t learn anywhere else.

3

System Requirements
In order to play Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest, you need the following minimum system specifications:
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Windows® 95/98
Pentium 166MHz IBM PC or compatible (200MHz recommended)
DirectX 6 (included)
32MB of RAM (64MB recommended)
205MB of uncompressed hard drive space free, plus 50MB free for swap file (300MB plus a
100MB swap file recommended)
A 4X CD-ROM drive (8X recommended)
High Color graphics for 640 x 480 x 16-bit color (3-D graphics accelerator recommended; Direct3D,
3Dfx Voodoo and NEC PowerVR supported)
DirectX-compatible sound card
Joystick recommended
56.6kbps Windows-compatible modem required for 2-player modem games
Local area network with IPX or TCP/IP protocol required for 2–8 player LAN games
56.6kbps true TCP/IP connection to the Internet required for 2–8 player Internet games

Installation
You must install Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest game files to your hard drive and start with the Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest
CD in your CD-ROM drive to load this game.
To install the game, insert the Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest disc into the CD-ROM drive. When the pop-up
window appears, left-click on the Install option. If you have disabled the Windows AutoPlay, or if it does
not function, explore the CD-ROM and double-click on the Setup icon. Follow all onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

Starting the Game
Insert the Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest disc into your CD-ROM drive and select Play from the pop-up window.
If you have disabled the Windows AutoPlay feature, or if it does not function, open the Microprose/Top
Gun: Hornet’s Nest program folder from your Windows Start Menu and left-click on the Run Top Gun:
Hornet’s Nest icon. For complete and specific “how to play” information, please refer to the rest of the manual. If you encounter difficulties during installation or running the game, see the Troubleshooting section of the
README.TXT file in your game directory for more information.
After you start the game, an introductory movie plays; to bypass this, press any key. This brings up the
Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest main menu. This is your starting point, and you return to this screen before you
leave the game. The main menu contains five options, described on the following page.

1. Welcome

4

Load or Start New
Single Player Game
Join or Create
Multiplayer Game
Change Game Options
View Credits

Exit Top Gun:
Hornet’s Nest

Single Player
This option brings up the Start Game screen, from which you can start a new campaign or load a previously
saved mission. You must successfully complete each mission before you can continue to the next. See
Chapter 5: Campaign Play and Chapter 10: Campaign Details, starting on pages 23 and 81 respectively, for
more information about campaign games. You can also begin an Instant Action game from the Start Game
screen. Instant Action allows you to hone your skills, such as dogfighting, carrier landings and bombing
runs, across all three theaters of operation. This is great if you just want to jump in your bird and fly. See
Chapter 4: Instant Action, beginning on page 19, for details.

Multiplayer
This brings up the Multiplayer Setup screen, from which you can join or create a multiplayer game over
LAN, modem or the Internet. See Chapter 6: Multiplayer Missions, starting on page 33, for details.

Configure
In the Configure area, you can set various game options to raise or lower difficulty. You can also reassign
your control settings, as well as configure your graphics and sound options. You’ll find more information in
Chapter 3: Configuring Your Game, beginning on page 13.

Credits
The Credits screen gives a scrolling list of the persons responsible for bringing you Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest.
To exit the Credits screen, click on the Back button to return to the main menu.

Quit
This exits Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest and returns you to your Windows desktop.

So, you’re in too big a hurry to
sit down and read the whole
manual? Well, this section will
get you up and flying, but don’t
be surprised if you’ve got questions that aren’t answered here.
Piloting a fighter jet isn’t rocket
science, but it isn’t a walk in
the park, either. You’ll have to
read more than just this chapter
to get all the details; this will
just get you started.

6

Are You Ready?
Checking Joystick Configuration
Before you begin, if you are going to use a joystick to play Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest, make sure that it is configured for Windows. To check if your controller is configured, open up the Control Panel and select either the
Joystick or Game Controllers icon. If your device is listed under Controllers it should work in Top
Gun: Hornet’s Nest. If it isn’t on the list, see Configuring Joysticks and Other Game Controllers, starting on
page 14, for information on setting up your game controllers to work with Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest.

Setting Up an Instant Action Game
With your joystick working properly, you’re ready to start. We’re going to get you right into battle. Load the
game and select Single Player from the main menu. Click on Instant Action at the bottom of the screen.
Instant Action games let you configure the system to give yourself exactly the challenge you want. Right
now we’re going to make it as easy as possible. Click on Siberia to select that area as the theater of operations for your game. Then select Player Options. Set the four options in this panel as follows, by clicking
on the button next to the option until the desired choice appears:
Ordnance: Unlimited
Fuel: Unlimited
Time: Unlimited
Wingman: No
Next click on Enemy Options and set those options to the following choices:
Type: Varied
Quantity: Fun
Ground Targets: None
Skill: Flyboy
This should give you a relatively easy game, in which enemy aircraft are all that you have to worry about.
Click on Fight to begin the Instant Action game.

7

Up in the Air

Fire Selected
Weapons
Bank Left

Nose Up

Fire Selected
Guns
Nose
Down

Fire Selected
Weapons
Fire Selected
Guns

View
Controls
Cycle
Weapons

Select Next
Target

Bank Right

Standard 2 Button Joystick

CH Flightstick Pro

Your joystick is your flight control. Pushing the joystick forward moves your aircraft’s nose down. Pulling
back on the stick moves it up. To make an effective turn, push the joystick to the left or right while slightly
pulling back on the stick. You can also use the keyboard to control your jet. The Z and W keys function just
like moving your joystick backward and forward, and the S and A keys tilt the plane to either side. Press
the S or A keys to bank the plane, then press and hold the Z key to execute the turn.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Maverick, the tightest sharpest turns are not always the best turns,
because they bleed off so much speed. On the other hand, if you’ve just
flown past a target you were supposed to destroy, making a quick turn
around may be just what you need. It puts you at a slower speed for a
second pass of the target.

2. Quick Start

8

Head Up Display (HUD)

MultiFunction
Display

Radar

Instrument Lights

Monitor Screen

The readout in the upper center of the screen is called the Head-Up Display (HUD). On the left side of the
HUD, you’ll see a box with a number in it. This is your current speed. Below that is THR: followed by a
number. This is your current throttle setting. The number keys 1 through 6 control your throttle, which
determines your speed. The higher your throttle percentage, the faster you go, with 6 being 100%. You
can push A to fire up the afterburners, which boosts your jet to even higher speeds, but consumes considerably more fuel.

9

Check Out the Cockpit
You start out in the Cockpit view of your F/A-18. There are a bunch of lights and displays here, but we’re
only going to worry about a couple of them.

Head-Up Display
The HUD is the large readout in the upper center of your cockpit. It shows all the important information you
need for combat.

Heading Scale

Pitch Ladder
Target
Designator Box

Airspeed Indicator
Throttle Indicator

Altitude Indicator

Weapon Type Indicator
Target Reticle
Target
Arrow

The box on the left is your current airspeed in knots (nautical miles per hour), and the box on the right is
your altitude in feet. The display on the bottom indicates the type of weapon you’re using, with cannon ammunition on top and missile type on the bottom. The number next to a name (20MM is for your guns, whereas
AIM-9, DART, etc. are different types of air-to-air missiles) shows how many of that weapon or ammunition
you have remaining.

2. Quick Start

10

The series of lines in the middle of the HUD is the pitch ladder, showing the climb or dive angle of your aircraft (positive numbers equal climbing, negative numbers mean you’re diving).
If the ENEMY HAS LOCK message appears on the HUD, this means an enemy jet or ground unit is probably firing missiles at you.

Avoiding Missiles
To avoid these missiles, turn quickly from side to side, climb or dive, and dump countermeasures, both flare
and chaff, with the Y key. You can also “jink” to avoid an enemy missile by making hard, last-minute,
extreme maneuvers.
ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
If multiple enemies enter your radar almost simultaneously, don’t get
rattled, Maverick. Just cycle through your targets and give each of them
something to worry about. Press c to fire at the first one you get a
lock on, then press Z to change missile lock to the second target. Press
c again to fire at the second bogey, etc.

11

Keep an Eye on the Radar

Range of Selected Missile
Radar Range

Mid-Range

Radar Cone
Enemy Aircraft
Missile
Relative Altitude

Radar Range in
Nautical Miles

Your Jet

On the left side of your cockpit is the radar, a 360° top-down representation of the area with your F/A-18 in
the middle facing up. The number in the lower right-hand corner is the radar’s range in nautical miles. Cycle
through the three radar ranges by pressing the R key repeatedly.
Aircraft in the top half of the circle are in front of you, while aircraft in the bottom half are behind you.
Enemies appear on the radar in red; friendlies are blue. When an enemy in front of you comes within the red
ring displayed on your radar, it can be selected as a target. This red ring represents the lock-on range of the
currently selected missile. Enemy aircraft appear as red arrows pointing in their direction of travel. Press Z
to cycle through the enemies within lock-on range; your current enemy begins flashing. The number just to
the aircraft’s right shows the altitude above or below you in thousands of feet. For example, “-3” means that
the current aircraft is 3,000 feet below your Hornet.
If you have missiles selected, when they lock onto your selected target, the SHOOT message appears on
your HUD. Fire a missile now. On your radar, your missiles appear as small blue boxes with tails, while
enemy missiles fired at you show up as small red boxes with tails.

2. Quick Start

12

Shoot Them Out of the Sky
Your Hornet has two basic weapons: guns (cannons) and missiles. On a typical four-button joystick, Button 1
fires the guns, Button 2 launches missiles, Button 3 selects the next available target and Button 4 switches
through your various missile types. If you are using the keyboard, the z fires your guns, the c key
launches your missiles, the Z key selects the next target and the X key cycles through your weapons choices.
Your missile system is simple. When you select a target, try to stay behind it, using your radar to help you, until
your weapons system locks on. When the SHOOT message appears, you can launch your missiles. Guns
aren’t much more complicated. Fly as close to the target as possible, line up the enemy in your target reticle
and fire the guns. You might want to aim a little in front of the target if your enemy is moving fast.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Maverick, try not to become disoriented during combat. Keep an eye on
the Campaign Map (the T key brings it up), and find your location relative to the enemy and your objectives. When you’re flying over an area
without many landmarks, use the Heading Scale to keep your bearing,
especially when turning.

It’s Over
If you’ve been shot down or you crash your aircraft, you’ll arrive at the Debriefing Screen. Select Restart
Action to give it another try. Exit Instant Action by clicking on Main Menu.
That’s about all there is to it! If you’re up for a greater challenge, you can choose different options when you
set up your Instant Action game. You can also jump in and start a campaign by pressing Start at the Single
Player screen, instead of Instant Action. Good hunting!

Before you even think of
putting that bird in the air, you
need to check your guidance
systems. If your flight controls
aren’t functioning properly, the
only thing you’re going to take
out is yourself. Not to mention
how much trouble you’re going
to have if your visuals and
sound aren’t working right. You
need to see those warning
lights and hear the calls of your
wingmen, or it’s going to be a
really short battle. If you want a
taste of what it’s like to fly with
unlimited fuel or fire with
unlimited weapons, this is the
place to make it happen.

14

Configuring Joysticks and Other Game Controllers
Joysticks, rudder pedals and other game control devices can be used in Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest if they are
properly configured for Windows. To check if your controller is configured, open up the Control Panel and
select either the Joystick or Game Controllers icon. If your device is listed under Controllers, it should
work in Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest. If your game controller does not appear on this list, you can attempt to configure it for Windows by following these instructions:
1.

Connect your game controller to the game port.

2.

From your Windows Start menu, open up the Control Panel and select the Joystick or Game
Controllers icon.

4.

Click on the Add button.

5.

Select the style and manufacturer of your joystick or game controller if present.

6.

If your controller is not on the list, press the Add Other button and search the list for your model. If your
model came with driver/configuration software, insert the disk and click on the Have Disk button.

7.

When Windows returns you to the Controller screen, highlight your joystick and press the Properties
button to calibrate it. Follow the onscreen directions to establish proper configuration of the X and Yaxes and any special controls.

If you can’t configure your joystick properly in Windows, you need to contact the manufacturer of your controller for further technical support. The controller will not function correctly in Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest if it is
not first properly configured in Windows.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Maverick, if you are on a timed mission and you set yourself to limited
ammo, be conservative with your firepower and make sure you are able
to complete your objectives. You won’t have time to land and take on
more missiles if you run out.

15

Configuring Game Difficulty

Go To Audio-Video
Options Screen

Return to
Main Menu

Reset Game
Play Options

Go to
Controls Screen

You can change various game settings to increase or decrease the difficulty of play in Top Gun: Hornet’s
Nest from the Configure screen. You reach this screen from the main menu; click on Configure. A menu
appears with several game settings, which are described below. Located at the bottom of the screen is the
Audio/Video button, which brings up the Audio/Video screen. From there you can change various sound
and graphics options. Detailed information can be found in the Configuring Audio and Video Options section
starting on page 17. Select Controls to bring up the Hornet Controls screen. For information about
reassigning keyboard and joystick commands, see Configuring Your Controls on page 18. Click on Reset to
cancel any changes you make and restore the default settings for these options. Select Back to save your
changes and return to the main menu. Your configuration remains the same until you change it, even if you
exit and restart Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest.

Game Settings
You can also change these settings during a campaign mission by pressing the P or q key to bring up the
In-Flight Menu, then selecting Configure.

Skill
This determines the skill level of enemy pilots. If the enemy’s skill level is Flyboy, the game should be easier
to play; if their skill level is Ace, hold onto your throttle—life is going to get difficult! The default for this setting is Captain (medium). Changing skill level also increases or decreases the armor rating of your aircraft.
This option can be changed during a mission, but the change does not go into effect unless the mission is
restarted or a new mission begins.

3. Configuring Your System

16

Speed
This toggles the speed of your F/A-18. When this is set to Fast, almost all of your jet’s attributes are increased
15% to 30%, including acceleration, top speed, roll and pitch rates, making the game much easier as you
blow by enemy jets. The default for this setting is Normal.

Ordnance
Under normal circumstances, you have only a limited supply of cannon ammunition, missiles, bombs and
countermeasures. If you run out, you have to find somewhere to resupply or do without. With Unlimited
Ordnance, the game becomes much easier. You have all the ammo you need, now you just have to hit them!
The default for this setting is Normal.

Fuel
Under normal circumstances, you might have missions during which you run low on fuel, forcing you to find
a friendly airfield or carrier or risk running out of juice. Having Unlimited Fuel means that you never need
to land to refuel, making the game easier. The default for this setting is Normal.

Blackouts/Redouts
When this setting is Off, you are allowed to fly without suffering the effects of blackouts and redouts due
to loading too many Gs. For a challenge, turn this setting On and try flying with these parameters. See the
G Forces section, starting on page 63, for descriptions of blackouts and redouts. The default for this setting is On.

Chaff/Flares
This option toggles between automatically deploying appropriate countermeasures when a missile locks onto
your plane and requiring you to do this manually. Since improperly utilizing countermeasures can have lethal
results, setting Chaff/Flares to Auto makes the game easier and gives you one less thing to worry about in
a firefight. However, since the quantities of chaff and flares are limited, personally controlling the release of
countermeasures allows you to save them for areas heavy with enemy aircraft. For information on the proper
use of Countermeasures, see the section starting on page 58. The default for this setting is Manual.

Gear
This setting toggles between automatically retracting your landing gear after takeoff and forcing you to deal
with this detail yourself. Forgetting to retract the landing gear will result in an alarm, and any distraction can
be costly and even fatal during combat. Setting Gear to Auto helps you focus on fighting. The default for
this setting is Manual.

Default View
This switches the perspective from which you normally play the game between an outside Chase view and
inside the cockpit. You can still manually toggle between views by pressing the 8 key. The default for this
setting is Cockpit.

17

Configuring Audio and Video Options
You can set various graphics and sound controls for Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest from the Audio/Video screen. You
reach this menu from the Configure screen. Click on Configure from the main menu, then on Audio/Video.
This brings up a menu with the options described below. Click on Reset at the bottom of the screen to
cancel any changes you make and restore the default settings for these options. Click on Back to save
your changes and return to the Configure screen.

Resolution
The Resolution option toggles the overall graphics mode between 320x240 (Lowest), 640x480, 800x600
and 1024x768 (Highest). Graphics resolution greatly affects game speed in the simulation, with the higher resolutions running slower than the lower resolutions. If you modify this variable, you might need to exit Top Gun:
Hornet’s Nest and restart the game for the change to take effect. The default Resolution setting is 640x480.

Volume
The two options under Volume change the sound level of CD music, special effects, movies and voice in the
game. Left-click on a slider button and move the mouse while holding the mouse button down to change the
volume of an option. Dragging the slider to the left decreases the volume, dragging it to the right increases
the volume.

In-Game Music
After you have started the game, you have the option of placing a non-game music CD into the CD-ROM
drive and listening to your own music instead of the Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest soundtrack. However, you
might be prompted to insert the game CD-ROM from time to time during play. This option changes the volume level of the music played when you are flying your aircraft. It also toggles the In-Game Music selection.
When this option is On, the game searches for and plays certain tracks on the CD at various times throughout the game. This is the default. If you wish your music CDs to play continuously, choose Off.

SFX
This adjusts the volume level of explosions, missile launches and other special effects while you are in your
plane, as well as movies and voices while you’re in the air. It’s important to note that your mission controller,
Lieutenant Lodge, and your wingmen provide valuable information, so we don’t recommend that you turn this
setting completely off.

Graphics Driver
This option toggles between using the Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest software for rendering 3-D graphics and using
your 3-D accelerator card. If you have a DirectX-compatible 3-D accelerator card, switching the Graphics
Driver option to Hardware can result in faster, smoother graphics display. However, if your 3-D accelerator
card is not DirectX compatible, you could encounter problems during play. Switching back to Software
acceleration should solve these problems. The default for this option is set depending on the capabilities of
your system, which are automatically detected by the game.

3. Configuring Your System

18

Configuring Your Controls
The Hornet Controls screen allows you to change your keyboard and joystick configuration, customizing it
to your playing style. To change a control, click on the Command to be changed; you can use the arrows on
the left side of the screen to scroll through the Commands List. Once a control is selected, the name of the
command appears at the top of the screen. Click on the button or key you wish to assign to that control.
The assigned key or button will appear on the list. If the control assignment doesn’t change, that key or button is already assigned to another control. You must reassign that control in order to free up the key or button.
When you have finished making your control changes, click on the Back button to return to the main
Configure menu.

Selected Command

Command List

Return to Main
Configure Screen

Control Assignments

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Before you start messing around with the controls, Maverick, run
through a few missions. After you’ve decided which controls you use
the most, you may want to configure the keyboard, to put the functions
you use frequently closer together. This is especially helpful if you use a
joystick to fly, and only have one hand free for the keyboard.

Instant Action allows you to
just jump in your bird and fly.
You’ll find yourself fighting
against an unending barrage
of opponents in the theater of
your choosing. You can start
off easy and just brush up on
the latest hot shot maneuvers,
or challenge enemy aces and
be prepared to get blown out
of the sky. Because nothing’s
for keeps, Instant Action is a
good way to sharpen your
reflexes to a razor edge
before you go out and take
on a real challenge.

20

Setting Up an Instant Action Game

Configure
Your Options

Begin Instant
Action Game

Configure
Enemy Options

Return to
Main Menu

To start a game, click on Single Player from the main menu, then select Instant Action from the bottom
of the screen. This brings up the Instant Action screen. From this screen you can select a theater, make
changes to your and your opponents’ configurations and then start the game.
Instant Action games can be played in any of the three theaters of operation. Click on a theater name,
Siberia, Columbia or Iraq, to play in that geographical area. You can now select Player or Enemy
Options to configure game settings such as time limits, the type of enemy you will face and whether or not
you have a wingman. You can also just click on Fight in the lower left area of the screen to begin the game
with the default settings. A loading screen appears, showing a map of the theater of operations. When
prompted, press any key to start the simulator. You start in mid-flight, already in the air at a random location.

Changing Your Configuration
After selecting a theater of operations, you may wish to change your configuration, to make your game easier or harder. Click on Player Options in the
center of the screen to bring up several choices. Click on Back to remove
the Player Options panel.

Ordnance
Under normal circumstances, you have only a limited supply of cannon ammunition, missiles, bombs and
countermeasures. If you run out, you have to find somewhere to resupply or do without. If Guns Only is chosen, you have an unlimited supply of cannon ammunition, but no other weapons, so prepare for close quarters
action! With Unlimited Ordnance, the game becomes much easier; you have all the countermeasures and
ammo you need. Now you just have to hit them! The default for this setting is Normal.
Note: This setting overrides whatever Ordnance mode you set for yourself in the Configure screen.

21

Fuel
Under Normal circumstances, if you survive that long, you will eventually get low on fuel, forcing you to
find a friendly airfield or carrier or risk running out of juice. Having Unlimited fuel means that you never need
to land to refuel, making the game easier. The default for this setting is Unlimited .
Note: This setting overrides whatever Fuel option you chose for yourself in the Configure screen.

Time
Ordinarily, Instant Action games have no time limit; you fight until you die or until you choose to end the game.
You can choose to have the game end after 10 Minutes with this option. The default of this setting
is Unlimited.

Wingman
You can choose to face the forces of tyranny alone, or you can bring a wingman along to make your job a
little easier. Click on Yes if you want someone watching your back. The default for this setting is No.

Changing Your Opponent’s Configuration
After selecting a theater, you might wish to change your enemy’s configuration,
to customize your opponents for just the type of challenge you want to face.
Click on Enemy Options in the center of the screen to bring up several settings. Click on Back to remove the Enemy Options panel.

Type
The type of enemy aircraft you face is determined by the campaign theater you are flying in. You can override the theater settings with this option. Clicking on Varied has you fighting a random selection of the enemy
planes available in that area. To only fight against planes of your choosing, select Specific, then click on
one or more of the available enemy types. Only the selected enemies, highlighted in red, will appear during
the mission. Your enemies are restricted by theater, so some planes can only be found in certain areas of
the world. The default of this setting is Varied.
Note: If you change this setting, then exit the Enemy Options panel and change the location of the mission,
Enemy Type returns to the default.

Quantity
The quantity of enemy aircraft you face is determined by this setting. You can choose to give yourself a more
or less demanding scenario. Set the number of enemy to None if you wish to practice flying, landing and
other maneuvers without a risk from other aircraft. If you’re feeling suicidal, up the level to Dangerous and
get ready for a fight against overwhelming odds! What the mission designers think of as Fun should provide a moderate challenge, definitely enough to get your heart racing, and it is the default setting.

4. Instant Action

22

Ground Targets
Depending on the theater, you might face attack from ships or armored vehicles armed with anti-aircraft
missiles. You can override the default for a scenario, making missions more or less difficult by choosing the
type of ground-based enemies you are going to face, if any. You can make a scenario easier by ensuring
that you encounter no opposition from ground vehicles by setting this option to None. Setting ground
forces to SAMs means you will be dodging missiles from vehicle-based SAMs (surface-to-air missiles)
throughout the game. Enabling both SAMs & Vehicles should make life interesting, with mobile SAM units,
tanks and enemy vessels all aiming for your bird. The default of this setting is SAMs only.

Enemy Skill
This sets the skill level of enemy pilots. If the enemy skill level is Flyboy, the game should be easier to play;
if their skill level is Ace, you’re in for a real challenge. The default for this setting is Captain (medium). Note:
This setting overrides whatever Skill level you set for your enemies in the Configure screen.

Playing an Instant Action Game
Instant Action games have only one objective: kill them before they kill you. For detailed game play information, see The Cockpit, Flying and Combat, in their respective chapters, starting on pages 41, 55 and 67. If
you are heavily damaged or are running out of fuel or ammunition, you can land at any friendly airfield or
carrier. See Mid-Mission Landing, starting on page 31, for details. At any time during play, you can press
q to pause the game and bring up the In-flight Menu. From here, you can start the mission from the beginning again or quit the simulation.

In-flight Menu
Resume
Returns you to the game already in progress.

Restart Action
Returns you to the beginning of the Instant Action game.

Main Menu
Quits the simulation and returns you to the main menu.

Ending an Instant Action Game
You end an Instant Action scenario in one of three ways. If time runs out in a timed game or if you die, the
game ends and the Debriefing screen appears. From here you have the option of replaying the scenario,
returning to the Instant Action screen or returning to the main menu. For more information on the Mission
Debriefing screen, see page 32. You can also end the game during play from the In-flight Menu, by pressing q and then selecting Main Menu.

So you think you’ve got what it
takes to be part of Hornet’s
Nest? Well, here’s your chance
to prove it, but before you start
a campaign, you better make
sure you know your plane like
the back of your hand and have
brushed up your flying skills to
their highest level. These aren’t
just training missions any more,
those are real enemies out
there and live missiles heading
at you. Make one wrong move,
and they’ll be sending a flag
home to your family. The campaign is where you find out the
hard way if you’re good enough
to call yourself a Top Gun.

24

Select the Single Player option from the main menu to bring up the Start Game screen. From here you can
start a new campaign, load a saved mission or start an Instant Action game. Select Back to return to the
main menu. See the previous chapter, Instant Action, for more information about that option. If this is your first
time in the air, you definitely want to review Chapter 2: Quick Start, beginning on page 5, to pick up some pointers on flying, combat and the capabilities of your plane before starting a new campaign. Detailed information
about the physics of flying and your F/A-18 Hornet can be found in Chapter 7: Flight, starting on page 41.
The theories behind dogfighting, as well as information about opposition forces and tactics, can be found in
Chapter 8: Combat, beginning on page 55.

Starting a Campaign

Player Name List

Saved Game List

Delete Pilot and
Pilot’s Saves

Start New
Campaign

Return to
Main Menu

Go To Instant
Action Screen

The Single Player screen contains a list of previously saved campaign missions. The name of the player is given
on the left; the campaign theater number and mission number, along with a code identifying the save, are
given on the right. You can scroll through this listing by left-clicking on the up and down arrows at the top and
bottom center of the screen. To start a new campaign, simply type your name into the Pilot Name slot and click
on Start at the bottom of the screen. Whether you begin a new campaign or continue an old one, you will be
involved in a series of missions within a world region. Each time you complete an entire theater, you are transferred to a new one. As an introduction to each theater and for each of the missions, there are short cinematic
sequences that give information about the area of operations, as well as details about past and future missions.
Each mission you fly usually has four parts:
¨
¨
¨
¨

Briefing
Ordnance Loading (optional)
Mission
Debriefing

25

Mission Briefings

Mission
Description

Loading Status

Mission
Briefing Map

Campaign Theater

After you start a mission, the game begins loading and the Briefing screen appears, showing a map of the
current campaign theater. The area the mission covers is highlighted on the map and further information
about the mission is given in a small terminal display.

Briefing Map
The approximate area the mission covers is highlighted on the theater map. Your starting point is marked on
the map with a silhouette of your Hornet, along with the American flag. The approximate locations of your
objectives are marked on the map with icons of the target types ringed in green. Locations of American forces
are also given. A smaller version of the map is also available during play from the cockpit Multi-Function
Display. Once the simulation begins, press T until the Campaign Map Display appears.

Mission Description
On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a text description of the mission. The basic mission objectives are also
available during play, from the Multi-Function Display. Once the simulation begins, press T until the
Waypoints Display appears.

Exiting the Briefing Screen
When you are finished reviewing the briefing map and the mission description and the game has finished loading, press any key (when prompted) to exit the Briefing screen and begin the mission. A briefing movie is shown,
and then the Ordnance screen appears. We suggest that you pay careful attention during these briefings, as they
contain valuable mission information, but you can bypass the briefing movie by pressing any key.

5. Campaign Play

26

Loading Ordnance

Jet Figure

Ordnance
Selection Chart

Begin/Resume
Mission
Default
Ordinance Types
Repair and
Fuel Status

Cannon Ammunition
Selection Chart

You see the Ordnance screen before every mission and whenever you land at a friendly airfield or aircraft
carrier during play. From this screen, you can select what kinds of weapons and ammo to arm yourself with
and refuel, restock and make repairs when your resources are depleted during combat. Your crew chief
prepares two types of weapons configuration for the mission before you reach your plane, one for Air-to-Air
combat and one for Air-to-Ground combat. The optimal choice for this mission is preselected, but you
can choose the other if you wish. Click on Takeoff to launch your plane. If you want a different configuration from one of these defaults, you can make changes on this screen.
Your F/A-18 Hornet has five positions on which it can load missiles, bombs and extra fuel, represented by five
columns on the Ordnance chart. Some weapons can only be loaded into certain slots. If a weapon can be
loaded into a slot, a gray circle appears in that Position’s column across from the Ordnance type. Each
weapon is listed, followed by the number of missiles of that type that slot can hold. Click in a circle to load that
type of weapon at that position.
You can also configure your bird’s armament further by selecting what type of ammunition to load for your
Cannon. It can carry two of the four different ammunition types at the same time, either Rabbit or 20mm and
either Bull or Explosive. Select which type of ammo to load by clicking in the gray circles in the Cannon
chart at the lower right of the screen. For information on the various missiles, bombs and ammo types, see the
F/A-18 Hornet Weaponry section, starting on page 73.
At the lower left of the screen are your current Repair and Fuel status. If you land during a mission and
those percentages have dropped below 100%, ground crews automatically begin refueling your jet and making repairs. They also reload your chaff and flares to the maximum. When you’ve resupplied and taken on
the desired complement of ammo and missiles, click on Takeoff to resume the mission.

27

Accomplishing Your Mission
All missions are crucial to the success of your team, but each has different objectives you need to fulfill.
Most objectives relate to destroying enemy aircraft and ground installations and defending your own from
enemy attack. The objectives for a particular mission are outlined during your briefing and can be retrieved
at any time during play from the Multi-Function Display in your cockpit. When you finish your last objective,
your mission is complete and you receive a debriefing. You must complete each mission successfully before
you can continue on to the next. If you fail a mission, you have the option to replay it when you get to the
Debriefing screen. You may also opt to change your game configuration before restarting the mission.

In-flight Menu
At any time during play you can press P or q to pause the game and bring up the In-flight Menu. From
here, you can adjust your difficulty, sound and graphics options, start the mission from the beginning again,
or quit the simulation.

Resume
Returns you to the game already in progress.

Restart Mission
Returns you to the beginning of the current mission game.

Configure
Brings up the Configure screen, from which you can change difficulty settings and alter sound and graphics
options. See Chapter 3: Configuring Your System, starting on page 13, for detailed information.

Main Menu
Quits the simulation and returns you to the main menu.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Picking the right missile for the job is a habit to get into early, Maverick.
You won’t always have unlimited ammo. Save the big stuff for the tough
enemies. If you lock onto a helicopter, don’t fire immediately. Switch to
a more plentiful missile such as the Dart or Wolf (the X key cycles
through the weapons). Then blow them away.

5. Campaign Play

28

Meeting Your Objectives

Heading Scale

Waypoint Marker

Current Objective
Current Position

At the start of most missions, you must launch from either a carrier or airfield. A few missions begin with
you already in the air. If you begin on an airfield runway, you need to fire up your engines and take off. To
launch from a carrier, you only need to press the z. Check out the section on Takeoff and Landing,
starting on page 59, for more details.

Your Mission Controller
You’re not alone after you take off. Lieutenant Lodge, your mission controller, is there to offer instructions,
advice and warnings over the radio. She’s not above giving a fighter pilot a hard time when she thinks
you’ve made a mistake, so try to fly your missions by the numbers, if you want to stay on her good side.

The Waypoint Marker
If you don’t hear any specific instructions from your mission controller or wingman, you should review the
Campaign Map and the Waypoints list and select the best Waypoint Marker to follow to fulfill your first
objective. At the top of your HUD is the Heading Scale, which gives the direction your jet is traveling. Right
below the Heading Scale, possibly at the left or right edge of the HUD, will be a small thick vertical bar; this
is the Waypoint Marker. You are on course if the Marker is in the middle of the scale, but you will likely have
to bank your jet in the direction of the Marker to move it into the center. If you have difficulty getting or staying on course, review the Flying Basics section, beginning on page 56.

Campaign Map Display
If you get really lost, you can bring up the campaign map by pressing the T key until the map appears in the
Multi-Function Display on the lower right side of your cockpit. This shows you the operation area, along with several different markers. Your jet is shown as a white triangle, friendly carriers and airfields are blue squares, and
circles are mission objective locations. A red circle indicates a primary objective, the focus of your mission. Yellow
circles represent secondary objectives. A solid circle or square indicates your currently selected objective, the
objective you are being guided to by the Waypoint Marker in the Heading Scale at the top of your HUD.

29

Waypoints Display
Many missions have more than one objective. Some objectives are considered primary; you must accomplish these goals in order to complete the mission. Other objectives are secondary and are not necessary
for the success of the mission, although they might make the mission, or future missions, easier to accomplish.
A listing of all the objectives for a mission can be found in the Waypoints Display, part of the Multi-Function
Display (MFD) at the lower right of your cockpit’s instrument panel. Press T to cycle through the MFD
until the waypoints appear. On this display, primary objectives are given in red, secondary objectives are listed
in yellow, and friendly aircraft carriers and airfields are listed in blue. Waypoint headings that might make your
mission easier are also listed in blue. The currently selected item is highlighted, and a picture of that location
appears in the Monitor Screen to the left of the MFD; this is the objective or landing zone you are being
guided to by the Waypoint Marker. You can cycle through the list by pressing the W key, or press Q to
cycle through the list backwards.

Speeding Up Time
On long missions, there can be periods of inactivity. You can cut down this lag time by increasing the speed
of the simulation. Press B to go into time compression. The TIME x2 light is activated on the instrument panel if you are in time compression mode. Be careful, though. If you’re zipping along at accelerated
speed and you run across an enemy aircraft, you may be shot down before you have a chance to react. To
return to the normal speed of the simulation, press B again. You should also remember that the
Hornet is a high-altitude aircraft. The higher you fly, the faster you can go. You’ll achieve maximum speed
somewhere near 30,000 feet.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Your missiles will not lock onto every primary objective. Sometimes you
need to just to fire the missile straight at your target. Center the base of
the ground target in your target reticle, and hold down the s key
when you fire the weapon. The missile will fly straight ahead. Take your
time Maverick, we don’t have a missile to waste!

Destroying the Opposition
As part of your mission objectives, you might be asked to destroy ground targets, including enemy ships,
vehicles and installations, and you almost certainly will encounter opposition from enemy aircraft. You attack an
enemy force, whether on land, air or sea by acquiring them as targets in your Head-Up Display and then firing guns, bombs or missiles at them. Although the following sections give the basics of attacking ground and
airborne threats, Chapter 8: Combat, beginning on page 55, discusses these issues in more detail.

5. Campaign Play

30

Attacking Other Aircraft
You will frequently encounter enemy jets and helicopters during your missions. You can shoot down other
aircraft with either your cannons or by firing air-to-air missiles. Your cannons are most effective within two miles
of your target. To fire your guns, simply line the gunsights up with your target and press the z or joystick Button 1. You can toggle between the two types of cannon ammunition you have loaded by pressing the
6 and 7 keys. The currently loaded ammunition is displayed on the lower left of the HUD.
Missiles have a far greater range than the cannon, although they are most effective within ten miles. You can
order your weapons systems to automatically make the enemy nearest to the center of your gunsight
the target by pressing the N key. Press the Z key repeatedly to cycle through all the available targets. Your
HUD flashes the SHOOT message when a target has been acquired; to fire a missile, press either the c
key or joystick Button 2. You can select one of the air-to-air missile types your jet is carrying by pressing
the 1 through 4 keys or cycle through them using the X key or joystick Button 4. Your current missile type is listed on the HUD. You can toggle between air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance by pressing
the t key.
It could take several shots to bring down an enemy plane, and unless you have unlimited ammunition, you can
quickly run out of missiles. Make your missile selection wisely, depending on the type of target and the distance between you. See the F/A-18 Hornet Weaponry section, starting on page 73, for detailed information
about the effective range and preferred targets for each missile and ammunition type.

Attacking Ground Targets

Bomb Impact Point

The methods for assaulting ground targets are similar to those for attacking aircraft, but with a few key differences. If you are flying low enough to the ground to target them in your sights, you can fire your cannons
at vehicles and installations. However, this method can be extremely dangerous if the vehicles are equipped
with anti-aircraft artillery. A more traditional method of attack is to use bombs. If you haven’t already, switch

31

to air-to-ground ordnance by pressing the t key. A line descends from the bottom of your Flight Path
Marker to the ground. This is the projected area of impact for the selected bomb. Unless you are pitched
downward, you generally cannot see the bottom of the line from the normal cockpit view. Cycle through to
the HUD Only view by pressing the 8 key if you wish to see the point of impact for your bombs. When
the “+” at the bottom of the line runs over your target, press the c key. Air-to-ground missiles can
achieve locks on ground targets; when you have acquired a target and you get the SHOOT message,
press the c key.

Evading Enemy Fire
Sooner or later, somebody’s going to want to take you out. Your best method of defense is to not be there
when they try. Change altitudes and bearing frequently when enemy aircraft are in the area. That helps prevent them from getting a bead on you with their guns or a lock with their missiles. If your HUD flashes the
message ENEMY HAS LOCK, keep an eye on your radar, zooming out with the R key, if necessary, until
you are at maximum range. Missiles appear on the radar as small boxes with tails. If you see one heading
for you, take evasive action. If you cannot shake the missile, dump chaff, flares or both by pressing the C,
V or Y keys. When you can, avoid flying directly over vehicles and ground installations, which
may contain surface-to-air missiles. If they don’t see you, chances are they won’t fire on you.

Losing Your Jet
Sure you’re the best of the best, but some days you’re going to be outnumbered, outgunned or just plain outmatched. If your jet takes too much damage and is destroyed, the mission ends in failure, and you have to
restart the scenario. Better luck next time!

Mid-Mission Landing
If you run low on fuel, countermeasures, missiles and ammunition, or if your Hornet is badly damaged and
you need repairs, you can opt to land at a friendly aircraft carrier or airfield at any point during the
mission… provided you can find one! Cycle the MFD by pressing the T key until the Waypoints Display
appears; select the nearest of the blue landing zones to set your Waypoint Marker, and follow the Marker to
that location. Once you approach the carrier or airfield, you need to land. As you line your plane up as if
to perform a manual landing, your ILS light will start to flash. When it does, press I to engage the automatic landing systems. For detailed landing directions, see the section on Takeoff and Landing in the Flight
chapter, starting on page 69.
Once you’ve landed, the Ordnance screen appears. You can select new ammo and weaponry to bring on
board, and if you are damaged or low on fuel, you are automatically repaired and refueled. Your countermeasures are also automatically brought to their maximum. Your current Repair and Fuel status are shown
on the lower left. It may take some time to be ready for action if you were extremely low on fuel or severely
damaged. See Loading Ordnance on page 26 for a complete description of this screen.
Remember that resupplying takes time; while you’re on the ground, the enemy can be attacking your forces
without opposition!

5. Campaign Play

32

Mission Debriefings

Mission Results

Begin Next
Mission

Mission Statistics

Replay Last
Mission
Return to
Main Menu

When you have ended a mission, a short movie may play and you are brought to the Debriefing screen. This
screen also appears if you crash, are shot down, run out of time or otherwise utterly fail the mission objectives. Debriefing gives you various statistics relating to the success of the mission.
Depending on what happened on the most recent mission, you might be presented with a number of choices
to exit this screen. If you successfully completed the mission, your game is automatically saved and you
have the option to proceed to the Next Mission or return to the Main Menu. If you failed the mission,
you have the options to replay this scenario or return to the Main Menu. Restart Mission gives you the
chance to correct your mistakes and fly the mission again. Selecting this option brings you back to the
Briefing movie, right before the mission begins.

Completing the Campaign
When you successfully complete the tenth mission of a theater, you have beaten that theater and can continue to the next. A longer movie plays, introducing the next theater. When you have mastered all three
theaters, you’ve won the campaign and the right to call yourself Top Gun.

Going head to head against
the best pilots in the world is a
rush like nothing else.
Multiplayer missions let you
prove that you truly are the
king of the dogfight, the master
of the well-placed missile. It
can be “us-against-them” or
“you-against-the-world.” It’s
your choice whether to go
in as a squad or fly it solo.
Whichever way you take it,
keep one eye on your radar, the
other on your HUD and both
hands on the controls.

34

Establishing a Connection
The first thing you need to do, before you even start the game, is establish your connection to the other
players. The method varies depending on what type of connection you use.

Internet
To play an Internet game, you need to connect to the Internet at 56.6 kbps or better, either through an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a network connection to the Internet. Internet play is possible via the
Microsoft Network’s Gaming Zone; see below for details. However, you can also play against other players
over the Internet if every player knows the host’s (the person who creates the game session) IP address.
If you are going to host a game, you can determine your IP address by opening your Windows Start menu,
clicking on Run, then typing winipcfg and clicking on OK. You can then use one of the many internet chat
programs, or e-mail to send your IP address to the players you want in your game.
If you wish to join an Internet game, and you have the IP address of the host, start Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest and
open the Multiplayer Session screen. Click on Connection until Internet appears. You will be prompted
to enter the IP address of the host. After you have entered the address, the game session will appear on the
Combat Session list at the lower half of the screen.

Microsoft Network Gaming Zone
The Microsoft Network Gaming Zone is a free Internet service that helps you join and host games with
people all over the world. To play on the MSN Gaming Zone, you must first connect to the Internet, then
use your web browser (either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher) to enter the Zone at
www.zone.com. Once you’re there, simply follow the on screen instructions. The MSN Gaming Zone automatically launches Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest for you; be sure you have exited the game before connecting to the
MSN Gaming Zone.

LAN/IPX Network
To play a game over a Local Area or IPX Network, each player must be connected to the same network. Top
Gun: Hornet’s Nest supports IPX compliant network drivers. Every network is different, and something in the
structure or design of your network may affect game play or prevent you from making a connection. If you
encounter difficulties, ask your Network Administrator for help.

Modem
To play a game with another player over a modem, you must first be certain your modem is properly configured for Windows. Open your Windows Start menu and open the Control Panel folder. Open the Modems
folder and make sure that your modem appears on the list. If it does not, left-click on Add and follow the
instructions to add your modem to the list. Once you are certain that your modem is configured to work
with Windows, you can set up a modem connection profile, which you can configure to dial out before you
start the game or after the game starts up and you have selected the modem Connection type. If you do not
have a modem connection profile setup, Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest will open the Windows facility, from which
you can set up a modem connection profile and select a number to dial. Both you and your opponent must
set your modems to connect to the same speed, at least 56.6kpbs, in order to play a game.

35

Starting a Multiplayer Mission

Your Name
Team Name
Connection Type
Session Names

Create New Session

Player/Team List

Return to Main Menu

Join Selected Session

Once you have established a connection, start Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest and click on Multiplayer from the
main menu. This brings up the Multiplayer Session screen. Enter a Callsign in the name slot at the top of the
screen; if no name is entered, a default name is entered as your callsign. Then type in a name for your
Team; if no team name is entered, your callsign becomes your team name as well. Finally, select a connection type by clicking on the Connection button.

Joining a Session
At the bottom of the Multiplayer Session screen is a list of Combat Sessions. You can scroll through this
list with the arrow buttons at the left side of the screen. Next to each session name is a number giving the
maximum amount of players allowed in the game. If a name is on the list, but it is grayed out, that game
is full and cannot be joined. In the Teams column, next to each session name is a list of every player in that
session; team names appear next to each callsign. Left-click on a session name in the Multiplayer Setup
screen to select it, and click on Play to join that game. Select Back to return to the main menu without
joining a game.

6. Multiplayer Missions

36

Creating a Multiplayer Game

Theater of
Operations
Multiplayer
Game Options

Return to
Multiplayer
Session Screen

Create Session
and Begin Game

Selecting New Session from the Multiplayer Session screen brings up the New Session screen. Here you
can set up a new multiplayer game. Enter a name for the session in the upper left-hand corner. If no name is
entered, the name of the location of the game will be used instead. Next, set the scenario parameters. Clicking
repeatedly on a button toggles through the options for each setting. Click on Create when you are finished
to create a new session with your chosen parameters. You are immediately dropped into the game; other
players will appear on the Campaign Map and Radar as they join the game. Select Back to return to the
Multiplayer Session screen without creating a new session.

Location
This option sets the theater of operations for the game, either Siberia (the default), Iraq or Colombia.

Max Players
This option sets the maximum number of players that are allowed in your game (2, 4 or 8). If your game has
reached the maximum number of players, it becomes grayed out in the Session screen and no one else can
enter the game until someone leaves.

Time Limit
Ordinarily, multiplayer games have no time limit; you fight until everyone chooses to quit the game. You can
choose to have the game end after a specified time with this option. To set a time limit, click on 10 Minutes.
The default of this setting is Unlimited.

37

Ordnance
Multiplayer games have three weapons options. If Guns Only is chosen, prepare for close-quarters dogfighting! Every player has an unlimited supply of cannon ammunition, but no other weapons. With Unlimited
Ordnance, the game becomes much simpler; you have all the countermeasures, ammo and missiles you need.
Under ordinary circumstances, you have only a limited supply of cannon ammunition, countermeasures and
air-to-air ordnance. If you run out, you have to find somewhere to rearm or do without. The default for this setting is Normal.

Speed
This toggles the speed of all the player’s jets. When this is set to Fast, most of your bird’s attributes are
increased, including acceleration, top speed, roll and pitch rates. This makes the game much more fast-paced
and (hopefully) fun. The default for this setting is Normal.

Fuel
Under ordinary circumstances, if you survive that long in a multiplayer game, you will eventually get low on
fuel, forcing you to find a friendly airfield or carrier or risk running out of juice. Having Unlimited fuel
means that you never need to land to refuel, making the game easier and keeping the action going constantly.
The default for this setting is Normal.

Armor
This setting allows you to set the damage resistance of the players’ jets. With Light armor, a single Dart
missile could destroy your plane; this setting is good for guns-only fights and for fast and vicious games that
involve a lot of bloodshed. Heavy armor is equivalent to the generous protection you enjoy during campaign missions; several missiles are necessary to bring you down. A compromise between the two, Normal,
is the default setting.

Flight Ceiling
With this setting, you can create an artificially low flight ceiling, 15000ft, thus shrinking the potential combat area and making opponents easier to find. If you attempt to fly above the flight ceiling, your jet feels the
effects of very thin air; it doesn’t handle very well and it loses speed. The default is a more generous 35000ft.

Radar Range
You can shrink the range of the players’ radar with this option. A radius of 5nm makes it more difficult to
fire on enemy planes from extreme range and requires the players to be much more aware of their surroundings and potential dangers. The default is the normal 10nm.

Visibility
This setting controls the visibility in the game: how far each player can see. Low visibility is like flying
through a fog bank; it is impossible to see very far and enemy planes can easily sneak up on an unwary pilot
who isn’t watching the radar closely. Medium visibility is somewhat better, but still a more limited visual
range than the player may be used to. The default is High, the normal far-reaching visibility of a clear day. If
you are the host of a multiplayer game and you are running with software acceleration, you may wish to switch
to Low visibility for improved game speed.

6. Multiplayer Missions

38

Weather
With this setting, you can toggle weather effects on and off. If you toggle this On, your game will have snow
if it is set in Siberia, rain in Colombia and no effect in Iraq. Weather cuts down on visibility, makes the planes
fly slower and limits their maneuverability. Default for this option is Off.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
You know Maverick, optimum maneuverability comes at speeds between
300-400 knots. You don’t have to be breaking the sound barrier to be a
hotshot. In a dogfight with jets of equal caliber, the pilot with the most
control is the one most likely to survive; try slowing it down when you
engage the enemy, and use patience and skill instead of raw power.

Playing a Multiplayer Mission
You start a multiplayer mission just as you do an Instant Action game; the loading screen appears and you can
press any key, when prompted, to start the game. You begin already in the air at a random location on the
campaign map. The object of every multiplayer game is to achieve the most kills, individually and as a team,
while being killed the least amount of times. If you are shot down or crash during a multiplayer game, you
will reappear in a new jet at a safe location shortly thereafter.

Finding the Opposition
Finding your opponents is simple. Every member of any opposing team shows up as an objective on the
Multi-Function Display’s Campaign Map and Mission Waypoints Displays. You can set an enemy as your
objective and follow the Waypoint Marker on the top of the Heading Scale toward the enemy. When you
maneuver to within range of an enemy, his jet appears on the radar as a red arrow.
Target Designator boxes also identify opposing planes. Where the vehicle name usually appears, below the
TD box, the player’s callsign is given instead. Above the TD box is that player’s team name. Your teammates
are also labeled with their team name and callsign, but they do not have targeting boxes around them on
the HUD. You cannot get missile lock on teammates, although you can accidentally hit them with gun or
missile fire. Teammates also appear as blue arrows on the radar instead of red ones.

39

Mid-Mission Landing
You can land at friendly airbases and carriers during multiplayer missions to refuel and rearm. Cycle the
MFD by pressing the T key until the Waypoints Display appears; select the nearest of the blue landing zones
to set your Waypoint Marker and follow the Marker to that location. You can also land at bases on the map
that are under enemy control in the campaign. However, these bases do not appear on your Waypoints
Display, so you must find them yourself if you wish to land in one of these previously hostile areas. Once you
approach the carrier or airfield, you need to land. However, you cannot engage the automatic landing system during multiplayer missions! For manual landing directions, see the section on Takeoff and Landing in
the Flight chapter, starting on page 59.
Once you’ve landed, the Ordnance screen appears. You can select new ammo and weaponry to bring on
board, although you are limited to cannon ammunition if Guns Only was chosen by the game’s host during
setup. If you are damaged or low on fuel, you are automatically repaired and refueled. Your countermeasures are also automatically brought to their maximum. Your current Repair and Fuel status are shown on
the lower left. It may take some time to be ready for action if you were extremely low on fuel or severely
damaged. See Loading Ordnance on page 26 for a complete description of this screen.
Note: Once a player has landed at an airbase or carrier, they become untouchable until they takeoff again.

Multiplayer Chat
During the mission, you can open communications with the other pilots. Simply press the I key to chat
with everyone in the game or hit h to only talk with the players on your own team. When chat is initiated, a semi-transparent green box appears. Type in your message; B, D and all other keys
function normally in this window. However, while you’re typing in a message, all keyboard flight and weapon
controls are disabled—so talk fast! You can still control the plane with a joystick.
When you have finished typing, press e to send your message and the Send Chat window disappears.
If you receive a message from another player, a three-line window appears in the upper left-hand corner of
the screen. If another message comes in when three are already displayed, the lines will scroll upward.
When no message has been received for 10 seconds, the Receive Chat box is removed.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Yo Maverick, if you are having trouble getting a craftily dodging target
into your sights, use your rudder controls (the < and > keys). They can
make slight turns of your jet, helping you to line up your target.

6. Multiplayer Missions

40

Ending a Multiplayer Mission

Team Statistics

Individual Statistics

Return to
Multiplayer
Session Screen

Go to New
Session Screen

When the game ends, either because you quit the game from the In Flight menu or because time ran out,
the Tally screen appears. This gives the kill statistics for each team and player. If the game is still playing, you
are shown the statistics for the moment you left the game.
Your own score is shown first, with your teammates listed below and then the other players grouped by team.
Each time you are killed in the game is a negative kill to your record, so that if you are killed more often than
you kill, you can have a negative score.
If the game has ended, the individual with the top score for the game is known as the Top Gun, and can
be the host for the next game. If you are the Top Gun, click on the Game Settings button to go to the
New Session screen and choose the settings for the next game. If you did not win the game, you can wait
at the Tally screen; when the host sets up the new game you will automatically be drawn into it.
If the game was not over, or you do not wish to play the next game, click on Back at the bottom of the
Multiplayer Session screen. From there you can rejoin the game (if it is still in progress) or create or join a new
game. Note that if you rejoin a game, your kills are not cumulative; you start again with zero kills.

Every bird is different; being
able to instantly recognize and
understand what your instruments are telling you gives a
good pilot that edge you need
to blow a bogie away. Take
some time to review the unique
cockpit of your F/A-18 Hornet.
If you’re wise, you won’t hit
the runway until you know
what every light, screen and
read-out means. If you’re staring at your radar, trying to
figure out if that blip is friend or
foe, you’d better pray it’s a
friend—because if it’s not, it’s
probably too late.

42

Head Up Display (HUD)

MultiFunction
Display

Radar

Instrument Lights

Monitor Screen

The front view from your cockpit contains a Head-Up Display (HUD), a column of Instrument Lights, a
Monitor Screen and two Multi-Function Displays, one of which contains the radar. Although the HUD contains all the essential information for flight, the remaining components do have their specialized uses. The
HUD is explained in detail starting on page 45. The Instrument Lights are described on page 48, the Monitor
Screen is defined on page 49, the Multi-Function Displays are described on page 50 and the radar is
explained on page 53.

Changing Views
In Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest there are several ways to view your surroundings. Some views are better than
others for combat and some should only be used to view surrounding action. The different types of views
are described in detail below.

Standard Views
The Standard views can be cycled by pressing the 8 key. These are the most common views for combat
and flight. The three standard views are Cockpit View, Chase View and HUD Only View.

Cockpit View
In this view the Instrument Panel, containing the Multi-Function Displays
(MFDs), Monitor Screen and Instrument Lights, blocks the lower portion of
the screen. Virtual Cockpit is automatically enabled in this view; see page
44 for details.

43

Chase View
This view is an outside, third-person perspective from directly behind your
Hornet. The MFDs and Instrument Lights are transformed into floating components of the HUD, and the Monitor Screen is moved to the upper right
corner of the view.

HUD Only View
The HUD Only view is identical to the Chase view except the view no longer
contains your F/A-18.

Outside Views
The outside views display all of the HUD data but do not display the Instrument Panel. When in one of the outside views, you can use the N key to select the enemy closest to your target reticle.

Satellite View
Press 9 to bring up the Satellite View. This shows an angle from right
above your aircraft, looking down. You can most easily see enemies that are
almost directly above or below you with this view.

Look Back View
Press 0 to bring up the Look Back View. This shows an angle from ahead
of the cockpit, looking behind you at the tail of your aircraft. You can most
easily see enemies that are directly behind you with this view.

Right Outside View
Press - to bring up the Right Outside View. This shows an angle looking
at the right side of your jet.

7. The Cockpit

44

Left Outside View
Press = to bring up the Left Outside View. This shows an angle looking
at the left side of your jet.

Flyby View
Press \ to bring up the Flyby View. This shows an angle from a fixed point
below and to one side of your aircraft. You watch your jet approach, fly over
and fly away from this point of view. The sequence repeats continuously
until another view is chosen.

Virtual Cockpit
The Virtual Cockpit View is a special cockpit view that allows you to keep better track of your enemies and
to chase a target by giving you the freedom to move your head and look around. From the Cockpit view
(8 ), normal Virtual Cockpit is automatically enabled; if you are in any other view, you are brought to the
Cockpit View if you use the numeric keypad or “hat” on your joystick. In the standard Virtual Cockpit, you
use the keys on the numeric keypad to rotate the view up, down, side to side and at an angle. You can also
move the Virtual Cockpit around with the “hat” on your joystick, if it has one.

Normal View
The J key activates normal Virtual Cockpit viewing. When Normal View is selected, you can turn the view
smoothly in the chosen direction until another keypad button is pressed. The 5 key on your NumPad returns
the view to the standard, forward-facing Cockpit View.

Snap Views
The K key selects snap Virtual Cockpit viewing. When Snap View is enabled, you only look in the indicated
direction so long as the keypad button is depressed. When the key is released, the view “snaps” back to the
standard, forward-facing Cockpit View.

Padlock View
The Padlock View locks your view on the selected target, which is then kept in the center of your screen.
You have to maneuver the Virtual Cockpit HUD so that it lines up with your target aircraft thus enabling you
to fire your weapons at your target. The Virtual Cockpit will snap back to the front when you lose sight of
the target aircraft. This happens if the target is far in the distance, underneath your aircraft or otherwise out of
visual range.

45

Understanding the Head-Up Display (HUD)

Waypoint Marker

Heading Scale

Label
Pitch Ladder
Target
Designator Box

Airspeed Indicator

Label

Throttle Indicator

Altitude Indicator
G-Force Indicator
Fuel Indicator

Weapon Type Indicator

Target Reticle
Target
Arrow

Flight Path
Marker

The Head-Up Display (or simply HUD) is the most essential instrument in the F/A-18 cockpit. Projected
from the front of the Instrument Panel, the HUD shows a wealth of information—from weapons and target
data to altitude and heading readings. Sometimes the HUD might become difficult to see because of sky
and terrain color. You can lighten the color of the HUD by pressing [ and darken it by pressing ].

Heading Scale
You can find the Heading Scale at the top of the HUD. This scale shows your current compass direction (in
degrees), where 0° is due north. The small arrow below the center of the scale is where you read the current heading.

Waypoint Marker
The small, thick, vertical bar just below the Heading Scale is the Waypoint Marker. This indicator shows you
the direction to the currently selected mission objective. When the Waypoint Marker is centered on the
Heading Scale, you are on course for your destination. Otherwise, you will have to bank your jet in the
direction of the Marker to move it. As you approach the heading for that waypoint, the bar drifts to the center of the scale. When you are directly over a waypoint, the marker may hop from side to side quickly. You may
need to pitch your jet towards the ground to see the item the waypoint guided you to. The Waypoint Marker
also moves quickly if it is set to point to a group of approaching enemy vehicles.

7. The Cockpit

46

Pitch Ladder
In the center of the HUD, you’ll see several straight lines with numbers at each end. This is the Pitch Ladder,
and it shows the current degree of ascent (positive numbers) or descent (negative numbers). The lines are
initially aligned with the horizon line and also show the roll angle of your aircraft. On the Pitch Ladder, positive degrees of ascent are shown as solid lines, while negative degrees of descent are shown as dashed lines.
The tips of the Pitch Ladder’s “steps” point towards the horizon. If you become disoriented during flight, try
to maneuver so that the Pitch Ladder’s “steps” are horizontal, and then pitch the plane so that the step with
the number 0 appears on the HUD.

Flight Path Marker
The Flight Path Marker points in the direction the aircraft is moving, which is not necessarily where the nose
of the plane is pointed. It reflects changes in your current flight direction. For example, if you point your aircraft’s nose downward, the Flight Path Marker moves to the lower half of the HUD. When you release the
stick, the Flight Path Marker slowly returns to the center of the HUD.

Airspeed Indicator
On the left side of the HUD is the Airspeed Indicator, a box displaying the current airspeed in knots (nautical miles per hour). A nautical mile is just slightly longer than an imperial mile.

Throttle Indicator
Below the Airspeed Indicator is the Throttle indicator (THR:). This shows the percent of throttle you are
applying. If you need extra thrust, you can engage the afterburner. The Throttle Indicator then reads AB.

G Force Indicator
Just below the Throttle Indicator, you can find the G Force Indicator. This shows the current G (gravity) load
on the aircraft. If you maintain high Gs for too long, you will black out. Conversely, if you pull too many negative Gs, you will red out. See the section G Forces on page 63 for more information.

Weapon Type Indicator
The Weapon Type Indicator, located at the lower left corner of the HUD, displays the currently selected
Cannon Ammunition on top and Ordnance type below that. The number of rounds and missiles available to
fire is given to the left of the code names. You can switch between Cannon Ammunition types by pressing the
6 and 7 keys and cycle through either the Air-to-Air or Air-to-Ground Ordnance by pressing the X key
repeatedly or by pressing the 1 through 5 keys. The various Weapon Type codes are:
CANNON AMMUNITION

AIR-TO-AIR ORDNANCE

AIR-TO-GROUND ORDNANCE

20mm-RAB . . . . . . . Rabbit Rounds

AIM-D . . . . . . . . . Dart

AGM-88 . . . . . . . HARM

20mm . . . . . . . . . . . Standard Rounds

AIM-W . . . . . . . . . Wolf

AGM-65 . . . . . . . Maverick

20mm-BUL . . . . . . . Bull Rounds

AIM-7 . . . . . . . . . Sparrow

AGM-SB . . . . . . . Sunburst Cluster Bomb

20mm-EXP . . . . . . . Explosive Rounds

AIM-9 . . . . . . . . . Sidewinder

GBU-15 . . . . . . . GBU-15 Glide Bomb

AIM-120 . . . . . . . AMRAAM

GBU-16 . . . . . . . Paveway Glide Bomb

AIM-SF . . . . . . . . Starflower

GBU-NAP . . . . . . Napalm Tank

47

Altitude Indicator
On the right side of the HUD, opposite the Airspeed Indicator, is the Altitude Indicator, a box giving the current altitude (in feet) above sea level. If an R appears to the right of the Altitude Indicator, this typically
means that you are flying below 5000 feet and that radar is being used to generate altitude information.

Fuel Indicator
The Fuel Indicator on the right side of the HUD, below the Altitude Indicator measures the amount of fuel you
have remaining as a percentage of a full tank. On normal missions, you begin with 100% of fuel, but for long
missions, you can take on extra fuel by selecting it from the Ordnance screen, which will raise the percentage above 100%.

Target Reticle
The crosshairs in the middle of the screen represent where your cannon rounds will be fired and where
boresight missiles will impact. The reticle points in the direction of the nose of your aircraft. When you fly
straight and level, the crosshairs are in the center of the HUD. However, when you are pulling high-speed
maneuvers, the crosshairs will move around the HUD. Remember that you must aim the crosshairs in front
of a fast-moving target to ensure hitting the aircraft. Effective firing ranges for various weapons can be
found in the F/A-18 Hornet Weaponry section, beginning on page 73. If the item pointed at by the reticle is
within range of the selected ammo, the crosshairs change shape and the color of the reticle changes slightly.

Target Arrows/Target Designator Box
The Target Arrows and Target Designator Box are HUD indicators that help you determine the location of
enemy targets even if they are beyond visual range. When enemy air and ground forces are within range of
your radar, small arrows appear around the edges of the HUD, pointing in the direction of the enemy plane
or vehicle. As you travel and move closer in the direction of an arrow, that target eventually comes into view.
The Target Designator Box appears when an enemy is in view and the Target Arrow disappears. The TD Box
surrounds the enemy, making it easier to see and allowing for easy identification. Accompanying the Target
Designator Boxes are labels, used to easily identify different types of friendly and enemy aircraft, ships and
missiles, as well as the names of friendly ships. Friendly aircraft, ships and missiles have green labels; enemies
are in red.
The currently selected target’s Target Designator Box is also red. Other available but unselected targets
have green TD boxes and red labels. To cycle through the available targets, press the Z key. Hitting N makes
the enemy closest to the center of your reticle the designated target, assuming it is within missile range.
Your allies are easily distinguishable because Target Designator Boxes do not appear around friendly aircraft, ships or vehicles, and their labels are green. In multiplayer games, the pilots’ callsigns appear as labels
if the pilots land to resupply during the game.

7. The Cockpit

48

Reading the Instrument Lights
Below the HUD, to the left of the Monitor Screen, is a row of instrument lights. Keeping your eye on these
warning indicators is vital to avoiding potentially dangerous situations, such as running out of fuel. These lights
let you know when certain systems or instrumentation are engaged. (These lights also flash if a system is
damaged and inoperative.)

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Hey Maverick, if you’re running low on fuel, or you have a long way to
go, with nowhere to refuel, be conservative with your afterburners. If
you’re in a hurry, use them to punch it up to cruising speed, then cut
the throttle to 100%. If the Fuel Light goes on, turn off the afterburners
immediately, you can’t run a jet on fumes!

TIME X2 Light
When the Time Compression x2 light illuminates, your jet begins moving at accelerated speed. Everything,
including combat, takes place in half the normal time, often preventing you from reacting to events in time.
Press B to go into time compression, and to return to the normal speed of the simulation, press
B again.

A-A / A-G MD Light
When you toggle between ordnance types with the t key, the Air-to-Air / Air-to-Ground Missile Defense
light switches, indicating which type of ordnance you are currently attacking with.

ILS Light
When the ILS light flashes, this means you are on an approach to land at an airfield or aircraft carrier and
that you are in a position where pressing the I key will engage the Instrument Landing System. Once the
system is successfully activated, the ILS light will remain solidly lit. For more information on ILS requirements, see the Takeoff and Landing section, starting on page 59.

STALL Light
When the Stall light illuminates, your aircraft has achieved a stall condition. You can usually recover from a stall
by pointing your plane’s nose down and increasing the throttle. If the Stall light flashes, the engine is damaged. Monitor your damage level and return to a friendly carrier or airfield for repairs if necessary.

49

LW FUEL Light
When the Low Fuel light blinks, you have reached a “bingo” fuel state and have slightly more fuel than is
needed to travel back to the nearest base at your current rate of fuel consumption. When the light is solidly
illuminated, your jet is truly low on fuel. You need to immediately seek out a friendly airfield or aircraft carrier,
or risk crashing your jet because of lack of fuel.

SYS DMG Light
When the System Damaged light illuminates, your jet has taken severe damage. Cycle through the MultiFunction Display with the T key until the Aircraft Status Display appears. Monitor your damage level and
return to a friendly carrier or airfield for repairs if necessary.

ALTITUDE Light
When the Altitude light illuminates, your jet has dropped to a low altitude. You need to check your surroundings and your Altimeter carefully. You might just be passing over a rise in the terrain, or you might be
dangerously close to the ground and need to pull up or risk crashing your jet. If your altimeter is dropping
rapidly, you might wish to take immediate action to stabilize your flight path.

GEAR Light
The Gear Light comes on when your landing gear is down. Press G to raise or lower the landing gear. If
you have just taken off and have forgotten to manually raise your landing gear, you receive an audio reminder
to raise your gear. Gear usually cannot be lowered at speeds in excess of 250 knots.

FLAPS Light
The Flap Light turns on when you have the flaps up. Flaps are good for increasing lift at slow speeds. Press
F to turn the flaps up or down. If flaps are left up at speeds in excess of 700 knots at sea level, or slightly
faster at higher elevations, the flaps can break under the air pressure, and you will lose the ability to raise flaps
until they are repaired the next time you land.

BRAKE Light
This light illuminates when you have your ground or speed brakes turned on. Speed brakes increase drag on
your F/A-18 and are especially useful when adjusting airspeed for landing. Ground brakes slow your wheels
and are used to stop your jet after touchdown. Press B to turn the speed brakes or ground brakes on or off.

Watching the Monitor Screen
In the center of your Cockpit View, to the right of the Instrument Lights, is the Monitor Screen. In all other
views, the Monitor can be found in the upper right corner of the screen. By default, the Monitor shows you
the currently selected waypoint and its surroundings, whether that is a friendly aircraft carrier or a hostile missile installation. If you have a missile lock on an enemy, you can toggle the Monitor Screen to follow that
enemy by pressing E. Thereby, the Monitor allows you to keep an eye on the effects of your missiles. If you
lose the lock on your enemy or if it is destroyed, the Monitor Screen reverts to showing your nearest objective or other waypoint. In Chase View, HUD Only View and all Outside Views, you may hit the H key to hide
the monitor screen, giving a less cluttered field of view.

7. The Cockpit

50

Viewing the Multi-Function Displays
On the left and right sides of your cockpit are the Multi-Function Displays. The left MFD holds the Radar
and is discussed separately in the Using the Radar section, beginning on page 53. The right MFD cycles
through several different informative displays, giving you information on your aircraft and weapons status, as
well as the campaign map.

Campaign Map Display

Secondary
Objective
Your Jet

Primary Objective
Currently Selected
Waypoint

Landing Zone

The Campaign Map Display gives an overall view of the current theater of operations. The general terrain of
the area is marked out in green. Your jet appears on this display as a white triangle pointing in the direction of
travel. This display uses the same color coding as the Waypoints Display described below. Primary objectives are
shown as hollow or solid red circles, secondary objectives are shown as solid or hollow yellow circles, friendly
landing zones are shown as hollow or solid blue boxes, and waypoints are shown as hollow or solid “+” symbols. A solid circle, box, or “+” indicates that the location is the currently selected waypoint. If the plane travels
outside the area of the campaign map, the white triangle for the Hornet stays at the edge of the map and flashes.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Stay focused on your mission objectives, Maverick. Blasting every tank
you see may be fun, but you might not have enough firepower left to
complete the mission. Also, while the primary objectives are your priority,
don’t forget about the secondary ones. Even if you don’t see the effects
now, accomplishing them may aid you in later missions.

51

Ordnance Display

Flare Amount

Chaff Amount

Weapon Type
Cannon Ammo

Weapon Amount

Current Cannon Ammo
Currently Selected
Weapon

This display allows you to examine the numbers and placement of missiles and ammunition, as well as checking on your countermeasure supply. A triangular outline represents the wings of your jet. The type of missile
or bomb that is loaded at each position is shown by a code. If more than one of that missile or bomb type is
loaded, the number is shown below the type code. If extra fuel tanks are loaded onto a position, FL is written
at that location. At the top of the triangle, the cannon ammunition numbers are shown. The highlighted numbers and codes are the currently selected weapons, and their full names appear in the center of the display.
At the top right and left of the display, the current numbers of chaff (C) and flares (F) are also given.
AIR-TO-AIR ORDNANCE

AIR-TO-GROUND ORDNANCE

DRT . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dart

HARM . . . . . . . . . HARM

WLF . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wolf

65D . . . . . . . . . . . Maverick

7E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sparrow

GBSB . . . . . . . . . Sunburst Cluster Bomb

9M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sidewinder

GB15 . . . . . . . . . GBU-15 Glide Bomb

120C . . . . . . . . . . . . AIM-120 AMRAAM

GB16 . . . . . . . . . Paveway Glide Bomb

STRF . . . . . . . . . . . . Starflower

NAP . . . . . . . . . . Napalm Tank

7. The Cockpit

52

Aircraft Status Display

Overall Status

Since there may be times when you want to check up on the overall status of your aircraft, you have the option
to bring up the Aircraft Status Display. A silhouette of your jet is shown, and several areas of the jet are
labeled. Whenever you take a significant amount of damage from a missile or gunfire, the Aircraft Status
Display appears showing damage you have taken. The affected system is highlighted in yellow or red; yellow indicates that that area of the plane has taken some damage, red means the system is seriously damaged
and possibly inoperative. The overall “health” of your plane is estimated as a percentage in the lower left
corner of the display. When this number goes below 30%, you should consider finding a friendly airfield or
aircraft carrier to land and make repairs.

Mission Waypoints Display

Selected Objective

Waypoint Type
Waypoint Name
Range in Nautical Miles
Heading in Degrees

53

A listing of all the objectives for a mission can be found in the Mission Waypoints Display. On this, each
waypoint is named, along with a code describing the type of waypoint it is. Primary objectives (PRI) are given
in red text, secondary objectives are listed in yellow (SEC) and friendly aircraft carriers and airfields (LZ)
are listed in blue. The range (RNG) in nautical miles to each of these waypoints from your current location
is given below the name, along with the heading (HDG) you would have to take to reach that objective or
landing zone. The currently selected item is highlighted, and a picture of that location appears in the Monitor
Screen to the left of the MFD; this is the place you are being guided to by the Waypoint Marker. You can cycle
through the list by pressing the W key or cycle through this list backwards by pressing the Q key.

Using the Radar

Range of Selected Missile
Radar Range

Mid-Range

Radar Cone
Missile

Aircraft

Relative
Altitude

Radar Range in
Nautical Miles

Ground
Vehicles

Your Jet

Ships

Your F/A-18 is equipped with one of the most sophisticated radar systems in the world. In conjunction with
the data fed to it by high-flying AWACS support planes, this allows you to lock onto targets up to 10 nautical miles away, even if they are significantly above or below your aircraft
The Radar is in a second Multi-Function Display, on the left side of your cockpit, next to the Instrument Lights.
It is used to determine the elevation and location of other aircraft and vehicles, relative to your F/A-18.

7. The Cockpit

54

Radar Ranges
On the radar, your F/A-18 is situated in the middle, facing the top of the scope. The angle is from a satellite
view—meaning that all aircraft in the radar are viewed from a direct overhead angle. Aircraft in the upper
half of the circle are in front of your F/A-18, ones in the bottom half are behind your plane. Your Radar panel
displays all aircraft within radar range, but you are only able to achieve a radar lock on aircraft within a 90°
cone extending from the front of your aircraft. Lines angling out from the nose of your aircraft designate the
lock-on area.
The lower right-hand corner of the radar displays the radar range in miles. Radar range is the distance from
the top of the radar scope to the center (that is, if the radar range is 10, the distance from the center of the
scope to the edge of the outer circle is 10 nautical miles). A second green circle appears at some magnifications, indicating the halfway point in the range. A red circle marks the effective range of the currently
selected missile. In the pictured example, the aircraft on radar is approximately eight nautical miles from
your F/A-18 and your missile has a range of about six nautical miles. Your radar has a maximum range of ten
miles. It can be zoomed in and out through three radar ranges: 10 miles, 5 miles and 2.5 miles, using the R
key. It’s important to periodically check what range your radar is currently displaying, so that you can judge
the approximate threat of various enemy forces.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Use your head, Maverick. Don’t stay at radar zoom 2.5nm or 5nm, if
there aren’t any enemies showing up. Zoom out to maximum range so
you have some warning. Conversely, if a missile is incoming, you want to
zoom in the radar as the missile gets nearer and nearer. This gives you a
better idea of when to use countermeasures or evasive maneuvers.

Radar Symbology
Several symbols are used to differentiate target types on the radar. Symbols in red are enemy forces, symbols in blue are friendly ones. Aircraft are represented by arrows pointing in the direction of travel. Solid cigars
are vessels, and solid squares are ground units. Boxes with tails are missiles. The currently selected target
flashes on the radar.
The number next to each target shows the altitude relative to your aircraft in thousands of feet. Positive
numbers mean that the target is above your bird, negative numbers mean the target is below your plane.
For example, the locked enemy aircraft in the example is 5,000 feet above your F/A-18.

Flying is what it’s all about.
You wouldn’t be here if you
didn’t love to fly and you
weren’t good at it. But flying
on instincts is one thing;
having a true understanding
of the dynamics of flight and
your jet’s capabilities can help
you raise your piloting skills
to the next level. So hit the
books and don’t be afraid
to learn something new.

56

This section outlines the controls of your F/A-18 Hornet, both major and minor. It also covers the procedures for landing and takeoff, as well as the physics of flight. Finally, you’re given a bit of the history of the
Hornet and details on the action this multi-purpose jet has seen.

Flying Basics
The stick and throttle are the two main controls of your F/A-18. Once you understand the relationship
between them, you have mastered the basics of flight. Other controls include the rudder (generally used for
adjustments when landing and strafing), brakes, flaps (providing more lift at low speeds to aid landing) and
countermeasures (for decoying enemy missiles).

The Stick
The flightstick is used to control the movement of your aircraft. It allows you to bank your aircraft left and
right or pitch your aircraft up and down. You can use either a joystick or the keyboard for flying your F/A-18.
We recommend flying with the joystick. Later, when we refer to the stick, it is meant to represent your flight
control device of choice—whether that is the joystick or the keyboard. It is important that your joystick be
properly configured before flying your aircraft. See Configuring Joysticks and Other Game Controllers, on page
14, for complete details.
If you’re using the keyboard to fly, you must use the arrow keys. The W, Z, A and S keys function the same
as the pitch down, pitch up, bank left and bank right controls on the joystick. As long as you hold down a key,
you keep full pressure on that directional control. So if you press and hold down the A key, you keep rolling
left until you let go of the key or go into a spin. To execute a successful bank to the left, you need to roll left
and pull back on the stick by using the A and Z keys in combination. We’ll discuss this more in the section
on Turning.
If your plane is plummeting downward or is otherwise out of control, you can press the M key to automatically level the plane. This is, however, not a guaranteed fail-safe!

Turning
Flying an aircraft is much different than driving a car. When you spin the steering wheel left in a car, your car
goes left. However, when you push the stick in an aircraft to the left, the plane turns slightly but mostly spins
on its axis. To execute a hard turn, you need to bank to the left, then pull back on the stick. This gives the
aircraft the lift necessary to make the turn.
For example, you’re flying straight and level and want to turn to the left. First, keep your eye on the horizon
line. Next, push the flightstick to the left slightly, then pull back on the stick slightly. On this example, try to
keep the horizon in sight at all times. The harder you pull back on the stick, the tighter the turn and the greater
the G forces on your aircraft. However, pulling too hard on the stick to execute a turn can also cause your
engine to stall as airspeed is bled away. The F/A-18 turns best at around 450 knots; flying faster or slower
than that prevents your jet from turning as efficiently.

57

The Throttle
The = and - keys and the number keys on the top row of your keyboard control your throttle. Press = to
increase your engine’s revolutions per minute (RPM) or - to decrease your RPMs. Press the ` key to set
your throttle to 0%, 1 to set it to 30%, 2 for 60%, 3 for 70%, 4 for 80%, 5 for 90% or 6 to set the
throttle’s RPMs to 100% automatically. The S and D keys duplicate the function of the = and - keys
and are more convenient for players who like to keep their left hand stationary.
If you need to increase speed quickly, you can engage the afterburner for additional thrust by pressing the
A key or the j key. The afterburner produces a tremendous amount of thrust, but burns an incredible
amount of fuel.
ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Maverick! When shooting ground targets, watch your Flight Path Marker.
Many pilots crash because they fly too close to the ground without
leaving enough time to pull up. If you are so close to the ground that you
can’t see your Flight Path Marker, because it’s below the visible area
of your HUD, you should think about leveling out your flight.

Other Controls
The Rudder
The rudders on the F/A-18 are primarily used for low-speed, low-altitude maneuvers such as strafing ground
targets or corrections when landing your aircraft on a runway or carrier. They allow your aircraft to “slide” horizontally one direction or another without forcing you to bank and overcorrect. Rudders are most effective
when your aircraft is at a speed below 250 knots. To use the rudders, press < to rudder left and > to rudder right. You can also use rudder pedals if they have been properly configured for Windows.

Speed Brakes
Your speed brakes are primarily used in landing, when you might need to decrease your speed dramatically
in a short amount of time. Press B or D to activate your speed brakes; the BRAKE light on the
Instrument Panel illuminates. Be careful to watch your altitude indicator when applying the brakes. If you
reduce speed too quickly, you might not have enough lift to remain in the air. Press B or D again to
release the brakes and increase the throttle if you seem to be falling too rapidly.

Flaps
Flaps are used to give your plane increased lift, allowing you to coast for longer in the air with less thrust. They
are invaluable when landing or performing low altitude maneuvers such as strafing ground targets. Press F
to raise your flaps while you are cutting back on the throttle to slowly lower your jet. The FLAPS light goes
on when you raise your flaps and warns you if you do not lower them after takeoff. Leaving flaps up causes
them to become damaged at high speeds, at which point it becomes impossible to lower them. Landing at
a friendly airbase or carrier repairs them.

8. Flying

58

Gear
Your landing gear is essential to landing your jet. If you land your bird manually, you must lower your landing
gear using the G key at least several seconds before touchdown. Be certain that you have lowered your
throttle and reduced speed before activating your gear. When your gear is down, the GEAR light on the
instrument panel illuminates. Having your gear down increases drag and might make the plane slightly less
stable. Don’t forget to raise the gear again after takeoff. If you forget, a warning light will sound. You can set
the gear to be automatically retracted in the Configure menu. See Configuring Game Difficulty on page 15
for more information.
ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
One of the best ways to avoid enemy fire, Maverick, is to avoid being
seen. You can fly low near canyon walls and in mountainous regions as
cover from SAM sites and ground units. But don’t horse around
Maverick. That’s a million dollar plane you’re flying, and if you break
it, you’ve bought it!

Countermeasures
While they’re not technically part of the flying process, the F/A-18 has two types of anti-missile countermeasures: chaff and flares. Chaff and flares are dumped from the F/A-18 to fool or “spoof” incoming enemy
missiles. The most effective time to use chaff and flares is when a missile is within three miles of your aircraft. Using countermeasures while maneuvering hard produces the best results.
Chaff are small packets containing bits of foil that are designed to fool radar-guided enemy missiles. Dump
chaff by pressing C. You have 30 packets of chaff available per mission (unless Unlimited Ordnance has
been selected in the Configure screen).
Infrared flares are designed to draw heat-seeking missiles away from your aircraft. Drop flares by pressing the
V key. As with chaff, you have 30 flares you can drop each mission, unless you restock mid-mission. You
can press the Y key to release both chaff and flares at the same time. Use the zoomed-in mode of
the radar to track incoming missiles. When a missile is within .5 to 1 nautical miles, drop countermeasures to
(hopefully) “distract” the missile.
There is another way to avoid incoming missiles, but it’s a little trickier. This method is called “jinking,” and it
requires you to make somewhat hard and fast maneuvers just as an approaching missile is almost on top of
you. Using the zoomed-in range of the radar lets you better estimate when to “jink.”

59

Takeoff and Landing
Obviously, takeoff and landing are two of the
most important things you can do on a mission. If
you make a mistake in either area, your mission
(and possibly your life!) is immediately over.

Takeoff
Compared to landings, takeoffs are a breeze—
literally, but if you don’t follow the proper procedures, you could end up skipping like a stone
along the ocean or crashing in a messy ball of
fire at the end of the runway.

For carrier takeoffs, your F/A-18 is positioned at the front of the catapult, a device that literally throws a jet into
the air. Hit the z to launch your aircraft from the carrier. You are launched at 100% throttle, but you
want to check your altitude and airspeed after launching and be sure you are climbing at a good rate.
When you clear the carrier deck, press G and F to raise your landing gear and put your flaps down to
reduce drag and avoid damaging your flaps. Pull back on the stick to gain altitude. Keep an eye on the Pitch
Ladder on the HUD. Your angle should be between 15° and 25° for takeoff.
The major difference between an airfield takeoff and a carrier takeoff is that there is no catapult launch.
Once you are on the runway, engage the afterburner (A). Pull back on the stick once your airspeed is
approximately 140 knots, and you’ll climb into the air. You want to keep your pitch between 15° and 25°
until you reach a comfortable altitude. Don’t forget to raise your landing gear and flaps soon after takeoff.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
If you start to stall after takeoff, Maverick, don’t panic. First level your
flight out (press the M key). If your afterburners aren’t on, turn them on.
They may give you the extra lift you need to break out of the stall. If that
doesn’t work, turn your nose down to increase the lift and be ready to
pull up as soon as your Stall light blinks off.

8. Flying

60

Landing on Autopilot
The easiest way to perform a landing is with the autopilot.
¨

Fly to within ten miles of the friendly aircraft carrier or airfield.

¨

Line up with the landing strip — roughly.

¨

Decrease your speed and altitude and keep your pitch around 30º.

¨

Gradually level out and refine your heading as you approach the strip.

¨

About a mile from the runway, drop your speed below 250 knots.

¨

Lower your landing gear and raise your flaps.

¨

Keep it flying level and aligned with the runway.

¨

When your ILS light starts flashing, press I to bring your ILS online.

If you are properly lined up, your ILS takes over and you are safely brought down to the ground. However, if
your HUD flashes TILT, something is wrong, and you will not automatically land. The most common reasons that the ILS fails to function are:
¨

You have not lowered your gear and raised your flaps.

¨

You are too close to or too far from the runway.

¨

You are coming in too steeply.

¨

You are rolled too far to one side and need to level your wings out.

¨

You are coming in too fast.

¨

Your flight path does not line up exactly with the runway.

You can attempt to make minor corrections immediately. However, if you are within a quarter mile of the
landing zone and you still are getting a TILT error when you try to engage your ILS, you need to pull up, swing
around and try your approach again.

Landing Manually
Manual landing is considerably more difficult than using the ILS, especially on an aircraft carrier. The required
degree of control is higher and the room for error much smaller. Fighter pilots refer to a carrier landing as “a
controlled crash,” since you hit the deck at relatively high speeds. There are three aspects to landing: orientation, approach and execution. We will discuss a carrier landing, but the theory holds true for runway
landings as well, although you have more room to slow down on an airfield and you don’t have to worry about
catching the arrestor cables. It is highly recommended that you switch to the HUD Only view when attempting a manual landing. It provides the best view of the ground.

61

Orientation
A successful carrier landing begins with the approach. Toggle your MFD with the T key until the Waypoints
Display appears. Cycle your waypoints with the W key until the blue landing zone you wish to land at is
selected. Align your Waypoint Marker so that it appears in the center of the Heading Scale and keep an eye
on the range, which is given in the Waypoints Display. You should be at least 10 miles away from the carrier
before beginning your approach.

Approach
At 10 miles out, drop your throttle to 100% RPM and lower your altitude to 1,000 feet. Always be sure to
follow the Waypoint Marker on the Heading Scale. You will be able to see the carrier when you get within
eight miles. When you reach five miles out, drop altitude to 500 feet and reduce throttle to 60%. Your airspeed
should be around 300 knots. Keep following the Waypoint Marker. At three miles, be sure your speed is
below 250 knots and press G to lower your landing gear. Then lower the throttle to 50%.

Execution
Two miles out, begin to monitor your airspeed and altitude. You need to lower your speed and altitude very
gradually, or you’ll drop out of the sky like a rock and crash. To reduce speed, apply the brakes ( B ). To
increase lift, thus slowing your drop in altitude, put the flaps up. To make small adjustments to the left and
right, use the rudder pedals ( < and >). Touch down on the first third of the carrier runway, and the
arrestor cables will stop your forward motion.

Theory of Flight
An understanding of the mechanics of flight is invaluable during combat. This knowledge can help you predict what enemy aircraft will do and what maneuvers your own plane can accomplish. So how does a several
ton mass of titanium and steel fly through the air? Four basic forces govern the movement of any object through
air. Two of them, thrust and lift, permit a plane to fly against the other two, drag and gravity, that resist the plane’s
movement through air. There are other forces at work, and the details vary from situation to situation, but essentially, you need enough thrust to push air over the wings at a rate which generates sufficient lift to keep the
plane in the air despite drag and the pull of gravity. This is explained in greater detail below.

8. Flying

62

Lift
When a plane moves through the air, the air must pass over, under or around the wing. Because a wing
bulges upwards slightly, air traveling over the wing moves faster than air traveling under the wing. Slower air
generates more pressure. Since the air under the wing is traveling slower, the pressure pushing up against
the underside of the wing is greater than the pressure pushing down on top of the wing. Thus, lift is created.
To maintain level flight, a plane must generate lift exactly equal to its weight. If the lift is greater by a single pound
of pressure than the plane weight, then the plane changes altitude. If the lift is less, the plane begins to sink.

Thrust
Thrust is the forward force of the plane. Created by the engines, this force pushes the plane forward, causing stationary air to flow across the wings, which induces lift. Lift, then, makes the plane stay in the air. The
F/A-18 Hornet’s two GE engines can produce an enormous amount of thrust at full afterburner. At an altitude
of 20,000 feet or above, the Hornet is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 1000 knots.

Drag
Air has mass and takes up space. Your plane moving through air is subject to the same basic forces that resist
you pushing your hand through water. When the plane moves forward through air, the air must be forced
above, below and around the plane. The force that resists the movement of air around the plane opposes
thrust, the work of the engines. Drag, as the resistance is called, is not a function of weight. It is directly
affected by how much space the forward cross section of the plane takes and by the shape of the plane. If a
plane were shaped like a loaf of bread or had an irregular, bumpy surface, it would have a lot of drag. Also,
it is easier to push your hand through the water leading with your fingers than with your palm. Likewise, if a
plane raises or lowers its nose too far from the horizontal plane, its cross section becomes larger, thus increasing drag. As a consequence of drag, plane designers spend a great deal of time working on the shape of
the plane, making it sleeker so that it cuts a smaller profile through the air.

Gravity
We all know what gravity is. We experience it every day. Gravity is the force of attraction between all objects
on Earth and the Earth itself. Every object accelerates towards the center of the Earth at a rate of 32 feet per
second—unless a counterbalancing, lifting force is present. Eventually, gravity always wins, but planes can
cheat it for a while.

Stalling
There are a number of ways in which a plane can stop flying in a consistent manner, but the most common
and important to this game is a stall. In technical terms, a stall indicates that the airflow over the top of the
wing no longer follows the entire shape of the wing. Air is collecting in a pocket in front of the back edge of
the wing. Thus, the downward resistance of the wing to the lifting force is unsteady. Think of the lift as your
finger pushing down on a jiggling waterbed. Sometimes, you can push straight down and sometimes your finger gets pushed laterally. When this jiggling of the air forces happens to a plane, the pilot no longer has
precise control of its flight. This is called a stall.

63

Normal Air Flow

Separated Air Flow

Stalls happen in a number of situations—any time that the aircraft doesn’t have enough lift to sustain it.
Particularly aggressive maneuvers can lead to stalls. They are most common right after takeoff or right
before landing, because the plane is flying so slowly that the airflow balance above and below the wings is
very delicate. To recover from a stall, point the nose of the plane downward and allow the force of gravity to
stabilize the airflow. In a combat situation, however, you may not have the opportunity to dive and recover,
so be careful.
Be extra careful during takeoffs and landings, because you don’t have much altitude to use to regain control. When you take off, tilt your nose up a few degrees above the horizon and hold that line until you reach
2,000 feet. If you lift your plane off the runway at a high angle, you will stall.

G Forces
G force is the amount of inertia applied to an object at a given moment, on a scale based on the force of gravity. To be thorough, inertia is the force that resists a moving object changing direction. Notice that it takes
more time and space to turn a car at higher speeds and that you can feel a force pulling your body in the
direction in which you were initially traveling. That is inertia at work.
Your body is affected by 1G (“one gee”) when you’re standing still. While flying a combat jet, a pilot’s body
can be subjected to G forces up to eight times that of gravity when the pilot makes a very aggressive turn.
Imagine the weight of your head. Now, imagine it weighs eight times as much. Now, imagine that you have
to turn and find enemy planes, turn back to monitor your instruments and move a delicate flightstick back and
forth, back and forth. That is combat flying, and that is hard work.

8. Flying

64

Positive Gs
Planes are designed to withstand a great amount of G force stress. Pilots are not. Whenever a pilot pulls
back on the flight stick, he is “loading” positive Gs to the plane and himself. Positive forces force the pilot back
into his seat and effectively make the body weigh more. In positive-G environments, blood gets forced from
the head to the feet. Too much blood loss to the brain causes oxygen deprivation and, in turn, blackouts.
Flight suits limit the effect of G-loading on the pilot. Inflatable bags of air in the flight suit keep the blood
from moving around too much. As the Gs climb, the flight suit naturally constricts around the pilot, which
inhibits the flow of blood to the extremities. Forcing blood towards the middle of the body will keep more of
it in the pilot’s head. If Blackouts/Redouts is set to On in the Difficulty menu, the screen begins to go black
when you overload on Gs. Release the stick to counteract these blackouts. Gravitational loads over eight times
the force of gravity (8Gs) are considered dangerous. Keep it this side of eight to keep on flying.

Negative Gs
Negative Gs work in a manner opposite to positive Gs; negative Gs are caused by pushing the stick forward, which lifts the pilot off the seat. This is affectionately known as “hanging in the straps.”
The inertial forces caused by pushing the stick forward drive the blood flow in the opposite direction, so the
pilot experiences too much blood in the head. In the pilot’s eyes, blood vessels swell and sometimes burst—
a “redout” effect to the vision. Severe negative G loading, over -3Gs, can induce redout and even temporary
blindness. In situations in which you would load negative Gs, roll inverted and then perform the turn. This
maneuver loads positive Gs, which you can handle better.

65

About the F/A-18 Hornet

The F/A-18C Hornet is a single-seater, twin-engined strike fighter flown by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It
was designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes, using a wide variety of modern weaponry. Its ability
to perform combat duties of all types allows military tacticians unprecedented freedom in mission planning.
The prototype Hornet, the YF-17, competed in the Light Weight Fighter (LWF) program, a research exercise
begun in 1972 to test the viability of cheaper, lighter and more agile fighter designs. The program was
upgraded to the Air Combat Fighter program, an actual development program, when military expansion in the
Eastern bloc countries demanded a new generation of fighter aircraft. After extensive competitive trials in
1974, the Navy chose the YF-17, and with further development, the YF- 17 became the F/A-18 Hornet.
The F/A-18 was designed to be both reliable and easily maintainable — constantly prepared for duty on land
and at sea — and in the field has a record for excellent availability. Since its introduction, the Hornet has
been constantly upgraded. It now boasts advanced self-defense capabilities and carries a variety of air-toair missiles. An impressive payload of air-to-ground weapons can be carried on the centerline, inboard or
outboard stations, and the F/A-18s provided for the Hornet’s Nest Special Task Force have access to the
latest military weapons technology.
ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
The Hornet was made to transition smoothly between air and ground
objectives, Maverick. Change your weapons mode to air-to-ground with
the t key when you near a target, and use the missiles and bombs that
were designed for ground assault. After you’ve dropped your bombs,
quickly switch back to air-to-air, if there are bogeys in the area.

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66

The Hornet first flew on November 18, 1978. In 1983, it began operational service, replacing the A-7 lightattack jet and the F-4 Phantom II fighter. Today, the United States has nearly 850 Hornets and more than
1,180 F/A-18s have been delivered worldwide. The Hornet’s first official combat action was in Libya in
1986, flying combat air patrol missions. Hornets also knocked out a Libyan SAM site. During Operation
Desert Storm in 1990–1991, more than 200 Hornets flew continuous missions in support of the liberation of
Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. A skirmish between two F/A-18s and two Iraqi MiG-21s on January 17, 1991,
demonstrated the Hornet’s ability to convert rapidly between fighter and ground attack modes. The F/A-18s
were fully loaded for a bombing run when they encountered the MiGs. The Hornet pilots switched to fighter
mode and shot down the Iraqis. They then immediately reverted to ground attack mode, hit their assigned targets and returned safely to their carrier.
Hornets saw action again in the Persian Gulf region as part of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the nofly zone in Iraq. F/A-18s flew combat air patrol and enemy air defense suppression over southern Iraq.
Hornets also supported U.S. relief efforts in Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope and have participated in several other military operations in recent years.

Lining the enemy up in your
boresight and watching that
missile lock flash on your HUD
is a rush like nothing else. Every
fighter pilot has their favorite
moves, but there are some
basics that have been working
since the first aces flew in
World War I, and they’re still
working now. If you think you
know everything there is to
know about combat, by all
means, ignore the advice in
this manual. It’s your funeral.

68

Air-to-Air Combat
The essence of one-on-one air combat maneuvering (ACM) is to get on the other guy’s tail without giving
him a chance to get on your tail. While the technology of modern missiles permits a pilot to score “kills” in many
other situations and positions, releasing a missile on an opponent’s “six” gives the missile the greatest probability of hitting its target without the target getting a chance to return fire. Although the technology has greatly
improved since the aces of World War I invented the game, the rules are still essentially the same.
First and foremost, surprise is the key to success. Since World War I, it’s estimated that 80 to 90 percent of
all air-to-air kills were recorded against pilots who never saw their attackers. With the Hornet’s long-range
radar, it often has an advantage in this area. Assaulted by the ultra-long-range AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, a Hornet’s bandit may never know what hit him. The most vulnerable area for a surprise attack is the
six o’clock position—right behind the plane. Most single-seater planes have very poor visibility in this area, and
some planes have none at all! The Hornet’s cockpit is placed high on the aircraft for optimum visibility; don’t
forget to take advantage of this design feature.

Energy States
“Speed is life.” According to the Israeli Tactics Manual, a pilot should equate his rate of travel with the likelihood that he’ll survive a close-quarters fight. However, this does not mean that the faster plane always wins,
because the faster plane is generally the less maneuverable plane, making it a ripe target for attack. While the
circumstances vary with the situation, generally you want to be at high subsonic speeds when closing to fight,
somewhere between 450 and 550 knots.
Speed is not the only factor in the overall energy state of a plane. A plane’s energy state is a combination of
movement and position. It is always measured relative to the energy state of another plane. So, all other
measurements being equal, a plane traveling at 600 knots has a higher energy state than a plane traveling
at 400 knots. Likewise, all other things being equal, a plane traveling at 20,000 feet has a higher energy
state than a plane at 3,000 feet, because the higher plane can convert higher position into speed by diving for
the other plane. Turns and climbs bleed energy from a plane, so a pilot must be aware of his current energy
state and the rate of change in his energy state. It may sound complicated now, but experienced pilots have
an intuitive feeling for how their energy compares with their opponents’ energy, and they constantly seek
ways to regain or extend the advantage.
Once engaged, a pilot must maintain the highest possible energy state; a slow target is a dead duck. During
a fight, a pilot can be forced to trade energy for better position. Heavy maneuvering quickly bleeds energy,
making a last-second missile dodge, well, your last second. So, in tactics, keep your moves simple and keep
an eye on your airspeed.

69

Pursuit angles
Dogfighting is as much a problem in physics as it is a challenge of dexterity, intuition and physical conditioning. Our discussion of the physics here is greatly simplified. The following sections give three basic ways of
pursuing a bandit in one-on-one combat: lead, lag and pure. Each method refers to the direction of the
attacker’s plane relative to the direction of the defender.

Lead
In a lead pursuit, an attacker is trying to “cut off” the defender. He is turning inside the defender’s turn. This
tactic is often used when the defender has a higher energy state (better speed or position) than the attacker.
For the attacker, this tactic is easy to control. To control a lead intercept, keep the defender’s plane stationary in the cockpit window. If the defender’s plane seems to climb towards the top of the canopy, you’re going
too fast. If the defender drifts down towards the nose of the plane, the attacker must throttle up. Sometimes,
though, the defending plane gets lost below the nose of the attacker’s plane. While you may get away with
it in some cases, making “blind” lead intercepts can result in the defender peeling off to break the engagement or, worse, a collision between the two planes.
If you as the defender have more energy than the attacker, break off the turn and accelerate away. If you’re
much slower, try to perform a quick turn to engage the attacker immediately.

Lag
A lag pursuit is the opposite of a lead pursuit and is also generally used when the attacking plane has a
greater energy state than the defending plane. In a lag, the attacker’s turn carries outside of the defender’s
turn. When the attacker may overshoot the defender, the attacker can enter a lag pursuit to maintain his
current energy and position outside the radius of the defender’s turn. The maneuver maintains the speed
advantage while keeping the attacker in the rear quarter of the defender’s plane.

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70

A lag has the added advantage of placing the attacker at a very dangerous position relative to the defender:
behind and below the plane, where the attacker is invisible. If the defender attempts to accelerate through the
turn, the attacker can match the acceleration without loading the same Gs as the defender. To start a lag
pursuit, aim the nose of your plane behind the tail of the defender. Hold this position until the turn is completed. Nose up and go for the shot.
To defend against a lag pursuer, try to change the attacker’s speed, turn and loaded Gs. A lag is a great
attacking position, but it is difficult to maintain the position. And when the attacker is dialed into the tail of
the defender, the attacker is very vulnerable to attack from a second plane.

Pure
A pure pursuer drives straight at the tail of the defender, following his every move. This move puts the attacker’s
plane in a very difficult position to see for the defender; the attacker’s profile is minimized from the defender’s
point of view. While a well-executed pure pursuit closes the distance between defender and attacker, it does
not, in itself, create a better opportunity down the line. The pure pursuit is a good tactic if you’re loaded with
heat-seekers, but it’s bad for radar-guided homing missiles, like the Sparrow, which must be illuminated all
the way to target. In close quarters, the radar might lose track of the defender because of his vigorous efforts
to break the pursuit. To execute a pure pursuit, get on your opponent’s tail and hang on.
One defense against the pure pursuit is to put the brakes on—the Maverick move that may cause the attacker
to overshoot your plane. However, it might just make the final shot even easier.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Maverick, when you’re up against heavily armored ground targets, try
coming in at different and unexpected angles. Be sure to cut your
throttle to give yourself extra time to adjust your aim, and aim low at
the base of ground targets to increase your firing accuracy.

Multiple Opponents
As soon as the tactical encounter deviates from a one-on-one scenario, the tactics become much more complicated. 1-vs.-2, 1-vs.-many, 2-vs.-1, 3-vs.-3: each of these combinations has a different set of tactics.
Discussing them all here would be too lengthy, but the Fighting with a Wingman section, starting on page
72, explains some basics of air combat in teams.

71

Air-to-Ground Combat
There are basically four methods of attack when assaulting ground targets: strafing, dropping bombs on them,
firing guided missiles at them and firing missiles through the gunsight at them. Each of these methods is
discussed in detail below.

Strafing
Strafing is the fine art of flying low enough to the ground to target buildings and vehicles in your sights
without being shot down by enemy missile and gunfire. Choose a heading that allows you to come up from
behind the vehicles whenever possible, to avoid being met by heavy fire, and one which also allows you to
find the greatest number of targets in your gunsights as you make your run. Center your targets in the target reticle and press the z repeatedly to fire several rounds of ammunition at your targets, then
bank up and away from enemy retaliatory fire.

Bombs
Your Hornet can be equipped with a variety of bombs, which can be dropped from a safe altitude onto unsuspecting enemy forces below. When you ready a bomb by cycling through your ordnance with the X key
(be sure the air-to-ground ordnance is selected by pressing t ), a line descends from the bottom of your
HUD’s Targeting Reticle to the ground. This is the projected area of impact for the selected bomb. Unless you
are flying very low to the ground, you generally cannot see the bottom of the line from the normal Cockpit
view. Cycle through the Standard Views to the HUD Only view by pressing the 8 key. You should now be
able to see the point of impact for your bombs. When the line runs over your target, press the C key
to drop the bomb.

Guided Missiles
In addition to the bombs, the F/A-18 also has available two types of air-to-ground missiles: Mavericks and
HARMs. The Maverick can achieve locks on ground vehicles, and using it is very simple. Select one of these
missiles with the X key, then make the desired vehicle the target by pressing N when the target is in your
gunsights or Z to cycle through the available targets. When your missile guidance system achieves a lock on
the chosen target, the SHOOT message appears on the HUD. Press the C key to fire the missiles.
Note that Mavericks can never achieve a lock on buildings or installations; they must be fired as a boresight
missile for those targets. HARMs can lock on to SAM sites and Radar Jamming Sites or can be fired as boresight missiles.

Boresight Missiles
Lastly, you can launch air-to-air missiles at ground targets or discharge your air-to-ground missiles before you
achieve a lock by firing the missiles through the gunsight. To do this, select the desired missile, line the chosen target up in your sights, press s and the C key and hope your eye was good. The missiles will
head for whatever point was centered in the targeting reticle at the time of launch. With the exception of the
HARM, buildings and installations can only be hit by missiles that are launched in this manner.

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72

Fighting with a Wingman
As a member of a team, you will occasionally be paired up with a wingman. In the Navy, a two-plane group
is called a “section.” The roles in a section are divided between the “flight leader,” the pilot in charge, and
his “wingman.” The flight leader is primarily responsible for forward navigation and engaging the enemy. The
wingman must support the leader’s position by defending his tail from a surprise attack. Who defends the
tail of the wingman? Some formations offer reasonable protection of the wingman’s tail, but, as the saying
goes, it is better to lead than to follow, because the formation is the flight leader’s call.
Pressing 7 orders your wingman to fire his weapons at the closest visible target. If your wingman is currently
engaged with a target, pressing 8 orders him to disengage and return to the ready formation. However if
your wingman is not in combat with a bogey, pressing 8 orders him to attack one if there are any in range.
You can also direct your wingman to perform the bracket maneuver. This basic tactic can be used against one
or two opponents—although someone better keep track of that second plane. The bracket maneuver
assumes that the opposing plane groups are flying straight for each other at the start, with the Hornets in a
roughly side-by-side formation.
When running a bracket, the wingman breaks
early and away to one side of the bandit to circle for a shot. The flight leader veers off in the
other direction, and between them they
attempt to pinch the defender. The wingman is
responsible for defending the flight lead’s position. You can order a wingman to perform a
bracket to the left or to the right by pressing the
9 and 0 keys, respectively. The wingman
veers in the indicated direction.

73

F/A-18 Hornet Weaponry
The F/A-18’s provided for the Hornet’s Nest Special Task Force are equipped with the latest in military
technology. In addition to its standard 20mm cannon, a variety of air-to-air and air-to ground missiles are
available, each with strengths and weaknesses which make it appropriate for different combat situations.

Cannon Ammunition
The 20mm Cannon is standard equipment on your aircraft and is used for close-quarters dogfighting. The
range and effectiveness of the Cannon depends a great deal on the ammunition type and target selection.

Rabbit
These shells don’t do much in the way of damage. They have a moderate range, effective to within approximately one mile, and the highest rate of fire of any ammunition, which makes it easier to hit other aircraft. If
you expect to go up against a number of lightly armored opponents, this is the shell type to pick. You have
enough ammo (1,800 rounds) to shoot at everything in existence. However, these light rounds won’t do much
more than sting more heavily protected targets.

20mm
These rounds, standard for the Cannon, have a slower firing rate than the Rabbit and are in far less generous supply (600 rounds), but they pack a considerably greater punch. They have the longest range of all
the Cannon shells, almost two miles, and they are very useful for strafing ground units (you can easily kill most
vehicles in one pass), as well as for shooting up buildings or structures.

Bull
This is a moderate range shell, far slower and much heavier than Rabbit shells and a bit stronger than the
20mm rounds. They have only a limited ammo supply (400 rounds), but they are very useful for quickly taking out heavily armored ground targets, such as ships and installations.

Explosive
Explosive rounds do the most damage of all ammunition, but have the least ammo (300 rounds) and a limited range, less than a mile. They are less than effective against other high-speed aircraft; the low firing rate
makes it feasible for the fast and lucky pilots to slip through a stream of bullets without getting hit, or only getting shot once or twice. However, it kills helicopters easily and is extremely useful against virtually all other
targets. These shells are best saved for missions with hard to destroy objectives; a good tactic is to use
them in tandem with missile fire to eliminate the target as quickly as possible.

9. Combat

74

Air-to-Air Ordnance
Air-to-air ordnance consists of various guided missiles, which can be a deadly tool against other aircraft. With
their long ranges and lock-on capability, all you have to do to knock a bogey out of the air is see them and fire.
However, missiles can be fooled with countermeasures, and their effectiveness greatly varies depending on
ordnance type. Keep in mind that these missiles can also be used against ground units, which are almost
totally unable to avoid missiles of any type. Also, missiles that are fired through the boresight can be very useful for taking out large objectives (buildings, missile launchers, etc.) at extreme range without the risk of flying
into enemy defenses.

Dart
This heat-seeking missile doesn’t have great range (only five miles)
and isn’t terribly accurate, but you can carry a great many of them
at one time. Pick these for missions when you anticipate having a
lot of small stuff to blow up. Enemy helicopters make fine targets for
the Dart.

Wolf
This short-range radar-guided missile is larger than the Dart. It is
also faster and more powerful, but comes in a more limited supply.

Sparrow
This extremely long-range missile has a working range of thirty
miles. It is good for hitting distant targets, but because it relies on
the Hornet’s radar it isn’t as accurate or nearly as hard-hitting as
the AIM-120.

75

Sidewinder
A medium range heat-seeking missile that moves incredibly fast. It
can drop targets eight or nine miles away and is incredibly maneuverable. Nicknamed the “Silver Bullet” by air crews, the Sidewinder
is one of the most successful missiles ever.

AIM-120
An extremely long range radar-guided missile. It has an effective
range of forty miles, is highly accurate, travels at very high speeds
and packs an amazing punch. However, since supplies of this type
of missile are limited, it’s best to save them for destroying dangerous opponents before they realize you’re even there.

Starflower
A medium range heat-seeking missile that splits, when nearing a
target, into a set of “baby missiles” that go in all directions and
explode. It can be very useful if you have a group of enemies in a
small area; think of it as an aerial cluster bomb.

Air-to-Ground Ordnance
Air-to-ground ordnance consists of a variety of guided missiles and free-fall bombs. All of these weapons
deliver a devastating amount of damage, allowing you to wreak havoc on ground forces.

HARM
The High speed Anti-Radiation Missile specializes in locking-on
and taking out radar systems and SAM sites. It cannot lock on to
ground vehicles and has an effective range of ten miles. It can be
used as a boresight missile (press s and fire the missile),
against vehicles and other ground targets.

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76

Maverick
A medium range heat-seeking air-to-ground missile that packs
more punch than a HARM missile and is somewhat more accurate.
They do quite a bit of damage and are good against moving targets
such as ships and vehicles.

Sunburst Cluster Bomb
This is a free-falling, surface version of the Starflower missile. When
fired, the bomb breaks into several pieces, impacting around its targeting point in a wide area. It’s good for clearing out large,
concentrated groups of ground units.

GBU-15 Glide Bomb
This is a TV-guided, free-falling bomb that deals out a tremendous
force in a small area. The GBU-15 is good against tough individual
buildings or concentrated ground forces.

Paveway Glide Bomb
The laser-guided free-falling Paveway Glide Bomb affects a more
dispersed area than the GBU-15, but doesn’t have quite the same
armor piercing power. The Paveway is good against groups of average (not hardened) buildings and more spread-out groups of
ground units.

77

Napalm Tank
This free-falling bomb doesn’t have the same incredible damage
potential as some of the others, but the blast area of a Napalm Tank
covers a wider area.

Possible Enemy Targets
Other Aircraft
Both your team and the enemy possess numerous aircraft, which you might encounter during various missions.

F/A-18
The multi-purpose Hornet serves in the military forces of several
nations.

F/A-18 Fury
This hopped-up version of the Hornet has more armor and more
speed than standard models. That’s a deadly combination; watch
yourself if you have to mix it up in the air with these prototypes, and
be grateful if you have them on your side.

MiG-29
Similar to the F/A-18, the MiG-29 was designed for counter-air
and attack missions. It’s incredibly fast and agile and carries a full
complement of anti-air and anti-ground missiles, along with
several types of bombs. With a good pilot at the helm, this bird is a
worthy adversary.

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78

F-7
A cobbled-together fighter jet, produced from MiG-21s and spare
parts by the Chinese and shipped all over the world. Don’t underestimate this hunk of junk, though. While it’s not as maneuverable
as the MiG-29, its top speed is over Mach 2, and it can be
equipped with nasty anti-air missiles.

Su-25
The Su-25 can withstand heavy punishment over the battlefield. It
was designed to fly low to support ground forces and destroy
opposing ground forces. While its heavy air-to-ground armaments
make it more of a threat to ground units under your protection,
the Su-25 is certainly nothing to take lightly. It can be a pain in the
butt to knock out of the sky, with its fast loading cannons peppering you the whole time.

B-52
After more than 40 years of service, the B-52 is still flying for the
United States. While it’s well shielded by a power tail turret cannon,
nevertheless, this old mother has to be well protected. Enemy forces
will attempt to shoot it down quickly, before it dumps its huge complement of cluster bombs on their forces and ground installations.

Yak-38
A Russian fighter-bomber, capable of vertical takeoff and landing, it
is primarily deployed from small aircraft carriers. Similar to the Harrier,
this jet holds a variety of deadly air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance
and is equally effective against you and your ground forces.

79

KA-50
The KA-50 Hokum is the latest combat helicopter of the Russian
armed forces. Special cockpit protection and high maneuverability
make it deadly in a firefight. It only seats one person, so there’s
more room to pack in the artillery, mostly anti-air missiles. Take
this helo out quickly, before it takes you out!

Mi-28
The Mi-28 Commanche is a two-seater combat helicopter, heavily
armored to withstand normal ammunition strikes. It’s not especially fast in the air, but its rapid firing ordnance more than makes
up the lack of airspeed.

Other Forces
Both enemies and allies use tanks, ships and other surface vehicles to further their causes.

Ground Units
T-52 and T-72
Small but powerful, light tanks make their way across the landscape,
engaging with opposing ground forces and targeting their bases.
Be wary when making a strike on a T-52, as these vehicles have
extremely long-range cannons. The larger T-72 tanks can withstand more damage than their smaller counterparts, and they carry
heavier artillery. Be careful about closing on these armored monsters. Their cannons can cause you significant damage.

SA-9 Mobile SAM Launcher and SA-X Missile Launcher
Two varieties of mobile SAM launchers carry different types of
missiles. Their goal is to pick jets and helicopters out of the skies.
The SA-9 is the more deadly of the two. It fires better missiles with
more frequency.

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80

Supply Truck
Supply trucks make deliveries to bases and other structures. By
destroying enemy trucks you can weaken their forces. Supply
trucks are unarmed and relatively easy to annihilate.

Sea Forces
Aircraft Carrier
Home, sweet home… a lot of the time, you can land on allied aircraft carriers to refuel and rearm. They aren’t really equipped to
be attack vessels, but watch for anti-aircraft missiles if you are in
close proximity to an enemy carrier.

Destroyer
These large vessels are difficult to take out and carry a variety of
anti-air missiles and artillery.

Sea Cruiser
Navy ships meant for crossing the seas to take on other nautical
forces and attack enemy harbors. The Chinese have a faster, better armored version of this vessel, but both are heavily armed, easily
able to take out a careless Hornet pilot.

Being a great combat pilot
doesn’t necessarily make you a
great member of Hornet’s Nest.
Your task force can be called
into duty at any time, and the
most valuable members of the
team spend as much time with
the books and the charts as they
do up in the air. A general familiarity with possible theaters of
operation, their terrain, their
military forces, their primary
installations and their leaders
can help you make the right
decisions in the heat of battle.
Don’t go daydreaming during
your briefing meetings, either!
They provide last-minute details
that can be crucial to the
success of your mission.

82

Campaign 1: Siberia

Campaign Description
The Cold War is over, but a chilling reminder remains active in snowbound Siberia. A former Soviet general
and his private army have secured a section of this northern wasteland. Reports from surrounding areas
indicate that a General Martikov intends to attempt a military takeover of the Russian government. The
Russians have called upon U.S. forces to help them defeat the General’s army.

Aircraft and Allies
Standard F/A-18 Hornets are your assigned aircraft for this campaign. You will be joined in your attack by light
and heavy tanks, helicopters and an allied fleet, including the U.S.S. Nimitz.

Enemies
You are likely to face MiG-29s, Su-25s, Yak-38s and KA-50 Hokum helicopters in the air, while tanks and
other vehicles defend the ground. Several Sea Cruisers are under the General’s command and control the
entrances to enemy-held harbors.

ADVICE FROM LIEUTENANT LODGE:
Hey Maverick, your first mission for Hornet’s Nest is really a piece of cake.
If you’re having trouble though, keep a couple things in mind: you want to
get to the battle zone as quickly as possible and you want to focus on
destroying those ships above all else once you get there. A couple missiles
each should do the trick.

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Campaign 2: Iraq

Campaign Description
Saddam Hussein is missing and presumed dead. Classified intelligence reports suggest that a militant religious faction, the Ba’al Kistan, has killed him and seized control of the Iraqi government. The Kistan are
stepping up Iraq’s chemical warfare program and, most importantly, are continuing work on an HVMA
Ballistic Delivery System. This project, essentially an enormous gun capable of delivering shells (nuclear,
conventional or biological) to almost anywhere in Western Europe, was brought to a halt several years ago
by intense NATO pressure. The Kistan will show their strength to the world with a sweeping wave of destructive holy fire.
It appears that General Martikov may have sold advanced Russian military technology to Iraq to finance his
coup attempt, which has the U.S. and other NATO leaders worried. A preemptive strike at Iraq has been
planned to stop these militant fanatics before they can finish their weapon of mass destruction. Iran has
voiced stiff protest to this “unprovoked” attack on their neighbor and, while remaining neutral, has threatened
to shoot down any aircraft that invade Iranian airspace.

Aircraft and Allies
F/A-18 Hornets will be supporting a massive ground force, mostly consisting of tank platoons and motorized infantry. The U.S. has not made any formal decrees towards Iraq; thus Hornet’s Nest and the Nimitz will
find themselves lightly defended in the Gulf.

Enemies
You are likely to face a wide range of enemy aircraft, including MiG-29s, Su-25s, F-7s and both KA-50 Hokum
and Mi-28 helicopters. Tanks, lines of supply trucks and mobile SAM launchers defend Iraq.

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84

Campaign 3: Colombia

Campaign Description
Terrorists have blown up the Panama Canal! The most likely suspect is the CGSB, a coalition of several terrorist groups. They are supported by the Cali drug cartel. Several high-ranking politicians and military leaders
in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Panama and Colombia are believed to be CGSB members. After the mysterious disappearance of some non-allied Colombian politicians, the Colombian government pronounced public support
for the CGSB and has ordered all U.S. citizens and diplomats to leave the country.
Intelligence reports suggest that the CGSB has been methodically and covertly increasing the size of their
forces. Cuban and Chinese collaboration is suspected, potentially giving the CGSB access to modern fighter
jets, missiles and information on American military weaknesses. The U.S. government has sent the Hornet’s
Nest to the area, in case this terrorist group tries to take further action.

Aircraft and Allies
The U.S. is fully prepared to defend their Central American interests. Your F/A-18 Hornets and the Nimitz
will be joined by heavy tanks, a Destroyer and Sea Cruisers.

Enemies
With their considerable backing, the CGSB has access to a variety of modern aircraft, including F-7s and both
Mi-28 and Ka-50 helicopters. Despite the mountainous terrain, tanks and other mobile artillery pose a
threat, and enemy Sea Cruisers command the coastal waters.

CHAPTER 11: REFERENCE

86

GLOSSARY
Afterburner – Thrust above normal military power, achieved by spraying fuel onto an already burning mixture of fuel and air.
Airspeed – The velocity of the aircraft relative to the surrounding air.
Angle of Attack (AOA) – Angle of the wing to the flight path of the aircraft; determines the amount of wing
lift at a given airspeed.
Arresting gear – The four cables stretched perpendicular to the carrier deck. A pilot must catch his tailhook
on one of these cables to stop or “trap” his plane, the third one being optimal.
Bandit – An aircraft that has been positively identified as an enemy.
Bingo – Radio call for the fuel state at which a pilot must return to the carrier.
Blast door – A heavy door elevated from the flight deck to absorb the heat of a plane’s engines prior to a
catapult launch.
Bogey – An unidentified aircraft.
Callsign – A codename for a fighter pilot. “Maverick” and “Falcon” are examples of callsigns.
Catapult – Also called the “cat.” A steam piston embedded in the deck of the carrier. The catapult literally
throws planes off the carrier.
Chaff – Tiny strips of metal that are released by airplanes to foil enemy radar. The radar homes in on the chaff
instead of the aircraft. A defense against radar-guided missile attacks.
CIWS – Pronounced, “Sea-Whiz,” it’s the Phalanx Gatling gun on ships that shoots depleted uranium bullets at targets at very close range.
Deck – 1) Takeoff and landing surface of an aircraft carrier, short for “flight deck.” 2) An altitude that can’t
be broken; the lowest allowable altitude; short for “hard deck.”
Drag – Air resistance to the movement of the plane.
Flare – Hot phosphorous flares released by an aircraft which are targeted by a heat-seeking missile. The missile might home in on the flare instead of the aircraft’s engines.
Fox One! – Radio call when an AIM-7 Sparrow missile is launched.
Fox Two! – Radio call when an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile is launched.
G – Gravitational force. The inertial force being applied to the pilot and his plane.

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Hook – Short for “tailhook;” an aircraft lowers its tailhook for a carrier landing, catching one of the
arresting cables.
HUD – Head-Up Display. A transparent projection of important data such as heading, air speed and
altitude onto the forward windscreen in the cockpit.
IFF – Identify Friend or Foe. An automated electronic system for determining the nationality of an
unidentified plane.
ILS – Instrument Landing System. An electronic system to assist pilots in landing in poor conditions.
Ingress – The flight route to the target. The flight route from the target is the “egress.”
Jink – A defensive maneuver against gun and missile attacks in which the pilot jiggles his flightstick back and
forth through a series of high-G turns to shake off the attacker.
Knot – Nautical miles (6,076 feet) per hour.
Mach – Measurement unit equal to the speed of sound at sea level.
MiG – Mikoyan/Gurevich. A Soviet aircraft manufacturer.
Military power – Full throttle; throttle at maximum setting without using afterburner.
RTB – Short for “Return to base” where “base” means the origin of the flight, including an aircraft carrier.
SAM – Surface-to-Air Missile.
Six o’clock – The zone directly behind a plane. The rear.
Split-S – An air combat maneuver in which a pilot rolls his plane inverted through a turn.
Spoof – Slang term for “fooling” an enemy missile with flares or chaff.
Strafe – To fire the machine gun at a target by laying a line of bullets across it.
Strike – A bombing mission or target.
Strike group – A flight of planes assigned to bombing a target.
Tally – Radio chatter to indicate that an enemy plane has been visually identified
Waypoint – Locations computed by the onboard navigational computer that provide a mission route.
Winchester – Radio call for being out of missiles. A pilot will say, “I’m winchester.”
Yak – Short for Yakolev, a Soviet aircraft design bureau. In the game, the only Yak is the Yak-38.

11. Reference

88

CREDITS
Zipper Interactive
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Heinen, Gary Hinger, Jason Hurdlow, Mike Horn, David Blevins
Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jay Banchero, Victor Von Beck andy Fuller
Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Dociu
Game Design . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Mazurek
Video Screenplay . . . . . . . . . Paul Mazurek, Mark Day
Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . Brian Soderberg
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Bosler
Additional Software . . . . . . . Bob Gutmann
Additional Art . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Sternberg, David Kern, Russ Phillips
Special thanks to: . . . . . . . . . George Sinfield for initial design, The Zipper GameZ engine team

Daylight Productions, Inc.
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark W. Day
Line Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Ann Fabian
Directed By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark W. Day & Mary Ann Fabian
Director of Photography . . . Martin Unversaw
Gaffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke Seerveld
Bestboy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Mitchell
3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miles Anderson
Teleprompter . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeni Day
Video Technician . . . . . . . . . Steve Albrecht
Wardrobe & Props . . . . . . . . Joanna Edmonds
Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joanna Edmonds
Makeup Assistant . . . . . . . . . Karen Sambonin
Production Coordinator . . . . Donna Bisbiglia
Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Pierce
Craft Services . . . . . . . . . . . . Tara Cooper

Cast:
Hondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Tolkan
Captain Moran . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Ford
Lt. Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena-Melanie Fabri
Ricardo Perez . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcos Gutierrez
Iraqi Protestors . . . . . . . . . . . Yawar Charlie, Shahzad Saghafi, David Cowan
Pilots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chip Wasson, Scott Owens Ligget, Chris Mickelson, Todd Cahoon, Darren Tong,
Milo Young, Jud Parker, Anthony Snow, Eric Flom
Special Thanks to: . . . . . . . . Tony Ruffo at PVR, San Francisco, Robert Burke Sound Studio

89

Paramount Pictures/Viacom Consumer Products
V.P. Merchandising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzie Domnick
Manager, Interactive Product Development . . . . . Juliet Dutton
Supervisor, Interactive Product Development . . . . Harry Lang

MicroProse Inc.
Music and Sound Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Mogg
Additional Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steven Scherer
Video Sound Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. White

Voice-over Cast
Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lara Wheless
Lobo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry McGovern
Cruiser radio Operator1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ricardo Bruno
Cruiser radio Operator2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sears
Alpha Base Radio Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erol Otus
Tower Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. White
Nimitz Radio Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Mogg
Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erol Otus
Martikov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As Himself
Nimitz LSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Micheal Mancuso
Female Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Someone Special
Special Thanks to: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tonry Talent, San Francisco, California, Stars Agency,
San Francisco, California Pajama Recording Studios,
Oakland, California,
Director of 3rd Party Development . . . . . . . . . . . . Rob Sears
Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Blankenship plus supporting cast
Associate Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stan Yee
Lead Q.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steven Head
Q.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arnold Feener, Anthony Johnson, Nels Nelson,
David Kimber, Randy Lee, Bill Schmidt, Ken Schmidt
Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Nichols
P.R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Sanguinetti
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anathea Lopez

11. Reference

90

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Troubleshooting
If you experience technical difficulties installing, starting or playing Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest, first check to see
that your system meets the minimum system requirements and that you have properly followed the instructions for Installing and Starting the Game in the sections beginning on page 3. If you are still having trouble,
consult the README.TXT file located in your game directory. This contains Troubleshooting Information that
may aid you. If problems persist, please contact Customer Support for further assistance.

DirectX 6
Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest utilizes DirectX 6 to power some of its game functions. However, DirectX 6 is not yet
certified as compatible for all hardware. If you are having problems, you may want to use the Dxdiag tool
found in the Program Files\DirectX folder. Open this file and select the tab marked DirectX Drivers to
see whether or not your specific hardware components are certified. If they are not certified, either download
the newest version of DirectX 6 from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/directx/download.asp or contact your hardware manufacturer for the newest drivers.

Throttle Keys
If your throttle keys are not working, this is because Top Gun: Hornet’s Nest has detected that your joystick
has its own throttle control. You can reconfigure your throttle to be controlled by the keyboard from the
Configure Controls Screen described on page 18.

91

HASBRO INTERACTIVE’S WEB SITES
Hasbro Interactive has exciting, full and active web sites dedicated to ensure you get the most out of your
new games. You can visit us at:
http://www.hasbro-interactive.com
Visit and you will discover that Hasbro Interactive web sites contain:
• Technical Support
• Hints and Tips
• Player Contact Information
• Software Upgrades
• Demos
• Interaction
• Interviews
• Competitions
• Player Pyramids
• Chat and Community
• Downloadable Themes
and much more.
We are constantly updating our web sites so stop by and visit us frequently. With events and new additions
planned, you won’t want to miss out.

11. Reference

92

TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have problems and require assistance you can contact our Technical Support Hotline:
Phone:

+44 (0) 1454 893900

Hours of operation:

0900-1730 GMT/BST, Monday to Friday

Fax:

+44 (0) 1454 894296

Note: Phoning this number costs the same as a standard rate call no matter where you call from in the
UK. If you do telephone the Technical Support line, if possible please be sitting in-front of your computer
and have a pen and paper at the ready. Before contacting our Technical Support Hotline, please try to
have the following information ready so that we may help you more efficiently:
The name of the game, the make & model of your computer, processor and speed, peripherals, graphics
card, version of Windows, amount of memory installed, the exact error reported (if any) and version numbers of Direct X drivers.

EMAIL
Alternatively you can email our Technical Support operators:
[email protected]

WEBSITE
http://www.hasbrointeractive.com
To ensure a prompt reply please summarise your issues as concisely as you can, giving details, as above,
of the game, the problem or error, any circumstances that you feel relevant and your particular computer
system. We will endeavour to return your mail within the day.

All letters should be addressed to:
Hasbro Interactive (Europe) Customer Support
The Ridge, Chipping Sodbury
South Gloucestershire
BS37 6BN
England, UK

93

NOTICE/WARRANTY
1. LICENCE
The software and all images, photography, animations, video, audio, music and text contained on the
enclosed CD-ROM and this manual, (together, 'the Product') are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights which are owned by or licensed to Hasbro Interactive Limited of 2 Roundwood
Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, UB11 1AZ ('Hasbro').
Hasbro grants to you as the original purchaser of this Product a non-transferable right to use the Product
for your own personal and private use and not in connection with any business activity. Unless otherwise
permitted by law, no part of this Product may be copied, reproduced, translated, modified, decompiled or
reduced into any electronic or other form without the prior written consent of Hasbro. You may not rent or
lease, or sell or transfer copies of the Product or any part of it.
2. WARRANTY
Hasbro warrants to you only that for a period of ninety days from purchase the Product will perform substantially in accordance with the specifications set out in this manual and that the original CD-ROM disk
itself will be free from defects in materials and workmanship.
During this period the Product, if defective, will be replaced free of charge if returned to Hasbro at Caswell
Way, Newport, Gwent, NP9 0YH, together with a dated proof of purchase, a brief description of the defect
and the address to which it is to be returned. Any replacement will be warranted for a further 90 day
period. This warranty does not affect your statutory rights in any way.
This warranty does not apply to defects caused by misuse, neglect, incorrect installation, damage, alteration, repair or excessive wear.
3. LIABILITY
Except as stated at 2 above, all conditions, warranties, terms, representations and undertakings express or
implied, statutory or otherwise, in respect of the Product are expressly excluded.
Hasbro's liability to you shall under no circumstances exceed the original retail price of the Product and
Hasbro does not accept liability for any indirect or consequential damage or loss (even if it is aware that
the possibility of such damage or loss) including lost profits or revenues, or for any damages, costs or loss
incurred as a result of loss of time or data or from any other cause.
Nothing set out above shall limit or exclude the Hasbro's liability to you for death or personal injury resulting from its own negligence or any other liability not capable of exclusion or limitation by law.
If you do not agree to be bound by these terms, you should immediately return the Product to Hasbro at
Caswell Way, Newport, Gwent, NP9 OYH, together with a dated proof of purchase, for a full refund.

11. Reference