The manual HOW TO FLY AND FIGHT IN AIR WARRIOR is the result of a year-long collaborative effort among several instructors from the Air-Warrior Training Academy. It is intended to speed the progress of beginning and intermediate pilots who are learning how to become deadly in the skies of Air Warrior. The manual is complete, but it will probably be updated from time to time in response to feedback from readers. The current version of the manual was last updated on 3/21/1997. By clicking the link below, your Web browser will load the manual as a text file. The file is about 450k in size, so it will (for a 14.4k or 28.8k modem) take a couple of minutes to load.
You can also get a gun-camera film to go with the manual. The following ZIP file contains a .cam file. To play it, download the ZIP file, unzip it, put the .cam file into your "films" directory for Air Warrior, run Air Warrior, and then select "play films."
The following is the outline of the manual.
HOW TO FLY AND FIGHT IN AIR WARRIOR, v3/21/1997
OUTLINE
0.0 The purpose of this manual
0.1 List of contributors
1.0 Chapter 1
1.1 Basic aerodynamics
1.2 Aerodynamic controls and surfaces
1.3 Instruments
1.4 Basic maneuvers
1.5 Basic gunnery
1.6 Exercises
1.6.1 Takeoffs and landings
1.6.2 Basic aerobatics
1.6.3 Basic gunnery
1.6.4 View keys
2.0 Chapter 2
2.1 Radio
2.2 Navigation and use of radar
2.3 Spin recovery
2.4 Turning on edge of a stall
2.5 Turning on edge of a blackout
2.6 Exercises
2.6.1 Turning on the edge of a stall
2.6.2 Turning on the edge of a blackout
2.6.3 Spin recovery
2.6.4 Fight off-line
3.0 Chapter 3
3.1 Aerodynamics and flight dynamics
3.2 Gunnery
3.3 Basic ACM overview
3.4 Basic ACM specifics
3.5 Exercises
3.5.1 Max-g vs. 3 g turns
3.5.2 Zero-g vs. vertical dives
3.5.3 Max-g, low-g, and extended-climb Immelmans
3.5.4 Angles fights
3.5.5 B&Z fights
3.5.6 Energy fights
4.0 Chapter 4
4.1 Overview
4.1.1 Air Warrior II
4.1.2 Air Warrior for Windows and Mac
4.2 The F6F-3 Hellcat
4.3 The F4U-1D Corsair
4.4 The P-38J Lightning
4.5 The P-51D Mustang
4.6 The P-47D Thunderbolt
4.7 The F4F-3 Wildcat
4.8 The P-40E Kittyhawk
4.9 The Spitfire Mk IX E
4.10 The Spitfire Mk Vb
4.11 The Spitfire Mk Ia
4.12 The Hurricane I
4.13 The Hurricane IIb
4.14 The FW 190A-8
4.15 The FW 190D-9 Dora
4.16 The FW 190A-3
4.17 The FW 190A-4
4.18 The Bf 109F-4 Franz
4.19 The Bf 109K-4
4.20 The Bf 109G-2 Gustav
4.21 The Bf 109E-3 Emil
4.22 The Me 110C-4 Zerstorer
4.23 The Ki-84 Hayate
4.24 The A6M5 Zero
4.25 The N1K1-J Shiden
4.26 The Yak 9D
4.27 The LA-5FN
4.28 Exercises
4.28.1 Dives
4.28.2 High-speed turns
4.28.3 High-speed roll
4.28.4 Low-speed sustained turns
4.28.5 Low-speed roll
5.0 Chapter 5
5.1 Level bombing
5.2 Dive bombing
5.3 Dropping troops
5.4 Bombing tactics
5.5 Bomber escort
5.6 Bombing strategy
5.7 Exercises
5.7.1 Level bombing
5.7.2 Dive bombing
5.7.3 Bomber evasives
6.0 Chapter 6
6.1 Capturing airfields and other structures
6.2 Carrier operations
6.3 Vehicles
6.4 Gunning in bombers
6.5 Etiquette
6.6 Exercises
6.6.1 Carrier operations
6.6.2 Prepping airfields
6.6.3 Vehicles
6.6.4 Aggressive bomber flying
7.0 Chapter 7
7.1 Real-life tactics and Air Warrior
7.2 Flaps
7.2.1 Other flaps
7.3 Nose-low turns
7.4 Other nose-low turns
7.5 Split-S attack
7.6 Vertical yo-yo attack
7.7 Avoiding B&Z
7.8 Jinking
7.9 Extending
7.10 Avoiding wing failure
7.11 Furball tactics
7.12 Chopping throttle
7.13 Climbing turns
7.14 Other climbing turns
7.15 Immelman with turn at the top
7.16 Vertical rope a dope
7.17 Visual clues
7.18 Situational awareness
7.19 Very-basic multi-plane tactics
7.20 Exercises
7.20.1 Flap settings in stallfights
7.20.2 Chopping throttle in a high-speed split S
7.20.3 Chopping throttle in a high-speed turn
7.20.4 Compressibility and wing failure
7.20.5 General practice
8.0 Conclusion
Appendix: Definitions
Appendix: More on ACM
Appendix: The Twist files
Appendix: Historical scenarios
Appendix: Recommended books and movies
Appendix: The history of Air Warrior
Appendix: Biographies of contributors
Appendix: Previous introduction
Appendix: Getting started in Air Warrior
Appendix: Prices for on-line services