'Llo Bros,

Been playing Wings over Israel. Not a bad sim, but one serious question: how do I use Mavericks? The manual says I need to hit the 'lock enemy ground target' key, but I find no reference to it in the control options or the command list of the manual.

Help!

Robert

The E key locks up ground targets.

BTW, in missions were there's only one primary ground target (building, hangar, power station, etc...) the FIRST time you press the "E" key (when nearing the target's location) you (and your smart weapons, such as the Maverick) will lock that primary target. The next time you press the "E" key, it will lock a ground vehicle nearby such as AAA sites, SAM launcher, truck, etc... and so on when you press the "E" key again and again.

This means that when you're in a mission where there's only one primary ground target you should press the "E" only once (until the primary target is destroyed, that is).

Thanks Ladz--I'll give this a go!

Cheers,

Robert

Yup, ground locking is slaved to the "visual ground target" key. This is what locks your laser guided bombs too. Not super realistic but since there's really no ground locking radar capability it's a suitable stand in. Sure is easy to use though. One thing I also do if I'm on a strike mission flying an A-10 (not sure that would really happen either?) is scan through the ground targets in the strike area for AAA or SAM sites and send a Mav or two to clear the path. You can try giving other members of your flight the "attack my target" command and hopefully they'll use missiles but sometimes decide to commit suicide and attack a radar equipped AAA site with guns. I wouldn't think setting up a strike on a defended target with a couple of slow A-10's and no SEAD would be an ideal plan but sometimes you end up with stuff like that. Obviously this is not a WOI scenario, but one of the other titles with a mod.

You still need a laser designator pod though, right?

Hmm, good question. Yes, I think you do need to have the designator pod. I haven't played in a while and had just started dabbling with laser guided weapons. Actually now that I think more about it, you might only be able to drop LGBs on the primary target even if you have the pod. I think you can drop them without a pod on the primary target, as if someone else was lighting it up for you. But I kind of recall someone telling me that you can't designate a target of your choice for LGBs and only the primary was valid for them. Disappointing if that's true, sorry I'm not giving a solid answer - like I said I haven't played it in some time now.

No biggie, I think I might just play around with the LGBs a bit myself.

If it's a STRIKE mission, the primary target is "lazed by ground forces". Therefore, any aircraft can drop an LGB on a STRIKE mission primary target (laser pod or not).

Otherwise, you have to have a laser pod on your aircraft (either loaded in the loadout, or permanantly mounted like on the A-6E or F-15E). Then you automatically laze any target that is targeted using the 'E' key, which can be AAA, SAM's, trucks, or tanks in a CAS mission.