PC/CD Gamer UK 44/PCGAMER44.bin/walkthru/hind.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 10KB | 161 lines

Hind - PilotÆs Guide

Planning
Good preparation is essential to a successful mission, tovarich, and you should
make full use of the planning phase to study enemy SAM and AA deployments.
You also have complete access to satellite reconnaissance data, via the 3D view
and you can even set up a virtual flyover of the battlefield to determine potential
sources of danger. Remember, forewarned is forearmed!
Plot a course which uses the terrain to maximum advantage, and, as you play each
scenario through, especially in campaign mode, youÆll begin to build up a picture
of the war zone and enemy deployments. Try and learn some of the local
landmarks, so that you can find your way home in the event of instrument failure.
Remember: as the fortunes of war change, so will the pattern of troop movements
and the front line, so donÆt forget to take this into account when planning
subsequent missions.
Lastly, itÆs always worth adjusting your final series of waypoints to plot the
shortest route back home, as some missions can be very tight on fuel, especially if
you peel off to deal with targets of opportunity. Autorotating down on an empty
fuel tank deep behind enemy lines is hardly the best finale to an otherwise
successful mission. Your superiors will take a dim view, and might even suggest a
little holiday in the Siberian salt mines

Flight manoeuvres
The Hind is primarily designed as a low level attack helicopter, and, ideally,
youÆll spend most of the time cruising at about 30 metres with an average speed of
300-340 kph. Spend some time at the Saratov base and work through all the
training sections, until youÆre confident of the handling and limitations of your
beast in whichever mode you intend to fly. When you move up to stable or
realistic settings, a further period of retraining is advisable.
Learn to rapidly adjust your height using only the collective and perfect the
forward and reverse hover. Helicopter speed is a crucial factor in combat, and the
method of flare braking is critical if you donÆt want to overfly targets. At lower
speeds, your tail rotors really come into their own and can be used to spin around
rapidly to launch devastating rocket and missile salvos. Make sure youÆre familiar
and proficient at the various bomb delivery techniques (level, dive and toss
bombing) before heading out onto the battlefield.

On the offensive
On every mission, prioritise targets and always try and take out air defences, SAM
missile launchers and AAA in that order, as these three usually pose the greatest
threat. Once youÆve unravelled the enemyÆs defences, you can safely survey the
rest of the targets and swoop in to mop them up at your leisure.
ItÆs very easy to get side-tracked during a mission, but donÆt waste time by peeling
off to attack every tank and AAA formation you encounter on the way; time, fuel
and ammunition are far too precious. Instead, concentrate on hitting your main
target first (which is, after all, why youÆre there) and then you can take on other
targets of opportunity to increase your mission performance, on the way back.

Air to ground techniques
ItÆs very tempting once youÆve got the helicopter stable and in level flight to go
hell for leather in a straight line, blasting away at all comers. A word of caution:
this is likely to lead to disaster - youÆll only end up becoming a sitting and highly
visible target. Once youÆre actually in a combat situation, start making distinctive
jinking manoeuvres, adjusting your course every couple of seconds to throw off
any potential enemy missile locks, and even when youÆre locked onto a target
itself, slide left and right to avoid any return fire before delivering your payload.
Again, terrain can be used to your advantage: although you may not equipped
with the ApacheÆs mast scope, thereÆs nothing to stop you from rising above the
crest of a hill to deliver ædeath from aboveÆ with the best of them.
Targets such as tank and truck columns tend to move along roads, and if you
orientate yourself with the roadÆs heading, a short, sustained burst of rockets will
usually follow and catch the whole group. When attacking airfields, itÆs
sometimes an idea to burst through the missile defences and catch enemy
helicopters and planes on the runway, before they have a chance to take off. When
deploying special forces, or evacuating troops, make sure the surrounding area is
completely clear of enemy choppers and aircraft, as youÆre extremely vulnerable
to attack on the deck. Providing youÆre not carrying any cargo or freight, you can
land to reload any weapons which have become exhausted, but again pick your
landing site carefully as the same strictures apply. Finally, if anyone asks you how
you can gun down innocent civilians, just say æEasy, youÆve just got to lead them
a bit more.Æ

Air to air combat
This is the one area where altitude can be a positive advantage, so when you spot
an enemy chopper you should aim to gain height and lock and launch your Aphids
at the earliest opportunity. However, beware of gaining too much altitude (150m
and above), as youÆll become easy prey to the fixed-wing aircraft which patrol
there.
If you fail with a missile strike, try to get behind enemy helicopters and use your
cannon to renew hostilities. The Yak-8 is a solid and dependable back-up in air-
to-air combat, and its turret mounting is ideal for following and engaging enemy
choppers.

Weapon selection
Weapon selection is usually a case of horses for courses and choosing the payload
which will best allow you to complete the mission. Pay particular attention to your
primary targets and the relevant weapon load needed to ensure their destruction.
For example, general purpose bombs will devastate large areas such as camps and
headquarters, while if youÆre going tank busting, youÆll probably load rocket
heavy. A careful study of mission briefings and intelligence data will be crucial in
determining your payload, but if in doubt, a good general purpose mix covering
most options might consist of: wingtip mounted AphidÆs. Spiral AGMs and two
S5 pods with backup from the Yak 8 turretgun.

Countermeasures and other Hind systems
The HindÆs flare and chaff dispensers are usually best left on automatic settings,
unless you can think of a really compelling reason to change them, but your threat
warning indicator is probably the most useful piece of kit on your entire
instrumentation board, allowing you to identify and respond to enemy threats. Use
it to analyse enemy targets and keep an eye out for radar or active locks - if you
can catch them early enough, some sharp manoeuvring will usually spoil their
aim. If you are about to receive incoming missiles, begin a series of sharp, right
angle manoeuvres, while deploying chaff and flares and that should hopefully
throw them off the scent. The FLIR system is invaluable for night flying, but if
your mission begins at dusk or dawn, youÆre probably better advised to switch to
the LLTV system.

Wingmen and formation flying
No matter where you fly, youÆll usually be accompanied by at least one other
Hind, so itÆs important to understand group formations and tactics. ThereÆs
definitely strength in numbers, so when you take off, try to match speeds with
your wingmen (typically 300 kph) and fly in formation to your target. Your
combined force will be able to deal with any threats en route more effectively than
a single helicopter, and the other Hinds will take some of the heat off you by
presenting multiple targets to the enemy.
When you arrive at your target, use the command options to single out targets for
your wingmen and again, youÆll discover that concerted attacks will pay the most
dividends  No matter how strong the targetÆs defences, an entire flight of Hinds
attacking in concert is an extremely formidable proposition indeed.

Theatres of war
æKnow your enemyÆ is never a bad maxim, tovarich, and you should pay close
attention to enemy capabilities and their various strengths and weakness. ItÆs
extremely worthwhile taking a little time to study the recognition charts, as this
can pay dividends when assessing the various threats offered to your chopper.
However, listed below for your delectation are the principle adversaries and
weapons youÆll face in each campaign.

Kazakstan
The revolt in Kazakstan is an intriguing little scenario, because basically youÆre
fighting a mirror image. Rebel Hips and Hind Es provide the helicopter challenge,
while MiG 29s and 27s cruise the battlefield, seemingly at will. Expect to
encounter advanced SA8 and SA9 SAM defences around key locations, while
AAA comes in the form of  the ZSU-23 Shilka. Shoulder mounted SA7s can
prove more than a minor irritation

Korea
In Korea youÆre up against the cream of decadent western technology loaned to
the enemy lackeys by their debauched imperialist masters. In the air, youÆll face
your ultimate adversary, the Apache Longbow, but donÆt underestimate the
standard Apache or Blackhawk either, both of whom are more than worthy
opponents. The F-15s, F-16s and F-18s which are used in a close support role are
particularly deadly, and advanced AA missiles like the Patriot and Stinger can
take a heavy toll.

Afghanistan
In spite of a notable lack of modern military equipment and air support, the
Mujaheddin are an implacable enemy and can make any battle zone feel
extremely warm. Sheer weight of numbers along with difficult and restrictive
terrain can turn the mountain valleys into a deadly ambush points. Shoulder
mounted SA7s and even the humble AK47 have a habit of ruining your day. Not
to mention your shirt.

Pakistan
War is a dirty business, and just as the imperialistsÆ war in Vietnam spilled over
into Cambodia, sometimes the unique conditions of the Afghan conflict mean
youÆre going to have to violate Pakistani airspace in a bid to counter the
insurgents. Although Pakistani forces are perhaps not quite as well equipped as
the Koreans, caution is nevertheless advised, as F-16s and Supercobras patrol the
air, while Rapier and Stinger AA systems stalk the ground.