Advanced Tactical Fighters
Player aircraft added to the Janes' stable in ATF
ASTOVL - the proposed Joint Strike Fighter. It has S/VTOL capabilities and a limited stealth design.
B-2B Stealth Bomber
This "flying wing" design has no vertical control surfaces. Bank and turn are controlled by a combination of split flaps and inboard elevons. The design dates Back to post WW2, when Jack Northrop built and flew giant prop powered flying wings. After a fatal crash, the design was shelved. With a fly-by-wire (computer controlled) flight control system you won't have any trouble controlling the B-2B. Work the rudders on your B-2 and you'll see the split flaps opening - pretty cool! The B-2 and F-117 have a visual bombsight in addtion to IR sensors and A-G radar. The B-2 can carry 80 Mk-82 bombs. With a 160 ft wingspan you have to take care when taxiing!
F-22 Lightning
Your best Air Combat tactics in the F-22 involve using it's speed and stealth to get in a position of advantage (behind and below), then opening the weapons bay doors, firing and egressing!
My F-22 is in big trouble again! You really have to watch your thrust settings in this baby. About 50% seems right for Air Combat in this sim.
F-117A Stealth Fighter
The F-117A Stealth Fighter has no Air to Air capability even though it is called the 'Stealth Fighter' ... it's not a fighter! It's actually a precision strike reconnaisance aircraft. The impulsive pilot soon gets into trouble in this aircraft, in ATF if the enemy fighters spot you... you've had it! Remember the movie "Executive Action "? With the variety of aircraft available in ATF you can recreate just about any scenario you wish.
Dassault Rafale is the new French Strike Fighter designed to serve with the French Navy and Air Force.
Grumman X-29
X-29 by Grumman is a forward swept wing lightweight fighter protoype. The forward swept wing design has been around since WW2, the Germans had several on the drawing board but materials technology at the time couldn't keep wing flexion within acceptable limits.
Grumman X-31
The X-31 is a thrust vectoring fighter with some pretty fancy moves, including the Herbst manoeuver and the J-turn, in which the aircraft reverses course 180 degrees in an incredibly short space. You'll really need a programmable joystick to take advantage of the thrust vectoring, which operates in the pitch and yaw axes.
