While running the game in windowed mode, it may be useful to use DOSBox's Control+F10 shortcut to bind the mouse into the game window. This will prevent the cursor from going outside the game window during gameplay while steering with the mouse. Pressing Control+F10 again will unlock the mouse from the game window.

By default, the game accepts mouse and keyboard inputs for steering and firing. Mouse buttons can also be mapped onto any form of input (see the Custom Mouse Button Mapping section below).

Within the game, you can select a mode of input with the following keys:

J – Joystick
M – Mouse
K – Keyboard

You can also use Steam's controller configuration tools to map most input device buttons onto the keyboard inputs listed in this guide.

You can reconfigure any mouse button (two or three button mice are compatible) to emulate the keyboard. Just press the ALT key with the required choice. Then press the required mouse button (left, middle or right). For example, press ALT G ('G' accesses the landing gear). Then press the left mouse button. From now on, pressing the left mouse button will access the gear.

Arrow keys or numpad directions (4, 8, 6, 2) can be used to steer the plane. You can also steer with the mouse.

Pressing L will level the plane's wings

Pressing A will enter auto-pilot mode. This ensures your plane's wings are level and attempts to maintain your current speed using the air brakes.

To bank and climb at a faster rate, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while pressing an arrow or numpad directional key.

To control banking and climbing more precisely, press the opposing up/down or left/right keys together (for example, to bank left at a slower rate than the standard input, first press and hold left, then – without letting go of left – press and hold right).

A complete description of the functions of these commands is available in the Instrument Description section of the Manual.

E - ECM ON/OFF
Toggles the electronic counter-measures system.

A - AUTO PILOT TOGGLE

S - STEALTH TOGGLE
Toggles Stealth mode on or off.

F - FLAPS TOGGLE
Toggles flaps in or out. See Instrument Description section.

G - GEAR TOGGLE
Toggles between lowering and retracting the landing gear.

H - HUD TOGGLE
This key toggles the HUD display on or off.

V - DROP FLARES
Releasing flares diverts infra-red-guided missiles.

B - BRAKES TOGGLE
Toggles the brakes on or off.

R - RADAR RANGE
Toggles among four ranges of radar distance (current range indicated by a number in red text near the radar).

ESCAPE - Eject
Pressing once will place the systems into eject mode. You then have three seconds to confirm and initiate ejection by pressing the key a second time. If the key is not pressed within the allotted time, all systems will revert to normal mode.

Note: this key is also used as an 'escape' key on the menu selection screens to abort/cancel any inputs.

C - DROP CHAFF
Releasing chaff 'blinds' enemy radar and radar-guided missiles.

Z - SUPERCRUISE
Provides instant thrust of 100%. Supercruise is normally used on high-level flights only.

P– PAUSE
Pauses the simulation at any time during flight. Press P to pause the game, then when you’re ready to resume gameplay press any key other than P.

Pressing the escape key ESC or CTRL+Q while your aircraft is on the ground will end the mission.

Press + to increase RPM and - to decrease RPM. This works on the main keyboard and numpad buttons.

Holding SHIFT while pressing '+' or '-' doubles the RPM increments and decrements. This will only work on the main keyboard's buttons (numpad buttons do not support this function).

SPACE BAR / LEFT CLICK – Fire Trigger

Targets will be locked on by pointing the aiming reticle at them when a weapon with lock-on capability is equipped.

T - CHANGE TARGET LOCK
This key will alternate the lock your missile has on a target (allowing to switch to a new target).

Backspace - BREAK LOCK
This key cancels the lock your weapon may be holding on a target.

ENTER – Cycles through weapons (works for main keyboard and numpad)

As an alternative to cycling through your weapon choices using the ENTER key, you can directly access a specific weapon instantly by pressing the SHIFT button simultaneously with the relevant function key, for example SHIFT+F10 to access the gun.

Shift+F-key weapon selections:

Air-to-Air Weapons

Shift+F1: AIAAM Fire Bolt
Advanced intercept, long range, "fire and forget", air-to-air missile.

Shift+F2: AMRAAM 120A
Advanced, medium range, air-to-air missile, "fire and forget" with active radar homing known also as BVR (Beyond Visual Range) missile.

Shift+F3: AIM9M-R-SIDEWINDER
This short range AAM is the last and most advanced variant of the Sidewinder family with an infra-red seeker.

Shift+F4: AIM132 ASRAAM-N
Standing for Advanced Short Ranged AAM, the ASRAAM is smaller and more agile than the Sidewinder. Guidance is controlled by an advanced focal plane array infra-red seeker.

Shift+F5: BACK-WINDER 9X
Rear mount short range air to air missile. A new weapon that overcomes the problem of a rear firing missile system. It locks upon the attack radar of the enemy fighter.

Air-to-Surface Missiles

Shift+F6: MAVERICK
The latest generation of the Maverick family, the smallest of the fully guided self-homing ASM's in use.

Shift+F7: CSW
Seen by the USAF as the best way to destroy hostile anti-aircraft defenses and armor moving behind the FLOT (Forward Line of Troops).

Shift+F8: MRASM
A base line airfield attack missile with DSMAC II (digital scene matching area correlation) guidance and carrying a heavy payload of 58 TAAM (Tactical Airfield Attack Missile).

Shift+F9: ASALM
Effective against all forms of surface target including those of the highest degree of hardening. Also able to destroy AWACS type aircraft.

Cannon

Shift+F10: CANNON

Please refer to the Manual for a full explanation of the individual weapons.

1 – TOGGLE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY 1
2 – TOGGLE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY 2
3 – TOGGLE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY 3

These keys act as toggles between the three different modes on each of the three MFD displays. See Instrument Description Section of the Manual for more details on individual readouts.

M - MFD ON/OFF
Toggle on/off state of the three MFD displays.

F1 – FRONT (INSIDE COCKPIT)
This gives you the cockpit view/display.

F2 – REAR (INSIDE COCKPIT)
This gives you the view from the inside rear of the aircraft.

F3 – LEFT (INSIDE COCKPIT)
This gives you the view from the left side of the aircraft.

F4 – RIGHT (INSIDE COCKPIT)
This gives you the view from the right side of the aircraft.

F5 – FULL SCREEN VIEW (EXTERNAL)
Displays a view from outside the aircraft, facing the front of the aircraft.

F6 – FULL SCREEN REAR VIEW (EXTERNAL)
Displays a view from outside the aircraft, facing the rear of the aircraft.

F7 – NORTH FACING VIEW (EXTERNAL)
Displays a fixed north-facing external view.

F8 – SOUTH FACING VIEW (EXTERNAL)
Displays a fixed south-facing external view.

F9 – SATELLITE VIEW (EXTERNAL)
Provides an overhead view, taken as from a satellite positioned at approximately 80,000 FT. Your aircraft remains at the center point in this view.

PAGE UP – ZOOM-IN
Allows you to zoom in towards your aircraft, when using an EXTERNAL viewpoint.

PAGE DOWN – ZOOM-OUT
Allows you to zoom out towards your aircraft, when using an EXTERNAL viewpoint.

F10 – Missile view
Provides full screen missile tracking image.

F11 or 9 – Forward look up view
Allows an internal aerial view around and above the H.U.D.

F12 or 0 – Rear look up view
Allows an internal aerial view around the rear of the plane.

I - H.U.D colour change
Inverts the H.U.D colour for ease of viewing.

D - Visual detail adjust
Steps between three levels of detail for different speeds of computer.

Q – Sound adjust toggle
Steps between three levels of sound during gameplay.