Questions submitted by Joe McCarthy of Climax, MI. 1. Rules 16 to 18. Does firing an IR missile break a previous (radar) lock-on achieved by the firing aircraft? Not at all. In fact, with second edition rules, radar lock-ons can be used to slave uncaged IR missiles onto a target for an automatic IR lock-on. 2. Rule 19. If an aircraft launches an RHM and is illuminating for it on the subsequent game turn, may it, assuming the RHM doesn't reach the target, then launch an IRM even though it must maintain illumination for the RHM?. Yes, it may. Illumination is usually an automatic function of the radar once initiated and does not require additional pilot input, so the pilot would be free to also launch IRMs (but only at the same target). 3. On the F-105 data card (issue 7). I have read in several places that the Thud had an Achilles heel in a hydraulic line and its backup running side by side in its fuselage. Supposedly this made the Thud somewhat vulnerable. Is this factored into the Vuln. rating (+1)? The A-7A and early F-4s and numerous other airplanes including Soviet ones had similar design deficiencies. It was considered on the F-105 and others in their ratings. The Thud warrants the + 1 because it was structurally a very strong airplane hydraulics aside. The hydraulics were vulnerable only if hit and the lines were only a small part of the whole machine. 4. Rules 14 and 18. Can a single piloted aircraft do an unload maneuver and still conduct radar searches or maintain lock-ons? Not unless in the Auto-track or Boresight modes. 5. How would you convert the Mirage IIICJ data card (Desert Falcons) to a standard French Mirage IIIC? Delete the internal guns. Add an internal rocket pack which had two turns worth of fuel and could be used to provide an additional 1.0 of thrust at any and all altitudes, even above the maximum ceiling. 6. When an aircraft pulls a vertical climb and the minimum attitude gain requires it to go above its ceiling, what happens? A trap door opens under the gamer and he is pulled screaming into Hell by a horde of tiny three-legged demons. No actually, 2d edition handles this as follows: A/C above their max ceiling which select any power setting other than idle experience a flameout on a die roll (4-). A/C attempting roll maneuvers or using turn rates greater than EZ will depart on a die roll (4-). Back to Table of Contents -- Air Power # 19 Back to Air Power List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by J.D. Webster This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com