F/A-26B

"Carrier based air-superiority fighter that can be configured for ground attack roles."

― Aircraft Description

The F/A-26B "Wasp" is a playable twin engine multirole fighter aircraft, and the second playable aircraft to be added to VTOL VR.

It is known for its large armament capacity, giving it the ability to equip a myriad of different weapons while still maintaining an acceptable Thrust to Weight Ratio. Its ability to perform a wide variety of combat roles makes it an excellent multirole fighter and a reliable choice for any mission.

Strategy

In comparison to the other playable aircraft, the F/A-26B has a superior thrust power and weapon capacity, allowing it to bring much more weaponry into battle than its siblings. Its radar inclusion enables it to function as an Air-Superiority Fighter in battle, fighting off hostile interceptor aircraft to ensure that its allies can safely serve their own purposes in battle. It is capable of deploying the powerful mid-long-range AIM-120C for Beyond Visual Range (BVR) engagements along with other short-range Anti-Air missiles, such as the AIM-9, making it a formidable threat to other aircraft from any range.

Additionally, it is capable of equipping many powerful Air-to-Ground weapons, such as the AGM-65 and Mk. 82, allowing it to occupy ground forces as well if needed. Unlike other aircraft, though, the F/A-26B does not have an integrated Targeting Pod (TGP) and it must have one equipped in the Armament screen before it can use Air-to-Ground Missiles. In the context of Close Air Support (CAS), the F/A-26B is apt for hit-and-run attacks, dropping a payload onto ground forces before flying out of their range again. Its Air-to-Ground Missile (AGM) capacity also gives it the ability to undertake the potentially-dangerous role of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). Among its repertoire of Air-to-Ground Missiles is the fearsome AGM-88 Anti-Radiation Missile, which can be deployed against hostile Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Radars from a reasonable distance to cripple hostile surface-based air defenses.

Armament

The F/A-26B has a rotary cannon, as well as hardpoints on the belly of the aircraft to mount different kinds of armaments. See article below for more information on hardpoints:

Main article: F/A-26B Hardpoints

Avionics

Radar Systems

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To use the F/A-26B's radar system, pull up the RADAR page on the MFD and twist the Radar Toggle Knob clockwise. On the RADAR page, a line will be shown sweeping from left to right on a cone. Allied aircraft will show up as blue circles with lines jutting out at the front, enemy units will be shown as orange triangles with lines jutting out at the front, and missiles (Allied and Enemy) will be shown as red circles with lines sticking out from four ends. While the RADAR MFD is set as SOI (using the button in the upper-right corner), slewing the cursor over a contact and selecting it tracks the target using the F/A-26B's Track-While-Scan (TWS) system. This technique allows multiple targets within the radar's field of view to be tracked at once without having to rely on the main radar itself to sweep them. Up to 3 targets (excluding missiles) can be tracked at once via TWS. The downside to this is that the more targets that are being tracked by TWS, the slower the main radar will sweep, making finding new targets slower. To lock onto a target, select a contact again by pressing their corresponding button number on the left side of the MFD, or select them again using the slew cursor. A solid green line will connect to the target and two brief blips will play, signifying the establishment of a hard lock on the target. Targets with Radar Warning Receiver systems will be alerted to the hard lock. This system is required for the deployment of AIM-120C missiles. Pressing the + and - buttons on the radar will alter the displayed view range of the radar display. This can help differentiate between clustered targets at close range and show pinged contacts at longer ranges.

The ANGLE button on the RADAR MFD alters the sweep angle limit of the F/A-26B's radar. The radar starts at a sweep angle limit of 60 degrees; pressing the ANGLE button toggles the sweep angle limit between 30 degrees, 15 degrees, and then back to 60. A tighter sweep angle limit will result in a lower field of view for the radar, but this allows it to sweep much faster, mitigating any potential misfires from contacts suddenly 'disappearing' from the radar's field of view.

The MODE button switches the radar from horizontal sweep mode (default) to Forward Boresight mode. In this mode, the radar points straight forward and locks (hard lock) onto the first contact it spots. The radar in Boresight mode will only lock onto targets up to ~15 kilometers away. The HEAD button below MODE switches the radar to Head-tracking Boresight mode; instead of pointing straight forward, the Boresight radar follows the player's head movements, locking onto whatever it finds first.