This section will examine the Aircraft Flags (1) and Radar Cross Section or "RCS" (2). The other data entry fields should be self-explanatory, but if you need help, please use the "Contact Us" button, or post your questions to the Database section for Harpoon Classic Gold at the HarpGamer Forums.

Data fields that require value inputs derive from best sources of information, often, but not exclusively, Harpoon Paper Rules. (ECM is currently modeled through the Game Engine. Increasing the ECM value will decrease the aircraft's likelihood of being hit by missiles, which would compromise the GE's current hit percentage algorithm, so we recommend you leave that value as zero for now.) In making new entries or editing existing ones, the guiding principle should be to look for how similar platforms are entered and make adjustments as you deem necessary for your platform's own unique characteristics.

AIRCRAFT FLAGS (1)

Each of these Flags has the potential to affect aircraft behavior in the Game Engine (GE), depending on how they are treated in the source code. "Has the potential", because not all the Flags listed are actually employed by the source code as of this writing.

When building or upgrading aircraft in your database, you will want to associate as many of the Flags from the table below as are applicable to reflect the aircraft's characteristics and capabilities.

#	FLAG	DESCRIPTION
0	IRST	Infra-Red Search and Tracking: A passive Air-to-Air detection method using the target's heat signature to find it and track it.
1	MAD	Magnetic Anomaly Detection: Used to locate Submarines from the air by finding the disruption in the Earth's Magnetic Field, caused by the boat's metal hull.
2	TCS	Television Camera System: another passive Air-to-Air detection system using a specialized TV Camera to locate and track other aircraft.
3	FLIR	Forward Looking Infra-Red: A Passive Air-to-Ground detection system based upon target's heat signature.
4	LRMTS	Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeker: Normally used in marking targets for bombing missions, this Flag is used by Harpoon Classic to indicate a plane's ability to safely fly Nap of the Earth ( or VLOW altitude, as Harpoon Classic models it).
5	Blip enhance	An electronic subterfuge that magnifies a small aircraft's radar signature, typically that of a helicopter, to make it appear much larger on enemy radar screens and to decoy radar homing missiles.
6	ESM	Electronic Surveillance Measures: Systems that detect electronic emissions of platforms and weapons, providing a vector to the emitter, analyzing it against a known database and thereby enabling identification.
7	RWR	Radar Warning Receiver: Alerts the pilot that his aircraft is under attack from a radar homing missile.
8	DPS	Digital Processing System(?): We are unsure of this one's purpose, as it does not appear to be implemented within the source code and thus has no current function in game play.
9	SB	Sonobuoy: Signifies an existing comm link for data transfer from sonobuoy to aircraft. While not currently implemented in the GE source code as such (Sonobuoys nevertheless do function properly via a different code mechanism), all platforms with SB comm links in real life should be given this flag for reference purposes and in case this flag is implemented in the GE at some future date.
10	Radar Mod 1	Radar Mod Flags 1 and 2: These flags are no longer implemented as of HC2005. However, in all earlier versions they were very important in modeling relative stealth of aircraft. Under the old system no radar mod flag was stealthiest, less stealthy was Radar Mod 1, even less so was Radar Mod 2, and any aircraft with Radar Mods 1 and 2 had the least stealth with respect to detection by radar.
11	Radar Mod 2
12	Inflight refuelling	This flag means that an aircraft is capable of receiving in-flight refueling from a tanker aircraft.
13	All-weather capable	This flag would indicate all weather capability for an aircraft, but is not currently modeled in the GE. Nevertheless, for the same reasons as above in the SB flag, it is recommended to include this flag where appropriate.
14	Mid-course guidance	Missiles with the mid-course guidance flag are capable of receiving course correction and new targeting information in mid-flight, thereby improving their Hit Percentage (PH) over missiles lacking this feature. While the GE currently treats all aircraft as if they have this flag, it may, in the future, come to model the comm link that is needed from aircraft to missile, so we recommend adding it where appropriate as well. Right now, only the missile that is mid-course guidance capable (not the aircraft itself) actually requires the flag to be present.
15	Carrier capable	Carrier capable aircraft are just that -- capable of flight operations to and from an aircraft carrier. This flag is also needed to enable helos and VTOL aircraft to operate from ships.
RADAR CROSS SECTION (2)
Radar Cross Section replaces the Radar Mod Flag method of modeling stealth for planes, and also applies to ships and surfaced submarines in Harpoon Classic 2005's revised detection model. The examples below represent a sampling of radar cross section values for commonly used aircraft in the GE. The values posted come from a recent version of the HCDB. Your values, and future values of the HCDB may differ from those seen here.
RCS _#_	Aircraft Model	Notes
73	B-2A Spirit	Note the spread between the B-2A, the F/A-22, and the F-117A. All of these stealthy aircraft fall within a 22 unit spread on the HC-RCS scale. That's a lot of room when compared to the E-3F Sentry AWACS (at 163) and the C-160R Transall (at 164). Why? The reason has to do with the limitations of detection instrumentation. Simply put, if an aircraft (or other platform or weapon) is very stealthy, the distance at which it will be detected is orders of magnitude greater with each improvement in stealth technology. But if it's not stealthy, it does not matter much whether you are trying to find the C-160R or a flying version of the QEII luxury liner. Both of theses are going to be detected at the maximum rated instrument range for the detecting electronics system.
85	F/A-22 Raptor
95	F117-A Nighthawk
104	Rafale B	The remaining listings are included for comparative analysis, in order to give you a feel for how the HC-RCS system applies to aircraft commonly used in Harpoon Classic. Also, when making a new platform or when remodeling the stealth characteristics of an existing one, making reference to the various listings in the PE's RCS dropdown will assist you in determining which value to assign. It should also be noted that the HC-RCS model works in conjunction with weather, chance (via a computer-simulated die roll), and is limited not only by instrumentation characteristics, but also by Radar Line of Sight. For a copy of the MS Excel spreadsheet that Tony Eischens produced when creating the HC-RCS model, please use the following link: HC-RCS MS Excel Spreadsheet
110	F/A-18E Super Hornet
120	Eurofighter Typhoon
128	F-16C/D Block 50/52
133	F-16A Falcon
135	UH-60 Blackhawk
145	Tornado F.3/ADV
156	Su-35 Flanker
163	E-3F Sentry AWACS
164	C-160R Transall

PE User's Guide Aircraft Appendix, rev. 050315.1

Written by Bruce Fenster, with special thanks to Brad Leyte and Anthony Eischens for their support and technical assistance.

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