Introduction

Developed by : Rowan
Published by: Empire Interactive
Expected Release: November, 1999

What is new here? Well! Have a look!

Acting upon all the rushing F-16 and upcoming F/A-18 simulations coming out, Empire has decided to take a welcome and refreshing look at the availability of jet simulations available to gamers. Taking us back to the Korean War when man was making the tough transition from props to jets, we get the chance to fly those first jet planes used in combat. Gamers in MiG Alley now have the choice to fly either the F-80C Shooting Star, F-51D Mustang (a updated P-51), F-84E ThunderJet, F-86A Sabre or the vaunted MiG-15.

This was a critical point in time for the development of new aircraft. MiG Alley attempts to create the enthralling experience of the high-speed dogfight with speeds approaching Mach 1 while still keeping the action up close and personal. Simulation players can choose between fighting a specific campaign, choosing a quick mission or playing through the entire war.

Off in the distance

Almost got him now!

The Korean war is perhaps the most exciting conflict a company could want to simulate due to the lack of any kind of guided missiles, leaving guns as the predominate weapon of choice. Learning to actually fly the aircraft at appropriate altitudes and knowing your opponents strengths/weaknesses is paramount in MiG Alley. Each aircraft has its own flight model and due to relatively weak jet engines, players will have to learn to actually maneuver based on a limited amount of power. This is quite different from hopping in a F-16C with a large Pratt and Whitney -229 engine and powering your way through engagements pulling sustained 9G turns. Actual flight energy management tactics are principal in learning to fight and win in MiG Alley.

So how do I fly these planes?

Learning to fly the different planes in MiG Alley is made easier by Empire's inclusion of diagrams of power curves for the different jets. All players should not expect to be able to get into a turning dogfight with a MIG-15 and expect your F-86 to out turn the small, more nimble, MiG-15. In fact, the MiG-15 has several advantages over the F-86 Sabre. It has a higher ceiling, higher sustained turning rate and before the introduction of the F-86F, the MiG-15 enjoyed a much better thrust to weight ratio, better acceleration and better climb performance.

Climbing up

Diving down

This might lead many of you to believe that the MiG-15 had an easy time with the F-86. In fact, the F-86 enjoyed a large kill ratio over the MiG-15 at wars end. In MiG Alley as a MiG-15 driver, you are going to be fighting against an opponent in the F-86 that empowered excellent group tactics. The MiG-15 has many advantages over the F-86 but if you push the MiG-15 close to its limits you will find the same problems that the MiG drivers found; horrible combat stalls that can easily lead to inescapable spins. These horrible stalls and spins led to many North Korean deaths. Many inexperienced MiG-15 pilots were too afraid to push their aircraft to its limits and fell victim to the Sabre. Mastering those "limits" makes the MiG-15 the most deadly opponent in MiG Alley.