Ace Combat 8 Mission 15 Wings of Wax: engine attacks and reported Ace S ranks

Choose one reported route before launch

Use equipment you already own. FA-36 is a reported post-story unlock, not a mandatory first-clear aircraft. The authors’ completion times are observations, not universal S cutoffs. Parts and aircraft differences prevent treating their ammunition numbers as interchangeable.

The reported HPAA sequence

bl4ck_dot’s original route reports four HPAA hits per main engine with their damage-focused setup. Keep that number attached to their loadout; watch the actual component state if yours differs.

1. Stay near the fleet during the opening instead of trying to catch the targets immediately.
2. Begin the dive and chase as the two aircraft approach your ships.
3. Destroy one main engine on each aircraft.
4. Weaken each remaining main engine: the source fires three HPAA at each in their four-hit setup.
5. Wait for ammunition to be ready and both targets to be in sight, then launch the finishing shots close together.
6. Check whether both targets are destroyed and complete the sortie; use the result screen to verify S.

The author times this around the second dive and aims to prevent the surviving aircraft’s harder second phase. The source does not provide a frame-exact simultaneity window. If an engine remains alive or one aircraft transitions, respond to the surviving target instead of treating the maneuver as a guaranteed script skip.

A separate F-22 route when timing both kills is awkward

The24thPegasus reports an Ace S run using QAAM, 4AAM and ordinary missiles against the engines. Their sequence rotates through all three ammunition types so the first is reloaded by the end of the cycle. Keep enough speed to maintain a useful firing position and verify the selected engine rather than pouring shots into an unrelated subtarget.

cemanresu separately reports multi-lock missiles with capacity upgrades working well. These successes support an alternative when the timed HPAA sequence does not fit your hangar. They do not establish that a railgun, TLS or any missile always bypasses defenses; the thread includes an unsuccessful railgun attempt.

For wrong component selection, use the target-selection checks. EW support is another reported aid, but this page does not require an unverified ESM multiplier or one exact crew configuration.

No F-22 or FA-36 yet? A Super Hornet clear is reported

In a separate Mission 15 help thread, XenoRyet confirms an Elite clear in a Super Hornet. KilledTheCar describes a Super Hornet 4AAM/QAAM attempt: engage with wingman Attack and special weapons, weaken both aircraft before killing one, and watch for flames and smoke as damage cues.

Those replies address players who do not yet own the jets used in late-game rank guides. They do not provide an Ace S guarantee or a universal engine-health reading. Inspect your exact Super Hornet variant’s weapons and ammunition. If it fits the reported approach, try that owned loadout before assuming the mission requires grinding for FA-36.

A checkpoint can be an option, without proving a penalty formula

CommonVagabond reports destroying the first aircraft, reaching the checkpoint, restarting with ammunition restored and then finishing the second for Ace S. A reply points out that the pause menu’s Restart from checkpoint avoids deliberately crashing. This is a specific successful account, not proof that all restart counts or times preserve S.

If you try this alternative, confirm that the checkpoint is available and that your ammunition is actually restored. Retain the restart count and result screen. If the result is A, compare time and combat performance on the same difficulty rather than assuming the single-restart report guarantees your outcome.

Lupus collection is a separate goal: the conditional ace directory describes destroying one Ladon and hunting Lupus before the other. That detour does not match the near-simultaneous finish route. Choose a clear/rank attempt or a record attempt before launch.