Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR AIRCRAFT 111
and to neutralize the attacker's position advantage. Once the bogey has
regained angular neutrality, the energy fighter should have generated
enough energy margin to begin vertical maneuvering, as depicted in Figures
2-15 and 2-19. This technique is much safer than allowing the opponent
an angular advantage.
In contests of [tactics] it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always
be able to lead the enemy about.
Miyamoto Musashi
So far the assumption has been made that the opponent will maneuver
near horizontally; but what if he instead pulls up steeply after the first
pass? By maneuvering out-of-plane, the bogey may be able to make a
high-side attack on the level-turning energy fighter, forcing a defensive
pull-up and immediate entry into a rolling scissors. If the bogey has an
energy advantage at the pass (a factor that may be difficult to determine), a
rolling scissors could be to its benefit early in the engagement. When the
bogey makes an oblique nose-high turn at the first pass, the energy fighter
can counter with a nose-to-tail turn, which should prevent the angles
fighter from making gains without incurring an energy penalty. For nearvertical
bogey maneuvers, the energy tactician should turn only enough to
gain sight of the bogey; then he should continue a climb at optimum-climb
airspeed to gain separation. As the bogey approaches the top of its zoom,
the energy fighter can begin an oblique turn back toward the bogey in the
nose-to-tail direction. During his come-back turn the pilot of the energy
fighter should keep his lift vector on or slightly below the bogey to reduce
vertical separation to within a quarter of a turn radius by the next pass, and
he should pull hard enough to limit the bogey's angular gains to 90° or less.
If possible, the energy tactician should not allow his speed to bleed below
that required for vertical maneuvering.
If you are thoroughly conversant with [tactics], you will recognize the
enemy's intentions and thus have many opportunities to win.
Miyamoto Musashi
Comparison of Angles and Energy Tactics
In the guns-only scenario, the angles and the energy techniques discussed
may both be effective. Angles tactics are inherently more aggressive,
placing the opponent in a defensive position early in the engagement, and
they can have considerable psychological impact, particularly on an inexperienced
adversary. This technique is also generally quicker than energy
tactics, an important consideration when a fighter is limited by very short
combat endurance.
Energy tactics, on the other hand, require more patience and training.
Speed control is very important, as is the ability to judge the bogey's energy
state accurately. This technique also demands proficiency in the rolling
scissors, which is a difficult maneuver to master. On the positive side,
except for the possibility of a forward-hemisphere snapshot, which normally
can be defeated by a small jink on each pass, the energy technique