Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR AIRCRAFT 123
er approach. Here the nose-to-tail turn is used to generate the aircraft
separation necessary to satisfy missile min-range constraints. At time " 1"
the fighters meet in the standard forward-quarter approach. Minimum
lateral separation and an angular advantage at the pass are optimum for
this method. As the aircraft pass each other, the angles fighter begins a
nose-to-tail turn across the bogey's six o'clock. Between times "I" and
"2," the opponent's aspect should be monitored closely, and the angles
fighter should turn just hard enough for it to match the bogey's turn rate.
On reaching time "2," a neutral position with about 90° of target aspect,
the angles fighter pilot begins a maximum-performance turn to point at
the target as quickly as possible. The segment of the maneuver between
times "2" and "3" may be performed obliquely nose-low to provide a
look-up shot at time "3," if such a shot is desired.
At time "2" in this maneuver, the angles fighter requires the airspeed
that will maximize its average turn rate (i.e., minimize the time required)
between that time and time "3." Although corner velocity yields maximum
instantaneous turn rate, many fighters cannot sustain this speed for
more than a very few degrees of turn. Usually for this reason a somewhat
higher speed is desirable. The typical arc from time "2" to time "3" is
about 135°, so the best speed at time "2" can be determined either by
engineers or by experimentation as that initial speed which minimizes the
time for a level turn of this magnitude. The optimim speed should be
known by the fighter pilot for a representative combat weight, configuration,
and altitude at full power. Generally, an increase in weight, drag, or
altitude requires a higher initial speed.
Arriving at time "2" with optimum airspeed is not a simple matter,
since speed at that point is dependent on initial velocity at the pass (time
"1") and the maneuver between times "1" and "2." Because fighters can
slow down more easily than they can accelerate during heavy maneuvering,
it is normally advisable for the angles fighter to carry excess airspeed at
the initial pass. If the bogey's turn rate cannot be matched between times
"1" and "2" at this higher speed, a power reduction, speedbrakes, or a
Figure 3-11. All-Aspect-Missile Separation Maneuver