Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

146 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT
hard-turning bogey showing its full planform (i.e., 90° aspect) is about
optimum.
Once he is established on the proper heading, the pilot of the angles
fighter should try to reach his goal (i.e., the early-turn point) as quickly
as possible. This generally is accomplished by an unloaded acceleration
to retain any speed lost in the first turn. Airspeed should not be
increased indiscriminately, however. Once his aircraft reaches the leadturn
point, the pilot should use a minimum-radius turn in order to take full
advantage of the available separation. Minimum turn radius, averaged over
a short period of time, usually is attained by commencing the turn at about
corner speed, pulling maximum available G, and allowing speed to decay
as the turn is completed. The pilot of the angles fighter, therefore, should
attempt to accelerate between times "4" and "5" until his aircraft reaches
corner speed. If the early-turn point has not been reached by this time, a
constant-speed climb can be commenced to build additional separation in
the vertical and to provide a gravity assist for the subsequent lead turn.
Determination of the early-turn point, time "5," is, as always, a matter
of judgment and experience in assessing relative motion. Ideally the lead
turn is conducted at near maximum G and results in passing almost
directly over, under, or slightly behind the bogey for greatest advantage.
This geometry is also ideally suited for a gun snapshot at the pass. Once
again, however, care should be taken not to allow speed to bleed too far
below that required for vertical maneuvering, just in case the bogey zooms
at the overshoot. Nose-to-tail geometry makes judging the bogey's energy
level even more difficult.
Figure 4-3 depicts only a very small angular advantage for the angles
fighter at the pass (time "6"), and this is often the case in practice. In fact,
the geometry and relative turn performance may be such that the bogey is
able to achieve another neutral head-on pass. In most cases, however,
doing this will require it to expend a great amount of energy, which will
eventually lead to trouble for the high-wing-loaded bogey.
Time "6" in Figure 4-3 is essentially the same as time "3" in Figure 3-1
and time "2" in Figure 4-2 (except that both fighters are probably slower),
so the angles fighter pilot can repeat the same reversal in an attempt to
establish the more advantageous nose-to-nose condition. Depending on
the advantage gained at the pass, however, it may be preferable for him just
to continue nose-to-tail. Generally speaking, once the angles fighter has
gained about 60° to 70° angular advantage, it is probably better for it to
continue nose-to-tail. Doing so results in a considerable blind period for
the bogey pilot, during which he may lose sight altogether or get nervous
and pull harder, further bleeding his aircraft's energy. A reversal under
these conditions causes a blind period for the pilot of the angles fighter
instead, and because of the time wasted during the reversal, results in little
increase in position advantage. As with nose-to-nose tactics, continued
nose-to-tail turns may eventually yield a lethal position for the low-wingloaded
fighter, but arriving at this point will almost surely take longer.
Once again, the angles fighter should take only what his turn-performance
advantage will allow, chipping away a few degrees at a time while maintaining
at least vertical-maneuvering speed.