Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT 167
Figure 4-9. Transition to Rear-Quarter Missile Envelope
more time available for the shot before the target can open to max-range.
The optimum speed for the angles fighter at time "3" is somewhat above
corner speed, as this maximizes its average turn-rate capability during the
turn from time "3" to time "4." Time "2" is also a good opportunity for a
lag displacement roll, which may be equally effective. Note that the
attacker probably passes through an effective gun snapshot envelope between
times "2" and "3," and he can take advantage of it should he be so
equipped.
At time "3" in this scenario, the bogey pilot may decide to reverse,
probably spoiling the shot. This should only delay the inevitable, however,
since the attacker can retain the offensive and repeat his transition
attempt from the other side. Each time the bogey pilot performs such a
hard reversal he further bleeds his energy.
Another option for the bogey at time "3" is a vertical pull-up. In this
case the attacker must decide whether his performance will allow him
to pull up behind the bogey and get off a shot. Obviously, verticalmaneuvering
speed would be desirable at this point, but it may not be
required. The angles fighter only has to get its nose high enough to point at
the target and fire before running out of airspeed. This is a risky proposition,
however, since if the shot is missed for some reason, the angles fighter
is left in a very vulnerable position. The safer option is to extend away, as
shown in Figure 4-4, and return on better terms.
The Energy Fight: Rear-Quarter Missiles Only
As difficult as the energy fight is in the guns-only environment, the
substitution of RQ missiles further complicates matters, both offensively
and defensively. Although the energy tactics described offer reasonable
prospects of attaining a lethal gun snapshot against a low-wing-loaded
adversary, this generally is not the case when the fighters are limited to RQ
missile parameters. A more maneuverable fighter nearly always seems to
have the turn performance necessary to rotate its lethal cone away from an
opponent at just the critical moment. The exception to this is when the
low-T/W bogey is very slow and is unable to create a tracking-rate problem