Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT 191
path separation and lead-turn the bogey, as recommended for the angles
fighter in previous scenarios. Because of the helo's very tight turn radius,
even minimal lateral separation can be converted to large angular gains at
the pass. If the bogey continues straight or pulls up after the pass, the helo
driver can continue to pull the nose around for a shot before the target
extends out of range. Should a shot at this point be unsuccessful, and the
bogey exceeds max-range, the helo pilot might think of making a break for
some protected area or hiding place. If such a safe haven is not available, or
if the helo driver begins to like playing fighter pilot, he may choose to
pursue the bogey, wait for it to turn around, and repeat the head-on pass
tactics. Unless the helo pilot has considerable air-to-air experience,
however, this is probably a mistake.
If the bogey pulls sharply vertical at the pass and the helo pilot cannot
make a shot, he should follow the attacker at low altitude and attempt to
get beneath the bogey as it completes the vertical maneuver. This ploy
makes a second attack by the bogey more difficult, since it would necessitate
a steep dive angle. Pilots usually will avoid steep dives at low altitude
for fear of misjudging the pull-out and hitting the ground. As the bogey
approaches overhead, the helo can pull up in an oblique climbing turn
beneath the attacker for a look-up, RQ weapons firing, or it can at least
hide beneath the opponent, forcing him to turn hard to regain sight.
Returning to the first pass for a moment, if the fixed-wing bogey turns
hard toward the helo, taking out most of the lateral separation and preventing
an effective lead turn, the helo might have trouble turning around fast
enough to get a shot. If this happens, the helo can continue the classic
angles tactics illustrated by Figure 3-1; that is, reverse nose-to-nose. In this
case, however, there is such a large disparity in speed and turn radius that a
simple reversal and a level nose-to-nose turn should quickly place the helo
inside the opponent's flight path, making it impossible for the pilot of the
fixed-wing fighter to get his nose pointed at the helo for another attack.
The helo pilot should continue the turn for at least 90°, then straighten
out or reverse into a gradual lead turn, maintaining 20°-30° of lead on the
bogey. Care should be taken not to turn so hard in the lead turn that the
helo flies out in front of the bogey. This situation can be anticipated by
watching the bogey's drift against the far horizon, and ensuring that this
apparent motion is always forward. Ultimately, if the bogey continues its
turn, the helo pilot can play his lead turn to arrive at a close-range gunfiring
position or within RQ missile parameters. An all-aspect-missilefiring
opportunity may be available soon after completion of the
nose-to-nose turn, provided min-range parameters can be met.
Now for the other side of this coin. How does a fixed-wing fighter attack
a helo? It has been shown that a helo can be a very difficult opponent, but
the fixed-wing fighter does have some advantages that can be exploited.
For one thing, odds are the helo driver has very little air-to-air experience,
so he may not be as serious a threat as the foregoing discussion might
suggest. Still, caution and deviousness form the best policy.
First there is the matter of what weapons to use, given the fighter pilot
has a choice. The gun can be very effective against helos, particularly when