Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 207 a scissors. Against a gun-equipped attacker with a definite angular advantage, reversing at this point subjects the defender to another close-range gun shot, unless the defender is much more maneuverable (i.e., has a tighter turn radius). The reversal option also tends to drag the fight away from the free fighter, delaying any help it may be able to render. Engaging the bogey in a slow-speed, close-range knife fight can even leave the free fighter helpless to assist, since a missile fired at the bogey under these conditions might very easily guide on the friendly fighter instead. This would greatly reduce the popularity of the free-fighter pilot at the bar following the mission. A better option here is probably to continue to turn in the same direction, as shown at time "4." This action delays any further weapons firing by the attacker and pulls the fight back toward the free fighter. If the bogey continues to press the attack in this case, it will turn belly-up to the free fighter coming in from the south. The free fighter would then be in an excellent position to sandwich the bogey, probably unseen, and achieve either gun- or missile-firing parameters. If the bogey detects the free fighter's attack, a switch may occur, with the bogey releasing the original defender to concentrate on the other fighter. In this case the original free fighter becomes engaged, usually on at least equal terms, and can begin one-versus-one maneuvering or disengage. Meanwhile the original defender is now free to catch his breath, recover some energy, and assume a cover position, usually high above the fight, to await his turn at the opponent while watching for additional ("wild-card") bogeys. Figure 5-5. The Defensive Split
208 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE Again the team of Godfrey and Gentile provides a combat example of the defensive split. The maneuvering following the split is also very representative of offensive double attack doctrine. Don was the first to see the ME-109. "Johnny, at six o'clock high there's a single bandit." I looked back, and there he was high above us. I gazed in disbelief as his nose dropped and he plummeted down on us. "Don, the crazy son of a bitch is bouncing us." "I know. When I yell, 'Break,' you break right and I'll break left." I watched as the 109 dropped closer and closer. "Break, Johnny." I pulled sharply to the right, and thought at first I had broken too late as the 109 pulled on my tail. I tightened my turn and met Don halfway around as he tried to fire on the 109 in a head-on attack. I went around twice more, with the Jerry on my tail, before Don could reverse his turn and swing down for a rear attack. But this German pilot was a smart, capable flyer. As Don brought his guns to bear, he split S and dove to the ground. Don and I followed him, our motors roaring in pursuit. He pulled out of his dive and banked left, which brought him close to me. I followed him and fired. He wasn't one to sit still, however, and changed his turn to swing into Don. I followed, firing intermittently. Don, meanwhile, had climbed for altitude, and I kept the Jerry busy in a tight turn. As I fired, I saw flashes on his wing, fuselage and even his motor, but the pilot wouldn't bail out. Turning all the time and losing height, we were now just above the tree tops, and the 109's engine was spewing smoke. I had no forewarning that my ammunition was running out, but as I prepared for the final burst only silence came as I pressed the tit. "Finish him, Don. I'm all out of ammunition." Don, who had been maneuvering above us waiting for the Jerry to break out of the turn, zoomed down in front of me and made one pass at the courageous German flyer. His shots hit home, and the 109 crashed into the ground. 1 A common variation on the defensive split is a high/low split. In this case one fighter pulls up steeply (either vertically or obliquely toward the wingman) while the other turns away level or nose-low. This tactic generates both a vertical and a horizontal split and again forces the attacker to make a choice. If he attacks the low fighter, the high fighter can come over the top of its vertical or oblique loop and dive down on the bogey. This can be a very effective tactic when a section is attacked by a low-T/W adversary who does not have the poop to reach the high fighter in its zoom. The high/low split has some serious limitations, however. One of these is the slow speed resulting from the high fighter's zoom climb which leaves it vulnerable to a second, unseen, attacker. Another is the beautiful look-up shot it presents to a missile-equipped opponent. A third consideration is the relative energy of attacker and defender. If the bogey is closing from the rear quarter at the same altitude or higher, it has an energy advantage over the defending fighters. This energy margin may allow even a low-powered bogey to zoom with the high fighter, catch it at the top of the loop, and cause real problems long before the low fighter can become a factor. The high/low split was used very effectively by the Chinese and Russian
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Fighter Combat TACTICS AND MANEUVER
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Preface ix Acknowledgments xv Abbre
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CONTENTS Vll Single-Side Offset 353
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X PREFACE tactics varied greatly, a
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Xll PREFACE current void of informa
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Acknowledgments Much of the credit
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Abbreviations AAA anti-aircraft art
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Fighter Combat TACTICS AND MANEUVER
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2 FIGHTER WEAPONS although fixed to
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4 FIGHTER WEAPONS some firing range
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Table 1-1. American Aircraft Guns T
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8 FIGHTER WEAPONS angle is also dep
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10 FIGHTER WEAPONS the ballistics o
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12 HGHTER WEAPONS often bars of lig
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14 FIGHTER WEAPONS This system has
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16 FIGHTER WEAPONS required firing
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18 FIGHTER WEAPONS With a disturbed
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20 FIGHTER WEAPONS We were both fly
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22 FIGHTER WEAPONS The predictor LC
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24 FIGHTER WEAPONS The next best th
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26 FIGHTER WEAPONS tracking G, shor
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28 FIGHTER WEAPONS defender's inten
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30 FIGHTER WEAPONS and acrobatic ma
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32 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Propulsi
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34 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Guidance
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36 FIGHTER WEAPONS straight path. T
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38 FIGHTER WEAPONS target to correc
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40 FIGHTER WEAPONS sensor systems,
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42 FIGHTER WEAPONS Since CW radars
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44 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Fuzes Th
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46 FIGHTER WEAPONS prised of many i
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48 FIGHTER WEAPONS The maneuvering
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50 FIGHTER WEAPONS racy being about
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52 FIGHTER WEAPONS then slowing the
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54 FIGHTER WEAPONS Shooter and targ
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56 FIGHTER WEAPONS will exhibit lar
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58 FIGHTER WEAPONS (RWR), that an e
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60 FIGHTER WEAPONS barrel-rolling a
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2 Basic Fighter Maneuvers I fly clo
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64 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS the comb
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66 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS himself
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68 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS speed ad
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70 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS pursuit
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72 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS Figure 2
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74 Figure 2-7. Low Yo-Yo BASIC FIGH
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76 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS The pote
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80 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS In case
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82 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS capitali
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84 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS one (the
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86 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS his exte
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90 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS the boge
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92 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS subseque
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94 Figure 2-22. Defensive Spiral BA
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96 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS usually
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3 One-versus-One Maneuvering, Simil
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100 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIM
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140 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DIS
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Page 175 and 176: 156 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DIS
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Page 215 and 216: 196 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE
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Page 229 and 230: 210 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
Page 245 and 246: 226 SECTION TACTICS/ TWOVERSUS-ONE
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Page 257 and 258: 238 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
Page 275 and 276: 256 SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-TWO
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258 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
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7 Division Tactics The essence of l
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268 DIVISION TACTICS design began t
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270 DIVISION TACTICS so called beca
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272 DIVISION TACTICS "4." At time "
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274 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-8. Se
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276 DIVISION TACTICS Lieutenant Eug
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278 DIVISION TACTICS away, the free
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280 DIVISION TACTICS cloud) is now
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282 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-13. G
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284 DIVISION TACTICS defensive look
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286 DIVISION TACTICS In a dog-fight
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288 DIVISION TACTICS Americans empl
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8 Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics Of cou
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292 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS seve
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294 UN LIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS the
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296 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS beca
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298 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS I de
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300 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS post
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302 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS many
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304 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS poss
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306 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS posi
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308 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS may
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310 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS inte
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312 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS A go
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314 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS doct
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Fighter Missions To use a fighter a
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318 FIGHTER MISSIONS Scenarios Sinc
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320 FIGHTER MISSIONS altitude, deta
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322 FIGHTER MISSIONS agency and the
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324 FIGHTER MISSIONS As previously
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326 FIGHTER MISSIONS cruise missile
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328 FIGHTER MISSIONS pattern gives
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330 FIGHTER MISSIONS have to coordi
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332 FIGHTER MISSIONS can be turned
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334 FIGHTER MISSIONS the enemy. Suc
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336 FIGHTER MISSIONS aircraft, and
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338 FIGHTER MISSIONS point for a di
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340 FIGHTER MISSIONS become major t
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342 Figure 9-3. Fighter-Escort Miss
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344 FIGHTER MISSIONS Figure 9-6. Fi
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10 Tactical Intercepts Confront the
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348 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Figure 10-1
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350 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS desired alt
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352 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS If the turn
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356 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS range). If
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358 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS ment, and t
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360 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Advantages
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364 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS leader thro
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366 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS immediate l
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368 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS awareness),
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370 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS and positio
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372 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS low, traili
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376 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS also have t
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378 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Visual Scan
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380 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Likely thre
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382 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS be best for
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384 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS target on t
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Appendix Fighter Performance Perfor
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APPENDIX Figure A-l. V-n Diagram di
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APPENDIX 391 Figure A-2. Aircraft T
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APPENDIX 393 Figure A-4. Instantane
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APPENDIX 395 neuverability may be d
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APPENDIX 397 Figure A-7. Engine Thr
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APPENDIX 399 tends to reduce pressu
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APPENDIX 401 Figure A-11. Typical H
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APPENDIX 403 cause the Ps = 0 line
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APPENDIX 405 In theory the energy t
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APPENDIX 407 aircraft surfaces. In
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APPENDIX 409 Outside the zero-Ps li
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APPENDIX 411 factor," which is the
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APPENDIX 413 this condition occurs,
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APPENDIX 415 speed control. Many of
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APPENDIX 417 short or swept wings a
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420 BIBLIOGRAPHY Johnson, Robert S.
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422 INDEX Canard controls, 32, 398
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424 High yo-yo. See Yo-yo, high H-M
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426 INDEX Pursuit: curves and traje
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428 INDEX Turns (continued] 191, 20
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Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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