Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 249 Figure 6-3. Section Maneuvering time "3." Another problem is the separation that may occur at the conclusion of the reversal. If the fighters begin the turn at time "1" separated by less than one turn diameter and make level turns, their separation will increase at time "3," possibly causing loss of sight and generally reducing defensive capability. Such a wide split may, however, facilitate a bracket attack against bogeys detected at long range in the rear hemisphere. The cross turn can also be used to reduce separation when the section is originally split by more than one turn diameter. Some of the problems associated with increased separation in the cross turn may be alleviated by split-plane maneuvering. Both fighters can turn obliquely nose-high, or one can turn nose-high and the other level or nose-low. Both these methods tend to reduce final lateral separation, but the latter has some valuable fringe benefits. One is that the low fighter has improved coverage from its higher wingman. Also, the fact that the fighters do not pass so close to one another during the turn makes it more difficult for a bogey pilot to see and track both fighters during the maneuver. This effect is enhanced if the higher fighter at time "1" goes high while the other stays low. The third maneuver depicted in Figure 6-3 is the split turn, where each fighter turns away from the other. This method is useful as a means of allowing closely spaced fighters to achieve a wide bracket against bogeys detected in the rear hemisphere, but it is undoubtedly the poorest reversal so far considered from a defensive standpoint. Each pilot is out of sight of his wingman for most of the turn, and the extended separations generated are conducive to losing sight completely. Modern high-speed fighters could easily be six to eight miles apart at time "3." At such ranges one pilot is not likely to find his wingman until a fireball marks the spot! This maneuver is therefore not recommended except for very tight turning
250 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO aircraft, possibly as an offensive or defensive tactic against a threat that is well defined and in sight of both fighters. (The defensive split was discussed in Chapter 5.) All the reversals discussed to this point have the common problem of exposing both fighters to attacks from one direction while they are turning to meet a threat from the other direction. Referring to Figure 6-3, bogeys approaching from the top of the page (i.e., the forward hemisphere at time "1") could be big trouble if they tapped the fighters from their belly-side during any of these reversals. Since little protection is available from such an attack, these turns can all be quite dangerous in a hostile environment, and they are better suited to conditions when the threat sector can be well defined. The last illustration in Figure 6-3 depicts the tactical, or "tac," turn. Also known as the delayed turn or cross-over turn, this turn is referred to here as tactical, tac, or delayed to avoid confusion with the cross turn. The tactical turn accomplishes the reversal in two segments of 90° each. At time "I" in this example a "tac turn left" is called, whereupon the fighter on the right begins an immediate left turn. The pilot of the left-hand fighter delays his turn for a few seconds and continues straight ahead to time "2," when he, too, turns left. At time "3" both fighters complete 90° of turn and regain a line-abreast formation. They can then continue in this new direction for some time, as shown, to provide them an opportunity to search the area thoroughly in all directions, or they can immediately commence another "tac ninety left" to complete the reversal. As with the other turns described, split-plane maneuvering is also useful with the delayed turn. Generally the inside fighter turns nose-high during the first stage (time "I" to time "3") while the outside fighter stays level or nose-low. At time "4" the fighter high on the outside (right in this case) can dive toward the inside of the turn while the inside fighter completes a climbing left turn from time "5" to time "6." There are several advantages to this method over the others described. The periods when one fighter is in a poor defensive position, or out of sight, are kept to a minimum (here a short period between times "2" and "3," and again between times "5" and "6"). In cases when the threat sector is not well defined, the tac turn provides for visual coverage of the section's belly-side throughout the turn. Since only one fighter is doing any serious turning at any given time, the other pilot is free to clear the vulnerable belly-side of his wingman. In addition, dividing the reversal into two 90° segments with a straight-line segment (time "3" to time "4") in between tends to place a rear-hemisphere threat on one side of the section, inside the turn. In this case a bogey trailing the section at some distance at time "I" will normally be caught on the inside (left side) of the section's turn by time "6." Narrowing the threat sector to one side of the section greatly facilitates visual acquisition of an attacking bogey. The drawback here, however, is that the large effective radius of the section's turn is much like arcing in the one-versus-one case, and it allows the bogey to cut across the circle and gain an angular advantage on the section. The tac turn can also be very useful when the section wishes to disen-
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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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1 70 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DI
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196 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE
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Page 225 and 226: 206 SECTION TACTICS. TWOVERSUS-ONE
Page 229 and 230: 210 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
Page 245 and 246: 226 SECTION TACTICS/ TWOVERSUS-ONE
Page 255 and 256: Section Tactics, Two-versus-Two The
Page 257 and 258: 238 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
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Page 275 and 276: 256 SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-TWO
Page 285 and 286: 7 Division Tactics The essence of l
Page 287 and 288: 268 DIVISION TACTICS design began t
Page 289 and 290: 270 DIVISION TACTICS so called beca
Page 291 and 292: 272 DIVISION TACTICS "4." At time "
Page 293 and 294: 274 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-8. Se
Page 295 and 296: 276 DIVISION TACTICS Lieutenant Eug
Page 297 and 298: 278 DIVISION TACTICS away, the free
Page 299 and 300: 280 DIVISION TACTICS cloud) is now
Page 301 and 302: 282 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-13. G
Page 303 and 304: 284 DIVISION TACTICS defensive look
Page 305 and 306: 286 DIVISION TACTICS In a dog-fight
Page 307 and 308: 288 DIVISION TACTICS Americans empl
Page 309 and 310: 8 Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics Of cou
Page 311 and 312: 292 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS seve
Page 313 and 314: 294 UN LIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS the
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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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