Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

FIGHTER WEAPONS 25
tion of the target. As closure increases forward of the target's beam region,
tracking time is reduced. Even within the tracking envelope there are
many tradeoffs. When factors such as ease of tracking, closure, tracking
time, and apparent target area are weighed, the optimum tracking region
with a LCOS is generally found to be about 30° to 60° off the target's tail.
Closer to the stern position may be better with fixed sights because of
reduced deflection.
Although drawn in two dimensions, this envelope is actually three
dimensional and would probably vary only slightly depending on the
attacker's position relative to the target's plane of symmetry. The optimum
LCOS tracking zone can be envisioned, therefore, as the volume
between two cones extending rearward from the target's tail at about 30°
and 60° angles, with appropriate max- and min-range limits. Outside the
full tracking area as depicted, but still within effective range limits, is an
area in which only snapshots are possible.
As long as I look right into the muzzles, nothing can happen to me. Only if he
pulls lead am I in danger.
Captain Hans-Joachim Marseille, Luftwaffe
158 Victories (17 in One Day), WW-II
If the attacker cannot be prevented from reaching effective guns range,
the next priority is to keep him out of the tracking area, where kill
probability is highest. This is accomplished most effectively by performing
a maximum-performance "break" turn toward the attacker to rotate
him into the forward hemisphere, generally the farther forward the better,
since this also degrades his snapshot capabilities. The AOT is increased
most rapidly by placing the attacker in the plane of the break turn, which is
accomplished by first rolling to put the attacker near the vertical plane of
the aircraft, i.e., along the centerline of the canopy. However, an in-plane
turn by the defender solves many of the shooter's sighting problems and
must be used judiciously. The in-plane turn should not be used once the
shooter's range and nose position indicate that he may be about to open
fire. This point must be assessed visually by the defender, and determining
it requires practice. In most cases, with any deflection at all, the shooter's
nose must be pointed ahead of the defender to be threatening. This should
give the defender a view of the belly of the attacking aircraft. One notable
exception to this rule is a fighter designed with guns that are canted
slightly upward relative to the axis of the aircraft. Such a fighter may have
proper lead when its nose appears to point directly at, or slightly behind,
the defender.
Watching carefully over your shoulder and judging the moment he will open
fire, you turn your machine quickly so as to fly at right angles to him. His
bullets will generally pass behind you during the maneuver.
Lt. Colonel W. A. "Billy" Bishop, RAF
The break turn does several things for the defender in conjunction with
increasing AOT. High G and greater AOT increase the shooter's lead
requirement. If he failed to allow adequate excess lead during his approach,
he may not be able to generate it after the break. The resulting higher