Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

80 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS
In case 2 the fighters again start abeam, but initial separation in this
instance is considerably greater than the larger of the two turn radii, and
less than the larger turn diameter. (This is also the situation in Figure 2-12.)
Here more turning is required, but still the tighter-turning attacker gains a
nice bite by time "3." In this situation both radius and relative speeds play
a role, but radius is the dominant factor.
Case 3 begins with even greater initial separation, this time exceeding
the larger turn diameter. Here the tighter-turning fighter is unable to
generate significant flight-path separation and can gain only a very small
angular advantage at time "3." Relative speeds contribute essentially
nothing in this situation, and a fighter must have a tighter radius to gain
any advantage at all.
Figure 2-14 illustrates the effects of turn performance on nose-to-tail
maneuvers. In case 1 the two aircraft have identical turn rates, but the
attacker has a much smaller radius of turn. From a neutral start at time
"1," the fighters maintain their neutrality throughout the maneuver to
time "3," and if their paths were continued, the opponents would meet
again at their original positions. In this situation a turn-radius advantage
did not benefit the attacker, as it did in the nose-to-nose case. The attacker
could have gained an advantage, however, if he had chosen to employ a lead
turn prior to meeting at time "1," as discussed earlier.
In case 2 the two fighters have the same turn radii, but the attacker has a
considerable turn-rate advantage. Note that this situation results in an
offensive position advantage by time "3." It is, therefore, primarily turn
rate that produces advantage in nose-to-tail maneuvers; however, a radius
advantage is also of some benefit as flight-path separation at the pass
increases. With greater flight-path separation at the pass, a reduced radius
can result in a larger advantage because of lead-turn possibilities.
When planning to use a nose-to-tail turn, the pilot of the better-turning
fighter should try to gain some flight-path separation with the bogey, in the
CASE 1 CASE 2
DEFENDER
Figure 2-14. Turn-Performance Effects on Nose-to-Tail Turns