Fighter Combat

One-versus-OneManeuvering,Dissimilar AircraftDissimilar fighters are fighters that have some performance characteristicswhich differ from those of the opponent by more than about 10percent. The performance measures of most interest are turn performance(both instantaneous and sustained) and energy performance (climb, acceleration,and speed). Of course there are many other ways in which fightersmay differ (e.g., roll and pitch performance, size, pilot visibility limits,combat endurance, and radar capabilities). The influence of some of thesefactors is also discussed when appropriate.As explained in the Appendix, instantaneous turn performance is determinedprimarily by the ratio of aerodynamic lift to aircraft weight at lowspeeds (i.e., below corner velocity) and by the ratio of structural strength toaircraft weight at high speeds. Except in cases of extreme disparity instructural strength between fighters (i.e., on the order of a 50 percentadvantage in maximum structural G for one aircraft), this limit is notusually as important in air combat as the aerodynamic limit. When afighter pilot finds himself in a serious defensive situation, and to someextent when he is very near a lethal offensive position, he will use whateverG is required to save himself or to get the shot. A few popped rivets orsome wrinkled skin is a small price to pay for the pilot's life or for a downedenemy aircraft. Since World War I there have been very few instances whena pilot has actually pulled the wings off his own fighter. Limits of structuralstrength must be adhered to in peacetime, however, since overstressesresult in additional maintenance time, expense, and lost training.Therefore, ways must be found of winning within the design limits of theaircraft.The relative low-speed instantaneous-turn-performance capabilities oftwo fighters can be determined by comparing their velocity-load factor(V-n) diagrams (see the Appendix). The aircraft with the greatest usable Gcapability at a given speed has superior instantaneous turn performance(i.e., faster turn rate and smaller radius) at that speed. This G capability