Fighter Combat

1 76 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFTvictory (third on this mission) to become the first U.S. aces in Vietnam.They were flying a F-4J Phantom with semi-active radar Sparrow andheat-seeking Sidewinder missiles (no guns); their opponent was a battlewiseVietnamese ace in a MiG-17 Fresco that was probably equipped onlywith guns (although at the time some were rumored to be carrying heatseekingAtoll missiles). Under these combat conditions the F-4 is estimatedto have a T/W advantage of about 20 percent, but a wing loading 80percent greater than that of the MiG. Cunningham attempted to employenergy tactics in this fight and met with little success against the wellflownbogey. Frustrated, Duke finally pulled a desperate gamble and won.Incidentally, "Fox Two" is a radio call used to warn other friendly aircraftin the area of an impending Sidewinder missile launch.As we headed for the coast at 10,000 feet, I spotted another airplane on thenose, slightly low, heading straight for us. It was a MiG-17. I told Irish towatch how close we could pass the MiG to take out as much lateral separationas possible so he could not convert as easily to our six o'clock. We used todo the same thing against the A-4s back at Miramar since the two aircraftwere virtually identical in performance. This proved to be my first near-fatalmistake. . . . A-4s don't have guns in the nose.The MiG's entire nose lit up like a Christmas tree! Pumpkin-sized BBswent sailing by our F-4.1 pulled sharply into the pure vertical to destroy the[enemy's] tracking solution. As I came out of the six-G pull-up I strained tosee the MiG below as my F-4 went straight up. I was sure it would go into ahorizontal turn, or just run as most had done in the past. As I looked back overmy ejection seat I got the surprise of my life: there was the MiG, canopy tocanopy with me, barely 300 feet away! ... I began to feel numb. My stomachgrabbed at me in knots. There was no fear in this guy's eyes as we zoomedsome 8,000 feet straight up.I lit the afterburners and started to outclimb my adversary, but this excessperformance placed me above him. As I started to pull over the top, he beganshooting. My second near-fatal mistake—I had given him a predictable flightpath, and he had taken advantage of it. I was forced to roll and pull to the otherside. He pulled in right behind me.Not wanting to admit this guy was beating me, I blurted to Willie, "ThatS.O.B. is really lucky! All right, we'll get this guy now!" I pulled down toaccelerate with the MiG at my four o'clock. I watched and waited until hecommitted his nose down, then pulled up into him and rolled over the top,placing me at his five o'clock. Even though I was too close with too muchangle-off his tail to fire a missile, the maneuver placed me in an advantageousposition. I thought I had outflown him—overconfidence replaced fear.I pulled down, holding top rudder, to press for a shot, and he pulled up intome, shooting! I thought, "Oh, no maybe this guy isn't just lucky after all!" Heused the same maneuver I had attempted, pulling up into me and forcing anovershoot—we were in the classic rolling scissors. As his nose committed Ipulled up into him.In training I had fought in the same situation. I learned if my opponent hadhis nose too high, I could snap down, using the one G to advantage, then runout to his six o'clock before he could get turned around and get in range.As we slowed to 200 knots, I knew it was time to bug out. . . . TheMiG's superior turn radius, coupled with higher available G at that speed,