Fighter Combat

1Fighter WeaponsFighter aircraft exist to destroy other aircraft. The airplane itself may beconsidered only a weapons platform designed to bring the weapons systeminto position for firing. Fighter weapons have varied greatly over the years,and each weapon has had unique requirements for successful employment.The requirements might include effective ranges, aiming, relativeposition of fighter and target, or any number of other factors. All of therequirements of a particular weapon must be satisfied simultaneously inorder for the weapon to be used successfully. Meeting these weapons-firingrequirements, while frustrating those of the enemy, must therefore be thegoal of all fighter tactics and maneuvering.Before fighter tactics can be discussed effectively, an understanding ofweapons systems must be developed, since these weapons are the drivingforces behind tactics. This chapter discusses the major classes of weaponswhich have been used by and against fighter aircraft. Included in thediscussion are operating characteristics, operating limitations, and countermeasuresassociated with these weapons.Air-to-Air GunsThe most important thing in fighting was shooting, next the various tacticsin coming into a fight and last of all flying ability itself.Lt. Colonel W. A. "Billy" Bishop, RAFProbably the leading RAF Ace of WW-I72 VictoriesThe gun is by far the most widely used and important air-to-air weaponever devised. The story of the adaptation of this weapon for aircraft use isvery interesting and has been the subject of several other works, so it willonly be treated in summary fashion here.Aircraft guns may be classified as "fixed" or "flexible." Fixed guns areinstalled in a stationary position relative to the aircraft, usually are forwardfiring, and are aimed by pointing the entire fighter. Flexible guns,