Fighter Combat

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT 185This was going to be fun. I knew he could turn inside the heavy Thunderbolt;if I attempted to hold a tight turn the Spitfire would slip right inside me.I knew, also, that he could easily outclimb my fighter. I stayed out of thosesucker traps. First rule in this kind of a fight: don't fight the way youropponent fights best. No sharp turns; don't climb; keep him at your ownlevel.We were at 5,000 feet, the Spitfire skidding around hard and coming in onmy tail. No use turning; he'd whip right inside me as if I were a truck loadedwith cement, and snap out in firing position. Well, I had a few tricks, too. TheP-47 was faster, and I threw the ship into a roll. Right here I had him. The Jugcould outroll any plane in the air, bar none. With my speed, roll was my onlyadvantage, and I made full use of the manner in which the Thunderbolt couldwhirl. I kicked the Jug into a wicked left roll, horizon spinning crazily, once,twice, into a third. As he turned to the left to follow, I tramped down on theright rudder, banged the stick over to the right. Around and around we went,left, right, left, right. I could whip through better than two rolls before theSpitfire even completed his first. And this killed his ability to turn inside me.I just refused to turn. Every time he tried to follow me in a roll, I flashed awayto the opposite side, opening the gap between our two planes.Then I played the trump. The Spitfire was clawing wildly through the air,trying to follow me in a roll, when I dropped the nose. The Thunderbolthowled and ran for earth. Barely had the Spitfire started to follow—and I was along way ahead of him by now—when I j erked back on the stick and threw theJug into a zoom climb. In a straight or turning climb, the British ship had theadvantage. But coming out of a dive, there's not a British or a German fighterthat can come close to a Thunderbolt rushing upward in a zoom. Before theSpit pilot knew what had happened, I was high above him, the Thunderbolthammering around. And that was it—for in the next few moments theSpitfire flier was amazed to see a less maneuverable, slower-climbing Thunderboltrushing straight at him, eight guns pointed ominously at his cockpit. 4V/STOL and Helicopter Tactical ConsiderationsProgress in aviation and weapons technology has begun to result in severaltypes of "unconventional" fighter aircraft. Among these are vertical/short -takeoff and -landing (V/STOL) fighters, and helicopters.V/STOL versus Conventional FightersThere are currently two distinct variations in V/STOL design. The first ofthese to be considered is the thrust-vector type, typified by the BritishHarrier. This design has four jet exhaust nozzles that can be pivoted todirect the exhaust directly astern, or downward, or even slightly forward.Two nozzles are located behind and two forward of the CG, so that theaircraft can be supported in a hover by the four downward columns of jetexhaust, much like the legs of a four-poster bed. The Harrier has only asingle engine, but fighters of this type with multiple engines could follow.While it is at very slow speeds the fighter's attitude is controlled by smallreaction jets of engine bleed air located in the nose and/or tail and on thewing tips.In order to takeoff and land vertically, this fighter must have a T/W ofgreater than 1. When the aircraft is heavily loaded with fuel and ordnance,