Fighter Combat

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FIGHTER WEAPONS 5gun as the fighter's primary armament. The feeling was that the highspeeds of jet fighters and the heavy armament of new bombers made thegun obsolete, particularly for night and all-weather missions. During thisperiod many fighters were not equipped with guns at all; their air-to-airweapons package consisted entirely of unguided rockets, and then ofguided missiles (which are discussed later in this chapter). This trend wasreversed in the 1970s, after further combat experience had once againdemonstrated the value of the gun and the limitations of some of the moreexotic weapons.Table 1-1 is a collection of statistics on many of the guns which havebeen important in American combat aircraft, and it is fairly representativeof the armaments of other nations, as well. A good indication of thetechnological development of a gun is the weight of the projectiles that itcan fire in one minute (assuming barrel limitations and ammunitionsupply allows). In this table weight of fire is measured by the factor W F .Tremendous progress can easily be seen here by comparing the post-WorldWar I Browning .30-cal M2 machine gun with the 20-mm M61 Catling gunof the 1950s. Improvement in this area has been one of the leading factorsin the lethality increase of airborne gun systems.The lethality of a gun can be measured by multiplying the destructivepower of its projectile and the number of hits. For nonexplosive bullets,destructive qualities are generally proportional to kinetic energy: half themass of the projectile times the square of its velocity. To be more technicallycorrect, the velocity used should be the relative impact velocity,but for comparison purposes, muzzle velocity will do. The factor F L inTable 1-1, a measure of the lethality of the gun, is proportional to thekinetic energy of each projectile and the rate of fire.F L should be roughly indicative of the lethality of a nonexplosive bulletfired at the specified rate from a given gun. Cannon are a somewhatdifferent case, since much of the lethality of these weapons is derived fromtheir explosive shells. Therefore F L is a fairly accurate relative assessmentof the destructiveness of machine guns, but it underrates the cannon incomparison. Likewise, it can be used to compare cannon of the sameprojectile size, but it would slight larger guns in comparison with smallerones.Even with its limitations, FL can give a qualitative feel for the incredibleincrease in fighter gun-system lethality over the years. For example, thecombined FL of the two .30-cal-class synchronized machine guns typical offighters at the end of World War I would be on the order of F L = 2, while thesix wing-mounted .50-cal guns of the World War II P-51D fighter wouldrate about F L = 38. In addition, a much better gunsight on the P-51 andmany other fighters of its day greatly increased the probability that hitswould be scored. A further lethality increase can be seen in the gunsystems of some present-day fighters, such as the F-14, F-15, F-16, and F-18,which mount a single M61 Catling gun. Ignoring the increased lethality ofthe explosive shell and even better gunsights, these aircraft would rateabout FL = 145. Such technological advances, combined with inherent
Table 1-1. American Aircraft GunsType•Machine Guns.30-cal M2.50-cal M2.50-cal M3Cannon20-mm M220-mm M320-mm M3920-mm M6137-mm M4—OperationalDate• "19291933194719411944195319571941—Bullet Weight Rate of Firellbsj (rounds/mini.021,200.10800.101,200.30650.30800.221,500.226,0001.34 135-.Weight of FireW Fjlbs/min}25811211962413321,330181Muzzle VelocityV M(ft/sec)2,6002,8102,8402,8502,7503,3303,3002,000; —LethalityFLfW f x VJA x ID' 8 )1.76.49.815.918.236.8144.87.2
Page 2 and 3: Fighter CombatTACTICS AND MANEUVERI
Page 4 and 5: ContentsPrefaceixAcknowledgmentsxvA
Page 6: CONTENTSVllSingle-Side Offset 353Tr
Page 9 and 10: XPREFACEtactics varied greatly, and
Page 12: PREFACEXlllseconds, while today's f
Page 15 and 16: XVIACKNOWLEDGMENTSGodfrey, John T.,
Page 17 and 18: XV111ABBREVIATIONSHUD heads-up disp
Page 20 and 21: 1Fighter WeaponsFighter aircraft ex
Page 22 and 23: FIGHTER WEAPONS 6lets. Another fact
Page 26 and 27: FIGHTER WEAPONS 7reliability, cost-
Page 28 and 29: FIGHTER WEAPONS ?The final complica
Page 30 and 31: FIGHTER WEAPONS \ \span of the enem
Page 32 and 33: FIGHTER WEAPONS 13cause large, erra
Page 34 and 35: FIGHTER WEAPONS 15Gun EmploymentWhe
Page 36 and 37: FIGHTER WEAPONS 17I am not a good s
Page 38 and 39: FIGHTER WEAPONS 19Guns are like alc
Page 40 and 41: FIGHTER WEAPONS 21Most snapshots li
Page 42 and 43: FIGHTER WEAPONS 23second) should be
Page 44 and 45: FIGHTER WEAPONS 25tion of the targe
Page 46 and 47: FIGHTER WEAPONS 27Instead, the defe
Page 48 and 49: FIGHTER WEAPONS 29firing zone by re
Page 50 and 51: FIGHTER WEAPONS 31This maneuver spo
Page 52 and 53: FIGHTER WEAPONS 33swiveling the noz
Page 54 and 55: FIGHTER WEAPONS 35they are more sus
Page 56 and 57: FIGHTER WEAPONS 37home on reciproca
Page 58 and 59: FIGHTER WEAPONS 39The various forms
Page 60 and 61: FIGHTER WEAPONS 41in bad weather, s
Page 62 and 63: FIGHTER WEAPONS 43Of course, this t
Page 64 and 65: FIGHTER WEAPONS 45is sometimes call
Page 66 and 67: FIGHTER WEAPONS 47NON-MANEUVERINGMA
Page 68 and 69: FIGHTER WEAPONS 49the radar track,
Page 70 and 71: FIGHTER WEAPONS 5 1Besides the guid
Page 72 and 73: FIGHTER WEAPONS 53rocket-powered ve
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FIGHTER WEAPONS 55speed targets. Hi
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FIGHTER WEAPONS 57detect the target
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FIGHTER WEAPONS 59For forward- or r
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FIGHTER WEAPONS 61varies with range
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 63Lead Purs
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 65attacker
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 67Effective
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 69that he p
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 71to arrive
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 73improve t
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 75Figure 2-
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 77approach
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 79Figure 2-
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 81plane of
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 83direction
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 85essential
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 87speed for
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 89proportio
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 91attacker)
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 93At positi
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 95slow-spee
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BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS 97When it i
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ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR
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One-versus-OneManeuvering,Dissimila
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ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMI
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Section Tactics,Two-versus-OneNever
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SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-ONE 197
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 199h
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SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE 201
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 207a
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 209M
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 211F
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 213e
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 215e
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 217h
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 219A
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 221D
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SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-ONE 223
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 225a
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 227F
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 229s
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 231d
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 233s
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE 235p
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 237v
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SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-TWO 239
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 241w
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 243f
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 245b
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SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-TWO 247
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 249F
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 251g
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 253t
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SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-TWO 255
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 257d
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 259c
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 261F
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SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 263i
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SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-TWO 265
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DIVISION TACTICS 267sides late in W
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DIVISION TACTICS 269unacceptably hi
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DIVISION TACTICS 271Figure 7-4. Lin
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DIVISION TACTICS 273Figure 7-6.Sect
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DIVISION TACTICS 2755. In any form
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DIVISION TACTICS 277when the divisi
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DIVISION TACTICS 279"Gaggle" doctri
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DIVISION TACTICS 281Figure 7-11. Ga
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DIVISION TACTICS 283on the lookout
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DIVISION TACTICS 285It is when a fo
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DIVISION TACTICS 287attack by the d
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DIVISION TACTICS 289low-performance
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 291previ
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 293attac
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 295Other
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 297We ne
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 299Figur
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 301be me
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 303Quite
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 305many
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 307great
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 309very
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 311arran
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 313area
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UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS 315The m
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 317conflict, air s
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 319man will, who,
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 321friendly aircra
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 323quested informa
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 325The massed atta
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 327by installation
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 329bombers' defens
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 331must be assured
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 333attacked just a
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 335proven consiste
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 337already been co
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 339between the two
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 341decoys and fein
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 343Figure 9-5. Fig
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FIGHTER MISSIONS 345remote escorts.
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 347often have t
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 349The goal of
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 351interceptor'
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 353and closing
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 355the intercep
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 357shoot before
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 359element, as
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 361bogey neutra
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 363bogey. It is
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 365for the inte
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 367since additi
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 369tial, partic
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 371RWR equipmen
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 373Figure 10-15
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 375of fighters
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 377out." This c
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 379One peek is
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 381general, the
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 383lead to 30-m
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TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 385considered t
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388 APPENDIXcould not or simply wou
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390 APPENDIXmust be a limit. Usuall
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392 APPENDIXFigure A-3. Level Insta
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394 APPENDIXwhich is classified as
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396 APPENDIXonly about half its sea
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398 APPENDIXFigure A-8. Origin of I
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400 APPENDIXveloped to lessen the e
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402 APPENDIXFigure A-12, Possible L
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404 APPENDIXFigure A-14. Effect of
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406 APPENDIXFigure A-15. Sample Cli
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408 APPENDIXturn performance (i.e.,
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410 APPENDIXtrolling airspeed, keep
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412 APPENDIXgravity, radial G will
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414 APPENDIXFigure A-20. Variations
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416 APPENDIXFigure A-22. Lift versu
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BibliographyAir Force Flight Test C
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IndexAcceleration performance, 29-3
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INDEX 423Escort. See Strike escortE
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INDEX 425212-14, 224, 233, 237, 240
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INDEX 427Sustained turns, 88-90, 92
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Fighter Combat

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