Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

108 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR AIRCRAFT
adversary should be well below vertical-maneuvering speed. If the bogey
pulls sharply up in response, the energy fighter pilot should continue a
zoom climb. In this case his greater energy should allow him to top out
higher than his opponent, providing vertical separation for an attack as the
bogey pilot is forced to level off or to dive (Figure 2-15).
When your opponent lunges at you . . . feign weakness. When the opponent
has come in quite close, suddenly increase the distance by backing . . . away.
Come in forcibly . . . and win as the opponent shows signs of slacking.
Miyamoto Musashi
A nose-to-nose turn series was described here because this maneuver
makes it easier to keep sight of the opponent. Particularly as the bogey
gains more angular advantage, nose-to-tail turns can result in lengthy
blind periods after each pass. Another complication with nose-to-tail turns
(illustrated in Figure 3-5) is that a faster-turning opponent will complete
his turn, time "3" (i.e., point his nose in the general direction of the energy
fighter again), at greater range. This separation allows him to accelerate
without turning for some time before he is required to begin a lead turn to
achieve maximum angular advantage over the energy fighter at the next
pass. The period of acceleration and greater aircraft separation distances
make it more difficult to judge the bogey's relative energy.
In cases where maintaining sight of the opponent is not considered to be
a problem, a nose-to-tail turn series is actually superior to the nose-to-nose
technique for the purposes of bleeding the bogey's energy. Once the bogey
pilot has reduced his speed and turn radius slightly by making an initial
hard nose-to-nose turn, he can attain further angular gains without pulling
so hard on subsequent turns—and reduced bogey G results in less energy
bleed. Nose-to-tail turns, however, require the bogey to continue at a
greater turn rate throughout the maneuver, turning hard and bleeding
energy for every degree of advantage. Even if the bogey pulls the same load
Figure 3-5. Nose-to-Tail Turn Complications