Tips on maneuvers

[Doc_uk]

Anybody got any good tuts on Diving on an enemy and coming form underneath,
It seems when i try to dive on one, before i relies im level with him
And with coming from below, well, its the same, need some good tuts
Time to study, me thinks
Keep in mind im not using trackir yet:(

[617Squadron]

Your best bet would be a large yo-yo maneuver. Pull back on the stick and then move it to the right slightly, so that the plane rolls over and starts to fly a wide corkscrew loop, ending up with you flying straight and level again, but still behind the target..

By doing this, you are flying further than the target, which compensates for your faster speed and you should end up behind and below it, if the arc you fly is large enough.

Below is better on bombers as they tend to be less well defended from underneath. It can also work on fighters, if you are flying too fast and risking an overshoot. If a fighter is turning and you are faster, a yo-yo will keep you in trail of the target and prevent an overshoot.

[Doc_uk]

Your best bet would be a large yo-yo maneuver. Pull back on the stick and then move it to the right slightly, so that the plane rolls over and starts to fly a wide corkscrew loop, ending up with you flying straight and level again, but still behind the target..

By doing this, you are flying further than the target, which compensates for your faster speed and you should end up behind and below it, if the arc you fly is large enough.

Below is better on bombers as they tend to be less well defended from underneath. It can also work on fighters, if you are flying too fast and risking an overshoot. If a fighter is turning and you are faster, a yo-yo will keep you in trail of the target and prevent an overshoot.
Thanks will try that one

[617Squadron]

Turning to the right tends to cause you to roll faster, as you are working with the engine torque, not against it. Left rolls can be slower as you are fighting the torque.

[jimbop]

You want to start reading about energy fighting. Good start is Wikipedia on 'Air combat manoeuvring'.

[rollnloop]

1st thing is to think :
1/what ammount of firing do i need to down the target ? What to aim ?
2/How much steady time do i need to deliver that amount ?
3/what position can i afford considering ennemy defences (gunners) ?

From the answer to these questions you'll bring an answer to the main one
"what should be my position relative to target when i shoot ?"

If the desired postion is above target, you will choose to approach from the high side, ahead of target following parallel course, and aim well ahead of target for a firing solution slightly ahead of target.

If the desired position is "low six and steady", you will dive on target while keeping it in the upper part of your windshield, where it won't disappear during the dive (you will have to shallow this dive continuously to keep target in this position). Then you'll come from below with a shallow angle, aim slightly ahead of target and deliver your fire while pushing the stick constantly (and slightly) for the lenght of your burst, in order to keep the same firing solution.

If the solution is "from below with a high angle", in the final stage of the dive you'll let target pass above your windshield while diving really deep under.

When target is going past your vision angle, start climb, aiming far ahead target, and fire early while pushing the stick to keep your firing solution. Avoid target early on its side, aiming to take space fast on the side because with your slow speed after climb you'll be a very good target for ennemy gunners.

Good luck :)

[senseispcc]

If you want to stay alive get high in altitude and dive on your opponent, fire and get away. So you are nearly certain to survive even with an inferior plane. Read about the "Flying tiger" against the Japanese in WW2. Or German against the US bombers late in the war but they used the frontal attack also.
Get higher, dive, kill, get out of there!

[Flanker35M]

S!

Doc, find this book..Robert L. Shaw: Air Combat, Tactics and Maneuvering. Very good read!

[Ataros]

Search Youtube for boom'n'zoom Il-2 videos.

Check out this guy's Dogfghts series for example
http://www.youtube.com/user/BigSilverHotdog

Turn off vulnerability, limited ammo and set some bombers in FMB 1500m below you for practice. Dive on them when you are right above them but not when you are behind them. Zoom after attack into the right position above them and repeat for 2 hours.

[kimosabi]

Turning to the right tends to cause you to roll faster, as you are working with the engine torque, not against it. Left rolls can be slower as you are fighting the torque.

Not quite. Engine torque and propeller torque are two different things. The propeller counteracts the engine torque, because usually the prop turns in the opposite direction of the engine from using a reduction gear between the engine and prop and also, it puts much more torque on the airframe than the crank.

So, with a clockwise turning propeller, viewed from the cockpit, your aircraft will roll faster to the left but also turn better to the left. And vice versa.

[Moggy]

S!

Doc, find this book..Robert L. Shaw: Air Combat, Tactics and Maneuvering. Very good read!

+1

I would also recommend the Korean War air tactics book, "No Guts, No Glory" by Frederick Blesse.

[jf1981]

My advice is U'll learn fast & simple tactics in dogfight with external chasing view F6 and complete screen ctrl+F1.

Those are not realistic but is makes it easy to learn dogfight tactics and how to aim in front of the plane by guessing its trajectory, sometimes in sharp turns you need to fire at least 100 meters in front of him.

1 : "Flying" and 2 : "aiming at a fighter in sharp turns" is very difficult to learn with the limited view and cockpit always on.

But if you fly with full screen mode and ext view on you will undetrstand how it works and with practice you'll be able to use the same tactics in full realism mode.

The issue is that after some pactice, you'll see that you need to guess and imagine the situation in your mind and with available visual indications, you sometimes fire an imaginary spot because the plane is not yet visible in the sight, but it will hit the plane.

That demands practice.

Regards

[617Squadron]

Also, check out the 'Dogfights' series of videos on Youtube. The series goes into the tactics used by pilots and explains energy fighting really well.

Speed and altitude are life....

[kimosabi]

Speed and altitude are life....

Speed is life, altitude is life insurance. :)

[617Squadron]

^^ I'll take that...;)

[ATAG_Doc]

Gunther Rall suggest the best tactic against a P-47 is to shoot it down. :) I'm pretty sure that is universal. :)