How to Win in an Aerial Dogfight!

[AV 1611]

Hello fans,

Nothing like a great READ! I found a well suited article last night and thought I should post it for anyone looking for answers or just wanting to argue! lol

Article by Mike SPACEMAN:

Most of us will never feel the thrill of chasing an aircraft around the sky, trying to get on its tail and shoot it down. Unless you are lucky enough to be a pilot in some Air Force, or have enough money to participate in a program like Air Combat USA, the closest you can get to 'guts and glory' is through a computer game. The Il2 Sturmovik series, Aces High (a massive multi-player World War 2 Air Combat Game), and Lock-on:Modern Air Combat are the state of the art combat flight simulators of our day.

These games are so realistic that the only way you can win is by using tactics developed in the real world, over almost one hundred years of aerial warfare. I will give you some tried-and-true principles for gaining the upper hand in a aerial engagement fought with guns only.

Instructions:

STEP 1:

*Seeing is winning, being seen is being killed.
If you spot the enemy before they spot you, the dogfight almost a done deal. Always look around you for airplanes. If flying for long periods of time, follow a zigzag course in order to clear your six o'clock (rear) blind spot periodically. Use clouds to hide from enemies. Always attack with the sun at your back in order to make yourself less visible to your opponent.

STEP 2:

*Altitude is as valuable as your ammo.
Always try to be above your opponent before an attack. Altitude can be converted to airspeed, which can get you out of a sticky situation. If you dive on your opponent, you can fire a quick burst, then zoom away with the extra speed you have, and come back for another shot. With extra altitude, you control the engagement. The expression 'having the upper hand' comes to mind.

STEP 3:

*Know your aircraft and your enemy's aircraft.
In the previous steps we have focused on fundamental principles that are valid in any engagement. However, some of the tactics you will use are aircraft dependent. For instance, if you have a faster airplane than your opponent, or opponents in this case, you will have a good chance of survival doing quick attacks against an enemy that is part of a formation. You can single out an opponent, take a shot and the pull away, or, in the Air Combat lingo, extend. The enemy formation, slower than you, will not be able to trap you in. This tactic works better in conjunction with the element of surprise mentioned in Step 1 and initial the altitude advantage mentioned in Step 2. If your aircraft is slower than your enemy's , but it's also a better turner, you should avoid one against many engagements. When fighting against a single enemy aircraft, your best bet is to keep turning in order to prevent your enemy from getting on your tail. Try to turn only as tight as it takes to keep him from getting on your 6. He will lose airspeed in the process and become an easy prey to your more nimble mount.

STEP 4:

*When you think you're too close, get closer!
The best kill is a quick kill, one that minimizes your engagement time and the danger of another enemy creeping up on your tail. So fire only when you're close enough to the target to ensure that every round expended is a round going into your opponent.

STEP 5:

*A successful fighter pilot is one that chooses his battles.
Patience is a virtue, one that pays off in the merciless playground in the sky. Only attack when the situation is in your favor. The greatest aces, like Erich Hartmann with 352 kills in World War 2, were level headed hunters with a keen eye for odds. Don't attack just because an enemy aircraft happens to be in range, without regards to its altitude, type or number of enemies that can lend him a hand. If things look iffy, go for greener pastures (or greener opponents).

STEP 6:

I hope this little article will help you win your next dogfight, whether that occurs in the real space or in cyberspace.

Things You'll Need:

A Windows PC
Or a lot of money
Or an Air Force Pilot Commission

LOL!

[Vulcan607]

Or in 1 step
Shoot the enemy planes down without getting show down yourself, fly like a madman and never give in.

[dkwookie]

Or pick an I-153

[Panzergranate]

Originally Posted by dkwookie

Or pick an I-153

And don't mix it with other players in faster aircraft who know how easy it is to shoot down a slow moving unarmoured bi-plane.

There are three methods to shoot down a I-153 and I-16.

(1) Wait until its busy with someone else, fly in fast and blast it. If somehow or other, the victim survives and gives chase, just power away and quickly move out of range by either climbing or level flight. If he gives chase, someone else will nail him, if he gives up, you'll turn and nail him.

(2) Engage in a turning battle and fly at full throttle. You will gradually begin to catch it up, despite turning a far larger circle. You will stay out of the enemy's line of fire whilst doing this. This tactic works extremely well with Hurricanes and Spitfires. The guy then has two choices, keep turning and be shot down or break off and be shot down.

(3) Lure the sucker up above 15,000 Feet, where both the I-153 and I-16 begin to loose performance and airspeed rapidly. At this altitude both Soviet aircraft pull wider turning circles and have less agility than more modern mono-planes. Above 20,000 Feet both struggle to make even 100 MPH in level flight and are sitting ducks.

I caught out a I-16 player twice, last night by fllying at 18,000 Feet in my Hurricane. As the guy was host, the game was me versus him (because he started it as soon as I joined) and he was the only one being hit and shot down..... guess what..... he closed the game.

There is a (4) option, though only available if playing IL-2 Forgotten Battles on the PC..... Fly a Finnish B-239 Buffalo as this out turns the I-153 and easily beats it on agility and speed.