Tactics question

[Sharky]

Humble,

Yes finding the right combination of pressure to maintaining the energy advantage is one of the hardest things to judge.  Just keep practicing.  I saw your film and emailed you some comments.  However with possibly one exception you did a great job in that fight.

Sharky

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You can run, but you just die tired.

[humble]

still cant figure what I was thinking with that 109...guess my 2 grey cells were buzy generating heat  

[Extreme]

Keiren,

you mean the straight down dive?...I get one or two shots at this and then I'm outa there.  I think one time I pulled a bit hard and broke my wings but usually it's an easy pull up on the stick if I miss and WEP back up to alt.  I don't saddle up if that's what you're referring to.

Ex.

[Kieren]

Extreme-

Not necessarily a vertical dive, but the angle is important. If you come in hot and steep and the defender split-S's (assuming he timed it right), you now have to pull a lot of G's to get back up to perch quickly or reverse. You might get it back quickly enough to make another pass, but keep doing this and you will get worked down. Once you are operating on roughly the same alt you could be in trouble.

But, as you say you make one pass then out, then you are most probably safe, for now. If you popped a wing on a pass it does seem you are coming in at a high closure rate, and that excessive speed can be used against you if you aren't careful.

All I meant by my comment to you was that you can climb back up without taking a low percentage shot, and within maybe 3 turns have the shot you want.  

[wells]

If you blow the shot and the guy does a split-s, he just wasted a ton of E.  Split-S not a good E conserving maneuver.  Immelman is tons better, however it takes 'longer' to perform the immelman cause you really slow down over the top.  Try something like this, if it's vertical separation you want to minimize...

Guy split-s, he may roll while vertical, you don't know which way, so...

pull up 45 climb till you hit sustained turn speed..don't immel.  Then, go into flat turn to bring bogey into your 3-9 line.  What?  Did he say 'flat-turn?'.  Yes!  Speed is constant, height is constant = NO E LOSS!  Your turn rate will be better than if you tried to pull over in an immelman and you don't have to pull any power back and you keep vertical separation to a minimum while 'retaining' your own energy.  It's kinda like that last 100 mph in a vertical zoom/hammerhead...complete waste of time..you can't do anything until you dive down again past 100 mph so you can maneuver, where your back where you started!  

[Hristo]

Split S works only if friendlies are near. Otherwise it is delayed death.

Too many times I found enemy plane deep inside my country, merrily wasting his E into series of Split S maneuvers.

Yes, Wells, I found flat turn great against Split S. It becomes lag pursuit after, and eventually a dedicated Split S-er will find himself too low and he will go for flat turn.

[Kieren]

Hristo and Wells-

Of course you are right. My comment was that taking too steep an angle for a low percentage shot could be blowing an advantage. The guy that stays up and keeps the pressure on should win every time.

Wells, you just described exactly what I do. This is what I was alluding to when I said he could have the shot he wanted within three turns, if he was patient.  

[humble]

>>Split S works only if friendlies are near. Otherwise it is delayed death.
Too many times I found enemy plane deep inside my country, merrily wasting his E into series of Split S maneuvers.<<

Histro, I'd love any quick comments on our couple of "fight's"...i use the term loosely ...this morning. I was trying to avoid exactly what your describing by turning up and back into you when possible. It didnt do me much good since you either got a front aspect shot and/or forced split-s almost immdediately there after...any critique much appreciated.

Also were you the 109 in the 3rd go round..I switched to spit since I dont know 38 FM very well yet..and had better time of it till 38 showed up???

[janneh]

IMO, early split-s could be quite effective.
If executed, say D1.5 or so and nme just starts low G climbing or flies straight, You'll end up his lo 12oc and there could be place for snapshot.
I found it quite effective after one spit did it to me and he ended up to my low 6 and BANG, I was dead...