Fighter Jocks: What's Your Personal Fighting Style?

[nopoop]

Worr..now there's a blast from the past.

The ultimate E fighter with dead on gunnery. It rarely took more than the second pass.

Jeez I hated that guy

[Redd]

Originally posted by Shuckins
Thanks for the input guys.  

As I said, I'm experimenting with the bnz style...and need to refine it.  

I fly the F6F almost exclusively, and find that it is a perfectly adequate bnz aircraft which has the ability to maneuver if the situation requires it.  

The 50 cals are devastating at a firing range of 200, and seldom require excessive time on target.

When making a pass, I tend to keep my control movements as gentle as possible in order to conserve energy.  If the target pulls into a high g turn, I will go sometimes go into a low g vertical turn, trying to stay about 1k to1.5k above him near his 5 or 7 o'clock positions.  This allows me to keep him in sight and easily correct for his evasive actions.  I them make short dives for his tail, causing him to take more high g evasives, bleeding his energy.

Ack-Ack, I'll keep your instructions in mind about extending too far before going vertical.  

Appreciate any further suggestions you can make.

Regards, Shuckins

One of the good things about the hellcat is that it can slow down quite quickly when you want it to (rudder and flaps) . So drop in on them sometimes instead of zooming back up, you should be able to stay with them for a few turns  (enough to make a shot) Do it just when they start to yawn , thinking that you are a boring bnzzzzer, and you might catch them napping.  


Also ,  as others have mentioned - keep those little vertical extensions as short as you are game to make them, keep working them shorter and shorter - experiment , Depending on e-states etc , I usually use the change to 1k icon as the reversal cue , you can try just hovering over them  in a little circle for a second to make sure they don't have enough E to climb up to you, before you head back down. If you are lucky they might even try to keep flying up to you while you do the little circle

[Redd]

Originally posted by nopoop
Worr..now there's a blast from the past.

The ultimate E fighter with dead on gunnery. It rarely took more than the second pass.

Jeez I hated that guy

Good guy Worr, and very dangerous.

[TequilaChaser]

I concur with nopoops no rubberbands left out there anymore ( well very few )

concur with Ack-Ack's, humble's, nopoop's  ideas.

Learning to  do "Pure E-Fighting" takes time( sometimes many many years of practice) and their are very few in these Flight Sims that come close to mastering it ( can you paint a perfect picture? )

yes this is just a video game, but it is a video game where you virtualy fly WWII Fighter Planes!




"Know and use all the capabilities of your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass."
                                   Lieutenant Dave"Preacher"Pace, USN
                                 U.S.Navy Fighter Weapons School Instructor

[humble]

On those rare occasions you run into one....you come away sliced diced and frapped....but somehow it's ok. Nothing like watch a "true master" at work....even if your on the wrong end of the gunsight:)

[pellik]

The road to E fighting takes many high yoyos. Forget pass and extend, just do high yoyos until you get the perfect shot. There arn't many people who have the skill to exploit lag persuit tactics anyway.

[SuperDud]

Originally posted by humble
On those rare occasions you run into one....you come away sliced diced and frapped....but somehow it's ok. Nothing like watch a "true master" at work....even if your on the wrong end of the gunsight:)

Some of the wisest words ever typed:)

[LtPillur]

I like to believe my tactics are a bit different from most. They are
1. Up from a base climb to most any altitude
2. Fly to enemy base get within sight
3. See multiple red dots.
4. Fly toward said dots with good intent.
5. Get blown up fast.
6. Repeat with gusto.


Peace
Pillur

[SixWhiskey]

Old school Turn and Burner here.  I'm currently working the Corsair, which can get the job done once you understand its envelope. (It ain't a spitfire!)

I like to use a lot of out-of-plane maneuvering.  I spend 90% of my time with some kind of vertical component during a dogfight.  

Diving from altitude is a useful tactic for any pilot, whether BnZ, TnB or "other."  Engaging with superior E is always useful.  However, once on six, I like to stay there, which involve throttling back and giving up all that stored E to finish the engagement.  

My biggest weakness is defensive BFM.  Barrel rolls don't work well in AH and I always think in terms of gaining altitude instead of extending, which gets me killed far too often.  This is the one disadvantage of TnB: once your commited, you are stuck in the fight until you either win or lose.  There is very little opportunity for escape.

The best tactic, however, for any pilot of any style, is gang banging.  working with fellow pilots to get the kill on a target beats any other tactic or style hands down.

[thrila]

1.  Not getting mad when you die helps.  It's not often i get mad on ch200 about dying, tho i am partial to some ch200 action if someone is being overly timid.

2.  I find playing with music on in the background helps too- perhaps it prevents me from over concentrating.

3.  Up a mossie and have some fun mixing it up.

[humble]

Originally posted by SixWhiskey
Old school Turn and Burner here.  I'm currently working the Corsair, which can get the job done once you understand its envelope. (It ain't a spitfire!)

I like to use a lot of out-of-plane maneuvering.  I spend 90% of my time with some kind of vertical component during a dogfight.  

Diving from altitude is a useful tactic for any pilot, whether BnZ, TnB or "other."  Engaging with superior E is always useful.  However, once on six, I like to stay there, which involve throttling back and giving up all that stored E to finish the engagement.  

My biggest weakness is defensive BFM.  Barrel rolls don't work well in AH and I always think in terms of gaining altitude instead of extending, which gets me killed far too often.  This is the one disadvantage of TnB: once your commited, you are stuck in the fight until you either win or lose.  There is very little opportunity for escape.

The best tactic, however, for any pilot of any style, is gang banging.  working with fellow pilots to get the kill on a target beats any other tactic or style hands down.

A couple of things that work in your favor in a hog...I tend to fight two or three fights...I'll T&B high...then mid level...then if I have to on the deck. With the flaps you can suck the guy in...then pop the wheels and force overshoots almost at will...if you dont connect you can clean up and dive for E and rinse and repeat...often by round three the guy is timid enough you can run out of dodge if you need to...

[Soulyss]

I concur with Pillur...

Gusto is a must.  

[DamnedRen]

Originally posted by Shuckins
Currently, I'm trying to learn energy tactics. Taking a leaf from Hartmann, my basic style involves:

if I might interject to try and help....

1.  Have at least 15k of alt.

suggest climb to alt you plan to come overhead the enemy with

2.  Never fly at less than 250mph

reason for the climb to planned alt immediately is you can go level and allow the plane to accelerate to is cruise speed. You will find even a spit 9 will cruise at 290 mph without effort. The means a lil nose low from cruise gives you lotsa of high speed options.

3.  See and assess

strictly SA related. How many, how hi, where the conveyored belt dumps more into the fray, which way is home.

4.  Select a single enemy

whomever you choose, if you can remain undetected, thats nice

5.  Dive on his 6, getting slightly below him

an esse turn may be required if you in on the some guy turning. esse turns allow you to time you pass so you actualyl make it on his 6.

6.  Make a firing pass, opening fire at 200

speed is relative. closure that is too high may not give you time enoough on target to make him blow. Hi speed means you may want to open up at 300.

7.  Blow through...extend for at least 5k...climb back up to my perch.

again speed is relative. you can turn up to an easy 40 degrees with the guy then go for the extend. in fact, if he doesnt break on your pass you should have shot him so plan your aiming pass wisely

8.  Reasses the situation and/or look for another target.

just a thought a true dogfight uses both bnz and turn-n-burn tactics which will change as a fight progresses. It does not have to be just one of the other. It's a matter of how fluidly you can transition from one aspect of the fight into another and your ability to recognize the change as it happens.

Things to not do:

1.  Get involved in low-level furball.

why not? as long as you follow the above SA rules and use esse turns to time the pass then exit toward home...

2.  Follow a slower moving target for more than 45 degrees

in general you are correct but you miss alot of easy kills. you may be able to turn with some guy and kill him yet still exit. Circumstances are as individual as the guy/plane you get in on

3.  Feel bad about taking a split-ess and fleeing from higher cons

nope never feel bad if you decide the situation is untennable. Just go do it. However, just because there is some guy diving in on you doesn't mean you have to run from it. If you learn how to take that position and turn it aggressively back into him then you may take the advantage away from him. Why do you think all of the old sayings/dicta regarding dogfighting, all the way back to WW1 say, "turn and face the oncoming enemy"?
Hope this helps....

Ren
The Damned  
Aces High II Training Corps  

[YUCCA]

I just wait till da wittle red pwane gets weeeeally cwose then i pull muh joystick all the way ot muh belly and try to wun to muh ack.

[Murdr]

Originally posted by Shuckins

1.  Have at least 15k of alt.......................... .

First off Id suggest placing less emphasis on a seperate target alt and speed, and more on your total E state.  

Example: If you are cruising along at 15k and I am several thousand feet lower, but can zoom up to you and stay with you, we are co-E.  The difference is you are telegraphing your E state, and I am masking mine.

Now lets switch roles.  Im the high plane, you are the low fast one.  I observe and suspect that I am co-E or less.  I may zoom up to as slow a speed as I feel necessary in a fasion reminicent of a cobra rearing up threatenlingly.  Now instead of masking my E state I am exagerating it.  It's a bluff...just like poker, human nature still applies.

"select a single enemy"  Well that's ok I guess.  When I see that quote, I can just picture you telegraphing again (your intent this time).  You can drop your hook in the water and hope for a nibble, or you can toss out a net and see if you snag anything.  Id much rather select multiple targets, and look for the one that is likely paying the least intention.  Or to throw in some more sleight of hand&trickery and telegraph "look at me, look at me, Im in on the spit...psyc, just kidding I was actually in on the nearby La who just got surprised"

"Dive on his 6, getting slightly below him...Blow through...extend for at least 5k...climb back up to my perch....Reasses the situation and/or look for another target."

I have two much simpler and less constrained rules that go hand in had with each other:
Establish an attack pattern.  Then break it.
Observe the enemies defensive pattern.  Then exploit it.

My point is that though its good to know the do's and dont's, trying to strictly adhear to a by the book rules can box you in to ignoring an important aspect of the game...human nature.