Head On Attacks

[BlkEgle]

Ok...I know this has probably been discussed to the point of making people puke.  Well this post has nothing to do with the "Rightness" or "Wrongness" of the Head on attack.  It has to do with the physics of the subject.  So here goes.

You are on a routine fighter sweep when you spot an enemy aircraft 4k off your right side.  You turn in his direction to begin your attack.   Suddenly you realize that the closing distance is now 2k..and closing fast.

For the following calculations the closing speed of the two aircraft is 600mph.  Since AH2 uses yards as a measure of distance the closing speed becomes 293.333 yards per second.  This means that at 2k you have about 6.818 seconds to make a decision.

Decision 1: Turn away from the attack.
Decision 2: continue your course until you are closer.

At 1000 yards you now have 3.409 seconds to make a decision.  Given the average reaction time of a human you will travel 104.485 yards before you recognize the distance (Velocity* Reaction time...293.333*.0356). Even with an average aircraft you can still avoid a head on attack at this range. But lets say you decide to fire a short burst...say a 1 second burst. 
   
       Reaction distance you will fly is 104.485 + 1 sec burst= 397.8187 yards traveled. This would place you at 602.181 yards from the target.  You would have about 2.045 seconds left to turn/climb/dive away.

If you wait until you are 600 yards from the target and you decide to fire a short burst you would be at 202 yards from the target and have less than .5 seconds to make a turn to avoid contact with the enemy plane.

Although the best attack option in a fighter vs fighter engagement is to attack from the rear, there are times when circumstances place you in a very short window to make a decision, react, and then evade.  The head on attack gives your very little time to determine the best course of action. 


APPROXIMATE DISTANCE AND TIME TO CONTACT.  (600mph closing speed.)

Distance   Time
2000       6.818181818
1500   5.113636364
1000   3.409090909
600   2.045454545
400   1.363636364

Velocity 293.3333333 yards per sec

Formulas Used.

Velocity in Yards Per Second=(yards per hour*miles per hour)/seconds in an hour

Time to impact=Distance/Velocity

Distance traveled during reaction time=Velocity*reaction time

Variables (Reaction Time) You can test your reaction time here: http://getyourwebsitehere.com/jswb/rttest01.html

Assumptions: Both aircraft are traveling at a combined closing speed of 600mph, directly at each other with no deflection.  There are many other factors that affect impact avoidance.

[Hoagi]

My physics of a head on attack are much simpler:

1. Only use as a last resort.
2. Aim at your prey.
3. Start firing at 1k out.
4. Pray he dies before you.
5. Win-Taunt opponent on 200 if I win.
    Lose-Berate opponent on 200.
6. Win-Take congratulatory swig of beer.
    Lose-Cuss out loud, get new plane.

No math involved.

[Strip]

1. Nose off target.
2. Start a low off axis merge.
3. Do a medium climb sprial turn.
4. Watch opponent miss.
5. Reverse turn and blown him out of the sky.
6. Taunt on 200.

Strip(er)

[sunfan1121]

dont ever forget the "200 taunt"

[apcampbell]

Here's a curve ball for ya, is there an ettiqet for the HO?

Example (this has happened to me a 2 or 3 times) both planes pass on the first merge, and turn nose to tail. Both planes merge a second time. Then a third. Maybe even a fourth. After multiple merges, and no advantage to either plane, I finally take an off angle shot on the next merge. Still a HO? or just bad manners?

[Rich46yo]

                         HO'ing in Aces High.

1, Say you never do it in the forum.
2, HO first and HO often.
3, If you win say its was a deflection shot.
4, If you lose say it was an HO by a "noob in a LA-7".
5, Then go back to the forum and say you, "almost never HO", or, "HO infrequently".

 

[EvlPrsn]

Here's a curve ball for ya, is there an ettiqet for the HO?

Example (this has happened to me a 2 or 3 times) both planes pass on the first merge, and turn nose to tail. Both planes merge a second time. Then a third. Maybe even a fourth. After multiple merges, and no advantage to either plane, I finally take an off angle shot on the next merge. Still a HO? or just bad manners?

usually by the 3rd merge i start shooting, and often whack the guys engine with my 38's cannon....  probobly get more than that cuz they always go down...   
assuming they didnt HO me on the first merge. 

1. Nose off target.
2. Start a low off axis merge.
3. Do a medium climb sprial turn.
4. Watch opponent miss.
5. Reverse turn and blown him out of the sky.
6. Taunt on 200.

Strip(er)

good plan, please teach me how to do it better!   

[Hoagi]

Here's a curve ball for ya, is there an ettiqet for the HO?

NO

[BnZ]

Ya know, on this subject, I wish there was some kind of indicator on the icon to tell you whether or not you are closing nose-to-tail or nose-to-nose. Closure rates can fool you, it is just often too hard for me to see which end is which, even with zoom, until 1K or closer. I've both gotten HOed when I thought the closure indicated a tail chase and I've also pulled off of perfectly good firing to avoid being "HOed" by what turns out to be his rudder-end.

 And some of the planes it is hardest to tell whether its "coming or going" are like P-38s and 110s, exactly the ones you don't want to go head on with.

[Shuffler]

I'm usually still punching on my calculator when I find myself in the tower getting a new plane and a new calculator. 

Last night I only upped 6 times and four of those times someone collided with me. Looks like I was fighting the bumper car squad. Was still great fun.... 

[Saurdaukar]

1. Nose off target.
2. Start a low off axis merge.
3. Do a medium climb sprial turn.
4. Watch opponent miss.
5. Reverse turn and blown him out of the sky.
6. Taunt on 200.

Strip(er)

+1

[Karnak]

Some times HOs are the correct answer though.

A month or two ago we were scambling to defend against an incoming raid.  I took my Mossie and climbed away from the attackers as the Mossie is a very poor fighter fighting from below.  After I reached 13,000ft I turned back.  On my return I saw the other Rooks at about 5-7k and the first enemy fighter arriving at 11-12k, an Me262.  Now I know how much damage an Me262 can do to a lower defensive force without even landing a blow just by tying up their E in defensive manuevers.  The Me262 pointed his nose up at me and I took the offered HO as I was not realistically going to get a better shot, and it was a high priority to kill him.  We both hit eachother and given the centerline firepower of our respective fighters it was mutual annilation with kills being scored and credited simultaineously.  The Me262 driver said "I think you got the better end of that one Karnak" on channel 200.

I think my taking that HO was the correct thing to do.

[sunfan1121]

Some times HOs are the correct answer though.

A month or two ago we were scambling to defend against an incoming raid.  I took my Mossie and climbed away from the attackers as the Mossie is a very poor fighter fighting from below.  After I reached 13,000ft I turned back.  On my return I saw the other Rooks at about 5-7k and the first enemy fighter arriving at 11-12k, an Me262.  Now I know how much damage an Me262 can do to a lower defensive force without even landing a blow just by tying up their E in defensive manuevers.  The Me262 pointed his nose up at me and I took the offered HO as I was not realistically going to get a better shot, and it was a high priority to kill him.  We both hit eachother and given the centerline firepower of our respective fighters it was mutual annilation with kills being scored and credited simultaineously.  The Me262 driver said "I think you got the better end of that one Karnak" on channel 200.

I think my taking that HO was the correct thing to do.

There are planes that it is ok to HO in, like the 110, mossie, and A20. if someone is stupid enough to get infront of those guns they deserve to die a slow and painfull death 

[Shuffler]

Hoing goes good with Dueling Banjos..... It's a HOdown yeeeehaaaa

[FT_Animal]

1. Nose off target.
2. Start a low off axis merge.
3. Do a medium climb sprial turn.
4. Watch opponent miss.
5. Reverse turn and blown him out of the sky.
6. Taunt on 200.

Strip(er)

I use a little different approach. I'll go straight HO merge, because any other move exposes a shot for him. If the fool fires I fire back, BUT at the last second I'll go under him for mo speed, and before he even finishes passing I'll pull up real hard just missing his tail. Straight up and then over I go staying inverted and looking through the canopy to give me view of where he's going... then rotate upright and down on his 6. You will find it kind of amazing how many times this works with HO merges.

BTW, in RL HOs were conducted from time to time. Most anything that got the bullet down the barrel into another AC was done. BUT, never as a golden rule. In a sim it becomes a dweeble tactic for point mongers.

2 cents