Your merge?

[CAP1]

put on left blinker, wait for opening, and merge into left lane.

you actually wait for an opening?

accelerate down the ramp, be sure you're above the highway speed........your opening will already be there.
 

[Dadano]

Assuming 109.

1.)  Dive for speed.
2.)  Left wing roll-over to avoid HO and merge beneath EAC.
3.)  Slow, left wing spiral climb.
4.)  Approach stall, 100% right rudder, 100% right aileron, 20% nose up elevator, reduce power, deploy flaps full.
5.)  Await opponent stall.
6.)  Increase power, 100% left rudder, 100% left aileron, 50% nose up elevator, increase power, retract flaps.
7.)  Nose over left wing/shoulder.
8.)  Saddle up.
9.)  Waste all my taters on one warping EAC.
10.)  RTB and AFK beer.

 

[Joker2]

What's a merge????????/

[sunfan1121]

What's a merge????????/

that explains allot.

[Nightshift82]

I'm with shane on this one, I try to mirror, but sometimes I like to dip down and bring it over the top.  It all depends on the situation really, but in a nutshell, I like to force  rolling scissor action.

[humble]

I don't fly the mossie...but it provides a fun noob move (not that I approve of this stuff). Set your convergence on the .303's out to 650 and then throttle back to about 150IAS and open up with the bb's at 2.0 or so (tracers off). As soon as you see the first flash cut throttle all the way and watch the guy on the other end flop/evade/lead turn. Now vs a good stick the HO attack is a sure way to die but the threat of the mossies 20mm and its perception of speed often push a good stick into an aggressive counter. The aggressive nature of the evasion from the assumed 20mm rounds and the desire to spank the offending noob often generate a move that relies on regaining visual in the midst of the lead turn...which normally occurs just about 200 yds in front of the lumbering mossie. I once tucked in under a C -hog and flew formation while he kept jerking the plane around looking for me. since it was FT**** I had to let him go or i'd have heard about it on 200 for a month

[whiteman]

What ever seems to be appropriate for the moment.

[gpwurzel]

Humble, thats just harsh 


Wurzel

[humble]

Humble, thats just harsh 


Wurzel

hehe it is when it works...of course U can get spanked also:)

I thought I'd throw it in for fun. The truth is that the merge is situationally dependent and not even "mirroring" works vs a superior plane. To win a merge you need to counter the other guy by either flying to his weakness or somehow encouraging him to fly to your lesser strength with his greater weakness. Thats probably why I love to tool around in birds like the A-20 or SBD (D11 is also great choice). In effect the fight is set in the mind game of the merge and your normally looking 3-4 moves out. Now obviously a good stick can refuse the merge and wear you down but I've had some truly stellar fights with slap and others who will give me a punchers chance. Win. lose or draw you can end up with fights that push the edge of your understanding of geometrical ACM (vs just ride the edge), lift vector management etc...

The flip side is the gamey stuff above where your influencing the merge via "mind@#$%" for fun occasionally.

[BaldEagl]

Merge?  I thought everyone just flew straight at you shooting.   

[A8TOOL]

Avoid the HO, extend slightly nose up and split S back once he's out 1.5 and re-merge my way.

[Dano]

Vertical, its the shorter way around the circle, especially if you start your Immel from under their nose as they are diving towards you (they are gaining E at this point which will extend their turn radii). Keep enough E to afford a second Immel, if necessary. If the bogy zooms, forget the second Immel, extend, regain your E, and setup for scissors/rolling scissors as you now have a BNZ fight on your hands.

I usually let the bogy look at my 6 since he/she has already proven they will just zoom in a head on engagement, head on being in front of the 3/9 line. Then try to sucker them into scissors/rolling scissors. Why scissors? 'Cause my ride of choice is the FW  (It rolls the fastest and bleeds E like a stuck pig, the two best qualities for a successful scissors.)

A vertical FW will be pointed to the other side of the circle (that's usually where the bogy is, btw ) before any flat turning ride (exceptions being Zekes and Hurris, but then you just zoom them, or remember earlier "Keep enough E to afford a second Immel, if necessary.")

There are a high percentage of people who think most any other ride will out turn the FW, and they will in a flat turn, but fortunately the flat turn isn't the only way and again a well flown vertical FW will beat almost any other ride to the other side of the circle.

One other advantage to flying the FW, cannons. Just a pinch between the cheek and gum (fuselage and wingroot) and BOOM! In other words, its a great snapshot plane and generally what goes down vs a FW comes back up. If they decide not to counter with an Immel of their own then its time to run 'em down and saddle up or head back over the top. This is where it is handy to learn if your ride can perform a second Immel and if so what speed is needed to do so?

Happy Merging!

[Sonicblu]

I usually start with a combat merge. Basically a immel on a 45 degree slant as i watch what the other pilot is doing. I like to fly lag as it makes most guys try to turn tighter to get guns on you, usually they try to pull a ho shot. Then is when I do a hi yo yo or another immel. I almost never do a split S. That always ends in trouble if the other guy is half way competent.

The other option is one I learned from Murdr. Why merge?
Let the guy think he is sneaking on your six. pull a flat turn with a barrel roll. LOL its always nice when you get a bullet right in the canopy and they go poof.

Another fun one i like to use against 190s is hard flat turn on the deck then basically a flat scissors. Most try to hard to get a gun solution and snap roll right into the ground.

[CAP1]

Avoid the HO, extend slightly nose up and split S back once he's out 1.5 and re-merge my way.

 BUT that far out, don't you give him another chance to ho ya again?

[sunfan1121]

If the guy your fighting has 1/2 a clue he won't HO on any merge, puts you in a disadvantageous position.