Some planes simply do not require much fancy maneuvers. If they combine good turning ability with high acceleration/climb rate they can really just beat their opponent in the flat turn and then recover their energy back. For other planes this is a poor option, unless you want this one kill and bug out.
Essentially all "beat the flat turn" solutions work on changing the geometry, that will lead to a future point of gun solution. High Yo-Yos add vertical dimension to increase separation and reduce the turn radius of the pursuer by slowing him down ("banking" the energy in altitude and then "cashing" it back again). They are heavily used and are predictable. Good defenders will know how to keep you yo-yoing for a long time before you perhaps get a shot.
A good and under-used maneuver for pure energy fighters is the "lag displacement roll", mentioned by PFactorDave. You start similar to a high yo-yo, by reducing the bank and pulling nose-high. Instead of going up while still in a turn, you continue to roll out of the turn and perform a sort of a barrel-roll or corkscrew that you complete heading ~90 degree off from the direction you started. Example: the bandit breaks hard
left, you pull up and make a roll to the
right (while pulling - this is a corkscrew roll, not a roll around your plane axis).
What does that do? first, by moving away from your target, you quickly increase the separation and make room for you to turn
into him, instead of
around him - this is the "displacement" part. Then, you make your turn in the vertical and come out of it about 90 or a little more from your original direction (to the left in the example). During this time, the target needs to pull more than 180 degrees turn for you not to be pointing ahead of it. So yes, you make a lazy turn vs. the target degree-per-sec wise (the "lag" part), but you changed the geometry so you need to pull less degrees than you opponent does. Done right, you will get a 90 degree deflection shot at him. This is not used to saddle-up on him which is pointless if you fly a 190 vs. a spit for example. If you don't get the shot, you are in an easy position to pull up again and repeat, or go high and re-evaluate the situation.
The added bonus is that an above average opponent will see you go up and think you go for the typical high yo-yo. He may try to reduce the turn and try to suck you in while still too close and too fast, or reverse the turn and cut into/under you to deny the separation. He may even see you roll away and try to reverse and go after you. In both cases he will only make himself an even easier target.
example:
Giora Rom in Mirage vs. Mig17 (first fight in this part). The Mirage is a great energy fighter but is total crap in a turn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQF7VFkaS2EThe commentator and drawing say "series of high and low yo-yos", but they actually show a lag displacement roll in the 3D animation - note the direction of the roll, away from the target to get the required displacement.
