I'm posting this here to avoid hijacking that other thread, but to point out how to take away a higher opponents alt/speed advantage.
Cap asked-
a question on this?
when i was still flying the zeek, i had helbent(i think) and another both in p38's caught me lower than they were. they tried bnz'ing me, and i managed to evade their passes....but on each evasion, i also managed to grab alt. after about the 4th or 5th pass, i was co-alt. at this point they left. i tried chasing them, as i was pretty much expecting to see a par of 38's come back with a major speed advantage, but they didn't. i'm NOT critisizing them for leaving, or for their fighting styles. i have pretty much respect for helbent in that 38. what i AM wondering about, is that if the 38 can outzoom the zeek(i know it can), then how did i managed to get to a co-alt position ? i dont thinki had film running for that fight, although i wish i did.
would it be only because they gave me too much breathing room between passes? i have noticed that the zeek in some instances will hold a decent roc for a few seconds, albiet at a very low airspeed. I didn't see the actual fight, so I'm guessing how it went, but if you're the lower/slower plane, you can often take away your opponents alt/speed advantage.
If they zoom and don't maintain a position over your head (vertical seperation, without much horizontal seperation), they'll lose E each time they have to dive back "over" to you. You may have done it accidentally, but as the lower, slower guy, maximizing horizontal seperation works to your benefit. As the lower plane you need to do a few things. You need to avoid getting too slow, avoid diving away (and giving up whatever alt you do have), avoid hard breaks that will kill your E (and SA). You also need to try to maximize horizontal seperation, and minimize vertical seperation. In other words, when your opponent zooms up after a pass, you need to avoid getting/staying under him, and get off to the side (any side, but preferably the side opposite of his general path- if he's zooming up and north, you'd like to head south). You need to make these course corrections gently, to conserve E. What you're trying to do is force your opponent to dive after you, but on a longer, less-steep angle. Essentially, you're trying to show him your tail and extend away, forcing him to chase you down. He'll waste E doing this, and when/if he zooms again, it won't be as high...
Knowing that he'll catch you (and since he's you're next kill, you're not really trying to get away...), be prepared to turn back towards him. Maybe not right back at him for a merge, but time it so that when he catches you he's coming from your side, not directly at your rear. Don't wait until he catches you to turn. Do it earlier, so it can be done without the hard, E-burning break. This allows you to hold speed, but still have him close on you fast enough to make a difficult/impossible shot, and ensure the overshoot. Now, extend away again, and repeat. A few times of that, and he'll likely be behind you, co-alt (or nearly so) and roughly equal speed. Now all you need is a nice reversal...
At the start of this film, I'm being tempted to follow a rope. My opponent has roughly 3000ft alt advantage over me. Knowing the folly of being roped, I turn away and begin to take away his alt advantage. As you mentioned in your post CAP1, giving your lower opponent time to think/breathe isn't a great idea either. Good BnZ is a balance of applying enough pressure without applying so much that you lose/give away your advantage. If you watch, you'll see that I'm able to finish a discussion on 200, rotate fuel tanks, stay out from under my opponent, and actually gain altitude- simply because not enough pressure was being applied. He's got the alt/potential speed, but he's following my lead.
I'm dictating the terms of our fight...
By staying out from under him, and getting him to chase/follow me I'm able to neutralize his alt advantage, dodge his attack, and acquire a position behind him with enough E to pressure
him. I have quite a bit of respect for this pilot, and in all honesty he isn't in his "normal" ride, so I'm sure that played a factor. But watching this film actually shows pretty clearly how a lower plane can turn the tables against a higher plane.
http://www.mediafire.com/?nmm3wzmadhlThis second film is a bit more fast and furious, but I employ basically the same tactics. Eventually the 190 gets in front of me and makes two big mistakes- one, the flat turn to the right, and two, the "vertical suicidal zoom 'o death". I was behind him, but didn't have him under control. That flat turn gave me control; his dive could have allowed him to extend, but he went vert and died.
http://www.mediafire.com/?eymyoygwhw2