Funny.....in the first fight we never got further than 1000 yards away.
I also landed the first bullets but sadly had 303s selected meaning the fight could very well have ended had I selected the 4x20mm.
So you're saying you would have run away if I didn't immediately turn with you at the merge?
I think everyone should consider the possibility that icepac is trolling you all with his "merge questions".
In my assessment (opinion) he claimed ignorance of what a merge is in order to get a clear definition that doesn't require him to turn at the first merge. His claim that he flew straight and level at the alt cap to "make sure a merge took place" has nothing to do with "what a merge is". His real intent is to contend (or demonstrate) that you don't need to dive and turn at the initial merge to win. I'm not saying I agree with it, although I am no dueling expert, but I am certain that is the point he is trying to make. Why he is not just coming out and saying that, I don't know, other than he may be enjoying trolling you on the subject and likely he intends to use the same "merge tactic" in later rounds in the tournament.
If you watch the films, you will see what did was avoid an immediate angles fight (by not diving and turning) and instead forced a protracted energy fight, while making the opponent turn, chase and climb to him. This almost works.
In each film you can see icepac winds up with a slight altitude advantage coming into the second merge where both aircraft are at or near stall. A little better gunnery may have even won him more rounds, though I'm not sure he had the energy to keep his nose up for a kill shot in the Hurri round. In the I-16 round, Suns stalls and icepac wins. In the 110 round, icepac stalls and Suns wins. The other two rounds came down to better gunnery and lead angles by Suns.
I think icepac is probably used to stalling people out in fights, rather than angle fighting. So, he attempted to use that approach in his duels. In my opinion, he used his feigned ignorance about merges as subterfuge to disguise his intent or to troll all the DA experts, or both.
He knows what a merge is. He just doesn't subscribe to what most duelers do at/after the merge, which is turn.
I hope this saves those of you being trolled from further headaches.
<S>
Ryno
