Check Six, What now?

[Fowler]

Ok guys i need some help on  another topic.  Today i had a guy call out check Six i looked back and there is a guy right on my Tail, It was a Spitfire.  he started shooting and i just froze and died Is there an Air combat Man. I should practice for this type of situation?

Im learning in the hellcat.

[xHaMmeRx]

If you didn't see the spit until it was shooting, it is probably too late. In general, though, any violent maneuver is better than flying straight ahead. Lots of variables involved.  If the spit seems to be coming fast, think about doing a rolling scissors... basically a barrel roll with lots of rudder and some elevator applied. The idea is to roll up and over while the faster spit goes flying by you.  

Here is a write-up on Guns Defense done by Worr, a trainer from WarBirds.  Hope it helps.

HaMmeR
www.netaces.org - Tactics, Info, and More!

[fuzeman]

Some of those 'check 6s' are also  false... buts it's better to avoid nuthing than stay still for something. Situational Awareness, knowing where the enemy is and if they are close, can sometimes help you figure out which ones are true or false.
By the way, to give a 'check 6', use the ' key [single quote], the one directly to the left of the enter key.
Also, xHaMmeRx has a GREAT websisght that will make learning this game much easier, not to mention make it fun to fly.
When I was a 'newbie' I found a good knowledge of the Htc HELP file was of great value. You can't play a game well if you don't know the rules. Also, offline or training areana flights can be useful to familiarize yourself with the flight model and characteristics of the F6f, and it's good guns practice to get your 'Kentucky Windage' down.
If any questions, don't be afraid to ask.
Welcome to THE best AirSim available!!!
[and they don't pay me to say that]
Anything good takes time so be patient.

fuzeman

[BNM]

1st: If you are that new try flying the spit 9 (good & fast) or zeke (good but slow) for a couple of months straight. The f6 is not all that bad but not all that good for a true newbie (the spit'd be a lot better).

2nd: Check your six very often. Until you get used to things if someones diving on your six, just roll over and pull back. That will cause most to overshoot and you can then decide on what to do next.

3rd: Find someone who is good and just wing them. Latch on to their tail (preferably flying the same plane as you) and learn from watching them engage. Good luck!

[popeye]

I find the split S is often a good emergency evasive maneuver -- if you have the altitude.  It usually gets you out of the bad guy's sights, and maybe gets him to red out trying to stay with the shot.

The next step is left as an excercise for the student.  

[Eagler]

Originally posted by Fowler
Ok guys i need some help on  another topic.  Today i had a guy call out check Six i looked back and there is a guy right on my Tail, It was a Spitfire.  he started shooting and i just froze and died Is there an Air combat Man. I should practice for this type of situation?

Im learning in the hellcat.

press enter 3 times followed by "O"
it'll get you out of this kind of jam everytime

[SlapShot]

Checking your own 12 thru 12 is all part of SA (Situation Awareness) which is something you have to get REALLY good at and do it often. Its called "paranoia" !!! Complacency, while flying, is a sure fire way to get whacked every time you go up.

For every plane you get into, prior to takeoff, make sure that you adjust ALL your views so that you can get the best available 360 degree horizontal and "up" views that the plane will allow. Once the views are set, you will not have to adjust them again. Also, make sure you set your gun(s) convergence on any new plane that you jump into. Convergence is also a setting that will be remembered.

Without good visibility and due diligence on checking all areas around you, you will be a victim of more "Boom and Zooms" than you would care to count.

While most countrymen will give you a check six, you cannot always depend on it and sometimes you will get a "Check Six" the second after the bullets start ripping your plane apart.

Anytime I get a "Check Six" I make the most violent maneuver that the aircraft will handle and almost always, like popey, I will do a Split-S immediately (altitude providing) or a defensive barrel-roll or anything that will get me out of the jam. While pulling the escape maneuver, I then start switching to all rear views to see which direction the enemy went and sometimes they make the wrong move and you can reverse rolls.

[Pei]

I generally prefer a break turn or a barrel roll (or a combination) if I've got a bandit on my six. I use the split s only as a last resort as you tend to lose too much enegry doing it and it's easy to lose sight of the bandit.  

Some basic points:
1) Spoil the shot: sounds obvious but you have to make the bandits guns solution worse. Any kind of manuever is better than nothing. The above three are the most common. Jinks and slide slips can be used to complicate matters further (at the cost of more energy).

2) Keep a tally on the bandit. If you can't see what he is doing you can't counter effectively; guessing (or just plain ignorance) will get you killed.

3) Think ahead. Sometimes you have no choice but to blow all your e so you can survive the first shot but what is likely to happen is that he'll just get you on the next pass and you won't have any e left to counter him. You need to work towards a situation where you can dictate the fight (or at least disengage safely and run like hell - this is usually the more sensible option)

Here's what I'm thinking in those situations where I look round and find a bandit on my six:

a) stay alive!
b) take away the bandit's immediate angle advantage
c) preserve as much of my own energy as possible
d) get the bandit to squander his energy

the priority of b) and c) can interchange: you are unlikely to take away a lot of the bandit's angles advantage without blowing a lot of your own energy. On the other hand if he can stay saddled up on your six then you are likely to fail a) (stay alive!) in the near future. How much you want to trade energy for angles depends on the situation but you will at least want to get the guy out of your rear quadrant (this will also make him easier to keep track of). The final point d) is the most difficult and the one you have least control over. A good pilot is unlikely to fall into the trap of blowing his energy for you.
Ultimately you are trying to get into a position where you at least have energy parity and the angles situation is more or less neutral. Once you get to this stage you can attempt to disengage (you might re-engage once you've gained some height and speed). If you somehow manage to get a significant energy advantage (unlikely to happen unless the bandit screwed up) you can instead choose to trade some of that energy for angles on the bandit and turn the tables.