Boom and Zoom Tactics in AH

[pzvg]

YEEEOOWCH! Jeez Andy, careful where ya point that thing.   Of course, you are very correct, I, being an awful shot and having no sense when it comes to entering a fight I'm destined to lose, would also like it if the "experten" would start to explain things,
(use words with one vowel, I'm Army) instead of always telling us how good they are. C'mon guys, WE know how good ya are, we get to experience that part often enough.  
('course some of the crowers are not, how do you say, "all that")
P.S. And don't be threatening to shoot me down on sight, hell, ANY newbie can do that  

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pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"

[Udie]

""" Good and valid comments, guys.
Just to clarify matters...this was not an article on how to fly BFM so much as it was an attempt to describe one form of a BnZ using snap views.

The #5 view is definitely the view for lift vector control...what I was trying to explain about the HnC is that it is a maneuver where your lift vector is not on the bandit for much of the maneuver. """

 
 Ok I see, you were talking about using the up view specificly in this type of attack.  Seems clear to me now, I don't know how I misunderstood that...


""" As for the folks that are so eager to tell us of their many kills, I only want to remind them that pilots don't win fights so much as others lose them...for whatever reason. So the guy with the 8:1 ratio has put eight other fellow pilots on the losing end. Perhaps our ace ought to help the rest of us out. I'd like to see something written that explains how these experts get this 'good'. I don't want to hear 'what' so much as 'how'.

Maybe they can help us out here...spread the wealth...you know what I mean.

If they can pick themselves off the floor."""

 ouch! I hope I'm not one of the ones your referring to   I only brag about the realy tough fights with pilots like Hangtime and FunkedUp :rolleys:  But TIME TIME TIME and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE and STUDY STUDY STUDY is how I learned what few skills I have.

udie

Andy

[Lephturn]

Yes great article Andy, and I much appreciate it.  I will point others to this article.

I took the same thing away from that article as you did Udie concerning the up view.  I see what Andy means now about using it in the BnZ, but my initial read was similar to Udie's.  The trick is that it is an absolutely critical view in TnB fighting, since if you will spend a bunch of time in-plane with the bandit and looking out the straight up view.  I use it in BnZ as well, just not as much.  I wouldn't call it a blind spot at all, it's one of the most common views I need to use.  It is extremely important to map the up view to something that you can access easily.  It can be somewhat awkward at first, but getting used to using the up view is critical in any sim that uses snap-views.

One other note, I don't think you point your lift vector at the bogey prior to firing, although you do put it in line with HIS lift vector.  You point your nose ahead of him, but your lift vector will be 90 degrees away.  I point my lift vector at a bogey to close with him and if I want to stay in plane with him.  I see where the saying comes from though, as far as using that as a rule of thumb to keep you doing out-of plane manuevers when flying the E fight.

Good stuff!

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Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs
Visit Lephturn's Aerodrome for AH news, resources, and training data.
 http://users.andara.com/~sconrad/
 

"MY P-47 is a pretty good ship
And she took a round coming 'cross the Channel last trip
I was thinking 'bout my baby and lettin' her rip
Always got me through so far
Well they can ship me all over this great big world
But I'll never find nothing like my North End girl
I'm taking her home with me one day, sir
Soon as we win this war"
 - Steve Earl

[This message has been edited by Lephturn (edited 06-15-2000).]

[Andy Bush]

Thanks Lephturn

I didn't anticipate the confusion over the paragraph dealing with what I referred to as the 'blind cone'. I think I should have expanded that a bit.

One of the inevitable consequences of only having snap views to use is the over-reliance on the lift vector view, ie 'up'. This tends to result in a 'g for brains' approach to handling turning room and closure. In-plane maneuvering is not efficient BFM but when the pilot is constrained in his choice of views, it is often the only option.

I suppose the word 'blind' was a poor choice. It meant one thing to me with regard to 'seeing' the need for follow-on BFM moves...and I can see now that it was taken instead to literally mean an absence of field of view in that orientation. Sorry...that's not what I was trying to convey.

My intent was to stress that BFM is not about what you are doing now so much as it is about what you are going to do next. Whatever view we use ought to satisfy that need.

Whatever!! I'm always looking for new ideas for articles. Input is always appreciated!

Andy

[Hangtime]

Andy... I'm amazed and impressed. I've been readin yer stuffy for years now.. (Hangtime VMF-257) and thank you. Often times, when I'm stumped, the "old masters' white papers" have shed bright insights into my bad sim ACM habits; and have helped me to quantify cognitivley what had previously been 'instinct'.

For help; I can only add that mindset and the desire to win; that a "Get into the fight and FIGHT; GAWDAMMIT!" attitude is crucial to success. Its tuff to quantify, but being on the edge of your game is crucial. Being ready to fight on all levels.. not just tacticly but mentally is the key to success in many situations. I've seen guys do everything right.. and still lose, in part because they were fighting analyticly, technicaly.. and not focusing on pressing the fight.

"I never went into a fight thinking that I would lose."
-Duke Cunningham

I guess I'm saying it's not all just a chess game.. move; counter; thrust + parry... Sure it's a big part.. and yes; it's damn near impossible to dance for long up there if yah don't know the moves. However, I've seen it often enough now to suggest it IS a significant factor... the desire to rip the other bastids bleedin, still-beating heart right outta his chest will often carry the fight when the chessgame gets to stalemate.

"A Good fighter pilot must have one outstanding trait - agressiveness"
-John T Godfrey

Great stuff... and keep it commin Andy.

<S>!

Hangtime
13/TAS -Engaging the enemy.. not the keyboard-

[Andy Bush]

Hangtime

One of the memories that I'll always keep is the time I was in a group-grope at Miramar in the 70s. Duke was flying for the other side, and we were all kinda awed just being around him.

All I ever saw of him during the mission was maybe a contrail way up high...I think he was looking for guys getting spit out of the fight.

I still remember him in the debrief...just a very laid back and 'aw shucks' kind of a guy.
If I had to have a hero,I guess he was as close as anyone could get.

Andy