I fly the A8 the majority of my flights and I've definately changed my style. I used to enter a dogfight and may chase the enemy down in a spiral or whatever untril we hit 500 feet and its just a who can turn tighter battle. Now its BnZ. As much as people hate it its something you have to deal with. Mainly because the A8 turns like the retired couple in their LeSabre trying to get over to the exit lane 6 miles before the offramp.
The A8 leaves you with only a few tricks in the bag if something fast and 'turny' is on your six. If you have ALT, Split S saves you lots of headaches most of the time. If you don't, you better alt tab out and check the plane comparison and see if your WEP can outrun them. If not, the Top Gun manuever hasn't failed me yet -> let them get within 600 and maintain dodging bullets, cut eng, full rudder and bank drop flaps around 180 (she'll be shakin' like a Parkinson's patient with ADHD) and watch them fly over the top of you. If you're lucky and you're able to punch the engine fast enough and have a little speed you can angle that nose up when they fly over you and they can taste your 30mm, if not you may be able to distance yourself were you can do an Immelman.
I used to fly only 109s, but the lack of view in the cockpit pissed me off one day and I took up a 190. If I'm buff hunting, I used to be worried about the guns on the bombers and being able to land enough accurate hits to take them out. Now, its can I get all 3 in one pass?
