Few Dogfighting Questions

[DoNKeY]

Ok, guys just a few questions.  Would appreciate any help.

First off, the icon numbers that represent range, do they only represent horizontal distance without vertical distance?  Or is there vertical distance included?  Like the numbers represent a straight line drawn from my plane along the shortest distance to his/her plane??  I ask this cause I usually have a hard time figuring out how far someone is below me or above me.  Is there any easy way you guys use to tell or is it basically down to experience based on their plane size etc??

My second question is what is the best way to conserve E when you dive on someone.  A typical sortie for me is this. I climb about 9/10 of the way to an engagement usually putting me at an altitude of 11-14.  (And this is also where my first question comes in handy).  And with my luck whenever I climb that high everybody is on the deck and I'm in the stratosphere.  Then, when I come in like 9-10 theres a pony or a spit higher then me:O   Anyway, my question is, if I come up high and the fights are mostly on the deck, what is the best way to be able to execute a BnZ type of fight, diving down from that altitude but being able to keep the most amount of E you can to be able to replace a lot of the lost altitude while maintaining control of your plane?  I can't just dive straight down because I go to fast and lose authority over the control surfaces, but I feel like I'm throwing  E down the toilet when I throttle back and glide to like 8 or 9 and then dive, flatten out, and come back up to 7-8 and then repeatedly lose a little more E on each pass 'till I break off and store some back up.  (If it helps I am flying the Typhoon and Tempest almost exclusively as of lately).

One last one.  For the film viewer, is there a god mode sort of thing that allows to to view the fight in third person, but from a distance away.  As if the fight was going on  HERE    and i was viewing it from third person over HERE.
Basically like chase kinda but so that I can see the whole picture, and so I can see him looping and me doing whatever.  Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for any help, I greatly appreciate it.


PS:  Let me know if something is unclear, I'll try to explain it better.

[Lusche]

quick answers for questions #1 and #3:

#1 The distance the icon shows is the straight line between you and the other plane. Distance is given in yards, 2K = 200yds.

#3 There is a kind of external view you are looking for.
You will find it just above your view window, it's called "fixed" (others are "External" "chase" and "bomsight").
You can either click on it, or use the F5 key to get into it (for the other views: F3, F4, F6 respectively).

Fixed view is still centered on your plane (or any other plane you have currently selected), but the camera stays level all the time. Hit F8 and then use the arrow keys on numberpad to move views. Disengage NumLock first to get rid of that constant beeping sound while mving view that way.

Fixed view combined with Trails gives you a good view on the combat.

[TequilaChaser]

regarding #1 -

looking at the icon range it is in yards as  Lusche explained, but when looking at it vertical, remember you are looking at ALT which is in FEET,  so multiply the icon number by 3.    to figure their alt advantage on you......


if you are 5K alt and they are reading 5K alt above you they are at 20,000 ft alt........

15,000 ft  alt difference.........

[Rolex]

Hi DoNKeY,

1. Icon distances are in yards and are direct line-of-sight distance from you to the  other aircraft. An icon distance of 400 means the aircraft is between 300 and 499* yards away.The same principal applies to all icon distances.

2. Total energy is a combination of two components - potential and kinetic. Potential E is altitude, and kinetic E is velocity or speed. You can convert altitude into speed and vice versa. Large positive g forces in transitioning back to a climb and any g forces used to maneuver plus drag will cause an energy loss that cannot be recovered to put you back at same total energy you were before you began the dive.

It's like any electrical system. There will always be some losses in any process, for example heat from resistance. No system is 100% efficient.

You're at the stage many players go through. You know the fundamentals, but will have to do some reading now about energy and situational awareness (SA) to gain the experience in selecting your best targets and greatest threats based on your aircraft, energy state and energy state of enemy aircraft around you.

It is not something that can be answered in one reading, but there are plenty of threads and places you can begin that reading. The links in my signature will get you started.

3. Check the round radio buttons along the top of the view screen of the film viewer to see all the view options available. Zoom in and out and around with the scroll bars, keyboard arrows and square bracket keys while in the external, chase or fixed views.

Don't be afraid play around and try different things with the viewer. You can't break it.

* Changed icon ranges because I'm a moron and tired. Thanks, Lusche.

[Lusche]

Originally posted by Rolex
An icon distance of 400 means the aircraft is between 351 and 449 yards away.

It's 300 - 499 actually.

[Murdr]

Originally posted by DoNKeY
My second question is what is the best way to conserve E when you dive on someone.  A typical sortie for me is this. I climb about 9/10 of the way to an engagement usually putting me at an altitude of 11-14.  (And this is also where my first question comes in handy).  And with my luck whenever I climb that high everybody is on the deck and I'm in the stratosphere.  Then, when I come in like 9-10 theres a pony or a spit higher then me:O   Anyway, my question is, if I come up high and the fights are mostly on the deck, what is the best way to be able to execute a BnZ type of fight, diving down from that altitude but being able to keep the most amount of E you can to be able to replace a lot of the lost altitude while maintaining control of your plane?

Too tired to explain it at the moment...Watch this film arenafilm1.ahf and note how I dive to nearer to the enemy's alt, but not directly toward the enemy. Then I pull my nose toward the enemy and set up for a shot.  Granted this film isn't 10k-.5k dives, but I think you'll see what I mean.

[DoNKeY]

Ok, lol stupid me never thought about it being feet versus yards.  Whenever I was above someone and the icon said 3.5 for example, I would set up and BnZ run only to be diving forever with them still seeming to be far away, so I just assumed that I read as horizontal separation.  Ok, well thanks for all of the answers and help.

[Latrobe]

Rolex did a great job explaining Energy. The best BnZ method I learned was from ChainGun. The con highest up is the immediate threat.  Take out the high enemies first and work your way down. If theres an enemy co-alt with you then you're in for a fight, and if he tries to bring you down to the deck don'y follow him.

[Whisky58]

Originally posted by Lusche
It's 300 - 499 actually.

Lusche I don't think that can be right because then an icon distance of 500 would be a range between 400 - 599, and thus a huge amount of overlap between icons 400 and 500 which makes no sense.
I think icon of 400 is 301 - 400 yds, but am prepared to stand corrected.

Definitive answer please anyone?

[Lusche]

Originally posted by Whisky58
Lusche I don't think that can be right because then an icon distance of 500 would be a range between 400 - 599, and thus a huge amount of overlap between icons 400 and 500 which makes no sense.
I think icon of 400 is 301 - 400 yds, but am prepared to stand corrected.

Definitive answer please anyone?

There is no D500 icon...


0 - 99 = d0
100 - 299 = d200
300 - 499 = d400
500 - 699 = d600
700 - 899 = d800
900 - 999 = d1000

1000 - 1249 = d1.0K
1250 - 1749 = d1.5K
1750 - 2250 = d2.0K

If still in doubt: It's very easy to check it yourself: View any recorded combat in the AH Film Viewer and compare the icon distances with the precice distances given on the right part of the screen.

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by Lusche
It's 300 - 499 actually.

"#1 The distance the icon shows is the straight line between you and the other plane. Distance is given in yards, 2K = 200yds."

... and 2K is not 200yds ...  

[Lusche]

Originally posted by SlapShot
"#1 The distance the icon shows is the straight line between you and the other plane. Distance is given in yards, 2K = 200yds."

... and 2K is not 200yds ...  

[SkyRock]

When you set up your attack from high, be sure to understand that to conserve a planes E, one must realize the path of least resistance.  If you are using rudder, you will lose more E than if not using rudder. If you are using the controls to slow you down or turn, then you will lose that E indefinitely until regained on a extended climbout.  So to conserve the planes E as much as possible, pick an AoA that requires little to no use of controls before the shot.  Upon making your pass, do a zoom climb, or a climb in which the least amount of usage of the controls allows you to get to your required altitude.  Obviously you have to use elevators to get back up to altitude, but as you use them, be aware of how much resistance they are causing.  Simply put, be easy on the stick!
Hope this helps you.

Mark  

[Whisky58]

Originally posted by Lusche
There is no D500 icon...


0 - 99 = d0
100 - 299 = d200
300 - 499 = d400
500 - 699 = d600
700 - 899 = d800
900 - 999 = d1000

1000 - 1249 = d1.0K
1250 - 1749 = d1.5K
1750 - 2250 = d2.0K

If still in doubt: It's very easy to check it yourself: View any recorded combat in the AH Film Viewer and compare the icon distances with the precice distances given on the right part of the screen.

Thankyou.
Regards.

[Tachus]

How do you balance these two concepts while BnZing?

1. Be aggressive, so the enemy doesn't have time to build back up E, after your pass.

2. Use the least amount of stick input possible, as to conserver your on E.

It seems to me, there is a point in time when you must switch from one of these to the other. (Ie. At some point you must make a "hard" reversal, using higher G's and bleeding E, in order to press or finish the attack.)

Or maybe not. So how do you decide when or do you?

Best regards,
--Tachus