Originally posted by SgtPappy
I've been watching a 3min lag pursuit film of Murdr flying his 38J against Yuji's Frank and I'm trying to adapt Murdr's techniques.
Something I should have commented on regarding that film was using what I've called the "safe zone" technique.
At these times in the film, 1:54, 2:09, 2:38, My objective in this loopy fight is to get above where the opponent can pull his decending turn to level flight. If you get above the arc of that turn, you are safe from their guns.
Not only that, but by jumping inside the radius of their best turn you create a flight path overshoot. Not only that, but you are slowing in a climbing turn while the opponent is accelerating in a diving turn. If you are able to pull inside the arc of thier best turn at a good enough angle, that flight path overshoot can be converted into a wingline overshoot.
In that film, I didn't have the maneuver speed or angle to convert to a full wingline overshoot with guns, but the technique still accumulated angles each time to gain a guns threat, and change from a defensive to offensive mode.
Anyways, thought I'd point that out. For those brief periods I was not trying to maneuver nose on to the bogie, but rather maneuver to a spot inside their best possible turn.