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Three quick questions:

Do you use speedbrakes for improved manuevering in turns? I read that in a book with no further explanation.
I know the Man range/uncage switch on the T-grip is used for gain control and for missle caging, but what about the "Manual Range" part of the name?
Do you usually use the Rf switch for cutting FCR transmissions, or would you rather select FZ on your FCR page. I thought FZ was mainly for looking at RADAR pictures to decipher the A-G picture.

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Salute!

Don't think it's appropriate to answer question 3. Let's keep our important stuff close to the vest, OK?

1) Don't even think about using boards except in landing pattern or overshooting lead for a rejoin.

2) The old, old manual range doofer? heh heh, didn't think they still had that thing.

Back in the 80's we pressed it to uncage the Sidewinder seeker. I can't think of anyone who used it in the gun mode to set range. Let's face it, if your radar went sour, you flew wing or went home. So trying to set a manual range for the LCOS or SS sight seemed silly.

For groundmap and air to ar radar modes, the persentation swithes ranges when you slew the 'captain's bars' up to the top or down to the bottom of the display.

later,

Gums, best turn rate is achieved at corner speed, yes? If you are too fast when you yank into a turn do you bump the speed brakes to get down to corner speed or do you just bleed down to sorner spped in the turn? (asked like a true non-pilot...) Embarassed

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 Posts: 902

here is a nice reference on the subject [pointer 2]. De-classified information I hope. Cool

Enthusiast Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 72 Status: Offline

Habu2, you can better use you're excess in speed to win angles. Pull all you have until you get the corner speed. This way you don't have to use the airbrakes and you will be able to gain angles on your adversary, this might shorten the fight. BFM is all about maintaining energy and it would be a mistake to throw some overboard with the speedbrakes.

Greets

Salute!

Frodo has it.

First of all, corner is more closely related to IAS than mach or TAS.

So figure about 360 IAS. And that is very fast when way up high. Like 720 TAS at 50,000 and then the old 2% rule.

Use excess speed to go vertical, then roll once at best corner speed and go for it. Might even have to do this more than once, or if th dweeb keeps turning level, then maybe even get higher and slower before bring nose back to bear.

As Frodo put it, conserve your 'E'. Can always trade alt for more vee.

Cylon and STBYGAIN and Sabre can put their more current stuff here........

out,

Thanks guys - I have Shaw's "Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering" book but I have yet to read it.

Use lift vector to slow before you start throwing out boards. If you have to do that, a mistake was made earlier (and you were way to fast).

Cylon

OH: and just to be safe: IT DEPENDS

When do you use Boards, when have you doofed a rejoin, you’re doing a JFK, Jr. descent, on landing... Never, never, never, in the fight!

Got my horns on here (Devil's advocate type)-

What about against a Cobra maneuver? Would any true fighter pilot pop boards if a cobra was popped in front of you?

Kevin
The Ejection Site

Enthusiast Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 72 Status: Offline

Although I 've never seen this in real life I don't think they use the cobra as a defensive maneuver. I don't even know if they use it in combat. It might be (stress on might) used when you are neutral to point quickly and get a missile of the rail. But this would be like gambling, if he isn't able to shoot he killed his energy and is a sitting duck... I think when you see a cobra-dude in front of you, you're best option is to use the vertical with your energy, he won't be able to follow!

Greets

ps: and like cylon, to be safe: it depends because there are situations in which you can use boards

Elite 3K Joined: May 10, 2004 Posts: 3098 Status: Offline

I can think of one time when a pilot threw out the boards and everything else he could to get slow and win in a dogfight. When Randy "Duke" Cunningham was engaged in his famous dogfight with Col. Toon in Viet Nam, he found himself in a vertical rolling scissors. At the opportune moment, Duke did everything he could to make his Phantom stop in mid air, forcing Col. Toon to overshoot. This allowed Duke to take the shot and add another MiG kill to his resume. Yes, I agree that this is a very rare case and that 99.9% of the time you want to conserve all the energy you can in aerial combat.

Enthusiast Joined: Jul 01, 2004 Posts: 23 Status: Offline

Ah, the boards debate. We teach the kids here to have less than Mach when starting the pull, otherwise, turn radius is akin to that of a B-52. That equates to 480-490 indicated at turn circle entry or lead turn. I breif power modulation to arrive at that speed, others brief keep it in blower and fan the boards to achieve it. Regardless of technique, we will not use the boards, as a rule, to slow to corner velocity because we are going to piss it away in the pull. So, if I start the pull at corner, I am doomed to be below corner the instant I start trying to solve angles. The only way to make up E at that point is to give up turn room for the other guy to use. Of course, as stated before, it all depends on the situation. Rule of thumb, always check the left MFD to see where the other guy stands.

I will use boards to gun a guy, again, depending on closure.

Cobra?! A total airshow thrill only. If the clown was in front of my 3/9 and I was going for glory with a gun kill and he pulled that stunt...I'd gun him as his circle opened up and gave me that nice big planform. Beyond that, I'll own the vertical...fish in a barrell!

Cool, I think you guys sufficiently answered my questions.

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Speedbrakes in a turn? And Manual Range/Uncage switch