Combat Maneuvers



To understand Air Combat, you must know the basic and advanced flight maneuvers. After you master these maneuvers, you can combine them into a dogfight and create a very creative fight. Most times, it won't take much work to win the fight if you master these maneuvers.


Basic Combat Maneuvers



The Immelman

 The purpose of the immelman is to attain a high rate of altitude while reversing your aircraft's direction. It is better to use this maneuver if you have the advantage in the fight becuase you will trade airspeed for altitude. The slower, lower, aircraft will not be able to climb to your altitude as quickly.

The Split S

 The Split S is a very useful maneuver to integrate into your dogfights. If an attacker is diving on your aircraft at a high speed, you can use this maneuver to escape easily by making your aircraft descend quickly and making the attacker either over-G and blackout on his run or make him break off his attack. If you used this maneuver in offence you could be on top of a opponent that is facing the opposite way, then drop down on him from behind. You will have the advantage on airspeed at this point and can line up for a shot, or possibly combine it with some of the ACM techniques which you will be reading about next.
The Break The break is most likely the simplest combat maneuver. In this maneuver the defender rolls until the aircraft is sideways then applies rudder to make the aircraft quickly turn and descend. If the attacker does not turn with the defender then the defender has broken away from behind the attacker and therefor has a greater possibility to gain the advantage in a later maneuver.
*Note- The red arrow is the defender (you), the blue arrow is the attacker (your enemy).

Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM)
High YoYo The High YoYo is used to improve a pilots offensive position and to prevent the pilot from overshooting the aircraft he is attacking. When you execute the High YoYo you will gain altitude therefore losing airspeed and decreasing the closure rate on the enemy. You will then dive downward while turning with the enemy aircraft. You thus gain back the speed you lost from the climb and gain a better offensive position almost directly behind the enemy aircraft.
The Low YoYo The Low YoYo accompishes the same task as the High YoYo, but is used when you have less speed than the enemy, you descend to gain airspeed and cut the enemy off in the turn. Then you climb again to get a better position for a shot. You might not be closer to the enemy, but you will be in a better position to make a clean, accurate, shot.
The Barrel Roll Attack This is another maneuver that improves your offensive position and prevents you from overshooting the opponent. In this maneuver the defender breaks one direction so you roll the opposite direction from the defender's break then climbs to reduce closing speed. Finally the attacker completes the roll so he is level again and turns in behind the defender.
The High-G Barrel Roll This maneuver should be used when the attacker overshoots the you. This maneuver takes advantage of this change by placing you behind the attacker. This is accomplished by turning into the attacker's break and then do a barrel roll parallel to his course. At the top of the barrel roll you should be directly behind the attacker.
The Scissors This maneuver is used to get you behind the attacker by slowing his airspeed as fast as possible by flying in a vertical zig-zagging flight path. This slows the plane because it is traveling a longer distance instead of in a straight line which is the fastest path. The attacker is also going to be doing this to remain in the offensive position behind the defender. He will have a hard time getting a clean shot on you becuase of your aircrafts motion. The more G's you pull the more you will slow down. If you slow down too much, you might not be able to keep up to the passing enemy and will miss your shot.
The Vertical Scissors Vertical Scissors is really just like the Scissors maneuver except it is done while climbing or diving aircraft fighting to gain the better offensive position. In this maneuver you will most likely enter this maneuver because you have a disadvantage in that the enemy has more speed. This maneuver causes the speed advantage to be canceled due to the pull of gravity slowing both aircraft. If you execute this maneuver with better timing and technique, you will end up behind the attacker therefore becoming the attacker and placing the aircraft in a good offensive position.
Countering the Vertical Scissors If there is no significant advantage to be made or you are losing the advantage in carrying out the scissors the best thing to do would be get out of the maneuver without losing any altitude or airspeed. To do this all you have to do is keep flying in a straight line instead of turning to follow the other aircraft. After that you may decide to re-engage or run.
Rolling Scissors This maneuver is used to get you behind the attacker by slowing his airspeed as fast as possible by flying in a slow rolling flight path. Keep the opponent directly above you and inverted with you, so that he can't get a good shot. This maneuver loading the wings with Gs and burning energy. The attacker is also going to be doing the same to remain in the offensive position behind the defender. He will have a hard time getting a clean shot on you becuase of your aircrafts motion. Use rudder to slow down quicker and easier.
Here's another video (ty Domin). Rolling Scissors long video (watch views)
Negative Roll When the opponent is closing on you roll your aircraft on its side and use full top rudder as well as a little forward stick to maintain knife edge flight. When the opponent is within 400 feet, roll over yourself and add more forward stick. After you roll through inverted, pull back on the stick and continue the roll. Continue the rolls, changing stick forward and stick back everytime you pass knife edge. Your aircraft will be turning in a negative direction from which your original knife edge direction was. The opponent will have too much speed to keep up with you and if he attempts to follow, will most likely end up right in front of you. I created this maneuver and can hardly explain it simply, so if you need some help, ask me on the message board or in the game and I will be glad to help.
LagRoll The Lagroll is probably the best maneuver to get an opponent to overshoot while keeping your speed up and attaching to his six. The manuever requires a lot of judgement on the defenders part. The beginning of the maneuver starts with you level and the opponent diving in and gaining speed on you. When he is between 1.5k to 1k (depending on your altitude and his closure rate) on your six, bank your aircraft 20 degrees to the right or left and push forward on the stick, initiating a moderate descent. You may need to pull throttle (between idle and half, again a judgement call) depending on his closure rate. You want him to gain about 200 feet every 2 or 3 seconds. When he is about 600-500 behind you, bank your wings 50-80 degrees and pull back. Cut your throttle to half or less at this point to ride your blackout tunnel. This way you won't snap wings, or blackout. Only keep that turn in for about 2 or 3 seconds then start a slow opposite barrel roll. Just before you get inverted (DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY INVERTED) roll slowly back to level flight and push full forward on the stick while adding full throttle and WEP. This will regain all your airspeed back and the enemy will be right in front of you. If he turns, he's dead. Even still you will be on his six and he may be slightly pulling away from you, but you avoided him and are at the advantage. Keep your eye on the opponent the best you can during this maneuver (don't worry about this part when practicing), for some pilots know this maneuver and may be able to counter. I (cofn) use a rolling scissors if the opponent avoids my lagroll. Works every time.
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