Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
From: wolit@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (Jan Wolitzky)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Dogfighting
Message-ID: <7590@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 20 Jun 89 03:46:38 GMT
References: <7471@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7514@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 32
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: wolit@cbnewsm.ATT.COM (Jan Wolitzky)

> From: bill@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (William S. Smith)
> In 1958 on a flight out of Taiwan an air force pilot, who was returning from
> a tour teaching the Chinese Nationalists how to beat the MIGs with F86s,
> told me, a non-aviator, that his technique for solving the agility problem
> was to allow the MIG to get on his tail, pop the flaps, and fire a
> sidewinder as the MIG streaked past - always provided that the MIG didn't
> get off a shot first, of course.  It sounds as if the speeds and distances
> have changed, but not much else!

I recall that this technique was used with success by British Harrier
pilots against Argentine Mirages during the Falklands/Malvinas
conflict.  The Harrier pilot would rotate his exhaust nozzles from
their normal rearward-pointing position (in forward flight) through the
downward-pointing position used for vertical flight, until they pointed
a bit forward, providing some reverse thrust.  Not sure whether dive
brakes were used as well, but the plane slowed down in a hurry.  The
Mirage pilot was obviously unable to maintain his position on the
Harrier's tail, and provided a good target for a Sidewinder as it went
past.  The British pilots dubbed the maneuver "vff-ing," though I
forget exactly what the "VF" stood for -- "vertical flight" or "vector
forward" or something like that.

Of course, I doubt that any pilot would actually CHOOSE to go up
against a Mirage with a Harrier in a dogfight.  The technique does
give the other guy the first crack at a tail shot, after all.
-- 
Jan Wolitzky, AT&T Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ; 201 582-2998; mhuxd!wolit
(Affiliation given for identification purposes only)