![]() ![]() Less lift is produced by the wings of an aircraft at slower speeds, and as a result, there is less force available to turn the aircraft. At lower airspeeds, you have less G available or, in other words, you can't pull as many Gs as you get slow. There is a relationship between airspeed and Gs. You may think that slowing down to minimum airspeed and pulling as hard as you can is the best course of action in order to achieve a high turn rate. The reverse is true: a lower velocity will yield a higher turn rate. If G remains at maximum, a higher velocity will cause turn rate to decrease. Velocity still remains an important factor. The higher the G in the above equation, the faster the turn rate. Turn rate is measured in degrees per second and is also dependent on Gs and airspeed. It is also described as how fast an aircraft can change its nose position. Turn rate indicates how fast the aircraft moves around the turn radius or circle we just talked about. Turn rate is the second important factor for turning the jet. ![]() Still, velocity is squared, so airspeed has a greater effect on turn radius than G. The more Gs that you pull, the tighter the turn. Just realize that velocity is squared in the turn radius equation, meaning that turn radius will grow exponentially based on velocity. It is not important that you understand how to compute turn radius. If you are looking down on the aircraft as it turns, the turn radius is the distance from the center of your turn circle to the aircraft, measured in feet. Turn radius is simply a measure of how tight your jet is turning. The first two characteristics of turns are turn radius and turn rate. The good news is that the defensive fighter also gives up energy to turn and defend himself. When you turn a jet at high G, you "spend" or lose energy. Anytime you maneuver or turn a fighter it "costs" energy. You can also exchange energy for nose position. Likewise, you can convert aircraft speed back into altitude or potential energy. Always remember that you can trade altitude (potential energy) for speed. If the same jet is flying at low altitude, its potential energy is low. If a jet is at high altitude, its potential energy is high. Potential energy is directly related to aircraft altitude. Potential energy is "stored" energy that can be converted to kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is simply the velocity or speed at which the jet is traveling. Fighters have two types of energy: kinetic and potential. "Ps(specific power) for position" is a concept that is an integral part of BFM. These include the concepts of positional energy, turn radius, turn rate, corner velocity and vertical turns. It is important to under-stand several concepts about turns in order to be successful at BFM. Let's look first at the mechanics of turns.īFM has a lot to do with turns. The problem is twofold-how to turn and when to turn. A turn of some sort is the solution to solving the BFM problems of angle-off, aspect angle and range caused by the bandit's defensive turn. ![]() ![]() If the offensive fighter goes into a turn to match the defensive fighter, he will just end up out in front because the center of there turn circles are offset.Īn immediate turn will not work, and driving straight will not work. The below image shows why an immediate turn by the offensive fighter will not work. To control the "angles" and stay at 6 o'clock, the offensive fighter must also turn his jet. The above image shows how a bandit's turn will change the angular relation-ship between the offensive and defensive fighter. Remember these terms defined the angular relationship between two aircraft. To do this, you must maintain control of angle-off, range and aspect angle. In order to stay in weapons parameters and in control of the bandit, you must stay at his 6 o'clock. A turning bandit will immediately create BFM problems. When the bandit turns, however, things change dramatically. When you are behind a bandit who is flying straight and level, it is a simple matter to control your airspeed with the throttle and fly around behind him. It may seem obvious, but the primary reason that you need offensive BFM techniques is to counter a bandit's turn. This study guide reflects current offensive BFM thinking. The sustained maneuverability of a modern fighter has made a "move-counter-move" discussion of offensive BFM obsolete. Some of the maneuvers in offensive BFM have names, but the modern day fighter pilot thinks in terms of driving his jet into the control position from an offensive setup, rather than in terms of executing a series of named "moves" to counter the bandit's defensive maneuvering. It is helpful to think of offensive BFM as a series of fluid rolls, turns and accelerations. In order to accomplish this goal, the fighter pilot must understand basic offensive maneuvering. The ultimate goal of offensive BFM is to kill the bandit in the minimum amount of time. BFM, ACM: The tactics of virtual air combat. ![]()
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