Demonstration of a lag pursuit roll (basic fighter maneuver) using micro-scale (1:200) fighter models.
About this creation
Having built a number of micro-scale fighter models, I thought I'd try putting them to use to demonstrate some of the basics of Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM).
In this first example, we have a demonstration of the lag pursuit roll maneuver. This is an offensive maneuver used by an attacker to transition from lead pursuit (in which the attacker's projected flight patch leads the defender) to lag pursuit (in which the attacker's projected flight patch intersects behind the defender).
Lead pursuit is good for quickly closing range, but it usually means a high angle-on-tail (AOT), which is not good for close-range missile or guns shots. At some point, when the range has been closed sufficiently, the attacker will want to get into a position of lag pursuit, which generally lowers the AOT.
One way to make this transition is to pull back hard on the stick, loading the wings, and keep turning inside the defender. In the process of making such a tight turn, the attacker will bleed off energy and slow down. Often, though, such a tight turn is not possible (i.e. if the defender can match it) and the attacker will overshoot the defender's flight path, putting himself in a potentially disadvantaged position if the defender can reverse his turn quickly enough.
Even if such a tight turn were possible, it is generally not desirable to throw away speed to gain a brief shot at a firing position, as the defender is likely to counter. The attacker will then have wasted his speed advantage.
The best move in this case is usually for the attacker to make an "out of plane" maneuver. The Lag Pursuit Roll is an example of such a maneuver (the Hi Yo-Yo, which I might cover next, is another such maneuver).
To execute a lag pursuit roll, the attacker (the Flanker in this example), begins in a position of lead pursuit. The maneuver is started by leveling the wings (position #2) and pulling back on stick slightly. This action will point the attacker's nose behind the defender (the Tomcat in this case) and cause the attacker's rate of closure to decrease, as he trades altitude for speed.
The attacker then rolls in the direction opposite of the defender's turn, sliding outside of the defender's turning circle as he does so (position #3). During the roll, the attacker is able to maintain visual contact with the defender.
When the attacker rolls around enough to align his lift vector (i.e. an imaginary line pointing straight up relative to his aircraft) with the defender's flight path, he pulls back on the stick (position #4). As the attacker finishes his roll with his wings loaded, he pulls into a highly advantaged position of lag pursuit. Our friends Maverick and Goose are about to get a couple of AA-11 "Archer" IR homing missiles up their keister if they don't react in a hurry.
If folks like these, I'll try to continue doing them, but they are somewhat difficult to set up.