This is the second part of energy management. Part one covered some general
terms and situations to layout some basic groundwork. This post will layout
some general engagement scenarios so that when we get to specific tactics we
have a common frame of reference.
Again, much of this material can be found at various WarBird's, Air Warrior and a
variety of other sims. www.combatsim.com has many great articles as well. The
only downside is that the numbers and sometimes capabilities need to be
geared down for WWI aircraft.
When 2 opposing aircraft encounter each other it is usually in one of three
energy situations. The situations are a Positive Energy State (you have more
energy than your opponent), a Neutral Energy State (you and you enemy have
nearly equal Energy), and finally a Negative Energy State (your enemy has more
energy than you). In most cases this will mean altitude. Altitude is the Potential
Energy an aircraft can convert into Real Energy.
That Real Energy is mostly manifested as speed, but it can also be used to
change an angle of attack as well. However, having greater altitude doesn't
always mean you have greater energy.
If your Alb D3 has a 100 foot advantage over a fast moving Spad, the Spad may
have the greater Energy State. BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WHICH OF THE
THREE STATES YOU ARE IN IS CRITICAL.
I cannot emphasize that enough. Knowing your aircraft and knowing your
opponent's is the best way to train yourself on recognizing this. I highly
encourage everyone to fly ALL the airplanes. Even if you primarily fly only one
side it will help you to know the enemy.
In The Art Of War, Sun Tzu wrote "He who knows his capabilities and not his
enemies will win 50 of 100 battles. He who knows his enemy's capabilities and
not his own will win 50 battles of 100. He who knows his capabilities and his
enemy's will win 100 of 100 battles."
That axiom holds true today. Let's cover each of the three states and a general
strategy for each:
1.. Positive Energy State: You meet your enemy and you hold the advantage.
This is the best starting scenario in any dogfight. From your superior energy
state you will execute BFMs in order to get a killing shot on your opponent. You
must keep an eye on your own energy while constantly evaluating the energy
state of your opponent. Your BFMs should be executed at low energy while
forcing your opponent to use up his energy.
When your opponents energy state is low then you strike. By holding the
energy advantage you hold the initiative. Make your opponent react to your
moves, don't react to theirs. COMMAND the fight from your superior energy
state. There are two key components to doing this--Patience and
Aggressiveness.
Yes, they seem mutually exclusive but they are not really. You must have
patience and not rush a shot that will blow your energy, at the same time when
you see your opportunity to strike TAKE IT. You may not have the time to wait
for another opportunity. The most common scenario for a Positive Energy State
is one where you hold the altitude advantage. The most common way of
screwing this advantage up is by being impatient or overeager and
overshooting your opponent.
Overshoots give your enemy a shot at your 6. In a later post we will cover
specific techniques. One thing to be aware of is that there is no fixed altitude
that is a good advantage. 500 feet may be plenty for a Spad or a an Alb, but a
mono may need 1000. Again, know your plane, know your enemy's plane.
2.. Neutral Energy State: Neither of you have an advantage in this scenario.
Most often this means you are co-alt of there is very little altitude difference. A
good pilot will engage in such a scenario and convert it into a positive energy
state for him/her. Techniques such as lead turns can be utilized to change the
energy state into a positive one. While you may get the occasional opportunity
shot in such a state you should not be looking for a killing shot. Wait until your
energy is superior to the enemy then make your offensive move.
The most common mistake I see pilots make in this scenario is the classic
Lufberry Circle. You and your opponent are in a circle trying to get on each
other's 6 and neither really gaining. Finally, one of you gets impatient and pulls
back hard on the stick for a lead pursuit. For a few precious moments you get
lined up and put a few bullets into your enemy, but then suddenly your plane
shudders and either you stall or you have to level out to build up speed.
Meanwhile your more patient foe is executing a low load turn and lining up on
your hapless plane.
Raise your hand if you've ever done this... <hand> :-)
Negative Energy State: Your opponent has it all over you.
This is a worse case scenario. Most of the time this means he/she has the
altitude advantage. When you are approaching a fight and your N key picks up
a high bogie your best bet is to turn around, climb and re-engage at a better
alt.
Sometimes, however, this isn't possible because either your aircraft is too slow
to escape (bombers for instance) or you didn't see them until too late. In such a
scenario, you aim should be to get yourself into a Neutral Energy State.
Don't go for the kill or worry about gaining the advantage. Work to get even. A
quick example is you are approaching an enemy and he is at your high 12. He
dives at you hoping to get a critical engine hit or force you to break away giving
him/her a clean 6 shot. You don't have a lot of options. As they get closer one
technique is to pull up straight at them and fire right back at them. Maybe you'll
get the lucky hit, but better yet you get them to change their attack. You may
force them into a different attack profile and you will gain a precious second or
two to gain a little alt or speed and make your energy state closer. Of course,
hold your nose high too long and you'll stall out and most likely die, but it is one
oft used option.
The key is don't look for the kill shot. Be looking to improve your energy state
while forcing your opponent to waste theirs. Once your energy is equal then
you can begin using other techniques to convert to a positive energy state for
your own killing shot. Truly good pilots can turn a bad situation into a reversal
and make the kill. A common technique to use on a high aircraft diving on you is
to turn directly under them. Force them to change direction while diving. If you
keep turning under them and they keep having to change they will burn E
having to turn hard to track you.
If you are lucky and he is obsessed with tracking you he will blow all his E in a
high speed, wide turn that you may be able to counter. Keep your turns low G
(don't yank on the stick too hard) and keep your nose level and speed up. Not a
bad idea to eek a little climb out of it if you can but don't sacrifice your speed if
you can. In the next post I will discuss the Positive Energy State in more detail
discussing a variety of killing techniques as well as common mistakes made.
Sensei --
