Air Combat Maneuvering
Flight Procedures
With your understanding of T-45 performance characteristics, you know that your greatest turn rate
will be achieved at 21 units at airspeed of approximately 410 KIAS. But you’re not going to be able
to maintain this pull for long. Unless time to kill is exceptionally short, the aircraft with the greatest
sustained turn rate will win two-circle fights. When you recognize that the flow is two-circle, any
airspeed below 300, or any pull less than 17 units (when above 300 KIAS) will significantly reduce
your turn rate (see Figure 32).
Figure 32: TWO CIRCLE: SIMILAR RATE/RADIUS
When engaged in one-circle flow, you need to collapse your turn radius as tightly as possible in order
to create turning room between you and the bandit. This means transitioning to an airspeed that is
both slower than his and controllable in terms of g available. 110 KIAS may well be slower than his
airspeed, but it affords no ability to turn your jet and will soon result in the loss of any position
advantage gained.
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