Figure 9-17 Post-Bubble

CHAPTER NINE

BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERING (BFM) THEORY

5. Control Point. A point inside the control zone. The control point is defined as one turn

radius aft of the defender. As we learned earlier in this chapter, a max performing T-2C will

have a turn radius of 1500 feet. If an attacker can maintain this point, he can control the fight.

Additionally, we saw earlier during the discussion of the E-M diagram, an aircraft's turn radius

is a direct function airspeed and "G". Bottom line: like the bubble, the control point will

constantly change as the target maneuvers.

Figure 9-17 Post-Bubble

Positional advantage is a combination of angular advantage (i.e., less than 180o of turn to your

opponent's flight path on the same heading) with 3 - 9 line advantage and/or lateral turning

room.

918. POST AND BUBBLE SCENARIO

As an attacker approaches another aircraft, it becomes essential that they recognize where he is

in relation to the other aircraft's bubble (turn circle). We can begin with an aircraft outside the

bubble. Since the defender cannot prosecute an attack on an aircraft inside its bubble, this is

where attacking aircraft will want to go. Figure 9-18 illustrates an attack utilizing the post-

bubble structure. The attacker's first move (A) will be to arrive as quickly as possible inside the

other aircraft's turn, employing a weapon as he does so (if able).

The attacker will notice initially the defending aircraft has a relatively slow Track Crossing Rate,

that is, the defending aircraft's relative motion is not drifting very much in his windscreen.

9-22

BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERING (BFM) THEORY