About This File
We've all seen the movie Top Gun, right? Remember that scene when Jester is behind Maverick and Goose? "Goose, I'm gonna let him get in closer." "What, Closer??!!!" Goose exclaims. "I'll get him in closer, then I'll hit the brakes, and he'll fly right by."
Maverick, in the above scenario, is forcing a defensive overshoot.
Each item in step-1 through step-4 should be performed as simultaneously as possible (at the same time):
***Step-1***
Level off. Fly straight and level.
Release trim (ctrl-t). This will let the plane unload to zero-G. zero-G enables the plane to pick up speed.
Full power (engage afterburner, if your plane is equipped with it).
Full right or left rudder (z or x). It is extremely difficult for online (and AI) pilots to hit a plane that is moving laterally (using rudder).
***Step-2***
Jink. Move the flight stick side to side. Be careful not to pull back on the stick, as this will slow you down. We don't want to slow down TOO MUCH yet. @@@You're still holding rudder down, right?@@@
Modulate Power. pull the throttle to Idle. Then, slam the throttle to afterburner. Repeat this process of switching from idle to afterburner. This will make it more difficult for the enemy to achieve a good firing solution. It will also allow him to slowly get closer. @@@You're still holding rudder down, right?@@@
Let him get close. If you can see the enemy pilot in the cockpit, he's close. (Use F-5 view until you get used to performing an overshoot).
***Step-3***
Now that he's close:
Extend Flaps full (shift-F). This will provide lift to keep your plane from stalling.
Extend Brakes (Shift-B). This slows down your plane.
Release rudder. Do NOT hold the rudder down at this point. If you do, you'll most likely enter a flat spin in the next part of the manuever.
Barrell Roll. Pull hard back on the stick while deflecting the stick full right or full left. In other words position the stick to the lower left or lower right. Listen for stall warning. Ease off the back pressure if you hear it.
***Step-4***
After the enemy flies past you:
Retract brakes (ctrl-B)
Full power (engage afterburner, if your plane is equipped with it).
Retract flaps to half (f)
Get behind bad guy.
Retract flaps completely (ctrl-f)
Shoot bad guy down.
I have a .trk file illustrating this at Biohaz. Here's the Link. http://forum.biohazcentral.com/index.php?download=709 There's a lull in the action at the start of the .trk. Press ctrl-a to fast forward the .trk and shift-a for normal speed. The first battle I win hands down. The second battle I let the enemy get behind me to demonstrate overshoot. He guns me and I take some damage, on the first overshoot. The second overshoot, I am unable to extend flaps or barell roll (otherwise I'll start spinning). Other than lack of flaps, it shows a nice overshoot (if I say so myself :-).
***P.S. It works in Real Life, too.***
The two fighters separated and came back at each other again, performing two up-and-down maneuvers, trying to get on each other's tail. The MiG stayed with the Phantom every step of the way. Cunningham thought: "He's gonna get lucky one of these times."
Then Cunningham cut power and extended his airbrakes, forcing the MiG to overshoot. The MiG pilot went into a steep dive to escape and Cunningham followed. The range was long and Sidewinders could be easily confounded by ground heat sources on a downward shot, but Cunningham launched anyway. Somewhat to his surprise, the missile went home and the MiG exploded.
http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avf4_2.html
http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eaglebios/02bios/cunnin02.htm
Ray Bourgholtzer, who flew F7F-3Ns out of Kangnung, wrote, "I knew John Andre and he flew both F7F's and Corsairs. He was flying a Corsair when he shot down the Yak. It had come in behind him and when he realized he was being attacked. He dropped wheels and flaps, and cut the throttle. This caused the Yak to overshoot him and when he did, Andre then increased his throttle and pulled up the wheels and flaps and stayed with the Yak and shot him down with his 4 20mm cannon."
http://www.kalaniosullivan.com/KunsanAB/VM...witwasa1ac.html