Mrtanqueray

Thanks for the feedback guys! Escaner's advice about gaining velocity for a second before going vertical is something I'm going to pay attention to next time (will try today). In the meantime GGtharos I want to drill down a little deeper and try and get more specific knowledge out of you about when you use high AoA menuevers in the 27, read below. Quite the opposite. I have found I do not really ever find it worth it to use the 27's high aoa turning capability because of the consequences (loss of energy\altitude, sluggish nose) are too great. Which, to answer your question more specifically means rather than stick the enmy in my hud I tend to play the Su-27 as a very lag pursuit kind of jet because I fall out of the sky otherwise. My question to you GGTharos, with all due respect of course and if this is actually possible, is how can I use my high AoA/instant turn, in whole or in part in a way that does not rely on making an instant kill and will put me in a good position should the dogfight continue? EG: sustainable use of super maneuverability. Can't wait to hear more!

Glad to see it's not only me. I typically trim to about 600kph before the dog-fight and leave the trimmer as is so I will have a more compliant nose when I go guns (usually 500-600kph range). You think the loss of energy in vertical is coming from trim? That's interesting but I can't see why, can you explain more? Also all you Flanker pros out there, help us out. Some answers to the original post would help us all.

I know the Su-27 has a lot to offer, and I have been trying to unlock that "sweet spot" where I am enjoying the Flankers special characteristics to my advantage in a dogfight without getting too bogged down by its dangerous quirks. A couple questions for anyone who has found said sweet spot and can give some insight Problem 1 The flanker is defined by, and vaunted for it's high AoA capability and instantaneous turn rate (NOT talking about "that" switch), but in my experience it is almost never worth using because: a. the aircraft loses so much speed if you make use of the outrageous turn rate that it puts you at a big disadvantage b. the nose bogs down after such a maneuver ruining any gunnery for the following moments and putting you off pace in your pursuit My question, when do you experienced Flanker pilots actually go ahead and use the flankers instantaneous high AoA capability? Give me a common scenario where you really pull back on the stick. Problem 2 (assume sea level, opponent is f15, both aircraft 30% fuel, 2 dogfight missiles, clean otherwise) Whenever the fight goes vertical I feel like I'm playing with fire... The nasty stall characteristics and lack of power of the Su27 means that if I decide to follow my target up I need to break off the chase and put my nose down around 450kph so I don't stall out. Not only is this almost always before my target has to drop his nose, but it happens extremely quickly (10,000 feet? if that?). Essentially forcing me to expose my tail as I drop off prematurely if I haven't nailed him with my cannon (which I usually do, but still). My question. Given the above assumptions what do you all do when the target goes vertical? Set yourself up to catch him on the way down? gain altitude on a different heading and at a less aggressive climb rate? Really hoping I can enjoy everything this plane has to offer, thanks! :pilotfly: