Flying super high, a usefull tactic ?

[Maximus_Lazarus]

Pro's :

 

+ Increased missile range (thin air)

+ Enemy usually does not scan at 60.000 altitude

+ Very late (if at all) missile warning for enemy due to max angle of Radar Warning System (it does not detect missiles coming in from straight above them)

+ Your radar may not show up on enemy Radar Warning System due to same thing ^ (??)

+ Mountain dwelling trolls will have nowhere to hide

 

Negs :

 

- Fuel consumption

- If caught you're screwed cause low speed and nowhere to run

- Very small radar window (have to continually adjust radar cause of steep search angle)

 

Does this sound about right ?

 

I used to do this in the past sometimes, and it is kind of awesome when it works

Edited April 13, 2014 by Maximus_Lazarus

[Pyroflash]

Pro's :

 

+ Increased missile range (thin air)

+ Enemy usually does not scan at 60.000 altitude

+ Very late (if at all) missile warning for enemy due to max angle of Radar Warning System (it does not detect missiles coming in from straight above them)

+ Your radar may not show up on enemy Radar Warning System due to same thing ^ (??)

+ Mountain dwelling trolls will have nowhere to hide

 

Negs :

 

- Fuel consumption

- If caught you're screwed cause low speed and nowhere to run

- Very small radar window (have to continually adjust radar cause of steep search angle)

 

Does this sound about right ?

 

I used to do this in the past sometimes, and it is kind of awesome when it works

 

Generally, there is no reason to coast around at that altitude. You are going to be going super slow, both in CAS and TAS, and you are dead if anyone manages to catch you at that altitude. My advice would be to sprint and climb up to somewhere around 40,000' to 60,000', launch a missile, and then immediately descend back to a useful altitude. If you feel the need to coast at a high altitude going super sonic, then I might suggest somewhere around 40,000'. It keeps you out of contrails, plus still allows you to actually maneuver around a little (Your turn circle is still going to be the size of Chicago).

[VTJS17_Fire]

I prefer flying between 26.000 and 34.000 feet. Fuel cosnumption is ok, at Angels 32 you have a good airspeed without AB.

 

There are the contrails but that's ok. If you use your radar, the target knows already you are there.

 

In real life, that's ok, too - because you would never fly without AWACS/ GCI.

 

 

Fire

[Maximus_Lazarus]

I just tried it, worked very well i don't think he ever had a clue he was going to die

 

Track : http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/518442/high-alt-attack-acmi.html

 

I was at 42.000 , he never made an attempt to go defend, in fact, i didn;t even had to come out of orbit like i did after firing but i did just in case (you do lose lock very quickly if he passes too much under you).

 

Never locked me, i don't think he knew i was there.

 

Of course even after hitting him THREE times i did NOT get awarded for the kill (i shot extra cause i thought he would EXIT before being destoryed)

 

 

edit* He DID use countermeasures seconds before impact , too late though no chance

 

 

Also, wouldn't it be an advantage overall to be higher up than your opponent ?

Edited April 13, 2014 by Maximus_Lazarus

[Frostie]

I just tried it, worked very well i don't think he ever had a clue he was going to die

 

Track : http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/518442/high-alt-attack-acmi.html

 

I was at 42.000 , he never made an attempt to go defend, in fact, i didn;t even had to come out of orbit like i did after firing but i did just in case (you do lose lock very quickly if he passes too much under you).

 

Never locked me, i don't think he knew i was there.

 

Of course even after hitting him THREE times i did NOT get awarded for the kill (i shot extra cause i thought he would EXIT before being destoryed)

 

 

edit* He DID use countermeasures seconds before impact , too late though no chance

 

 

Also, wouldn't it be an advantage overall to be higher up than your opponent ?

When flying higher you're in control of the battle the problem comes when you push in too much like you did and become exposed. The bandit/player clearly wasn't paying attention to his RWR probably doesn't even know what its for, anybody who's been flying A2A online for at most a month would have a/ spotted you at range on his radar b/ noticed you on RWR and c/ spotted your contrails coming down at them and would have responded with either going defensive, attacking you or both. If that bandit had fired an ARH at you then you would have died also, plus if there had been more enemies you would most likely have felt an ET as you contrailed on to him.

Yes flying high is the way to dominate but it's so easy to fail at doing so, all pilots worth their salt always scan high.

[Maximus_Lazarus]

Yeah the way down feels very dangerous , everytime i get that feeling that i'm gonna die within seconds

 

The window of opportunity is very small, unless you point your nose at him the enemy is off radar rather quickly

 

Meh i guess i'll go high every now and then anyway, it's also good radar practice.

[TAW_Blaze]

Once they fix missiles flying high will be much more effective, same goes for ECM. You'll have a very little time window between getting burnthrough and crawling inside lethal range. Defending missiles on the rail will be even more of a requirement than it is now, if you fly straight to a guy you'll literally die before you know what happened.

[Maximus_Lazarus]

What's defending missiles "on the rail" ?

 

Is that when a missile is being guided by the aircraft's radar ?

[TAW_Blaze]

No, it's when you defend against a missile that isn't fired yet.