Master Air Combat
Become an ace in the skies!
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"Welcome, aviators! I'm your instructor, Lieutenant Avery."
"Get ready to push the boundaries at our renowned flight academy!"
Let's Go!
Basic Flight Maneuvers 1 of 5
"An Aileron Roll is an aerobatic maneuver where an aircraft spins 360° around its length while maintaining altitude."
Aileron Roll
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Basic Flight Maneuvers 2 of 5
"Master the Wingover to do a fast 180-degree turn with a very small radius."
The Wingover
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Basic Flight Maneuvers 3 of 5
"Now let's view the Barrel Roll, a spiral maneuver combining loops and rolls."
Barrel Roll
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Basic Flight Maneuvers 4 of 5
"The High-G Turn allows the pilot to make an extremely sharp turn, enabling it to actively evade missiles or attack enemy aircraft."
The High-G Turn
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Basic Flight Maneuvers 5 of 5
“And we can’t forget the Knife Edge: That’s when an aircraft is rolled sideways in horizontal flight, with one wing pointing straight up and the other straight down, appearing to defy gravity.”
Knife Edge
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"Ready to test your knowledge? Let's see how well you've learned your basic maneuvers."
I'm ready. Let's Do it
Basic Maneuvers Quiz 1 of 2
Basic Maneuvers Quiz 2 of 2
"Nice work aviator! You're getting the hang of it. Now let's move to more advanced maneuvers..."
Onwards
Advanced Flight Maneuvers 1 of 4
"Master the High Yo-Yo to gain the upper hand in aerial combat."
High Yo-Yo
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Advanced Flight Maneuvers 2 of 4
"The Low Yo-Yo accomplishes the same objective as the High Yo-Yo except the attacker dives instead of climbing."
Low Yo-Yo
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Advanced Flight Maneuvers 3 of 4
“Let’s learn how the Flat Scissors is used when two aircraft get into a low-speed horizontal dogfight.”
Flat Scissors
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Advanced Flight Maneuvers 4 of 4
“In a Rolling Scissors each aircraft barrel rolls the other to gain a firing position.”
Rolling Scissors
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"Ok aviator, look sharp!Here's a final test to see how well you know our advanced maneuvers.
Let's go!
Advanced Maneuvers Quiz 1 of 2
Advanced Maneuvers Quiz 2 of 2
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The Low Yo-Yo is a maneuver where the attacker trades altitude for airspeed to get closer to the defender and into a better firing position. Here’s how it works: 1. The attacker dives down inside the defender’s turn 2. This “cuts the corner” on the defender’s flight path 3. The dive increases the attacker’s speed and closes the distance 4. The attacker then pulls up to the defender’s level and into firing position
The High Yo-Yo is a maneuver where the attacker is rapidly approaching the defender from the side and needs to reduce closure rate to avoiding overshooting (flying out in front of the defender) and to get better aligned behind the defender. Here’s how it works: 1. The attacker climbs steeply, trading airspeed for altitude 2. This slows the attacker down and allows for a tighter turn 3. The tight diving turn aligns the attacker behind the defender 4. Closure rate is decreased, and the attacker ends up in good firing position
An Aileron Roll is an aerobatic maneuver where an airplane rotates 360 degrees around its longitudinal axis, an imaginary line running from the nose to the tail. Raise the aircraft's nose 10 degrees before starting the roll, so the aircraft finishes the maneuver at the same altitude as it began. To perform the roll, the pilot quickly moves the control stick to one side, causing one aileron to go up and the other down, creating a difference in lift between the two wings. This difference in lift causes the airplane to rotate around its longitudinal axis, completing a full 360-degree rotation before the pilot levels the ailerons to stop the rolling motion and fly straight and level again.
The High-G Turn underscores both the physical demands on the pilot and the capabilities of the aircraft. To initiate, the pilot rapidly moves the control stick in the direction of bank until the aircraft is flying with its wings nearly vertical (about 80 or 90 degrees angle of bank). As the bank angle is established, the pilot pulls back on the control stick until maximum available G-forces are applied. To maintain altitude in the turn, the pilot adjusts the bank angle continuously to keep the aircraft’s nose on the horizon. During the maneuver, the aircraft loses a substantial amount of energy and is in danger of stalling or spinning out of control.
A Flat Scissors, also called aHorizontal Scissors, usually occurs after a low-speed attacker overshoots the defender and neither aircraft has enough energy to fight in the vertical. To gain a firing position each aircraft tries to minimize forward movement and reduce turn radius to end up behind the other aircraft. The two aircraft turn into each other over and over again, setting up an interweaving level (2D) flight path. The aircraft that can fly slower and turn sharper usually gains the advantage.
During a Barrel Roll, the aircraft follows a spiral path, tracing the outline of a vertical cylinder, hence the name "barrel." The pilot initiates the maneuver by pulling back on the control stick to raise the nose and enter a slight climb, then begins to roll the aircraft while continuing to pitch up, following a corkscrew-like path until completing a full 360-degree rotation and returning to level flight. This maneuver requires precise coordination of pitch, roll, and yaw controls to maintain the desired flight path and is more challenging than the simpler Aileron Roll.
The Wingover is an aerobatic maneuver where the aircraft performs a 180-degree change of direction by combining a climbing turn with a diving turn. To start, the pilot pulls back on the control stick and simultaneously moves the stick to the side, causing the aircraft to start a climbing turn in the direction of bank. At the halfway point, the aircraft has both turned and rolled 90 degrees. The pilot then starts a descending turn while smoothly returning to wings level flight. The aircraft will end up at the original altitude but heading in the opposite direction. The advantage of a Wingover over a flat turn is that the aircraft’s turn radius is reduced, and its original energy state is maintained.
A Knife Edge flight is an impressive aerobatic maneuver where an airplane flies sideways, with its wings vertical instead of horizontal. During a sustained Knife Edge maneuver, altitude is maintained by a combination of applying rudder (the vertical part of the tail), the force of the air deflecting off the side of the fuselage (body), and the upward component of engine thrust. Airplane heading is controlled by the use of the aircraft’s elevators (horizontal part of the tail).
A Rolling Scissors, also called a Vertical Scissors, occurs when a high-speed attacker overshoots a defender who responds by immediately climbing vertically and turning behind the attacker to gain positional advantage. This forces the attacker to climb and turn into the defender to try and regain the advantage. What evolves is that each aircraft barrel rolls (3D) around the other aircraft over and over until one or the other gains a firing position or disengages. The rolling scissors is a high-risk, high-reward 3D maneuver that requires exceptional energy management and aircraft control to execute successfully against a skilled opponent.
