A dogfight or dog fight is a common term used to describe close-range aerial combat between military aircraft. The term originated during World War I, and probably derives from the preferred fighter tactic of positioning one's aircraft behind the enemy aircraft. From this position, a pilot could fire his guns on the enemy without having to lead the target, and the enemy aircraft could not effectively fire back. When two fighter aircraft circle each other trying to achieve this position, it resembles two dogs chasing each other's tails. Combat has been fought in the air since 1911. ... Airbus A380 An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Military dead: 4 million The First World War, also known as The Great War, The War to End All Wars, and World War I (abbreviated WWI) was... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ...

F-22 Raptors over Utah in their first official deployment, Oct. 2005, simulating a dogfight.

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1947x2400, 809 KB) Summary [1] Pretty Raptors all in a row Combat Hammer OVER THE UNITED STATES -- Lt. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1947x2400, 809 KB) Summary [1] Pretty Raptors all in a row Combat Hammer OVER THE UNITED STATES -- Lt. ...

History

World War I

Main article: Aviation in World War I

Dogfighting emerged in World War I. Aircraft were initially used as mobile observation vehicles and early pilots gave little thought to aerial combat—enemy pilots at first simply exchanged waves. Intrepid pilots decided to interfere with enemy reconnaissance by improvised means, including throwing bricks, grenades and sometimes rope, which they hoped would entangle the enemy plane's propeller. This progressed to pilots firing handheld guns at enemy planes. Once the guns were mountable to the plane due to the invention of synchronization gear in 1915, the era of air combat began. Nieuport Fighter Aisne, France 1917 Aerial warfare was introduced alongside many other innovations in World War I. Previously wars had been fought on land and at sea, but the advent of aircraft technology allowed a third dimension: a war in the air. ... It has been suggested that Pilot (spaceflight) be merged into this article or section. ... An old brick wall in English bond laid with alternating courses of headers and Brick is an artificial stone made by forming clay into rectangular blocks which are hardened, either by burning in a kiln or sometimes, in warm and sunny countries, by sun-drying. ... A hand grenade is a hand-held bomb, made to be thrown by a soldier. ... Coils of rope used for long-line fishing A rope (IPA: ) is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 155 mm M198 howitzer USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. ... An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... The interrupter gear, more properly (and correctly) known as a synchronisation gear, was a triggering device attached to a fighter aircrafts machine gun so that it would fire only at certain times. ...

During the first part of the war there was no established tactical doctrine for air-to-air combat. Oswald Boelcke was the first to analyze the tactics of aerial warfare, resulting in a set of rules known as the Dicta Boelcke. Many of Boelcke's concepts, conceived in 1916, are still applicable today, including use of sun and altitude, surprise attack, and turning to meet a threat. Oswald Boelcke in 1916 Oswald Boelcke (19 May 1891–28 October 1916) was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. ... The Dicta Boelcke is a list of fundamental tactics of air combat formulated by the first great German flying ace of the First World War, Oswald Boelcke. ...

World War II

During the first part of World War II, the basic ideas behind dogfighting changed little. However, the airplanes were improved drastically over their World War I counterparts. Aircraft like the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Mitsubishi Zero surprised the allies with their superior maneuverability and speed. The Allied Forces would developed superior fighters, like the Supermarine Spitfire and F4U Corsair, but later in the war. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 on the flight deck of carrier Shokaku , 26 October 1942, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death in 1937. ... Chance Vought F4U Corsair. ...

The Battle of Britain was largely determined by dogfighting between British and German fighters. Combatants United Kingdom Germany Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Albert Kesselring Strength 700 fighters 1,260 bombers, 316 dive-bombers, 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft, 27,450 civilian dead, 32,138 wounded 2,698 aircraft One of the major campaigns of the early part of World...

The Flying Tigers, led by Claire Chennault were among the first Allies to successfully counter Japanese fighters. Chennault interviewed Chinese pilots carefully and learned all he could about Japanese tactics and methods. He advised pilots to work in teams rather than alone. The P-40 Warhawk had pilot armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, sturdy construction, and powerful machine guns and a faster diving speed. They could defeat Zeros by remaining out of range and fighting on the dive and climb. By using speed and resisting the deadly error of trying to out-turn the Zero, eventually cannon could be brought to bear and a single burst of fire was usually enough. ,In a time when mos of the news were of defeats, the AVG was officially credited with 297 enemy aircraft destroyed, with author Daniel Ford discounting to total to 115. This article concerns the American Volunteer Group, a World War II unit usually known as the Flying Tigers. For other uses of the term see Flying Tigers (disambiguation). ... Maj. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American fighter aircraft which first flew in 1938 and played a vital role in the crucial middle stages of World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 became known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, and finally...

Another important maneuver was called the "Thach Weave", named for the man that invented it, then-LtCdr John S. "Jimmy" Thach. It required two planes, a leader and his wingman, to fly about 200 feet apart. When a Zero would latch onto the tail of one of the fighters, the two planes would turn toward each other. If the Zero followed its original target through the turn, it would come into a position to be fired on by his target's wingman. This tactic was used with spectacular results at the Battle of Midway in 1942, and helped make up for the inferiority of the US planes until new aircraft types were brought into service. An example of the Thach Weave The Thach Weave was an aerial combat tactic developed by naval aviator John S. Thach of the United States Navy early during World War II. Thach had heard of the Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros extraordinary maneuverability and climb rate before he ever experienced it... John Smith Thach (19 April 1905 - 15 April 1981) was a World War II naval aviator, air combat tactician, and Admiral in the United States Navy. ... A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier and 1 destroyer...

The main quality of perhaps the most important fighter of the war, the P-51 Mustang was not that it was fast or maneuverable, as it was both, but that after it was fitted the Merlin engine, it had the range to escort B-17 bombers all the way into Germany and back, thus achieving air superiority over the enemy homeland. The North American P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II and became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ...

Later in the war, to avoid heavy machine gun fire from bombers, the Germans armed their Me 262's with R4M air-to-air rockets. While this proved highly effective, the war was already effectively over. Soon after the war, both the United States and Soviet Union began development of air-to-air missiles. This increased the range on which planes could engage each other from a few hundred meters to 5–10 km. This distance increased as more advanced missiles entered service. The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Ger. ... R4M rockets, on an Me 262s starboard launcher. ... RS-82 rockets mounted under the wing of a LaGG-3 fighter. ... A US Navy VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcat fighter launchers an AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile. ...

Modern air combat

Gun Camera stills released by the Indian Air Force shows FLTLT M.A. Ganapathy's Gnat scoring hits on FLGOFF Khalil Ahmed's F-86 Sabre over Boyra during the Battle of Boyra in the 1971 Indo-Pak war

Even in the jet age, modern air-to-air combat often develops into dog fights. Contrary to some common misconceptions, guided missile attacks occurring beyond visual range seldom occur, because rules of engagement usually require visual identification of the target as hostile. A fighter can usually evade a supersonic missile by turning faster than the missile can follow, if the pilot has excellent situational awareness, good anticipation of the attacker's moves, and is a master of angles and timing. Attempting to run away is the least effective survival choice. Supersonic head-on closure with the enemy while evading further missile flights may eventually achieve a tail-chase visual Gatling gun with firing range of less than one kilometer. Image File history File links Guncam. ... Image File history File links Guncam. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... Folland Gnat The Folland Gnat was an exceptionally small swept-wing subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft designed by W. E. W. Petter that first flew in 1955. ... The North American F-86 Sabre was a subsonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ... A HAL Ajeet fighter . ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Bangladesh Liberation War. ... Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994. ... A Beyond Visual Range missile usually refers to an air-to-air missile that is capable of engaging at ranges beyond 20 nautical miles (37 km). ... A 1865 Gatling gun. ...

Superiority in a dog fight depends primarily on a pilot's experience and skill, and on the agility of his fighter when flown at minimum air speeds approaching loss of control (causing a danger of stalling); the winner typically plays to the strengths of his own aircraft while forcing his adversary to fly at a design disadvantage. Dogfights are generally contests to determine which pilot can fly the slowest while maintaining violent acrobatic control. A dogfight has nothing to do with supersonic speed, and much to do with the engine power that makes supersonic flight possible. The $280M F-22 Raptor can stand on its steerable nozzles at less than 100K airspeed, yet quickly maneuver to bring its M61 Vulcan cannon to bear on a nearby evasive target. In aerodynamics, a stall is a condition in which an excessive angle of attack causes loss of lift due to disruption of airflow. ... The F-22 Raptor is a stealth fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. ... Unmounted M61 Vulcan The 20 mm M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style gun with an extremely high rate of fire. ...

With modern air-to-air AMRAAM guided missiles greatly extending the general engagement range of jet fighters, some experts hypothesize that dogfighting may be headed toward extinction. Others criticize this view, citing as evidence the United States F-4 Phantom II. Early versions of the fighter (prior to the E model) relied solely on missiles, having no guns nor lead-computing Gyro gunsight, and were therefore very vulnerable in gun-range combat. The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range, Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced am-ram), commonly known to air crews as the Slammer, is a new generation air-to-air missile, developed as the result of an agreement between the United States and other NATO countries (see below). ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[2] was a two-seat supersonic long-range all-weather fighter-bomber produced for the United States military by McDonnell Douglas. ... The Ferranti Gyro Sight Mk IIc A gyro gunsight is a type of gunsight in which target lead (the amount of aim-off in front of a moving target) and bullet drop are allowed-for automatically, the sight incorporating a gyroscopic mechanism that computes the necessary deflections required to ensure...

The continued importance of dogfighting was demonstrated during the Vietnam War. American pilots flew aircraft equipped with long-range missiles. However, air crews were adamantly denied permission to fire AIM-7 Sparrow missiles at radar targets without having visually identified the target first, thus completely losing this technological advantage. Lightweight, short-endurance, point-defense fighters such as the MiG-17 and MiG-21 are far more agile than heavy, long-range, strike fighters such as the F-105 Thunderchief. Still, using the element of surprise (the target did not see an attack coming), the AIM-9 Sidewinder short range missile, and cannon fire, American pilots gained significant victories in the air over North Vietnam. Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230,000 South Vietnamese wounded: 300,000 US dead... A RIM-7 Sea Sparrow being launched from the USS Essex (LHD-2). ... MiG-17 at the Central Texas Airshow, USA, May 2003. ... Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a fighter aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. ... The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, commonly known as the Thud by its crews, was a single-seat supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. ... Sidewinder Missile The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. ...

Advanced missile technology has necessarily not spelled the end of the dog fight. However, the improvement of all-aspect IR missiles, coupled with Helmet-mounted sights, have removed the necessity of tail-chase attacks. In addition, Russian development of tail-mounted radars and rear-firing missiles have reduced the vulnerability to tail-chase attacks. Because this feature is only present on the most modern jets, and missiles are a finite resource, The US Navy (TOPGUN) and Air Force (Red Flag) continue to teach postgraduate level classes in air combat maneuvering engagements. Russian aircraft manufacturers heavily emphasize superagility and dogfight capabilities in fighter design, with aircraft such as the Su-37 or the Su-30MKI demonstrating advanced thrust vectoring systems to achieve these goals. TOPGUN is the code name and common name of the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) course. ... An Australian F-111 bomber approaching a USAF KC-135 tanker during Exercise Red Flag 06-1. ... Categories: Military stubs | Soviet and Russian fighter aircraft 1990-1999 ... Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, (Modernised-Commercial-Indiski), is the variant of the Sukhoi Su-30. ... Thrust vectoring is the ability of an aircraft or other vehicle to direct the thrust from its main engine(s) in a direction other than parallel to the vehicles longitudinal axis. ...

Fictional depictions

Although combat in space involves different considerations due to the lack of drag and gravity, science fiction films and space simulations often invoke analogies to aeronautical dogfighting to better relate to the audience's experience. Some Films and Games, such as Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, and I-War have tried to accurately model Newtonian physics and tactics in such an environment. For example, since a body will remain in motion without additional thrust, a fighter could orient itself to face directions other than its direction of travel, i.e. if being chased, a space fighter can make an 180 degree spin on its axis to shoot its forward guns at its pursuer, while still moving in its original direction. Poster for The Day the Earth Stood Still, an archetypal science fiction film Science fiction has been a film genre since the earliest days of cinema. ... Babylon 5 is an epic science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series created by Ronald D. Moore that first aired on October 18, 2004 in the United Kingdom on Sky One, and January 14, 2005 in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel. ... For other uses of the abbreviation I-War, see I-War I-War (known as Independence War after the North American release) is a space simulation computer game developed by English development house Particle Systems Ltd. ...

See also

Wikisource has several original texts related to:

Audio recordings and transcripts with comments of actual Wild Weasel missions flown during the Vietnam War, including air combat with MiG-17s.

• Thach Weave
• Aerial warfare

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikisource – The Free Library – is a Wikimedia project to build a free, wiki library of source texts, along with translations into any language and other supporting materials. ... An example of the Thach Weave The Thach Weave was an aerial combat tactic developed by naval aviator John S. Thach of the United States Navy early during World War II. Thach had heard of the Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros extraordinary maneuverability and climb rate before he ever experienced it... Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of warfare. ...

References

• Shaw, Robert L. (1985). Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870210599.

Footnotes

1. ↑  Su-37 Flanker Report from Farnborough '96 (http://www.sci.fi/~fta/Su-27.htm)