Difference between revisions of "Boom & Zoom"

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{{DISPLAYTITLE: Boom and Zoom aerial combat style}}
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==Overview==
 
==Overview==
Boom and Zoom (also known as BnZ) is the name of a play style that aims to take advantage of a high energy state to bounce the enemy, avoiding any prolonged fighting in order to conserve speed and/or altitude.
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Boom & Zoom is the name of a playstyle which aims for an attacking aircraft to take advantage of a high energy state in order to attack (''Boom'') an enemy target and avoids any prolonged fighting by immediately returning (''Zoom'') to a higher altitude in order to conserve speed and/or altitude.  
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The key to successful Boom & Zoom tactics depends on two stages of energy, without either the tactic will not be successful. The first stage of energy is to have '''''potential''''' energy, this means to be at a sufficient altitude which will allow the aircraft enough space to dive and convert the potential energy into '''''kinetic''''' energy or speed. At the bottom of the dive, the attacking aircraft should be able to fire off a quick burst of ammunition at the target and immediately begin a climb back up to a safe altitude, in the process, converting the kinetic energy back into potential energy. Once back up at altitude, the pilot can then look for another target aircraft and repeat the process. At any point the pilot attempts to engage in a turn fight instead of returning to altitude in an attacking dive, they risk losing their kinetic energy and cannot return back up to the higher altitude except at a much slower pace and as an easier target for enemy aircraft.
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==Basic Strategy==
 
==Basic Strategy==
To Boom and Zoom, the first thing you should do is climb high. It is best not to climb directly into the battle, since BnZ-planes are usually worse climbers, since the weight that gives them good speed sustainment against the air drag and successional good retention of inertia in a [[Zoom Climb]] makes them slightly sluggish at climbing. A common mistake is made by the assumption of those heavier planes diving faster, but as one can disprove taking the motion equation for a velocity <big>v</big> dependent on time <big>t</big>
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[[File:Boom_and_Zoom_001.png|500px|thumb|right|A diagram of a '''Boom & Zoom''' manoeuvre:  The red square represents a target aircraft and the green square represents the attacking aircraft attempting the Boom & Zoom manoeuvre.]]
:<big>v(t) = ∫a dt = (F/m - g + k(v)) ∫dt</big>
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which holds at a constant engine thrust <big>F</big> affecting to the mass of the airplane <big>m</big> with resulting uplift <big>k(v)</big> (including air drag). That proves the velocity is even '''inverse''' proportional to the mass (lighter planes accelerate faster, even on dive). Additionally the gravity constant <big>g</big> is speeding up the plane towards ground independent of its mass.
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;Basic how-to at the start of the match
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# Begin to climb to a higher altitude, instead of flying directly into the fray, side-climb or spiral climb, thus avoiding the initial wave of enemy fighters allowing you to reach a higher altitude.
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# Attempt to attain a higher altitude than what the enemy fighters are currently flying (''warning, in arcade battles, some players may spawn into a higher altitude aircraft, always be on the lookout for aircraft coming from the enemy side of the map'').
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# Look around for an aircraft target of opportunity which could be a bomber, attacker or fighter which may have tunnel vision and not notice you.
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# After a target is selected, initiate a dive or boom phase (''the point where you begin to convert potential energy into kinetic energy'').
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# Continue the dive, build up speed and adjust so the enemy remains within the crosshairs.
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# With the target in range, open fire and attempt to destroy the enemy aircraft.
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# Regardless if you destroy the enemy aircraft, maim it or miss, initiate a climb back up to a higher altitude or zoom phase (''at this point you are converting kinetic energy back into potential energy.''
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# Upon reaching the higher altitude, level off and look for potential threats and go back to step #3 and repeat the process.
  
Once the pilot reached a significantly higher altitude than the opponent, the pilot should introduce a dive for transforming their potential energy into speed. Usually the plane is now nearby its limit forces but will retain its velocity for a long time. Not to worsen the energy only wide curves and rolling maneuvers will be flown at this state. According to that an outstanding agility and rolling rate at high speeds is a required property of the used plane type, such as the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Focke-Wulf series]] provides.
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;Basic how-to at any time during the match
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# Whether you lost energy due to a dogfight, turn fight or running away from a threat, all is not lost in attempting to set up for a Boom & Zoom run.
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# At whatever altitude you are at, fly towards the friendly side of the map and start gaining altitude (''use friendly aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery to help remove any enemy aircraft which have followed you).''
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# Work at side-climbing or spiral climbing back up to higher altitude, beware of any enemy aircraft which may already be at a higher altitude waiting to get the jump on you.
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# When you have reached an altitude higher than the enemy aircraft begin and follow through with steps #3 through #7 of the previous steps listed for the "Basic how-to at the start of the match".
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While listed in these steps to attack an enemy aircraft at the bottom of the Boom & Zoom arc, realistically, aircraft can be attacked during any point of the boom or zoom portion of the manoeuvre and depending on the location of the enemy aircraft, it is possible to shoot down more than one aircraft during a Boom & Zoom manoeuvre.
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;Video example
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{{#ev:gfycat|http://gfycat.com/SneakyBossyCalf}}
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* In this short video clip, a Soviet P-47 attempts to execute a Boom & Zoom manoeuvre on a German Fw 190, but ultimately fails and pays the price. Notice in the video how the P-47 swoops in from a higher altitude and at an extremely fast speed in an attempt to take out the Fw 190 which was flying at a much slower speed. Not able to slow down, the P-47 zips past the Fw 190 and attempts to zoom climb back up to altitude, unfortunately the slower Fw 190 was able to manoeuvre onto the tail of the P-47 and take him out. The smart Fw 190 pilot knew that they could not out-run the inbound P-47, so they began several energy-depleting manoeuvres allowing for a tighter turn which the P-47 could not match. The P-47 pilot was attempting to do all they could to get the Fw 190 in their crosshairs, when they should have realized earlier the impossibility of this shot and aborted the attack to began an immediate zoom climb away while still behind the Fw 190, thus avoiding the German guns all together and once back at altitude reevaluate the situation to potentially attack again or pick another target.
  
The attack itself can occur while diving phase or the zooming phase and also usually more than one target is being attacked because turning targets will be difficult to hit and therefore the success rate is low, while a great fire power might help.
 
{{#ev:gfycat|http://gfycat.com/SneakyBossyCalf}} Failed BnZ attack due corkscrew. Source: [http://gfycat.com/SneakyBossyCalf gfycat.com]
 
 
==Relation to other styles==
 
==Relation to other styles==
BnZ is a form of [[Energy fighting]]. While this can be said of any aerial combat, it does show on a visible manner what energy means for duels. In relation to "true" energy fighters like the [[Bf 109 G-2/trop|Bf 109G-2]], [[La-5 (Family)|Lavochkin series]], or the [[F8F-1|F8F ''Bearcat'']], the Boom and Zoomer must rely on energy gained before the combat, which makes this style very dependent on the pilots [[Situational Awareness|situational awareness]]. Distinguished to a energy fighter the BnZ attack is safer as one can be shot only during a very short period immediately after the attack. Ideally the BnZ'ing attacker is gone out of fire range within a second. This being said one recognizes that the attacker will also have a very short time to shoot, but as the pilot holds the initiative, their chances to hit the enemy are much higher than reverse like.
 
  
It differs from [[BnR|Boom and Run]] as that the attacking fighter does not necessarily need a high level top speed. <br />
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;Boom & Run
Counter example, the [[Ki-61-I hei|Ki-61]] series has a modest top speed which may not allow it to chase faster planes, but it has exceptional energy retention and decent maneuverability which matters most. Good vertical energy retention and high speed control ability matter for BnZ.<br />
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For this very reason the [[F7F-1|F7F]] does not suit BnZ style, as it locks up to fast in a dive. Boom and Run tactics however are an excellent choice.
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* During a [[Boom & Run]] type manoeuvre, the attacking aircraft is not necessarily interested in returning to a higher altitude, as it may already have a speed advantage over the other aircraft. Either way–whether dropping in from a higher altitude or being faster to begin with–the attacking aircraft lines up a target, attacks, then attempts to speed away either in a horizontal flight path or a shallow dive. The goal is to gain enough distance between the target and the attacker to allow the attacker to safely turn around or manoeuvre into another attack position without the threat of being attacked during this process. Aircraft with control surfaces that begin to lock up at higher speeds (during a dive) may have a better chance with a Boom & Run tactic.
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;Turn fighting
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*This flying method is favoured by aircraft which are considered ''energy fighters''; for example, the German Bf 109. These planes maximize the ability to execute vertical reverses such as the Immelmann (half loop flying up), Split-S (half loop flying down) and the standard normal loop. Energy fighters typically have a good power-to-weight ratio, and can take advantage of manoeuvres which the typical Boom & Zoom fighter cannot without losing an extreme amount of energy, and thus and any speed advantage the latter may have had.
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==Theory of Boom & Zoom==
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A common mistake is made by assuming that heavier planes dive faster, however, this can be disproved by taking the motion equation for a velocity <big>'''v'''</big> dependent on time <big>'''t'''</big>:<br />
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<center>'''<big>v(t) = ∫a dt = (F/m - g + k(v)) ∫dt</big>'''</center><br />
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This statment holds at a constant engine thrust <big>'''F'''</big> affecting to the mass of the airplane <big>'''m'''</big> with resulting uplift <big>'''k(v)'''</big> (''including air drag''). This proves the velocity is even '''inversly''' proportional to the mass (lighter planes accelerate faster, even on dive). Additionally the gravity constant <big>'''g'''</big> is speeding up the plane towards ground independent of its mass.
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==Planes which benefit the most from a strict Boom & Zoom philosophy==
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* [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]] Series;
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* Most American fighers which include:
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** [[P-51 (Family)|P-51 Mustang]]
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** [[P-47 (Family)|P-47 Thunderbolt]]
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** [[P-38 (Family)|P-38 Lightning]]
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** [[F6F (Family)|F6F Hellcats]]
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** [[F4U (Family)|F4U Corsair]]
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* [[Tempest Mk V|Tempest Mk.V]] and [[Tempest Mk II|Tempest Mk.II]] (''note these also excel in [[Boom & Run]] tactics'');
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* [[J7W1|J7W1 Shinden]]
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While most jet aircraft can take advantage of Boom & Zoom tactics, due to the speeds at which they fly, they are more prone to take advantage of Boom & Run tactics, because, for fighter jets, speed is much more important than altitude.
  
Compared to [[TnB|Turn and Burn]] with its high and low yoyos we can see "classical" dogfight elements in BnZ, too. Vertical reverses in form of the Immelmann (half loop) and normal loops. These maneuvers however benefit from a good power to weight ratio, like 109s and thus should be favoured by [[Energy fighting|energy fighters]].
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== Media ==
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Videos
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{{Youtube-gallery|nhi7eSylgwM|'''BOOM & ZOOM 101 - Tutorial''' - ''Jengar''|7J6c4D5MVRg|'''The Shooting Range #235''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 9:05 discusses Boom and Zoom.|t3xD7JpnHeI|'''Best aircraft for Boom & Zoom'''  - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|h0he9GtohyU|'''Attacking Energy Maneuvers''' - ''Long5hot'' (Boom & Zoom section starts at 3:30)}}
  
==Planes that benefit the most from a strict BnZ philosophy==
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[[Category:Game_mechanics]]
*[[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]] Series;
 
*Most American fighers, such as the [[P-51 (Family)|P-51]]'s, [[P-47 (Family)|P-47]]'s, [[P-38 (Family)|P-38]]'s, [[F6F (Family)|Hellcats]] and [[F4U (Family)|Corsairs]], the main exceptions being the [[F8F-1Bearcat|F8F Bearcat]] and the [[F7F-1 Tigercat|F7F Tigercat]];
 
*[[Tempest Mk V|Tempest Mk.V]] and [[Tempest Mk II|Tempest Mk.II]] (note these also excel in [[Boom and Run]]);
 
*[[J7W1|J7W1 Shinden]];
 
*Most jet aircraft, although those work in a [[Jet Combat|different way]], particularly in the fact that to many, speed is much more important than altitude
 
==Links and Categories==
 
[[Category:Aerial fighting styles]]
 

Revision as of 15:00, 17 April 2022


Overview

Boom & Zoom is the name of a playstyle which aims for an attacking aircraft to take advantage of a high energy state in order to attack (Boom) an enemy target and avoids any prolonged fighting by immediately returning (Zoom) to a higher altitude in order to conserve speed and/or altitude.

The key to successful Boom & Zoom tactics depends on two stages of energy, without either the tactic will not be successful. The first stage of energy is to have potential energy, this means to be at a sufficient altitude which will allow the aircraft enough space to dive and convert the potential energy into kinetic energy or speed. At the bottom of the dive, the attacking aircraft should be able to fire off a quick burst of ammunition at the target and immediately begin a climb back up to a safe altitude, in the process, converting the kinetic energy back into potential energy. Once back up at altitude, the pilot can then look for another target aircraft and repeat the process. At any point the pilot attempts to engage in a turn fight instead of returning to altitude in an attacking dive, they risk losing their kinetic energy and cannot return back up to the higher altitude except at a much slower pace and as an easier target for enemy aircraft.

Basic Strategy

A diagram of a Boom & Zoom manoeuvre: The red square represents a target aircraft and the green square represents the attacking aircraft attempting the Boom & Zoom manoeuvre.
Basic how-to at the start of the match
  1. Begin to climb to a higher altitude, instead of flying directly into the fray, side-climb or spiral climb, thus avoiding the initial wave of enemy fighters allowing you to reach a higher altitude.
  2. Attempt to attain a higher altitude than what the enemy fighters are currently flying (warning, in arcade battles, some players may spawn into a higher altitude aircraft, always be on the lookout for aircraft coming from the enemy side of the map).
  3. Look around for an aircraft target of opportunity which could be a bomber, attacker or fighter which may have tunnel vision and not notice you.
  4. After a target is selected, initiate a dive or boom phase (the point where you begin to convert potential energy into kinetic energy).
  5. Continue the dive, build up speed and adjust so the enemy remains within the crosshairs.
  6. With the target in range, open fire and attempt to destroy the enemy aircraft.
  7. Regardless if you destroy the enemy aircraft, maim it or miss, initiate a climb back up to a higher altitude or zoom phase (at this point you are converting kinetic energy back into potential energy.
  8. Upon reaching the higher altitude, level off and look for potential threats and go back to step #3 and repeat the process.
Basic how-to at any time during the match
  1. Whether you lost energy due to a dogfight, turn fight or running away from a threat, all is not lost in attempting to set up for a Boom & Zoom run.
  2. At whatever altitude you are at, fly towards the friendly side of the map and start gaining altitude (use friendly aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery to help remove any enemy aircraft which have followed you).
  3. Work at side-climbing or spiral climbing back up to higher altitude, beware of any enemy aircraft which may already be at a higher altitude waiting to get the jump on you.
  4. When you have reached an altitude higher than the enemy aircraft begin and follow through with steps #3 through #7 of the previous steps listed for the "Basic how-to at the start of the match".

While listed in these steps to attack an enemy aircraft at the bottom of the Boom & Zoom arc, realistically, aircraft can be attacked during any point of the boom or zoom portion of the manoeuvre and depending on the location of the enemy aircraft, it is possible to shoot down more than one aircraft during a Boom & Zoom manoeuvre.

Video example
  • In this short video clip, a Soviet P-47 attempts to execute a Boom & Zoom manoeuvre on a German Fw 190, but ultimately fails and pays the price. Notice in the video how the P-47 swoops in from a higher altitude and at an extremely fast speed in an attempt to take out the Fw 190 which was flying at a much slower speed. Not able to slow down, the P-47 zips past the Fw 190 and attempts to zoom climb back up to altitude, unfortunately the slower Fw 190 was able to manoeuvre onto the tail of the P-47 and take him out. The smart Fw 190 pilot knew that they could not out-run the inbound P-47, so they began several energy-depleting manoeuvres allowing for a tighter turn which the P-47 could not match. The P-47 pilot was attempting to do all they could to get the Fw 190 in their crosshairs, when they should have realized earlier the impossibility of this shot and aborted the attack to began an immediate zoom climb away while still behind the Fw 190, thus avoiding the German guns all together and once back at altitude reevaluate the situation to potentially attack again or pick another target.

Relation to other styles

Boom & Run
  • During a Boom & Run type manoeuvre, the attacking aircraft is not necessarily interested in returning to a higher altitude, as it may already have a speed advantage over the other aircraft. Either way–whether dropping in from a higher altitude or being faster to begin with–the attacking aircraft lines up a target, attacks, then attempts to speed away either in a horizontal flight path or a shallow dive. The goal is to gain enough distance between the target and the attacker to allow the attacker to safely turn around or manoeuvre into another attack position without the threat of being attacked during this process. Aircraft with control surfaces that begin to lock up at higher speeds (during a dive) may have a better chance with a Boom & Run tactic.
Turn fighting
  • This flying method is favoured by aircraft which are considered energy fighters; for example, the German Bf 109. These planes maximize the ability to execute vertical reverses such as the Immelmann (half loop flying up), Split-S (half loop flying down) and the standard normal loop. Energy fighters typically have a good power-to-weight ratio, and can take advantage of manoeuvres which the typical Boom & Zoom fighter cannot without losing an extreme amount of energy, and thus and any speed advantage the latter may have had.

Theory of Boom & Zoom

A common mistake is made by assuming that heavier planes dive faster, however, this can be disproved by taking the motion equation for a velocity v dependent on time t:


v(t) = ∫a dt = (F/m - g + k(v)) ∫dt

This statment holds at a constant engine thrust F affecting to the mass of the airplane m with resulting uplift k(v) (including air drag). This proves the velocity is even inversly proportional to the mass (lighter planes accelerate faster, even on dive). Additionally the gravity constant g is speeding up the plane towards ground independent of its mass.

Planes which benefit the most from a strict Boom & Zoom philosophy

While most jet aircraft can take advantage of Boom & Zoom tactics, due to the speeds at which they fly, they are more prone to take advantage of Boom & Run tactics, because, for fighter jets, speed is much more important than altitude.

Media

Videos