Difference between revisions of "Energy fighting"

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:The Theory Behind Energy Fighting}}
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Basics of Energy Fighting}}
{{Notice
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|Stop! Please leave this article alone. Moderator Rapitor will be building this page with data he wrote on the War Thunder Forum. Stay tuned for updates.
 
|!
 
}}
 
 
__TOC__
 
__TOC__
  
''Work in Progress.''
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'''Work in Progress.'''
  
 
Original here: https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/376001-energy-fighting-explained-feedback-review-welcomed/
 
Original here: https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/376001-energy-fighting-explained-feedback-review-welcomed/
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'''Disclaimer:'''
 
'''Disclaimer:'''
  
- A few concepts and equations have been simplified, to make them understandable to neophytes.  
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* A few concepts and equations have been simplified, to make them understandable to neophytes.  
  
- This page, while fairly exhaustive, does not to provide a complete guide about the subject. Reading this will not allow you to be #1 in the next Top Gun promotion.
+
* This page, while fairly exhaustive, does not to provide a complete guide about the subject. Reading this will not allow you to be #1 in the next Top Gun promotion.
  
 
'''Context:'''
 
'''Context:'''
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When energy fighting is discussed, it very often turns down to categories. it is convenient to put things in boxes. It makes everything more simple. “This goes to A, this goes to B” etc. Unfortunately, flying is not simple, and the world is not made of black and white. To fully understand how to push your plane to its limit, it is important to see that energy fighting is not 2 opposed concepts, as Yin and Yang, but a continuous grey scale from black to white. Let's not bound yourself to "diving attack" and "turning fights".
 
When energy fighting is discussed, it very often turns down to categories. it is convenient to put things in boxes. It makes everything more simple. “This goes to A, this goes to B” etc. Unfortunately, flying is not simple, and the world is not made of black and white. To fully understand how to push your plane to its limit, it is important to see that energy fighting is not 2 opposed concepts, as Yin and Yang, but a continuous grey scale from black to white. Let's not bound yourself to "diving attack" and "turning fights".
  
You will often read: “''we have BnZ planes and Turn fight planes''”. Some say “''we have energy fighters and turn fighters''”
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You will often read: "we have BnZ planes and turnfight planes". Some say "we have energy fighters and turn fighters"
  
The former implies that a turn fight plane cannot BnZ, or a BnZ plane cannot turn fight; back to our comfortable boxes, it is so nice (and wrong) to see the world in black and white.
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The former implies that a turnfight plane cannot BnZ, or a BnZ plane cannot turn fight; back to our comfortable boxes, it is so nice (and wrong) to see the world in black and white.
  
 
The latter is basically someone trying not understanding the concept of ACM. Flying is energy fighting. So unless turn fighting is not flying and turning, you cannot explain how it is not energy fighting as well. 
 
The latter is basically someone trying not understanding the concept of ACM. Flying is energy fighting. So unless turn fighting is not flying and turning, you cannot explain how it is not energy fighting as well. 
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==Pre-work: E-M diagram and excess energy graph==
 
==Pre-work: E-M diagram and excess energy graph==
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Energy-manoeuvrability theory is a model of aircraft performance. It was developed by Col. John Boyd, a fighter pilot, and Thomas P. Christie a mathematician working with the Air Force. It is useful in describing an aircraft's performance as the total of kinetic and potential energies (or aircraft specific energy) in relation to its flight envelope.
 +
 +
It allows you to understand where and how you can beat a plane in a sustained fight. The information you can draw from this require a little bit of understanding beyond this guide, but one step at a time.
 +
 +
At this point, it is not important to understand fully these graphs. I will simply often refer to them, so I put them here as reference.
  
==Energy-maneuverabillity==
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On the picture below, I attached some explanations about how to understand this diagram. I won’t provide a procedure to create one in this thread (or ever). If you do not know how to create one, giving you a ready to be used one will not do any good. The values used below are made up.
 +
 
 +
==Energy-manoeuvrabillity==
  
 
==What is energy and energy fighting==
 
==What is energy and energy fighting==
 +
Energy is a word used to describe your amount of speed, Energy Fighting is when you use your energy advantage against slower planes or less energy-retaining planes to win a fight, Energy fighting works well against Boom-N-Zoomers (if they don't dive) but is a bit tricky to use against turnfighters since they can cut into your trajectory with their superior turn rate.
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 +
Here are the criteria for a plane to be considered as an Energy Fighter:
 +
 +
* It has to have a good acceleration
 +
* It must be light
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* It must have an average (or a bit higher than average) turn rate
  
 
==Excess energy and energy generation==
 
==Excess energy and energy generation==
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===Both together===
 
===Both together===
  
==How does this relate to aerial combat manouvers (ACM)?==
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==How does this relate to aerial combat manoeuvres (ACM)?==
  
 
===Chandelle===
 
===Chandelle===
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The energy fighting manoeuvre by default, it consists to climb and turn at the same time, an enemy will most likely think that you'll lose your speed and become a sitting duck (which is mostly true) so most of the time, they'll follow you and they will be the sitting duck but if they don't follow you, you'll still have an altitude advantage that will make your engagements easier.
 +
 +
A thing to remember: pay attention to your surroundings when performing a chandelle. As mentioned earlier, you're putting yourself in a temporary disadvantage when chandelling so if an enemy is higher or at the same altitude as you, they'll take the advantage on you and you'll most likely end up shot down.
  
 
===Energy bleeding / Defensive dive===
 
===Energy bleeding / Defensive dive===
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==Basic mistakes explained==
 
==Basic mistakes explained==
 +
 +
* Chandelling when an enemy is higher than you, as explained, the Chandelle puts you in a temporary energy (and thus, manoeuvrability) disadvantage, which means that you're a very easy target.
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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|VAqln6blgDo|'''Energyfighting 101 - Tutorial''' - ''Jengar''|w4GJZWCe_YY|'''Beginner's Guides: Energy Fight Examples #1''' - ''DEFYN''|lFcQnxDy0zY|'''Beginner's Guide 3.0, How to Energy Fight''' - ''DEFYN''}}
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== See also ==
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<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the tactic;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
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* [[Turn & Burn]]
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* [[Boom & Run]]
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* [[Boom & Zoom]]
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== External links ==
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''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.
  
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
 
[[Category:Custom articles]]
 
[[Category:Custom articles]]

Latest revision as of 16:53, 11 January 2023


Work in Progress.

Original here: https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/376001-energy-fighting-explained-feedback-review-welcomed/

Disclaimer:

  • A few concepts and equations have been simplified, to make them understandable to neophytes.
  • This page, while fairly exhaustive, does not to provide a complete guide about the subject. Reading this will not allow you to be #1 in the next Top Gun promotion.

Context:

When energy fighting is discussed, it very often turns down to categories. it is convenient to put things in boxes. It makes everything more simple. “This goes to A, this goes to B” etc. Unfortunately, flying is not simple, and the world is not made of black and white. To fully understand how to push your plane to its limit, it is important to see that energy fighting is not 2 opposed concepts, as Yin and Yang, but a continuous grey scale from black to white. Let's not bound yourself to "diving attack" and "turning fights".

You will often read: "we have BnZ planes and turnfight planes". Some say "we have energy fighters and turn fighters"

The former implies that a turnfight plane cannot BnZ, or a BnZ plane cannot turn fight; back to our comfortable boxes, it is so nice (and wrong) to see the world in black and white.

The latter is basically someone trying not understanding the concept of ACM. Flying is energy fighting. So unless turn fighting is not flying and turning, you cannot explain how it is not energy fighting as well. 

This wiki page aims to explain what is energy fighting, what it means and how you can use it.

Flying is energy fighting and this page explains (partially) what to do with your energy. It provides a solid basis to help you understand how can you fly to get out of trouble, or even better, how to get your guns on the target.

Pre-work: E-M diagram and excess energy graph

Energy-manoeuvrability theory is a model of aircraft performance. It was developed by Col. John Boyd, a fighter pilot, and Thomas P. Christie a mathematician working with the Air Force. It is useful in describing an aircraft's performance as the total of kinetic and potential energies (or aircraft specific energy) in relation to its flight envelope.

It allows you to understand where and how you can beat a plane in a sustained fight. The information you can draw from this require a little bit of understanding beyond this guide, but one step at a time.

At this point, it is not important to understand fully these graphs. I will simply often refer to them, so I put them here as reference.

On the picture below, I attached some explanations about how to understand this diagram. I won’t provide a procedure to create one in this thread (or ever). If you do not know how to create one, giving you a ready to be used one will not do any good. The values used below are made up.

Energy-manoeuvrabillity

What is energy and energy fighting

Energy is a word used to describe your amount of speed, Energy Fighting is when you use your energy advantage against slower planes or less energy-retaining planes to win a fight, Energy fighting works well against Boom-N-Zoomers (if they don't dive) but is a bit tricky to use against turnfighters since they can cut into your trajectory with their superior turn rate.

Here are the criteria for a plane to be considered as an Energy Fighter:

  • It has to have a good acceleration
  • It must be light
  • It must have an average (or a bit higher than average) turn rate

Excess energy and energy generation

How does this relate to the 2 basic fighting styles

Turn fighting

Boom and Zoom

Both together

How does this relate to aerial combat manoeuvres (ACM)?

Chandelle

The energy fighting manoeuvre by default, it consists to climb and turn at the same time, an enemy will most likely think that you'll lose your speed and become a sitting duck (which is mostly true) so most of the time, they'll follow you and they will be the sitting duck but if they don't follow you, you'll still have an altitude advantage that will make your engagements easier.

A thing to remember: pay attention to your surroundings when performing a chandelle. As mentioned earlier, you're putting yourself in a temporary disadvantage when chandelling so if an enemy is higher or at the same altitude as you, they'll take the advantage on you and you'll most likely end up shot down.

Energy bleeding / Defensive dive

Split S

Scissors

Basic mistakes explained

  • Chandelling when an enemy is higher than you, as explained, the Chandelle puts you in a temporary energy (and thus, manoeuvrability) disadvantage, which means that you're a very easy target.

Media

Videos

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.