The Dicta Boelcke and PR: How to win in Dogfights
Posted: 2010-02-15 03:04
Developed by WWI German Ace Oswald Boelcke, these eight rules for air-to-air combat remain highly pertinent even as bi-planes became jetplanes and the pace of dogfighting changed with the technology. In Project Reality, although the physics model of flight is not perfect, these tactics will give you a much better chance at altitude 2000, whether that MiG is already in your sights or you just heard that lock-on tone of death.
1. Secure the upper hand before attacking.
In application, abiding by this rule means placing yourself in a position where your strengths are maximized and your foe's weaknesses are exacerbated. Attacking from a higher altitude is advantageous. Also, using a visual disguise, such as flying with the sun at your back or low to the ground (in friendly airspace), can be advantageous. Beyond altitude is understanding performance characteristics of both your craft and your foe's, If you're in a MiG or F-16 and find the ground-support aircraft on your tail, exercise your velocity advantage and speed away from your pursuer. In the vice-versa scenario, use your low-speed maneuverability and force your pursuer to overshoot.
2. Always continue with an attack you have begun.
Breaking off from an attack can be hazardous: not only are you no longer threatening your opponent, but a skilled fighter will seize the advantage you have surrendered and put you on the defensive. Only in a critical situation where your intervention will save a fellow player or the team should you break off an attack; otherwise, press and maintain the offensive.
3. Only fire at close range, and when properly fixed on your target.
You don't get many cannon rounds or missiles for spamming in your foe's general direction, and landings can sometimes be hazardous and time consuming. Furthermore, firing without an effective angle or beyond close range will not score a kill, more often than not. All you need to kill your foe is an accurate quarter-second burst with your gun at close range or directly behind.
Missiles are instantly lethal on a direct hit; however, a paranoid/aware victim or hesitant trigger finger will deny you a clean hit, thanks to the defender's flares. More on how to score effective missile kills in Rule 5.
4. Keep eyes on your opponent, and do not be deceived by ruses.
Keep your eyes on your opponent as much as you can, while scanning your surroundings and checking your six o' clock from time to time. If you lose sight of your target, you're no longer attacking or operating from a position of advantage.
I CANNOT STRESS THIS RULE ENOUGH IN PROJECT REALITY'S AIR COMBAT. A threat you do not detect is a threat you cannot defend against. If you're flying with a joystick (and you should be if you can afford one), take the time to map or program several key buttons:
-Cycle Camera (which allows you to toggle normal and 6 o' clock view) on one of the fire buttons.
-7, 9, and 1 (look port, look starboard, and look back to forward), and "check map" (M by default) on your POV hat.
-If you can comfortably do so, also map the 8 key (12 o' clock high view). While normally not of tactical relevance on it's own, doing a 360 degree roll while in this view will clear your 45* field of view.
Periodically when patrolling the skies, use the camera views and rolling to check your surroundings and rear.
5. In any time of attack, it is essential to attack from behind.
Any aircraft you fly or fly against has a blind spot below and behind them, and behind them in a 45* cone. If you secure the element of surprise and maneuver into their six o' clock and into weapons parameters before your foe detects you, your chances of winning are almost certain.
REMEMBER: The difference in time between the attacker getting a lock-on tone for their guided missiles and the victim's RWR giving the warning siren is about two seconds. Use this to your advantage whenever possible, and do not let your foe secure it. Follow the following sequence for the best chance of success.
-Fly in RADAR OFF mode (1st weapon).
-Detect the bandit visually on a sweep, or with direction from other observers.
-Stay out of the bandit's forward visual arc as you maneuver into position on their six o' clock. If in a jet of the same class (fighter or ground support aircraft), approach from above their altitude to close the distance.
-Once within 500 meters of the target, toggle to sidewinders (NOT the longer ranged missiles, these are better for engaging helicopters) and fire immediately upon getting the lock tone.
-In case your foe has caught on to your attack and begins evasive maneuvers/drops flares, drop below their altitude to prevent from overshooting and go for a guns kill.
6. When first under attack, break towards your opponent.
If an attacker is targeting you, do not fly straight or break away from your opponent. Flying straight makes you an easy target, and breaking away offers your tail to your target for a longer period of time, which doesn't end well for you. Instead, break towards your opponent. Breaking into your opponent's attack does several things: one, it reduces your speed and causes your opponent to close much faster, overshooting as a result; two, if your opponent is attacking from range, breaking into the attack gives you a chance to return fire and cause them to break off themselves (especially if you're flying an A-10 against a MiG, for instance).
Of course, you can't break into the attack of an unseen pursuer. Check your surroundings at regular intervals.
7. Be mindful of friendly and enemy lines.
There's a reason you don't fly below about 1000 normally; ground anti-aircraft weapons will make swiss cheese of your aircraft; the same is true for your pursuer if you have allies ready on anti-aircraft turrets. When being pursued, vector toward friendly airspace and low altitude, dropping a flare or two in the meantime. Your team can help you a lot. The enemy team can hurt you too.
8. Fight as a group whenever possible, and do not commit multiple attackers to a single target.
The first part speaks for itself, but there is a reason why you do not want multiple shooters on a single target: they'll get in each other's way. Furthermore, if your group is outnumbered, committing multiple attacks on one enemy leaves more enemies that are not threatened and might be able to attack your allies, or you. This is not to be confused with fighting with wingmen at your side. When done properly, wingmen will not fire on a lead's target except when tactics dictate: their job is to keep pace with your maneuvers and cover your six if you are attacked during an engagement. Thus, having a wingman when you are attacking an enemy is not the same as having two attackers on a target.
When flying with another friendly jet or even attack helicopter in the air (and in your squad or comms channel), you have another way of forcing a pursuer to break off; figure out your friends altitude and set up a head-to-head approach with them. When in visual range, break toward your opponent and give your squadmate time to set up a shot. Best case scenario is that the missile or burst kills your pursuer; even if it doesn't, it will almost certainly cause them to break off their attack, if not, rinse and repeat.
I hope pilots will find this guide useful.
1. Secure the upper hand before attacking.
In application, abiding by this rule means placing yourself in a position where your strengths are maximized and your foe's weaknesses are exacerbated. Attacking from a higher altitude is advantageous. Also, using a visual disguise, such as flying with the sun at your back or low to the ground (in friendly airspace), can be advantageous. Beyond altitude is understanding performance characteristics of both your craft and your foe's, If you're in a MiG or F-16 and find the ground-support aircraft on your tail, exercise your velocity advantage and speed away from your pursuer. In the vice-versa scenario, use your low-speed maneuverability and force your pursuer to overshoot.
2. Always continue with an attack you have begun.
Breaking off from an attack can be hazardous: not only are you no longer threatening your opponent, but a skilled fighter will seize the advantage you have surrendered and put you on the defensive. Only in a critical situation where your intervention will save a fellow player or the team should you break off an attack; otherwise, press and maintain the offensive.
3. Only fire at close range, and when properly fixed on your target.
You don't get many cannon rounds or missiles for spamming in your foe's general direction, and landings can sometimes be hazardous and time consuming. Furthermore, firing without an effective angle or beyond close range will not score a kill, more often than not. All you need to kill your foe is an accurate quarter-second burst with your gun at close range or directly behind.
Missiles are instantly lethal on a direct hit; however, a paranoid/aware victim or hesitant trigger finger will deny you a clean hit, thanks to the defender's flares. More on how to score effective missile kills in Rule 5.
4. Keep eyes on your opponent, and do not be deceived by ruses.
Keep your eyes on your opponent as much as you can, while scanning your surroundings and checking your six o' clock from time to time. If you lose sight of your target, you're no longer attacking or operating from a position of advantage.
I CANNOT STRESS THIS RULE ENOUGH IN PROJECT REALITY'S AIR COMBAT. A threat you do not detect is a threat you cannot defend against. If you're flying with a joystick (and you should be if you can afford one), take the time to map or program several key buttons:
-Cycle Camera (which allows you to toggle normal and 6 o' clock view) on one of the fire buttons.
-7, 9, and 1 (look port, look starboard, and look back to forward), and "check map" (M by default) on your POV hat.
-If you can comfortably do so, also map the 8 key (12 o' clock high view). While normally not of tactical relevance on it's own, doing a 360 degree roll while in this view will clear your 45* field of view.
Periodically when patrolling the skies, use the camera views and rolling to check your surroundings and rear.
5. In any time of attack, it is essential to attack from behind.
Any aircraft you fly or fly against has a blind spot below and behind them, and behind them in a 45* cone. If you secure the element of surprise and maneuver into their six o' clock and into weapons parameters before your foe detects you, your chances of winning are almost certain.
REMEMBER: The difference in time between the attacker getting a lock-on tone for their guided missiles and the victim's RWR giving the warning siren is about two seconds. Use this to your advantage whenever possible, and do not let your foe secure it. Follow the following sequence for the best chance of success.
-Fly in RADAR OFF mode (1st weapon).
-Detect the bandit visually on a sweep, or with direction from other observers.
-Stay out of the bandit's forward visual arc as you maneuver into position on their six o' clock. If in a jet of the same class (fighter or ground support aircraft), approach from above their altitude to close the distance.
-Once within 500 meters of the target, toggle to sidewinders (NOT the longer ranged missiles, these are better for engaging helicopters) and fire immediately upon getting the lock tone.
-In case your foe has caught on to your attack and begins evasive maneuvers/drops flares, drop below their altitude to prevent from overshooting and go for a guns kill.
6. When first under attack, break towards your opponent.
If an attacker is targeting you, do not fly straight or break away from your opponent. Flying straight makes you an easy target, and breaking away offers your tail to your target for a longer period of time, which doesn't end well for you. Instead, break towards your opponent. Breaking into your opponent's attack does several things: one, it reduces your speed and causes your opponent to close much faster, overshooting as a result; two, if your opponent is attacking from range, breaking into the attack gives you a chance to return fire and cause them to break off themselves (especially if you're flying an A-10 against a MiG, for instance).
Of course, you can't break into the attack of an unseen pursuer. Check your surroundings at regular intervals.
7. Be mindful of friendly and enemy lines.
There's a reason you don't fly below about 1000 normally; ground anti-aircraft weapons will make swiss cheese of your aircraft; the same is true for your pursuer if you have allies ready on anti-aircraft turrets. When being pursued, vector toward friendly airspace and low altitude, dropping a flare or two in the meantime. Your team can help you a lot. The enemy team can hurt you too.
8. Fight as a group whenever possible, and do not commit multiple attackers to a single target.
The first part speaks for itself, but there is a reason why you do not want multiple shooters on a single target: they'll get in each other's way. Furthermore, if your group is outnumbered, committing multiple attacks on one enemy leaves more enemies that are not threatened and might be able to attack your allies, or you. This is not to be confused with fighting with wingmen at your side. When done properly, wingmen will not fire on a lead's target except when tactics dictate: their job is to keep pace with your maneuvers and cover your six if you are attacked during an engagement. Thus, having a wingman when you are attacking an enemy is not the same as having two attackers on a target.
When flying with another friendly jet or even attack helicopter in the air (and in your squad or comms channel), you have another way of forcing a pursuer to break off; figure out your friends altitude and set up a head-to-head approach with them. When in visual range, break toward your opponent and give your squadmate time to set up a shot. Best case scenario is that the missile or burst kills your pursuer; even if it doesn't, it will almost certainly cause them to break off their attack, if not, rinse and repeat.
I hope pilots will find this guide useful.
) had a really cool video of a "scissors maneuver" with the Mig. the F16 was right on his tail so he did a roll and he ended up being on the tail of the F16. the vid was on youtube i cant fine it anymore 
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