The maneuver has never been verified in real combat, although it has been used during mock dogfights and border protection. The maneuver is typically performed at air shows, but could be used as a last-ditch maneuver to force a chaser to overshoot in close-range air combat. The Herbst maneuver and the helicopter maneuver are similar post-stall maneuvers that are often executed by 4.5th Generation and 5th Generation fighter aircraft employing thrust vectoring. The cobra maneuver is an example of supermaneuverability, specifically poststall maneuvering. The maneuver demands accurate pitch control, alpha stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility for the aircraft, as well as a high skill level on the part of the pilot.

The maneuver relies on the ability of the plane to be able to quickly change angle of attack (alpha) without overloading the airframe, and sufficient engine thrust to maintain nearly constant altitude through the entire move, but also post-stall stability and aerodynamics that allows for the recovery to level flight. In aerobatics, the cobra maneuver (or just the cobra), also called dynamic deceleration, among other names (see Etymology), is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed abruptly raises its nose momentarily to a vertical and slightly past vertical attitude, causing an extremely high angle of attack and momentarily stalling the plane, making a full-body air brake before dropping back to normal position, during which the aircraft does not change effective altitude. The footage displays the maneuver in profile next to a non-maneuvering aircraft for reference, showing how the maneuver affects the speed of the aircraft and how it can be used to make a pursuing aircraft overshoot. Known to the Royal Air Force as the Half Roll and the Luftwaffe as the Abschwung, it uses maneuver in the vertical plane to evade attack.The cobra maneuver performed by a Swedish Saab 35 Draken. The Split S is a time-honoured method of disengaging from combat. Either way the attacker is faced with overshooting. This is difficult for the attacker to spot until he is fairly close in. The first is an excessively large angle subtended between the fuselages of the respective aircraft. The defensive maneuvers described earlier place much stres on forcing an attacker to overshoot It is obviously important to avoid overshooting, so how is it done?Īn overshoot is caused by one or two factors. This gives time to track the target in the sight, minimises the risk of overshooting and retains an energy advantage for manoeuvring combat. A gun attack should be made with an overtake speed of about 50 knots (just under 90 feet, 2 7m) per second). If the attack fails the attacker must zoom climb to dissipate his excess speed if he wishes to continue the fight, although it is easier and probably safer to disengage at this point. If after a head- on pass both aircraft pull high a vertical ascending scissors may result.Ī missile attack from astern is normally made at a high closing speed. In either case he should pass down-Sun so that his next change of direction forces his opponent to look into the dazzle.

If there is any doubt about relative maneuver potential he should pass close to deny his adversary turning room, then pull high in the turn. (The more manoeuvrable fighter at this stage is frequently the one travelling slowest rather than the most aerodynamically capable.) If this is the attacker he should endeavour to pass wide of his opponent to give himself turning room. The more manoeuvrable fighter will have the edge in a turning fight. If his attack is from head-on, much will depend on the maneuver potential of the two opponents.

The fighter pilot should be prepared for his attack to fail and know precisely what he will do next, either disengage or enter into manoeuvring combat. But, as World War I German Chief of Staff von Moltke observed many years ago: plans rarely survive contact with the enemy. As we saw in the attack phase, a missile attack should be fast, deadly, and conclusive. What are the attacker's needs? Much depends on whether he is planning a missile or gun attack. Most defensive maneuvers are designed to counter an attack coming from astern, mainly by forcing an attacker to overshoot. In this the defender rolls inverted and dives away vertically, pulling out in a direction opposite to that of his opponent.

Vertical roll air combat maneuver