Jagdfliegerschule
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| Can we work on landings
just a bit more? |
Jagdfliegerschule
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| Can we work on landings
just a bit more? |
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Boelcke's Dicta | |
Terms & Tips | |
Aircraft Performance Data |
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Air Combat Maneuvers |
Boelcke's Dicta |
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Written over 80 years ago, Oswald Boelke's 8 rules of aerial combat (called Boelcke's Dicta) are still quite applicable, especially to WW II combat sim pilots. Following is Boelcke's Dicta accompanied by comments to help the Fighter Ace pilot live longer and gain more victories. |
| WWI German Ace Hauptmann
Oswald Boelcke, 40 victories |
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| Try to secure advantages before attacking.
If possible, keep the sun behind you. In Fighter Ace (and most sims) the sun is not a dominant factor. There are however several advantages that the pilot should try to obtain - among these are Speed, Altitude, Performance, Numbers, and Surprise. Speed and altitude are related, a diving pilot will almost always have a speed advantage on his opponent. If your opponent is climbing to meet your attack there can be as much as a 200 mph advantage allowing you the choice of continuing the engagement or easily retreating to a safe distance where you can decide to resume the attack or not. Your ordnance is also more effective at higher speeds. Performance: Know your enemy and his aircraft's strengths and weaknesses. Don't try to climb away from a better climber, don't try to outrun one who is faster or out turn a more nimble opponent. Sounds obvious, but many a good pilot has been lost doing just these things. Also, know the range of the enemy's guns, he does. Surprise: A distracted pilot is an easier target, watch for opponents who are stalking others or otherwise have their attention diverted from you. |
| Always follow through an attack when you
have started it. Breaking off an attack can lead to you finding your prey suddenly sitting on your tail. In Fighter Ace this cannot always be practical - following a target into his own base defenses can make a mess of your day. |
| Fire only at close range and only when your
opponent is properly in your sights. This is related to #1. If you open fire at the limit of your range you are likely to only tip off your target and thus eliminate your advantage of surprise. Your tracers may also attract the attention of another opponent whom you may soon find sitting on your six! Bullets have lost most of their energy after traveling long distances too, so if you do score hits they will be far less effective. Be patient, get in close, draw the correct deflection angle and watch your target explode after a short burst. Enjoy his compliment of "nice kill, never even knew you were there". The exception to this rule is when the bandit is fleeing - you just may land a lucky long shot that damages him enough to allow you to close and finish the kill. Finally, when flying realistic mode with limited ammunition it becomes even more important to "make every shot count". |
| Always keep your eye on your
opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses. You can't kill a enemy you cannot find. Sounds obvious, but needs stating. Use your padlock view frequently to keep track of squirming targets. If you do lose sight of him, it is best to assume that you are about to become his target and take appropriate measures. Lose sight, lose fight. Ruses were a common means of escape in Boelke's time. A pilot would spin, seemingly out of control, towards the ground feigning death in hopes that his adversary would consider him dead and move on. In Fighter Ace this is difficult to pull off since a pilot is not dead until the telltale flames are streaming from his plane. |
| In any form of attack it is
essential to assail your opponent from behind. The idea here is to be in a position where your target cannot bring his guns to bear on you. For most pilots the zero deflection shot from directly behind is the easiest. With that said any sort of deflection shot is preferred. When firing from directly behind you are presented with the smallest cross section of the target. One of the most effective attack positions is from a dive from behind of about 45°. You have a large amount of the aircraft exposed as well as the pilot himself. Simply direct your fire slightly in front of the target and let him fly into your shells. |
| If your opponent dives on you, do
not try to evade his onslaught, but fly to meet it. This sounds counter intuitive, but it is true. If you attempt to flee by turning away from your attacker you are only presenting your tail to him. If you turn towards the attack you are forcing them to take a more difficult deflection angle shot and you are forcing them into a turn that they may not be able to make. |
| When over enemy lines, never forget
your line of retreat. Don't forget which way home is! Time wasted getting your bearings while trailing smoke may just be your last time on Earth (at least until you and your plane are regenerated). Whenever possible, initiate your attack in the direction of your base. If things go wrong you'll be pointed the right direction. Use your base defenses, that is what they are there for. If under attack there is no shame in availing yourself of some friendly AAA - you can bet the guy trying to kill you would do the same (in spite of whatever taunts he may send your way). |
| Attack on principle in groups of
four or six. When the fight breaks up into a series of single combats, take care
that several do not go for one opponent. In combat sims like Fighter Ace this is often not practical. A more applicable rule for us would be "Don't fly alone". Always try to take a wingman with you and preferably find another rotte (pair) to fly with. If you find yourself with no squad mates around, try to tag along with another formation. There is strength in numbers. |
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Following are some of the terms you'll hear in Fighter Ace along with their definitions and a few tidbits that may help you make General a little sooner. |
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| SA | Situational Awareness. | This and E-Management are the most important skills to learn in Fighter Ace. Know where you are and what you are doing and where your enemy is and what he is doing at all times. Constantly look around using the joystick hat. Use the map view very frequently. Switch to padlock view. Never look at a bogie on the map and make an assumption about his intentions. If you see a bogie on the map and padlock tells you he is above you but you cannot make visual contact, consider immediate evasive action before he can begin his attack. |
| E | Energy Management | Altitude and speed (along with a good wingman) are the fighter pilot's best friends. If we can go back to high school physics you'll remember that there are two types of energy, kinetic and potential. Kinetic energy can be thought of as energy that is happening now - your current airspeed. Potential energy is stored energy that can be converted to kinetic. Potential energy is converted to kinetic by diving and kinetic energy is converted into potential by climbing. |
| Deflection | This is the pilots term for "leading" your target. Anytime you are shooting at a moving target you need to place your fire where the enemy will be when the shells get there - in other words you have to aim in front of him. Another consideration is the effect of gravity, the path of your shells will drop with distance (another reason to get in real cozy close). | |
| B&Z | Boom & Zoom | A diving high speed attack. Make one pass, do as much damage as possible, and get away. Repeat as necessary. Most victories in WW II were obtained using the B&Z. |
| T&B | Turn & Burn | The classic dogfight. |
| Furball | A twisting turning battle consisting of several planes, usually on the deck. A real drain on E. Best visited for short periods - if too much time is spent in a furball you can expect to be added to someone's kill list. | |
| Buffs | Bombers | As of this writing, the bombers in Fighter Ace are deadly and should not be taken lightly. Their gunners are very accurate and can bring down an attacking fighter in no time. The best - and safest - means of taking out bombers is a high speed slashing attack initiated from well above the bomber formation. Unless you are feeling very brave (or lucky) it is best to take on the bomber formations in numbers. This dilutes the return fire and increases the likelihood of living to talk about the attack back at the base. |