WRITING 4 GUILLERMO MAYA MARTÍNEZ

 Difficult maneuvers performed by modern aircraft: Pugachev’s cobra and defensive spiral

Nowadays, modern fighters (4th and 5th generation) are designed in order to have the capacity of doing difficult maneuvers. These maneuvers are normally performed in what is known as “dogfights” which are 1 to 1 aerial fights or just in demonstration flights, in which is shown all the capacities a plane has. 

The two maneuvers I am going to talk about are both defensive. The first one, the Pugachev’s cobra, was firstly performed by a soviet pilot (their planes are known as the most maneuverable) It consists in an inclination of the plane’s nose up to 90º degrees and then up to 120º, it makes the plane brake suddenly and go backwards at a very high speed. While the Pugachev’s cobra is being performed, it leaves the plane in a very unsecure position because it uncovers itself fully, but it is such a quick maneuver that the attacker can’t react in that time the plane is uncovered. This is mainly performed as a try to gain the back to the other plane (the back is the most critical part when it comes to dogfight).

The second maneuver is the defensive spiral, it consists of dropping the nose low during the turn and going into a spiral dive, using gravity to supply the energy needed to continue evasive action. This is made by the defender as a try to carry the attacker at a point where the ground is very close. Normally, this maneuver is more suitable for aircraft that can decelerate quicker, also it is mixed with the use of the speedbrakes which makes easier for the attacker to overshoot. 

CC. Guillermo Maya Martínez