Side step?

[Malap]

Sorry Morf, i'm not sure if i am doing it right or missunderstanding you , as we HO i step on for example the right rudder pedal and use aelerons to keep it level?
Then you talked about firing from this position? my nose points out away from the bandit. 

[Morfiend]

 Yes, your nose points away,you get horizontal seperation,so your no longer nose to nose.

 Then rudder back at him,if he stayed on path you should be on the right/left of him.You'll then gain a firing angle,acute frontal attack,less than90*, and he wont be in a firing position.

 Now some will still call this a "HO" but they are,well ignorant, a true ho has both plane in a firing solution, also if done on first merge.However most player will shoot first and then rant,so dont let that stop you from any shot you get!

 What I was trying to show you was an avoidance move,it's all in the timing,that will still give you the option to shoot or merge and have a real "Dogfight". The cork screw doesnt usually give you the shot option unless you time it prefect.

 Hope this clears it up for you,let me know if you anymore questions.

[Ghosth]

Another thing to think of in merges is horizontal or vertical seperation.

If we are approaching nose to nose, but I put my nose 30 degrees off to the side, I can set it up so that you will instead of coming right at me, slide beside me. If I can get that seperation, I can then do an early lead turn to cut off angles just as he's going into his merge. Ending with me right on his 6 when he's expecting to see me on his 12.

Vertical can be usefull when you have a plane that is higher than you coming at you but not diving down at you.
Again timing your lead turn is crucial, but you if you time it for when your under his nose. You can do a immelman and end up right behind and below him at 2-400 yards. Giving you a perfect stable shot. Have to love these because 9 out of 10 times he has NO idea what happened or how you killed him.

Learning the timing for the plane you fly is the tricky part. In both cases you will "lead" him as you turn, in that your nose is going to be pointed well ahead of him, on his projected flight path. You have to anticipate what he's going to do for it to work.


Morfiend is correct in that timing for a corkscrew approach is crucial in order to get a shot.
There are many ways to duck an initial HO and still end up in a superior position.