Turning On The Edge of a Blackout
by TC aka Tequila Chaser
Now when you are turning on the edge of a blackout you will be at the high speed
end of the flight envelope, you will find yourself on this edge when you are in
a high speed turning fight. In this type of fight both you and your opponent
will be grasping for the highest turn rate possible. If both of you are fast you
will be limited by how many G’s each of you can pull and maintain. The desired
effect is to pull and hold right at or below 6 G’s (positive). This is also
known as riding the tunnel where you are right before blacking out and you have
a smaller visual window to focus/fly thru. The key factor to turning on the edge
of a blackout is to maximize your turn rate at high speed while trying to make
your opponent blackout. If you blackout you lose use of the flight controls of
your aircraft until you come to again. You will be an easy target for your
opponent to maneuver against, but this is what you do want your opponent to do,
blackout. You want to make your opponent blackout, or at least ease up on his
stick to try to avoid blacking out, this will help you out turn / out maneuver
him. So try to maintain 6 G’s or near 6, when you are fast and turning with an
opponent, if you blackout let off on stick pressure until you are flying with
the edge of your screen “grayed out”. If you cross over 6 G's, back off
immediately, and then pull back on the stick again to establish 6 G's. Ride The
Tunnel!!! |