There are some very important skills, that you have to train or achieve to survive an aerial combat situation.
For now I'd like to tell you my basic points on surviving a dogfight in War Thunder Simulator Mode. Later on we will talk a little bit more about energy and turn fighting, cover some Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) and I'll show you some interesting videos, Twitch streams and YouTube Channels as well.


Altitude is life! You gain a significant advantage over the enemy when you are above him. The higher flying plane has usually the energy advantage and can trade energy into speed. So, do not let your enemy gain this advantage. Instead, limit his options and bring him into a defensive position by getting above him.


A so called "fur ball" is a huge pile of planes fighting each other in a very limited space. And ... it's usually a big cluster ♥♥♥♥. So don't fly right into it. You are not John Wayne. Someone will just get on your six, pumping lead into your planes' hull and off you go. Instead, climb above the fur ball, wait for someone leaving it and hunt him down. It's way more effective, because a fur ball usually gain a lot of attention from other pilots eager to join the battle.

You know the situation where 2-600 planes chasing a single enemy fighter?
You know those greedy sea gulls from "Finding Nemo"?
Well, you get the idea what a "lemming train" is like.
Overcome the temptation to hunt a easy looking prey.
Guess what, you are the easy prey in a lemming train!
A good (hostile) pilot will identify a lemming train and will 100 % just shoot you out of the sky. Instead, leave the lemming train to the side, climb and wait for a attacker to show up. A lemming train is pretty obvious, so someone will show up.


Unlike the Arcade community in War Thunder simulator pilots got a tendency to stick together and play really as a team. Keep this in mind as a teammate nearby is your life insurance.
Use those call-outs (press T 4 2 = "Need backup!") to ask for assistance. Chances are pretty high that someone will rush in to help you out. You can also set up a favorite command in your settings. This can become quite handy.

Asking for assistance especially mandatory if you fly a german energy fighter. The Focke Wulf 190 for example is really, really, really good with a little help of your friends. Otherwise you can get into sticky situations over and over again.

There is a little tool called "Cover me"[forum.warthunder.com] that runs in the background and provide your teammates with your altitude and heading over text chat. It is really useful and - as for now - is not classified by Gaijin as a cheat tool. Instead a community manager praised the project so it seems safe to use and it doesn't give you a significant advantage.


A lot of newer players are complaining that they lose control over their airplane pretty easy.
Well, that is usually not your planes fault. Your control inputs are just too harsh. Remember, this is Sim-Mode. There is no more assistant, that hinders you from getting into a flat spin. So, try to stay calm and gentle while maneuvering. It's usually not necessary to tear your flight stick apart, just to fly a simple turn. A higher non-linearity can help to provide smoother controls over your airplane.

Recovering from a flat spin

One of the most frustrating thing you can encounter when you start your simulator career is a so called flat spin. It usually occurs while turning too harsh. The wing pointing inside your turn will stall, increasing its angle of attack and making things even worse. The wing pointing away from your turn path will not stall, as a result your plane will fall from the sky in a rotary movement - the flat spin.
It looks really nasty, but your time hasn't come yet. Don't panic! You can escape from this imminent threat.
Here's a simple way to get out of a flat spin:

• Throttle to 0 %
  
• Do not touch the ailerons!
  
• Push nose down
  
• Push rudder control in the opposite direction of your spin

Applying this technique there is a good chance that your planes' nose will go down, get some airspeed and you will be able to gently pull the stick back to gain altitude again. Also, don't forget to throttle up again. A last word on this: Sometimes applying the combat flaps can help you to get out of a stall as well.


In simulator mode you only have one try. If you flew to the target area for 10 minutes just to get mowed down by someone ... well that can be frustrating. But remember:


Everyone was a noob once. There is no shame to be new at something.
Be aware: A kill in sim mode is much more rewarding as it takes more skill and effort to achieve a good amount of kills. Once you will score your first kills you will definitely know what I mean.
Also, reflect your own actions and be self-critical. Ask yourself, what you could have done better before blaming Gaijin / flight stick / teammates / OP *"%"!! planes / your cat for your very own errors.


So, if you perform poorly in a game, check that replay and try to figure out what was going on. Check the sim forums to get advice from other players.

Also, join the ingame chat-channel "FRB".
It's where a lot of sim players hang around and provide some useful help and tips.

Last but not least my personal best tip to keep the motivation up high:

If you're having a bad time playing the game, stop.

Do something else, have dinner with your girlfriend, play with the dog, read a good book, have a walk. Step away from the computer and try another day. In the end it's a game. Its purpose is to offer you a hell of a good time and should not frustrating you.


It's worth the trouble.

Situational Awareness (SA) is determined as

"the perception of environmental elements with respect to time or space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status after some variable has changed, such as time, or some other variable, such as a predetermined event."

source:wikipedia[en.wikipedia.org]

SA is the key factor to survive an aerial combat. Studies shown that over 80 % of all pilots shot down during the korean war never saw what hit them. Elite simulator pilots gained a natural feeling and good perception of what is going on around them at any time. That is what really seperate the average from the good pilot.

You should ask yourself these questions before, while and after any kind of encounter:

• Where am I? (Altitude, Speed, plotted course, ammo, fuel)
  
• Where are my teammates?
  
• Where is the enemy? How many? Altitude? Heading to..? Which kind of aircraft?
  
• What is my plane capable off?
  
• What is the enemys' plane capable off?
  
• What is he going to do next?

Also, take a look at the map. What is the enemys' "natural" flight path to the objective?
You can usually draw a straight line from the hostile airfield towards the A point.
Thats where's the party at, mostly. Bombers will head towards the bombing points of course.

Don't fly towards the objective in a straight line.
The engine block just right in front of you limits your visibility towards the battleground. Chances are high that you miss someone closing in straight from your 12 o'clock position underneath you. Keep this in mind.

The best tip is to keep the enemy in a so called 3 - 9 position. This means, that bandits always should be located to your right (3 o'clock) or left wing (9 o'clock). You achieve a maximum of situational control by applying this technique and it is actually really hard to catch you by surprise.


Cockpit FW 190 - Check your six constantly


If something draws your complete attention you can become an easy target.
You can't catch the bandit? Well then, abort.
The bomber is too high to reach at the moment? Well then, abort.
The bandit flees successfully to his airfield? Well then, abort.

Don't waste all your time and attention on a single objective that you desperately try to achieve. Time is a valuable currency in a dogfight. If it takes you too long to adjust yourself to a constantly changing situation you will have a much harder time.

Therefore, check your surroundings constantly. You have to prioritize targets. Always deal with the biggest threat first, don't look for the easy kill.
Humans got a tendency to tunnel vision. It's natural. It needs a lot of practice and patience to get rid of it. Also, you can use tunnel vision to your advantage.

If you see an enemy chasing a friendly plane for a long period of time not able to catch him chances are high that he isn't aware of any kind of attack soon. So, take the opportunity to get yourself in a close, deadly spot behind his six and mow him down. It's that simple.


Ready for a quick burst?

Proper communication in your team is a crucial part of an successful air engagement. There are no super heroes up in the air. You will get blasted away by just a few shells, getting rid of an enemy on your six o'clock can also be quite challenging, if not impossible sometimes. Well, this is where your wingmen come into play.


I gained a lot of kills in air sim battles just by covering my regular wingman. He provides me with vital informations all the time, while I do the same for him. Constant communication is a huge advantage for any team. Besides that, it prevents following a target for a long time, just to figure out that it's a friendly plane.

This is a very basic plot of things you should always communicate to your team:

• Position
  
• Altitude
  
• Course / Heading
  
• Possible contacts
  
• RTB (return to base)

If you have a permanent wingman, congratulations! You are now not just two fighter pilots flying out together having some fun. You just gained a significant advantage over the enemy.


The most important thing is to clarify the individual role in a buddy pack. Therefore the squadleader is responsible for direction, altitude and the moment of attack. He plays the offensive part in a squad. The leader has to communicate any change of direction, climb or dive. Your wingman cannot look inside your head, provide him with informations, so he can adapt himself and is not taken by surprise.

The wingman follows 200 - 300 meters on the left or right side slighty below the leader. I don't recommend to fly very tight formations. It looks really cool, but you will lose space to react and you are much more vulnerable to surprising attacks.

The wingmans' task is to provide cover and to check the six o' clock position of the squad aka the defensive part of the squad. He can do this, because he flys aside and below the leader, covering his blind spots. A good formation can see almost everything that is going on around them. That is a huge advantage.

On the other hand, this advantage doesn't matter, if you communicate too less or wrong. Try to use a short language that is as precise as possible. "Here" and "There", "high" or "low" is not precise, it's confusing. "Thank you" and "please" is well mannered, but it takes too much time. That's the reason soldiers do not use that stuff in combat. Time is money.

My wingman and I prefer something like the german infantry assault technique E.R.E.Z.A. ("Einheit, Richtung, Entfernung, Ziel, Ausführung") - translated: "Unit, heading, range, target, execution". As one of us spots a possible bandit we will communicate the contacts altitude, range, heading and which kind of target it could be.

After that the leader plots an attack angle and breaks off to attack. The wingman tries to stay above and behind his leader to provide full cover or to interfere if the leader is not successful on his gunrun.
Remember: It's not always about the highest score. It's all about winning the game for your team and to stay alive. You can shoot down more planes, if you stay alive longer. And a buddy pack increases your survivability in combat significantly, as long as you cover each other and communicate effectively.

You can also take a look at this instructional film. It's quite old, but it will provide you with some basic ideas about flying with a wingman and what you are able to do when playing as a real team.

You don't have to study engineering to understand some basic data of aircrafts. But as part of Situational Awareness you have to know the up- and downsides of your very own airplane by heart. It certainly helps a lot when you fly out a wide variety of planes. You should fly each fighter in a test flight at least once to get a feeling of what it's good at and where it sucks. Knowledge is power, use it to your advantage.
Therefore a good turn fighting airplane like the A6M5 "Zero" may not be the best plane for a boom&zoom attack run.

A lot of newer player in WT Sim Battles have a tendency to turn fight anything at any given time. It feels natural to encounter an enemy aircraft by outturning it and getting on this sweet six o' clock spot. But unfortunately, that isn't an option for a lot of planes.

There is a huge difference between planes which are good at turning (turn fighter) and those, who are good at gaining altitude and trading it into speed and vice versa (energy fighter).


Planes like the A6M5 "Zero" or the british early Spitfire Mk. I are pretty good examples for a good turn fighter. These planes can outturn a lot of enemy planes, getting on their six pretty easy and score a kill this way. They usually lose a lot of potential energy in tight turns and become an easy target for a kill from above this way. Anyways, if a energy fighter makes an error and lost too much energy in the vicinity of an Turn Fighter, the energy fighter is usually doomed.


Japanese A6M5 Zero



The FW190, Bf109 or the P51 Mustang are examples for Energy Fighters. Pilots of these planes rely on the power of their engine, good power-to-weight ratio and excellent energy retention to gain the upper hand in an aerial combat. They trade maneuverbility for power, therefore they usually lose a turn fight. Proper energy fighting is - in my opinion - the most effective kind of air combat. Discipline on the stick and good Situational Awareness is a powerful, deadly combination in a energy fighter.

Messerschmitt Bf 109



The Junkers Ju 87 aka "StuKa" (Sturzkampfflugzeug) and the IL-2 "Sturmovik" are the most famous ground attack airplanes of World War II. Even though these planes are designed to attack ground targets, they can be potent enemies in a dog fight as well. Especially the good maneuveribility of the "StukA" at very low speed (<250 km/h) plus its firepower with 20 mm cannons is astonishing and can bring to death to those, who just see a sitting duck. The IL-2 can take a punch and shoots back with a huge gunload. Don't get into their sights. It might be deadly after all.

Conclusion: Never underestimate an enemy, even if he is sitting in a big, slow moving target!

The famous Ju 87 - nickname "StuKA"


As the name expect it to be, bombers are mainly designed to attack ground target from a relatively high altitude. They are slow, cumbersome, but well protected and in some cases heavily armed with Gunners. So be careful when engaging a bomber. A lot of pilots die in the attempt to attack a B-24 from behind. Although Bombers now finally got cockpits in War Thunder, a lot of bomber pilots actually use the autopilot in combination with gunner view to get a free 360° vision. They see you closing in from a very far distance and can provide teammates with vital informations or mark you with tracer rounds, so you can be identified easily and intercepted at any time.

So be warned: Attacking a bomber can be nasty business.

A flight stick adds a lot more control over the airplane and the immersive feeling is a big plus for any gamer. You can start your simulator career with mouse and keyboard or gamepad. But it's a lot more fun with a flight stick. And hey, you can use it for more games, too.

War Thunder provides a lot of control options for your stick. I made a 8 minute-video about the basic joystick setting in War Thunder, you can check it out, if you want.





There are some good Joysticks out there. Prices are very different. They start at around 30 Euros and goes up to 300 Euros and even more.

I prefer a HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) System, which consists of a Stick and a thrust controller. These kind of Joystick-Systems are quite immersive, offer a lot of additional buttons and they are easy to manage.

Rudder pedals nevertheless are completely optional in my opinion.
They provide more control and more immersion, but most modern joysticks do have a Z-Axis, which is just fine to use as rudder.

Here are some good Joysticks:

• Thrustmaster Stick X - 30 Euro
  
• Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS - 50 Euro
  
• Thrustmaster T.16000M - 50 Euro (also available as HOTAS, suited for lefties)
  
• Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS - 300 Euro
  
• Saitek X52 (Pro) Flight Control System HOTAS - 120-160 Euro
  
• Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - 50 Euro
  
• Mad Catz V1 - 25 Euro
  
• Mad Catz F.L.Y.5 - 70 Euro

Pro-Tip: You should get hands on that stick, before you buy it.
Yes, these joysticks may have some good reviews. But it doesn't work out, if you feel uncomfortable using it. Especially left handed people should be aware, that most sticks are not really suited for lefties (exception: T.16000M). If you want my opinion: I personally use the T.16000M and it is a really good bang for the buck. It's endurable, easy to handle and to maintain and extremely precise. As I am lefthanded myself - although using my right hand for mouse/joystick - I highly appreciate their support of us lefties. :)

This seems to be a big issue for a lot of newer players, since in Simulator Mode you only have cockpit vision available. There are a lot of ways to manage your viewing settings.

TrackIR
A TrackIR system is a head tracking device, that "translates" your head movings into the game. This is the most immersive, most convenient and most expensive way to look around in any simulator game. It takes a little bit of work to set it up properly and getting used to it. But all TrackIR users I asked about their head tracking are saying, there is no way back after full adaption of this high class system.

Costs: 160 - 180 €



The cheap alternative: TrackHat & DelanClip
You don't have to buy the premium product to get a good Headtrack-Device. I use the TrackHat Clip for 2 years now and it is just amazingly good. You just use some cable ties to attach it to your headphone, download and install OpenTrack and that's it. It is not really hard. I never considered to use the TrackHat itself though, because I don't see a reason to wear a cap while gaming all the time. But their might be some guys out there who enjoy this variation as well.
They also offer a wireless version of TrackHat for ~70 Euros, which might be a really good choice for wireless headsets.

I also heard good stuff about the DelanClip as well. But since I never used or saw it in real life I cannot honestly recommend it or say anything about it. It actually costs quite the same as TrackHat, so in the end it is really up to you what to choose. So, decide for yourself!

TrackHat Link: TrackHat Website[trackhat.org]
DelanClip Link: DelanClip Website[delanengineering.com]

Costs: 40 - 70 €

I made a video on how to configure OpenTrack for TrackHat and basically showing how this stuff works and why. Although the video itself is in German you might find it useful.






DIY Head Tracking

Yup, you can basically build your own head tracking device. It's quite cheap and it works for a lot of people out there. But it might need some tech skills, time and effort. Check it out for yourself. Here is a good guide[forum.warthunder.com] on how to build your own head tracking device using a couple of IR-emitters, Webcam, cables and power supply.

Costs: 15 - 50 €



FaceTracknoIR
"FaceTracknoIR" just uses your webcam to register head movements. No LEDs are needed. It's not that precise as a TrackIR, but it works for some people. I tried it by myself, but wasn't very pleased with the results. But maybe your are little bit more lucky. Download FaceTracknoIR (Sourceforge)[facetracknoir.sourceforge.net]

Costs: 0 €

Mouse

If you don't have a HOTAS system you can use the mouse to look around freely. A lot of sim players manage their viewing this way. Just try it out.

Costs: 0 €

Cooliehat
The cooliehat is that little stud mostly on top of your joystick. You can use it to look around. You have to adjust one button to reset X and Y axis at the same time. This way you can look around freely and instantly jump back to full front view with just one button.

Costs: 0 €

Keys

You can use the numpad of your keyboard to look around. "5" is basically the center of your view and from there you should be able to figure it out by yourself. It's not recommended to use in combination with a HOTAS flightstick.

Costs: 0 €

Cockpit of a Messerschmitt Bf109 E-3

The basic idea of energy fighting is quite simple:
Altitude is potential energy, that can be traded into speed by using engine power and gravity.
Speed is kinetic energy, that can be converted back to Altitude.

Those basic principles combined equals:

First of all, before you engage you need an advantage (as always!).
In case you're using an energy fighter this advantage can be Altitude or Speed. Ideal is both, of course.


The art of energy fighting is to be disciplined on the stick, so you keep the energy level of your plane high at all times. Always head for a clean seperation from the bandit. Therefore it is vital that you are willed and capable of abort an unsucessful gun run.
Instead of wasting too much energy on an desperate attempt to shoot the enemy aircraft down:


This way you are much harder to be hit by the defender or being pursuied by some alarmed hostile wingmen.
So, for the sake of survival, keep this in mind:
Never waste energy!


While starting from your airfield try to climb as fast as possible to a suitable altitude.
I prefer a climb rate of about 15m/sec at a speed of about 300-350 km/h, which seems perfect for most airplanes. You will need more speed while climbing in a jet. Most combats in War Thunder take place at an altitude less than 1.000 meters. Therefore, aim for an altitude of about 2.500 to 3.500 meters, which is in most cases a good choice. You have a pretty good view of targets near the ground while being relatively safe against a sudden gunrun. In higher tiers it may be necessary to climb even higher to 5.000 meters and above.

Do not fly straight towards the target area, which is usually the hotspot of the fight. Instead climb a little bit to the side of the area. This way you get a good overview of the target area and avoid being intercepted.


Your prey turns to the side, so follow him and get the kill, huh?
Meh, wrong!
That is what usually kills people using a energy fighter. They desperately try to get the kill, so just a little bit of turning...BUT: You will bleed a lot of speed, which means energy, which means altitude which means a kill...for your enemy.

When you see the enemy plane rapidly changing course you have to overcome the natual temptation to follow his turn path. This is where he will outperform you. Instead, pull the stick back, climb again and perform a high yoyo or barrel roll on him.

Take your time, try a new approach, be easy on that flight stick. Everything will just be fine.

Remember:
As long as you are faster and/or higher than him, you will have the advantage.
You do not want to lose that momentum.

Here's a small example of energy fighting in a P47 "Thunderbolt" using stealth ammo. Footage recorded during my livestream, so sorry for the lack of visual quality here.
I scored 3 kills in about 3 minutes ingame.
You actually can see, that those pilots never knew what them... ;)

Cockpit of a japanese "Zero", watching a teammate passing by

Turn fighting means to use the planes ability to turn swiftly to get on the enemies six o' clock position. They are usually not really good at top speed or steep climbs, but as always: Never underestimate an enemy! A japanese "Zero" for instance can climb surprisingly well as it is a very light airplane. Keep this mind.

Flying a turn fighter you have to stick to the following - very basic - rules in a dogfight:


Your good turn rate doesn't matter, if a energy fighter is closing in from behind really fast and gets a shot at you by surprise.
So, never lose track what is going on behind you.
That is really crucial for survival.


In my experience against a good pilot in a high flying energy fighter you play a defensive role in a turn fighter. The best chance to shoot the Tango down is to wait for him to make a mistake. Trust me, he will do, sooner or later.
If you see him bleeding too much speed while trying to chase you in a turn fight, boom!
That is what you're aiming for. Now use the turn rate to get behind him and shot as quickly as you can, before he is able to get away again.


This might sound logical on the first glance, but I see a lot of players trying to climb away from a attack. "Am I being chased? OK, climb" ...well, that usually don't work out for you. As a matter of fact, it's a invitation to any energy fighter to hunt you down very quickly.


Although you are flying a good turning, light aircraft that also can reaccerlate quite well, you should never waste energy while turning too harshly without any reason. Just because you can pull the stick quite good it doesn't mean you should bleed out all your speed. It will makes you an easy target and you don't have the speed and energy when needed. So, learn to fly smoothly and use your turning abibilites only if needed. Also keep in mind that you can tear apart your wings on some planes (Spitfire) quite easily due to their lightweight construction.


Yes, you are flying are turn fighter. But still, altitude is a really good advantage. Remember that altitude is what a energy fighter really needs to have to be on the intiative, forcing you as a turn fighter into a defensive role. Take this advantage away from him by climbing on his altitude or even above it. If he engages you while you are on his flight level or even above, you have pretty good chances to take the intiative and shoot him down.

Last thing on turn fighters: Even a turn fighter can switch to energy fighting and vice versa. Your dogfight isn't locked just because you are flying an aircraft that is meant to be a energy or turn fighter. You can actually switch and be more creative on your engagement.

So: Don't be a grass mower. You are in the air. Use all three dimensions to your advantage and be patient while approaching the combat area. It will pay off big time.

There are a lot of BFM out there, so I will just cover some quite popular maneuvers every Sim Pilot should know. Check the guide again from time to time as I will certainly add some more maneuvers to the list.


Barrel Roll Attack

This is maybe the most popular and most basic BFM of all times. Your plane basically changes it's fly path in a steep climb while rolling over to the side. That looks a little bit like skating along the outside of a barrel, that's why it's called "barrel roll".
A lot of BFM contain a Barrel Roll in some way. It can be used for defensive or offensive purposes.

If you are on the same level or higher than the defending plane, a offensive Barrel Roll brings in a good position above the enemy aircraft. From there you can choose your attack path and your pursuit. Crucial for a successful barrel roll attack is to never lose eyes on your target.

High G Barrel Roll

The high G barrel roll is a drastic defensive maneuver. When the enemy is right behind you in a good firing spot, cut the throttle completely, intiate a swift turn to decrease speed fast, then perform a aggressive barrel roll. The enemy is forced to overshoot and - luckily - right in your flight path or turning away. Follow his turn when he has a lot of energy left, preventing him from getting into a better firing position again. If you see that he already lost a lot of energy, dive and get away. Turn fighter could try to intercept the flight path of the now slow flying plane.


High YoYo

The YoYo-Move is a basic but extremely powerful aerial maneuver.
The idea is to trade speed into altitude to prevent an overshot while getting back in a firing position behind the enemy plane. Your plane is basically a slingshot thrown back at the target.
Besides that, a YoYo prevents a turn fighter to get on your six the easy way. You take the turning path away from him in the horizontal, where she or he is usually not able to follow you. Long story short: You use his own strength and tactical advantage (turn rate) against him.
Personally I love the YoYo attack, because of its simplicity and efficiency.

That's how you do it:
Pull back at your stick to gain altitude again. You plane will slow down and you can perform a slow turn keeping the enemy fighter below you. DO NOT LOSE EYES on your target, that is crucial for success here! When you're now positioned yourself behind the enemies in the direction he is heading to, dive again on him, wait for closing in and pull the trigger for a short burst.

If you're not successful on the first run, repeat. This maneuvers are essential for success in any energy fighter and - in my opinion - really effectively performed in a Focke Wulf 190, as this plane has a excellent roll rate, making it perfect for any kind of barrel roll engagement.



The flat and rolling scissors are quite popular effective maneuvers and often shown in movies and documentaries, mainly because it looks really cool. Almost like a dance of two airplanes...that try to kill each other.
A proper exectued Scissors move is essential for effective attacks and defends as well.
It can help to stay alive even against a much better plane with much more energy. The better turning plane with better energy retention usually gains the advantage in a scissors, be aware of that.

Flat scissors



Rolling scissors

The basic idea of a scissors maneuver is to avoid enemy gunfire and provoke a overshoot.
Train those maneuvers as it will help to stay alive in a sticky situation.


Watch at 02:00 for a Hammerhead ;)

A hammerhead is basically the famous "Immelmann"-maneuver without leveling out the plane at the end of your climb. This way the airplane will climb as high as possible, falling back to the ground in a steep dive directly on the enemy plane beneath it. It's a very aggressive maneuver, that is cool to look at. But, at the same time, it's quite dangerous as your plane will almost stop right in the air, making you an easy target. So watch out before performing a hammerhead.

That's how you do it:
Pull the stick towards you, until the planes' nose shows right up in the sky. Provide full thrust and keep the nose right in the sky. When your airspeed is at around 120 km/h, lower the thrust and push the rudder pedal to the side you want your plane to roll over. Avoid harsh inputs unless you reach the critical stall speed again as you can get into a very bad spin quite easily.
There you go, you performed a hammerhead, ready to rock and roll again.


Split S (inverted Immelmann)


The Split S is a effective defensive BFM and basically an inverted "Immelmann". It's performed, when an enemy is closing in and you don't see a chance to outturn him. The Split S will bring your plane into the enemys' flightpath, providing him just a really short window to shoot at you. With a Split S a faster plane can leave the dogfight against a turn fighter without any bigger problems. This is what makes the Split S so effective.



This video shows you a very simple, but effective defensive flight against a russian La-5 fighter. I was in a FW 190 A5/U2. My enemy made the mistake to cross my flight path after the overshot and try to force me into a flat scissor. Some flap use and a little bit of luck saved me here. ;)

Copyright:All BFM pictures are taken from Wikipedia[en.wikipedia.org], licensed as public domain.

There are some more information about proper dogfighting out there.

These are recommendations for those, who want to go into more detail of aerial combat.


The "Fighter Combat Tactics and Maneuvering" by Robert L. Shaw is a very interesting and good read for any pilot out there. 447 pages of pure knowledge will help you to be a better pilot. Check it out online here.[www.imagery.vnfawing.com]


How to Dogfight in the War Thunder Simulator Battles - this video series from "Sheriff" covers almost any aspect of Sim Battle in War Thunder. It's highy recommended, especially for newer players. Nice to listen to!




"Warbirds of WWII : Fighter Tactics" - veteran pilots from WW II describe their experienced in the skies over europe. A very interesting video, that gives you a general idea of aerial combat.


"Art of the kill" - modern air combat lessons by a pilot instructor, pretty nice & that mustache...


"Eagles nest" - motivational movie by Paxfounder. Footage taken from IL-2 "Battle of Stalingrad", which shows clearly the beauty and joy of a (simulated!) dogfight in propeller planes.


"Rodrigo David" - there a lot of inflight videos out there. But Avianca pilot Rodrigo David nails it with his perfect, absolutely stunning videos showing the awesomeness of civil aviation.


"Frecce Tricolori" - the (translated) "three colored arrows" are the aerobatic squad of the italian airforce. These guys are extremely skilled jet pilots, showing some of the most spectacular air shows of the planet since 1961. Just watch what these pilots are capable of with their planes and dream of become a true ace some day. ;)


FW190 A in action - this video by simpilot "Ze Hairy" is simply amazing. It shows the beauty of energy fighting as well as some outstanding skills on the flight stick in War Thunder. Make sure to take a look at this piece of art.




GrmlZ Gaming
This guy is pretty competent in War Thunder and has some intelligent thoughts on his mind. He explains A LOT of combat tactics and maneuvers. Besides War Thunder he covers some Star Citizen. Definitely check him out.

Bismarck
Bismarck may have stopped supporting War Thunder as a featured game on his channel. But you can still learn a lot from this guy. He play IL-2 - Battle of Stalingrad a lot now, so there are some similarities. Must watch.

Der Sheriff
Sheriff produces solid, entertaining dog fight videos and he offers a lot of tutorials (german) for War Thunder Simulator Battles as well.

FroogleSim
Covers A LOT of flight simulations like FSX, XPlane and DCS. Very nice to listen to, very informative for those, who want to dig deeper into that sim stuff.

PaxFounder
"ClassyPax" or "Paxfounder" is one of the most famous sim battle players out there. His stream is quite popular. You can check out his YouTube Channel as well.

AKA Kraut
This guy is focusing on some serious DCS Stuff. Very nice to watch and good to learn something about more modern air combat (BVR fighting).

Aviators of War
Now THAT is a interesting project in War Thunder! These guys succesfully established a full scale Simulator Campaign in War Thunder. Every guy on the team has a role, they use proper communications and fly real missions. Best thing is: You can actually join in, if interested!

ZenoWarbirds
Interesting channel with tons of historical movies, videos and interviews with real pilots. Check that one out, too.

ec_0ke Stream[www.twitch.tv]
ec_0ke (without the _ , just for bad word filter ^^) is member of the famous [TWB] clan ("The Wet Bandits"). He streams his War Thunder Sim Sessions on a regular basis. He is quite helpful, explains a lot of stuff, you even can fly out with him. Besides that he is quite active on the official forums[forum.warthunder.com] and a valuable member of the sim community. He also owns an impressive beart. Definitely check him out. edit: The Steam support is incapable or not willed to fix the link. So just search for him on Twitch please.

dillon_biz Stream[www.twitch.tv]
dillon_biz is a commander of [TWB] and a skilled virtual pilot in War Thunder, DCS and IL-2 BoS. You can learn a lot of stuff from this guy as he is very skilled and eloquent. He will play Star Citizen as well in the near future.

Classypax[www.twitch.tv]
This is ClassyPax' stream, which is - as already said above - one of the most famous WT-players out there. Equipped with a good setup and a faboulus mustache as well as a dry gin he will just V1, rotate, gear up and have some fun. Check that canadian dude - also on YouTube - out.

Elgonidas[www.twitch.tv]
A skilled pilot from the famous [TWB] squad in War Thunder. He is a long time supporter of my stream, so I will stay indebted to him. Support his growing channel, he is an outstanding dude and pilot!

Flaschenkind Stream[www.twitch.tv]
You can watch my twitch live-stream! I stream War Thunder Sim Battles on a regular basis., flying german, japanese and sometimes US and british fighter planes. I have over 2.000 hours of practice and almost 3.500 airkills and 4.000 groundkills in SB so far.
Just follow and keep yourself up2date or chat with me for further questions. I also have a YouTube Channel, Twitter and a Facebook-Account[www.facebook.com].


INFORMATION
This is a work in progress and not finished yet. If you have any suggestions or complains, please do not hestitate to contact me.