EFM - Angular Relationships

Question 1

What is Aspect Angle?

Answer 1

Angle between the defending aircraft’s tail and the attacker’s line of sight (LoS) to the defender

Question 2

What is tail aspect (TASP)?

Answer 2

Angle between the longitudinal axis out of the defender’s tail and the attacker

Question 3

What is Angle Off (AO)?

Answer 3

Angle between longitudinal axis of the attacker and the sight line to the defender.

I.e. in line abreast the AO is 90 deg.

Question 4

What is Heading Crossing Angle (HCA)?

Answer 4

Angular difference between the longitudinal axis of the attacker and defender

Question 5

When is a fighter deemed offensive?

Answer 5

When they are behind the hostile’s 3-9 line with a HCA < 90 deg.

Question 6

What is Nose-Tail separation?

Answer 6

Distance between the attacker’s nose and an imaginary line drawn through the defender’s tail, parallel to the 3-9 line

Question 7

What are the effects of lead?

Answer 7

Increase Aspect Angle and Closure Rate

Decrease NT separation, turn room and HCA

Can be used to decrease range

Question 8

What are the effects of pure pursuit?

Answer 8

Increase in Aspect Angle and HCA
Decrease NT separation and turn room

ONLY used for an energy excursion to get from the kill picture to weapons employment, do NOT unnecessarily point at the bandit. You will create closure and angles problems, leading to overshoot or flythrough

Question 9

What are the effects of lag?

Answer 9

Decrease in aspect angle and closure rate

Increase in AO, NT separation and turn room

Used to gain energy and manoeuvre towards the bandits TC or CZ/CP whilst preserving NT separation