Richard Casady wrote:

On Fri, 30 May 2008 19:43:04 GMT, Ed Rasimus
wrote:

Been there, done that, in front of a MiG-17 who WAS firing from about
500 feet behind me. In an F-105D, at the western end of Phantom Ridge
where it spills out into the Red River Delta, starting the maneuver at
about 800 feet AGL. Worked as advertized, but wouldn't like to have
been there more than once in a lifetime! Wasted way too many
heartbeats.

It is my understanding that the thud was the fastest plane in the
world at low altitude, while the 104 was faster at high altitude. Nice
if you plan to run away, although there is never enough fuel to do the
supersonic bit for long.

In the midst of my unpacking, I've dredged up a paper copy of:
AIR COMBAT TACTICS EVALUATION F-100, F-104, F-105, F-4C VS MIG-15/17 TYPE
AC(F-86H),
Authored by the USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, May 1965.
Basically, lacking a sufficient number of MiG-17s at the time,
the USAF used ANG F-86Hs as MiG-equivalents, and turned them loose
against TAC F-100s, F-104s, F-105s, and F-4Cs to find the best tactics
to use when defensive (F-86s bouncing), and offensive.
In all cases, the best tactic against a gun attack by the F-86 was to extend
out, using AB and God's G, (0 G push - negating induced drag), breaking if
necessary to spoil a gun run, and to consider reattacking when supersonic.
Even at Mach 0.9 (Call it 600 Kts) it takes enough time for any of these
jets to pull out of gun range in level flight for the MiG to run out of
bullets.

The speed was there, but acceleration, impressive as it was, wasn't enough
to get you faster fast enough.

--
Pete Stickney
Any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan