Energy fighting in combat flight sims

[VMP]

Hello everyone, I have a question regarding energy fighting. Suppose you're flying a plane and you want to boom and zoom a target that is lower than you, flying at similar velocity. What is the optimal* way of diving and then zooming up again.

*optimal wrt energy conservation.

I'm aware of the fact that how much negative work friction does depends on the path, but what confuses me is that when the plane changes direction the force of friction changes, also iirc it depends on magnitude of velocity.

P.S. Don't be shy to throw in some math :) Cheers.

 

[Bystander]

You are aware that control surfaces don't give you "non-skid" responses, that there are delay times that are functions of all sorts of things?

 

[A.T.]

I'm aware of the fact that how much negative work friction does depends on the path,

Yes and you want to minimize that negative work.

but what confuses me is that when the plane changes direction the force of friction changes, also iirc it depends on magnitude of velocity.

That means you have to use integration, and might not find an analytical solution for all cases.

 

[VMP]

Yes and you want to minimize that negative work.
That means you have to use integration, and might not find an analytical solution for all cases.

Well, I'm looking for a simple model of friction force that would give me intuition regarding the issue.

Suppose that the upper and lower bound of a 2D region is given by 2 smooth functions where these 2 functions represent paths, that would be good enough.

Cheers