Pugachev's Cobra

The cobra maneuver describes a maneuver that can be flown only by a few military jet aircraft. The pilot changes the angle between the inclination of an aircraft and the actual direction of flight steeply upwards, without changing the flight altitude. At an angle of attack greater than 90 ° is called a cobra maneuver because the aircraft straightens as a cautionary cobra.

Few fighters can fly this maneuver, which is facilitated by a light weight. The tank should be only minimally filled and the aircraft can not bear arms. For these reasons, the cobra maneuver is limited to demonstrations at air shows and will not be used in combat or combat training.

For the first time this maneuver was demonstrated to the public on the French air show in Le Bourget with a Sukhoi Su -27 in 1989 by Viktor Pugachev ( Soviet Union). According to other data, this is the first time in 1987, the Soviet test pilot Igor Volk have performed.

The deceleration is caused by a sudden increase in the drag of the aircraft by the aircraft nose is placed vertically upwards. More specifically, the maneuver is divided into four phases:

Flying the maneuver requires not only high flying skills refined aerodynamics of the aircraft in order to avoid uncontrollable flight conditions. In addition, powerful engines are needed, which can carry the jet during vertical flight phase and survive the abrupt flow of fresh air separation with no extinction ( flameout ). To the ignition must be switched on and the inlets to be brought forward in order to ensure safe engine operation and the air supply and at high angles of attack. To carry out such an extreme attitude of automatic Anstellwinkelbegrenzer must be disabled.

The cobra maneuver can be flown with all Sukhoi fighter planes from the Su -27 and MiG's all from the MiG -29 and derivatives. Western aircraft such as the Euro Fighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale, the maneuver limited, the Lockheed Martin F -22, Saab Draken 35, Rockwell - MBB X -31, General Dynamics F -16 MATV or the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 can fly after. These modifications of the Software shall at the western aircraft made ​​and example the automatic Anstellwinkelbegrenzer be disabled.

The Lithuanian aerobatic pilot Jurgis Kairys is currently the only this maneuver at air shows on propeller aircraft.

Aircraft

The following aircraft are capable of performing the cobra maneuver:

  • United KonigreichDeutschlandItalienSpanien Euro Fighter Typhoon
  • United States McDonnell Douglas F/A-18
  • United States Lockheed Martin F -22
  • Russia Mikoyan -Gurevich MiG -29
  • Russia Sukhoi Su -27
  • Sweden Saab 35
  • Sweden Saab 39
  • Dassault Rafale France

Swell

Aerobatics: Chandelle | Lazy Eight | Looping | spin | Gymnastics

Intermediate figures: downturn | barrel roll | flick roll | controlled roller | Humpty - Bump | Immelmann | Looping Eight ( Cuban Eight ) | male (tail slide ) | Knife Flights | rolling circle | inverted | back loop

Special maneuvers: Autumn maneuvers | cobra maneuver | kulbit | Lomcovák | torquing | Zwirbelturm

  • Military Aviation
  • Aerobatic maneuvers
Rockwell-MBB X-31 Italy Stall Turn Split S Aileron roll Immelmann turn
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