Robert L. Shaw


Robert L. Shaw holds a masters degree in aeronautical engineering and spent 14 years in U.S. Navy fighter aviation. He flew over 4,000 hours, mostly in the F-4 and F-14. He is currently in the U.S. Naval Reserve and is a flight instructor, airline pilot and consulting engineer.

Fighter Combat: Tactics and Manouevering


This is it - the holy grail!
Fighter Combat, Tactics and Maneuvering is used as a manual at Top Gun, the US Navy Fighter Pilot school. Frustrated at his performance in Air Combat Manoeuvering engagements, Shaw asked his superiors for advice and was unsatisfied with the answers given.
... my engineering background had taught me that somewhere there exists a neat mathematical solution to even the messiest of problems, so I continued to search for the basic 'truths' that govern such events.
This book is the fruit of his long efforts.
It's the real thing, over 400 pages of analysis of the fundamentals of Air Combat, illustrated with examples from history.
Expect to spend many many hours with this book, but it's probably the single most valuable purchase an aspiring Ace could make!
FlyingSinger reported:
If there is a Bible of air combat, this is certainly it. It can be tough going, since it’s basically an applied engineering text book on how to use aircraft to kill other aircraft. But there is a LOT to learn here. Should be on the required reading list for any serious flight sim pilot (I assume it IS on the list for real fighter pilots!)
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