Subsonic

Energy
Maneuverability
Diagrams for Selected
DCS: World Aircraft

Contact Light | Revised: September 2022

 Energy Maneuverability Diagrams

An energy maneuverability (EM) diagram concisely summarizes
how quickly an aircraft can change its speed, altitude, and heading
throughout its performance envelope. It shows the following
variables for a given combination of speed and horizontal turn rate:

Maximum instantaneous
• Angle of attack
performance
• Turn radius

Maximum
• Load factor (G)
sustained turn rate

• Speci c excess power (Ps)

Minimum Load limit
sustained (maximum G)
Speci c excess power (Ps) is the rate of change of total mechanical turn radius
energy per unit weight. It can be expressed in terms of equivalent
climb rate and also re ects acceleration. Ps increases with thrust
and speed and decreases with drag and weight.

In general, the more energy an aircraft has, the more options it has
for maneuvering. An aircraft that can build a high energy margin Lift limit

relative to its opponent can cash in this energy in an attack. (stall)

Maximum climb

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 How This Works
These diagrams are based on estimates of Tests Performed
subsonic thrust, lift, and drag characteristics
based on ight tests performed in DCS for a
standard day and xed fuel setting.
• Sustained turns at various speeds between
powered stall and Mach 0.8 (or maximum
speed) at 1,000 ft

The ight data is saved to Tacview and

exported to CSV, where it is analyzed in • Level acceleration at maximum power from idle
Python. Using the aircraft’s normal and stall to Mach 0.8 (or maximum speed) at 1,000
longitudinal acceleration at various speeds ft. Follow with climb or Immelman to 10,000 ft
and angles of attack, I can estimate a model or higher.

of the lift curve, drag polar, and thrust.

• Split-S at idle thrust at constant subsonic Mach

number from 10,000 ft or higher

I can then use this model to predict the

aircraft’s lift and drag at di erent • Level deceleration to stall at 1,000 ft

combinations of speed and horizontal turn

rate. This is how the E-M diagram is • Maximum performance turn above corner
generated. speed until minimum sustained turn radius
achieved

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Caveats
• This document only focuses on energy However, even this approach does not work
maneuverability, or an aircraft’s ability to with models of certain aircraft. For example,
change is velocity vector quickly. Other the F-14B model is invalid above Mach 0.6.

measures of ghter agility, such as pitch rate,

roll rate, or combat cycle time are not • Piston-engine aircraft are di cult to model with
explored.
this approach due to propeller drag
contributions at idle and the challenge of
• These diagrams are only applicable to the ight modeling propeller e ciency at di erent
models in DCS. No comment is made on the speeds. It’s tough to separate thrust and drag
real-world performance of these aircraft.
for these.

• The fuel/weight settings apply only to • This document will be updated roughly
mobettameta’s DCS Dog ghters server, which quarterly with additional aircraft, including the
are optimized for about 6 minutes of ght time MiG-21, MB-339, and F-4. Future iterations
at maximum power based on user feedback.
may include altitude-Mach diagrams exploring
the full subsonic and supersonic envelope of
• Variable geometry and automatic high-lift these aircraft.
devices are generally handled by assuming a
correlation between angle of attack and speed.

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 Summary Data
De nitions
• Maximum instantaneous turn rate is the highest
turn rate achievable by an aircraft. It occurs at
maximum G and normally can only be held in a
dive.

• Maximum sustained turn rate is the highest turn

rate an aircraft can attain without accelerating or
changing altitude. This metric determines the
winner of a two-circle ow. For many high-thrust
jets, this turn rate is at the limit load (maximum G).

• Minimum sustained turn radius is the smallest

horizontal turn radius that can be maintained at
maximum power. This metric determines the
winner of a one-circle ow. It is usually no more
than 10% larger than minimum possible turn
radius.

• Maximum climb rate is the maximum steady rate of

climb available to an aircraft. It is closely related to
longitudinal acceleration and re ects how well an
aircraft can use the vertical plane in a ght.

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 Turning vs. Climbing in a Dogfight
30 Fights between aircraft with major
performance di erences often boil down to
Turn rate
Red has higher Ps
a contest of turn performance vs. climb
ΔPs =0
º/s Blue has higher Ps performance. These are best captured by
thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W) and wing
0 loading (the ratio of weight to wing area).

0 1
Mach number The aircraft with a higher T/W should
• Sea level, clean, DCS Dog ghters server fuel settings 
 leverage its superior acceleration and climb
(~6 minutes at maximum power)
performance. This means it should favor
• Ps not evaluated for M > 0.8

• F-14B results not valid for M > 0.6 due to wing sweep

two-circle ows, climbs, dives, extensions,

• Di erences only evaluated in mutual envelope overlap pitchbacks, and lag pursuit.

The aircraft with a wing loading advantage

is assumed to be better in a horizontal
turning ght at lower speed. It should favor
one-circle ows, scissors, yo-yos, and lead
pursuit.

This diagram illustrates the di erence in

speci c energy rate between selected pairs
of aircraft. It shows whether an aircraft can
build energy margins in a turning ght or if it
is more comfortable in the vertical plane.

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Relative Turn/Climb Tradeoff
These charts slice the EM diagrams along selected G contours. They illustrate how a bandit’s energy may be drained or how its climb
ability may be restricted by pulling moderate sustained G. For example, an F-86 will develop a maneuverability advantage over an F-16C
if both aircraft are pulling 5 G below 350 knots, but an F-16 that stays above 350 knots can build an energy advantage over an F-86.
Similarly, an F-15 pulling 5 G above 380 knots can build energy margins over a Mirage 2000 at the same speed and load factor.

1G 3G 5G

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Fast Jets
 F/A-18C
Wingspan 37 ft / 11 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
1.1
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 82 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-29

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Tight turn radius, high climb rates, and high sustained
turn rate make this a versatile dog ghter.

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 F/A-18C
G-limiter disengaged
Wingspan 37 ft / 11 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
1.1
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 82 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-29

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Tight turn radius, high climb rates, and high sustained
turn rate make this a versatile dog ghter. This
diagram assumes a 9 G limit with the paddle switch.

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 F-16C
Wingspan 33 ft / 10 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
1.2
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 90 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-24

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Dominant energy ghter, but generally disadvantaged
in horizontal turns. High fuel fraction may mean better
relative turn performance later in the ght. G-limiter
schedule is not re ected in the upper part of this
diagram and maximum performance may be
somewhat lower than indicated.
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 F-15C
Wingspan 43 ft / 13 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
1.2
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 59 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-03

Solution Con dence High

Notes

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 F-14B
Wingspan (upswept) 64 ft / 20 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.9
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 95 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-02

Solution Con dence Medium

Notes
Flight model only valid below Mach 0.6 due to wing
sweep schedule. Multiple issues with t dampen
con dence in ight model solution. Future versions
will resolve these issues.

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 F-5E
Wingspan 27 ft / 8 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.7
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 65 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Disadvantaged throughout entire envelope when
compared with most ghters in DCS.

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 M2000C
Wingspan 30 ft / 9 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.9
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 47 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-06

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Dominant turn ghter due to low wing loading and
high thrust-to-weight ratio.

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 Mirage F1CE
Wingspan 28 ft / 9 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.8
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 82 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-12

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Poor instantaneous turn performance and
unexceptional sustained turn and climb performance.

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 MiG-29S
Wingspan 37 ft / 11 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
1.0
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 80 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-24

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Similar to F-16C, but better sustained turn
performance at high speed. Vulnerable in one-circle
ows.

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 Su-27
Wingspan 48 ft / 15 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.9
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 71 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-26

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Excellent turn performance

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 Su-33
Wingspan 48 ft / 15 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.9
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 75 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-26

Solution Con dence High

Notes

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Subsonic Jets
 F-86F
Wingspan 37 ft / 11 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.4
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 39 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-10

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Low thrust-to-weight ratio is compensated by low
wing loading and superlatively high lift-to-drag ratio
((L/D)max ≈ 14) throughout its envelope. Maximum-
performance turns come with a minimum loss of
energy.

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 MiG-15bis
Wingspan 33 ft / 10 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.5
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 44 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-08-12

Solution Con dence High

Notes
Low wing loading and high lift-to-drag ratio give
exceptional sustained turn performance at low speed.
G-LOC onset at 7 G. Sluggish roll rate due to
mechanical aileron linkages.

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 A-10CII
Wingspan 57 ft / 18 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.3
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 65 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence Medium

Notes
Poor climb performance and unexceptional turn
performance. A fun novelty in a dog ght, particularly
against opponents with wider turn radii.

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 C-101CC
Wingspan 34 ft / 11 m

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
0.2
(M = 0.5)
Wing Loading 55 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence Medium

Notes
Surprisingly poor turn performance for its airframe.
Compressor stalls at moderate angles of attack.

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Piston-Engine Aircraft
P-51D

Wingspan 36 ft / 11 m

Wing Loading 41 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence Low

Notes

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Spitfire Mk IX

Wingspan 36 ft / 11 m

Wing Loading 33 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence Low

Notes
Arguably the best turn ghter in DCS

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I-16

Wingspan 30 ft / 9 m

Wing Loading 25 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-05

Solution Con dence Low

Notes
Tightest turn radius for an armed aircraft in DCS

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Mosquito FB VI

Wingspan 54 ft / 16 m

Wing Loading 44 lb/sqft

Test Date 2022-07-02

Solution Con dence Low

Notes
Poor dog ght performance, but suitable opponent for
the A-10 and trainer aircraft.

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