Scissors (aeronautics)

A flat scissors maneuver typically results when two fighters of similar capability encounter each other at similar speeds and in the same plane of motion, and the attacking fighter has failed to press an initial positional and angular advantage into a kill, and has "overshot", or passed behind the defender.

The defender possessing superior turning capability may also initiate a flat scissors offensively, although this is certainly a dangerous gambit (as it involves allowing the attacker to approach to close range from behind), but one that may be forced upon the defender by the attacker's superior engine power or speed.

The flat scissors continue until either one fighter (usually the fighter with better rolling or instantaneous turning characteristics) gains an advantage (usually due to an ability to reduce speed effectively while retaining sufficient roll and turn response from their aircraft) and gets behind their opponent and successfully shoots them down (with either a snap-shot or tracking shot), or one of the pilots maneuvers successfully to disengage from the scissors, and gets to a safe distance to make an escape, or attempt a new attack.

The flat scissors, if flown to its conclusion, is usually a contest of who can fly more slowly while maintaining sufficient controlled maneuverability to get into position for a kill as quickly as possible.

As mentioned above, the objective of the flat scissors is to coerce an attacker with superior power or initial speed and energy to overshoot and engage in a turning fight.

The defender, on the other hand, has depleted their energy in the initial turn, is below the attacker, and is possibly in a worse position than when the fight started.

Note however that the goal of the attacker possessing an aircraft with superior power or energy, or inferior turning capabilities, is to avoid the scissors maneuver.

A skilled defender at this point might be able to make a successful snap-shot with guns, or possibly a short-range missile shot, and no scissors results.

Unlike the flat scissors which results in a fight to roll and turn the plane quickly, reverse turn quickly, and attempt to deplete energy in order to get behind the other aircraft to set up a successful shot, the contest in the rolling scissors is still one of successfully controlling forward motion so as to maneuver behind the other aircraft (get "on their six" in fighter pilot terminology).

The rolling scissors decidedly favor an aircraft with a power advantage over an opponent, so it is of some offensive value even to this day, although it is a difficult attacking maneuver and is very unforgiving of poor technique.

The modern fighter pilot is well-advised to avoid the scissors engagements, as they do not favor the characteristics of many modern fighter aircraft: aircraft with medium-to-high wing loading, powerful engines (and attendant high rates of climb allowing for significant maintained vertical maneuvering capabilities), and long-range missile weapons.

The scissors are also very physically and mentally taxing on the pilots involved and can lead to a dangerous loss of situational awareness due to fixation on the one other enemy aircraft involved, leading to vulnerability to other enemies that may be flying in the area unobserved, or ground threats such as surface-to-air missiles.