Originally Posted by
tomgoodman
I had an opportunity to observe this from the back seat of an F-4 chase plane during an F-16 "high AOA" test mission. No way we could have matched his (lack of) airspeed.
You can't match the speed. You can move around it, with any number of tactics. The hawk kills doves with a four to one speed advantage.
Thrust to weight and max AOA play a large part in fighter to fighter contests.
There is never even a contest when you match a fighter against a light aircraft.
Getting slow in any aircraft is not conducive to long life. Speed is life.
A knife fight in a telephone booth tends to hurt all of the players.
Get slow in a furball and you just become a cherry to be picked.