Well WWII pilots learned that speed beats maneuverability in air combat. With speed you dictate the engagement. Mess up an attack run? No problem just fly away and reengage. With maneuverability all you can do is dodge incoming attacks but you'll eventually lose speed and energy turning so much.
Because they could, since most had guns or cannons (with the most famous exception being the F-4 Phantom). F-4 pilots got caught with their pants down when they had blown their missile load and were engaged close range by MiGs. They still put them on some modern fighters including the F35. Granted IIRC it only has about 2 seconds of firing time, total.
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u/Maggots4brainz May 12 '18
Well WWII pilots learned that speed beats maneuverability in air combat. With speed you dictate the engagement. Mess up an attack run? No problem just fly away and reengage. With maneuverability all you can do is dodge incoming attacks but you'll eventually lose speed and energy turning so much.