The Herbst maneuver (also known as a J-Turn^[1][2]) is an air combat maneuver which uses post-stall technology such as thrust vectoring and advanced flight controls to achieve high angles of attack.^[3] The Herbst maneuver allows an aircraft to quickly reverse direction using a combination of high angle-of-attack and rolling. Though categorized with Pugachev's Cobra, which is popular at airshows, the Herbst maneuver is considered more useful in combat.^[1]

The Herbst maneuver was first performed by a Rockwell-MBB X-31 on April 29, 1993.^[4] The Herbst maneuver was named after Dr. Wolfgang Herbst, an employee of Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB). Herbst was the initiator of the Rockwell SNAKE, which formed the basis for the X-31 project,^[5] and one of the original developers of post-stall technology.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "X-31 in flight, Herbst maneuver." (NASA video)
• "X-31 Demonstrating High Angle of Attack - Herbst Maneuver." (NASA photo)

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