page_title: Cobra maneuver
hierarchical_section_title: Cobra maneuver
caption_attribution_description: en:Pugachev's Cobra ACM, as done by the en:Su-27 Flanker fighter jet
context_page_description: In aerobatics, the Cobra maneuver, also known as just the Cobra, is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, momentarily stalling the plane and making it a full-body air brake, before dropping it back to normal, during which the aircraft does not change effective altitude.
  The maneuver relies on the ability of the plane to be able to quickly change angle of attack, which momentarily stalls the plane without overloading the airframe, and sufficient engine thrust to maintain approximately constant altitude through the entire move. The maneuver demands accurate pitch control, alpha stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility on the part of the aircraft, as well as a high skill level on the part of the pilot.
  Although the maneuver is mainly performed at air shows, it could be used as a last-ditch maneuver to make a pursuing plane overshoot in close-range air combat. The maneuver is not known to have been used in real combat, although there are records of it being used during mock dogfights and during border protection.
context_section_description: In aerobatics, the Cobra maneuver, also known as just the Cobra, is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, momentarily stalling the plane and making it a full-body air brake, before dropping it back to normal, during which the aircraft does not change effective altitude.
  The maneuver relies on the ability of the plane to be able to quickly change angle of attack (alpha), which momentarily stalls the plane without overloading the airframe, and sufficient engine thrust to maintain approximately constant altitude through the entire move. The maneuver demands accurate pitch control, alpha stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility on the part of the aircraft, as well as a high skill level on the part of the pilot.
  Although the maneuver is mainly performed at air shows, it could be used as a last-ditch maneuver to make a pursuing plane overshoot in close-range air combat. The maneuver is not known to have been used in real combat, although there are records of it being used during mock dogfights and during border protection.
caption: Pugachev's Cobra maneuver is one of the tests for supermaneuverability, here performed by a Su-27.
exif: {}