View source for Cobra maneuver

{{short description|Dynamic deceleration of fighter aircraft}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| total_width       = 310
| header            = Cobra maneuver / Dynamic deceleration
| image1            = Kort parad (flipped).png
| image2            = SAAB 35 Draken performing the Cobra maneuver.gif
| footer            = The ''cobra maneuver'' performed by a Swedish [[Saab 35 Draken]]. The footage displays the maneuver in profile next to a non-maneuvering aircraft for reference, showing how the maneuver affects the speed of the aircraft and how it can be used to make a pursuing aircraft overshoot.
}}
In [[aerobatics]], the '''cobra maneuver''' (or just the ''cobra''), also called ''dynamic deceleration'',<ref name="Paris 1989">{{Cite web |date=1989 |title=Air Show - Paris 1989 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XrD9LA2iKw&t=1645s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/5XrD9LA2iKw |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live |access-date=2021-03-14 |website=youtube.com }}{{cbignore}}</ref> among other names {{See below|{{section link||Etymology}}}}, is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed abruptly raises its nose momentarily to a vertical and slightly past vertical attitude, causing an extremely high [[angle of attack]] and making the plane into a full-body [[Air brake (aeronautics)|air brake]], momentarily stalling the plane, before dropping back to normal position, 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) without overloading the [[airframe]],<ref name="Edlund">{{cite book |editor-last1=Edlund |editor-first1=Ulf |editor-last2=Kampf |editor-first2=Hans |title=System 37 Viggen |series=Flyghistorisk revy, 0345-3413 ; [Specialnr 2009] |year=2009 |publisher=Svensk flyghistorisk förening (SFF) |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|11717818}} |pages=212, 213}}</ref> and sufficient engine thrust to maintain nearly constant altitude through the entire move,<ref name="d">{{cite book|author=Mike Spick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p40nOZgeh84C&pg=PA442|title=The Illustrated Directory of Fighters|publisher=MBI Publishing Company|year=2002|isbn=0-7603-1343-1|location=St. Paul, Minnesota|page=442|access-date=29 October 2011}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> but also post-stall stability and aerodynamics that allows for the recovery to level flight. The maneuver demands accurate [[pitch (flight)|pitch]] control, alpha stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility for the aircraft, as well as a high skill level on the part of the pilot.

The cobra maneuver is an example of [[supermaneuverability]],<ref name="a">{{cite book|first=Malcolm J. |last=Abzug|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wpYDYLuOix4C|title=Airplane Stability and Control: A History of the Technologies that Made Aviation Possible|author2=E. Eugene Larrabee|date=2005|isbn=978-0-521-80992-4|pages=157–161|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref> specifically [[post-stall|poststall maneuvering]]. The [[Herbst maneuver]] and the helicopter maneuver are similar post-stall maneuvers that are often executed by [[4.5th generation fighter aircraft|4.5th generation]] and [[Fifth-generation fighter|5th generation fighter aircraft]] employing [[thrust vectoring]].<ref>Benjamin Gal-Or. "Vectored Propulsion, Supermaneuverability, and Robot Aircraft". Springer Verlag, 1990, {{ISBN|0-387-97161-0}}, {{ISBN|3-540-97161-0}}.</ref>

The maneuver is typically performed at [[air show]]s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNx6DV8EcF8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/gNx6DV8EcF8 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Example of the cobra being performed at an air show.|website=[[YouTube]]|date=7 February 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> but could be used as a last-ditch maneuver to force a chaser to overshoot in [[Dogfight|close-range air combat]].<ref name="Edlund"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defensereview.com/the-air-to-air-fighter-combat-application-of-pugachev%E2%80%99s-cobra-maneuver-busting-the-western-myth/ |title=Air-to-Air Fighter Combat Application of Pugachev's Cobra Maneuver: Busting the Western Myth |last=Crane |first=David |publisher=Defense Review |access-date=14 January 2012 }}</ref> The maneuver has never been verified in real combat, although it has been used during mock dogfights<ref name="Edlund"/> and border protection.<ref name="f10kamratforening">{{Cite web |url=http://www.f10kamratforening.se/?page_id=404|title=F10 Kamratförening J 35 Draken |date=2019-10-20 |website=www.f10kamratforening.se |language=sv}}</ref><ref name="Saarinen"/>

== Etymology ==
The maneuver has many names, but it is most commonly known as the ''cobra'' or the ''cobra maneuver'' in the respective language; for example: {{langx|ru|[[:ru:Кобра (пилотаж)|Ко́бра]]}} (Kobra), {{langx|de|[[:de:Kobramanöver|Kobramanöver]]}}. The [[etymology]] for the name ''cobra'' is unknown but it could refer to the plane displaying its top and bottom profile, much like a [[cobra]] spreading its shield, or rearing its body up vertically to attack.{{source needed|date=July 2023}} A notable variant of the "cobra" name is ''Pugachev's cobra'' (alternatively the ''Pugachev cobra''), referencing the [[Soviet]] pilot [[Viktor Pugachev]], who was the first to bring the maneuver to the public eye.

In [[Sweden]], the country which presumably was the first to discover the maneuver, the maneuver is traditionally known under the name ''kort parad'' ("short parry"),<ref>{{Cite book|title=Flyghistorisk revy, System 37 Viggen|publisher=Svensk Flyghistorisk förening|year=2009|pages=212}}</ref> the Swedish term for the [[fencing]] maneuver "[[beat parry]]", in which an incoming attack is deflected using a [[Beat (fencing)|beat]] (a sharp strike to the opponents blade, knocking it out of line), leaving the enemy open for a [[riposte]].

As a more scientific name, the maneuver has been given the name ''[[Dynamics (mechanics)|dynamic]] [[deceleration]]'', referring to the way the plane loses speed during the maneuver.<ref name="Paris 1989"/> In a similar manner, the [[Syria]]ns apparently called the maneuver the ''Zero speed maneuver'' ({{langx|ar|مناورة السرعة صفر}}, "Munawarat alsureat sifr") during their usage of [[MiG-21F-13]]s and the like.

== Maneuver description ==
[[File:Pugachev Cobra.svg|thumb|500px|Profile diagram of the cobra maneuver showing [[angle of attack]] (α = alpha). The aircraft in the motif depicts a [[MiG-29]].]]
The maneuver can simply be described as; a rapid vertical pitchup from level flight without initiating a climb, followed by a forward-pitch back to level flight. If properly performed, the plane maintains nearly straight flight throughout the maneuver. The plane does not roll or yaw in either direction. This greatly lowers the speed of the aircraft due to the un-aerodynamic under-surface of the aircraft going against the airflow.

To perform the cobra, the maneuver must be entered from fairly high [[Subsonic aircraft|subsonic]] speeds. Proper entry speed is necessary because, if the maneuver is entered too slowly, the plane might be unable to complete the maneuver or return to level flight with sufficient speed, while entering at too high a speed would create [[g-force]]s so high that the pilot [[G-LOC|loses consciousness]] or the airframe is damaged. High [[thrust]] is also needed throughout the maneuver to not [[Stall (fluid dynamics)|stall]] out.

To execute the maneuver the aircraft only needs to use its standard [[Flight control surfaces|aerodynamic controls]], however executing it can be achieved more easily with the addition of modern [[thrust vectoring]].

=== Aerodynamics ===
The cobra maneuver requires more than just pilot input and aircraft maneuverability to be performed. Since the maneuver requires the aircraft to not lose or gain substantial altitude during the maneuver, the change of [[Angle of attack|alpha]] during the vertical pitchup has to be fast enough to break the airflow of the wings, as to not make the aircraft climb. To be able to perform this rapid vertical pitchup the aircraft needs an "aerodynamic instability" in its core aerodynamics which will make the aircraft rapidly pitch up by itself once the [[Elevator (aeronautics)|elevator]] of the aircraft is pitched to the point where it breaks the airflow during a pitch up; but also post-stall control and stability to not enter an uncontrollable [[Stall (fluid dynamics)|stall]] at the peak of the pitch; which then allows the aircraft to center the elevator and using the [[torque]] from the elevators' added [[Drag (physics)|drag]] to pitch forward and make an aerodynamic recovery to horizontal flying again.<ref name="Paris 1989"/>

Only specific aircraft feature this "instability" and thus the maneuver can only be performed by a small number of aircraft models. This is because conventional aircraft are designed to lack this instability for safety reasons, and can thus not execute the maneuver by conventional means.

Simply put, the cobra relies more on the core aerodynamics of the aircraft than its control surfaces and avionics and can thus only be performed by specific aircraft featuring aerodynamics allowing for the maneuver.

=== Execution (Sukhoi Su-27) ===
[[File:Su-27 Cobra 2b.png|500px|thumb|Cobra maneuver schematic of the [[Su-27]] (called [[supermaneuverability]] in some sources)]]
In the case of the [[Sukhoi Su-27|Su-27]], to execute the maneuver the pilot initially disengages the angle of attack limiter of the plane, normally set at 26°.<ref name="d"/> This action also disengages the g limiter. After that, the pilot pulls back hard on the [[Joystick|stick]]. The aircraft reaches an angle of attack of 90–120° with a slight gain of altitude and a significant loss of speed. When the elevator is centered, the [[Drag (physics)|drag]] at the rear of the plane causes a [[torque]] that makes the aircraft pitch forward. At the same time, the pilot adds power to compensate for the reduced lift.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

=== Use in combat ===
If pursued by an enemy fighter in a [[dogfight]], by executing the cobra, a sufficiently closely pursued aircraft may suddenly slow itself down to the point that the pursuer overshoots it, allowing the previously pursued aircraft to complete the cobra behind the other. This may allow the now-pursuing aircraft an opportunity for firing its weapons, particularly if a proper pointing aspect (facing toward the former pursuer) can be maintained. Due to the speed loss when performing a cobra, maintaining weapons on target may require the use of [[thrust vectoring]] or [[Canard (aeronautics)|canard]] control surfaces. Otherwise, the maneuver may also allow the pursued plane to flee as the overshooting attacker may lose track of the target.

The maneuver is also potentially a defense against [[radar]], as the sudden change in velocity can often cause [[Doppler radar]] to lose its target lock.<ref>Bill Sweetman, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 24 Jun 2013, quoting Sukhoi chief test pilot Sergey Bogdan</ref> Doppler radars often ignore any objects with a near-zero velocity to reduce ground clutter. The cobra maneuver's sudden change to near-zero velocity often results in the target being momentarily filtered off as ground clutter, making it difficult for the radar to lock onto the target, or breaking the target lock if already established. There is no available documentation of this being tested beyond theory.

While the cobra maneuver may appear to be useful to force a pursuer to overshoot, the tactic would almost never be employed in any active threat scenario for a variety of reasons. The most obvious of these is the extreme loss of [[speed]]. Assuming the defending aircraft successfully forces the aggressor to overshoot the attack, the defender often does not have enough energy to counter-attack. The second more prevalent reason for avoiding the use of the maneuver is taught in most [[fighter pilot]] training. When attacking an aircraft, the pilot must be mindful of the closure-rate between both aircraft. If the closure rate is too high, the defender can change direction rapidly, which denies the attacker a shot opportunity, and thereby decreases the [[probability of kill]]. If the attacker manages their speed and rate of closure properly, the defender executing a cobra maneuver presents the attacker with a larger target to shoot due to the increased presented surface area when the defender is oriented vertically.

The cobra maneuver has been used in mock [[dogfight]]s but there is little to no known documentation of it being used in actual combat. One primary described mock dogfight was fought between two planes in Swedish service. In this case, a [[Saab 35 Draken]] was pursued by a [[Saab 37 Viggen]]. The Draken suddenly performed a cobra maneuver and the Viggen overshot it. Existing material of this mock dogfight does not cover the elements of the engagement before and after the maneuver in detail, which would be useful in assessing its usefulness in modern combat. The pilots say that the maneuver was a useful combat move if performed correctly, with the caveat that it was only effective as a last ditch maneuver due to the loss of speed when performed.<ref name="Edlund"/>

== History ==
=== Sweden ===
[[File:Saab J 35A Draken (35076).jpg|thumb|left|[[Sweden|Swedish]] [[Saab 35 Draken]] (J 35A, [[airframe|a/f]] 35076) during camouflage tests in the early 1960s]]
During the early 1960s, the maneuver was developed and performed by [[Sweden|Swedish]] pilots flying the [[Saab 35 Draken|Saab 35]] [[fighter jet]].<ref name="Draken 50">{{cite book 
|editor-last1=Edlund |editor-first1=Ulf |editor-last2=Lundborg |editor-first2=PeGe |editor-last3=Kampf |editor-first3=Hans |title=Draken 50 år: en antologi |trans-title=Draken 50 years: an anthology |series=Flyghistorisk revy, 0345-3413 ; [Specialnr 2005] |year=2005 |publisher=Svensk flyghistorisk förening (SFF) |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|10082650}} |page=}}</ref> It was invented during training for recovery from [[super stall]]s (also known as deep stalls) to which the [[double delta]] [[Tailless aircraft|tailless]] design of the Saab 35 is susceptible.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Speciell förarinstruktion för J 35B Draken.|publisher=Swedish air force|location=Sweden|pages=73, 74}}</ref> A super stall is an uncontrollable stall which is much harder to recover from than a standard [[Stall (fluid dynamics)|stall]]. Super stall plagued the early years of Saab 35 service, causing several deaths, which led the [[Swedish Air Force|Swedish air]] [[Staff (military)|staff]] to implement extra training on how to counteract and recover from them.<ref name="Draken 50"/> The result was the cobra maneuver. The Swedes named the maneuver ''"kort parad"'' (short parry) after a [[fencing maneuver]] of the same name, known as "[[beat parry]]" in English. When pulling high alpha, the pilot would have noticed that he was entering super stall, and would then have pulled negative alpha to recover. The dramatic effect of this maneuver on aircraft speed was noticed and pilots started to purposely use it to drop speed.<ref name="Draken 50"/> The Swedish test pilots who discovered the cobra were {{Interlanguage link|Bengt Olow|sv}} and {{Interlanguage link|Ceylon Utterborn|sv}}, who developed the technique around 1961–1963.<ref name="Silvervingar">{{cite book |last=Bratt |first=Erik |title=Silvervingar: en bok om flyg och flygplan |trans-title=Silverwings: a book on aviation and aircraft |year=1986 |publisher=Flygföretag |location=Linköping |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|577714}} |page=267}}</ref>

[[File:SAAB J35 Draken-1702 - Flickr - Ragnhild & Neil Crawford (tilted -90deg, cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Saab 35 Draken]]]]
The Swedish pilots soon considered how to use this move in combat to get a pursuing aircraft to overshoot, putting it in a perfect position for a [[riposte]], and it was not long until it was proven viable during mock dogfights.<ref name="Draken 50"/><ref name="Edlund"/> In real combat, depending on the situation and the execution of the maneuver, it could be used to confuse the enemy by making it lose the target or to overshoot, which would allow the pursued pilot the opportunity to either flee from combat or re-engage. However, the maneuver was very difficult and dangerous to use as anything more than a last-ditch effort, as without precise execution the aircraft's slow speed after the maneuver would make it an easy target.<ref name="chefsingenjoren">{{Cite web |url=http://chefsingenjoren.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-kanten-av-envelopen.html |title=Article on how it was to fly the Saab 35 |year=2011 }}</ref>

The maneuver originated with the [[Bråvalla Wing]], the first one to receive the Saab 35 fighter plane. As the fighter was adopted by other wings over time, so was the maneuver. The [[Scania Wing]] apparently called the maneuver "Wacka", which has no real meaning in Swedish.<ref name="Edlund"/>

Sweden effectively shared borders with the [[Soviet Union]] over the [[Baltic Sea]], so both sides regularly flew into the international space between the two. In the event, the Saab 35s regularly intercepted and escorted Soviet planes away from Swedish airspace. Sometimes these encounters would result in non-combat [[dogfight]]s, which were either playful or threatening in nature.<ref name="Draken 50"/> Apparently, the cobra maneuver was used during some of these engagements, surprising the Soviets.<ref name="f10kamratforening"/> Late in the Saab 35's service life, the maneuver was used as a 'secret weapon' by Saab-35 pilots in mock dogfights facing the more advanced [[Saab 37]] fighter. The Saab 37 was unable to safely enter super stalls, and therefore its pilots did not receive any major training against its use. The cobra maneuver was therefore unknown to many Saab 37 pilots prior to facing it in competition.<ref name="Edlund"/> Due to the appeal of the tactic, some Saab 37 pilots attempted it, but to their dismay were unable to effectively perform it above speeds of {{convert|350|km/h|mi/h|abbr=on}} as the Saab 37 couldn't safely handle the necessary [[Load factor (aeronautics)|gs]], rendering it effectively useless in combat.<ref name="Edlund"/>

When the Saab 35 was retired, so was the maneuver, as the next generations of Swedish warplanes, the Saab 37 and the [[Saab 39]], couldn't effectively perform it. Due to the secrecy of the [[Cold War]] era and other factors, the Swedish cobra was largely unknown to the world until some former Saab 35 and 37 pilots wrote about it years later in books<ref name="Edlund"/><ref name="Draken 50"/> and articles,<ref name="f10kamratforening"/><ref name="chefsingenjoren"/> long after the Soviets had been credited with its discovery.

==== Finland and Austria ====
As Sweden exported the [[Saab 35 Draken]], so was the cobra maneuver. Fighter variants of the Saab 35 were exported to both the [[Finnish Air Force]] and the [[Austrian Air Force]].

In an interview, former Finnish Air Force pilot Ari Saarinen recalled performing the maneuver in a Draken while intercepting a [[Royal Air Force]] [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod]] over the [[Baltic Sea]]; the Nimrod pilot reduced power in order to get the Finns to overshoot, but the Finnish Drakens performed the maneuver to slow down, which according to Saarinen drew praise over the radio from the British Nimrod crew.<ref name="Saarinen">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RzZ5edBhVI&feature=youtu.be&t=1125 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/1RzZ5edBhVI |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live |title=Interview with Ari Saarinen on the Saab 35 Draken, Youtube |website=[[YouTube]] |date=5 August 2018 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

According to a video uploaded by the [[Scania Wing]] comrade association (Swedish: F10 Kamratförening), the Swedish cobra was taught to [[Austria]]n pilots training on the Saab 35 in [[Sweden]].<ref name="Tisoe">{{Cite web |title=F10 kamratförening: filmer, clip Tisoe |url=http://www.f10kamratforening.se/?page_id=1843 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022120311/http://www.f10kamratforening.se/?page_id=1843 |archivedate=2016-10-22}}</ref> It is unknown whether the Austrians used this as a combat maneuver or just as training against super stall.

=== Syria ===
{{disputed section|date=November 2024|Cobra_on_MiG-21_-_any_actual_proof?}}
Beyond Sweden, [[Syria]] also discovered the maneuver prior to the Soviets.

In 1961 when Syria left the [[United Arab Republic]], they were left with a very weak [[air force]]. The Syrians had to order new combat aircraft, and procured the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]]F-13 in June 1962.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub">{{Cite web |first=Tom |last=Cooper |url=https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-unknown-story-of-the-syrian-mig-21-pilot-who-developed-the-cobra-manoeuvre-i-e-pugachev-wasnt-the-first-to-perform-the-cobra/ |title=The Unknown Story of the Syrian MiG-21 Pilot who Developed the Cobra Manoeuvre |date=7 August 2019}}{{Dubious|Cobra on MiG-21 - any actual proof?|date=November 2024}}</ref> Once the aircraft had arrived and been integrated into the fleet, a problem became apparent. All of the unit commanders had been selected based on their political associations and loyalty to superiors, instead of knowledge of air combat. The new commanders were over-reliant on advice from about 30 [[Soviet]] advisors assigned to the Syrian Air Force to help with training on the MiGs, but were generally ineffective. In this era of power over knowledge, however, a handful of pilots with powerful connections were able to disregard their Soviet advisors and orders from their commanders.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>

One of these pilots, Mohammad Mansour, then a novice MiG-21-pilot fresh from a conversion course in the USSR, had an older brother, Fayez Mansour, with deep connections high in the chain of command in [[Damascus]]. Those connections enabled him to challenge Soviet advisors and demand greater operational flexibility for himself and other pilots of his unit.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>

During Mohammed's first clashes with the [[Israeli Air Force]], he realized that there was a need for an effective defensive maneuver in close combat that forced a pursuer to overshoot. His initial solution based on Soviet manuals consisted of rapid descending turns followed by a sudden activation of the [[afterburner]] and a climb. However, during a test flight in early 1967, Mohammad inadvertently pitched the nose of his MiG-21 too hard, so that the forward movement of his aircraft nearly stopped. In reaction, he engaged the afterburner of his MiG, and ended with the plane standing vertically on the verge of stalling out of control. Mohammad managed to recover the plane from that state, just in time to prevent a crash. Intrigued, he decided to try to replicate the maneuver in a controlled manner, this time by engaging the afterburner beforehand, as the [[Tumansky R-11]] engine of the MiG-21 had to spool for full effect. After successful replication of the maneuver, it became clear that this was the close combat defensive maneuver that he sought.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>

The Syrians named the cobra the "zero-speed maneuver" ({{langx|ar|مناورة السرعة صفر}} ''"munawarat alsureat sifr"''). Mohammad soon saw combat again with the Israeli Air Force but never got to use the maneuver.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/> The cobra quickly became a standard part of defensive tactics for Syrian MiG-21s.

==== Pakistan and Egypt ====
{{disputed section|date=November 2024|Cobra_on_MiG-21_-_any_actual_proof?}}
[[File:MiG-21PFM-Egypt-1982.jpg|thumb|[[Egyptian Air Force|Egyptian]] [[MiG-21]]]]
With time, as their air forces were stationed in Syria, the maneuver spread to both the [[Pakistan Air Force|Pakistan]] and [[Egyptian air force]], who also began using it as a standard defensive maneuver for their MiG-21s.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>

The cobra maneuver may have been performed in combat by an Egyptian pilot during the [[Yom Kippur War]], but the theory is based on a quote from an Israeli pilot that only mentions an Egyptian MiG-21 apparently standing on its tail while trying to evade an attack.<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>

=== Soviet Union ===
Research and developments on [[supermaneuverability]] started in USSR in the early 1980s by [[Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute]], [[Gromov Flight Research Institute]], [[Sukhoi]] and [[Mikoyan]].<ref name=TsAGI>{{Cite book|last=Bjušgens|first=Georgij S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sdMwAQAAIAAJ|title=CAGI - centr aviacionnoj nauki|date=1993|publisher=Nauka|isbn=978-5-02-007017-2|language=ru}}</ref>
[[File:Su-27 05 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Soviet]] [[Sukhoi Su-27]]]]
In flight testing the [[Su-27]] [[test pilot]] [[Igor Volk]] was the first to perform the maneuver in that aircraft in practice. [[Viktor Pugachev]] was the first to publicly demonstrate the maneuver in the Su-27 aerobatics display at the [[Paris Air Show|Le Bourget airshow]] of 1989.<ref name=TsAGI/><ref name="d"/> The tactic was previously unknown to the public and it was quickly named after Pugachev.<ref name="Hall">{{Cite book |title=Russia's Cosmonauts: Inside the Yuri Gagarin Training Center |last1=Hall |first1=Rex |last2=Shayler |first2=Davide |last3=Vis |first3=Bert |publisher=Praxis Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=0-387-21894-7 |location=Chichester, UK |pages=335–336}}</ref>

== Derivatives of the cobra ==
{{refimprove section|date=November 2020}}
There are several derivatives of the cobra which all initiate similarly, but end differently.

;Cobra climb
In the cobra climb, the aircraft initiates the cobra, but instead of remaining in altitude and continuing forward, it starts to stall climb (climbing vertically). The maneuver is similar to a regular stall climb except that the change from level flight to stall climb happens much faster. However, unlike a regular climb, this still achieves the effect of the cobra and the aircraft will still stall momentarily which lowers speed and momentum. The maneuver ends with the climb and the aircraft can return to common flight in various ways.

;Cobra stall
In the cobra stall, the aircraft initiates the cobra, but instead of returning to level flight, the aircraft instead fully stalls out after which it applies thrust and rudder to change the direction of the aircraft.

;Cobra barrel roll
In the cobra roll, the aircraft initiates the cobra but instead of returning to level flight, the aircraft uses its ailerons and rudder to initiate a [[barrel roll]] at the peak of the initial nose climb which ends the maneuver with a barrel roll.

;Cobra hover
The cobra hover is an extension of the original maneuver in which an aircraft initiates the cobra but remains in the "cobra state" for a longer period of time by the use of thrust control, thus achieving the "hover" part of the maneuver. After which the aircraft can complete the maneuver in various ways depending on its energy.

;Cobra turn
The cobra turn is an [[air combat manoeuvring|air combat maneuver]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Yefim|title=Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker: Air Superiority Fighter|publisher=Airlife Publishing|isbn=1840370297|date=1999}}</ref> It is a variation on the cobra maneuver where the aircraft performs the pull-up, but instead of returning to level flight applies [[rudder]] or [[thrust vectoring]] and turns downward. The aircraft achieves a negative angle of attack, ending the maneuver in a dive, therefore regaining airspeed sooner than the common cobra. John Turner of BAE considers{{cn|date=July 2016}} the cobra maneuver to have little use in [[air combat maneuvering]]. It could also be argued that the combat effect is likely to be similar to the “[[Vectoring In Forward Flight]]" or VIFFing maneuver. In theory, VIFFing allows the aircraft to effectively slow down or stop while the enemy overshoots, leaving the aircraft in a favorable position to attack the enemy.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951776,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023832/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951776,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=30 September 2007 | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | title=That Magnificent Flying Machine | date=1982-06-07 | access-date=2010-04-30 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Unlike VIFFing, however, the fully developed cobra maneuver leaves the aircraft in a precarious and non-offensive attitude, with no energy, with weapons pointing toward empty sky and with the pilot having lost sight of the enemy. If the pilot exits the cobra by using rudder, this is a very slow version of the hammerhead. At the same time, the aircraft is defenseless, unable to maneuver, nearly stationary, offers the largest lateral visual and radar target and is creating a massive plume of hot exhaust, making it an easy target for any type of weapon and attack which an enemy might choose. 

The transition from cobra maneuver to effective and controlled flight takes several seconds, and airspeed sufficient for defensive maneuvering is not recovered for more than ten seconds. While entering the cobra is effective as a "speed brake" maneuver, usefulness in combat is limited at best, and then only if exited while sufficient energy remains to bring the weapons to bear before the opponent can break into an evasive maneuver—or, worse, loop back and attack. One simple defense-into-attack maneuver is for the opponent to [[split-S]], pass under the cobra aircraft, then half-loop again to bring the cobra aircraft into the cone of fire. The primary danger for the opponent becomes the possibility of a mid-air collision with the slowly moving target.

The cobra turn first gained widespread attention after it was performed by the [[Sukhoi Su-27]], [[Su-35]] and [[Su-37]] at various European airshows.

== List of cobra capable aircraft {{anchor|Aircraft known to be capable of the maneuver}} ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Cobra capable aircraft (alphabetical order)
!Name/Designation
!Type
!Year of introduction
!Country of origin
!Sources
|-
|[[Chengdu J-10|Chengdu J-10B TVC]]
|Demonstrator
|2018
|{{Flag|China}}
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOCmLhB44Og|title=J10 TVC demonstrator performing Pugachev's cobra and more|website=[[YouTube]]|date=5 November 2018}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[General Dynamics F-16 VISTA]]
|Demonstrator
|1992
|{{Flag|US}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=General Dynamics NF-16 VISTA |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=dj8OJs6E3JM?t=170 |website=[[YouTube]]| date=24 January 2009 }}</ref>
|-
|[[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13]]
|Fighter
|1960
|{{Flag|Soviet Union}}
|<ref name="theaviationgeekclub"/>
|-
|[[Mikoyan MiG-29A]]
|Fighter
|1983
|{{Flag|Soviet Union}}
|<ref>{{Citation |last=John Dovishaw |title=Russia Mig does Cobra Maneuver at Dayton Airshow |date=9 September 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MXy7RxCplY&t=145 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/9MXy7RxCplY |access-date=2019-02-08 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Venci Dimitrov |title=Миг-29 управляван от Ген. Радев /Авиошоу 2014, летище София/ |date=12 October 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvigkspO5_U&t=125 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/xvigkspO5_U |access-date=2019-02-08 |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mikoyan MiG-29M OVT]]
|Demonstrator
|2001
|{{Flag|Russia}}
|<ref name="j">{{cite journal |year=1994 |title=Cobra Maneuver ? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0SxQAAAAYAAJ |journal=International Journal of Turbo & Jet-engines |volume=11 |access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref>
|-
|[[Saab 35A]]
|Fighter
|1960
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|<ref name="Silvervingar"/>
|-
|[[Saab 35B]]
|Fighter
|1962
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|<ref name="Silvervingar"/>
|-
|[[Saab 35C]]
|Trainer
|1962
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|<ref name="Tisoe"/>
|-
|[[Saab 35D]], [[Saab 35Ö|35Ö]]
|Fighter
|1963
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|<ref name="Silvervingar"/><ref name="Tisoe"/>
|-
|[[Saab 35F]], [[Saab 35J|35J]], [[Saab 35S|35S]]
|Fighter
|1965
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|<ref name="Edlund"/><ref name="Saarinen"/>
|-
|[[Sukhoi Su-27]]
|Fighter
|1985
|{{Flag|Soviet Union}}
|<ref name="Paris 1989"/><ref name="d"/>
|-
|[[Sukhoi Su-35]]
|Fighter
|2014
|{{Flag|Russia}}
|<ref>{{cite web |author=Mitko Ian |date=18 June 2013 |title=Sukhoi SU-35 fighter has all the right moves at Paris Air Show |url=http://www.gizmag.com/sukhoi-su-35/27947/ |access-date=2013-06-18 |publisher=Gizmag.com}}</ref>
|}

== See also ==
*[[Herbst maneuver]], post-stall braking and turn demonstrated by the [[Rockwell-MBB X-31]] experimental thrust vectoring fighter.
*[[Kulbit]], a more demanding combat maneuver (performed for example by the [[Sukhoi Su-37]])<ref name=d/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://vayu-sena.tripod.com/interview-pugachev.html Interview with Pugachev about this manoeuvre]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207060039/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj88/spr88/siuru.html Fighter Technology of the Future]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160430012800/http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public//PubFullText/RTO/TR/RTO-TR-015///TR-015-$$ALL.pdf USAF & NATO Report RTO-TR-015 AC/323/(HFM-015)/TP-1 (2001)]

=== Video clips ===
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbN3FucjlJg F10 Kamratförening – Tisoe, Johan Röds Sista]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lENodGzJ2gM Aviation Technology Space Channel – SU 27 - Cobra]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZeehlhC6T0 NTPS national test pilots school — Saab Draken SK-35 Erect SuperStall (tail cam)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMmFy52HdPs NTPS national test pilots school — Inverted Super Stall]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewi0jo_rvo0 NTPS national test pilots school — Erect Superstall, Abrupt Entry]

{{Aerial warfare}}
{{Aerobatics}}

[[Category:Aerial maneuvers]]