New Recruit reporting for instruction.

Character Overview

Cadet – PATH

Physical description

PATH is a small man and slim to the point of scrawniness – his uniform has been described as “hanging like a tent” on him.  His hair is dark but, since he is conscious of premature male pattern baldness, he keeps it shaved close to the scalp.  He has a rather thin face and always seems to wear a slight frown of concentration which with his down-turned mouth makes him look overly-serious.

He has vividly expressive blue eyes noticeable because he normally keeps them half-closed due to slight over-sensitivity to light, but when his interest is engaged he tends to open them a little too widely.

His hands are calloused on the knuckles and across the palm of the right hand – he practices bare-hand combat and fencing.

He has no casually visible scars, no tattoos or piercings and, although he maintains his grooming, shows no interest in personal ornamentation – off duty he will routinely wear black clothing with a plain white shirt.  He will never wear a shirt which leaves his arms exposed  –  no matter the temperature -  this is due to marks left from a childhood incident.  He is slightly obsessive about polishing his boots.

In posture and movement PATH can appear somewhat stiff and over-controlled but he can show moments of unexpected celerity – these usually occur when his body reacts to a situation before he thinks about it.  An example would be when a glass is knocked from a table – PATH will often just catch it and then stare at it as though wondering where it came from.  This can sometimes be a disadvantage – he would react the same way if the glass contained a hot liquid.



Emotional Development

Due to incidents in his childhood PATH's emotional make-up is immature in many ways.  He carries a great deal of anger and, since he is aware of his propensity to violence, he is extremely careful to maintain tight control of his emotions.  Unfortunately this extends across his entire emotional range and has the effect of making him seem indifferent in his social interactions.  In fact he is not – he often cares a great deal but has immense difficulty in admitting it, even to himself, and he certainly has trouble displaying it.  PATH comes across as a “cold fish”.

Nor is PATH a social animal to any great degree – he does not crave company and is quite happy being alone, and when he finds himself in a social gathering he will say very little.  Indeed his taciturnity can verge on the offensive – the normal, accepted rules of interaction will usually require that a reply should be more than a blink!  However, in a small gathering of friends PATH can be congenial company and even witty in an acerbic way.



Personal History – PATH

Very little is known about PATH's past life – he is particularly close-mouthed about this – not even those closest to him are privy to it.  It is known that he has been well-educated and seems to have a talent for language.  His speech and manners are precise to the point of being old-fashioned and somewhat genteel.  He is the sort of man who holds doors open for women.

The markings and scars on both his arms, and his sensitivity about them, are a subject of much conjecture – those who have seen them comment that they appear to be script of some kind.  PATH never says, and usually contrives to keep them out of sight.

As to his reasons for joining the Academy, PATH is self-aware enough to admit – if only to himself – that he is running away from his past.  But his chosen path is one in which he can eventually accrue respect and power.  What he will do with power remains to be decided...

PATH

Species:          Human
Age:                19
Height:            5' 8"
Weight:          194lbs
Hair:              Black - close shaven
Eyes:              Pale Blue

Navy Academy Assignment

Flight Maneuvers

In this assignment I will consider two contrasting classic flight maneuvers – the Immelmann and the Split-S.

The Immelmann


The Immelmann is a maneuver aimed at increasing altitude with the option of  changing direction – it has very little practical use in a combat situation. It is comprised of three stages -

1.From level flight accelerate to sufficient speed in order to perform a loop.
2.During loop use ailerons to maintain a straight line on the vertical axis.
3.When passing over point at which the loop began, roll craft 180 degrees to return to level flight.  Maintain acceleration to regain lost speed if required.

The angle of exit may be changed during Stage 2 by rolling the aircraft during the climb into the loop.  This maneuver is also known, colloquially, as “Roll-off-the-top”.

This maneuver is of limited value in combat as the performing craft will lose speed during the climb, which will render it vulnerable to craft with more power, or simply one with weapons with an adjustable arc of fire.  In addition –  performing a roll within the loop will also provide an attacker with the maximum possible target profile.

The Immelmann maneuver trades speed for altitude.

The Immelmann contrasts with...


The Split-S


The Split-S is a maneuver which has much more combat value – it trades altitude for speed.  In common with the Immelman it comprises three stages:

1.During level flight execute 180 degree roll.
2.Pull back on control to perform roll.  Use aileron to maintain straight line on vertical axis.
3.Return to level flight on completion of half-roll.

Similarly to the Immelmann, Pilots performing this maneuver may adjust the angle of exit during stage 2.

The Split-S maneuver is of combat value as it can radically change the speed and direction of the craft – however three points should be noted:

Increased speed in atmosphere during a dive requires a great amount of energy in order to “pull up” back to level flight.  It also greatly increases stress upon the frame of the craft.

The ground – the Pilot MUST be aware that there is sufficient airspace in which to perform this maneuver.

Seeking missiles are unlikely to be distracted by the Split-S.

The Split-S trades altitude for speed.