The incredible Cobra Manoeuvre (Pugachev’s Cobra)

The Cobra Manoeuvre, also known as Pugachev’s Cobra or Pugachev Cobra is a very spectacular, dramatic and demanding aerobatics manoeuvre in which an aircraft flew at a moderate speed suddenly raises its nose to the vertical position - and beyond - before dropping the nose back to horizontal flight. The aircraft reaches 90–120° angle of attack during the Cobra. The Cobra manoeuvre is named after the Soviet test pilot Viktor Pugachyov, who first performed the Cobra manoeuvre publicly in 1989 at the Paris Le Bourget air show, and shocked the Western spectators who couldn’t believe it. The Soviet Union still existed at this time. However, the Cobra was first executed by Sukhoi test-pilot Igor Volk in a test flight. The classic Cobra was done using only standard aerodynamic controls. Today it is easier to be done with Vector Thrust. The Cobra requires very potent engines to maintain approximately a constant altitude throughout the Cobra. It has some use in close range aerial combat or dogfight -