History
Dogfight
A dogfight is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft at short range. Dogfighting first appeared during World War One, but its most famous instance is probably the Battle of Britain during World War Two.
Photo: Hawker Hurricanes fly in formation. It's estimated that Hurricane pilots were credited with four-fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed in the Battle of Britain. (Popperfoto/Getty Images)
Features in:
The Battle of Britain
Introduction
Dogfight
Highlights from BBC programmes Video (10)
play
"An aeroplane beyond all compare"
Wing Commander Robert Standford Tuck recalls his Battle of Britain.
Wing Commander Robert Standford Tuck, a highly decorated Spitfire and Hurricane pilot, is interviewed in 1979 by David Jacobs. The Wing Commander recalls his Battle of Britain, what it was like to look the enemy in the eye and how he loved to fly a Spitfire.
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Aerial duels over Dunkirk
Wing Commander Robert Standford Tuck discusses aerial combat over Dunkirk.
Wing Commander Robert Standford Tuck, a highly decorated Spitfire and Hurricane pilot, is interviewed in 1979 by David Jacobs. They discuss the Wing Commander’s combat flights over Dunkirk and how a penny saved his life.
play
Dan Snow argues the Spitfire is a great design icon
Historian Dan Snow argues that the Supermarine Spitfire is a design icon.
As part of The Culture Show's hunt for the greatest design icon of our time, historian Dan Snow puts foward the case for the Spitfire.
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How to shoot down a MiG
A British fighter pilot describes how he shot down a MiG using a piston-engined plane.
'Hoagy' Carmichael, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, describes how he shot down a jet fighter with his piston-engined Hawker Sea Fury during the Korean War.
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Eyewitnesses describe the battles over the Channel
Eyewitnesses describe the battles over the Channel
Frank Scrivener, a resident of Dover, remembers the excitement of watching the dogfights over the Channel. Edith Heap, a ground control technician from the Women's Auxillary Air Force, describes the intensity of hearing the pilots' commentary during the battles.
More information about: Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every major war, despite beliefs after World War II that increasingly greater speeds and longer range weapons would make dogfighting obsolete. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat maneuvering (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requiring the use of individual basic fighter maneuvers (BFM) to attack or evade one or more opponents. This differs from aerial warfare, which deals with the strategy involved in planning and executing various missions.
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Events
Germany bombs British towns and cities
Germany bombs British coastal airfields
Germany attacks RAF Fighter Command
Germany bombs London
Battle of Britain Day
Who
People
Hugh Dowding What
Speeches
The Few Military Technology
Supermarine Spitfire 
Radar Military Organisations
Luftwaffe 
RAF Fighter Command Where
Military airfields
RAF Biggin Hill Related programmes
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BROADCAST 2009
Radio 4: Women in the RAF
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BROADCAST 2004
Radio 4: Strafed by the Luftwaffe
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BROADCAST 2009
Radio 4: Keith Park
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play
BROADCAST 2010
World Service: Battle of Britain
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BROADCAST 2000
Radio 4: Hitler in History
Dornier 17: The Fall and Rise of a German Bomber 
The Dambusters: 70 Years On 
Regency Life: 3 Lives in 1 Day News
Remembering the Spitfire Days
World War Two Spitfire fighter pilot Peter...
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