Kulbit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The "Kulbit" is an aerial maneuver developed by Russian pilots, in which the aircraft performs an incredibly tight diametered loop (often not much wider than the length of the aircraft itself).
The Kulbit drastically decelerates the aircraft and could theoretically be used to cause a pursuant aircraft to overshoot its target. The maneuver is closely related to the famous "Pugachev's Cobra" maneuver, but the Kulbit completes the loop that the Cobra almost immediately cuts off.
[edit] Combat Use
Use of the Kulbit maneuver has never been recorded under actual combat conditions, and its practicality in such a situation is still under debate. However, even the most skeptical observers generally acknowledge its effectiveness as an impressive air show stunt.
[edit] Aircraft Known to be able to Execute the "Kulbit"
The F-22 Raptor, Sukhoi Su-37, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, and MiG-29OVT have performed the Kulbit in airshow displays in the past. It is rumored that the Sukhoi Su-27 can also perform the maneuver, though this claim is under dispute. Ultra-modern thrust vectoring aircraft such as the experimental Russian Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut should, theoretically, also be able to perform the maneuver, though it has never been publicly recorded.
