In aerobatics, Pugachev’s Cobra is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, before dropping it back to normal flight. It uses potent engine thrust to maintain approximately constant altitude through the entire move. Some have speculated that the maneuver may have use in close range combat, although it has never been used in combat. It is an impressive trick to demonstrate an aircraft’s pitch control authority, high angle of attack stability and engine-versus-inlet compatibility, as well as the pilot’s skill. The maneuver is named after the Soviet test pilot Viktor Pugachyov, who performed it in 1989 at the Paris Le Bourget air show.
Cobra maneuver
