cobra maneuver

A flight maneuver in which the aircraft rapidly lifts its nose, creating massive angle of attack and causing rapid deceleration, then recovers without much loss in altitude. It is named for the pilot who was credited with first performing it in a Su-27, Viktor Pugachev, though it is widely understood that the Swedish Air Force had discovered the maneuver much earlier while studying the Saab Draken. It is also known as the "Cobra Maneuver" or the Swedish Cobra especially when performed in a Draken.