Post-stall maneuver (PSM) in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve lets a capable aircraft make extreme turns and perform acrobatic maneuvers such as the Cobra and Kulbit to quickly change its angle of attack. To perform a PSM in the game, you have to be flying the right aircraft below 500 km/h and time the inputs correctly.
Let’s get into how to perform this awesome maneuver and which aircraft can pull it off, because some are better suited to a Cobra and some are better for a Kulbit.
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How to Perform a Post-Stall Maneuver (PSM) in Ace Combat 8
To perform a PSM (post-stall maneuver) in Ace Combat 8, the most important thing is to keep your speed below 500 km/h. Anything above that speed is a no-go for PSM. Once you’re below that speed, release deceleration and then immediately use acceleration and deceleration together while pitching up.
On PlayStation, the required controls are L2 + R2 + left analog stick down to trigger the maneuver. So remember to hold L2 and R2 while pulling back hard on the left stick before the aircraft gets back above 500 km/h, or it’s not going to happen. Once the nose starts rising, you can release L2 and R2 and use the throttle to continue the maneuver.
Which Aircraft Can Perform a PSM in Ace Combat 8?
The following aircraft have been verified to perform PSM in Ace Combat 8:
- F-22A
- F-35C
- MiG-29A
- Su-33
- Su-47
- FA-36
- X-40
Feel free to leave a comment about any aircraft that can perform a PSM that I might have missed, as I’m still figuring things out. If you still need to unlock one of these aircraft, our Ace Combat 8 MRP farm guide covers the quickest ways to build up MRP.
Why Your PSM Isn’t Working
If you’re trying to perform this beautiful post-stall maneuver in Ace Combat 8 but can’t do it, then you need to see if you have an aircraft that’s capable of performing a PSM. Then check your speed, which should be below 500 km/h.
One thing a lot of players might not pay attention to is timing. It’s not like you should keep decelerating until the aircraft stops. Get below 500 km/h and release the deceleration input to perform the PSM inputs. Simple as that.
There’s another thing that you should keep in mind. Always remember that when you perform a PSM, it means you have to slow down drastically. At that point, the game itself warns that you’re about to hit a stall during the maneuver, so accelerate as you level the aircraft out to recover your speed.
Cobra vs. Kulbit: Which PSM Can Your Aircraft Perform?
In Ace Combat 8, you don’t have to make every PSM a complete loop. The Kulbit is the easier variation to pull off whereas the Cobra starts with the same basic inputs but finishes differently. For a Cobra, trigger the PSM and pitch the nose upward toward roughly 90 degrees before bringing the aircraft back to level flight to accelerate away.
To perform a Kulbit, continue the rotation into a much fuller loop. To do that, simply maintain the backward stick input and use throttle to power through the rotation until you return to level flight.
For instance, the MiG-29 and Su-33 have more limited Cobra-style behavior. On the other hand, the F-22 is easier to use for more advanced PSM movement. And if you want to change the look of the aircraft you’re practicing with, here’s how to change skins in Ace Combat 8.
How to Chain PSMs in Ace Combat 8
You can extend the maneuver further by chaining PSMs. To do that, keep an eye on the duration of the current PSM and trigger another one near its end. You can also make the PSM last longer if you can control your pitch and roll and keep your speed somewhere around 300-500 km/h.
While you’re already doing a PSM, you can use rudder/yaw input to turn the nose left or right instead of only pitching and rolling.
How to Get the Like the Wind Trophy
Like the Wind requires you to successfully perform a post-stall maneuver in Campaign mode. Remember that if you perform the maneuver in Free Flight, it doesn’t count for the trophy.
So if you’re practicing PSM mainly for the achievement and want to call it a day, make sure you’re using a PSM-capable aircraft in Campaign. God knows what you’d be doing perfect flips in the wrong mode for.
