War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

He 51 A-1

2020-12-10T04:31:06Z

U105585813: wrote a new sentence and fixed some grammar problems.

{{Specs-Card|code=he51a1}}
{{About
| about = German biplane '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = He 51 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Heinkel He 51 was one of the first aircraft which the German Luftwaffe (still operating in secrecy) tasked to be built. Brothers and talented aircraft designers Walter and Siegfried Günter were working for Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1931 when they developed the design for an advanced trainer biplane which was designated He 49. Though touted as a trainer, the aircraft had been designed as a fighter and with a few minor conversions, could be an operational fighter aircraft. After several iterations, the Luftwaffe ordered this aircraft into production as the He 51 in 1933.

Currently in service with Germany was the older Arado Ar 65 biplane which the He 51 was slated to replace, unfortunately by the time the He 51 A rolled off the production lines, it was already outdated, however, it wasn't until after 150 were built that important modifications were made which resulted in the upgraded He 51 B. Of the 450 B variants built, 46 of them were modified by replacing the fixed landing gear with floats to allow the fighter to land on water. Later another 100 were built as the He 51 C variant which was configured as a light ground-attack aircraft.

Used initially in the Spanish Civil War, the He 51 showed to dominate over older biplanes, however, the advantage was short-lived as modern Soviet fighters and bombers arrived and the He 51 could no longer keep up with them. Operations for the He 51 converted to night fighting, however not long after that it was designated solely for ground attack operations. Though not seen as a fantastic aircraft, behind the scenes it had set the stage for the Luftwaffe years later when close support tactics were developed by Field Marshal Wolfram von Richthofen while flying a He 51.

When paired up against other reserve fighters in the game, the He 51 can hold its own, though it will not win any speed records, nor will its machine guns out fire some of the early Soviet fighters, however, there is a place for the {{PAGENAME}}. The He 51 is a extremely maneuverable with a turn time of 14.9 s, the He 51 is a plane that you you would not try to outmaneuver. Diving straight into a cluster of fighters rolling around with each other is not the best tactic, it is better to pick a target and go after it, however, if cornered, the slower speed and maneuverability of the He 51 can get it out of tight spaces and potentially down a few enemy aircraft in the process. With two 7 mm machine guns, tracer rounds work best against early aircraft, especially those which are fabric covered and have non-sealing fuel tanks. Though the pilot may find themselves up-tiered against mono-wing aircraft of faster speeds, the {{PAGENAME}} can quickly turn the tables and put the faster enemy fighter on the receiving end of a stream of bullets, and only a few hits are enough to hobble the enemy aircraft allowing the Heinkel to catch up and finish the job.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 295 || 282 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 13.8 || 14.7 || 10.4 || 10.4 || rowspan="2" | 294
|-
! Upgraded
| 319 || 305 || 13.6 || 13.7 || 16.8 || 13.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 520 || 520 || 320 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 180 || < 300 || < 300 || > 190
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 0 m || 750 hp || N/A
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* No armour plating
* No armour glazing
* All critical components located in front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)

Like many biplanes before and contemporaries of the {{PAGENAME}}, armour was not an option, survival was based on the pilot's grit. Armour added weight, weight the early biplanes could not afford to carry and still be a viable fighter. Flying in open cockpit and fabric-covered aircraft, the only protection the pilot had was to place his engine between him and his enemy, otherwise, the pilot was vulnerable. Typically aircraft like this have the engine at the nose of the aircraft, followed by the fuel tank and then the cockpit, all three critical components relatively crammed together. The pilot's toolbox had to contain situational awareness as he needed to know where the enemy was around him. Tracer rounds could easily ignite the fabric-covered aircraft or large fuel tanks, so it was imperative the pilot was the attacker, not the one being attacked and knowing where the enemies are at can help avoid getting shot at.

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|MG 17 (7.92 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

When comparing offensive armament between reserve aircraft, the {{PAGENAME}} is on par with most nations, however, it lacks when compared to aircraft from France, Great Britain or the Soviet Union and to some extent the United States and their use of a heavy machine gun. The He 51 found itself between two great wars and to some extent was a fossil in regards to its armament. For a light biplane fighter, the {{PAGENAME}} only sported two 7.92 mm machine guns with a few options of ammunition types available for use.

Some of the reserve aircraft the {{PAGENAME}} will face utilise a heavy machine gun, up to 4 x 7 mm machine guns and a couple of premium versions even pack on a massive (massive for a reserve aircraft) 20 mm autocannon. Though coming in at a severe weapons disadvantage in some instances, the {{PAGENAME}} can still dominate a match and come out the king of the hill. While the two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns may seem insufficient, they do a job and they do it well, though it may take a bit of practice to land the bullets where they will do the most damage.

Default ammunition what every pilot starts out with, though not the best it will cause critical hits and down enemy aircraft, though it may take a bit more patience and a few more rounds. When available to upgrade the ammunition belt modules, two other choices come into play which will allow the pilot to change tactics and fight more on their terms. Tracer ammunition is a fantastic choice for use against early biplane and monoplane fighters, especially since most of these aircraft are covered in fabric (as opposed to later aircraft covered in metal skin) and most if not all of the early fuel tanks are not self-sealing or do not vent exhaust gasses into the fuel tanks to stave off potential fireballs.

Tracer rounds, though do little impact damage, their powerful punch comes from igniting aircraft on fire causing the enemy to fall to the earth in a flaming heap. One huge disadvantage to the tracer rounds is that it lets everyone know where you are with the bright coloured rounds flying through the air. To combat this, some pilots will switch stealth rounds, which just means that this belt is without any tracer rounds. Two advantages here are first, the removal of the tracer round adds in another damage round and secondly, there are no tracer rounds to give away your position, especially if your first shots don't land where you want them to, enemy pilots will need to spend precious seconds looking around to find where the shots came from before reacting or they may react blindly and to your advantage. One challenge with stealth rounds is they are more difficult to tell where they are landing especially with distance shots and will take practice to know where they are hitting, though when used in close, they are easier to track and pack in a surprise for the enemy pilot they may not be able to recover from.

== Usage in battles ==

In Simulator, the He 51 is overall not an ideal plane to fly. Its advantages include the pair of fast-firing 7.92 mm MGs, allowing you to put enough bullets into the opponent when led correctly. It also has very stable handling (will not spin out as much) and great side and rear views with nothing at all to obstruct your view. You can even see your whole tail. At last, the He 51 has good rate of climb in comparison to most other equivalent battle rating aircraft allowing it to play the energy tactic well. This is good because the He 51 is a slow bird and has trouble catching virtually any other plane in level flight, but given its slow speed, it also sports an exceptional turn radius allowing it to turn a death-spiral into a turkey shoot. However, its disadvantages are that the front view offers an extremely restricted panorama and it is difficult to anticipate targets with a thick wing in your face, which will very often cause you to lose track of your target. As with all bi-planes, this characteristic tends to dissuade its use in SB. Its good manoeuvrability is also countered by every other reserve aircraft as they can turn equally well. In addition it can get quite wobbly when manoeuvring at low speeds which can cause you to miss the shot. The MGs also have a really low one second burst mass, so to effectively damage an opponent you need to constantly lead correctly, which is not always possible. Therefore, the He 51 can only perform dogfights with other biplanes, and ground pounding.

Bring at least 30 minutes of fuel for prolonged patrolling and fighting, and set the convergence to around 300 m. When taking off, the He 51 will shift severely to the left so you need to set separate keybind for left and right brakes to counter the torque. Be careful when the plane is just lifting off and you want to cancel the roll caused by the torque, the He 51 responds very sensitively in the roll axis, thus too much aileron deflection will over-roll, striking a wing into the ground.

For dogfighting, it is crucial to know what the target is. If the opponent is a biplane, combine your turn rate, combat/takeoff flaps and decent climbrate to gradually get an advantage and get onto its tail. Now you want to be more careful to not lose track of it as your upper wing is very annoying. Smooth the aim to extend your firing window as much as possible, to utilise the great firerate and avoid the low burst mass. Most biplanes cannot survive too many hits. However if it is a monoplane, try to lure it into a turnfight. If an energy fighter (eg. Yak-1) uses BnZ tactic on you, do what you do in Arcade/Realistic: roll to one side and pull under it to avoid the dive and to dodge under its belly. Now average Sim players tend to struggle to trace you, if not immediately losing track of you. Repeat this until they lose patience and start to turn with you. However, if you see a plane with an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, consider disengaging. The I-16 is faster than you, turns equally well and can cripple your fragile He 51 even with 2 x MGs. If an I-16 is on your tail, a tactic to counter it is to utilise your stableness. Deflect both your ailerons and elevators for around 70% to get into a barrel roll. If the I-16 is to follow and cut inside your roll, it is super likely to enter a flatspin due to its instability in manoeuvres. Perform the barrel roll tighter and tighter until the I-16 loses control and spins, then turn around and shoot. Or, do simple flat turns but turn tightly, a tight-turning I-16 is also prone to enter flatspins, however this is at risk of getting shot before it loses control.

For ground pounding, your targets are trucks, AAA and howitzers. First you need some separation between you and the target so you have enough time to stabilise the plane. The He 51 can get quite wobbly. Dive at it and first stabilise the plane so the gunsight stays overall still at the target. Then, once the target fills out around 1/6 of the gunsight, open fire. If your aim is accurate you can destroy one target in a single pass. However, each MG only has 500 rounds and their firerate is pretty fast, so control the trigger to save some ammo for any unexpected dogfights.

Landing is easy thanks to the low stall speed and lovely handling. Line up and approach the airstrip at treetop, decrease speed to at most 200 km/h and deploy combat, takeoff and landing flaps in order. The touchdown speed should be no more than 140 km/h to avoid bouncing up. Release brakes immediately as soon as the nose starts dipping down to avoid propeller strike.

Enemies worth noting:

* [[Su-2 (Family)|Su-2]]: given your weak firepower, even an average attacker will appear to be super robust. The Su-2 has tough airframes that will not easily get damaged by your MGs and a rear facing, rapid-firing ShKAS that can easily cripple you. Think twice before engaging. Its appearance is quite common, the most noticeable features can be the cockpit & turret that roughly resemble a TBF's, a protruding chin, olive green camo and a large and tipped spinner.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Controllable || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
|
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs
|-
| IV
|
|
| Cover
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very manoeuvrable
* Weaponry is good enough for most uses
* Often underestimated by enemy pilots, allowing you to take them by surprise
* Improved fuel capacity over predecessors
* Good speed by biplane standards

'''Cons:'''

* Susceptible to tracer fire, fabric-covered and non-sealing fuel tanks
* Slow in comparison to other reserve aircraft
* No armour or protection at all
* Open exposed cockpit
* Smallest calibre machine guns to work with
* Poor forward visibility (Simulator battles)

== History ==


In the early 1930s, the most advanced biplane aircraft in Germany was the Arado Ar 65, though it was quickly becoming obsolete. The German Luftwaffe, operating in secrecy against resolutions set after World War I, did not want to fall behind in technology. Though military aircraft and vehicles could not be built, trainer and transport aircraft were designed and built but had a hidden dual purpose which would allow them to easily be converted into fighters and bombers. Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was one such aircraft manufacturer which was designing what was to be the Ar 65's replacement. Günter brothers, Walter and Siegfried were the lead designers on a new biplane design in 1931 which labelled as an "advanced trainer", would easily be converted into a fighter when necessary. Early prototypes were designated He 49 with several variants resultant of modifications and upgrades performed to address shortcomings found during testing.

In 1933, the Luftwaffe ordered the He 49 (now designated He 51) into pre-production. The design of the aircraft is relatively simple, all-metal frame construction with a fabric covering. Like many early aircraft, it was powered by a v-12 engine, this one a glycol-cooled (ram air radiator) BMW VI engine and two 7.92 mm machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage/cowl of the aircraft allowing the pilot to point the aircraft where he wanted to shoot and then fire without having to make any considerations for convergence, with the exception of bullet drop over longer distances, however, when fired up close, the guns did considerable damage.

By the time the aircraft was rolling off the production lines in 1935, the He 51 A was already considered outdated which goes to show how fast technology was developing during these years. Modifications were made to the aircraft and the next in line production variant the He 51 B was produced in greater numbers and enjoyed early air superiority in the Spanish Civil War, only until modern Soviet fighters and bombers showed up.

Seeing that the He 51 B was no longer a capable fighter even as a short stint as a night fighter, it was quickly modified and the final production variant, the He 51 C rolled out as a dedicated ground-attack variant. The He 51 C was a very capable ground-attack fighter, coupled with its extreme manoeuvrability and slow loiter speed, the aircraft could attack a ground target and within a few seconds could have the plane turned around and be attacking again before any ground defences had the chance to regroup and retaliate. Towards the end of the Spanish Civil War, losses of the He 51 were starting to mount up as anti-air technology was catching up and more and more of the slower biplane were picked off from ground weapons.

It was during this time when World War I ace pilot Wolfram von Richthofen flew the He 51 in a ground attack role, through this process, he refined and honed his skills as a close support fighter. The tactics he learned through trial and error became invaluable later on during World War II when as a Field Marshal, he passed on these tactics and how to effectively dive bomb with aircraft. Though only 55 aircraft survived front-line service through 1938, they continued to be of use through the first few years of World War II as the aircraft they were originally designed to be, advanced trainers.

=== In-game description ===
Heinkel He 51 A-1 single-engine fighter

A single-seat biplane of composite structure with fixed landing gear. This aircraft was designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke AG under the guidance of the brothers Siegfried and Walter Günter. The He 51 fighter was a serious upgrade of the single-seat He 49 fighter, which had flown for the first time in November 1932.

The He 49 was a single-strut biplane of composite structure with a BMW liquid-cooled engine. Among German planes of that period, it was set apart by its fuselage, which had extremely clean aerodynamic contours and a retractable radiator.

The designers themselves were not very satisfied with their creation, believing that its characteristics could be significantly improved. A fourth prototype was built, with a new designation: He 51a.

The dimensions and the design of the aircraft remained almost unchanged, but the He 51a was noticeably different from its predecessor in various details. The vertical empennage was completely redesigned. The retractable radiator was replaced with a ducted one. The new ailerons had balance and trim tabs, and the wing pylon's parallel struts were replaced with N-type struts. The pyramidal landing gear with a common axle was replaced with individual V struts featuring hydromechanical shock-absorbers. The struts and the wheels now had fairings, and a tail skid was used instead of a tail wheel. As a whole, the He 51 turned out to be noticeably more elegant, which significantly improved its flight characteristics.

The plane's power unit was a 500 hp Bayerische Motoren Werke BMW VI twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that could provide a power of up to 750 hp during short-term uprating.

The He 51 was armed with two fuselage-mounted synchronous 7.92 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG 17 machine guns with 500 rounds each.

The leadership of the German Ministry of Aviation saw the He 51 as an aircraft of extreme importance for the reviving Luftwaffe. In April 1935, the production of He 51 A-1 fighters began. The production aircraft differed from the prototype: it had a cut-down fuselage spine fairing behind the cockpit, a slightly changed tail skid design, and extended engine exhaust pipes.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Fiat [[CR.32 (Family)|CR.32]]
* Gloster [[Gladiator (Family)|Gladiator]]
* Polikarpov [[I-15 (Family)|I-15]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-10 (Family)|Ki-10]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Heinkel}}
{{Germany fighters}}

P-36G

2020-12-10T04:13:16Z

U105585813: fixed some grammar problems.

{{Specs-Card
| code = p-36g
| cockpit = cockpit_p-36g.jpg
}}
{{About
| about = American fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = P-36 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.35]].

In the early 1930s, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation began a private venture to build a fighter aircraft which was a revolutionary departure from earlier cloth-covered biplanes of World War I. This project aircraft under development was named the Curtiss Hawk Model 75 (later it would be known by P-36 Hawk, Hawk-75 (or just H-75) and Mohawk). The P-36 was an all-metal monoplane (although the control surfaces were fabric-covered) with a 900 hp radial engine, enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear.<ref name="MilFac" /> Even though this aircraft touted some of the state-of-the-art development in aircraft design, several aspects remained lacking, such as the original two machine guns firing through the propeller arc, a 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm and other critical components such as the absence of armor in the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks.

By May 1935 the first prototype flew and attained speeds of 452 km/h (281 mph) and reaching an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). It wasn't long before the original 900 hp Wright XR-1670-5 radial engine was replaced with an upgrade Wright XR-1820-39 Cyclone at 950 hp and several modifications to the body of the aircraft was completed like the addition of scalloped rear windows which significantly improved the pilots rear view (although the hump on the back of the aircraft still blocked a significant portion of the view).<ref name="JoeB" /><ref name="AviHis" /> This version of the aircraft was designated as Model 75B while oddly enough the earlier version with the 1670-5 was listed as a Model 75D.

In early competitions against the [[User:U5724584#P-35A|Seversky P-35A]] the underpowered and more expensive P-35A was seen as the winner in the U.S. government's eyes, however the United States Army Air Command (USAAC) went ahead and placed an order for three Y1P-36 prototypes as a backup contingency fighter. When delivered, the Y1P-36 (Model 75E) had been outfitted with the 900 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp engine. Due to this version of the aircraft performing so well, an order for 210 P-36-A fighters was placed.<ref name="JoeB" /><ref name="MilFac" />

The P-36 was known as an outstanding turning aircraft due to its extremely low wing loading and had a beefy power-to-weight ratio of 0.186 hp/lb that placed this aircraft as one of the best climbing aircraft of the time.<ref name="AviHis" /> One drawback noted was that the P-36 was not outfitted with a supercharger which hampered its ability to operate at high altitudes, requiring it to stay under 10,000 ft in altitude.<ref name="MilFac" /> For all of this aircraft's positive attributes and unfortunate shortcomings, it performed well mostly for other nations such as Finland where the Hawk was known as "Sussu" or Finnish for "Sweetheart" as between 58 Finnish pilots flying the Hawk, they scored 190.3 aerial victories. The P-36 was the proving ground and stepping stone to the later great fighter, the [[P-40 (Family)|P-40]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===

The {{PAGENAME}} is a relatively easy fighter aircraft to fly and requires only a relatively short space to both take-off and land. During World War II the P-36 was ferried over to Pearl Harbor aboard an aircraft carrier from which they took off and then landed at the Army Air Corps base.<ref name="MilFac" /> In the game, due to the very low stall speed, the P-36 can land on an aircraft carrier to a complete stop and take off again. Due to the fantastically low wing loading rate of 23.9 lb/ft2<ref name="JoeB" />, this fighter is an excellent turning aircraft and accompanied by a strong rudder can spiral climb easily, especially during WEP cycles. This aircraft has the advantage of being both a turn fighter and a Boom & Zoom fighter, depending on the situation, type of aircraft which are flying against and mission type. The P-36 will out-turn many fighters of its rank and can prove difficult to follow if attempting to shoot it down.

The {{PAGENAME}} utilises the upgraded Pratt & Whitney R-1820-95 radial engine, an upgrade over the [[P-36A]] and [[P-36C]] Pratt & Whitney R-1830-17, however with the extra two machine guns and associated ammunition, the G model is comparable to the C model in comparison to flight characteristics. Maintaining centre of gravity in the {{PAGENAME}} is critical and to do that the nose-mounted machine guns do not eject their spent ammunition cartridges, but instead, collect them in internal fuselage compartments so as to not drastically change the weight after firing off the rounds, whereas unlike the P-36C, the G model does eject its spent cartridges from the wing guns. As with the [[P-36C]], the trade-off for more guns vs. no increase in manoeuvrability is well worth it.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 477 || 461 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 17.7 || 18.2 || 7 || 7 || 183
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 527 || 501 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.7 || 17.0 || 15.5 || 10.6 || 183
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! + !! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 520 || ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 420 || < 380 || < 420 || > 300
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,133 m || 1,000 hp || 1,200 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,571 m || 900 hp || 1,080 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 9.5 mm armoured pilot seat
* Self-sealing fuel tanks

As with many early pre-war fighters, not much emphasis was put on the survivability of the aircraft. The best course of action was for the pilot to not let anyone get behind them. The {{PAGENAME}}'s only sources of protection for the pilot is the engine block and the 9.5 mm (angled at 24° for effective thickness of 13 mm), that being said, depending on the engine block to save the pilot may do so at the expense of the engine, thus requiring the pilot to glide back to base if possible or bailout. There are also two unprotected oil coolers if which are punctured, the aircraft will leak oil until depleted eventually causing the engine to seize up.

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|Browning (7.62 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
* 4 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 2,000 total)

Armament weaknesses found in the [[P-36A]] and [[P-36C]] were addressed when outfitting the {{PAGENAME}} fighter, as the armament though increasingly better with each model upgrade, was still found lacking. While the engine cowling was already crowded and no more machine guns could be centrally mounted which required wing modifications to install two more 7.62 mm machine guns, for a total of two in each wing. For this aircraft, two machine guns are mounted in the engine cowl and fire through the propeller arc while the other four are mounted two in each wing. Due to the wing-mounted machine guns, convergence is a factor to deal with with the optimal range being 100 - 200 m, anything beyond this will still work, however, the bullets significantly start losing their punch. The increase in armament increased the damage output ability of the fighter, making it well worth the additional weight. Options in ammunition will allow the pilot to select the type best suited for their mission whether it be as an interceptor, ground target hunter or a stealthy pouncer.

;Option 1 Configuration (optimal 200 - 400 m convergence)

* 12.7 mm = Ground target rounds
* 7.62 mm = Stealth round
* The use of ground target rounds gives you access to hard-hitting ammunition rounds with tracers to help guide in the rounds, however, the 7.62 mm should be set up with stealth rounds as providing a good mix of armour-piercing and incendiary rounds without the tell-tale tracers. Without the tell-tale show of tracers flying by, the pilot of the aircraft may assume a weakly armed aircraft is on their tail with intermittent tracers from the 12.7 mm machine gun. This can be a huge advantage for the attacking aircraft by sneaking in a large amount of lead and incendiaries while still having the ability to walk in the shots with the tracers (especially helpful in realistic and simulator battles where the aiming helper is not available for use).

==== 12.7 mm ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Belt Type
! 1st Round
! 2nd Round
! 3rd Round
! 4th Round
! 5th Round
|-
| Default || T || Ball || I || AP ||
|-
| Universal || AP || AP || AP || T || I
|-
| Ground targets || T || AP || AP || AP ||
|-
| Tracers || T || T || T || AP ||
|-
| Stealth || AP || I || AP || ||
|-
! colspan="6" |T = M1 ''Tracer bullet''; Ball = M2 ''Omni-purpose bullet''; I = M1 ''Incendiary bullet''; AP = M2 ''Armour-piercing bullet''
|}

==== 7.62 mm ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Belt Type
! 1st Round
! 2nd Round
! 3rd Round
! 4th Round
! 5th Round
! 6th Round
|-
| Default || T || Ball || Ball || Ball || AP || I
|-
| Universal || T || AP || I || || ||
|-
| Tracers || AP || T || T || T || T ||
|-
| Stealth || AP || AP || AP || I || I ||
|-
! colspan="7" |T = ''Tracer bullet''; Ball = ''Omni-purpose bullet''; I = ''Incendiary bullet''; AP = ''Armour-piercing bullet''
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The {{PAGENAME}} Hawk is one of the best fighter aircraft at Rank I as it combines energy retention, manoeuvrability and decent firepower. Energy retention lends this fighter to be a great zoomer, dropping in for a shot and then speeding back up to regain the energy advantage. With this aircraft having such a low stall speed; it makes a great fighter to practice Rope-a-dope energy depletion manoeuvres. This requires the P-36 pilot to bait another fighter into following them in a climb, as the attacker attempts to get guns on, the P-36 pilot can start to spiral climb which will cause the attacking aircraft to pull a tighter circle haemorrhaging their energy. If done correctly, the attacking fighter will stall out and be completely helpless as they begin to fall back to the ground allowing the P-36 to roll over or Split-S and take out the stalled fighter below.

Most fighters are typically only good at one thing whether its turning, speed or weapon systems, however, the P-36 is good at two, speeding and turning. This fighter has the ability to not only zoom attack but can also turn fight competitively with most other aircraft. There are few aircraft (notably the A6M Zero fighters of the Imperial Japanese Navy) which may outshine while turning, however, when utilizing flaps and rudder while turning, the P-36 can manoeuvre into some tight turns and allow guns to get on target.

Even with all of its power and mobility, the P-36 is a relatively fragile aircraft. Without much armour on the aircraft, many of its critical systems are exposed and it will not take much even from lower calibre machine guns to cause fuel fires, oil leaks and the engine shutdowns, not to mention a knocked out pilot. Situational awareness is critical to potentially know not only where the targets are, but also the enemy aircraft which are manoeuvring into position and ready to pounce, however, structurally the aircraft is sound and has been known to survive aerial collisions which allowed it to continue fighting on where other aircraft would have been shedding parts right and left. The {{PAGENAME}} is beefed up with six machine guns, though it may not have the notoriety of the [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]] and the [[LaGG-3 (Family)|LaGG-3]], it is more than capable of challenging them on a more than even footing.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 12 mm
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 12 mm MGs
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent climb speed
* Excellent dive speed
* Better-than-average turn-radius
* Good energy retention for Boom & Zoom manoeuvres
* Two more machine guns (six total) for increased firepower over the [[P-36C]]

'''Cons:'''

* Lack of turbocharger relegates this fighter to lower altitudes
* No suspended armament options
* Less-than-average roll rate at high speeds
* Very little armour protection
* Poor in a head-on, engine and pilot exposed

== History ==

The P-36 Hawk began its life at Curtiss Aeroplane Company as a design in the early 1930s. A private venture by Curtiss, the project was headed up by Donovan A. Berlin, a former Northrop aircraft company engineer who was the principal designer and incorporated design portions of early Northrop designs.<ref name="MilFac" /> The P-36, at this time known as the X-17Y, was a stretch from the biplane years by utilizing an all-metal low-wing monoplane with fabric-covered control surfaces. This aircraft also featured retractable landing gear, which utilized a design put forward by Boeing Aircraft Company and required royalties to be paid to Boeing for every aircraft in which this landing gear was installed.<ref name="JoeB" /><ref name="AviHis" /> Initial weapon load-outs included the standard 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns, both of which were mounted in the forward fuselage deck and fired through openings in the cowling, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.<ref name="AviHis" />

The initial flight took place in 1935 and when it was presented at a competition the next year, the competitor aircraft (Seversky SEV-2XP/P-35) was heavily damaged in transit. While Seversky took their aircraft back to perform repairs and modifications, Curtiss took the opportunity during this time to make some modifications of their own, and namely replacing the Wright XR-1670-5 twin-row air-cooled radial engine with the upgraded Write XR-1820-39 Cyclone radial.<ref name="MilFac" /> With the Seversky aircraft repaired, the competition was back on. Even though the Seversky aircraft underperformed and was more expensive than Curtis X-17Y, it was selected and an order of 77 aircraft were put in for, however later the Material Division of the USAAC contacted Curtis and put in an order for three examples as they were becoming nervous about Seversky's ability to deliver their aircraft on time. Curtiss worked on modifying the P-36 by again upgrading the motor and working on the cockpit, especially increasing the amount of area behind the cockpit where the pilot could see. During the 1937 competition, test pilots who piloted the P-36 all commented that the aircraft responded to pilot input favourable and at all speeds and even noted that it handled well on the ground while taxiing. With such a reaction from the test pilots, the USAAC put in an order for 210 P-36A fighters, which at that time was the largest single US military aircraft order since World War I.<ref name="JoeB" />

As the P-36 fighters began to roll off the assembly line, they were shipped to US squadrons, however, problems developed with the aircraft which left them grounded while waiting repairs. The P-36 continued to have problems, however, four P-36A fighters stationed at Wheeler Air Field in Hawaii were able to get airborne and attach a flight of Nakajima B5N1 torpedo bombers, claiming two shot down and gaining the first US fighter aircraft "kills" of the Pacific War. Despite this action, the P-36 fighters were withdrawn from combat outfits and sent to training units for new pilots to train on. While the P-36 did not see much action with the U.S., it did see combat action while flown by other nations such as France and Finland where they put the little fighter to the test and were highly successful with it. 10 P-36A training fighters were transferred in 1942 to Brazil where they remained in service until 1954.<ref name="JoeB" />

=== In-game description ===
Not long before the Germans occupied Norway, the Norwegian government put in another order with the Curtiss company. In January 1940, a contract was signed for 36 Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 fighters.

The new model differed from the Curtiss Hawk 75A-6s in its improved weaponry and its 9-cylinder single-row air-cooled Wright GR-1820-G205A Cyclone engine with a maximum output of 1,200 hp.

The Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 possessed two large-caliber 12.7 mm synchronized Colt-Browning ANM2.5 machine guns in the fuselage with 200 rounds each and four 7.62 mm Colt-Browning ANM2.3 machine guns mounted on the wing panels with 500 rounds each. Bomb racks were installed on the underside wing panels.

This model was equipped with a fixed loop radio compass, the antenna of which was installed above the fuselage spine fairing behind the pilot's cockpit in a characteristic teardrop fairing.

The order was fully completed by the end of 1940, but all the planes of this model remained overseas due to the occupation of Norway. The exiled Norwegian government received only 6 Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 fighters and used them as training planes to prepare fighter pilots for the Norwegian Army Air Service in so-called Little Norway at Toronto, Canada until mid-1943.

The remaining Curtiss Hawk 75A-8s were integrated into the USAAF with the designation P-36G.

By this time, the Curtiss Hawk 75A was no longer of high value as a fighter, and the other P-36s in the USAAF were powered by different engines. Because of these issues, the P-36Gs were transferred to Peru in 1943 as part of the lend-lease program.

The Latin-American country's formerly Norwegian Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 fighters served peacefully until 1954.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|91duRbIoCPM|'''The Shooting Range #91''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:02 discusses the P-36.|dHiWxG9r-k8|''War Thunder: P-36G Hawk'' - '''MagzTV'''|G3cXlOGKXyc|''War Thunder Realistic: P-36G Hawk [Little Beast!]'' - '''Jengar'''}}

== See also ==


* [[P-36 (Family)|Curtiss P-36 and H-75 variants]]

;Analogues of other nations

* Polikarpov [[I-180S]]
* Bloch M.B.150
* [[IAR-81C]]
* Mitsubishi [[A6M (Family)|A6M]] Zero
* Nakajima [[Ki-43 (Family)|Ki-43]]
* Reggiane [[Re.2000 serie 1|Re.2000]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
<references>
<ref name="JoeB">Baugher, Joe (1999)</ref>
<ref name="MilFac">Militaryfactory.com website (2019)</ref>
<ref name="AviHis">Aviationhistory.com website (2007)</ref>
</references>

=== Biblography ===

* Aviationhistory.com website. [http://www.aviation-history.com/curtiss/p36.htm The Curtiss P-36 Hawk]. ''The Aviation History Online Mueseum website'', On-line 12 June 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
* Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p36_1.html Curtiss P-36A Curtiss P-36A]. ''Joebauer.com website", On-line 12 June 1999. Retrieved 24 August 2019.''
* Militaryfactory.com website (2019) [https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=155 Curtiss P-36 Hawk (Hawk 75 / Mohawk).] ''Militaryfactory.com website'', On-line 10 May 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Curtiss}}
{{USA fighters}}