War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

2S38

2022-10-29T00:38:56Z

U120244562: Formatting

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_2s38
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Fire and Ice"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A90 (57 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A90 (57 mm)|57 mm 2A90]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 148 || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 225 || 221 || 209 || 193 || 177 || 161
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 1,000 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 9 || 20.02 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 235.62 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 1,500 || 0.95 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="12" | Proximity-fused shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Arming distance (m)
! rowspan="2" | Trigger radius (m)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 500 || 6 || 231 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''148''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|PKTM (7.62 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKTM (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKTM]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
The 2S38 is played like a standard light tank; Use your mobility and speed to flank enemies, and your gun is powerful enough to penetrate most tank's side and back armor. It's gun has one of the fastest reloads out of all tank cannons in the game, at an astounding 0.5s. One thing to note about the 2S38 is that it has proximity fused HE shells, allowing it to fire at helicopters and other airbourne targets to some effect.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Extremely fast reload
* High mobility
* HE-VT round allows for some anti-air capability

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armor
* High firerate depletes ammo rather quickly

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

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

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

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

2S38

2022-10-29T00:27:07Z

U120244562: /* Usage in battles */ Whoops, accidentally wrote in the wrong column. It's fixed now.

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_2s38
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Fire and Ice"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A90 (57 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A90 (57 mm)|57 mm 2A90]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 148 || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 225 || 221 || 209 || 193 || 177 || 161
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 1,000 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 9 || 20.02 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 235.62 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 1,500 || 0.95 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="12" | Proximity-fused shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Arming distance (m)
! rowspan="2" | Trigger radius (m)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 500 || 6 || 231 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''148''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|PKTM (7.62 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKTM (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKTM]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
The 2S38 is played like a standard light tank; Use your mobility and speed to flank enemies, and your gun is powerful enough to penetrate most tank's side and back armor. It's gun has one of the fastest reloads out of all tank cannons in the game, at an astounding 0.5s. One thing to note about the 2S38 is that it has proximity fused HE shells, allowing it to fire at helicopters and other airbourne targets to some effect.

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Extremely fast reload
* High mobility
* HE-VT round allows for some anti-air capability

*

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armor
* High firerate depletes ammo rather quickly

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

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

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

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

2S38

2022-10-29T00:25:48Z

U120244562: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_2s38
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Fire and Ice"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|2A90 (57 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A90 (57 mm)|57 mm 2A90]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 148 || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+75° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 225 || 221 || 209 || 193 || 177 || 161
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 1,000 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 9 || 20.02 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 235.62 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| 3UBM22 || APFSDS || 1,500 || 0.95 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="12" | Proximity-fused shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Arming distance (m)
! rowspan="2" | Trigger radius (m)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 3UO8 || HE-VT* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 500 || 6 || 231 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''148''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|PKTM (7.62 mm)}}

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKTM (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKTM]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===

The 2S38 is played like a standard light tank; Use your mobility and speed to flank enemies, and your gun is powerful enough to penetrate most tank's side and back armor. It's gun has one of the fastest reloads out of all tank cannons in the game, at an astounding 0.5s. One thing to note about the 2S38 is that it has proximity fused HE shells, allowing it to fire at helicopters and other airbourne targets to some effect.

'''Pros:'''

* Extremely fast reload
* High mobility
* HE-VT round allows for some anti-air capability

*

'''Cons:'''

* Weak armor
* High firerate depletes ammo rather quickly

*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

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

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

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

WZ305

2022-10-08T17:24:08Z

U120244562: /* Usage in battles */ Firing shells does not show the lead indicator, as it is based off of distance.

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_wz_305
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', sometimes known as the PGZ80, is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]].

The Chinese counterpart to the infamous [[ZSU-57-2]], the WZ305 will feel very familiar to veteran users of the "Sparka". While outwardly similar, there are some differences. The hull is developed from a later [[Type 69]] variant, as opposed to the ZSU's chassis derived from the T-54. Cosmetic differences include fender-mounted headlights, side skirts, and the retention of all five road wheels. The WZ305's hull is better armoured, though this adds about 3 tons to its weight, and has a slightly more powerful engine. Firepower wise it enjoys a new DKY-1 airburst HE shell that makes it far easier to use against aircraft. The WZ305 can dispatch light targets, clean up flanks, and clear the skies, making it a valuable asset throughout a battle.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour of the WZ305 is very poor. While the upper glacis is now about as strong as a T-34, this level of protection does not amount to much at its rank. The paper-thin turret means that enemies with heavy machine guns or autocannons can mow down the turret crew and potentially knock out the tank with a single burst. The open roof renders the WZ305 highly vulnerable to overpressure damage, so nearby artillery, bombs, and rockets will often knock out the crew.

Compared to the ZSU-57-2, the upper glacis is significantly thicker at 45 mm of RHA compared to the original 13.5 mm. The side armour is 20 mm (+5 mm difference) and the rear armour is 30 mm (+20 mm difference). The turret is slightly thinner than the original but the difference is negligible.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 45 mm (54°) ''Lower glacis'' || 20 mm || 30 mm (17-49°) ''Top'' 20 mm (73°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 12 mm (14-57°) ''Turret front'' 12 mm (25-64°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 12 mm (9-61°) || 12 mm (4-59°) || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12 mm thick.
* Hatches and air intake are 15 mm thick.
* Side skirts consist of rubber-fabric screens 3 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=824|rbMinHp=513}}

The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is about the same as the [[ZSU-57-2]], with a hp/ton ratio of 19, a top speed of 50 km/h, and a reverse speed of -7 km/h. While not lightning fast, it is considerably more mobile than contemporary Chinese MBTs like the [[Type 59]] and should have few issues keeping up with teammates. Flanking should be done with caution since proper light tanks and some MBTs are more mobile, especially on-road, and may appear suddenly.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|WA318 (57 mm)}}

Although this is an AA vehicle, its twin 57 mm cannons are still equally deadly against ground units. When stock, their accuracy isn't good so the shells fly all over the place as the distance increases, and the stock belt is made up of half APCBC, half HE, meaning it is not the most efficient belt when dealing with either planes or tanks. Therefore the best tactic for a fully stock WZ305 is to shoot the enemies' side up close or to target low-flying helicopters. The full APCBC belt should be the priority to research with the HE-VT behind it.

When the BR-281 belt (full APCBC) is available, the player can go into full anti-tank mode as this shell packs quite a punch, and it can penetrate pretty much any tank's side armour (excluding the Maus) and some tanks' frontal armour. In a flank the WZ305 can finish off a group of opponents with an unbelievable speed. Two shells will slice through their side armour and explode with a single click of the mouse, so theoretically one clip is enough to wipe out four tanks in a row (aiming at the crew compartment only, of course). A few seconds later, another set of clips will be loaded, ready to hunt more prey.

The APCBC shell also performs alright in the AA role, since its calibre is quite large for planes, and a direct hit usually critically damages the plane, if not destroying it instantly. However, it is best to use the deadly HE-VT belt for anti-air duties. Killing planes will be much easier since now you don't have to hit right on target (which requires lots of careful leading and adjusting). Those near-misses will all deal quite a bit of damage, thanks to the 450 g TNT, over 1,000 m/s of velocity and the 6 m trigger radius for each shell.

Note that the WZ305's gun handling is worse than the ZSU-57-2's. The turret rotation speed is roughly 40% slower, which makes it more difficult to track aircraft or react to ground targets in close quarters fighting. It still rotates significantly faster than other Chinese tanks, so this is not unbearable.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[WA318 (57 mm)|57 mm WA318]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 304 (4) || rowspan="2" | 120 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 31.7 || 43.9 || 53.3 || 58.9 || 62.7 || rowspan="2" | 2.60 || rowspan="2" | 2.30 || rowspan="2" | 2.12 || rowspan="2" | 2.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 21.4 || 25.2 || 30.6 || 33.8 || 36.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HE*|High-explosive fragmentation (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - 50% of this belt are useless against tanks or planes. However, against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
* '''BR-281:''' {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}} - For use against ground vehicles. With around 150 mm of penetration at point blank, this belt can go through side armour and take out lightly armoured targets. Actual MBTs can typically resist it from the front. It does not contain much explosive filler per round, but since the WZ305 has two cannons (each with a clip of 4 rounds) multiple penetrations have a high chance of knocking out the target.
* '''OR-281U:''' {{Annotation|HE*|High-explosive fragmentation (self-destroying)}} - For use against planes. One or two hits usually get the job done. However, heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require several hits.
* '''BR-281U:''' {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HE*|High-explosive fragmentation (self-destroying)}} - For use against ground vehicles. A solid shot projectile, it currently has the same penetration as the ordinary BR-281 APCBC and there is thus no real reason to use it.
* '''DKY-1:''' {{Annotation|HE-VT*|High-explosive variable time fuze (self-destroying)}} - For use against planes. The huge explosive mass will blow most aircraft out of the sky with a fairly close hit, 15 m trigger radius means that one can be much more lenient with aiming. However, the proximity fuse requires 500 m of arming distance and within this distance it acts only like a powerful HE round.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| BR-281 || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| OR-281U || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-
| BR-281U || 151 || 147 || 132 || 114 || 100 || 87
|-
| DKY-1 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 8
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-281 || APCBC || 1,000 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 9 || 20.02 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OR-281U || HE* || 1,000 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 235.62 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="12" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! rowspan="2" | Arming distance (m)
! rowspan="2" | Trigger radius (m)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DKY-1 || HE-VT* || 1,012 || 2.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 446.6 || 500 || 6 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
|-
| '''76''' || 76 ''(+0)'' || 74 ''(+2)'' || 60 ''(+16)'' || 58 ''(+18)'' || 54 ''(+22)'' || 52 ''(+24)''|| 42 ''(+34)'' || 32 ''(+44)''
|-
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! 12th rack empty
! 13th rack empty
! 14th rack empty
! 15th rack empty
! 16th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 30 ''(+46)'' || 30 ''(+46)'' || 28 ''(+48)'' || 18 ''(+58)'' || 18 ''(+58)'' || 9 ''(+67)'' || 1 ''(+75)'' || 1 ''(+75)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* A clip is made of 4 shells.
* The belts can only be picked in multiples of 2 and they also deplete in multiples of 2. Each gun using 1 belt each time.
* Because the User Interface only allows to pick belts in multiples of 2, the UI may indicate the {{PAGENAME}} carries 76 belts.
* Ammo racks 1 to 11 are stored in the turret.
* Ammo racks 12 to 16 are stored in the hull.
* It is advised to bring 18 ''(+58)'' clips in order to reduce the chances of ammo rack upon being shot in the turret. However, this may not be enough for an anti-air role.

== Usage in battles ==


Like its Soviet cousin, the WZ305 is capable of slaughtering lightly armoured vehicles, but using it in an anti-ground role is risky due to its lacklustre defence. It is best to play carefully while keeping a keen eye out for opportunities to knock out tanks and aircraft.

;AAA

As an SPAA this should be the first course of action. Find a safe location from enemy ground vehicles, lie in wait and open fire on any enemies when they are in range. The powerful 57 mm cannons will tear apart any aircraft from the sky in 1-5 direct hits. If the fused HE shells are unlocked, this is even easier; the proximity fuse will make it much easier to land hits in general and manoeuvring targets will have a harder time dodging your fire. The big downside is that the gunner crew are exposed to strafing aircraft and can easily be taken out by aircraft machine gun/cannon fire, so it is important to first prioritize aircraft which appear to be gunning for the WZ305.

In Ground RB, the WZ305 will often face helicopters. The common [[AH-1G]] is fast, slim, and has a solid armament that can take out the WZ305 with ease. Gunning down a Cobra with the HE or APCBC rounds can be rather difficult due to its small profile. Once the HE-VT rounds are unlocked, swatting helicopters becomes much easier. Among early helicopters, the AH-1G, [[UH-1B (Japan)|Japanese UH-1B]] and [[AB 205 A-1]] have only unguided weapons and must get close to fight, which forces them into to the WZ305's comfortable engagement range, but others such as the British [[Scout AH.Mk.1]] or German [[SA.313B Alouette II (Germany)|SA.313B Alouette II]] can hover several kilometres away from the battlefield and sling ATGMs in relative safety. The WZ305 has no radar or rangefinder, so sniping an ATGM helicopter at long range is difficult. If they are sitting very still, it may be possible to eventually fire onto the helicopter's position. This will probably attract the helicopter's attention, so be prepared to jump into cover if they fire an ATGM.

Enemy planes fly faster and are more difficult to hit than helicopters. Propeller or turboprop planes are slow enough to hit fairly comfortably and common sights include the [[AD-2]]/[[AD-4]] Skyraiders, [[A2D-1]] Skyshark, [[Wyvern S4]], and [[F4U-7]] Corsair, which all boast very potent ordnance. These aircraft also tend to be large and full of fuel, which makes it easier to trigger the proximity fuse and set them on fire if they are not blown apart. Jets are generally not worth shooting at unless they are flying in a straight line or have lost most of their speed. If you destroy an aircraft with ordnance in a head-on, it may be worth sending some more HE-VT rounds their way to ensure that they have lost control; otherwise, they may be able to steer their wreck towards you and deliver some nasty farewell presents.

Although Ground RB seems to be more popular, Ground AB still works great in the case of WZ305, since there are lead indicators for all aircraft which makes killing them even more easier, given that the player has the HE-VT belt. In an arcade battle, fill all the ammo racks up with the VT belt but also prepare around 10 full AP belts to defend against tanks. At the start of the match, find a place that is not too far away from the frontline (planes usually go for the crowded frontline) but also not too close to it (easier to get shot by tanks), so the player can fully concentrate on planes and not worrying about tanks. The place should have a hard cover that is wide and tall enough to hide from strafing aircraft. Then just wait til the enemy begins to spawn in planes. For fighters, wait until they are 2 km or closer. For slow and little manoeuvrable bombers (e.g. Tu-14, IL-28) open fire at around 3 km distance. If the lead indicator doesn't show up, wait until the plane is about 2.5 km away. Now just pour those VT shells towards that grey circle and there is a great chance to destroy a plane with 1-2 belts. Even if the plane isn't dead, the excellent VT shells will at least score hits / critical hits, and since planes in arcade always ram into the ground themselves, the kill will eventually be yours. Be careful when dealing with Me 262, Me 163 and the MiGs, as they have large-calibre nose-mounted cannons which tend to kill the gunner or the loader in the open turret easily. If the plane wants to strafe you, move sideways to make yourself harder to aim at, or quickly go back to cover.

;Tank Destroyer

Using the 57 mm cannons on a ground attack role is possible and have been exploited by many players. Using BR-281 ammo, the guns can effectively pierce the side and rear of any tank (excluding the Maus). Remember the WZ305's armour does not compare to other tanks armour so one shot could be the end of the SPAA. Play cat-and-mouse and wait for the enemy to go into an engagement with another target and then jump out into the open and fire upon them while they are distracted. It is recommended to the first aim for their rear to disable their engine and cause a fire, they will have to stop what they are doing and put it out. During this time they won't be able to move or fire upon the WZ305, allowing a chance to finish off the crewmen inside by unloading the 57 mm cannons into the side of the enemy tank.

Light tanks and IFVs are quite common at the WZ305's rank and are enticing targets. The [[M3 Bradley]] has a large profile and pitiful protection, so it is quite possible to destroy one with a single salvo of APCBC rounds. Do not underestimate the Bradley since it is still very capable of destroying the WZ305 in turn with its autocannon, ATGMs, and thermal sights. The [[M551|M551 Sheridan]] is another easy target, having neither thermals nor an autocannon. Despite being an IFV, the German [[Begleitpanzer 57]] fulfills a similar role to the WZ305 as it has an unstabilized 57 mm cannon with HE-VT rounds; take advantage of the fact that the WZ305 has twice the gun count to quickly gun down the Begleitpanzer and protect friendly aircraft. The Italian [[Centauro]] is also a common sight and can be difficult to destroy at times due to its large volume and good sloping despite its thin armour. Focus fire on the turret crew and try flanking shots if possible.

Medium and heavy tanks tend to be resistant if not outright immune to the WZ305 from the front, even the poorly armoured ones like the [[Leopard I]]. While it is often possible to pop out in the frontal view of an otherwise unaware light tank and gun them down in a single shot, this typically won't work against MBTs. As mentioned before, strive for side shots instead: Western MBTs tend to have poor side armour and it is often possible to perforate their hull or turret sides at half-decent angles of attack. This might be achieved by going on flanking runs, hiding in ambush positions, or sometimes even just waiting until their turrets are turned. Just avoid frontal assaults; the WZ305 and ZSU-57-2 do have a reputation for being functionally tank destroyers, but much of that comes from being able to greatly capitalize on good flanks or unaware enemies. They are not all-purpose death machines.

The WZ305 is very well capable of hunting down tanks of all types with adequate armour ([[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], [[M48 Patton (Family)|M48]], [[M60 (Family)|M60]], etc.), but there are some heavy tanks that you cannot destroy ([[IS-7]], [[Object 279]], [[Maus]]).

Despite the increased hull armour over the ZSU-57-2, do not expect to survive any incoming fire. The hull can shrug off light fire from the front but the turret is paper-thin. HESH or HEATFS rounds can also cause overpressure. Stick close to cover when possible and try not to stay in exposed positions.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fantastic HE-VT rounds are deadly against air targets, a few hits will cripple if not destroy them
* Excellent anti-tank firepower for a SPAA, especially when flanking
* High rate of fire and fast reload makes quick work of multiple tanks and planes alike
* Dedicated APHE and HE-VT belts
* Decent mobility
* Master at the late game where it can perform multiple roles (flanker, SPAA, support)

'''Cons:'''

* Inadequate armour protection and survivability, entire turret crew is vulnerable to machine guns of any calibre
* No radar of any kind, requires plenty of manual searching and leading which is sometimes very ineffective
* HE-VT rounds are a Tier IV modification and take some practice to use effectively
* Slower gun traverse speed than ZSU-57-2 makes it harder to react to low and fast jet strafes
* No night vision devices or thermal, rendering it useless in night battles
* Poor reverse speed of only -7 km/h and bad gun depression (-5 degrees)

== History ==


In the 1980s, Iraq requested that China make a copy of the ZSU-57-2 and provided a few examples of the Soviet SPAAG for reverse engineering. China had not previously imported or used the ZSU-57-2. However, a local copy of the ZSU's gun was available. The result of the project was the Type 80 SPAAG, sometimes known by its industrial designation of '''WZ305'''. Designed on the chassis of the Type 69-II medium tank, the Type 80 was very similar to the ZSU-57-2, featuring twin 57 mm cannons in an open topped turret with no fire control systems, limiting it to clear weather anti-aircraft use. A proximity-fused round was later developed that improved its utility.

According to some sources, the Type 80 was adopted by the PLA in small numbers, while others claim that it was not accepted into Chinese service at all. It was used in Iraqi service in the Iran-Iraq War and Gulf War, and may have been exported to North Korea.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_wz_305 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ZR4C7q4NZIU|'''{{PAGENAME}} - SPAA Goes Full Anti Tank Mode''' - ''Napalmratte''|t4CO6g-B0-8|'''Twin 57mm cannons proximity fuse shells''' - ''PhlyDaily''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same turret

* [[ZSU-57-2]]

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

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

{{China anti-aircraft vehicles}}

F8F-1B

2022-07-17T13:21:48Z

U120244562: /* Modifications and economy */

{{About
| about = American naval fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| and
| usage = other versions
| link-1 = F8F-1
| link-2 = F8F-1B (France)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f8f1b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_f8f1b.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American naval fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.33]].

The F8F-1B is truly a worthy aircraft to end the single engine fighter line of the USN branch. Nimble, fast, and with great acceleration, it is sight of fear for the foe's eye. Most of its enemies will be jets and they will shiver as the Bearcat faces them with a 2 km altitude and (sometimes with) speed advantage. With WEP running (War Emergency Power), includes ADI (Water-Methanol Injection) for the big and hungry 2,300 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp) and modules maximized, the climb rate is well over 35 m/s. However, its main weakness is the Bearcat's very power source: the hot-running R-2800 Double Wasp.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,268 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
| 672 || 647 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.1 || 20.8 || 19.3 || 19.3 || rowspan="2" | 220
|-
! Upgraded
| 752 || 708 || 18.0 || 19.0 || 32.8 || 24.8
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 616 || 585 || 427 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 465 || < 466 || < 600 || > 460
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 8.5 mm Steel - Under cowling engine armour plate
* 8.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit protection plate
* 9.5 mm Steel - Pilots seat and headrest
* 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

The stock ammo belt for the M3 is great. So don't waste research here. Biggest problem early on is the sluggish behaviour and gun jamming. The latter can be resolved with spending crew points in Weapon Maintenance, which by now in Rank 4 should be already at a decent level. If you're trigger happy, there is bad news: "New 20 mm cannons" are a tier 4 upgrade. Instead focus on the engine upgrades. Especially "Engine Injection" which gives the plane a great boost of performance and turns it into a true bear. The new 20 mm cannons turn the weapons from a shotgun-like spread to significantly more accurate grouping. It is worthwhile to skip the 20 mm belt upgrade and focus on engine improvements until unlocking the new 20 mm cannons upgrade, as the default belts are nearly as devastating as stealth ammo, but with a tracer round added into the mix.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M3 (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm M3 cannon, wing-mounted (188 rpg outer + 225 rpg inner each wing = 826 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)|HVAR|Tiny Tim|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (gunpods) (340 rpg = 1,360 total)
* 2 x Tiny Tim rockets
* 4 x HVAR rockets
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb + 4 x HVAR rockets (1,000 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

In Arcade battles the F8F-1B can perform at its prime, which is, accordingly, remarkably. Due to the lack of damage due to overheating and such, the F8F-1B can easily outstrip any piston-engine fighter in a climb once upgraded.

Prior to the "engine injection" upgrade, the 1B performs very well, but not as sublimely as it does with the modification. Thus, climbing and Boom & Zoom match perfectly with the F8F-1B in AB due to its astounding climb rate, speed, acceleration, and weaponry.

Regarding weaponry, fire in very short bursts with the M3 20 mm because they will jam rather quickly. The most ideal belt is "Air targets", as the belt has the most HEF-I shells (together with the stealth belt, but the Air targets belt has an API-T shell instead of a practice shell).
[[File:FighterImage_F8F1.jpg|thumbnail|left|A Bearcat dives towards a formation of [[Kikka]] fighter-bombers.]]
In Realistic Battles, the F8F-1B possesses flight performance, armament, and engine power that are top of its class. However, the F8F-1B's engine tends to overheat after ~2-2.5 minutes of continuous WEP. These poor thermals force the Bearcat to be played more carefully, avoiding long dogfights with enemy aircraft to preserve the engine as much as possible. Another caveat to take note of is the rudder control. Past 680-700 km/h (422-435 mph/367-377 kt), the rudder controls become very stiff and unresponsive. This necessitates careful management of speed, or carefully setting up targets so the rudder's usage is mitigated.

With Air Combat Manoeuvres in mind, the F8F-1B is a surprisingly responsive aircraft. Much like its historical predecessor, the [[F6F-5]], the F8F-1B maintains a competitive turn rate at most speeds below 700 km/h (435 mph/377 kt). That being said, sustained turning engagements are not advised in this aircraft due to the poor elevator response below 350 km/h (217 mph/189 kt). The most ideal tactics to use in Air Realistic battles are Boom and Zoom, combined with wide energy saving manoeuvres in order to pull the opponent into an energy trap.

The F8F-1B will be commonly fighting a range of aircraft from the German aviation tree, which require different methods of engagement to be successful.

Firstly, the [[Ju 288 C]] is a frontline bomber with potent defensive armament consisting of four rear-facing MG 131 machine guns in one dorsal and one belly turret, two front-facing MG 131s in a chin-mounted turret, and a single MG 151/20 mounted in a barbette in the tail. Engaging this bomber is best done with head-on attacks at the start of the match, or high speed passes from above - thus minimizing your exposure to the Ju 288 C's gunners.

Against the Focke Wulf [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190 D family]], the most ideal method of engaging these enemies is to take advantage of the F8F-1B's superior energy retention, combined with superior turn radius at most speeds to bait the Fw 190 D into energy traps. Do not attempt head-on attacks against these, or any other German fighter you see. This is because of the high damage output of their MG 151/20 or Mk 108 autocannons. Though the M3 cannon does have superior ballistics, it is much better to not put your aircraft at unnecessary risk.

To engage the Focke Wulf [[Ta 152 C-3]], it is best to take advantage of the aircraft's largely inferior rudder and elevator response when compared to the F8F-1B. The Ta 152C-3 is able to match the F8F-1B's speed in straight line engagements with ease due to its powerful DB 603 engine, but the German aircraft accelerates more slowly than the F8F-1B despite its good energy retention thus, being easily baited into an unwinnable situation against the F8F-1B. The [[Ta 152 H-1]] requires a similar method to the Ta 152 C-3. However, this variant turns much better than its cousin, at the expense of roll rate, though the issue of poor rudder response remains with this aircraft, as well as worse energy retention due to the much larger wings.

When engaging any of the Messerschmitt [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109 G/K]] variants that face the F8F-1B, it is best to bait them into higher speed energy fights, this is due to the Bearcat's superior control response between 450-700 km/h (280-435 mph/242-377 kt), much more powerful radial engine, and superior power-to-weight ratio. These advantages make vertical engagements against the Bf 109 family the most desirable, as the German aircraft will lose more energy attempting to stay in steep climbs with the Bearcat. However, engaging in sustained turning engagements that go below 450 km/h (280 mph/242 kt) is not advised. This is because the Messerschmitt's leading edge slats allow the aircraft to pull higher angles of attack than the F8F-1B at those speeds and thus turn inside of it.

Engaging the Dornier [[Do 335 B-2]] is arguably the most straightforward. The Do 335 B-2 is a far inferior aircraft to the F8F-1B in every respect, only really being a danger to the American fighter in direct head-on engagements. This is because the Do 335 B-2 is unable to match the flight performance of the Bearcat and is thus will be a sitting duck in most situations.

Engaging the [[He 162 A-2]] and [[Ar 234 B-2]] require different methodologies however. The tactics against them will become far more prevalent when facing later jets in uptiers. The Bearcat faces little danger from the Arado, as it has no offensive or defensive armaments, however can only catch it in an extended chase at low altitude, or in a head-on pass. Be careful of being caught in its bombs' explosive splash range at low altitudes. To engage the He 162, it is advisable to bait the aircraft into a low energy state, due to the poor acceleration and throttle response from early jet-powered aircraft. It is not advisable to run from the Heinkel either, as the He 162s can catch the F8F-1B in an extended straight line engagement.

Soviet and Chinese aircraft can also be commonly seen in battles.

The [[Yak-3U]] and [[Yak-3 (VK-107)]] can pose significant threat to the F8F-1B. These aircraft are incredibly manoeuvrable, and retain energy as well as the F8F-1B, so are easily able to match it in any engagement that doesn't involve straight-line speed. However, their major weakness is their low redline speed, which allows the F8F-1B to dictate the engagement, and escape if need be. The [[Yak-9UT]] is similar to the Yak-3s listed, however it is less manoeuvrable and more heavily armed. The [[Yak-15]] is essentially a Yak-3 VK-107 in regards to performance and redline.

The Mikoyan I-225 is less capable than the F8F-1B by far, and is best engaged in a similar manner to engaging the Bf 109 family. This aircraft is more manoeuvrable than the Bf 109, and has incredibly good high altitude performance, so is best engaged below 5,000 metres (16,400 feet).

Engaging the Tupolev [[Tu-2S]] and [[Tu-1]] is best done in a similar manner to engaging the Ju 288 C, with the addition of avoiding direct head-on passes due to their powerful frontal armaments.

Commonly seen Japanese and Italian aircraft are largely similar to the previously mentioned aircraft, with one major exception: the A7M2.

The Mitsubishi [[A7M2]] is much slower than any other aircraft mentioned but is extremely manoeuvrable. It has a great power to weight ratio and is able to turn inside of the F8F-1B at any speed. Engaging this aircraft is a matter of speed management.

=== 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 || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent dive speed
* Excellent manoeuvrability in moderate to high speeds
* Fast acceleration
* High rate of fire
* High ammo count
* Can support high G's in sharp turns and has a G-suit upgrade available
* Combat Flaps can't break, the wings will break faster
* Double the burst mass of the first [[F8F-1|F8F-1 Bearcat]] and in general powerful armament
* Great roll rate compared to planes such as the BF-109
* Respectable climb rate up to 5 km
* Excellent bomb capacity

'''Cons:'''

* Engine overheats quickly
* With the unbreakable combat flaps deployed, wings can rip in a high speed turn
* M3 cannons jam in barely three seconds unless they are upgraded
* Not the fastest plane, so lots of planes can catch up
* Ground loops if landing with full brakes
* Sluggish controls at speeds less than 300 km/h
* Dumps velocity in high-G turns
* Rudder compresses to the point of uselessness over 600 km/h

== History ==

The first idea for the creation of the Grumman [[F8F-1|F8F Bearcat]] was pitched after the Battle of Midway. Many pilots who took part in it remarked that one of the most important parts of naval air warfare was an aircraft's rate of climb. This of course meant that an increase in power was necessary. In 1943 the design work on the new aircraft began. The outline called for a fighter-interceptor, capable of operating even from small escort carriers. While the engine – the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial – was the same model used on the earlier [[F6F-5|F6F Hellcat]], the new fighter would be lighter which also meant an increase in speed and climb rate. The concession was limiting the range of the new aircraft. The F8F would also feature a bubble canopy for better all around visibility. The first prototype, the XF8F-1, first took to the skies on the 21st August 1944. Further tests proved the aircraft's reliability and ruggedness, and the F8F was accepted into mass production. The first serial models rolled off the assembly line in February 1945 and were delivered to VF-19 fighter squadron, which began operating flights with the Bearcats in May 1945.

The new fighter, was, however, too late for any combat in World War II. After the war the situation of this propeller aircraft got even more complicated thanks to the introduction of naval jet aircraft. Even though the F8F was one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft of its time, it was clear that the jet age was dawning. The F8F was replaced in US Navy and USMC service by the F9F Panther and the [[F2H-2|F2H Banshee]] jet aircraft. Some Bearcats saw combat service with the French in French Indochina in 1951, when they were used in the CAS role against the Viet Minh troops. Thailand also received a shipment of Bearcats which were then operated by the Thai Air Force. The F8F found a new life – thanks to its speed and acceleration - it was and still is widely used as a racing aircraft. One of the most famous racing Bearcats is the Rare Bear – a specially modified F8F, which holds many propeller aircraft speed and climb records.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f8f1b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|eRBzLn1se_Y|'''The Shooting Range #239''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|4v3fxupuZPA|'''Last piston fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:28 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PNkoJ-MFERc|'''Best naval fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:24 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/F8F/F8F-1_Standard_Aircraft_Characteristics.pdf Standard Aircraft Characteristics of the F8F-1]

{{AirManufacturer Grumman}}
{{USA fighters}}

M901

2022-07-11T00:00:00Z

U120244562: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m901_itv
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. Based on the M113 chassis, this vehicle is equipped with the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM missile launcher.

Upon release, M901 ITV was nicknamed Wall-E, after the Waste Allocation Load-Lifter: Earth-Class robot, the main protagonist of the 2008 Pixar's computer-animated science fiction film of the same name.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:M901 X-ray.png|thumb|x250px|right|Interior layout of the {{PAGENAME}} showing the location of ammo racks, crew and critical components.]]

The {{PAGENAME}} is based off the M113. It may look like a lightly armoured vehicle, but it features 44 mm of alloy 7039 on the sides and 38mm on the front. The front is angled to make frontal armour effective thickness to match the flat sides. Overall, This counts as about 21 mm of RHA. However, there is a hatch on front which is much about 40% thinner and make this effort rather fruitless, which is compensated by engine block being there to block some shots.

Overall, head-on this is only enough to stop 12.7 mm calibre machine gun fire from 600m away and if angled correctly able to stop some low-calibre SPAA's from penetrating the hull and '''any''' APHE of its rank will detonate upon hitting it. Keep in mind, that SPAA have high fire rate and you must park it at least 600 m away and at an angle, or they will still manage some partial penetrations. The 30-35 mm SPAA and light tanks will penetrate this tank indefinitely at almost any range.

The top is also quite strong with 38 mm of alloy, which is equivalent to about 18 mm RHA, which means hull might be able to sustain some inaccurate fighter strafe, but most of their 30 mm cannons or top-down attacks will still ruin the tank. If small Bombs or rockets miss, they might fail to penetrate, but armour will not save M901 when receiving a direct hit.

The crew, however, has excellent survivability when the vehicle is placed in a hull-down position. Two crew members, the loader and the commander, are located in the back part of the hull and there are no other critical components located there, so there is little reason to target them first. In the middle of the tank is the gunner operating the tower. Since the I-tow missile is launched from a launcher mounted on top of a tower, it is next to impossible to hit the tower base when hull-down and so the gunner is not exposed to direct fire. The driver is located at the front of the vehicle and is next to the engine block, which might block the shot.

Behind the engine block is the ammunition storage, if hit from the front with SPAA rounds or some types of conventional rounds, the engine block will eat up (absorb and protect the rest of the vehicle) most of the shots, however, if shot from the side or from the front with HEAT, pure AP, APDS and APFSDS rounds, this usually ends in disaster as it will go through the engine and cause an ammunition explosion or destroy a majority of the crew, knocking out the vehicle with a single shot.

When played from a hull-down position with only the launcher exposed, this vehicle is practically immune to kinetic damage, however, being hit with a chemical shell or ATGM into the turret might cause the ATGMs to explode and destroy the carrier. Crossing open areas may also result in taking a hit, thus losing an engine, a crew member or resulting in an ammo-rack explosion.

'''Armour type:'''

* Aluminum Alloy 5083 - Main
* Structural Steel - Front and Rear Fenders
* Rubber-Fabric Screens - Fenders/Sideskirts
* Gun Steel - Launcher

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38 mm (45°) ''Upper glacis'' 38 mm (26°) ''Lower glacis'' 29 mm (45°) ''Engine maintenance hatch'' || 44 mm ''Top''
32 mm ''Bottom''
| 38 mm || 38 mm
|-
| Turret
| colspan="4" | 10 mm ''Launcher'' 17 mm ''Launcher frame''
|-
| Cupola|| 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 16 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=301|rbMinHp=188}}

The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is okay. The power-to-weight ratio is 17.45 HP/ton. The top speed for the {{PAGENAME}} is 64 km/h, though there are not many circumstances you will reach these speeds. Offroad, the {{PAGENAME}} will reach 20 km/h quite fast due to its high power-to-weight ratio and will reach its top speed of 38 km/h. In reverse it will easily reach -14 km/h, allowing you to get out of a bad situation.

This vehicle does not have neutral traverse, but still does turn quite fast.

However, the {{PAGENAME}} suffers in traversing hills with high angles such as getting up the west side of point "C" on the El Alamein map. This does limit the ability of this vehicle to get to good positions without being spotted and fired upon.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|BGM-71C I-TOW}}

The main weapon on the {{PAGENAME}} is the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM. It has up to 630 mm of penetration at 0 degrees at any distance since it carries a HEAT warhead. The post penetration of this missile is not amazing and in some circumstances, a follow-up missile may be needed. The missile is a second-generation ATGM so it is mouse controlled. It travels at a speed of 296 m/s. Due to the fuse sensitivity of 0.01 mm, any bush, fence or object in the way will trigger the missile into detonation and the lack of a machine gun means that these obstacles will become quite a nuisance.

The turret can angle down 30 degrees, which means it can fire down from almost any mountain or fire horizontally even when standing on a steep cliff. It also does not have an arming distance, therefore it an fire at tanks even in an immediate surroundings.

The vehicle is trying to put the launcher on the pad whenever it is moving, however, it is still possible to keep it unfolded by moving short distances at a time and stopping between them. Keep in mind that the vehicle will attempt to stow the launcher even when pushed by the enemy, making it impossible to shoot back, therefore all care should be taken to avoid such situations.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71C I-TOW]] ATGM || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 10 (2 preloaded in launcher) || rowspan="2" | -30°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 46.62 || 46.62 || 56.61 || 62.60 || 66.60 || rowspan="2" | 13.00 || rowspan="2" | 11.50 || rowspan="2" | 10.60 || rowspan="2" | 10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 31.50 || 31.50 || 38.25 || 42.30 || 45.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM is a relatively potent missile, having above average penetration values and an excellent flight velocity. Its close Soviet counterpart, [[IT-1]], has {{#expr: (1-(500 / 630)) * 100 round 0}}% lower penetration and {{#expr: (1-(224 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity, on the other hand [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)]] has {{#expr: abs((1-(800 / 630)) * 100) round 0}}% higher penetration, but {{#expr: (1-(240 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| I-TOW || ATGM || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| I-TOW || ATGM || 296 || 3,750 || 19.05 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,720 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''5''' || 4 ''(+1)'' || 3 ''(+2)'' || 2 ''(+3)'' || 1 ''(+4)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note:'''

* The ammo counter when full will appears as 2/4, and so pre-match ammo selection will show as 5/5. It's due to the fact that a single ammunition load represents 2 missiles, with the first 2 loaded into the launcher at the start of the match.

== Usage in battles ==


;Hull down

In a battle, this vehicle is best played hull-down, preferably behind a rock so that rounds won't dip and hit the main chassis, if this is not possible, try to find a ridge to hide behind or a depression in the terrain. Since your launcher is the only thing exposed, expect for your launcher to get hit and receive a 10-second repair. (Note for stock vehicles, you will still be able to fire). Some players will be smarter and will shoot HESH rounds at you, the splash damage could be enough to knock out the crew. Since you only have 12 missiles (2 in the launcher, 10 stowed away) you will have to be patient and skilled at using this missile. If in the right hands, it is incredibly strong and can hold an important spot and single handily deny the enemy any chance of taking an area. This will reward you a large number of targets destroyed as well as gaining a large number of points from people shooting at you launcher.

However, there is a couple of issues. The launcher can only be deployed when stationary and has a deployment time before you are able to train the gun sights on the target and open fire. The reload also requires the launcher to traverse to the rear of the vehicle and further lengthening the reload. one way to combat this is to have the rear end of the vehicle to the target, therefore reducing the time taken to traverse the launcher back to the firing position.

;SPAA duty

Apart from shooting at tanks, the ATGM can also be used on helicopters as there is no drop on ATGMs. If playing hull down, it might also be quite hard for helicopters to spot you, therefore making it a potent weapon against an enemy helicopter. Planes will be harder to hit as they will be moving at a faster speed.

'''Urban combat'''

The M901 does not fare too well in urban combat - due to the speed of the ATGM it is quite hard to readjust the missile direction in case of a miss and having to stop to fire the ATGM will result in an unpleasant experience. However, if you are forced to take this vehicle out in an urban environment, the best strategy will be to follow your teammates, hide behind cover and wait for your teammates to bait the enemy out.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[M113A1 (TOW)]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with a much slimmer TOW launcher. The launcher only has 90 degrees horizontal rotation and 20 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains slightly worse than the M901. Also, its launcher has a very small profile meaning it is harder to spot so you must deal with the M113A1 (TOW) carefully. However, its gunner is fully exposed and is prone to being knocked out or detonating chemical shells. In a battle, your M901 and the M113A1 (TOW) might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Try to spot it first and fire at the gunner/launcher. Its gunner/launcher will detonate your missile and cause overpressure damage, killing all the crew. But watch out for its 12.7 mm MG, it might damage your launcher or penetrate the hull in some cases.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Uses pairs of I-TOW missiles, which allows for quick follow-up attacks on targets if the first missile hits its mark or misses
* Has the best launcher depression of all horizontal ATGM launchers in the game at -30 degrees
* If it is forced into close combat, it can fire its missile at point-blank range at the risk of blowing itself up if the target is too close
* The missile launcher is very tall and combined with its amazing depression of -30 degrees, it can allow for players to abuse terrain features to go completely hull-down and reduce their chance of being spotted at range
* Superior to [[M113A1 (TOW)|export Italian version]] in almost every way possible
* Has access to 1st generation thermal sights that allow you to increase your situational awareness and spotting ability once unlocked.

'''Cons:'''

* The missile launcher is very tall and does not fully retract when hull-down, which can lead to situations where you are ammo-racked while reloading your missiles by players with good aim or luck.
* While the vehicle is traveling, the launcher is retracted and will be stowed away facing backwards and will take about 3 to 5 seconds for it to deploy and face the hull front, which means any vehicle that catches the M901 while it is relocating can dispatch it with ease.
* The launcher only reloads after the second missile has registered a hit
* The gun sight is located in the launcher, so when the launcher is reloading, it moves together with it and forces the operator to switch over to the binoculars to scan their surroundings
* Its missiles lack tandem warheads that can go through ERA and NERA found on many vehicles at its battle rating, but through the use of a follow-up missile ( a one-two punch ) the vehicle can defeat those enemies.
* No access to any form of smoke which can make survival difficult if caught off guard.
* Very thin armour everywhere on the tank that can be killed by most other tanks machine guns.
* Repairs for the launcher can become quite frustrating at times and may even force you to miss opportunities to strike enemies in your field of fire

== History ==

[[File:M901 TOW missile vehicle (1985).jpg|thumb|right|M901 in Germany during the Reforger "Central Guardian" 1985 exercise]]
M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier introduced in 1979 as a highly mobile tank destroyer that could engage not only armoured targets but also fortifications while offering maximum protection for the crew. The vehicle could be transported by air, parachute-dropped and ford water up to 1 m deep with no preparation. Last vehicle of the series was produced in 1998, totaling 3,315 units built over the years.

It's called "improved" due to being an upgrade over the [[M113A1 (TOW)|M113A1 with TOW launcher mounted]] instead of the standard [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|M2 Browning]] for the chassis. Its SEI 901 TUA launcher was capable of rapid deployment, could accurately hit targets with the first missile and fire the second one as soon as the first impacted the target. It was reloaded manually within 40 seconds. That said though, it had to be stowed when moving above 8 km/h (5 mph) to avoid damage to the launcher. As a secondary weapon M901 carried [[M60D (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M60 machine gun]] operated by the gunner. A total of 10 missiles and 2,000 machine gun rounds were stored.

A number of variants of the M901 existed, notably:

* M901 - equipped with first-generation TOW missiles, M113A1 chassis (in-game variant)
* M901A1 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A2 chassis
* M901A3 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A3 chassis

The in-game launcher uses the BGM-71C I-TOW missiles, which were the most advanced missiles available on the M901, featuring an increased range and an improved shape-charge warhead. The missile could be fired at targets up to 3,750 m away, with an arming distance of 65 m. Missile's average speed at the maximum range was 187.5 m/s.

Currently, the largest operators of the M901 ITV are Saudi Arabia (335 units), Greece (320) and Egypt (262), a total of 1313 units remains in operation between 10 countries.

{{Clear|right}}
[[File:M901 details.png|800px|center|thumb|Details of the M901 ITV in the A3 variant]]

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m901_itv Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|qoZv-sA80aI|'''Squadron Vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 00:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:42 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[M113 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=106 [Military Factory<nowiki>]</nowiki> M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle)]

{{TankManufacturer Emerson Electric Company}}
{{USA tank destroyers}}
{{Squadron ground vehicles}}

[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

F-14A Early

2022-06-15T20:04:23Z

U120244562: Created page F-14A Early

The '''F-14A Tomcat (Early)''' is a rank VII American jet fighter with a battle rating of 11.0 (SB) and 11.3 (AB/RB)

F8F-1B

2022-06-05T13:24:20Z

U120244562: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = American naval fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| and
| usage = other versions
| link-1 = F8F-1
| link-2 = F8F-1B (France)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f8f1b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_f8f1b.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American naval fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.33]].

The F8F-1B is truly a worthy aircraft to end the single engine fighter line of the USN branch. Nimble, fast, and with great acceleration, it is sight of fear for the foe's eye. Most of its enemies will be jets and they will shiver as the Bearcat faces them with a 2 km altitude and (sometimes with) speed advantage. With WEP running (War Emergency Power), includes ADI (Water-Methanol Injection) for the big and hungry 2,300 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp) and modules maximized, the climb rate is well over 35 m/s. However, its main weakness is the Bearcat's very power source: the hot-running R-2800 Double Wasp.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,268 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
| 672 || 647 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.1 || 20.8 || 19.3 || 19.3 || rowspan="2" | 220
|-
! Upgraded
| 752 || 708 || 18.0 || 19.0 || 32.8 || 24.8
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 616 || 585 || 427 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 465 || < 466 || < 600 || > 460
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 8.5 mm Steel - Under cowling engine armour plate
* 8.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit protection plate
* 9.5 mm Steel - Pilots seat and headrest
* 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

The stock ammo belt for the M3 is great. So don't waste research here. Biggest problem early on is the sluggish behaviour and gun jamming. The latter can be resolved with spending crew points in , which by now in Rank 4 should be already at a decent level. If you're trigger happy, there is bad news: "New 20 mm cannons" are a tier 4 upgrade. Instead focus on the engine upgrades. Especially "Engine Injection" which gives the plane a great boost of performance and turns it into a true bear. The new 20 mm cannons turn the weapons from a shotgun-like spread to significantly more accurate grouping. It is worthwhile to skip the 20 mm belt upgrade and focus on engine improvements until unlocking the new 20 mm cannons upgrade, as the default belts are nearly as devastating as stealth ammo, but with a tracer round added into the mix.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M3 (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm M3 cannon, wing-mounted (188 rpg outer + 225 rpg inner each wing = 826 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)|HVAR|Tiny Tim|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (gunpods) (340 rpg = 1,360 total)
* 2 x Tiny Tim rockets
* 4 x HVAR rockets
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb + 4 x HVAR rockets (1,000 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)
* 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

In Arcade battles the F8F-1B can perform at its prime, which is, accordingly, remarkably. Due to the lack of damage due to overheating and such, the F8F-1B can easily outstrip any piston-engine fighter in a climb once upgraded.

Prior to the "engine injection" upgrade, the 1B performs very well, but not as sublimely as it does with the modification. Thus, climbing and Boom & Zoom match perfectly with the F8F-1B in AB due to its astounding climb rate, speed, acceleration, and weaponry.

Regarding weaponry, fire in very short bursts with the M3 20 mm because they will jam rather quickly. The most ideal belt is "Air targets", as the belt has the most HEF-I shells (together with the stealth belt, but the Air targets belt has an API-T shell instead of a practice shell).
[[File:FighterImage_F8F1.jpg|thumbnail|left|A Bearcat dives towards a formation of [[Kikka]] fighter-bombers.]]
In Realistic Battles, the F8F-1B possesses flight performance, armament, and engine power that are top of its class. However, the F8F-1B's engine tends to overheat after ~2-2.5 minutes of continuous WEP. These poor thermals force the Bearcat to be played more carefully, avoiding long dogfights with enemy aircraft to preserve the engine as much as possible. Another caveat to take note of is the rudder control. Past 680-700 km/h (422-435 mph/367-377 kt), the rudder controls become very stiff and unresponsive. This necessitates careful management of speed, or carefully setting up targets so the rudder's usage is mitigated.

With Air Combat Manoeuvres in mind, the F8F-1B is a surprisingly responsive aircraft. Much like its historical predecessor, the [[F6F-5]], the F8F-1B maintains a competitive turn rate at most speeds below 700 km/h (435 mph/377 kt). That being said, sustained turning engagements are not advised in this aircraft due to the poor elevator response below 350 km/h (217 mph/189 kt). The most ideal tactics to use in Air Realistic battles are Boom and Zoom, combined with wide energy saving manoeuvres in order to pull the opponent into an energy trap.

The F8F-1B will be commonly fighting a range of aircraft from the German aviation tree, which require different methods of engagement to be successful.

Firstly, the [[Ju 288 C]] is a frontline bomber with potent defensive armament consisting of four rear-facing MG 131 machine guns in one dorsal and one belly turret, two front-facing MG 131s in a chin-mounted turret, and a single MG 151/20 mounted in a barbette in the tail. Engaging this bomber is best done with head-on attacks at the start of the match, or high speed passes from above - thus minimizing your exposure to the Ju 288 C's gunners.

Against the Focke Wulf [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190 D family]], the most ideal method of engaging these enemies is to take advantage of the F8F-1B's superior energy retention, combined with superior turn radius at most speeds to bait the Fw 190 D into energy traps. Do not attempt head-on attacks against these, or any other German fighter you see. This is because of the high damage output of their MG 151/20 or Mk 108 autocannons. Though the M3 cannon does have superior ballistics, it is much better to not put your aircraft at unnecessary risk.

To engage the Focke Wulf [[Ta 152 C-3]], it is best to take advantage of the aircraft's largely inferior rudder and elevator response when compared to the F8F-1B. The Ta 152C-3 is able to match the F8F-1B's speed in straight line engagements with ease due to its powerful DB 603 engine, but the German aircraft accelerates more slowly than the F8F-1B despite its good energy retention thus, being easily baited into an unwinnable situation against the F8F-1B. The [[Ta 152 H-1]] requires a similar method to the Ta 152 C-3. However, this variant turns much better than its cousin, at the expense of roll rate, though the issue of poor rudder response remains with this aircraft, as well as worse energy retention due to the much larger wings.

When engaging any of the Messerschmitt [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109 G/K]] variants that face the F8F-1B, it is best to bait them into higher speed energy fights, this is due to the Bearcat's superior control response between 450-700 km/h (280-435 mph/242-377 kt), much more powerful radial engine, and superior power-to-weight ratio. These advantages make vertical engagements against the Bf 109 family the most desirable, as the German aircraft will lose more energy attempting to stay in steep climbs with the Bearcat. However, engaging in sustained turning engagements that go below 450 km/h (280 mph/242 kt) is not advised. This is because the Messerschmitt's leading edge slats allow the aircraft to pull higher angles of attack than the F8F-1B at those speeds and thus turn inside of it.

Engaging the Dornier [[Do 335 B-2]] is arguably the most straightforward. The Do 335 B-2 is a far inferior aircraft to the F8F-1B in every respect, only really being a danger to the American fighter in direct head-on engagements. This is because the Do 335 B-2 is unable to match the flight performance of the Bearcat and is thus will be a sitting duck in most situations.

Engaging the [[He 162 A-2]] and [[Ar 234 B-2]] require different methodologies however. The tactics against them will become far more prevalent when facing later jets in uptiers. The Bearcat faces little danger from the Arado, as it has no offensive or defensive armaments, however can only catch it in an extended chase at low altitude, or in a head-on pass. Be careful of being caught in its bombs' explosive splash range at low altitudes. To engage the He 162, it is advisable to bait the aircraft into a low energy state, due to the poor acceleration and throttle response from early jet-powered aircraft. It is not advisable to run from the Heinkel either, as the He 162s can catch the F8F-1B in an extended straight line engagement.

Soviet and Chinese aircraft can also be commonly seen in battles.

The [[Yak-3U]] and [[Yak-3 (VK-107)]] can pose significant threat to the F8F-1B. These aircraft are incredibly manoeuvrable, and retain energy as well as the F8F-1B, so are easily able to match it in any engagement that doesn't involve straight-line speed. However, their major weakness is their low redline speed, which allows the F8F-1B to dictate the engagement, and escape if need be. The [[Yak-9UT]] is similar to the Yak-3s listed, however it is less manoeuvrable and more heavily armed. The [[Yak-15]] is essentially a Yak-3 VK-107 in regards to performance and redline.

The Mikoyan I-225 is less capable than the F8F-1B by far, and is best engaged in a similar manner to engaging the Bf 109 family. This aircraft is more manoeuvrable than the Bf 109, and has incredibly good high altitude performance, so is best engaged below 5,000 metres (16,400 feet).

Engaging the Tupolev [[Tu-2S]] and [[Tu-1]] is best done in a similar manner to engaging the Ju 288 C, with the addition of avoiding direct head-on passes due to their powerful frontal armaments.

Commonly seen Japanese and Italian aircraft are largely similar to the previously mentioned aircraft, with one major exception: the A7M2.

The Mitsubishi [[A7M2]] is much slower than any other aircraft mentioned but is extremely manoeuvrable. It has a great power to weight ratio and is able to turn inside of the F8F-1B at any speed. Engaging this aircraft is a matter of speed management.

=== 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 || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent dive speed
* Excellent manoeuvrability in moderate to high speeds
* Fast acceleration
* High rate of fire
* High ammo count
* Can support high G's in sharp turns and has a G-suit upgrade available
* Combat Flaps can't break, the wings will break faster
* Double the burst mass of the first [[F8F-1|F8F-1 Bearcat]] and in general powerful armament
* Great roll rate compared to planes such as the BF-109
* Respectable climb rate up to 5 km
* Excellent bomb capacity

'''Cons:'''

* Engine overheats quickly
* With the unbreakable combat flaps deployed, wings can rip in a high speed turn
* M3 cannons jam in barely three seconds unless they are upgraded
* Not the fastest plane, so lots of planes can catch up
* Ground loops if landing with full brakes
* Sluggish controls at speeds less than 300 km/h
* Dumps velocity in high-G turns
* Rudder compresses to the point of uselessness over 600 km/h

== History ==

The first idea for the creation of the Grumman [[F8F-1|F8F Bearcat]] was pitched after the Battle of Midway. Many pilots who took part in it remarked that one of the most important parts of naval air warfare was an aircraft's rate of climb. This of course meant that an increase in power was necessary. In 1943 the design work on the new aircraft began. The outline called for a fighter-interceptor, capable of operating even from small escort carriers. While the engine – the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial – was the same model used on the earlier [[F6F-5|F6F Hellcat]], the new fighter would be lighter which also meant an increase in speed and climb rate. The concession was limiting the range of the new aircraft. The F8F would also feature a bubble canopy for better all around visibility. The first prototype, the XF8F-1, first took to the skies on the 21st August 1944. Further tests proved the aircraft's reliability and ruggedness, and the F8F was accepted into mass production. The first serial models rolled off the assembly line in February 1945 and were delivered to VF-19 fighter squadron, which began operating flights with the Bearcats in May 1945.

The new fighter, was, however, too late for any combat in World War II. After the war the situation of this propeller aircraft got even more complicated thanks to the introduction of naval jet aircraft. Even though the F8F was one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft of its time, it was clear that the jet age was dawning. The F8F was replaced in US Navy and USMC service by the F9F Panther and the [[F2H-2|F2H Banshee]] jet aircraft. Some Bearcats saw combat service with the French in French Indochina in 1951, when they were used in the CAS role against the Viet Minh troops. Thailand also received a shipment of Bearcats which were then operated by the Thai Air Force. The F8F found a new life – thanks to its speed and acceleration - it was and still is widely used as a racing aircraft. One of the most famous racing Bearcats is the Rare Bear – a specially modified F8F, which holds many propeller aircraft speed and climb records.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f8f1b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|eRBzLn1se_Y|'''The Shooting Range #239''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|4v3fxupuZPA|'''Last piston fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 5:28 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PNkoJ-MFERc|'''Best naval fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:24 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/F8F/F8F-1_Standard_Aircraft_Characteristics.pdf Standard Aircraft Characteristics of the F8F-1]

{{AirManufacturer Grumman}}
{{USA fighters}}