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Harrier GR.3

2021-11-19T21:17:36Z

U122323468: /* Description */

{{About
| about = British strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Harrier (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=harrier_gr3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British strike aircraft {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]]. Like all members of the [[Harrier (Family)|Harrier family]], the Harrier GR.3 is a [[VTOL]] aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles, which allow it to take off and land vertically.

This is a very well known VTOL (Vertical Take OFF and Landing) that has made itself a name in many places. It is a strong and durable jet powered aircraft that was very great in ground attack and reconnaissance missions in the Close Air Support role.

The Harrier GR3 was a developed version of the Harrier GR1, having new and improved attack sensors, electronic countermeasures and a much more powerful engine than the GR1.

The simple and flexible design of the Harrier proved to be beneficial in service in Germany. In time of war, the Harrier was to be deployed away from established airfields that were subject to attack. It was operated on short, rough airstrips and was to be camouflaged to the surroundings, from which it could easily strike the enemies that would come in armoured formations.

These qualities truly came helpful when it came to the Falkland War. RAF Harriers were sent to the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, as part of the Task Force that was sent to recapture and restore the Falklands Islands. The Harrier could easily land on basic landing strips on the Island which helped massively since normal conventional aircraft could not possibly do since they would have become grounded.

== 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 0 m - sea level)
! 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
|1,150||1,144|| rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} ||32.5||33.7||69.5||67.8|| rowspan="2" |550
|-
! Upgraded
|1,168||1,159||31.5||32.0||106.1||87.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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}} || N/A || 829 || 556 || ~14 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
|< 648||< 950||< 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot, engine oil, and full water tank; but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk.103 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,918 kg || colspan="3" | 439 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,640 kg || colspan="2" | Vectored-thrust low-bypass turbofan
| 6,605 kg || 7,292 kg || 7,978 kg || 8,253 kg || 12,679 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 9,071 kgf || 9,625 kgf
| 1.46 || 1.32 || 1.21 || 1.17 || 0.76
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 9,071 kgf (0 km/h) || 9,625 kgf (0 km/h)
| 1.46 || 1.32 || 1.21 || 1.17 || 0.76
|-
|}
{{Notice|The Pegasus engine loses a significant amount of thrust as your speed increases}}

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

The Harrier GR.3 has no armour. The engine and all fuel tanks are packed in a tight cluster in the centre of the fuselage.

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

Your first priorities should be flares and then AIM-9Gs (if you are planning to use the Harrier in an air-to-air combat role). After that you can either focus on flight performance upgrade or ground attack loadouts depending on your preference.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|ADEN Mk.4 (30 mm)}}

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

* A choice between two presets:
** 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (130 rpg = 260 total)
** 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons + 60 x countermeasures

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

{{main|H.E. M.C. Mk.II (500 lb)|G.P. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|AIM-9G Sidewinder|SNEB type 23}}

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

* Without load
* 5 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 108 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 2 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 500 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.II bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 1,000 lb G.P. Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles + 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

Despite originally being designed as a ground-attack aircraft, the Harrier GR.3 can be considered a multi-role aircraft that can focus on air-to-air combat, air to ground combat and air to sea combat. Its firepower and ordnance make it a competitive aircraft in all game modes. The roles can be divided into:

'''As fighter:'''

The Harrier has access to AIM-9G Sidewinder air to air missiles capable of taking down all enemy aircraft in the game. It should be noted that the AIM-9G is a rear-aspect lock-on missile, meaning the Harrier must be behind the enemy aircraft to be able to launch the missile. It is not recommended to use them against enemy helicopters neither, since the IR seeker requires a rear-aspect lock; thus the autocannons are way more effective.

''When facing enemy bombers:''

Enemy bombers are the easiest targets for the Harrier both in gun strafe and when using missiles as they lack agility when dogfighting against the Harrier and countermeasures such as flares to be able to counter the missiles. It is unlikely to face enemy bombers besides the [[Vautour IIA IDF/AF (France)|Vautour IIA IDF/AF]] as most of them stay at 8.0. AI-controlled bombers are the exception.

''When facing enemy attackers:''

When facing player-controlled attackers ([[A-4E Early]] for example), the pilot must stay aware that, besides the Harrier superior mobility, they can outturn you as they will often fly at lower speeds than you, meaning their turn radius compared to yours will be much smaller. Most of the enemy planes that do CAS runs will often be enemy fighters (not labelled as attackers) but with ground ordnance, meaning they can or will be heavier than you, increasing drag and reducing agility when in a dogfight, use this as an advantage.

'''As an attacker/bomber:'''

The Harrier has access to a wide variety of ground ordnance capable of destroying enemy ground units and bases. It also has access to CCIP ballistics computer (refer to [[Ballistic Computer]] for explanation) meaning the pilot has access to ground ordnance crosshairs which will increase ordnance accuracy, both rockets and bombs. It is not recommended to fly as a bomber (in terms of altitude) but fly as a tree cutter (as close to the ground as possible). This is recommended to achieve multiple things: radar interference, max speed, reduce enemy visibility and awareness. It also makes bombing easier without the need of ballistics computer (although it is recommended to use it since it will not require any practice). Time fuze MUST BE ADDED to avoid assault fuze explosion, risking your plane to be hit by the explosion causing a death. Ground striking ordnance should be taken at pilot's discretion, but it is recommended to take the 3 x 1000 lb bombs in order to take a whole base completely and still maintain high speeds. This bomb loadout and AAM are recommended if the pilot wants to engage enemy air targets upon taking an enemy base.

''*Note: radar interference is mostly irrelevant in air realistic battles as the plane will still be highlighted and enemy pilots could use eye aiming. However, it will interfere with radar homing missiles (SARH missiles such as AIM-7E, R-3R, etc carried by F-4 Phantoms and MiG-21's) and will be your main line of defence when flying in simulator battles, you will be able to fly stealthily if flying in tree cutting tactic.''

'''When in combined battles (ground realistic battles):'''

This is where the Harrier is able to shine as an attacker, primarily using VTOL and hovering mode to an advantage (will be explained more detailed later). There is multiple loadouts which can be used in order to make the Harrier a scary attacker.

''Bomb payload:''

This is often the most used payload for multiple reasons: has the biggest explosion radius compared to rockets, are more forgiving when missing by couple meters, can take multiple targets with a single bomb. The use of ballistics computer makes their aiming much easier than with eye aiming both in realistic and simulator battles. The x4 1000lb bombs are recommended as, if aimed correctly, will destroy one or multiple enemy targets with a single bomb, meaning you are able to get at least 2 kills (as bombs drop in pair)

''Rocket payload:''

This is the trickiest but most rewarding payload the Harrier can carry (rewarding as it is able to make much more kills than bombs). Tanks can be taken with one to three rocket salvos (launched in pairs, meaning with 2 to 6 rockets in total). This means you are able to get 18 kills (considering you take 6 rockets per tank) if you take the 108 x SNEB rocket payload.

''VTOL trick:''

Harrier can be used as a helicopter thanks to the VTOL capabilities, rockets are recommended if used like this. It is able to hide behind mountains, poke to attack and go back into cover as a helicopter would do. Handling this technique can be tricky and will require practice but is an alternate way of playing CAS.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

*Exceptional thrust to weight ratio
*Extremely good acceleration, even without WEP (~85% thrust)
*Vertical Take-off and Landing capabilities + In-flight vectoring thrust nozzles for improved manoeuvring
*Decent [[AIM-9G]] missiles
*Countermeasures available, unlike [[Harrier GR.1]]
*Has Radar warning receiver
*Has a [[HUD#410SUM1|Head-Up Display]] in the cockpit which provides flight information and weapon aiming functionality.

'''Cons:'''

*Limited WEP duration due to engine overheating
*Extended use of the vectoring thrust during turns, bleeds a lot of speed
*[[AIM-9G]]s are better than most others missiles at the BR, yet inferior to [[Air-to-air missiles#Semi-Active Radar Homing .28SARH.29 missiles|SARH missiles]] found at higher ranks

== History ==


===Development===
The Harrier GR.3 was an upgraded version of the [[Harrier GR.1]], it featured the more powerful Pegasus 11 (also known as the Pegasus Mk.103) engine and avionics upgrades.<ref name="AirVectorsHarrier">Goebel 2019</ref> The most noticeable external change was a new longer nose featuring the Ferranti 106 Laser Ranger & Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS). The LRMTS was provided with target locations from the Harrier's Inertial Navigation and Attack System (INAS) and would accurately measure the distance to the target, feeding this data into the Harrier's Weapons Aiming Computer.<ref name="HarrierCaseStudy">Fozard 1978</ref> The LRMTS could also search for targets designated by a ground-based laser designator, and provide accurate target locations on the pilot's Heads Up Display (HUD).<ref name="FirstReportOnFarnborough">First Report on Farnborough 1980</ref> The system was proven to offer significant increase in bombing accuracy. Another improvement on the Harrier GR.3 was the fitment of a Radar Warning Receiver in the aircraft's tail.<ref name="HarrierCaseStudy" />

===Falklands War===
====Deployment====
The Harrier GR.3's most noteworthy deployment was to the Falkland Islands during, and after, the 1982 Falklands War. When the war began on 2nd April 1982 with the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, Britain was forced to rapidly assemble a task force to retake the islands, located some 8,000 miles away from the British mainland. The decommissioning of the aircraft carrier HMS ''Hermes'' was cancelled and along with HMS ''Invincible'' (itself in the process of being sold to Australia), it was rapidly prepared for deployment. The two aircraft carriers left Portsmouth Naval Base three days later (on 5th April), setting sail to Ascension Island (a small British island in the South Atlantic); which was the designated rendezvous point from where the task force would then sail to the Falklands. The two carriers were carrying Sea King helicopters and Sea Harrier FRS.1 fighters (12 Sea Harriers on ''Hermes'' and 8 on ''Invincible'').

It was thought that the Sea Harriers would have a very high attrition rate (with all of them expected to be lost within the first few days of the war) and so reinforcements would be needed.<ref name="AirWarInTheFalklands">Posey 2002</ref> With the task force having left Ascension Island on the 18th April, and now en route to the Falklands, getting the additional aircraft to it would be a major logistical challenge. In need of transport, the British Government requisitioned the ''Atlantic Conveyor'', a civilian container ship, and rapidly modified it to carry aircraft.<ref name="AirWarInTheFalklands" /> The ''Atlantic Conveyor'' set sail for Ascension Island on 25th April, carrying six Wessex and five Chinook helicopters. Meanwhile, eight additional Sea Harriers were obtained from a training squadron, and ten RAF Harrier GR.3s were re-assigned from their squadron to the task force.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor1">Beer n.d. 1</ref> The additional aircraft would have to be flown to Ascension Island in order to join the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' and be transported the rest of the way to the Falklands.

Over the 30th April - 2nd May the eight Sea Harriers completed the >4,000 mile flight to Ascension Island (via Banjul, Gambia). They were followed by the ten GR.3s, which flew directly to Ascension Island through 3rd May - 6th May; nine of the GR.3's completed the journey, with one turning back due to engine trouble.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor1" /> Once at Ascension Island the Harriers were serviced and loaded onto the ''Atlantic Conveyor''; the Harrier's VTOL capabilities were put to good use with each one taking off from the island's air base, flying to the ''Atlantic Conveyor'', and landing vertically on the ship's deck. All the Sea Harriers and six of the GR.3s were loaded onto the ''Atlantic Conveyor'', with three of the GR.3s being left behind to provide air defence for RAF Wideawake (the UK base on Ascension Island).<ref name="MikeBeerVictor1" /> Having been originally designed for use purely as ground-attack aircraft, the Harrier GR.3s on the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' and stationed at Wideawake were hastily modified to allow them to partake in air-to-air combat; support was added for AIM-9G/AIM-9L Sidewinders and AN/ALE-40 flare dispensers were added in the underside of the rear fuselage.<ref name="IwmHarrier">Imperial War Museum 2010</ref> The ''Atlantic Conveyor'' set sail for the Falkland Islands, arriving in the area on 18th May.<ref name="AirWarInTheFalklands" />

====Arrival in the Falklands====

Once the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' had reached the task force the Harriers were prepared for flight. Over the next two days, the Sea Harriers and Harrier GR.3s took off vertically from the ship's deck and flew to their assigned aircraft carriers; the Sea Harriers were split between the two carriers (with four going to ''Hermes'', and four to ''Invincible''), while all six of the GR.3s were sent to ''Hermes''. By the end of 20th May, all Harriers had safely arrived at their assigned carriers.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor1" /> The ''Atlantic conveyor'' stayed with the task force, still carrying a large number of helicopter and other supplies. On the 25th May the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' unloaded its first Chinook helicopter (the now-famous "Bravo November") and shortly afterwards was hit by two Exocet missiles, killing twelve crew members and causing an uncontrollable fire. The ''Atlantic Conveyor'' was abandoned and sank a few days later with the loss of all remaining helicopters and supplies onboard.<ref name="NewdickBravoNovember">Newdick 2020</ref>

Once in the Falklands, the Harrier GR.3s primarily focussed on ground attack missions, it was originally expected that they would be forced to take over the fleet air defence role when the Sea Harriers were lost, however the Sea Harrier proved remarkably effective, with only six being lost during the conflict (all due to accidents or ground fire). Not being designed for naval use, the Harrier GR.3's INAS proved unusable during ship-borne operations, due to an inability for it to be properly calibrated while on a moving platform.<ref name="AirVectorsHarrier" /><ref name="AirWarInTheFalklands" /> On the 21st of May British forces had carried out an amphibious landing at Port San Carlos (located on the west coast of East Falkland), and by 2nd of June they had managed to construct a temporary airstrip.<ref name="ThinkDefence1">Think Defence n.d. 1</ref> Although the runway was only 260 m long it was enough for the VTOL-capable Harriers and Sea Harriers operate on.<ref name="ThinkDefence1" /><ref name="IwmHarrier" /> As well as allowing the Harriers to operate from a location closer to the battle, operating from Port San Carlos allowed the GR.3s to make full advantage of their advanced INAS systems for ground attack missions.

====Additional Harrier GR.3s deployed====

With the Harriers performing well in the Falklands, the British worked to deploy additional GR.3s to the conflict. Over the 24th - 26th May three RAF Phantom FGR.2s were deployed to Ascension Island to take over air defence duties from the three Harrier GR.3s stationed there.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor2">Beer n.d. 2</ref> Then over 29th May - 2nd of June, six additional GR.3s were flown the >4,000 mile journey from the UK to Ascension Island, bringing the total number of GR.3s on the island to nine.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor2" /> On the 1st June two GR.3s flew the 3,800 mile trip from Ascension Island to HMS ''Hermes'', landing after nearly eight and a half hours of continuous flight.<ref name="MikeBeerVictor2" /> This process was repeated on the 8th June, bringing the total number of GR.3s in the Falklands to ten. After this, the four remaining serviceable GR.3s on Ascension Island were flown to the ''Contender Bezant'' (another requisitioned civilian cargo ship); they landed vertically on the ship's deck and were transported to the island in the same manner as those on the ''Atlantic Conveyor''. They arrived at the Falklands on 10th June, however they were not unloaded until 7th July, after the war had ended (on 14th June).<ref name="MikeBeerVictor2" />

The four Harriers which flew directly to the Falklands were unique in that they had their starboard (right-hand side) ADEN gun pod replaced with the "Blue Eric" electronic countermeasure pod to provide self-defence against enemy radars.<ref name="IwmHarrier" /><ref name="GreenallHarrier">Greenall n.d.</ref> The pod was developed incredibly quickly, going from initial concept to first prototype in seven days, and having ten examples having been produced and ready for combat in fifteen days (from initial concept).<ref name="FalklandsECM">Falklands Campaign: Electronic Warfare Story Revealed</ref> The Blue Eric pod was essentially a simplified Marconi "Sky Shadow" ECM pod fitted into the shell of a Harrier ADEN gun pod.<ref name="IwmHarrier" /><ref name="FalklandsECM" />

====End of the war and No. 1453 Flight RAF====
[[File:1453_Harrier_Falklands.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A No. 1453 Flight RAF Harrier GR.3 at RAF Stanley in 1984.]]
Argentina surrendered on 14th June 1982, bringing an end to the Falklands War after 74 days of fighting. The Harriers performed far better than originally expected in the Falklands; the 28 Sea Harrier FRS.1s completed 1,435 sorties, achieving 20 confirmed (and 3 probable) kills against Argentine aircraft, with only 6 losses. The 10 Harrier GR.3s which saw combat completed 126 sorties with 4 losses. All Harrier/Sea Harrier losses in the conflict were due to ground fire or accidents, with no losses in air-to-air combat.

Following the end of the war, there was a need to defend the islands against any possible future attack. The long term plan was to deploy Phantom FGR.2s to the defend the Islands; however the runway at Port Stanley Airport (the main airport on the islands) had been damaged from multiple British attacks while it was in use by Argentine forces, and was also too short to allow for Phantom operations.<ref name="ThinkDefence2">Think Defence n.d. 2</ref> After the conflict ended the RAF took control of Port Stanley Airport, renaming it to RAF Stanley. They began the process of clearing unexploded mines/ordnance, repairing the runway, and converting it into a temporary RAF base. With the runway repair and extension set to take several months, the Harrier GR.3s were once again called upon for air defence duties. A detachment of six GR.3s were stationed at RAF Stanley on 4th July 1982.<ref name="ThinkDefence2" /> Each armed with two AIM-9L Sidewinders, these Harriers became No. 1453 Flight RAF and were responsible for defending the islands from air attack.

[[File:1453 Flight Falklands 1984.jpg|thumb|400px|left|Some of the No. 1453 Flight RAF Harrier GR.3s at RAF Stanley in 1984.]]

The runway repairs and extension were completed on 27th August 1982<ref name="ThinkDefence2" /> and over the 18th - 22nd October 1982 six Phantom FGR.2s arrived on the Falklands Islands (having previously flown to Ascension Island).<ref name="MikeBeerVictor2" /> With the Phantoms taking over as the main air defence of the Falklands, the role of the Harrier GR.3s shifted to providing back-up air defence when needed, as well as being prepared for a ground attack role in the event of another invasion. The No. 1453 Flight Harriers remained stationed at RAF Stanley until the RAF's new purpose-built base RAF Mount Pleasant opened in 1985.

{{clear}}

===Other Deployments===
Harrier GR.3s spent a large amount of their life deployed to West Germany. In the event of a war, the airfields in West Germany would have been highly vulnerable to Soviet attack, so the Harriers were often stationed away from established airfields, using their VTOL capabilities to operate off of small areas of rough ground.<ref name="RafMuseum">RAF Museum n.d.</ref> Harrier GR.3s also saw deployments to Norway and Belize.<ref name="RafMuseum">RAF Museum n.d.</ref>

===[[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|Devblog]]===
In the late 1950's, the Bristol company was conducting work on developing an engine featuring innovative thrust vectoring technology. Hawker, impressed with the new engine, began closely working with Bristol to develop an aircraft which could successfully harness the full potential of the Pegasus thrust vectoring engine. The basic idea was to design an aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. From that point, the project became known as the P.1127.

In the early 1960s, a growing interest for V/STOL strike aircraft could be observed among most NATO member states. This resulted in an agreement between the US, Great Britain and West Germany in 1961 to order nine modified versions of the P.1127 - the first versions of which were test flown in the previous year - as evaluators. At the same time, the British evaluation aircraft received the designation Kestrel FGA.1.

Despite suffering setbacks with the P.1154 - a supersonic version of the aircraft developed by Hawker in parallel - evaluations of the Kestrel continued as planned during the early 1960's and concluded in November of 1965. After the P.1154 was ultimately cancelled, the RAF, pleased with the evaluation results of the Kestrel, put up a requirement to modify the Kestrel and placed an order for six pre-production aircraft, designated P.1127 (RAF). Following its maiden flight in August of 1966, the RAF extended the purchase order to 60 production aircraft, now receiving the official designation Harrier GR.1.

The Harrier GR.1 undertook its maiden flight in December 1967 and officially entered service with the RAF in April of 1969. Being involved early on with the aircraft's development, the US also expressed interest in procuring the Harrier. This ultimately resulted in a partnership agreement between Hawker Siddeley and McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's for a large delivery of Harriers to the USMC in the early 1970's. In US service, the aircraft would receive the designation 'AV-8 Harrier'.

The Harrier was initially deployed with British forces in West Germany in the early 1970's. However, the Harrier saw the peak of its service career during the Falkland War in 1982, flying both ground attack as well as combat air patrol missions (modification Sea Harrier FRS.1) with great success, thus earning itself a high reputation.

Apart from British and American service, variants of the Harrier were also operated by Spain, Thailand and India. In total, around 270 Harriers were produced across all variants with the last being decommissioned from active service in the early 2000's. The original Harrier was subsequently succeeded by a further developed variant - the Harrier II - but more importantly, it had successfully proven the viability of V/STOL aircraft, thus generating a sustained interest in such designs which can still be seen today.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=harrier_gr3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[Yak-38]]
* [[Yak-38M]]
* [[Jaguar GR.1]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6918-development-jump-jets-arrive-in-war-thunder-meet-the-harrier-en|[Devblog] Jump Jets arrive in War Thunder: Meet the Harrier]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/504157-harrier-gr3/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

===References===

;Citations
<references />

;Bibliography

* Beer, M. (n.d. 1). A Close Run Thing – The Harrier Deployments to the South Atlantic. Retrieved from [http://www.victorxm715.co.uk/a-close-run-thing-the-harrier-deployments-to-the-south-atlantic/ Victor XM175]
* Beer, M. (n.d. 2). F4s – and more Harrier GR3s Head South. Retrieved from [http://www.victorxm715.co.uk/f4s-and-more-harrier-gr3s-head-south/ Victor XM175]
* Falklands Campaign: Electronic Warfare Story Revealed. (1984). Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 56 No. 12, 13-14.
* First Report on Farnborough. (1980). Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 52 No. 8, 11-17.
* Fozard, J. (1978). The British Aerospace Harrier Case Study in Aircraft Design. American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics.
* Goebel, G. (2019, August 01). First-Generation Harriers / Sea Harrier. Retrieved from [http://www.airvectors.net/avav8_2.html AirVectors]
* Greenall, N. (n.d.). Falklands War Harriers and Sea Hrriers. Retrieved from [https://web.archive.org/web/20040410043918/http://harrier.hyperlinx.cz/FAQ-falklandwar.htm Harrier Special Interest Group]
* Imperial War Museum. (2010). BAe Harrier GR.3. Retrieved from [https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/70000080 Imperial War Museum]
* Posey, C. (2002, September). Air War in the Falklands. Retrieved from [https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/air-war-in-the-falklands-32214512/ Air & Space Magazine]
* RAF Museum. (n.d.). Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3. Retrieved from [https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/hawker-siddeley-harrier-gr3/ Royal Air Force Museum]
* The Amazing Tale Of Bravo November, The British Chinook Helicopter That Refused To Die. (2020, November 23). Retrieved from [https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37788/the-amazing-tale-of-bravo-november-the-british-chinook-helicopter-that-refused-to-die The Drive]
* Think Defence. (n.d. 1). The San Carlos Forward Operating Base. Retrieved from [https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/san-carlos-fob/ ThinkDefence]
* Think Defence. (n.d. 2). Post Conflict and RAF Stanley. Retrieved from [https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/operation-black-buck/post-conflict-and-raf-stanley/ ThinkDefence]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}

A13 Mk II

2021-11-19T21:02:14Z

U122323468: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = A13 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_a_13_mk2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]]. Featuring the [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|QF 2-pounder]] as the main armament coupled with good mobility, this vehicle is a typical light tank and plays as such.

This tank is a good representative of later rank 2-3 British tanks: good mobility, flat and thin frontal armour, bad reverse speed and minimal post-penetration damage.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm ''Front plate'' 14 mm (62°) ''Upper glacis'' 30 mm ''Front glacis'' 14 mm (64°) ''Lower glacis'' || 7 + 7 mm || 14 mm (0-62°) || 14 mm
|-
| Turret || 14 mm (0-15°) ''Turret front'' 14 mm (1-63°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14 (40°) + 14 mm (21°) || 14 (21-30°) + 14 mm (2°) || 14 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 14 mm || 14 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* There is a 14 mm thick firewall between the engine bay and the crew compartment.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=527|rbMinHp=301}}

Even though the A13 has good mobility, it sometimes feels weird: it loses speed on turns, does not accelerates quite as fast as it's overpowered engine(38.19 HP/ton, stock) should provide it and hill-climbing feels hard. All of these flaws come from the gearbox, which has bad and uneven ratios, resulting in a kick when changing speed. Knowing that you should always keep an eye on the "gear" counter top-left of your screen (activate it in the options menu) since it provides you crucial information on how your tank will react to your commands. With a bit of practice, one should swiftly masters these peculiarities.

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

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

{{main|QF 2-pounder (40 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[QF 2-pounder (40 mm)|40 mm QF 2-pounder]] || 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" | 87 || rowspan="2" | -15°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 3.64 || rowspan="2" | 3.22 || rowspan="2" | 2.97 || rowspan="2" | 2.80
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
|-
|}

Since the QF 2-pounder is used on most tanks of Rank I, it's important to know it well. This cannon has a major disadvantage at distances since its rounds lose around 20 mm of penetration for every 500 m it travels, which is a lot. As if this was not enough, it has poor accuracy, even with Adjustment of fire, hence, one should target large components (crewmen, engine, transmission), of the enemy or, as distance increases (500 m or more), the general centre of the foe. Firing it, you will easily notice its last but not least flaw: it does almost no post-penetration damage, which means you will need to snipe crew members, one by one. Combine this difficulty with a bit of distance and this task can prove tricky pretty quick, sometimes leaving the enemy enough time to replenish its crew before you finish it off.

On the other hand, this cannon has 5 major advantages: reload speed, close-quarter penetration, a primitive stabilizing system, LOTS of ammo and awesome gun depression. Its fast reloading speed allows it to compensate its poor accuracy: missed a shot? why not take another even before you can reposition! Close quarter penetration, one of the best at its tier, is also a plus: your enemies will only block you shot if you happen to hit a steep-angled plate of armour. Does this tank have good mobility? nice !, it can fire on the move too, at low speeds and on the relatively flat road though but still, it is much more precise than the comparable [[BT-7]] with its [[20-K (45 mm)|20-K]]. Last but not least, small bullets means more bullets: the A13 can bring up to 87 bullets into the game, much more than you need to knock out 3-4 tanks, which means you can try to suppress an enemy and keep it into cover by constantly firing near it (at this rank, this tactic can prove effective against new players). Finally, its good gun depression enables it to fire over hills, peeking only it's a small turret, shooting and disappearing swiftly. Use these features cunningly.

==== 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
|-
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T || AP || 72 || 68 || 52 || 37 || 27 || 19
|-
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T || APCBC || 89 || 86 || 77 || 66 || 57 || 50
|-
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T || AP || 80 || 75 || 58 || 41 || 30 || 21
|-
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T || APHE || 66 || 62 || 49 || 36 || 26 || 20
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| Shot Mk.1 AP/T || AP || 792 || 1.08 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shot Mk.IXB APCBC/T || APCBC || 792 || 1.24 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Shot Mk.1 APHV/T || AP || 853 || 1.08 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| Shell Mk.1 AP/T || APHE || 792 || 1.08 || 1.2 || 9 || 20.9 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[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
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 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
|-
| '''87''' || 78 ''(+9)'' || 75 ''(+12)'' || 72 ''(+15)'' || 69 ''(+18)'' || 66 ''(+21)'' || 62 ''(+25)'' || 60 ''(+27)'' || 56 ''(+31)'' || 51 ''(+36)'' || 47 ''(+40)'' || 43 ''(+44)'' || 41 ''(+46)'' || 36 ''(+51)'' || 31 ''(+56)'' || 16 ''(+71)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_A13MkI.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

Center hull empty: 41 ''(+46)''

==== Optics ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[AMR.35 ZT3]]
|-
|}

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

{{main|Vickers (7.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Vickers (7.7 mm)|7.7 mm Vickers]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,500 (250) || 390 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The A13 Mk II is a Cruiser tank and plays very much like one. The relative lack of armour and high mobility allow the A13 to easily flank the enemy team. While the armour upgrades in the Mk II do not help against much more than heavy machine gun rounds, the A13 still has its speed as its biggest advantage. The 2 pounder main armament is an excellent weapon, and allows the A13 to engage effectively at any range. Generally the Shell Mk.1 AP/T (APHE) round should be used, as it has the largest post penetration effect, however for tougher foes the solid AP rounds will easily penetrate. A13 commanders should use cover and try to outmanoeuvre opponents, engaging whenever they see fit.

Some notable enemies the A13 might face are German Panzer II tanks. These vehicles have auto cannons that will shred through the A13s armour. Commanders should be extra cautious when facing these. Generally it is advisable to try and bait out their volley with a quick push forward and retreat, and then try to take them out while they reload. The A13 is at a disadvantage against these vehicles, its only real advantage being the fact that the 40 mm 2 pounder is shoulder stabilized, meaning it is easier to get the first shot off when slowing down.

Since the addition of smoke in War Thunder, light tanks have it easier. Use your forward-launching smoke to create a wall of smoke in a strategic place. It can be used to cover your allies, when capturing a point, flanking in a street (urban environment),

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent fast-firing gun for its rank
* Is fast and agile thanks to good HP/ton ratio
* Slim target
* Has a "lock", a primitive form of stabilisation
* Brings lots of ammo
* Has forward-launching smoke launchers
* Alright turret sewing rate
* -15° gun depression allows it to fight in the most uneven terrains

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour all round, can be penetrated by HMG
* Small gun caliber resulting in very poor post-penetration damage
* Loses speed when traversing the hull
* Wiggles when trying to turn on 5th gear
* Poor reverse speed, can sometimes be fatal
* Turning kills the speed of the vehicle
* Isn't as fast as it's MK I variant
* Gun fire rate isn't the best

== History ==

===Development===
The British development on their cruiser tanks advanced greatly with the implementation of the Christie suspension system, which they acquired from an American firm. The tank underwent a development program under the name ''Cruiser Mk III (A13)'' and the first accepted variant for the military was the ''[[A13 Mk I|A13 Mk.I]]''. The Mk.I featured 15 mm of armour, a 2-pounder cannon, and a Vickers machine gun as its coaxial armament. An order of 65 of these tanks were asked for in 1939 at the Nuffield Mechanization & Auto Limited, but only 30 were made before the a decision was made to upgrade the existing model with more armour and different armament.

The redesigned cruiser tank, the ''' A13 Mk.II, Cruiser Tank Mk IV''', had a new armour thickness of 30 mm and additional sloping armour was put onto the sides and rear of the turret. The Vickers machine gun used as the coaxial armament was also replaced by the BESA machine gun, a licensed Czech ZB-53 machine gun, due to issues with the Vickers gun. Around 225 to 665 A13 Mk.II tanks were produced from 1940 until late 1941.

===Combat Usage===
The A13 first saw combat in the Battle of France under the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. The A13 encountered many trouble during its employment, the crew have little to no training with the new tanks due to their rushed adoption into service, the tanks were in poor condition and some were even missing parts. The A13s were used in the 1st Armoured Division, but many were either destroyed by the superior German armoured forces or abandoned at Calais during the evacuation of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which forced the units to leave behind their heavier equipment.

After the disaster at France, the A13 were still used to support the war. Some were sent to Greece to support their defense against Germany in the Battle of Greece, but a majority were sent to North Africa as part of the Western Desert Campaign near Libya under the 7th Armoured Division. Compared to the time in France, the A13s in North Africa fared much better, ironing out most of its initial defects, and was even more suited to the environment than other tank designs. The A13 was popular with the crew for its high speed, reliability, and a powerful 2-pounder cannon that could engage a majority of Axis tanks in 1941. However, there was an insufficient number of A13s available for use, so tank units were mixed with the faster cruiser tanks and slower infantry tanks, which caused tactical and logistical difficulties trying to accommodate all of the tanks. Another deficiency with the tank and every other British tank with the 2-pounder was the lack of high-explosive shell issued to the tankers, which made them vulnerable to anti-tank guns, which caused a majority of British tank losses in the North African Campaign. Still, the A13 fared very well with its armour and armament until the late 1941 where better armoured [[Pz.III L|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] began to appear on the battlefield.

Due to its growing obsolescence on the battlefield, the A13 was replaced in 1941 by the better armoured [[Crusader Mk II|A15 Crusader tank]].

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=uk_a_13_mk2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:33 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|mjacUnmi2iY|'''David Fletcher's Tank Chats #1: The A13 Cruiser''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== 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;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Britain light tanks}}

Blenheim Mk IV

2021-11-19T20:55:16Z

U122323468: /* Pros and cons */

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Blenheim IV is a light bomber, therefore base bombing in Realistic Battles isn't recommended, as the armament of 2 x 500 lbs bombs isn't enough for one or two runs against a base. The Blenheim's advantage over other bombers is its speed, so remembering and implementing this into tactics is vital. Low and fast tactics are normally best, try to avoid flying at medium altitudes or high altitudes, as accuracy will drop and you will be weak against attacks from below. Although the "red-line" speed of the Blenheim is high, dive bombing isn't as accurate as level bombing, so try to fly very low over the target to ensure a hit with the weaker payloads. The front turret guns are excellent for the "drive-by" method of attack against un-armoured targets- this is an advised tactic to carry through to the [[Beaufort Mk VIII|Beaufort]] - the wing mounted gun was intended as a range finder in real life but can ground attack un-armoured targets, with time and patience, although the turret method is easier.

The plane can also be used as a fighter. This is due to its supreme low-speed turn capabilities. The Blenheim turns into a Spitfire with flaps deployed, and the elevator fully extended. Surprising as it may sound, the frontal armament may prove devastating when used in a correct way. That is, if you load tracers, for not only unlike other ammunition choices it gives you a rough idea where the shells are going, but also it consists of the best shell composition, with a decent chance to light fires. As for the turrets, load universal, again due to its best shell composition.

The Blenheim can be absolutely deadly to other early planes, particularly as the biplanes it will be up against are often flown by inexperienced pilots who tend to position themselves right behind bombers at very close range while attacking -- in other words, their planes will be stationary relative to the gunner, and at such a close range that he simply cannot miss. Thus, a single Blenheim bomber picking off large numbers of enemy planes is a common sight. The Blenheim has one forward-firing weapon, but it's mounted far out on the wing, so hitting targets with it effectively requires some practice.

== 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 3,962 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
| 409 || 395 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.0 || 27.8 || 4.8 || 4.8 || rowspan="2" | 366
|-
! Upgraded
| 449 || 428 || 25.1 || 26.0 || 11.3 || 7.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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}} || 305 || 289 || 211 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 310 || < 310 || < 320 || > 320
|-
|}

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


* 1 mm Dural - Engine protective plate (one for each engine)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured pilot and co-pilot seats
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured gunner's seat

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

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

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.7 mm Browning machine gun, wing-mounted (500 rpg)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)}}

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

* 4 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)|Vickers K (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
* 2 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine guns, front ventral turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==

In order to be successful in shooting down enemy aircraft, one needs to either immediately drop the bomb, or (on small maps like Bastogne, or Essen) dive down, and release on the first target spotted. Then it's just a matter of flying the plane like a Spitfire - turn fighting at low altitude, and sometimes stall fighting, and making all sorts of evasive manoeuvres (though this might seem ridiculous, do not worry, the plane really is capable of supporting such handling). When turning it is important to remember that the plane will rip during sharp turns at speeds exceeding 350 km/h. Obviously, at some point, you will get an enemy on your tail. Then, your defensive gunners come into play. All you need to do is to swing the tail of the aircraft around, and fire at the enemy with either your dorsal or ventral turret. It is also a good idea to first fire off all the ammunition in one of the turrets, and while it is reloading use the second one.

If you are down-tiered, you can use your speed to completely avoid some enemy fighters. At a decent altitude (3,000 m or above works best), biplanes will not be able to catch you and low tier monoplanes will struggle.

One last thing about the turrets: they both have a 360 degree firing arch. This means, that you may also use them offensively (especially when engaging bombers, with whom you may exchange broadsides, or when the offensive armament has run out of ammunition).

=== 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 || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very high speed for its rank
* Great turn time
* Forward-firing machine gun
* Ventral and dorsal turrets on the same aircraft are rare at its tier
* Excellent coverage for ventral and dorsal turrets
* Defensive turrets are excellent against unarmoured aircraft
* Two back facing turrets one on top and one at the bottom so the defensive turrets can fire at a wide angle
* Can be used as a frontline bomber if used correctly
* Extremely effective at a high altitude
* Very accurate bomber camera

'''Cons:'''

* Very vulnerable when the gunner is taken out
* Turrets lack punch, particularly when compared to the Beaufort
* Poor bomb load, even for its tier
* Offensive machine gun lacks any firepower
* No bulletproof glass or armour to protect the pilots from head-on attacks
* Can be very sluggish if an engine goes down
* Very low incline m/s

== History ==

Making the first mission of WW2, then the next day, the first bombing raid, the Blenheim Mk IV was a vital part of the RAF's early war effort. It became obsolete in 1942 as newer planes and technology made the Bristol Blenheim outdated.
Dimensions :
Length: 13.00 m
Width: 17.17 m
Height: 3.91 m

The Blenheim IV was used after the allied Ground and Air Forces suffered defeat in battles during May 1940. The RAF had to use it for desperate daylight raids against German army bridgeheads in France and the Low Countries. The aircraft used in the battles suffered crippling losses and in fact, no higher loss, of a similar sized mission, has ever been suffered by the Royal Air Force.

After the fighting in France was over, Coastal and Bomber Command Blenheim IVs were sent out to attack German occupied ports during day and night raids in order to disrupt their invasion plans. These attacks continued through into 1941 and on 4 July Wg Cdr H.I. Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in a daylight bombing attack on Bremen while flying a Blenheim IV. As many of you may know, the Victoria Cross is the highest award you can possibly get in the Royal Forces.

Image of Hughie Edwards:

https://www.460squadronraaf.com/images/08_th.jpg

=== In-game description ===
Originally developed as a prototype fast civilian transport aircraft, the Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber widely used during the early days of the Second World War. The Blenheim was the first British all-metal aircraft and one of the first with a retractable landing gear, an electric defensive turret and a variable pitch propeller. Conversion from fixed-gear biplane bombers with fixed-pitch propellers to Blenheims, with their modern features, proved troublesome for some squadrons. Large numbers of levers, often poorly positioned, had great potential to cause confusion in critical stages of flight. For example, the landing gear lever was close to the flap lever, which sometimes led to retraction of flaps together with landing gear at takeoff, causing an immediate loss of lift. Improper prop pitch setting at takeoff often led to an overly long takeoff run and passing the runway threshold without becoming airborne.

The Blenheim Mk IV was not, as is often thought, a variant of the Mk I. Rather it was based on the Type 149 variant, based on the 11/36 requirement for a coastal reconnaissance/light bomber to replace the Avro Anson. During flight trials the Mk IV reached a top speed of 266 mph; faster than the Mk I. However, the data was misleading as the speed was reached at 12,000 ft, whereas the Mk I was tested at sea level, where it reached 239 mph - the Mk I was slightly faster at altitude. Unfortunately, this became obvious in combat, when Mk IVs fared no better against Luftwaffe fighters than the Mk I. It quickly became clear that Blenheims needed fighter escorts.

Whilst certainly one of the world's fastest aircraft during the prototype phase in 1935, the Blenheim did not have the speed to compete with enemy fighters by 1939. This, combined with its poor defensive armament and light payload made it an unsuccessful bomber, but tragically for the crews of RAF Bomber Command, it was available in large numbers. The Blenheim squadron losses up to 1941 were amongst the worst suffered by the RAF during the entire war. A modification of the Blenheim MkI did, however, have some notable successes as a pioneering night fighter until more suitable aircraft were developed in that role.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|u5714dpuDDo|'''The Shooting Range #176''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:02 discusses the Blenheim.}}

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/3435/current|The Blenheim Mk.IV, a reliable British classic]]

{{AirManufacturer Bristol}}
{{Britain bombers}}

Blenheim Mk IV

2021-11-19T20:54:04Z

U122323468: /* Pros and cons */

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Blenheim IV is a light bomber, therefore base bombing in Realistic Battles isn't recommended, as the armament of 2 x 500 lbs bombs isn't enough for one or two runs against a base. The Blenheim's advantage over other bombers is its speed, so remembering and implementing this into tactics is vital. Low and fast tactics are normally best, try to avoid flying at medium altitudes or high altitudes, as accuracy will drop and you will be weak against attacks from below. Although the "red-line" speed of the Blenheim is high, dive bombing isn't as accurate as level bombing, so try to fly very low over the target to ensure a hit with the weaker payloads. The front turret guns are excellent for the "drive-by" method of attack against un-armoured targets- this is an advised tactic to carry through to the [[Beaufort Mk VIII|Beaufort]] - the wing mounted gun was intended as a range finder in real life but can ground attack un-armoured targets, with time and patience, although the turret method is easier.

The plane can also be used as a fighter. This is due to its supreme low-speed turn capabilities. The Blenheim turns into a Spitfire with flaps deployed, and the elevator fully extended. Surprising as it may sound, the frontal armament may prove devastating when used in a correct way. That is, if you load tracers, for not only unlike other ammunition choices it gives you a rough idea where the shells are going, but also it consists of the best shell composition, with a decent chance to light fires. As for the turrets, load universal, again due to its best shell composition.

The Blenheim can be absolutely deadly to other early planes, particularly as the biplanes it will be up against are often flown by inexperienced pilots who tend to position themselves right behind bombers at very close range while attacking -- in other words, their planes will be stationary relative to the gunner, and at such a close range that he simply cannot miss. Thus, a single Blenheim bomber picking off large numbers of enemy planes is a common sight. The Blenheim has one forward-firing weapon, but it's mounted far out on the wing, so hitting targets with it effectively requires some practice.

== 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 3,962 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
| 409 || 395 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.0 || 27.8 || 4.8 || 4.8 || rowspan="2" | 366
|-
! Upgraded
| 449 || 428 || 25.1 || 26.0 || 11.3 || 7.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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}} || 305 || 289 || 211 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 310 || < 310 || < 320 || > 320
|-
|}

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


* 1 mm Dural - Engine protective plate (one for each engine)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured pilot and co-pilot seats
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured gunner's seat

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

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

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.7 mm Browning machine gun, wing-mounted (500 rpg)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)}}

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

* 4 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)|Vickers K (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
* 2 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine guns, front ventral turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==

In order to be successful in shooting down enemy aircraft, one needs to either immediately drop the bomb, or (on small maps like Bastogne, or Essen) dive down, and release on the first target spotted. Then it's just a matter of flying the plane like a Spitfire - turn fighting at low altitude, and sometimes stall fighting, and making all sorts of evasive manoeuvres (though this might seem ridiculous, do not worry, the plane really is capable of supporting such handling). When turning it is important to remember that the plane will rip during sharp turns at speeds exceeding 350 km/h. Obviously, at some point, you will get an enemy on your tail. Then, your defensive gunners come into play. All you need to do is to swing the tail of the aircraft around, and fire at the enemy with either your dorsal or ventral turret. It is also a good idea to first fire off all the ammunition in one of the turrets, and while it is reloading use the second one.

If you are down-tiered, you can use your speed to completely avoid some enemy fighters. At a decent altitude (3,000 m or above works best), biplanes will not be able to catch you and low tier monoplanes will struggle.

One last thing about the turrets: they both have a 360 degree firing arch. This means, that you may also use them offensively (especially when engaging bombers, with whom you may exchange broadsides, or when the offensive armament has run out of ammunition).

=== 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 || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very high speed for its rank
* Great turn time
* Forward-firing machine gun
* Ventral and dorsal turrets on the same aircraft are rare at its tier
* Excellent coverage for ventral and dorsal turrets
* Defensive turrets are excellent against unarmoured aircraft
* Two back facing turrets one on top and one at the bottom so the defensive turrets can fire at a wide angle
* Can be used as a frontline bomber if used correctly

'''Cons:'''

* Very vulnerable when the gunner is taken out
* Turrets lack punch, particularly when compared to the Beaufort
* Poor bomb load, even for its tier
* Offensive machine gun lacks any firepower
* No bulletproof glass or armour to protect the pilots from head-on attacks
* Can be very sluggish if an engine goes down
* Very low incline m/s

== History ==

Making the first mission of WW2, then the next day, the first bombing raid, the Blenheim Mk IV was a vital part of the RAF's early war effort. It became obsolete in 1942 as newer planes and technology made the Bristol Blenheim outdated.
Dimensions :
Length: 13.00 m
Width: 17.17 m
Height: 3.91 m

The Blenheim IV was used after the allied Ground and Air Forces suffered defeat in battles during May 1940. The RAF had to use it for desperate daylight raids against German army bridgeheads in France and the Low Countries. The aircraft used in the battles suffered crippling losses and in fact, no higher loss, of a similar sized mission, has ever been suffered by the Royal Air Force.

After the fighting in France was over, Coastal and Bomber Command Blenheim IVs were sent out to attack German occupied ports during day and night raids in order to disrupt their invasion plans. These attacks continued through into 1941 and on 4 July Wg Cdr H.I. Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in a daylight bombing attack on Bremen while flying a Blenheim IV. As many of you may know, the Victoria Cross is the highest award you can possibly get in the Royal Forces.

Image of Hughie Edwards:

https://www.460squadronraaf.com/images/08_th.jpg

=== In-game description ===
Originally developed as a prototype fast civilian transport aircraft, the Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber widely used during the early days of the Second World War. The Blenheim was the first British all-metal aircraft and one of the first with a retractable landing gear, an electric defensive turret and a variable pitch propeller. Conversion from fixed-gear biplane bombers with fixed-pitch propellers to Blenheims, with their modern features, proved troublesome for some squadrons. Large numbers of levers, often poorly positioned, had great potential to cause confusion in critical stages of flight. For example, the landing gear lever was close to the flap lever, which sometimes led to retraction of flaps together with landing gear at takeoff, causing an immediate loss of lift. Improper prop pitch setting at takeoff often led to an overly long takeoff run and passing the runway threshold without becoming airborne.

The Blenheim Mk IV was not, as is often thought, a variant of the Mk I. Rather it was based on the Type 149 variant, based on the 11/36 requirement for a coastal reconnaissance/light bomber to replace the Avro Anson. During flight trials the Mk IV reached a top speed of 266 mph; faster than the Mk I. However, the data was misleading as the speed was reached at 12,000 ft, whereas the Mk I was tested at sea level, where it reached 239 mph - the Mk I was slightly faster at altitude. Unfortunately, this became obvious in combat, when Mk IVs fared no better against Luftwaffe fighters than the Mk I. It quickly became clear that Blenheims needed fighter escorts.

Whilst certainly one of the world's fastest aircraft during the prototype phase in 1935, the Blenheim did not have the speed to compete with enemy fighters by 1939. This, combined with its poor defensive armament and light payload made it an unsuccessful bomber, but tragically for the crews of RAF Bomber Command, it was available in large numbers. The Blenheim squadron losses up to 1941 were amongst the worst suffered by the RAF during the entire war. A modification of the Blenheim MkI did, however, have some notable successes as a pioneering night fighter until more suitable aircraft were developed in that role.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|u5714dpuDDo|'''The Shooting Range #176''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:02 discusses the Blenheim.}}

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/3435/current|The Blenheim Mk.IV, a reliable British classic]]

{{AirManufacturer Bristol}}
{{Britain bombers}}

Blenheim Mk IV

2021-11-19T20:52:24Z

U122323468: /* History */

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Blenheim IV is a light bomber, therefore base bombing in Realistic Battles isn't recommended, as the armament of 2 x 500 lbs bombs isn't enough for one or two runs against a base. The Blenheim's advantage over other bombers is its speed, so remembering and implementing this into tactics is vital. Low and fast tactics are normally best, try to avoid flying at medium altitudes or high altitudes, as accuracy will drop and you will be weak against attacks from below. Although the "red-line" speed of the Blenheim is high, dive bombing isn't as accurate as level bombing, so try to fly very low over the target to ensure a hit with the weaker payloads. The front turret guns are excellent for the "drive-by" method of attack against un-armoured targets- this is an advised tactic to carry through to the [[Beaufort Mk VIII|Beaufort]] - the wing mounted gun was intended as a range finder in real life but can ground attack un-armoured targets, with time and patience, although the turret method is easier.

The plane can also be used as a fighter. This is due to its supreme low-speed turn capabilities. The Blenheim turns into a Spitfire with flaps deployed, and the elevator fully extended. Surprising as it may sound, the frontal armament may prove devastating when used in a correct way. That is, if you load tracers, for not only unlike other ammunition choices it gives you a rough idea where the shells are going, but also it consists of the best shell composition, with a decent chance to light fires. As for the turrets, load universal, again due to its best shell composition.

The Blenheim can be absolutely deadly to other early planes, particularly as the biplanes it will be up against are often flown by inexperienced pilots who tend to position themselves right behind bombers at very close range while attacking -- in other words, their planes will be stationary relative to the gunner, and at such a close range that he simply cannot miss. Thus, a single Blenheim bomber picking off large numbers of enemy planes is a common sight. The Blenheim has one forward-firing weapon, but it's mounted far out on the wing, so hitting targets with it effectively requires some practice.

== 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 3,962 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
| 409 || 395 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.0 || 27.8 || 4.8 || 4.8 || rowspan="2" | 366
|-
! Upgraded
| 449 || 428 || 25.1 || 26.0 || 11.3 || 7.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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}} || 305 || 289 || 211 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 310 || < 310 || < 320 || > 320
|-
|}

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


* 1 mm Dural - Engine protective plate (one for each engine)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured pilot and co-pilot seats
* 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured gunner's seat

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

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

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.7 mm Browning machine gun, wing-mounted (500 rpg)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)}}

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

* 4 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)|Vickers K (7.7 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
* 2 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine guns, front ventral turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==

In order to be successful in shooting down enemy aircraft, one needs to either immediately drop the bomb, or (on small maps like Bastogne, or Essen) dive down, and release on the first target spotted. Then it's just a matter of flying the plane like a Spitfire - turn fighting at low altitude, and sometimes stall fighting, and making all sorts of evasive manoeuvres (though this might seem ridiculous, do not worry, the plane really is capable of supporting such handling). When turning it is important to remember that the plane will rip during sharp turns at speeds exceeding 350 km/h. Obviously, at some point, you will get an enemy on your tail. Then, your defensive gunners come into play. All you need to do is to swing the tail of the aircraft around, and fire at the enemy with either your dorsal or ventral turret. It is also a good idea to first fire off all the ammunition in one of the turrets, and while it is reloading use the second one.

If you are down-tiered, you can use your speed to completely avoid some enemy fighters. At a decent altitude (3,000 m or above works best), biplanes will not be able to catch you and low tier monoplanes will struggle.

One last thing about the turrets: they both have a 360 degree firing arch. This means, that you may also use them offensively (especially when engaging bombers, with whom you may exchange broadsides, or when the offensive armament has run out of ammunition).

=== 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 || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very high speed for its rank
* Great turn time
* Forward-firing machine gun
* Ventral and dorsal turrets on the same aircraft are rare at its tier
* Excellent coverage for ventral and dorsal turrets
* Defensive turrets are excellent against unarmoured aircraft
* Two back facing turrets one on top and one at the bottom so the defensive turrets can fire at a wide angle

'''Cons:'''

* Very vulnerable when the gunner is taken out
* Turrets lack punch, particularly when compared to the Beaufort
* Poor bomb load, even for its tier
* Offensive machine gun lacks any firepower
* No bulletproof glass or armour to protect the pilots from head-on attacks

== History ==

Making the first mission of WW2, then the next day, the first bombing raid, the Blenheim Mk IV was a vital part of the RAF's early war effort. It became obsolete in 1942 as newer planes and technology made the Bristol Blenheim outdated.
Dimensions :
Length: 13.00 m
Width: 17.17 m
Height: 3.91 m

The Blenheim IV was used after the allied Ground and Air Forces suffered defeat in battles during May 1940. The RAF had to use it for desperate daylight raids against German army bridgeheads in France and the Low Countries. The aircraft used in the battles suffered crippling losses and in fact, no higher loss, of a similar sized mission, has ever been suffered by the Royal Air Force.

After the fighting in France was over, Coastal and Bomber Command Blenheim IVs were sent out to attack German occupied ports during day and night raids in order to disrupt their invasion plans. These attacks continued through into 1941 and on 4 July Wg Cdr H.I. Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in a daylight bombing attack on Bremen while flying a Blenheim IV. As many of you may know, the Victoria Cross is the highest award you can possibly get in the Royal Forces.

Image of Hughie Edwards:

https://www.460squadronraaf.com/images/08_th.jpg

=== In-game description ===
Originally developed as a prototype fast civilian transport aircraft, the Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber widely used during the early days of the Second World War. The Blenheim was the first British all-metal aircraft and one of the first with a retractable landing gear, an electric defensive turret and a variable pitch propeller. Conversion from fixed-gear biplane bombers with fixed-pitch propellers to Blenheims, with their modern features, proved troublesome for some squadrons. Large numbers of levers, often poorly positioned, had great potential to cause confusion in critical stages of flight. For example, the landing gear lever was close to the flap lever, which sometimes led to retraction of flaps together with landing gear at takeoff, causing an immediate loss of lift. Improper prop pitch setting at takeoff often led to an overly long takeoff run and passing the runway threshold without becoming airborne.

The Blenheim Mk IV was not, as is often thought, a variant of the Mk I. Rather it was based on the Type 149 variant, based on the 11/36 requirement for a coastal reconnaissance/light bomber to replace the Avro Anson. During flight trials the Mk IV reached a top speed of 266 mph; faster than the Mk I. However, the data was misleading as the speed was reached at 12,000 ft, whereas the Mk I was tested at sea level, where it reached 239 mph - the Mk I was slightly faster at altitude. Unfortunately, this became obvious in combat, when Mk IVs fared no better against Luftwaffe fighters than the Mk I. It quickly became clear that Blenheims needed fighter escorts.

Whilst certainly one of the world's fastest aircraft during the prototype phase in 1935, the Blenheim did not have the speed to compete with enemy fighters by 1939. This, combined with its poor defensive armament and light payload made it an unsuccessful bomber, but tragically for the crews of RAF Bomber Command, it was available in large numbers. The Blenheim squadron losses up to 1941 were amongst the worst suffered by the RAF during the entire war. A modification of the Blenheim MkI did, however, have some notable successes as a pioneering night fighter until more suitable aircraft were developed in that role.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|u5714dpuDDo|'''The Shooting Range #176''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:02 discusses the Blenheim.}}

== 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/3435/current|The Blenheim Mk.IV, a reliable British classic]]

{{AirManufacturer Bristol}}
{{Britain bombers}}

Stuart I

2021-11-19T19:11:44Z

U122323468: /* Description */

{{About
| about = British light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage = other versions
|link = M3 Stuart (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_m3_stuart
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. It is an extremely durable tank with fast movement speeds. In battle, you will commonly see this dominating due to it's amazing survivability. On the other hand, it can be countered quite fast if you sit around too much. The Stuart has a very fast turning rate and has a extremely strong turret that can be used in case the cannon is down. It can easily loop through tight spaces and is quite durable. Despite it being a light tank, it can withstand multiple shots.

== General info ==
[[File:M3 Stuart Screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|M3 Stuart driving in the Snow ([[Frozen Pass (Ground Forces)|Frozen Pass]])]]
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Being a light tank the Stuart I has fairly thin armour. It can generally protect against most machine guns but will usually not stand up against the main weapons of enemy tanks at its battle rating. The inside of the tank is fairly cramped with the two turret members standing, this means that the likelihood of a crew member being hit is fairly high.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (lower frontal plate)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (18°) ''Driver Port'' 15.8 mm (69°) ''Front Glacis'' 44.4 mm (21°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 38.1 mm || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm || 12.7 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels, bogies and tracks are 15 mm thick.
* Most of the mantlet reaches 76.2 mm thickness due to overlapping plates.

[[File:M3 Stuart turning updated.gif|thumb|426x426px|Stuart I Turning Demo at Slow and Fast speeds]]

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 406|rbMinHp= 232}}The {{PAGENAME}} feels fresh compared to most early British vehicles, and not even the Tetrarch can compare to its swiftness and maneuverability. The Stuart's speed both forward and backward is equal or better to the other vehicles in Rank I.

The Stuart I can reach a speed of 49 km/h off-road and up to 50 km/h on road. It can feel sluggish while turning at a slower speed as it lacks neutral steering, but when moving forward the turning is much smoother and quicker. The vehicle reverses at up to 6 km/h which, while somewhat slow, is still usable in most situations on the battlefield.

You will find this vehicle very useful at climbing up hills and flanking through the sides of the map. It feels better in the countryside or open places rather than urban areas. This helps it reach its full flanking potential and prevents it from being confined to close quarters.

Reverse speed, while still rather slow, is a refreshing leap from the usually lacking British reverse gear. Learn how to use it and remember it's not the same with all British tanks.

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

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

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

The main gun of the Stuart I is a 37 mm M5 cannon. This gun is also featured on the [[M2A4]] and [[M3 Lee]]. On the Stuart I the M5 can use 2 round types, either M74 (AP) or M51 (APCBC) with the latter being a Tier 1 modification.

The overall firepower is decent. The main cannon has an adequate penetration of about 60 mm which is more than enough to go through most tanks below 2.0, such as the T-26, Pz.III and Pz.35t. Although the available ammunition is all solid shells, they still make quite a bit of shrapnel when penetrating which is enough to one-shot compact tanks like the T-26 and Pz.35t. For larger tanks like the LVT(A), accurate shots pinpointing the crew are required which might be a little hard for new players. The cannon has enough accuracy to precisely knock out the enemy's crew within 500m. If one shot misses, the reload time of around 3.5 seconds allows quick following shots.

The cannon is provided with a nice shoulder stabiliser, which is a big advantage when exchanging fire, as it allows you to move out of cover and fire (usually before the enemy) without having to wait for your tank to stop wobbling. The stabiliser should be utilised to maximise your chance of surviving and killing. Note that it only works below 10 kph, so remember to slow down or it will not stabilise the gun.

Targets like the 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl or M3 GMC can be quite hard to destroy, as their armour is thin enough to create little shrapnel, but are also thick enough to stop MG bullets. Against them, you can only rely on your fire rate, accuracy and of course your knowledge of their crew position to knock out their crew one by one. Always go for the gunners or drivers first, because if you fail to do so they can always fight back and one-shot you.

The main cannon is only effective in close quarters combat (usually within 200m) or against weakly armoured targets, since the penetration drops drastically as the range increases, plus the small caliber makes the shells easy to ricochet. When encountering fairly well armored tanks like the M13/40 or H.35, try and break their gun barrels first or track them. If they are too far away, pin them on the map and call teammates to help.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]] || 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" | 103 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 19.04 || 26.35 || 32.00 || 35.00 || 37.65 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.90 || 14.00 || 17.00 || 18.80 || 20.00
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 67 || 65 || 56 || 46 || 38 || 32
|-
| M51 shot || APCBC || 75 || 72 || 62 || 51 || 43 || 35
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M74 shot || AP || 792 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M51 shot || APCBC || 792 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M3_Stuart.jpg|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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''103''' || 69 ''(+34)'' || 35 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+102)'' || No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

Alongside the main gun, the Stuart I has 2 additional [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]] machine guns. The first machine gun noted is in a coaxial mount aligned with the gun, second is mounted on the turret top in a pintle mount. Unlike its American counterpart, the Stuart I lacks the two machine guns mounted on the hull sides. The Stuart I does also have a hull front machine gun but this cannot be fired.

The machine gun is only enough to destroy poorly protected vehicles such as AS 42, FlakPz I and GAZ-AAA. The penetration of around 10 mm is not enough to go through the frontal armour of those not-so-weakly-armoured tanks like SU-5-1, Panzerjager 1 or 15cm sIG 33 B Sfl. If you are skilled the two MG can effectively damage low-flying biplanes.

The machine guns will allow you to shoot low-flying planes, but do very poor damage. Biplanes may be easily shot down, but anything more durable will likely be too tough to damage significantly. The pintle MG has good elevation allowing it to aim high enough to target even planes almost directly above, but its traverse speed is often too slow to keep up with aircraft. Moving the turret or sometimes the hull itself may be necessary in order to successfully attack an airplane.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt capacity)
! Rate of fire (shots/minute)
! Vertical guidance
! Horizontal guidance
|-
| Pintle || 3,000 (250) || 500 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 3,200 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

When driving the Stuart I, it is best to maintain some distance from enemy vehicles, this is advisable due to the somewhat thin armour and closely packed crew that you have to work with, if you are on a smaller map where keeping distance from enemy vehicles is not possible then it would be a good idea to use buildings and landscape features for cover and to keep your vehicle concealed.

'''Offensive rear support'''

A way to use this tank is as a support vehicle behind the main tank offensive, with your high reloading gun, velocity and decent pen you will be able to provide quick support firing for the vehicles advancing.

In the majority of cases, you will be able to go through the frontal armour of enemy tanks (best pen is 75 mm) although some vehicles with heavily angled front armour may be able to stop your round being effective. A consistently effective tactic is to flank an enemy vehicle and fire into the side of the crew compartment, aiming near the turret to disable their ability to fire is a good way to use your first shot, thanks to the quick (at best 2.9s) reload of the Stuart I, you can then put second and third shots into the enemy if needed to finish off their crew.

If the assault seems deemed to fail, you can quickly turn back and speed your escape out the frontline, this thanks to its highly mobile transmission.

'''Flanker'''

Another aspect worth mentioning here is the mobility of the Stuart I, while not the fastest vehicle at its BR it certainly still has competitive mobility that will allow it to reach capture points in quickly or get to a good camping or flanking position before most enemy or friendly vehicles alike.

Using the map to your advantage, choosing rather lonely areas of the map and lurking in the smallest of the corners is the little Stuart's job. Covering with the forest or using the landscape for attacking the enemy with surprise by the sides, or the rear. This tactic applies even when using the vehicle in an up-tiered battle rating match, as there will be plenty of light tanks trying to do the same as you.

'''Enemies worth noting'''

'''German tanks'''

Specific enemy vehicles that bear mentioning are any German vehicles with the [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK/FlaK38]] cannon, this gun might be small but can have up to 64 mm of penetration, which is enough to go through the Stuart I at almost any point even frontally, these guns can also fire 10 rounds at 280 rounds/min before having to reload the clip, this means that they will easily take out your crew before you have a chance to respond. As far as countering, the best chance you have is to angle your frontal armour, which can make it difficult for the PzGr 40 rounds to penetrate. It will also help to to maintain distance from enemy, because the PzGr 40 round loses penetration very quickly. However generally speaking you will not stand much of a chance against vehicles equipped with this gun if you are openly exposed to their fire.

Some German medium tanks can be surprisingly tough frontally. Use the Protection Analysis feature in the hangar to know where to properly shoot them.

'''Swedish tanks'''

Swedish tanks are usually lacking in the armour department, so the Stuart I, it's able to do good work with its gun. Keep in mind that they have powerful guns and fast-firing tanks. Be aware of their APDS shells, which are very fast and easy to aim at long ranges, don't try to fight them at long distances. Tankers must be precise when engaging them. Their shaped turret is capable of even bouncing some of the inbound shots, it is best to always aim for the centre area of the hull or the turret.

[[File:M3 Stuart Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|An M3 Stuart attacking a [[BT-7]]]]

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good front armour, can deflect weak shells when angled
* Fast and agile, competitive with the BT-5
* Decent firepower: good rate of fire and penetration
* -10 degrees gun depression means good terrain adaptation

'''Cons:'''

* Crew are located close together, lowering survivability
* Brakes are weak especially at high speed
* Turning can be bad at slower speeds
* No ammunition with HE filler (only solid shots) meaning poor damage
* Despite being a small tank, quite tall and boxy profile

== History ==

===Development===
The American light tank design prior to World War II, the [[M2A4|M2 light tank]], was seen as obsolete after observing Germany's Panzer forces tear through Europe. The design was to be upgraded with more armour, a better suspension, and a new gun recoil system. The revised version was designated the '''Light Tank M3''', which the British named the ''Stuart''. At its basis, the light tank had a 37 mm cannon with a similar layout as the M2 light tank, with the radial engine at the rear and the transmission on the front, though the radial engine was in high demand so the Guiberson diesel T-1210 were fitted in some models to substitute the engine. The design used the VVSS bogie system seen on previous American tank designs. The tank had a crew of four: driver, assistant driver, gunner, and commander, who doubled as the loader.

The first variant of the M3 ''Stuart'' light tank was very similar to the M2 light tanks. It had five machine gun armaments scattered around like the M2, but featured better armour and a better cannon with the 37 mm M6 cannon. The design did not have a turret basket for the crew and it was constructed out of rivets, which increased the chance of spalling in the tank. Nevertheless, the first variant M3 saw about 5,811 units produced. The second variant, the '''[[M3A1 Stuart|M3A1 Stuart]]''', featured a new turret with no cupola on it, plus an added gun stabilizer. The machine guns on the hull sides were removed, so now the total machine guns were reduced from five to three. The design also featured a welded armour design to remove the weakness of riveted armour. 4,621 of this variant was produced from May 1942 to February 1943. The most used variant, the '''[[M5A1|M5A1 Stuart]]''', had a completely redesigned hull and turret, with the hull most notably having a full sloping frontal armour than the previous designs. This variant had about 6,810 units produced. All in all, the M3 light tank design and all its later variants were produced in massive quantities from March 1941 to October 1943 with a total of 25,000 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The British were the first to use the M3 ''Stuart'' in Africa in 1941, using it in Operation Crusader. However, the result ended with heavy losses, due to the better training the German Afrika Korps had compared to the British tank doctrine. The encounter also pointed out many flaws in the M3, mainly the cramped interior and limited operational range, but was praised for its high mobility and reliability when compared to the British contemporary designs. In 1942, the ''Stuarts'' were generally kept as recon units rather than combat units, and some were even modified to improve speed and range by removing the turret, and others were converted to armoured personnel carriers and command vehicles. Though the British used it extensively, it was still in small proportion compared to American usage. The Soviet Union was also another user of the M3 but found it unfavourable due to their own logistics, plus it was not made to withstand the Russian ''Rasputitsa'' or even the winter. The Soviet eventually turned down any more offers for the ''Stuart'' by 1943. The M3s also supported the British and Chinese forces in Asia against the Japanese Army, and also France and Yugoslavia in Europe against the German Wehrmacht.

The Americans used it widely in both operational theatres. In the Pacific, the M3s were the first tanks America used in a tank vs. tank operation against the Imperial Japanese Army, where five M3s fought [[Ha-Go|Type 95 Ha-Gos]] in a well-known action in the Phillippines. In total 108 M3s served with the 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions, also known as the 1st Provisional Tank Group, in the 1941 U.S. defence of the Phillippines, despite having no HE ammo issued. More than 30 were captured by the Japanese, who equipped their 7th Tank Regiment with them, who used them to defend the Philippines again, against the US in 1944. M3s were also used by Company B of the 1st Marine Tank Battalion at Guadalcanal in 1942. Though the ''Stuarts'' were newer than the Japanese tank designs by about five years, they were seen as equal in performance and firepower, but the M3 benefited by the support of the American industry arm. The ''Stuarts'' served in the Pacific slightly better than its heavier counterparts such as the [[M4|M4 ''Shermans'']] due to its lighter weight and manoeuvrability in the poor jungle terrain, but the M3 ''Stuarts'' in the Pacific were gradually replaced by M4 ''Shermans'' due to heavy losses from its thinner armour. The M3 was also some of the first US tanks to be converted into flamethrower tanks, named as the ''"Satan"''. The Satan tanks provided favourable results to the concept of a flamethrower tank and were replaced by flamethrower-equipped M4 ''Shermans'' in 1945.

In Europe, the M3 formed a large part of the American tank battalions, though following the British path by sidelining the ''Stuarts'' from combat duties after heavy losses and to serve alongside ''Shermans'' as scouting units. A typical tank battalion for the US Army consisted of three companies of ''Shermans'' and one of ''Stuarts''. Other than scouting, the M3s were also used in cavalry roles and infantry support since their cannon are unable to compete with the German tank designs. Despite their dwindling capabilities in battle, the M3 was kept in service up until the end of the war due to the large production numbers.

After World War II, the ''Stuarts'' were given out as cheap surplus, countries such as China, India, and Pakistan picked up a few and used them in their conflicts. Portuguese also picked up a few M3s for the war in Angola, and the South African Corps continued using the ''Stuarts'' until 1955, where some were still kept in service until 1968 due to available parts. Today, Paraguay is still a user of the M3 light tanks, though as the only tracked armour used in the country.

The ''Stuart'' light tank design was also quite versatile that it was made into different variants for different roles on the battlefield. It served as an infantry support vehicle as to the ''[[M8 Scott|75mm GMC M8]]'' and experiments were also taken to see if it could be adapted to an anti-aircraft gun and a flamethrower as well. However, the M3 was becoming an ageing design with inferior armour, cramped interior layout, and a small 37 mm gun, so a program to replace the light tank began in 1943 and became the [[M24|M24 ''Chaffee'']], which would eventually replace the M3 Light Tank mostly after World War II.

=== In-game description ===
At the beginning of 1940 the Ordnance Department put together technical requirements for a new tank, the need for which was clear at the beginning of World War II. The first prototype was refashioned after the M2A4 at the Rock Island Arsenal. The tank had a riveted turret with few viewing slits, and the new M22 mantlet had thicker armor. The hull's frontal armor was also thickened to 45 mm and the turret to 38 mm. The tank hull was assembled from rolled armor plates on a frame made from angle sections and flat bars using rivets, though later releases were partially welded. From the end of 1941 to the beginning of 1942 a lack of standard gas-powered Continental aircraft engines forced some tanks to be outfitted with 265 hp Guiberson T-1020-4 diesel-powered, nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial engines capable of reaching 2,250 rpm. The diesel tanks could be recognized by their Vortex air filters and were generally designated M3 diesels. At the end of 1941 the tanks with carburetor engines were equipped with two cylindrically-shaped external fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 102 liters, that were connected to the engine supply system. After being exhausted, the external tanks could be jettisoned by the crew without leaving the tank. Adding the new tanks doubled the M3's range.

On July 5, 1940, the new light tank was standardized and released under the M3 designation. It was more widely known by the moniker General Stuart, given it by the British, who received a significant number of them in 1941 and 1942 via Lend-Lease.

Production of the M3 began in March 1941 at the American Car & Foundry factory. March 1941 through August 1942 saw 5,811 built, 1,285 of which were equipped with the Guiberson T-1020-4 engine.

M3 Stuart light tanks were also delivered to the Red Army and the UK via Lend-Lease to be used on all fronts in World War II beginning in 1941.

== Media ==


;Skins

[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=uk_m3_stuart Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== 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.''

{{Britain light tanks}}

Spitfire Mk Ia

2021-11-19T19:03:36Z

U122323468: /* Specific enemies worth noting */

{{About
| about = British fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Spitfire (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=spitfire_mk1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Spitfire Mk Ia is one of the first monoplane designs in the British tree, alongside the [[Hurricane (Family)|Hurricanes]]. The Spitfire is most distinctive with its sleek and thin elliptical wing design, a characteristic seen in most future Spitfire variants. The wing on the Spitfire is a Type A, as implied by the name "Mk Ia", which contained four .303 machine guns per wing with a total of eight machine guns.

Its default paint coat consists of a green and tan two-tone colouring, with a white undercoat. The Spitfire Mk Ia possess the Royal Air Force Type A.1 roundel on the fuselage with a yellow outer ring, followed by blue, white, and then a red centre. On the wings, the Type B roundels are painted with a simple blue outer ring and a red centre. The red, white, blue fin flap exists on the tail vertical stabilizer.

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

The Spitfire Mk Ia has an excellent rate-of-climb and a high top speed of 460 km/h when flying in a straight line. The plane has a decently high wing-rip speed, which should not come into play in controlled dives.

It also possesses a very quick turning ability, although in some situations this can mean that manoeuvring energy retention is worse than one might expect. Roll rate is good a low speeds, but suffers about ~300 km/h.

In general, the Spitfire performs best at low and medium altitudes: below 4,500 m. Above this altitude, engine power and manoeuvrability suffer.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,267 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
| 527 || 507 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.7 || 17.7 || 10.7 || 10.7 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 617 || 584 || 14.6 || 15.0 || 26.2 || 19.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| X || X || ✓ || X || 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}} || N/A || N/A || 230 || ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 275 || < 400 || < 350 || > 500
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,900 m || 1,020 hp || 1,357 hp
|-
|}

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


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
* 4 mm Steel - Armour plate in pilot's seat
* 6-7 mm Steel -Armour plate behind the pilot

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

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

{{main|Browning (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 8 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (350 rpg = 2,800 total)

'''Notes:'''

* 153 rounds per second total output (1150 rpm x 8 / 60).
* Muzzle velocity 810 m/s (2,660 feet/second). <ref>http://www.aviation-history.com/guns/303.htm</ref>
* The .303 was a rifle round, accurate but fairly ineffective in air combat unless in skilled hands. The calibre was chosen over the .50 as it was lighter, had a higher rate of fire and was less susceptible to jamming. However, it required an average 4,500 rounds to disable an enemy aircraft <ref>Flying Guns: World War II by Anthony G Williams, Emmanuel Gustin (2003), p95</ref>, of which 250 rounds needed to hit (i.e. a full 2-second burst). The accurate placing of the shot was essential, as it lacked sufficient energy to cause structural damage.
* The design used an open bolt mechanism to allow air to flow through the barrel and prevent overheating. This worked well at lower altitudes but caused icing at high altitude. The red canvas wing-port covering kept the gun clean and warm; later marks also ducted hot air from the engine to regulate the gun's breech temperature. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire#Armament</ref>
* RAF recommended convergence in 1939 was 365 m (400 yards) in contrast to the Luftwaffe, with experience from the Spanish Civil War, using 200 m (which the RAF adopted by mid-1940). Although many high scoring pilots reduced this, close to 137 m (150 yards) or less for an accurate kill, others ignored convergence altogether or went to a box-shot where paired guns were set to different convergences.
* Choice of ammunition is essential as AP and ball rounds rely on kinetic energy to cause damage, which is lost quickly in small calibre rounds. The API round will also transfer chemical energy into the target and so will be more effective on lightly armoured targets, particularly if they hit something flammable. Pure tracer rounds help to target, especially in combat manoeuvres where lead varies, but have little penetration on contact. <ref>http://users.skynet.be/Emmanuel.Gustin/fgun/fgun-fi.html</ref>

== Usage in battles ==


;Climbing

The Spitfire should first climb, using its excellent rate-of-climb. This can be done most efficiently in two ways depending on the preference of the pilot. If you want to get high quickly without having covered much distance you can start off with a 26 degrees climb until 4 km (13,123 ft) after which you should lower the nose of the aircraft down to a 20 degrees climb. If you want to get to a higher altitude at a more moderate tempo and cover more distance, the preference is then to climb the entire way at 20 degrees. The advantage of the first way is that you are hands down going to be the highest fighter in the game. The advantage of the second way is that you will be ahead of your bases enough and at the altitude of enemy bombers so that you can take easy head-on passes at bombers which in those situations are free and easy kills (if you fail a head-on against a bomber it is not recommended to turn around and attempt to finish off the bomber as the tail, ventral, dorsal and beam gunners have an advantage of you flying into their bullets).

'''Speed'''

The Spitfire is fast, with a top speed of around 600 km/h, although in a straight line it normally only reaches around 460 km/h (can be higher if you're using MEC). For its BR the Spitfire Mk Ia's speed is above average overall, being able to reliably outrun aircraft that can outturn it and outturn aircraft that can outrun it. Utilizing its great climb you can dive on faster, heavier aircraft to prevent then from extending away.

'''Engaging Enemy Aircraft'''

The spitfire is disadvantaged in head-ons due to the lack of armament in the center of the plane which means you will have to rely on your convergence settings and this almost never ends well. In a Spitfire, you should almost always go for turn-fight engagements. It is possible to fake a head-on (by pulling away once your enemy starts firing) if you're forced to by an enemy plane but it is highly recommended to never commit to a head-on engagement with a dedicated monoplane fighter. A skilled opponent will try to energy fight you which you need to look out for. You can lose your energy faster than you realize and when you do, you've most likely been baited and are an easy target.

The Spitfire has a relatively good ammo count. The 4-digit ammo can (most likely will not) be deceiving, since there are 8 guns on the aircraft, making only around 400 RPG. The guns should be used at around 400 m to have the most devastating effect. If aimed correctly your enemy is going to have a bad day. You can use this to ground attack light or unarmoured targets, usually with stealth or omni-purpose belts, but this job should be left to dedicated gun-platforms, like the Hurricane and [[F6F (Family)|F6F Hellcat]].

When in a fight with an enemy plane which is not Japanese, proceed to entice them into a turn fight. Wait until they get close enough and then turn into them, forcing a turning fight.

The Spitfire Mk Ia is a plane known for its manoeuvrability. It is faster than Japanese planes, so if attacked by one, either use a Rolling Scissors technique or just fly away. If in a good position, Boom & Zoom it by repeatedly strafing and then proceeding to either climb high and energy trap it, or extending away maintaining as much energy as possible.

====Specific enemies worth noting====


* The [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109 Friedrich (F) series]] are planes you will want to watch out for. They can do tremendous amounts of damage if you don't watch out. They also have very good turning performance given the pilot flying the 109 knows what he's doing and they could seriously catch you by surprise. The energy performance of this plane also greatly excels your own plane.
* Japanese planes - Fighter planes like the [[Ki-43 (Family)|Ki-43]] and [[A6M (Family)|A6M]] will turn all over the Spitfire. As such, do not exploit the Spitfire's turning ability against a Japanese opponent. Instead, use the Merlin engine power on the Spitfire to try and outrun the Japanese plane. When attacking a Japanese plane, try to use Boom & Zoom tactics rather than turning to keep an energy advantage over the opponent.
* Biplanes - Biplanes may be slow, but they are among some of the most manoeuvrable aircraft in War Thunder. You must not try to turn-fight them. Instead, climb or dive away from them and then use Boom & Zoom tactics. Luckily, biplanes are fragile and your eight machine guns will tear them apart.
* Heavy Bombers - Although you have eight machine guns, they are only 7.7 mm machine guns. With larger aircraft, you may find yourself expending all of your ammunition and not even coming away with a kill. The Spitfire is also quite fragile. You need to be careful of defensive turrets. Even light machine guns can take out your engine, kill your pilot and destroy combat surfaces.
* The [[I-180S]] premium Soviet fighter is extremely manoeuvrable and has great energy retention which can sometimes even out-turn Spitfires at higher speeds, thus you must be very careful when engaging these planes, making sure you have an energy advantage, or it will be a difficult battle.
* If you are a player who is much more offensive, you should ensure you focus a lot on your tactic especially when it does come to planes with a much more manoeuvrability. The main reason why this is to be noted is the fact that the Spitfire has a decent turn time but if the tail is damaged, you must be extremely aware of your surroundings. It is also recommended that you do research the armour first since it is very helpful on the battlefield during close call situations against enemy planes that are much more faster than you.

=== 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 || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

[[File:Radar chart Spitfire Mk Ia.png|thumb|Fighter abilities of the Spitfire Mk.Ia]]

'''Pros:'''

* Outstanding turn radius, very good at turnfighting
* Adequate roll rate at low speed
* Good performance at altitudes below 4.5 km
* Great rate of climb
* Decent amount of armour, a front 38 mm glass and rear 4-7 mm steel plates
* "100 octane fuel" modification provides roughly 15% increase in engine power
* Good anti-fighter armament of eight machine guns
* Flies much like an improved biplane, great continuity for new players

'''Cons:'''

* Bad high altitude performance
* Below average top speed
* Roll rate stiffens dramatically at ~300 km/h
* Below average energy retention: momentum is lost after pulling a few sharp turns
* Fragile construction, damage to the airframe, control surfaces, or engine can cripple the plane
* Negative G's and inverted flight causes the Float Carburettor to fail, momentarily cutting out the engine
* Engine prone to overheating
* Machine guns only effective if the target is hit repeatedly
* Machine gun armament lacks the long-range hitting power of cannons
* Ammo can run out quickly in prolonged, uncontrolled bursts
* Wing-mounted armament takes wing convergence into consideration
* Quick disposal of large bombers is difficult, prolonged engagements expose the Spitfire to the defensive gunners
* Pulling back hard on the joystick can cause dangerous flat-spins in Simulator mode
* Poor simulator cockpit visibility

== History ==


=== In-game description ===
Despite the British Air Ministry's preference for biplane fighters in the early 1930s, Supermarine designer RJ Mitchell began work on an all-metal construction, single-engine, single-seat monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. The Spitfire (Prototype K5054) made its first flight on March 5th 1936, and after demonstrating superb handling qualities, was ordered into mass production for the RAF. The first Spitfires entered service with No.19 Squadron at RAF Duxford in August 1938.

Initially, the Mk I variant was equipped with type A wings and four wing-mounted Colt-Browning Mk II .303 (7.7mm) machine guns, although this was soon increased to eight. Further upgrades included the use of a Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine instead of the original 1030 HP Merlin II; the original two blade fixed pitch wooden propeller was also replaced with a metal, variable pitch three bladed propeller of either Rotol or De Havilland design. A bulged canopy, bullet proof windscreen, armour plating and hydraulics to operate the gear and flaps were also introduced, partly as a result of the combat experience gained by Hurricane squadrons during the Battle of France.

The first Spitfires had a basic targeting system consisting of a ringed sight, but by July of 1939 a more sophisticated collimator sight, the GM2 Mk II, began to be used; machines already in service were retrofitted with the new sights.

In 1940, 30 aircraft were delivered to front line service for Operational Trials with the new Type B wing; the Spitfire Mk IB was armed with two 20mm Hispano cannon and four 0.303 Browning machine guns, and the older eight gun fighters were re-designated the Mk IA. However, the drum feed for the 20mm cannon proved to be very unreliable and prone to jamming, so the Mk IB was withdrawn from service.

At the time of its introduction, right through the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, the Spitfire Mk I was considered by many to be the greatest fighter aircraft in the world. By the time the Spitfire Mk II began to replace it, 1566 Mk Is had been built.

=== Aces ===
The Spitfire Mk.1A was the iconic British aircraft of the Battle of Britain. Leading Spitfire aces of this battle were: <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Few</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Nationality !! Squadron
|-
| Pilot Officer Eric Lock || British || 41
|-
| Flying Officer Brian Carbury || New Zealand || 603
|-
| Pilot Officer Colin Gray || New Zealand || 54
|-
| Pilot Officer Bob Doe || British || 234
|-
| Flight Lieutenant Paterson Hughes || Australia || 234
|}

=== Notable pilots ===

<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Douglas_Bader_profile.jpg|thumb|none|220px|User:U64962917#Bader,_Douglas_R.S.B.|The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' was the first Spitfire in which [[User:U64962917#Bader,_Douglas_R.S.B.|Douglas Bader]] flew. As it was he crashed the first one during take off, however immediately jumped into another and took to the air.]] </li>
</ul></div>

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=spitfire_mk1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|9_txEPailKc|'''The Shooting Range #92''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 01:54 discusses the Spitfire Mk Ia.}}

== 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 ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/275318-supermarine-spitfire-mk-ia/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===
<references />

{{AirManufacturer Supermarine}}
{{Britain fighters}}