War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Ar-2

2022-06-21T12:50:20Z

U125885667: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=ar_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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


The Ar-2 is a pleasant aircraft to fly with a good climb and turn rate, as well as a low stall speed and takeoff requirement.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,700 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
| 490 || 477 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.8 || 23.4 || 10.0 || 10.0 || rowspan="2" | 366
|-
! Upgraded
| 536 || 512 || 21.3 || 22.0 || 15.4 || 12.5
|-
|}

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

{| 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}} || 315 || 309 || 280 || ~9 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 320 || < 320 || < 300 || > 350
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,000 m || 1,100 hp || 1,188 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,000 m || 1,050 hp || N/A
|-
|}

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


* 6mm Steel plate in the pilot's seat & headrest.

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

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

{{main|FAB-100 (100 kg)|FAB-250M43 (250 kg)|FAB-500 (500 kg)}}

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

* 6 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 10 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 6 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (1,500 kg total)
* 1 x 500 kg FAB-500 bomb (500 kg total)
* 3 x 500 kg FAB-500 bombs (1,500 kg total)

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

{{main|ShKAS (7.62 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, nose turret (500 rpg)
* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, dorsal turret (1,000 rpg)
* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, ventral turret (600 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==

Ar-2 is quite fast, and is faster than most other bombers at a similar BR (like [[B-18A]] and [[He 111 H-3]]). Use this as an advantage. Go directly for the enemy bases, then go back to the airfield and restart a bombing run. use the high speed resstand to speed of from high altitudes to you airfield and use the airbrake to slow down when you are getting close (when you are doing this set you engens to 75%). If an enemy plane targets you, keep flying straight and have a slight climb. Use your defensive turrets to scare away enemies tailing you. ''Most components are located in the front which makes it easy to destroy in frontal'' attacks so dont go for frontel attacks and try to put yor tail in the way, or us your high speed resstands to outrun them in a dive (only use this in a last ditch effort). for In Mixed battles, its armament of 3 x 500 kg bombs is quite the loadout for the battle rating and can be used to carpet-bomb a point. However, only spawn in the Ar-2 if there are no enemy fighters up and don't go low altitude- SPAA and roof-mounted MGs will easily chew this plane up.

=== 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 || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Not controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Combined || rowspan="2" | Controllable 2 gears || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* It is pretty fast (able to outrun [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109s]])
* The air brakes allows for easy landings (even with critical damage), and excellent diving capabilities
* Excellent mobility for a bomber (expanded further with the use of combat flaps and air brakes)
* Good frontal turret aiming range
* Adequate payload for its speed and mobility (able to take one base and a half when fully loaded)

'''Cons:'''

* Lightly armoured and easily taken down by anything from 20 mm and above
* Prone to flat spins with engine damage or when pushed too far
* Most components are located in the front which makes it easy to destroy in frontal attacks
* Despite the ShKAS machine guns having great belts, they are not very effective against more armoured fighters

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

=== In-game description ===
Arkhangelsky Ar-2 (SB-RK) twin-engine front-line dive bomber (Tupolev OKB).

An all-metal, twin-engine monoplane dive bomber with a retractable landing gear system including a tail wheel. Its crew consisted of three persons.

This aircraft was designed under the direction of A. A. Arkhangelsky and was a further structural development of the high-speed SB bomber.

It differed from the SB in its shorter wing and its streamlined, spindle-shaped nose section and modified nacelles, with water-cooled radiators removed from them and placed on the wing (hence the "SB-RK" designation where "SB" means "high-speed bomber" and "RK" means "radiators-wing"). The SB-RK prototype was tested in 1939. Full-scale production of the aircraft designated the Ar-2 started in 1940 at Factory No. 22, in Moscow.

Production Ar-2s were equipped with 1,100 hp Klimov M-105R twelve-cylinder, V-type, geared water-cooled engines.

The plane's defensive armament included an NU nose mount with a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 500 rounds. The machine gun was fitted in a special sphere that enabled it to fire forward within a 50-degree cone-shaped region.

The TSS-1 upper rear machine gun mount ("TSS" standing for "high-speed aircraft turret") had a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 1,000 rounds and a K-8T collimator sight. When firing, the upper canopy (nicknamed the "turtle") was moved back on rollers along rails and partially raised upward to protect the gunner from the incoming flow.

In order to protect the plane from below, the aircraft had a retractable MV-2 turret which housed a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 600 rounds and an OP-2L periscope sight.

The aircraft's standard bomb capacity was 600 kg (carried internally), which was the same as that of the SB, its predecessor, while its maximum bomb capacity could reach 1,500 kg with various combinations of internal and external loads. More advanced NP-1 racks were fitted under the Ar-2's centre wing section to carry bombs weighing 250 or 500 kg. The bombs were fastened in one central holder near the plane's center of gravity, and the plane's hold on them was reinforced with the help of side stops.

The Ar-2 entered service with the Red Army Air Force in the spring of 1940. The plane was in service from the beginning of the war until late 1944, with the units of the Red Army Air Force and Soviet naval aviation, as a dive bomber and a reconnaissance aircraft. The Ar-2's production was discontinued in early 1941. A total of about 200 aircraft were produced.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ar_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ElWz1Tl6BwY|'''The Shooting Range #109''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the Ar-2.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[SB 2M (Family)]]

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Tupolev}}
{{USSR bombers}}

MiG-3-34

2022-06-21T12:38:08Z

U125885667: add-on for the tactics for intercepting bombers

{{About
| about = Soviet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = MiG-3 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=mig_3_series_34
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.41]].

The MiG-3-34 was built with the intention of making a fighter capable of fighting at high altitudes. The MiG-3 series are one of the few Soviet planes that fly decently at high altitudes, although still not as well as German or American planes.

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

The MiG 3-34 is not a turnfighter, it's a Boom & Zoom aircraft. It is a bit sluggish when turning, although the flaps can be used to turn better. This aircraft has a good climb rate for its BR. Once upgraded, the plane is enjoyable, though it may be a bit challenging to master.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,800 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
| 587 || 569 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 23.2 || 24.1 || 12.8 || 12.8 || rowspan="2" | 450
|-
! Upgraded
| 641 || 612 || 20.8 || 22.0 || 20.2 || 16.0
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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}} || 457 || 428 || 280 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 350 || < 280 || < 350 || > 370
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,200 hp || 1,446 hp
|-
|}

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

The plane's protection is average overall. The placement of critical components is good, with fuel tanks being self-sealing and close to the cockpit. The pilot has 8 mm armour in the back of the seat, and 8.5 mm armour under the seat which prevent stray bullets but do not protect against large calibre cannons. The lack of armoured glass and side protection for the cockpit makes it easy to take out the pilot.

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

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

{{main|ShVAK (20 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons, nose-mounted (100 rpg = 200 total)

== Usage in battles ==


The MiG-3-34 is an interceptor which are mainly used to ''intercept'' bombers and strike aircraft, and take them out quickly with its 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons which can deal large amounts of damage in close range. Be mindful of bombers with large fuselages which are designed to take large amounts of damage; these can drain your ammo quickly. All interceptors get an air spawn behind the base, use this to your advantage and find a good climb ratio that lets you gain both altitude and speed, and keep in mind that MiG series interceptors work best at high altitudes.

Use the high-powered 20 mm cannons wisely, because they have limited ammo try to aim for critical components such as engines and crew members. Avoid getting in direct line of sight of a bomber, as you can easily get the pilot taken out by defensive turrets on a bomber. try to intercept from the side and aim for the tail, wing or the pilot.

The plane can to a lesser extent be used as a ground attacker, but it is advised against this due to its lack of armour, low ammo count and the fact that it doesn't have any ordnance.

=== 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 || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not controllable 1 gear || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons which are powerful at close range
* Durable construction which can handle high speeds
* A great climb rate of climb for its BR
* Strong flaps which can be used to decrease turn time
* the roll is very good at high altatudes.

'''Cons:'''

* Limited ammunition
* Not very manoeuvrable in turns
* Pilot and engine are vulnerable due to lack of armour
* No additional armament other than 20 mm cannons

== History ==


Though riddled with shortcomings, the I-200/MiG-1 fighter/interceptor aircraft proved to be both a popular and capable aircraft with pilots that had experience flying them. To address the oft-cited shortcomings, aircraft designers Mikoyan and Gurevich set out to rectify these issues, not only to make the aircraft more pilot-friendly but to make it a more effective fighter/interceptor.

By utilizing a full-sized model of the aircraft in a wind tunnel, designers quickly set about documenting necessary changes in the aircraft's configuration. The increase of the outer wing dihedral improved the wing's overall stability and lengthening the fuselage by just four inches improved the horizontal stability of the aircraft. By happenstance, the minute change in length created enough space for an additional 66 gallon (250 litres) fuel tank installation behind the pilot seat. Inert exhaust gases were routed to the fuel tanks to help improve the survivability of the aircraft and pilot by reducing the likelihood of fuel fires if enemy gunfire punctured the fuel tanks. Other improvements included strengthening the landing gear, larger main wheels, extending the canopy glazing aft for better visibility, improved gunsight, updated configuration of the instrument panel and an overall increase to 750 rounds of ammunition per machine gun.

After making the recommended updates and changes, the heavily modified I-200/MiG-1 (fourth revision) made its maiden flight on 29 October 1940. The Soviet state accepted this version of the aircraft during December 1940 State acceptance trials and due to the significant changes made to the plane was renamed to MiG-3. Though the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau rectified many of the MiG-1's deficiencies, unfortunately, the resulting aircraft ended up being 550 lbs (250 kg) heavier and reduced service ceiling by 1,500 ft (457 m). They also took approximately a minute longer to reach 16,000 ft (4,900 m) than the original MiG-1s. Two other positive outcomes for the MiG-3 was an overall increase in the aircraft's speed at altitude and sea-level along with an increase in its service range.

Many of the initial MiG-3 airframes pushed out to the VVS regiments which were considered poor quality and unusable. After an inquiry completed, a panel found that the Soviet Air Force Research Institute was negligent in their duty to monitor the quality of the aircraft coming off the assembly line. After several demotions of senior managers and the execution of the institute head, new management set to address the problems with the MiG-3.

Though designed as a high-altitude bomber-interceptor, the MiG-3's pilot's oxygen supply was woefully inadequate, both fuel and oil pumps failed to keep necessary pressure at altitude and pilot inexperience with high altitude flying all played against the aircraft's abilities. Once again, the MiG Design Bureau set out to fix these deficiencies and when complete, the MiG-3 design teams optimized it for high altitude operations above 20,000 ft (6,000 m). Here the MiG-3 boasted almost a 20 mph (26 kph) speed advantage over the German Bf 109E, though at sea-level, this advantage disappeared and the MiG-3 had roughly the same top speed as the Bf 109.

The weapons of the MiG-3 always seemed lacking compared to other aircraft such as the Bf 109 which typically sported a 20 mm canon along with machine guns. MiG-3s of all iterations only had machine guns in the 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm varieties. Though experiments with wing-mounted gun pods and rockets took place, reduction of airspeed due to them often resulted in the pilots having them removed, one of the few times where fighter pilots prefered streamlined aircraft over firepower. Ultimately the new gun sight was not fit for the task, so pilots often relied on getting as close to the enemy aircraft as possible before opening fire, sometimes within point-blank range to ensure a hit.

Leading up to the German invasion titled Operation Barbarossa, MiG-3s found homes at front-line regiments. Here, they could ideally intercept any hostile bomber or reconnaissance aircraft that flew over such as the German Ju-86P. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the German invasion, the MiG-3, though one of the best fighters available to Soviet pilots, proved to be unsuited for the task at hand. Instead of intercepting bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, they instead fought more agile Bf 109s and such in a fashion which negated all of the MiG-3's advantages, and it struggled. With the Bf 109 being more agile and had better weapons, the MiG-3 fought for a foothold but often lost. It was around this time that other Soviet fighters such as the Yak and LaGG series aircraft were debuting and showing their effectiveness at lower altitude combat with more agility and better weapon options. Forcing the aircraft to work as a bomber and ground attack aircraft proved to be an, even more, less effective than as a low-altitude fighter.

Some Soviet pilots did find success while flying the MiG-3. Aleksander Pokryshkin was one such pilot, as his initial foray into air combat was at the controls of a MiG-3. It was while flying the MiG-3 that Pokryshkin scored several victories against the German Bf 109. However, it was also during this time he realized that Soviet air combat doctrine was outdated, and he took detailed notes of his and other's accounts at air combat to determine a better way to fight. Pokryshkin's experience in the MiG-3 helped shape future Soviet air combat tactics for pilots flying more capable aircraft such as the Yak-1B, P-39K and Lavochkin fighters. Pokryskin was quoted as saying, "''The operational advantage of the MiG-3 seemed to be obscured by its certain defects. However, these advantages could undoubtedly be exploited by a pilot able to discover them''."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=mig_3_series_34 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

[[File:MiG-3-34 Sanya V. Litvyak.mp4|thumb|"Sanya V. Litvyak" collaboration camouflage|none]]

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Curtiss [[P-40 (Family)|P-40]]
* Dewoitine [[D.520]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-61 (Family)|Ki-61]]
* Messerschmitt [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109]]
* Yakovlev [[Yak-1 (Family)|Yak-1]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.ru/index.php?/topic/100791-mig-3-34-serii/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance (Russian Forum)]

{{AirManufacturer MiG}}
{{USSR fighters}}