War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

ASRAD-R

2022-10-24T13:44:39Z

U135933205: added a comma after necessary.

{{About
| about = Swedish SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M113 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=sw_asrad_r
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]].

The ASRAD-R received a number of improvements over the [[Lvrbv 701]]: The launcher array is now unmanned and located higher above the ground, which allows for the hull to remain in cover while still being effective in all directions thanks to the increased horizontal traverse angles. With access to 8 long-range supersonic missiles, the ASRAD-R proves to be quite deadly, especially against enemy helicopters.

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

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=305|rbMinHp=190}}

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

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

{{main|Rbs 70}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rbs 70]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 8 (4) || rowspan="2" | -5°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 26.4 || 36.5 || 44.3 || 49.0 || 52.1 || rowspan="2" | 19.50 || rowspan="2" | 17.25 || rowspan="2" | 15.90 || rowspan="2" | 15.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| RB 70 Mk.2 || SAM || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200
|-
| BOLIDE || SAM || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200 || 200
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| RB 70 Mk.2 || SAM || 580 || 7,000 || 16.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,440 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| BOLIDE || SAM || 700 || 9,000 || 17 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,440 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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


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

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Horizontal traverse of 360° allows for more flexibility compared to the [[Lvrbv 701]]
* BOLIDE missiles with greater range (9 km) and velocity (700 m/s) are a tier II modification
* Access to 1st generation thermals and high magnification in the gunner sight

'''Cons:'''

* Limited anti-ground capabilities due to poor gun depression of -5° and low penetration of 200 mm
* Subpar mobility and armour protection as a result of using the M113 chassis
* High profile and thus easy to spot, especially when the radar is active

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{TankManufacturer AB Bofors}}
{{Sweden anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Ju 87 B-2

2022-10-14T17:56:43Z

U135933205: Spelling/grammar mistakes, and an oxford comma.

{{About
| about = German dive bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Ju 87 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ju-87b-2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German dive 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}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,100 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
| 367 || 356 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.1 || 29.2 || 2.5 || 2.5 || rowspan="2" | 434
|-
! Upgraded
| 403 || 383 || 25.9 || 27.0 || 9.9 || 9.5
|-
|}

==== 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 
|-
|}

{| 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 || 469 || 320 || ~17 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 250 || < 350 || < 350 || > 325
|-
|}

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


* 5 mm Steel plate between pilot/gunner
* 8 mm Steel plate between pilot/gunner.

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

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

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

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

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

The two machine guns are arranged with one in each wing. Each machine gun is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means both guns will fire together until empty.

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

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)|SC500K (500 kg)}}

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

* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
* 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb (500 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb + 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (450 kg total)

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

{{main|MG 15 (7.92 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun, dorsal turret (900 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==

The {{PAGENAME}}'s main use is for precision strikes on hard targets such as tanks and pillboxes. This is due to its spectacular dive-bombing accuracy and powerful payload. To perform an effective dive with this plane, at an altitude of at least 1,400 m, place your target at the bend in your wings, roll your upside-down and dive at an angle of 60-90 degrees, aiming your crosshairs at or slightly in front of the target (leading with their speed). Drop throttle to 0% and deploy airbrakes (H key by default); you should keep a steady speed of 400 km/h (250 mph). During the dive, a siren activates at about < 2,500 m, this is for aesthetic purposes and can hurt or help in different ways. Release your bomb at 300 m from the target and you should score a direct, or near direct hit.

The MG 17 allow for strafing runs on soft ground targets, while the bomb payload is sufficient for a heavy pillbox and a destroyer. The radio operator's defensive MG 15 is merely to scare away enemy fighters and is not a sufficient weapon for self-defense. The Stuka's manoeuvrability however is.

When returning to the base, landing and take-off are simple, and use of the airbrakes will help if you come in to fast to land. But you may be coming back on a dead or damaged engine (the Ju 87's engine is prone to damage and overheat) and it would help a lot if you find the nearest friendly airfield and get there as soon as possible.

Because of their low speed, permanent landing gear, and reasonable durability, all the Ju 87s are quite good for capturing airfields in the Airfield Domination mode.

===Modes===
====Air Arcade Battles====
In Arcade Battles, you should concentrate on destroying tanks and pillboxes first (if any) with your bombs, and use your offensive machine guns to destroy soft targets like armoured cars, artillery, howitzers and AA. In this mode, you won't need your air brakes since you can't break your wings and it's easy to pull up from a fast dive attack, and it's recommended that you keep as much of your speed up from the dives, so you are harder to intercept by enemy aircraft.

====Air Realistic Battles====
In Realistic Battles, you should keep your altitude and look for tank columns to attack. Once you've chosen which tank column you wish to attack (ground targets as far from the battlefield or enemy airfield as possible are recommended, so you are less likely to be intercepted). Once you are right over your intended target, set your throttle to 0% and point your nose at the at the tank you want to destroy (since you have no bombsight, there will not be a bomb-drop indicator like in Arcade, and you will have to guess where the bombs will drop) once you are nearing your target, you will have to deploy your air-brakes or you won't be able to pull up at high speeds (You can tell when you are reaching a high speed with the sounds that the air and wings make). Once you drop your bomb(s) point your nose up to pull up. At this point you may or may not have destroyed your intended target, but it is okay if you did not, you will get better at it with more practice, but you still have your offensive armament to destroy soft targets like AA or you can engage enemy fighters that are nearby (which is very likely).

Dog fighting the realistic battles with Ju 87 is a very difficult task if the enemy knows your advantages and disadvantages and uses them to his advantage. Head-on attacks should be avoided as much as possible, for you do not have the armament to risk it. Also recommended is that you stay low and slow in a combat situation with enemy aircraft (because the Ju 87 has bad control ability at high speeds) and try to get the enemy to engage in a turn-fight. If he falls for your turn-fight, you should end up on his 6 o'clock in 3-5 turns on most enemies, it really depends on if it's a British, American or Soviet plane, British being generally the better turn fighter. If the enemy does not fall for your turn-fight, you are most likely going to go down: this plane is not a fighter plane.

==== Air Simulator Battles ====
In Simulator, the famous Ju 87 Stuka is a ground attacker/dive bomber that fits its roles well. Thanks to its centre-mounted bombs (mostly) and effective airbrakes, it is safe to perform dive bombing at a very steep angle, increasing the bomb drops' accuracy. It is protected by a rear gunner controlling a single 7.92 mm MG which can be lethal against early-war fighters. The Stuka's disadvantages include its low level speed, weak offensive armaments, and, just like most early-war aircraft, a framed-canopy cockpit. You can bring the least amount of fuel, since your bombs will run out after only 1-3 drops, and ground-pounding with the pair of 7.92 mm MG is not very effective, meaning you might constantly return to base to rearm anyways. Note that it is not very recommended to bring the Ju 87 B-2 into a higher EC bracket, since it can only deal with early fighters should they intercept the Stuka. Use later models for higher EC battles.

The classical dive-bomb manoeuvre in simulator is something like this: first climb to at least 1 km higher than the target. Check the mini-map to ensure you are tracking the right target. Due to the rather limited cockpit visibility, it is better to fly to the target's side so you can see it through the glass between your nose and the wingtip, rather than flying straight above it and having it obstructed by the engine. Fly past the target while pitching up slightly so you can see it appearing behind the trailing edge of a wing root. Then comes the exciting part: extend airbrakes and perform a split-S, rolling and diving with the aiming reticle pointing right at the target. Soon the haunting hum of the Jerico trumpets will start filling the cockpit. You can quickly check your dive angle by scanning the graph on the right side of the canopy. The Stuka will wobble sideways, so carefully smooth down the rudder and make sure that the reticule is aiming at the dead centre of the target, especially if you are dropping small bombs in this dive. The steeper the dive, the less lead you need for the bombs, so it is your job to decrease/increase lead according to your dive angle. For the 50 kg bombs, put the reticule somewhere at the upper edge of the target and release them. For the 250 kg, put it slightly above, and for the 500 kg, drop it as the reticule slices through the top of the target. Pitch up immediately (do not pull all the way to the edge, flat spin is possible. Gently pull at most ~85%) and retract air brakes. The 2x 7.92 mm offensive MG are only effective at destroying trucks, AA, and howitzers.

In the hands of an experienced pilot, the Stuka can also turnfight certain fighters to some extent. Extend airbrakes and maybe flaps to maximise your turn rate, you can keep up with heavier fighters such as F4F and P-40 in a sustained turn. Now it is quite challenging to deal some actual damage with your weak MG, but thankfully the Stuka is a stable platform even at low speeds (~250 km/h), allowing you to aim accurately without many wobbles.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]]: this stubby little plane is commonly seen at low tiers. It turns amazingly well and has superior roll rate than the Stuka, so do not get into a dogfight with it. Rather, you can try going into a shallow dive to gain some separation between you two because the I-16 has low level and dive speed. If the I-16 pilot knows what they are doing, they might disengage since the I-16 cannot keep up with a diving Stuka. But a rookie pilot might try and follow you. the I-16 is very sensitive in controls thus unstable to aim, so they will take some time just to get the right lead. Use this time and put a burst of 7.92 mm bullets into its huge engine with your gunner. In an emergency evade the I-16 has a chance to straight-up enter a flatspin. You can distinguish an I-16 if it has a short and fat fuselage of an I-15 with short wings followed by short stabilisers. The nose is big and flat.
* [[Hurricane (Family)|Hurricane]] Mk I, II & IV: this aircraft fits into the EC 1 bracket which the Stuka is also in, and it is quite menacing. As a fighter it is of course faster and more manoeuvrable. It is also very stable and has great over-the-nose visibility so do not hope that it will spin itself to death or lose track of you. Its machine guns deal some serious damage only when too many bullets land on you, so prevent this by returning fire with your gunner. The "Armoured targets" belt can penetrate some light armour that the Hurricane has. A Hurricane somewhat resembles a Spitfire but with a humped back and non-elliptical wings.
* [[Yak-2 KABB]]: Do not think that the {{PAGENAME}} can confidently outmanoeuvre this plane just because it is twin-engined. The Yak-2 has an amazing turn rate for a heavy fighter, thus the {{PAGENAME}} must avoid turning with it, if not dogfighting with it in general. It bears a pair of Sh-VAK cannons that can easily damage vital parts like engine or cooling systems. It has green camouflage, greatly resembling an Me 410 but with an H-tail like a Bf 110's.

====Tank Realistic Battles====
The Ju 87 B-2 is very useful in tank realistic battles (where with combined arms tanks and planes fight together) as just two of the 50 kg bombs can disable/destroy a tank if the land on target. As one of the bomb presets carries 4 x 50 kg bombs and 1 x 250 kg bomb this is probably the best use for the Stuka as heavy armour is not necessarily met regularly at this battle rating. The 4 x 50 kg bombs drop first in groups of 2, so use them for light vehicles or SPAAs. If the target tank has no armour (e.g., GAZ-AA, FlakPz I, etc.), only drop one group of 50 kg bombs, whereas if they are light/armoured tanks, drop the two groups together. Then the single 250 kg can destroy anything and will be much easier to aim thanks to its larger fragment range. Dive at a target, extend airbrakes and gather speed up around 450 km/h (if too fast, cut throttle). Zoom in on the target and when it is twice as big as the mouse cursor, place the target close to the cursor than to the cockpit, and release the 50 kg bombs. For the 250 kg, the aiming is similar: place the target a bit away from the cursor but also not at the middle of the cursor & cockpit.

Do not be afraid to use the machine guns for light targets to save the bombs for heavier targets. When diving onto a target to fire your guns, aim for the top of the turret as this is the weakest part of any tank.

The Stuka is quite a durable plane and can take quite a few hits before going down, thought it is rather quite a slow plane and this can be a disadvantage so make sure to watch your six for enemy planes and do not rely on your rear gunner to warn you when there is a plane behind.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High bombing accuracy
* Easy to land
* Very useful as air support for mixed ground battles
* Access to dive brakes
* Airframe can withstand some degree of damage
* Very high ammo count and high rate of fire for strafing ground targets
* High rate of fire for rear gunner, and is well protected
* Features a lot of camouflages accessible by destroying ground targets
* Can reliably engage enemy bombers when played on a tank battle
* Siren can act as a psychological attack against targeted enemies to force them into an evasive manoeuvre

'''Cons:'''

* Slow aircraft, with a poor climb rate
* Large radiator in the front and is easily damaged
* Cockpit is unarmoured from the front
* Light defensive armament.
* Light bomb load
* Siren increases drag
* Siren that activates in dives is very loud and can divert their attention over to you, especially enemy SPAA and fighters
* An animated bomb trapeze delays the bomb drop, which can make bombing runs harder (especially if used to instant release of bombs)

== History ==


=== In-game description ===
The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was a single-engine dive bomber and attack aircraft of the WWII era. The most famous Stuka pilot of the war was Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the most highly decorated Luftwaffe pilot in history. Despite its slow speed and mediocre aerodynamics (the landing gear was fixed), the Stuka was one of the most effective Luftwaffe aircraft early in the war due to its pin-point accuracy in a dive. The Ju 87 remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the Blitzkrieg.

The Stuka was an innovative design for its time, including such elements as automatic pull-up dive brakes which could recover the plane from a dive even if the pilot blacked out, and the infamous Jericho Trumpet sirens, activated by the airstream during the dive, which produced a demoralizing high-pitched whine. The Ju 87 B could carry up to 1,000 kg of bombs, but only without a rear gunner, and at a greatly reduced range.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ju-87b-2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:Ju_87_WTWallpaper_001.jpg
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|owYlJZ4LgyA|'''The Shooting Range #36''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 06:02 discusses the Ju 87 Stuka.}}

== 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/161909-junkers-ju-87-b-2-and-r-2/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
* [[wt:en/news/4542-development-ju-87-stuka-new-models-en|[Devblog] Ju 87 Stuka - new models]]

{{AirManufacturer Junkers}}
{{Germany bombers}}

He 51 A-1

2022-10-14T15:31:29Z

U135933205: Minor grammar and spelling errors.

{{About
| about = German biplane '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = He 51 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=he51a1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 498 || 469 || 320 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

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

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

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


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

Like many biplanes before and contemporaries of the He 51 A-1, armour was not an option, survival was based on the pilot's grit. Armour added weight, weight the early biplanes could not afford to carry and still be a viable fighter. Flying in open cockpit and fabric-covered aircraft, the only protection the pilot had was to place his engine between him and his enemy, otherwise, the pilot was vulnerable. Typically aircraft like this have the engine at the nose of the aircraft, followed by the fuel tank and then the cockpit, all three critical components relatively crammed together. The pilot's toolbox had to contain situational awareness as he needed to know where the enemy was around him. Tracer rounds could easily ignite the fabric-covered aircraft or large fuel tanks, so it was imperative the pilot was the attacker, not the one being attacked and knowing where the enemies are at can help avoid getting shot at.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

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

Enemies worth noting:

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

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

'''Cons:'''

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

== History ==


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=he51a1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

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

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/297225-heinkel-he-51-a-1/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

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

Hs 123 A-1

2022-10-14T15:07:11Z

U135933205: Spelling/grammar mistakes.

{{About
| about = German bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the Chinese version
| link = Hs 123 A-1 (China)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=hs-123a-1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German biplane bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]].

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

The Hs 123 behaves very similarly to other Interwar period designed fighter biplanes, relatively slow but highly maneuverable aircraft, this in particular being somewhat slower and with a lower climb rate because of its payload.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 293 || 289 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 15.8 || 16.5 || 8.2 || 8.2 || rowspan="2" | 294
|-
! Upgraded
| 325 || 310 || 14.4 || 15.0 || 16.8 || 12.0
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 300 || 274 || 190 || ~13 || ~8
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 220 || < 220 || < 380 || > 270
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 850 m || 660 hp || 747 hp
|-
|}

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


* 5 mm steel - pilot's headrest

As with most Interwar-period designed biplanes, the Hs 123 A-1 has no armour and offers no protection to its pilot nor its critical components (engine, not self-sealing fuel tanks, oil-cooling systems), so the survivability depends on the pilot's skills. Being a metallic-frame, cloth-covered construction and not having self-sealing fuel tanks, regular Ball and AP rounds won't damage it a lot (unless they directly hit the pilot), but it's especially susceptible to Incendiary and Tracer rounds, which can ignite it if they hit the fuel tanks, or the cloth cover itself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)}}

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

* 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb + 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (450 kg total)

== Usage in battles ==

Being a dive-bomber, its main role is rather self-explanatory. However, its frontal armament makes it feasible to be used in a fighter role, especially after dropping its bombs, which leaves a lighter and in consequence faster and more maneuverable plane.

In AB, the Hs 123 is a ground attacker/emergency fighter. Use your bomb load and guns to dispatch as many ground targets as possible, while making sure to keep the enemy off of your six. If someone does get on your six, pull a snap turn and keep him from getting a good shot on you for as long as possible. If you can't get onto his six you'll have to hope help arrives soon.

In air RB, the tactics change massively. Use your bomber spawn to stay above the enemy team, and dive only after the enemy fighters have passed below you. Hit their tanks and other targets with your bombs through either dive bombing or low level bombing (set a 2 second fuse then fly as low as you can, dropping just before you lose sight of the target). After your bomb load is exhausted, engage soft targets for a while. If there are none it's time that you kill some of the enemy team, begin to climb and look for damaged fighters/attackers returning to their airfield, then pounce on them. Your 7.92 mm machine guns are good, but be sure to aim for wings, as most aircraft you'll face will likely be able to absorb most of the MG bullets you put into their fuselage.

The ''Stealth'' belt is recommended for ground attack, being made up of Armour-Piercing and Incendiary rounds, while ''Tracers'' are better suited for air targets (being Armour-Piercing and Incendiary thanks to its Tracer component).

In tank RB, the Hs 123 has huge potentials but often depends on the pilot's bomb-dropping skills and the enemy vehicles. Your bombload is fantastic for a plane at this BR, making you a great ground attacker in tank RB. The 4 x 50 kg bombs drop first in groups of 2, so use them for light vehicles or SPAAs. If the target tank has no armour (e.g. GAZ-AA, FlakPz I, etc), only drop one group of 50 kg bombs, whereas if they are armoured tanks, drop the two groups together. Then the single 250 kg can destroy anything and will be much easier to aim thanks to its larger fragment range. Note that you need to lead more for both 50 kg & 250 kg bombs, as the Hs 123 is quite slow, resulting in a lower momentum for the bombs comparing to later planes. Also, if tracer shells start to come near you as you dive, immediately pull off or dodge. The Hs 123 is very fragile, with its wing easily ripped off by a few bullets and the pilot easily sniped. The large radial engine is also prone to taking damage. After all the bombs are gone, you can start looking for incoming enemy planes. You have a good chance of out turning most planes with your combat / takeoff flaps down, so lure them into turn fights when possible.

In simulator, the Hs 123 is quite a decent multi-role plane to fly. It has great visibility towards the lower sides meaning it is easy to search for ground targets, its over-the-nose visibility is also decent. The upper front view is obstructed by the upper wing, and the rear view is blocked by the razorback design, as a result you cannot see what is on your tail. Its control handling is great at all speeds, making it a rather stable platform for ground pounding and an easy plane to take off and land in. It can perform base bombing, ground pounding and dogfighting. Bring the least fuel if you know that your targets are not far away, otherwise bring at least 30 minutes of fuel for prolonged patrolling and fighting. Note that you want to use 85-90% throttle as the oil easily overheats with either WEP or 100% throttle, so save the WEP for emergency manoeuvres.

For base bombing, it is recommended to fly at treetop level to get to the base as soon as possible since the Hs 123 is quite slow. When approaching the base, make sure that you are flying to its side so it can be seen from your side window and not get blocked by the nose. Once you see it, dive at it at a shallow angle. When the gunsight slices past the furthest edge of the base, release all the bombs, bank towards a nearby airfield and head back.

For ground pounding with bombs, look for tanks and pillboxes. First you need some separation between you and the target so you have enough time to smooth the aim. Dive at the target at a rather shallow angle, and release the 50 kg bombs when you are very close with gunsight above the target. Release the 250 kg when the gunsight is well above the target. Note: don't forget to set a fuse for at least 2 seconds since you are dropping bombs very low. If you only use the MGs, your targets are trucks, AAA and howitzers. Dive at it and stabilise the plane so the gunsight stays overall still at the target. Then, once the target fills out around 1/6 of the gunsight, open fire. If your aim is accurate you can destroy one target in a single pass. However, each MG only has 500 rounds and their rate of fire is pretty fast, so control the trigger to save some ammo for any unexpected dogfights.

For dogfighting, it is better to engage with an altitude advantage. Track the opponent using lead or pure pursuit, as with lag pursuit you will end up at the 6 of the target aircraft whose fuselage will soak up most of your bullets. With a reflector sight and decent visibility over the nose, the aim should be easy. Target their wings or the nose and avoid the back half of the fuselage as there is usually nothing in there. You can turn with most planes, even with the infamous I-15, with your combat / takeoff flaps deployed. However, if you see a plane with an I-15's short and fat fuselage, a flat radial engine and triangular stabilisers located right after the low-mounted mono wings, consider disengaging. The I-16 is faster than you, turns equally well and can cripple your fragile Hs 123 even with 2 x MGs. If an I-16 is on your tail, a tactic to counter it is to utilise your stableness. Deflect both your ailerons and elevators for around 70% to get into a barrel roll. If the I-16 is to follow and cut inside your roll, it is super likely to enter a flatspin due to its unstableness in manoeuvres. Perform the barrel roll tighter and tighter until the I-16 loses control and spins, then turn around and shoot. Or, simple do flat turns but turn tightly, a tight-turning I-16 is also prone to enter flatspins, however this is at risk of getting shot before it loses control.

Landing is easy thanks to the low stall speed and lovely handling. Line up and approach the airstrip at treetop, decrease speed to at most 210 km/h and deploy combat, takeoff and landing flaps in order. The touchdown speed should be no more than 140 km/h to avoid bouncing up. Release brakes immediately as soon as the nose starts dipping down to avoid propeller strike.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Extremely sharp control input allows it to turn sharply
* Good manoeuvrability and nimble, can turn-fight other attackers / bombers like the [[SB2 (Disambiguation)|SB]] series
* Powerful selection of bombs, up to 450 kg
* Fast BMW-132 radial engine
* Can be used as a fighter-bomber after dropping payload. Very useful in tank RB
* Although not effective, the MG-17 machine guns can decimate ground targets with a few bursts of fire
* Bomber spawn in RB gives it altitude advantage over enemy fighters

'''Cons:'''

* Easy to rip your wings off when diving past 450 km/h
* No gunner makes it defenceless when being chased
* Lack of self-sealing tanks makes it easily to burn down
* Less maneuverable than proper biplane fighters like the [[I-15 (Family)|I-15]]
* Bad climb rate means gaining altitude after diving is hard

== History ==

First flying in 1935, the Hs 123 was Henschel's response to the 1933 Reich Ministry requirement for a dive bomber. After the successful delivery of 250 aircraft its christening of fire began. In 1936 the Hs-123 was sent to Spain where its usefulness as a close air support aircraft was well known. Being able to accurately place its powerful bombload and reliability outweighed its short range and it saw extensive service in that role. After the beginning of World War 2, The Hs 123 saw service on the front-line airfields, where its quick turn time and ability to take heavy damage was appreciated by pilots and ground crews alike. Despite this, the Luftwaffe considered them obsolete, and most squadrons re-equipped to Stukas or Bf 109 E's (Jabo variant).

At the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the Hs-123 saw its rebirth, where its ability to survive heavy damage and its reliability shone through. Even in the winter, where more modern aircraft would fail to even start, Hs 123s could be counted upon to provide close air support through the bleakest of weather. It was used for night time raids on Soviet convoys, proving to be very reliable in battle, some examples even taking hits from 75 mm shells yet flying on. In 1943, Generaloberst Wolfram von Richthofen asked if production of the aircraft could be restarted, however the jigs had been taken down in the Henschel plant all the way back in 1940. The aircraft was only formally retired at the end of the war. Despite its fearsome reputation, none are known to survive.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=hs-123a-1 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 aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/315602-henschel-hs-123-a-1/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Henschel}}
{{Germany bombers}}