War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

F-15A

2024-08-29T18:55:08Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-15 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f_15a
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

Towards the end of the Vietnam War, the United States saw their major shortcoming in dogfighting performance, as the heavy [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantom]] operated by most branches at the time was garnering an unsatisfactory kill-death ratio. Meanwhile, the far more manoeuvrable "gunfighter" [[F-8E|F-8 Crusader II]] was achieving a far better track record. As a result, not long after the end of the conflict, two new development projects were started by the USAF, one of which was the F-X program to develop a "next generation" fighter that favoured manoeuvrability over top speed. However, the F-X program would take a sharp turn not long after, as multiple radar reports from Turkey and Israel observed an unknown Soviet aircraft flying overhead at speeds above Mach 3. Quick investigation through spy satellites and high altitude reconnaissance aircraft brought the discovery of the Soviet's latest MiG-25 aircraft, which at the time was assumed by the West as a high tech, next generation fighter made of the latest composite materials. What scared the United States the most, was that the design of this MiG-25 was dangerously similar to the initial prototypes of the F-X program, which had not even flown yet. Eventually, development of the F-X program was accelerated into its latter phases, resulting in the venerable F-15 Eagle, an absolute best of all worlds, no compromises held, air superiority fighter to combat this new Soviet threat. However, the defection of Viktor Belenko to Japan with his MiG-25 shortly after showed the world that the MiG-25 was overestimated, being in reality constructed out of heavy metals and armed with weaker avionics suited for long range combat, making the MiG-25 merely a heavy interceptor, and not the "next generation super-fighter" that was feared before. The same cannot be said about the indomitable Eagle however, as the F-15 and its later variants would go on to establish the most widely regarded air-to-air combat kill-death ratio of any modern jet fighter: '''at least 103 aircraft kills without a single confirmed loss.'''

Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' succeeds the equally famous [[F-4E Phantom II]] in the tech tree. The F-15A is represented as the 1994 model in service with the US Air National Guard, being outfitted with 240 countermeasures and the upgraded AN/APG-63 PSP radar, but lacking [[AIM-120A]] and BOL rails. Even without such upgrades, the Eagle is still a very fearsome monster in top tier jet battles, utilizing its great avionics and incredible missile selection, including the lethal [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|AIM-9M]] with IRCCM flare-rejection, to prey on enemy aircraft at a safe distance. More importantly, unlike the earlier Phantoms, when push comes to shove, the Eagle can reliably dogfight most enemies it may face thanks to its stable airframe design and absurd engine power giving it incredible acceleration and TWR. One must still be wary however that the Eagle is not completely undefeatable, and proper usage of this aircraft requires training and discipline just like its real life counterpart. Some enemies to be aware of are the [[Mirage 4000]] and early [[F-16A]]s for their ability to win an extended dogfight over the Eagle, but moreso cautious when engaging players flying the [[JAS39A|JAS 39]], [[J-11]], and [[Su-27]], as these aircraft not only possess an unstable airframe allowing them to perform impressive manoeuvres (and defeat the Eagle) at low speeds, but they also carry lethal close range missiles with IRCCM, which when coupled with their helmet-mounted targeting systems, can prove to be very dangerous for any enemy, Eagle or not, which gets close and slow in a dogfight.

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

The Eagle on full fuel can be a very sluggish fighter, and this is especially noticeable with a full weapons load. On low fuel however, the F-15A is no slouch and can easily contend with anything in its BR range. The high speed pull is quite good for a jet of its size, and it can sustain up to 20 degrees per second at lower speeds (450 km/h). At speeds above Mach 1, the jet can sustain up to 13G, and won't experience wing overload until 15-16G. The Eagle is best described as rocket-like, as its high thrust-to-weight ratio give it an excellent climb rate, and allows it to stay in prolonged dogfights. In terms of speed, the aircraft reaches its top speed fairly quickly, but is slower than contemporaries like the F-16C or Mirage 2000 at lower altitudes.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 10,668 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
| 2,563 || 2,531 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.9 || 20.9 || 288.1 || 273.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,657 || 2,592 || 19.9 || 20.5 || 383.4 || 330.0
|-
|}

==== 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 
|-
|}

{| 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 1,629  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || - || 548 || 481 || ~__ || ~8
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 680 || < 750 || < 700 || -
|-
|}

==== 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 and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 || 2
| colspan="2" | 12,500 kg || colspan="3" | 314 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,470 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 14,065 kg || 15,528 kg || 17,042 kg || 17,715 kg || 27,571 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 || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 6,140 kgf || 8,510 kgf
| 1.21 || 1.10 || 1.00 || 0.96 || 0.62
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 7,061 kgf (1,629 km/h) || 13,939 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.98 || 1.80 || 1.64 || 1.57 || 1.01
|-
|}

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

Even though the aircraft possesses no armour, the Eagle is very durable, even tanking missiles at times, and can continue to fly in a severely crippled state. Minor structural damage is in some cases negligible to stability or performance. This doesn't mean you should brush off damage however, and like several other jets in this BR range, the F-15A can easily destabilize if missing even a wing tip. If badly hurt, you should almost never stay aggressive and attempt to repair at your nearby airfield.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! Lead indicator
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (940 rpg)
* 240 x countermeasures

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


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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10 !! width="4%" | 11
| rowspan="11" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[GBU-8 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb GBU-8]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || 1 || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || 1 || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7M Sparrow]] missiles
| || || || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! 610 gal drop tanks
| || 1* || || || || 1 || || || || 1* ||
|-
| colspan="12" | Maximum permissible loadout weight: 5,448 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,000 kg
|-
| colspan="13" | * Wing-mounted drop tanks must be equipped together
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 3 x 610 gal drop tanks
* 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
* 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 18 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 9 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Air Realistic Battles'''

The F-15A is very capable as a frontline fighter, and has a large number of countermeasures at its disposal in case of any threats. The AIM-9M is likely going to be your primary armament, as the AIM-7M is limited in use. The combination of a very capable platform and IRCCM make the Eagle a deadly fighter. However, you should avoid engaging a group of enemies, as this is where the jet struggles. Even though it retains speed very well, it can easily slow down when backed into a corner. As always, stay with your team and don't head into furballs blindly. Avoid drawn-out dogfights as this can easily lead to a third-party situation, and the off-boresight capability of enemies like the Su-27, JAS-39, J-11, and later MiG-29 variants can best the Eagle even if in the disadvantageous position. The F-14 Tomcat can also be a formidable opponent in BVR combat due to its long-range Phoenix air-to-air missiles that utilizes active-radar homing. The F-15A is no slouch, however, as it can hold its own in a BVR fight. Be sure to pay attention to your RWR and defend accordingly.

'''Air Simulator Battles'''

In simulator battles, the F-15 is very formidable due to its smokeless AIM-9M air-to-air missiles, but is limited by the seeker range and speed of the AIM-7M. The cockpit allows for excellent visibility and provides great situational awareness to the pilot, but the jet does lack HMD, so you must point your nose at targets. The biggest advantage the F-15A has in a simulator battle is its high speed manoeuvrability and smokeless missiles, allowing for stealthy kills.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Quite manoeuvrable at all speeds
* Incredible engine output at all altitudes
* High TWR and amazing acceleration
* Lethal AIM-9M missiles with IRCCM capabilities

'''Cons:'''

* Large and easy-to-hit target
* No TWS mode hinders BVR capabilities
* Sparrows are inconsistent and unreliable
* Tends to bleed airspeed very rapidly in high-G turns

== 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).''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f_15a Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[F-15 (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer McDonnell}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}

Baz

2024-08-29T18:55:01Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=f_15a_iaf
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

In the late 1970s, under the Peace Fox I program, Israel received its first shipment of the latest [[F-15A|F-15A Eagle]] air superiority fighters, and shortly after, the second shipment was temporarily embargoed as a result of the 1982 Lebanon War. However, that did not matter to the Israelis, as even a single F-15 was a landslide advantage in the air wars of the Middle East, making short work of the 30-year-old Syrian MiG-21s that tried to face it. The Israeli F-15A, nicknamed the Baz ("Falcon"), would score the first kill for the F-15 in aerial combat, against a Syrian MiG-21, in 1978, and would start the totem pole of air dominance that defines the F-15's service record. Of the 103+ confirmed aerial kills the F-15 has scored during its service life, Israeli F-15s are responsible for over 80 of them, and the Baz is the concrete starting ground for this long-lasting legacy.

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]], is Israel's counterpart to the F-15s found in the [[F-15A|American]] and [[F-15J|Japanese]] tech trees. As a result, the Baz plays almost identically to its Eagle brothers in the other trees, with a few minor differences. The main difference, is that unlike the American and Japanese Eagles, the Baz has access to the [[Python 3]] missile, in addition to the usual selection of [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] and [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|M]]. The Baz is best played to the same advantages as the other Eagles; do not get too slow, as high-AoA fighters like the [[JAS39A|JAS39]] and the [[Su-27]] will utilize their low speed dogfighting advantages (HMD-slaved missiles and high AoA control) against you. Instead, rely on your own advantages, such as the absurd thrust-to-weight ratio from the powerful engines and the very stable airframe, to set up high-speed engagements in scenarios that favour the Eagle's high speed performance.

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

''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at _,___ 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
| ___ || ___ || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| _ || _ || _ || _ || _ || _ 
|-
|}

{| 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 1,629  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || - || 548 || 481 || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 680 || < 750 || < 700 || -
|-
|}

==== 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 and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 || 2
| colspan="2" | 12,500 kg || colspan="3" | 314 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 34m fuel
|-
| 1,470 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 14,065 kg || 15,528 kg || 17,042 kg || 17,715 kg || 27,718 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 || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 6,140 kgf || 8,510 kgf
| 1.21 || 1.10 || 1.00 || 0.96 || 0.61
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 7,061 kgf (1,629 km/h) || 13,939 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.98 || 1.80 || 1.64 || 1.57 || 1.01
|-
|}

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

''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! Lead indicator
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Cross}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (940 rpg)
* 240 x countermeasures

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


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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10 !! width="4%" | 11
| rowspan="12" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-15A.png]]</div>
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 || || || || 1, 6 ||
|-
! [[GBU-8 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb GBU-8]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || 1 || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || 1 || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7M Sparrow]] missiles
| || || || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9M Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[Python 3]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! 610 gal drop tanks
| || 1* || || || || 1 || || || || 1* ||
|-
| colspan="12" | Maximum permissible loadout weight: 5,448 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,000 kg
|-
| colspan="13" | * Wing-mounted drop tanks must be equipped together
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 3 x 610 gal drop tanks
* 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x Python 3 missiles
* 4 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
* 18 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 18 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 9 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

'''''Air Realistic Battles'''''

''The F-15A is very capable as a frontline fighter, and has a large number of countermeasures at its disposal in case of any threats. The AIM-9M is likely going to be your primary armament, as the AIM-7M is limited in use. The combination of a very capable platform and IRCCM make the Eagle a deadly fighter. However, you should avoid engaging a group of enemies, as this is where the jet struggles. Even though it retains speed very well, it can easily slow down when backed into a corner. As always, stay with your team and don't head into furballs blindly. Avoid drawn-out dogfights as this can easily lead to a third-party situation, and the off-boresight capability of enemies like the Su-27, JAS-39, J-11, and later MiG-29 variants can best the Eagle even if in the disadvantageous position. The F-14 Tomcat can also be a formidable opponent in BVR combat due to its long-range Phoenix air-to-air missiles that utilizes active-radar homing. The F-15A is no slouch, however, as it can hold its own in a BVR fight. Be sure to pay attention to your RWR and defend accordingly.''

'''''Air Simulator Battles'''''

''In simulator battles, the F-15 is very formidable due to its smokeless AIM-9M air-to-air missiles, but is limited by the seeker range and speed of the AIM-7M. The cockpit allows for excellent visibility and provides great situational awareness to the pilot, but the jet does lack HMD, so you must point your nose at targets. The biggest advantage the F-15A has in a simulator battle is its high speed manoeuvrability and smokeless missiles, allowing for stealthy kills.''
=== Pros and cons ===

''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''

'''Pros:'''

* Quite manoeuvrable at all speeds
* Incredible engine output at all altitudes
* High TWR and amazing acceleration
* Lethal AIM-9M missiles with IRCCM capabilities

*

'''Cons:'''

* Large and easy-to-hit target
* No TWS mode hinders BVR capabilities
* Sparrows are inconsistent and unreliable
* Tends to bleed airspeed very rapidly in high-G turns

*

== History ==

One of the contributing factors to Israel's swift and overwhelming victory in the Six-Day War of 1967 was its ability to achieve total air superiority at the very outset, partly due to its pre-emptive strike on its neighbours' air bases, but also thanks to the intensive training of its pilots and the superiority of French and American jet fighter technology at the time. However, the subsequent War of Attrition demonstrated that Israel's enemies — and the Soviet Union which supplied them — were determined to counter those advantages by any means necessary. During the War of Attrition, Egyptian and Syrian SAM capabilities became a serious headache for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), and the overwhelming mass of MiG and Sukhoi aircraft deployed by Egypt, Syria and the Soviet Union further countered Israel's advantages. To make matters worse, the new MiG-25 high-altitude, high-speed jet was now being used by Israel's enemies to perform recon missions over its territory, which the IAF repeatedly failed to intercept. These problems came to a head during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when the IAF lost over a dozen aircraft to SAM interceptions alone, and failed repeatedly to secure air superiority over either of its belligerent neighbours.

Despite having only recently purchased a whole slew of [[Kurnass|F-4 Phantom II]]s in the late 60s, and having recently begun producing its own Mirage variants (in the form of the [[Nesher]]), Israel was now forced to modernize its air force yet again to meet these new challenges. The obvious candidates for this modernization effort were the [[F-14A Early|Grumman F-14]] and [[F-15A|McDonnell Douglas F-15]], two of America's newest high-speed, twin-engine air superiority fighters. A committee established to review the two aircraft quickly determined that the F-15 would be the most suitable for Israel's particular needs. Israel was eager to receive the planes as soon as possible, but by 1976 they had barely just entered production to supply the U.S. Airforce. As a result, the Israelis agreed to take four of the existing pre-production planes as part of the first arms deal. Thus, in late 1976, Israel became the first country outside the United States to acquire the F-15. Notably, a delay in the arrival of these planes in Israel on a Friday, December 10, 1976 forced several of the Israeli ministers who had attended the ceremony to break the Sabbath (a mandatory religious day of rest). This resulted in outrage followed by the collapse of the Israeli government, causing a shift of power that has changed Israeli politics ever since.

The reporting name ''Baz'' ("Falcon") was assigned to all F-15 A/B/C/Ds purchased by Israel from 1976 all the way through to the 1990s, regardless of their specific models or configurations, making it more difficult to distinguish between various models. Nevertheless, the IAF has periodically modified older ''Baz'' F-15s to match the specifications of newer ones, making the distinction less relevant. The exact number of F-15s purchased from each model are also unclear. What is known is that Israel has purchased almost as many two-seater models (B and D) as single-seaters (A and C), with the two-seaters being used mostly for training purposes and recon missions.

Aside from the pre-production planes described earlier, most of the initial F-15As and Bs purchased by Israel were from Production Blocks 5 and 6. As with all fighters purchased by Israel since the 1960s, the ''Baz'' was outfitted with several Israeli-made electronic systems, and modified to accept Israeli-made aerial munitions such as the [[Python 3|Python]] and Popeye. Overall, out of all modified Israeli aircraft, the ''Baz'' appears to be closest to the original American model. This changed in the late 1990s, when all ''Baz'' F-15s in the IAF were upgraded further to the ''BazMash'' standard (short for ''Baz Meshupar'', lit. "improved Baz"), and became undeniably different from their American counterparts.

The F-15A was adopted very enthusiastically by Israeli pilots, and quickly became the dominant fighter in the IAF, providing an aerial umbrella that could not be matched by any of its neighbors. This coincided with the peace process between Israel and Egypt, which led to a 1979 treaty between the two countries that radically altered the balance of power in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the Syrian Air Force was not fully deterred, and continued engaging Israel in sporadic battles throughout the end of the 1970s and early 1980s, as the two nations struggled over Syria's increased control of Lebanon. As part of these skirmishes, in 1978 the F-15 scored its world-premier air kill when Israeli pilot Moshe Melnik downed a Syrian MiG-21. Another first for the F-15 and the military aviation world was also scored by a ''Baz'', when one shot down a Syrian MiG-25 for the first time in history.

''Baz'' F-15s continued seeing intense action in Israeli service over the next several years. With the introduction of the F-16 ''Netz'' as Israel's new fighter-bomber in 1980, these two American fighters allowed Israel to perform 'Operation Opera' in 1981: an attack on the Osiraq nuclear reactor near Baghdad, Iraq. Ten ''Baz'' F-15s provided cover for the operation, though no Iraqi aircraft were ultimately scrambled against them. The ''Baz'' F-15's most intense aerial engagement came one year afterwards, when ''Baz'' fighters served as the high-altitude interceptors in Operation Mole Cricket 19, a massive SEAD operation designed to destroy the entire Syrian air defense network along its border with Lebanon. With F-16s and F-4s provoking Syrian aircraft to scramble and engage, the F-15s would swoop down and eliminate them en-masse. During the battle, Israeli F-15s shot down a total of 38 enemy MiG-21s, MiG-23s and MiG-23Ms — nearly half the aircraft shot down during the three-day battle — while taking no losses of their own. Throughout the course of the First Lebanon War, ''Baz'' F-15s shot down a total of around 80 Syrian aircraft.

From 1976 onward, Israel continued purchasing F-15s of various models for almost twenty years. The last shipment (consisting of older F-15As) was greenlit by Washington thanks to Israel's begrudging agreement not to relatiate against Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War. These F-15As came from U.S. Airforce reserve stocks, and were used by the IAF mostly as spare parts for other planes. In 1995, Israel began upgrading its ''Baz'' F-15s to new specifications, with particular attention to all-weather capabilities, improved radar systems, GPS, and network connectivity. At the same time, Israel stopped purchasing any additional ''Baz'' F-15s, and switched entirely to the purchase of new F-15E Strike Eagles from a variant made specifically for their purposes: the F-15I ''Ra'am''. Nevertheless, due to the prohibitive costs of F-15 purchases, and the central role this plane fills in Israel's aerial supremacy, The ''Baz'' continues to serve in the IAF to this day. It is unknown exactly how old the oldest ''Baz'' in service is currently, but it would have to be around 35-40 years old as of 2023, with significant improvements added over the years.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f_15a_iaf Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[F-15 (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer McDonnell}}
{{Israel jet aircraft}}

Kurnass 2000

2024-08-29T18:46:53Z

U136670024:

{{About
| about = Israeli jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Kurnass
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-4e_kurnass_2000
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was an upgrade package for the [[F-4E Phantom II]] by the IAF. The upgrade focused on the aircraft armament and electronic systems. While upgrades to the power plant were proposed, with the introduction of more powerful engines, this modification was not installed to reduce costs. The Kurnass 2000 received a new radar, the AN/APG-76, that was far superior to the AN/APG-120 used by the standard F-4E. It also was equipped with the ASX-1 TISEO targeting system which allowed Raphael Popeye ASMs to be launched. More advanced avionics and targeting systems for anti-tank munitions and guided bombs were installed, as well as the ability to carry the AIM-9L and Python 3 missile.

Introduced in [[Update "Sky Guardians"]], the Kurnass 2000 is an Israeli upgrade of the venerable F-4E Phantom II. It looks and flies almost identically to the standard F-4E, however its air-to-air armament is now drastically improved and rounded out by the all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinder and Python 3 for closer engagements. For anti armour situations, it has access to the IR guided AGM-65D Maverick and new Paveway II laser guided bombs, coupled with its Pave Spike targeting module. The Kurnass 2000 is a multirole aircraft with impressive systems and weapons, only held back by the performance of its old airframe compared to 4th generation opponents like the [[MiG-29]] and [[F-16A]]. The Kurnass 2000 also features an EEGS for its cannon, like the one featured in all 4th generation fighters, it's very good for gun kills, especially in simulator battles. It also has a very powerful radar (although no radar-guided missiles) and can carry a total of 290 countermeasures (200 are external BOL pods and can only carry flares).

== 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 12,192 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
| 2,065 || 2,039 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.5 || 27.5 || 160.6 || 150.9 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,202 || 2,140 || 25.5 || 26.0 || 221.6 || 190.0
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| 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}} || 1,458 || 625 || 463 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 810 || < 750 || < 700 || -
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric J79-GE-17 || 2
| colspan="2" | 14,205 kg || colspan="2" | 408 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel
|-
| 1,750 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 15,964 kg || 18,027 kg || 20,070 kg || 27,501 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="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 5,200 kgf || 8,008 kgf
| 1.00 || 0.89 || 0.80 || 0.58
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 5,260 kgf (1,458 km/h) || 10,170 kgf (1,400 km/h)
| 1.27 || 1.13 || 1.01 || 0.74
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
''The survivability features of the Kurnass 2000 is very similar to the Kurnass with the only with the only inprovement being more countermeasures.''

''By this stage in the high-rank battles, all the fuel tanks are self-sealing. While this will assist with any fuel tank punctures from machine gun calibre weapons, the presence of fast-firing autocannons and missiles mean that these self-sealing tanks are only an accessory to the overall survival of the aircraft.''

''The only armor is a 8.5 mm steel plate just below the forward fuel tank in the fuselage. However, considering the small size it is made up of and the large plane overall, this armour plate should not be relied upon for the overall survival of the aircraft.''

''The biggest change from previous version is the countermeasure flares, which are greatly useful at deterring incoming infrared-homing missiles like the [[AIM-9J Sidewinder|Sidewinders]] or [[R-60|R-60s]]. To utilise the flares, one must turn off their engine afterburners to eliminate that as a significant source of heat, deploy the flares in a suitable manner, then bank away from the flares to that the missile lock onto the remaining heat source rather than the plane's engine.''

''A survivability feature shared with its predecessor is the Radar Warning Receiver (RWR). The RWR will ping the player in the source of any incoming radar scans, and will also notify if the radar source have achieved a lock-on with the player. Keep an eye on this as it may signify to the player that an enemy semi-active radar homing missile may be launched soon and evasive actions should be taken.''

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! Lead indicator
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (640 rpg)
* 30 x large calibre countermeasures
* 60 x countermeasures

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


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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="4%" | 1 !! width="4%" | 2 !! width="4%" | 3 !! width="4%" | 4 !! width="4%" | 5 !! width="4%" | 6 !! width="4%" | 7 !! width="4%" | 8 !! width="4%" | 9 !! width="4%" | 10 !! width="4%" | 11
| rowspan="21" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-4C_Phantom_II.png]]</div>
|-
! [[GAU-4 (20 mm)|20 mm GAU-4]] cannons (1,200 rpg)
| 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|250 lb LDGP Mk 81]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| 6 || 3 || || || || 6 || || || || 3 || 6
|-
! [[M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|750 lb M117 cone 45]] bombs
| 3 || 3 || || || || 5 || || || || 3 || 3
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| 2 || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 || 2
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| 1 || || || || || 1 || || || || || 1
|-
! [[GBU-12 Paveway II (277 kg)|277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II]] bombs
| || 2*† || || || || || || || || 2*† ||
|-
! [[GBU-10 Paveway II (957 kg)|957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II]] bombs
| 1*† || 1*† || || || || || || || || 1*† || 1*†
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| 1 || || || || || 2 || || || || || 1
|-
! [[FFAR Mighty Mouse]] rockets
| 57 || 57 || || || || 57 || || || || 57 || 57
|-
! [[Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP]] rockets
| 12 || 12 || || || || 12 || || || || 12 || 12
|-
! [[AGM-65D]] missiles
| || 3† || || || || || || || || 3† ||
|-
! [[AIM-9G Sidewinder]] missiles
| || || 2† || || 1 || || 1 || || 2† || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| || || 2† || || 1 || || 1 || || 2† || ||
|-
! [[Python 3]] missiles
| || || 2† || || 1 || || 1 || || 2† || ||
|-
! Flares
| || || || 100 || || || || 100 || || ||
|-
! Pave Spike targeting pod
| || || || || || || 1* || || || ||
|-
! 600 gal drop tanks
| || || || || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
| colspan="12" | Maximum permissible loadout weight: 7,257 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg
|-
| colspan="13" | * Pave Spike targeting pod must be equipped when carrying guided bombs † AGM-65D missiles on hardpoints 2/10 cannot be equipped in conjunction with guided bombs, or AAMs on hardpoints 3/9 respectively
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 1 x 600 gal drop tank
* 2 x Python 3 missiles + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 6 x Python 3 missiles
* 3 x 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg = 3,600 total)
* 24 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 24 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 24 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 17 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (12,750 lb total)
* 4 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
* 13 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (13,000 lb total)
* 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 285 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 60 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 200 x flares
* 6 x AGM-65D missiles
* 4 x 277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II bombs (1,108 kg total)
* 4 x 957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II bombs (3,828 kg total)
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==


'''Air RB:'''

In Air RB, the Kurnass 2000 could be compared to the [[F-4EJ Kai Phantom II|F-4EJ Kai]], having similar air-to-air missile armament and similar radar. To properly utilize the 6 potent missiles and one of the best radars in game is the major task that every Kurnass 2000 pilot will have to face. Typically, enter the battle at a low altitude and shooting down everyone on your way is a viable and effective way to fly the Kurnass 2000. Do to lack of radar missles, do not climb.

A major difference between the Kurnass 2000 and the F-4EJ Kai is the slats on the Kurnass' wings. At high speed, extension of the slats provides more lift and limits the angle of attack of the aircraft, resulting in a significant decrease in speed loss during turns to a level even comparable to the level of 4th generation aircraft like the F-16 and MiG-29. At lower speed, the slats also increase the overall manoeuvrability of the aircraft, so it is advised to extend the slats in battles (by toggling "combat flaps"), especially when fighting in groups, retracting them when needed to gain more speed or for higher angle of attack. Overall, the slats of the Kurnass provides pilots with the ability to alter the aerodynamics of the aircraft during combat, and provide more versatility and a higher overall performance compared to the F-4EJ Kai.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the most effective air-to-air armament sets in-game with AN/APG-76, Python 3s, and AIM-9Ls
* Can carry six IR-guided air-to-air missiles
* Wing slats for increased manoeuvrability and versatility
* High level of manoeuvrability at high speed as with any other Phantoms
* Guided bombs and missile with targeting pod for engaging ground targets
* Equipped with an IR-guided ground attack weapon, the AGM-65D
* It has a lot of countermeasures

'''Cons:'''

* Big and heavy aircraft
* Lack of radar-guided missiles
* Despite having a targeting pod and a camera on the wing, neither has a thermal camera, which can make difficult to identify targets at long range
* It is 12.3 the same BR as the F-14

== History ==

[[File:McDonnell Douglas F-4E Kurnass 2000 ErezS.jpg|alt=F-4E Kurnass 2000 of the IAF, on Ground display in Tel Nof air base during the 66th Independence day of Israel.|thumb|F-4E Kurnass 2000 of the IAF, on Ground display in Tel Nof air base during the 66th Independence day of Israel.]]
The Kurnass 2000 was an Israeli program intended to extend the service life of the existing F-4s in the IDF Air Force. A major part of the program was to improve the avionics and the aging airframes. New displays, cameras, and computers were implemented during the program, greatly enhancing its capabilities over a standard F-4E. In addition, fuel tank leaks were fixed and parts of the airframe were reinforced. F-4Es were also to be upgraded with the APG-76 radar over the standard APQ-120 radar. The Kurnass 2000 also received the ASX-1 TISEO targeting system which allowed Raphael Popeye ASMs to be launched.

The Kurnass 2000 was also intended to receive an engine upgrade. Pratt & Whitney PW1120 engines were proposed by the IDF/AF to be fitted to the F-4s and a test bed was built to examine the performance. The test bed was originally meant for the IAI Lavi project, but it also proved the enormous performance increase over Phantoms with the J79 engines. The P&W-powered F-4 was able to pass Mach 1 without afterburner, increase climb rate by over 35 percent, and had a 15% increase in sustained turn rate. Although ambitious, the upgraded F-4Es never received this engine upgrade largely due to costs. Thus, the main differences between the Kurnass 2000 modernized Phantoms and the regular F-4E were almost exclusively avionics and some airframe changes.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f-4e_kurnass_2000 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|U8PuopV6XyY|'''The Shooting Range #348''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:24 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|We702awM1kA|'''Kurnass 2000: A Basic Review''' - ''Tims Variety''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer McDonnell}}
{{Israel jet aircraft}}

F-14A Early

2024-08-29T18:27:25Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-14 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f_14a_early
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

One of the most iconic US naval fighter jets of the Cold War era, the two-seater '''F-14A''' was developed as the US Navy's fleet-defense fighter jet to protect their carrier groups over vast swathes of ocean against Soviet bombers carrying anti-ship missiles. Developed after the US Navy's failed F-111B program, the F-14A was first deployed in 1974 wielding the advanced [[AN/AWG-9]] radar and up to eight missiles, including the iconic [[AIM-54A Phoenix|Phoenix missile]], to target and destroy enemy targets from extremely long ranges. Although it introduced a host of new capabilities, the F-14A suffered from its TF30 engines, which were subject to frequent failures, and other issues with the aircraft's flight characteristics that caused regular accidents.

Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the F-14A can engage enemy air targets at far greater distances than most enemy aircraft, allowing the F-14A to take the initiative and achieve air superiority by firing first. At long range, Phoenix missiles force enemy fighters to actively monitor the sky even when they cannot yet see or detect the F-14A. While Phoenix missiles may prove too sluggish to target enemy fighters in high-speed merges, its [[AIM-7F Sparrow|Sparrows]] can engage manoeuvring targets at short and medium ranges before engaging at closer ranges with [[AIM-9H Sidewinder|Sidewinders]] and M61 Vulcan cannon fire.

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

The F-14A might be seen underpowered compared to other aircraft, primarily the F-4J Phantom II and other Phantom variants such as the Phantom FG.1. While it is true that the engines are not as powerful, the F-14A is far superior in terms of top speed and energy management. However, insufficient power can be noticed when zoom climbing or when turning at low speed, and regaining the speed back can take a while. The engines also consume tremendous amounts of fuel: while the F-14A can stay in the air for at least one hour with full fuel tanks, at full afterburner (WEP) the jet can fly for only 7 minutes at sea level.

The F-14A is more of a two-circle dogfighter since it keeps speed very well in hard turns, but might not have as much nose authority as other planes to win one-circle fights (such as scissors and anything similar when you turn into the opponent's nose). Although it can still beat planes like the MiG-23MLD in the instantaneous turn-rate performance, delta-wing fighters like the J35 or MiG-21 could have the advantage during the first seconds of the fight. Like other planes with variable wing geometry, the F-14A reaches its most efficient turn rate performance when wings are swept fully forward (set to 0%) and that can be achieved only by using the manual wing sweep controls. Since it is semi-automatic, the wing will automatically change its position after reaching around ~800 km/h IAS.

The most optimal turning speed is around 900 km/h IAS at sea level (it reaches the highest sustained turn rate there), but the best is actually between 700 and 830 km/h IAS since any faster, and it becomes impossible to maintain the turn without the crew blacking out. At such speeds, the F-14A in a clean configuration with 30 minutes of fuel can reach up to 23 deg/s of sustained turn rate, which is better than any MiG-23, Su-17, or even other more manoeuvrable fighters like the MiG-19. Both the sustained and instantaneous turn rate can be improved by using combat flaps, which can function at speeds up to 850 km/h IAS.

Thanks to the variable wing sweep, the F-14A is able to move its center of mass and thus increase or decrease its roll rate. High sweep allows higher speeds at reduced roll rate and vice versa. Low sweep increases roll rate and energy retention at subsonic speeds.

To get the most of its turn rate performance in Simulator Battles, you should always try to use the manual SAS (Stability Augmentation System) mode. The damping mode severely limits its nose authority, and it is harder to win fights against planes like the MiG-21 or other delta-wing fighters. In general, combat flaps should always be used when you are about to merge with the enemy plane, as they not only increase the sustained turn rate but also improves nose authority. In turn, it becomes easier to get lead on the enemy plane and to control the plane when using manual SAS mode. The player should still be very careful with pulling the stick around 500 km/h IAS. Below that speed, it's very easy to abruptly lose speed, reach the critical AoA, and stall out the plane. Pulling the stick all the way to yourself should be done only when you are going for snap shots. The other downside manual SAS mode is the plane is much more sensitive to controls, especially in pitch. For this reason, it is recommended to use the damping SAS mode during cruising and BVR combat.

While using the manual SAS mode, it is can be easy to stall out the plane when flying below 400 km/h IAS. In this case, after entering the flat spin, the quickest method to recover the plane is to increase the wing sweep angle and then counter the plane rotation with the rudder.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,192 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
| 2,202 || 2,191 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.4 || 25.1 || 178.4 || 170.5 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,245 || 2,221 || 23.6 || 24.0 || 231.6 || 203.8
|-
|}

==== 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 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="60%"
|-
! rowspan="2" | 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 !! + !! -
|-
! Min sweep
| 1,359 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || rowspan="2" | 1,200 || rowspan="2" | 873 || rowspan="2" | 416 || ~10 || ~5
|-
! Max sweep
| 1,555 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 1,200 || < 850 || < 1,800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="7" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="4" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A || 2
| colspan="3" | 18,545 kg || colspan="4" | 493 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Max Gross Weight|Mass of the fully equipped aircraft with heaviest weapons load}}
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 18m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 62m fuel
|-
| 1,802 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 20,750 kg || 20,905 kg || 22,085 kg || 23,855 kg || 25,895 kg || 30,935 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="6" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 18m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 62m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,860 kgf || 8,019 kgf
| 0.77 || 0.77 || 0.73 || 0.67 || 0.62 || 0.52
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 5,808 kgf (1,555 km/h) || 12,692 kgf (1,555 km/h)
| 1.22 || 1.21 || 1.15 || 1.06 || 0.98 || 0.82
|-
|}

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

The F-14A holds 60 countermeasures, which is a decent number of chaff and flares that can let the Tomcat survive multiple missiles. Due to its massive engines, the IR signature of the aircraft is not an easy thing to conceal when fighting heat-seeking missiles. As with other jets around its battle rating, flares alone are generally not enough to defeat IR-guided missiles. To defeat an IR-guided missile (heat-seeker), turn off afterburner and reduce throttle to at least 80-85% while dumping flares and turning away from the missile. This is to ensure that an IR-guided missile will track the flares and not the engines. Due to the massive size compared to other aircraft, the chances of a successful hit from enemies, both missile and cannon, are higher compared to smaller aircraft such as the Harrier or F-5. This should be taken into consideration as proximity fuses will trigger with more ease as the wingspan of the Tomcat is considerably larger than most jets seen in game.

Fuel tanks are housed flatly in both the fuselage and wings. The F-14A will easily catch fire from enemy rounds from above and below the plane. Thankfully, the fuel tanks are well-separated compared to other fighters like the F-4 family, so damage to one part of the plane may not necessarily compromise the whole plane. However, fires will rapidly destroy traction of control surfaces, so they must be immediately extinguished. As long as some control surfaces are usable, the F-14A can survive critical damage (such as losing a wing) and return to base. Its multiple fuel tanks help isolate fuel fires especially on the wings, and the plane can fly on one engine.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs) !! EEGS
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, cheek-mounted (676 rpg)
* 60 x countermeasures

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


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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="5%" | 1 !! width="5%" | 2 !! width="5%" | 3 !! width="5%" | 4 !! width="5%" | 5 !! width="5%" | 6 !! width="5%" | 7 !! width="5%" | 8
| rowspan="16" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|250 lb LDGP Mk 81]] bombs
| || || || 8* || 6 || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || || || 8* || 6 || || ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 AIR (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 AIR]] bombs
| || || || 8* || 6 || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| || || || 2* || 2 || || ||
|-
! [[Mk 83 AIR (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb Mk 83 AIR]] bombs
| || || || 2* || 2 || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || || || 2*† || 2 || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 Air (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air]] bombs
| || || || 2*† || 2 || || ||
|-
! [[Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP]] rockets
| || 8 || || || || || 8 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7E-2 Sparrow]] missiles
| || 1 || || 2 || 1 || || 1 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7F Sparrow]] missiles
| || 1 || || 2 || 1, 2* || || 1 ||
|-
! [[AIM-9D Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9G Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9H Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || || || || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-54A Phoenix]] missiles
| || 1 || || 2* || 2† || || 1 ||
|-
! 280 gal drop tanks
| || || 1 || || || 1 || ||
|-
| colspan="10" | * Use of dual Sparrow missiles on hardpoint 4 prevents use of the marked options on hardpoint 3 † The AIM-54A Phoenix missiles on hardpoint 4 cannot be carried in conjunction with 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs on hardpoint 3
|-
|}

{{Navigation-Start|Default weapon presets}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}

* 2 x 280 gal drop tanks
* 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles
* 4 x AIM-9H Sidewinder missiles
* 5 x AIM-7E-2 Sparrow missiles
* 6 x AIM-7F Sparrow missiles
* 6 x AIM-54A Phoenix missiles
* 14 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (3,500 lb total)
* 14 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 14 x 500 lb Mk 82 AIR bombs (7,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb Mk 83 AIR bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 16 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
{{Navigation-End}}

The F-14A is the first aircraft in game to have access to Active Radar Homing missiles with internal navigation. While it is mostly used for air defense and anti-air duties, it holds decent ground pounding abilities that are nothing new to American pilots. The F-14A has access to a wide variety of weapon selections due to having 'Custom Loadouts' feature. Depending on the needs of the pilot, one can carry different loadouts for different needs.

The F-14A comes with three options for missiles: short-ranged AIM-9H Sidewinders, medium-ranged AIM-7F Sparrows, and long-range AIM-54A Phoenixes.

The '''AIM-9H Sidewinder''' is very similar to the previous AIM-9G — having good range but below average manoeuvrability. Its seeker can also be slaved to a radar lock or TWS soft lock. With only 18G maximum overload, the AIM-9H should not be used in high-aspect or hard-turning shots at close ranges. Instead, the AIM-9H's good range should be used to catch enemies off guard. A good way to utilize this range is to position yourself over the battlefield and dive down on enemies. Your dive speed combined with gravity will increase the speed and range of your missiles, your angle to the enemy will give the missiles an easier time locking on to their exhaust, and your unexpected direction will see that many enemies will not notice the missile until they have been destroyed by it.

The '''AIM-7F Sparrow''' is a medium-range, SARH (Semi-Active Radar Homing) missile. Pilots of the F-14A are probably familiar with the AIM-7F from the previous F-4J or the premium F-4S. The AIM-7F is one of the best radar-guided missiles in the game, with 25Gs of pull and a very long burn time for the sustainer motor, it has long range and competitive manoeuvrability. (while earlier SARHs such as the AIM-7E-2(DF), Skyflash, R-23R, etc. will stop producing thrust sooner and lose speed during manoeuvres, the AIM-7F maintains its speed and thus manoeuvrability for longer thanks to its sustainer motor.) This should be the F-14A's go-to missile; it can be launched from all aspects and is difficult to dodge without the correct defensive manoeuvres. The AIM-7F can be launched from longer ranges to utilize its long burn time and the F-14A's good radar. Pay attention to your Radar Warning Receiver; if the enemy you are radar locking is also radar locking you, it is likely that they are about to or already have launched a radar-guided missile at you. In this case, do not fly straight; you are going to be hit first. Launch your missile, then crank to one side. To crank means to turn to one side as far as possible without losing radar lock. This makes the enemy's missile travel further at higher angles and thus decreases the chance it will hit you during defensive manoeuvres. If you have Sparrows to spare and an enemy is approaching head-on, you can launch Sparrows in succession (2-3 seconds between launches) to increase your probability of a kill. An enemy can avoid one missile with manoeuvres, but will have bled speed and will have a more difficult time avoiding further missiles.

The '''AIM-54A Phoenix''' is a long-range, ARH (Active Radar Homing) missile, and is only found on the F-14. The AIM-54A is a unique missile with unique capabilities. It has an extremely long burn time and thus an extremely long range, as well as a rather large proximity fuse and a large amount of explosives (doesn't have to be as close as other missiles to enemies to explode and cause critical damage). However, its more interesting features come in the form of its behaviour. First, it's an active radar homing missile, meaning it has a small internal radar which at closer ranges it can use to automatically search for, track and guide itself to targets without any input from the parent (the F-14's) radar. Second, it can be guided via the parent (F-14's) radar, but if it loses lock, the missile will fly straight for a while and use the aforementioned internal radar to search for enemies to home in towards. Third, the AIM-54 does not require a hard lock to be launched; when the F-14's radar is in TWS (Track While Scan) mode, you can simply hover the radar cursor over a radar contact to launch the AIM-54. This also means you can launch more than one Phoenix at a time by hovering over a target, launching, and then hovering over another target to launch another Phoenix.

It is important to know that despite these seemingly impressive features, the AIM-54 is not an all-powerful missile and has its downsides; there are many scenarios where it is advisable not to use it. First, some F-14A players may feel tempted to take six AIM-54s, take off, and then launch at six enemy targets very far away. This is not advised, as there is a very high chance none will hit; at such a long-range, and with player behaviour at the start of a match, it is very likely that the missiles will be inadvertently notched, or the missiles will get distracted by enemy and/or friendly AI bots. In addition, the AIM-54A only has 17G overload — less than an AIM-9H — and with its very long burn time, it is easily seen and dodged by enemies. It is worth saving your missiles for a better firing window. Second, the missile should not be used at closer ranges (< 5 km). In addition to having low manoeuvrability, the AIM-54 has a very, very slow acceleration, and it highly likely won't be able to follow the defensive manoeuvres of such a close enemy. For this case, Sparrows are a much better option. Third, the AIM-54 should not be launched in the direction of friendly aircraft. The AIM-54 and its internal radar will go for the first target it sees, regardless if it is friend or foe. And fourth and finally, the AIM-54 is the heaviest air-to-air missile in the game, and they impact aircraft performance significantly. To make use of the AIM-54's advantages, it is advisable to use them at higher altitudes (> 5 km) and at long ranges. The AIM-54 will have time to accelerate to its maximum speed, and due to the low air density at high altitudes as well as the AIM-54's high speed, enemy aircraft will have a hard time evading the missile (even if it is just 17G). The AIM-54 can home in on enemies on its own, so if necessary you can completely turn away from the enemy after launching to avoid enemy missiles. However, the AIM-54 has datalink and thus is it recommended to keep painting the target(s) through TWS radar mode for more reliable missile tracking.

Each of these missiles has its strengths and weaknesses. A mix between long-range weapons and short-range weapons must be used at the pilot's discretion. A maximum of six of a mix of Sparrows or Phoenixes can be taken, two Sidewinders can always be carried on separate hard points, and pilots can choose to substitute up to two Sparrows or Phoenixes for Sidewinders. At the very least one or two sparrows should be taken as they are useful in lots of different engagements at most altitudes. For high altitude engagements, a small number of Phoenixes (1-3) can be taken. Phoenixes are especially useful at enduring confrontation (operation) air battles, where air combat is prevalent at higher altitudes, where the Phoenix will truly shine. While the AIM-9H Sidewinders will seem like nothing new and perhaps a bit outdated, their long-range capability should not be underestimated, and users may prefer to swap out some radar-guided missiles for the Sidewinders.

== Usage in battles ==

Boasting a high top speed, excellent turning characteristics, a large number of excellent missiles, and a powerful radar, the F-14A Early is a potent air superiority fighter and should be used as such.

'''Flying the F-14A'''

Despite being a very large aircraft, the F-14A Tomcat's manoeuvrability and energy retention are excellent. With the wings swept out, it's among the best rate fighters in the game, and has excellent instantaneous turn rate. This allows the F-14A to out-dogfight most aircraft in-game. For planes with poor energy retention such as F-4s, MiG-21s, J35s, and JA37s, you can use the F-14's excellent turn rate to enter a prolonged two-circle fight, where the F-14's superior energy retention will drain the energy of these delta-winged fighters. The optimal rate speed of the F-14A is around 750 km/h, though 600 km/h will still allow you to out-rate fighters with poor energy retention. For planes with better energy retention such as F-8s and MiG-23s, you can use F-14A's excellent instantaneous turn rate to force a one-circle fight. It should be noted that when dogfighting in the F-14A, it is critical to always sweep your wings forward to 0% wing sweep. At this wing sweep, you will obtain the optimal energy retention and turn characteristics of the F-14A. Therefore, it is highly recommended to set key binds for manually changing the sweep angle and switching between auto to manual wing sweep. Keep in mind that, although the F-14A has excellent dogfighting characteristics, it is still a very large aircraft with extremely hot engines. Due to this, it is advised to avoid turn-fighting in the Tomcat unless absolutely necessary because, as with all other top-tier jets, doing so will bleed your speed and make you an easy target for enemy aircraft.

The early F-14A with its TF30 engines were historically underpowered, and this shows in-game: while the F-14A has a great top speed with the wings swept back, the acceleration and climb rate is below average. Faster planes such as MiG-23s, Mirage 2000s, F-16s, and MiG-29s will easily out-accelerate you. Even F-4s will accelerate faster at lower speeds. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your speed up in the F-14. Due to this, vertical dogfights are generally not advisable, especially with faster accelerating and climbing opponents such as MiG-23s, MiG-29s and F-16s. In addition, this acceleration is another reason to be careful when engaging in dogfights, as you will have difficulty out-accelerating your opponents should you need to exit.

'''Wing Sweep'''

The F-14A has a variable sweep wing, which means the wings can change angle during flight to obtain the desired flight characteristics. As discussed before, when the wings are swept forward (0%), the F-14A obtains high energy retention and excellent instantaneous and sustained turn rate. However, the wings being swept forwards limits the Tomcat's top speed, and therefore should only be used at lower speeds, when dogfighting, or takeoff/landing (especially on carriers). On the other hand, the wings being swept back allows the F-14A to reach its top speed, but at lower speeds, the reduced lift and greater wing loading heavily reduces manoeuvrability. Generally, pilots can keep the wing sweep mode set to automatic (AUTO); this will automatically sweep the wings without player input based on how fast or slow the Tomcat is going. However, when dogfighting, you will want to switch the sweep mode to manual, and use selected key binds to manually sweep the wing completely forward to obtain optimal manoeuvrability.

'''Fuel Consumption and Engine Heat'''

It should be noted that the F-14A burns through its fuel supply extremely fast when on full afterburner. This should be taken into consideration as one can use up all their fuel without realizing until it is too late. Due to this, it is advisable to take at the very least 30 minutes of fuel. You can use the mouse scroll wheel to save a lot more fuel by using the first-stage afterburner, which gives a significant power boost from 100% throttle but a little less power than full afterburner. On minimum fuel (18 minutes) the full afterburner can only last about 2 minutes and 30 seconds, but the afterburner (first-stage) can last you 8 minutes.

Something to be aware of when playing the F-14A is the insane heat of its engines. At high throttle and afterburner, its engines emit an unparalleled amount of heat at around 2,100 °F (1,150 °C). For reference, that is around 66% hotter than the F-4J's engines, which are around 1,239 °F (671 °C) at 100% throttle and 1,256 °F (680 °C) during full afterburner. During gameplay, this means that in the F-14A simply just turning off the afterburner and deploying flares may not be enough to avoid an incoming IR missile. It is also recommended to throttle down the engine significantly (at least 80-85%) to make sure that an incoming IR missile goes for the flares. This is especially true for more flare-resistant IR missiles such as the [[AIM-9L Sidewinder|AIM-9L]] and [[AIM-9M Sidewinder|AIM-9M]], [[Matra R550 Magic 2|Magic 2]], and [[R-73]] which may need substantial throttling down to flare off. Keep in mind that throttling down means that you will lose a decent amount of speed in the process, so be prepared.

'''Radar and Radar Modes'''

The AN/AWG-9 radar set carried by the F-14A is an extremely potent radar, especially for long-range missile combat. It has great range (a maximum of 185 km tracking and 370 km detecting). For most normal air RB maps, a 37 km or 93 km display range should suffice, while 93 km should be enough for most enduring confrontation air RB maps. A radar lock is necessary to guide Sparrows, while either radar lock or soft lock (selecting targets in TWS) will suffice for a Phoenix launch. The radar has four different modes which have different purposes, capabilities and usages:

* '''SRC PD HDN''' (Surveillance Radar Computer, Pulse-Doppler, Head-On): Users of the F-14 are likely at least somewhat aware of what a pulse-Doppler radar is from usage of the previous F-4J. This is a pulse-Doppler mode, meaning it measures an aircraft's Doppler shift (difference in velocity compared to surroundings) in order to "see" targets. Due to the nature of the detection method, this pulse-Doppler mode is most ideal for targets close to the ground, as well as in head-on situations (as the name suggests). However, this pulse-Doppler mode has a weakness: it can be [[Airborne_radars#Notching_a_Pulse-Doppler_radar|notched]]; pulse-Doppler measures the target aircraft's velocity change compared to surroundings, so if a target flies perpendicular to the radar (not moving closer or further compared to the surroundings), the radar will not observe a change in velocity and therefore cannot see the aircraft. F-14A pilots must be aware of how the notch works; if an enemy radar is locking you at low altitude, they are likely using a pulse-Doppler mode, and thus notching becomes a defensive option to break radar lock. Provided the target is not at very low altitudes, an enemy notching your pulse-Doppler radar can be countered by switching the radar mode to SRC. Another weakness to be aware of is that pulse-Doppler modes generally have trouble detecting and locking targets travelling away from the radar. In conclusion, the pulse-Doppler mode is good for tracking targets at very low altitudes, but is vulnerable to notching and has difficulty finding targets moving away.
* '''SRC''' (Surveillance Radar Computer): This is the standard radar mode. It is not a pulse-Doppler mode and does not have its weaknesses; it cannot be notched like pulse-Doppler can, and has an easier time tracking targets moving away. Therefore, if an enemy is attempting to notch your pulse-Doppler mode, you can switch the radar lock from a pulse-Doppler one to standard SRC. However, due to the radar return from ground clutter, it has great trouble locking targets at very low altitude, though it can still lock higher targets. It's worth noting that the SRC mode on the AN/AWG-9 is more resistant to ground clutter than previous radars; while you still cannot detect or lock a target very close to the ground, it can sometimes detect targets as little as 1 km from the ground. In conclusion, SRC is generally more reliable at finding and tracking targets than pulse-Doppler mode, but cannot see targets at very low altitudes like pulse-Doppler can.
* '''TWS HDN''' (Track While Scan, Head-On): This mode allows targets to be detected and "tracked" simultaneously. By hovering your radar cursor over detected targets, you can "soft lock" them; their position is marked in third-person view, and their general speed, heading, and height are displayed. With a soft lock, the radar return is not strong enough to trigger the RWR, so enemies will not know you are soft locking them. AIM-54A Phoenixes can be launched via a soft lock, and after launching a Phoenix, you can hover over another enemy to launch another Phoenix. Using onboard electronics, the Phoenixes will guide themselves to the target after this. In addition, AIM-9G/H Sidewinders can be slaved to the soft lock. However, for a Sparrow launch, you will need to "hard lock" the target. This can be done simply by locking the target the cursor is hovering over (as with other radar modes). In addition, track while scan uses pulse-Doppler, so it can detect targets close to the ground as well. Unfortunately, this also means it has the same weaknesses as pulse-Doppler mode (vulnerable to notching or targets flying away). The capabilities of the track while scan mode are potent and allows pilots great situational awareness, and therefore should generally be your go-to radar mode, only switching to SRC to overcome pulse-Doppler's weaknesses.
* '''SRC PDV HDN''' (Surveillance Radar Computer, Pulse-Doppler Velocity, Head-On): This radar mode is very similar to pulse-Doppler, but instead displays the velocity of the aircraft on the radar screen rather than the range. This is the only radar mode on the AN/AWG-9 which does not utilize IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), so in simulator mode, be careful.
* The AN/AWG-9 has two acquisition modes, ACM PD HDN and ACQ, and two track modes, TRK PD HDN and TRK.
** SRC PD HDN, TWS HDN and SRC PDV HDN radar modes all use '''ACM PD HDN''' (Air Combat Maneuvering, Pulse-Doppler, Head-On) as the acquisition mode, and '''TRK PD HDN''' (Track, Pulse-Doppler, Head-On) as the lock mode. These are pulse-Doppler search and lock methods, and as such have the same strengths and weaknesses. SRC uses '''ACQ''' and '''TRK''' as acquisition and lock modes, respectively, which are the non pulse-Doppler counterparts to ACM PD HDN and TRK PD HDN.
** When in these acquisition modes, you can press your keybind for "Change Radar/IRST Search Mode" to change the scope of the acquisition search area. Clicking it once changes it from a square to a vertically long rectangle, clicking it twice moves this rectangle to an upper position (to lock enemies above you), and clicking it a third time changes it back to a square.
** A nice and very useful feature of the F-14's radar is that, if you have a target radar locked, you can switch between pulse-Doppler and normal SRC tracking without breaking lock (most other radars will require the lock to be broken before switching radar mode to reattempt a lock). This allows you to quickly and easily switch to TRK (SRC) if the target is notching, or switch to TRK PD HDN (Pulse-Doppler) if the target is going close to the ground.

'''Realistic Battles'''

In realistic battles, the F-14A is a powerful air superiority fighter. With a maximum of six medium-range AIM-7F or very long range AIM-54A missiles and a powerful radar, it is among the best BVR (Beyond Visual Range) fighters in the game, and it is advisable to exploit this advantage. In air realistic battles, players can side climb to high altitudes (>5 km) and search for targets to engage with the long-range Sparrows or Phoenixes. Once higher altitude is swept of enemy fighters, pilots can dive down on lower altitude enemies and use the energy advantage to obtain missile kills from an unexpected angle. If necessary, the Tomcat's excellent manoeuvrability can be used to dogfight any remaining enemy aircraft.

In ground realistic battles, the F-14A can use its long-range missiles to clear the sky of enemy strike aircraft. With its excellent Sparrow and Phoenix missiles, the F-14A will be especially potent at destroying enemy strike aircraft at high altitudes who are using guided munitions to attack your team outside of SAM range. While the F-14A gets access to some air-to-ground bombs and rockets, these are all unguided and thus are very risky to use in the presence of SAMs. Therefore, unless a ground strike is absolutely necessary, a Tomcat is much better off in the air-to-air role guarding the skies.

'''Enemies Worth Noting'''

* '''F-16A:''' These planes have excellent acceleration and decent top speed. In addition, they are equipped with AIM-9Ls (and Python 3's for the Israeli Netz), which can be difficult to flare with the F-14's two very hot engines running on full afterburner, as well as AIM-7Ms (except the US F-16A Block 10 and Israeli Netz), that perform similarly to the F-14's AIM-7Fs. One weakness of the F-16 is its angle of attack limiter which effectively bricks the F-16 at high speeds. This means it will have trouble dodging the F-14's AIM-7Fs at higher speeds. In a dogfight, the F-16 outturns the F-14 with it's excellent maneuverability, but the angle of attack limiter can be exploited in a merge with an F-16, where air braking, down-throttling and pulling hard into the F-16 may let you park yourself on his tail. The F-16's excellent acceleration in contrast with the F-14's poor acceleration makes it ill-advised to engage in a vertical dogfight with the F-16. It is generally best to avoid dogfighting the F-16, but if needed, a rate fight is favoured by the F-14,
* '''MiG-29''': The MiG-29 has excellent acceleration and top speed. Though the R-60M on the [[MiG-29|9.13]] is a far cry from the F-16's AIM-9Ls, future variants carry the supermanouevring, IRCCM equipped [[R-73]], and all MiG-29s posses the extremely dangerous R-27ER long range SARH missile. These missiles are faster accelerating and more manoeuvrable than the F-14's AIM-7Fs while having the same listed maximum range of 100 km. However, the MiG-29 can only carry two of them. They can be outranged by your AIM-54s, but at closer ranges, even a single missile can mean death for you, so you will have to use missile jousting strategies to beat the R-27ER with your AIM-7Fs. In a dogfight, it's mostly the same story as with the F-16: the MiG-29 has excellent maneuverability, and while the F-14 can certainly keep up, vertical dogfights should be avoided due to the stark difference in acceleration between the MiG-29 and F-14A. The best way to dogfight the MiG-29 in the F-14 is to utilize the F-14's excellent turn rate in a rate fight; staying at around 750 km/h will let the F-14 slowly out-rate the MiG-29.
* '''Mirage 2000C:''' Mirage 2000s have excellent acceleration and top speed, as well as powerful missiles. Like AIM-9Ls, the Magic 2 can be difficult to flare, and the Super 530D is comparable to the AIM-7F, but it should be noted that the Mirage 2000C only has two of each of these missiles. In a dogfight, the Mirage 2000 has excellent instantaneous turn rate, but due to its delta wing design bleeds speed quickly; in this case the F-14A's excellent rate speed should be used to drain the Mirage 2000 of energy and outrate it.
* '''F-4J, F-4S, F-4EJ Kai, Kurnass 2000:''' These Phantoms can very easily be beaten in a dogfight by the F-14A, but beware that they can also use the AIM-7F (except the Kurnass 2000), and in the case of the EJ Kai and Kurnass 2000, they have significantly upgraded radars, can use the AIM-9L, and for the Kurnass 2000 specifically, the even deadlier Python 3.
* '''MiG-23ML/MLA/MLD:''' These MiG-23s boast good R-24s which can compete with the AIM-7F, as well as dangerous R-24Ts which can lock on to the F-14's hot heat signature and stealthily destroy it. Good situational awareness is key to defeating these missiles. On curves that follow the same direction indefinitely, be careful. When it comes to high-speed turns, the F-14A has the advantage. However, when it comes to continuous curves at low speed, without changing direction, the Mig 23 (especially the MLD) has an advantage. In a dogfight, MiG-23s have a surprisingly good rate speed which can keep up with the F-14. However, their instantaneous turn rate is poor, so a one circle or scissors can be used with the F-14A to easily gain an advantage over MiG-23s.
* '''F-5E:''' The F-5 series have a surprisingly good turn rate that can rival even the F-14A. However, it has slow acceleration, its guns are mediocre, and it only has short-range infrared missiles. Therefore, they can be engaged with Sparrows and Phoenixes without retaliation, and in a dogfight, the vertical can be used on the F-5 to stall them out and gain the advantage. Beware however that the squadron premium [[F-5E FCU (Japan)|F-5E FCU]] can enter battle with two different all-aspect infrareds at the same time. Two [[AIM-9P4 Sidewinder|AIM-9P4]]<nowiki/>s, and two Python 3s. Though the AIM-9P4 isn't as much of a threat as an AIM-9L due to only being able to pull 20G like a regular AIM-9P, it carries the AIM-9L's seeker, meaning it's just as difficult to flare off in rear aspect.

'''Simulator Battles - Enduring Confrontation'''

Before you take the F-14A to battle you need to figure out what weapons you want to use. All the available IR missiles have almost identical turn performance, the range is almost the same too. The D version cannot be slaved to the locked target, the G can be and the H works exactly like the G, but has a higher tracking rate. Taking at least two of them is highly recommended since they almost do not affect the flight performance.

There are also two options for radar-guided missiles. The AIM-7F works very well at close and medium ranges (3-20 km) and can hit a target which is pulling lots of G. They are harder to dodge in Simulator Battles, though you need to keep your lock all the time. The AIM-54A is an active radar-guided missile, it does not require the radar lock when it is launched 16 km from the target (or when it gets that close, then you can break your lock), but it can pull only up to 17G which is quite easy to dodge, both these missiles can also be avoided by just simply notching when the F-14 uses the pulse-Doppler radar mode.

Loadout recommendations:

* 4x AIM-9H + 4x AIM-7F - Works very well in almost any scenario, and does not affect the flight performance that much.
* 4x AIM-9H + 2x AIM-54A + 2x AIM-7F - A well-balanced loadout, allows for a variety of gameplay styles.

To make full use of the F-14A's manoeuvrability it is best to buy the expert crew and the ace crew if it is possible, since the plane pulls around 8G at 750 km/h IAS in a sustained turn and that increases even further when the player decided to pull it even more, though you need to keep in mind that the G limit is ~11G.

'''Outside of combat''' - As a start, keep in mind that the F-14A really likes to burn through its fuel reserves when the afterburner is used, (at low altitudes it can only fly up to 7 minutes with max fuel) so it is recommended to fly either with 45 minutes of fuel (on 64x64 km maps like Ruhr, Port Moresby) or full fuel tanks (128x128 km maps like Vietnam, Denmark). WEP should not be used while cruising and only during combat or while chasing someone, flying with the throttle set to 85-90% should be fine too. There are a few tactics that can be used in the F-14 in SB, but it mostly depends on what map you play. On more open maps like Denmark you can at 1,000-3,000 m alt while looking for targets, though some planes can still sneak up to you if you are not paying enough attention to your surroundings, doing so you are mostly vulnerable to attack from below and behind, especially when the enemy has access to all-aspect missiles. The other tactic is just simply hugging the ground, in most cases it is the safest one and should be used on maps with hills and mountains where you can break the enemy's line of sight by flying between them. It is more difficult and requires lots of focus. The player needs to keep looking around all the time to find the target, the radar is less useful in this scenario, though the TWS mode can be helpful on maps like Vietnam to check the enemy plane direction and ambush them while you are flying in areas where it is hard to spot the planes due to the ground colour and many objects like trees. To make cruising easier the damping SAS mode can be used, which limits the angle of attack (AoA) so much that the G limit cannot be reached at any speed, the automatic wing sweep control also can be activated. About the radar modes, the PDV should not really be used since it is the only one which does not have any kind of IFF and it is as good at detecting targets as the normal PD mode. Since the PD radar cannot track targets that are flying perpendicular to your plane switching between modes is very important, even the normal Pulse (SRC) mode can detect targets against the ground up to 15-20 km and even further when it is above the horizon. To be safe from enemy missiles it is best to stay around 20-30 km away from enemy planes.

'''During combat''' - When both sides have similar missiles in BVR combat, it is critical to accelerate to high speed before launching your missile and to launch the missile before the enemy. The AIM-54A can be useful in such scenarios, even when the F-14 will be forced to break away the missile will still be tracking the target, then the enemy will be forced to dodge it and when that happens you can launch another missile to force the enemy into an even more defensive position. When the distance between planes is around 10 km, the radar mode should be switched to either BST or VSL since they offer an instant radar lock after pointing at the targets, locking on manually can sometimes take a few seconds and a few failed attempts. Those two modes can also be used when the player in the F-14A is trying to be sneaky, then when the enemy is not aware of being tracked by TWS mode on maps like Vietnam the F-14 can switch to them when the enemy gets close from the front and then right after that launch the AIM-7F. Overall learning quick switching between radar modes depending on the situation is very important.

Within a visual range of 10 km, players are strongly advised to employ a proactive defensive strategy to enhance their chances of survival during head-on encounters. To achieve this, it is recommended to pre-flare while maintaining heightened situational awareness and anticipating potential threats from any direction. In a scenario where you may have to engage the enemy, it is best to use the AIM-7F missiles. By launching them, the adversary will be forced to notch and will not be able to safely reengage, as at that point you hold a significant advantage.

During a dogfight, it is recommended to switch the SAS mode to manual. The damping limits the manoeuvrability too much and can put the F-14 in a worse position, especially against delta wing planes, though using it makes the plane harder to control. The other thing to remember is switching the wing sweep controls to manual, then reducing it to 0% for the best manoeuvrability.
The last thing is using the combat flaps, but overusing them and doing it in the wrong situation can lead to being shot down faster. Before the merge between both planes happens the speed should be around 800 km/h IAS and 900 km/h (450-500 kn IAS), it will make starting a two-circle fight (where the F-14 excels) easier. The combat flaps in the F-14 improve both the sustained and instantaneous turn rate, the only downside is that they work effectively only up to 900 km/h IAS and make reaching speed above that harder. The one-circle fight can be done only with planes like the MiG-23, Su-17/22 or the Japanese Phantoms; against other planes, especially the delta wing planes, it is not very safe, although the F-14 can sometimes pull a very tight turn (takeoff flaps have a speed limit up to 800 km/h and can help with that). Generally, the safest way to win the fight is to keep your speed around 800 km/h IAS in a two-circle fight, there is not a single plane that can win it. There are a few planes which can give a hard time in close-range fights, the MiG-23MLD, J35s, MiG-21bis, J-7E, Chinese F-5E, the player should be very careful while engaging any of these.

'''Basic mistakes''' - Ignoring the IFF and teamkilling are the biggest mistakes happening in SB, it is always important to check if the target is a friendly plane or not (one line - unknown/enemy, two lines - friendly). Also, launching the AIM-54 into a direction with a few friendly planes can end really badly, just like launching any kind of missile into furballs. Ignoring the IFF readouts will lead to being kicked from the session and the team performing worse because they will also need to worry about dodging friendly missiles.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very effective two-circle fighter at any speed with its variable wing sweep which gives it great energy retention
* Variable sweep wings can help to accelerate faster when fully swept back, and turn more tightly when fully unswept forwards
* Elevators behave like ailerons, maintaining a high roll rate at all speeds
* High structural limit (can max out at 1500 km/h IAS at sea level before disintegrating)
* The M61 Vulcan cannon has an extremely fast fire rate, good velocity, and deals great damage
* Can carry up to 8 missiles maximum, with options of AIM-7s, AIM-9s, and [[AIM-54A Phoenix|AIM-54]]<nowiki/>s for versatile use
* The AIM-54 has insane range (100 km max), its rocket booster lasts for a very long time, and it's an active radar homing missile (at closer ranges, it can automatically guide itself towards enemies using its own radar)
* Multi-mode radar makes it effective in any situation (the TWS mode allows launching AIM-54s at multiple aircraft at once and provides amazing situational awareness)
* Same RWR as F-4J and F-4S:
** Has launch detection
** Covers frequency bands E-J
** Detects a wide variety of targets:
*** AI LO, AI HI, AAA/AI
*** SAM LO, SAM MID, SAM HI

'''Cons:'''

* Easy target to hit due to its sheer size
* The afterburner's fuel consumption is extremely high; constant usage of it requires carrying a lot of fuel that can hamper the plane's performance and manoeuvrability earlier in the match
* Massive wing and fuselage fuel tanks, of which the majority are non-self sealing makes it especially prone to catching fire
* Cannot pull sustained Gs when above 1,000 km/h IAS (11-13 G) in RB or the wings will rip
* The TF30 is one of, if not the hottest running engine in-game, requiring the need to throttle down (and massively lose speed and energy retention) to reliably flare off infrared missiles
* 60 countermeasures may be a bit lacking considering the extremely high engine temperature
* The AIM-54A's rocket motor burns for a very long time, giving enemies plenty of time to spot it early and evade
* Requires lots of work and control binds related to the radar and variable wing sweep angle to make the most of the aircraft
* The Damping SAS mode limits the AoA so much that it performs abysmally in one-circle fights (scissors, split-S, etc.) thus forcing the player to use the much more difficult Manual SAS mode (SB with full-real controls)
* RWR:
** Lacks IFF
** Lacks tracking detection
** Cannot show target name
** A significant number of targets are shown as "?"

== History ==

=== Early Development ===
In 1967, the U.S. Navy wanted a long-range fleet defence fighter to boost their naval plane capabilities with the "VFX" program. The USN first started with a redesigned F-111 Aardvark named the F-111B (basically an F-111 designed around the TF30 engine and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles), they soon found out that the F-111 was too big for practical reasons so the F-111B plan never came to fruition. Fast forward to 1969, the USN gave the contract to Grumman to build the new fleet defence fighter named the F-14 Tomcat (Grumman Model G-303), its first variants were built around the TF30 engines found on the F-111B and to use the AN/AWG-9 radar set and the airframe was specifically built to carry the AIM-54 Phoenix missile.
=== Deployment ===
In December 1970, a significant milestone in aviation history was achieved when the F-14 Tomcat, a supersonic twin-engine fleet defense fighter, made its maiden flight. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey for the F-14 Tomcat, which would go on to become one of the most iconic fighter aircraft in the United States Navy. The successful maiden flight of the F-14 Tomcat in December 1970 paved the way for its subsequent development and delivery to the United States Navy. Just eighteen months later, in June 1972, the Navy received its first batch of F-14 aircraft, signaling the official introduction of this advanced fighter into service. However, it wasn't until 1974 that the culmination of tireless efforts and unwavering dedication became a reality. The Navy achieved operational deployment of the F-14 Tomcat, representing a major milestone for this cutting-edge aircraft. Two carrier squadrons played a pivotal role in this achievement: VF-1 "Wolfpack" and VFA-2 "Bounty Hunters"
=== In service ===
The illustrious legacy of the F-14 Tomcat can be traced back to its inception during the Vietnam War. It was during this turbulent period that carrier squadrons of the United States Navy were deployed to help evacuate Saigon as part of Operation Frequent Wind. In the midst of this critical operation, the F-14 emerged as an awe-inspiring symbol of unmatched aerial power and groundbreaking technological innovation. The F-14 Tomcat, throughout its service life, consistently demonstrated its exceptional capabilities in diverse theaters of operation. From the skies over Vietnam to the Persian Gulf and beyond, the F-14 played a pivotal role in safeguarding American interests and ensuring the security of its allies. During conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm, the F-14 Tomcat showcased its remarkable versatility and combat effectiveness. With its state-of-the-art weapons systems and advanced avionics, the jet provided unparalleled air superiority and contributed significantly to the success of the coalition forces. Moreover, the F-14's impressive presence was felt during the Gulf of Sidra incidents, where it boldly defended American naval forces against hostile encounters. Its manoeuvrability, formidable arsenal, and avionics, served as a powerful deterrent, firmly establishing the F-14's reputation as a force to be reckoned with.

=== Retirement ===
[[File:F-14 Final Catapult.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Final catapult of the F-14]]
The F-14 Tomcat, although iconic, was officially retired from active service in 2006, marking the end of an era for this formidable war machine. Proudly serving the United States Navy for over three decades, the F-14 Tomcat succumbed to evolving technological advancements and changing strategic needs. Factors such as soaring maintenance costs and the introduction of the more advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet propelled the decision to retire this legendary aircraft. However, even in its final missions, the F-14 Tomcat showcased the indomitable spirit that defined its existence. The momentous culmination of its operational flights bore witness to VFA-311, the last squadron to drop a bomb in battle, and VF-213, the vessel that became its final resting place. These significant events forever imprinted upon the tapestry of military aviation, solidifying the illustrious history of the F-14 Tomcat.

===[[wt:en/news/7705-development-f-14a-tomcat-into-the-danger-zone-en|Devblog]]===
In 1968, five aircraft building companies entered the Pentagon's competition for a new carrier-based interceptor fighter. The commission's preference was given to Grumman's design, a twin-engine jet fighter with a variable-swept wing. Work on the F-14A fighter began in February 1969, and in December of the next year, the new aircraft took her maiden flight. The main weapon of the F-14A was the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missiles controlled by the newest to date weapon control system. Instead of building prototypes, Grumman immediately switched to the production of an experimental series, and already on December 31, 1972, the first batch of jet fighters were put into service with the VF-124 Fleet Replacement Squadron . Pilot training took place on the deck of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, and during the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam, combat sorties were also made from the deck. In total 557 F-14A fighters were delivered to the US Navy until 1987, and another 80 aircraft were built for Iran. Tomcats were used in all military conflicts where US aircraft took part until the very decommissioning. Iranian F-14s took an active part in the Iran-Iraq war, scoring dozens of air kills.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f_14a_early Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 1.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 2.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 3.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 4.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 5.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 6.jpg|
File:F-14A Early Wallpaper 7.jpg|
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|Wdnef_6_6oM|'''The Shooting Range #307''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[F-14 (Family)]]

;Other jet planes with variable sweep wings

* [[F-111A]]
* [[Tornado (Family)]]
* [[MiG-23 (Family)]]
* [[Su-17/22 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7705-development-f-14a-tomcat-into-the-danger-zone-en|[Devblog] F-14A Tomcat: Into the Danger Zone!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/557191-f-14a-early/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Grumman}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}

Wyvern S4

2024-08-29T17:13:52Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=wyvern_s4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=5267
}}

== Description ==

Interest in a long-range naval strike fighter gave rise to the Wyvern project, which was to take the Rolls-Royce Eagle-22 engine to cover operations. The project was struck with setbacks, most eventful was the cancellation of the Eagle engine causing considerable time and effort to be lost when searching for another suitable engine that was available. It was decided to utilize a turboprop engine instead and the Armstrong Siddeley Python engine was selected for installation into the Wyvern. The Wyvern with the Python engine was accepted into service in 1953, designated the ''Wyvern TF 4'' initially before renamed into the '''{{PAGENAME}}'''. Seeing limited service in the Fleet Air Arm as a carrier aircraft, it was eventually withdrawn in 1958.

Introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]], the Wyvern's distinctive marks are its turboprop engine and large ordnance payload. Its exceptional speed capabilities and wide range of available armaments make the Wyvern an excellent choice for combined arms battles. The Wyvern can also be a strong fighter though terrible in high altitudes as engine power drops significantly above 3,000 meters altitude. However, the Wyvern's drawback is its poor maneuverability, so engaging in a dogfight with this aircraft is generally not advised as it would likely end unfavorably for the Wyvern's pilot. Engage in Boom-n-Zoom attacks to make the most of the Wyvern's speed and minimize the maneuverability penalty.

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


The Wyvern S4, being a turboprop, is an exceptionally fast aircraft for its battle rating. Though a prop aircraft, the Wyvern functions very similar to jet aircraft in play style, due to the nature of its weight and engine. Though the Wyvern does have an above average climb rate due to its powerful engine, it functions best near sea level. At sea level, where the engine functions at maximum capacity, the Wyvern is almost uncatchable. Being able to maintain nearly 640 km/h in level flight without a payload, even enemies diving on the Wyvern will have trouble catching up, and will quickly fall behind as they lose energy.

Though it can go incredibly fast, this is solely due to the aircraft's powerful turboprop engine. Coming in at a heavy 7 tonnes with no payload, or 9 and a half tonnes with its maximum payload, the Wyvern's speed suffers when performing any manoeuvre bar going in a straight line. Even minor adjustments will cause the fighter to bleed speed at an alarming rate, with full-out turns able to halve the aircraft's speed before it has even completed a 180. Whilst it has the speed, the Wyvern can turn very fast but as mentioned it will lose this speed in the turn very quickly. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid performing any but the most gentle of manoeuvres in this 7 tonne beast.

This focus on simply flying straight is further amplified by the turboprop's ability, or lack thereof, to quickly react to input changes. As happens in jet aircraft, the turboprop engine found on the Wyvern will take a fairly long amount of time to react to changes to the throttle meaning the Wyvern pilot will struggle to regain speed if the throttle is dropped at any point, such as to recover from a vertical stall manoeuvre.

{| 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
| 635 || 620 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 33.3 || 33.6 || 21.1 || 21.1 || rowspan="2" | 700
|-
! Upgraded
| 665 || 650 || 31.2 || 32.0 || 24.7 || 23.0
|-
|}

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

{| 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}} || 566 || 351 || 315 || ~10 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 482 || < 400 || < 410 || N/A
|-
|}

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


* 64 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
* 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot

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

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

{{main|Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I (1,000 lb)|AP Mk I|Red Angel|RP-3}}
{{main|18 inch Mark XV (450 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 3 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 1 x 2000 lb A.P. Mk.I Bomb
* 3 x 500 lb S.A.P. Mk.II Bomb
* 8 x AP Mk I rockets
* 8 x RP-3 rockets
* 16 x AP Mk I rockets
* 16 x RP-3 rockets
* 1 x 450 mm 18 inch Mark XV torpedo
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 1 x 450 mm 18 inch Mark XV torpedo
* 2 x Red Angel rockets

== Usage in battles ==


Speed, climb rate, and armament are the Wyvern's only real method of taking out enemy aircraft. These are the strengths that any pilot of the Wyvern should always exploit, by employing Boom & Run tactics on enemies. With four Mk V Hispano cannons, and a staggeringly large ammo reserve, the Wyvern is more than equipped to quickly dispatch any aircraft that end up in front of it. The pilot should only take the plane up to a maximum of a couple thousand meters, unless bomber hunting, and use the Wyvern's excellent acceleration and top speed to quickly annihilate any enemies who end up on low altitude. The Wyvern can also use this speed to bait enemies, who see the Wyvern as an easy target, down to low altitudes. This will allow allied fighters to easily establish high altitude air superiority, which can often end up in victory by itself, without the Wyvern pilot actually putting himself in any great danger.

With its wide variety of secondary armaments, the Wyvern is one of the best aircraft available to the British at this BR. Typically, load up three 1,000 lb bombs, and use them to fully destroy one bombing point. The Wyvern is taken to its maximum weight whilst carrying this payload, and will only be able to maintain around 550 km/h at sea level, so the pilot should attempt to drop the bombs as soon as he can, to regain the Wyvern's 640 km/h top speed. Using the four Mk V Hispano cannons, preferably with Air Targets ammunition loaded, employ the Wyvern as was detailed in the above section, as a boom-and-zoom aircraft at low altitude. If one had experience flying any jet aircraft in the past, use the Wyvern exactly as a jet. Do not turn for anyone, if a pass misses then continue onward until a great distance is gained, then turn around for another guns run.

While fighting, any pilot should refrain from turn fighting and perform energy fighting whenever possible

In Ground Forces, the pilot has the choice between using three 500 lb bombs, three 1,000 lb bombs, sixteen RP-3 rockets, or sixteen AP Mk I rockets. With such an armament, the Wyvern's distinctive engine sound can signal in the incoming doom of any tank unfortunate enough to end up in the pilot's vision.

In Naval Battles, the Wyvern can be used as a fighter-bomber. The 3 x 1,000 lb bombs will allow you to destroy most targets with direct hits and once free of the bomb load you are free to kill any other bombers or fighters around with relative ease.

=== 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 Auto control available || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional low-altitude engine performance (550 km/h-640km/h with payload/no payload)
* Powerful offensive armament, with large ammo reserves
* Diverse selection of secondary armament
* Above average manoeuvrability at high speeds
* Excellent dive performance
* Surprisingly high climb rate
* Very capable of Boom & Zoom, which will allow this premium plane to make even more money
* In addition to carrying 3 x 1,000 lb bombs, you can release them separately from one another
* It has an airbrake, a rare item at its BR
* Highly versatile, serving as both an attack aircraft, or fighter capable of opportunistic kills and a bomber with its bomb capability
* It can take quite a lot of damage in certian situations, and can consitantly survive fires

'''Cons:'''

* Exceedingly heavy (7 t unloaded, 9+ t with a payload)
* Large fuel tanks located in front of the wings
* Turboprop engine is more fragile than traditional piston-engines planes: any engine damage represents a significant impact on performance
* Very bad roll rate
* Below average high-altitude engine performance
* Poor engine response to throttle adjustment
* Distinctive engine sound, unlike any other aircraft
* Extremely loud propulsion system allows for easy detection
* Despite being able to throw the 3 x 1000 lb bombs independently, if only one bomb is dropped the weight load would be uneven and affect turning and rolling performance
* No mirrors in cockpit to look behind, forcing the player to constantly look behind for enemies in simulation mode

== History ==


The Wyvern was one of the few turboprop combat aircraft ever fully developed, and entered service long after World War II had ended. The design was a relic of an era past, with jet-powered aircraft now replacing propeller aircraft. It also suffered from a long development period, beginning in 1944 as the P.10. This lead to the Wyvern seeing very little combat use and being quickly retired. The Wyvern S.4 variant contained an Armstrong Siddeley Python 3 turboprop engine, able to output 3670 horsepower, and was the first and only variant of the Wyvern to enter service with the British Royal Navy.

The Wyvern S.4 only saw actual combat in late 1956 during the Suez Crisis, racking up 79 sorties and 2 losses. This marked the Wyvern as the only British turboprop to ever see combat.<ref>http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1482</ref>

The type was plagued with various engine problems during its brief period in service, and was retired soon after in 1958.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=wyvern_s4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
Image:Westland Wyvern on the runway.jpg|Westland Wyvern on the runway
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|0k4QRAI_ILw|'''The Shooting Range #369''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:01 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|nMwQCST13GM|'''Should You Buy The Wyvern''' - ''Sako Sniper''|Hryh-SLXmU4|'''Premium Vehicles: Wyvern S4''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|95zYKZDSVjQ|''' Premium Review: Westland Wyvern S4''' - ''Jengar''}}

== 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/3735-development-westland-wyvern-the-turboprop-dragon-en|[Devblog] Westland Wyvern: The Turboprop Dragon]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/315763-westland-wyvern-s4/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===
<references />

{{AirManufacturer Westland}}
{{Britain strike aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Wyvern S4

2024-08-29T17:12:29Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=wyvern_s4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=5267
}}

== Description ==

Interest in a long-range naval strike fighter gave rise to the Wyvern project, which was to take the Rolls-Royce Eagle-22 engine to cover operations. The project was struck with setbacks, most eventful was the cancellation of the Eagle engine causing considerable time and effort to be lost when searching for another suitable engine that was available. It was decided to utilize a turboprop engine instead and the Armstrong Siddeley Python engine was selected for installation into the Wyvern. The Wyvern with the Python engine was accepted into service in 1953, designated the ''Wyvern TF 4'' initially before renamed into the '''{{PAGENAME}}'''. Seeing limited service in the Fleet Air Arm as a carrier aircraft, it was eventually withdrawn in 1958.

Introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]], the Wyvern's distinctive marks are its turboprop engine and large ordnance payload. Its exceptional speed capabilities and wide range of available armaments make the Wyvern an excellent choice for combined arms battles. The Wyvern can also be a strong fighter though terrible in high altitudes as engine power drops significantly above 3,000 meters altitude. However, the Wyvern's drawback is its poor maneuverability, so engaging in a dogfight with this aircraft is generally not advised as it would likely end unfavorably for the Wyvern's pilot. Engage in Boom-n-Zoom attacks to make the most of the Wyvern's speed and minimize the maneuverability penalty.

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


The Wyvern S4, being a turboprop, is an exceptionally fast aircraft for its battle rating. Though a prop aircraft, the Wyvern functions very similar to jet aircraft in play style, due to the nature of its weight and engine. Though the Wyvern does have an above average climb rate due to its powerful engine, it functions best near sea level. At sea level, where the engine functions at maximum capacity, the Wyvern is almost uncatchable. Being able to maintain nearly 640 km/h in level flight without a payload, even enemies diving on the Wyvern will have trouble catching up, and will quickly fall behind as they lose energy.

Though it can go incredibly fast, this is solely due to the aircraft's powerful turboprop engine. Coming in at a heavy 7 tonnes with no payload, or 9 and a half tonnes with its maximum payload, the Wyvern's speed suffers when performing any manoeuvre bar going in a straight line. Even minor adjustments will cause the fighter to bleed speed at an alarming rate, with full-out turns able to halve the aircraft's speed before it has even completed a 180. Whilst it has the speed, the Wyvern can turn very fast but as mentioned it will lose this speed in the turn very quickly. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid performing any but the most gentle of manoeuvres in this 7 tonne beast.

This focus on simply flying straight is further amplified by the turboprop's ability, or lack thereof, to quickly react to input changes. As happens in jet aircraft, the turboprop engine found on the Wyvern will take a fairly long amount of time to react to changes to the throttle meaning the Wyvern pilot will struggle to regain speed if the throttle is dropped at any point, such as to recover from a vertical stall manoeuvre.

{| 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
| 635 || 620 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 33.3 || 33.6 || 21.1 || 21.1 || rowspan="2" | 700
|-
! Upgraded
| 665 || 650 || 31.2 || 32.0 || 24.7 || 23.0
|-
|}

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

{| 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}} || 566 || 351 || 315 || ~10 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 482 || < 400 || < 410 || N/A
|-
|}

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


* 64 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
* 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot

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

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

{{main|Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I (1,000 lb)|AP Mk I|Red Angel|RP-3}}
{{main|18 inch Mark XV (450 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 3 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 3 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 1 x 2000 lb A.P. Mk.I Bomb
* 3 x 500 lb S.A.P. Mk.II Bomb
* 8 x AP Mk I rockets
* 8 x RP-3 rockets
* 16 x AP Mk I rockets
* 16 x RP-3 rockets
* 1 x 450 mm 18 inch Mark XV torpedo
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 1 x 450 mm 18 inch Mark XV torpedo
* 2 x Red Angel rockets

== Usage in battles ==


Speed, climb rate, and armament are the Wyvern's only real method of taking out enemy aircraft. These are the strengths that any pilot of the Wyvern should always exploit, by employing Boom & Run tactics on enemies. With four Mk V Hispano cannons, and a staggeringly large ammo reserve, the Wyvern is more than equipped to quickly dispatch any aircraft that end up in front of it. The pilot should only take the plane up to a maximum of a couple thousand meters, unless bomber hunting, and use the Wyvern's excellent acceleration and top speed to quickly annihilate any enemies who end up on low altitude. The Wyvern can also use this speed to bait enemies, who see the Wyvern as an easy target, down to low altitudes. This will allow allied fighters to easily establish high altitude air superiority, which can often end up in victory by itself, without the Wyvern pilot actually putting himself in any great danger.

With its wide variety of secondary armaments, the Wyvern is one of the best aircraft available to the British at this BR. Typically, load up three 1,000 lb bombs, and use them to fully destroy one bombing point. The Wyvern is taken to its maximum weight whilst carrying this payload, and will only be able to maintain around 550 km/h at sea level, so the pilot should attempt to drop the bombs as soon as he can, to regain the Wyvern's 640 km/h top speed. Using the four Mk V Hispano cannons, preferably with Air Targets ammunition loaded, employ the Wyvern as was detailed in the above section, as a boom-and-zoom aircraft at low altitude. If one had experience flying any jet aircraft in the past, use the Wyvern exactly as a jet. Do not turn for anyone, if a pass misses then continue onward until a great distance is gained, then turn around for another guns run.

While fighting, any pilot should refrain from turn fighting and perform energy fighting whenever possible

In Ground Forces, the pilot has the choice between using three 500 lb bombs, three 1,000 lb bombs, sixteen RP-3 rockets, or sixteen AP Mk I rockets. With such an armament, the Wyvern's distinctive engine sound can signal in the incoming doom of any tank unfortunate enough to end up in the pilot's vision.

In Naval Battles, the Wyvern can be used as a fighter-bomber. The 3 x 1,000 lb bombs will allow you to destroy most targets with direct hits and once free of the bomb load you are free to kill any other bombers or fighters around with relative ease.

=== 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 Auto control available || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Exceptional low-altitude engine performance (550 km/h-640km/h with payload/no payload)
* Powerful offensive armament, with large ammo reserves
* Diverse selection of secondary armament
* Above average manoeuvrability at high speeds
* Excellent dive performance
* Surprisingly high climb rate
* Very capable of Boom & Zoom, which will allow this premium plane to make even more money
* In addition to carrying 3 x 1,000 lb bombs, you can release them separately from one another
* It has an airbrake, a rare item at its BR
* Highly versatile, serving as both an attack aircraft, or fighter capable of opportunistic kills and a bomber with its bomb capability

'''Cons:'''

* Exceedingly heavy (7 t unloaded, 9+ t with a payload)
* Large fuel tanks located in front of the wings
* Turboprop engine is more fragile than traditional piston-engines planes: any engine damage represents a significant impact on performance
* Very bad roll rate
* Below average high-altitude engine performance
* Poor engine response to throttle adjustment
* Distinctive engine sound, unlike any other aircraft
* Extremely loud propulsion system allows for easy detection
* Despite being able to throw the 3 x 1000 lb bombs independently, if only one bomb is dropped the weight load would be uneven and affect turning and rolling performance
* No mirrors in cockpit to look behind, forcing the player to constantly look behind for enemies in simulation mode

== History ==


The Wyvern was one of the few turboprop combat aircraft ever fully developed, and entered service long after World War II had ended. The design was a relic of an era past, with jet-powered aircraft now replacing propeller aircraft. It also suffered from a long development period, beginning in 1944 as the P.10. This lead to the Wyvern seeing very little combat use and being quickly retired. The Wyvern S.4 variant contained an Armstrong Siddeley Python 3 turboprop engine, able to output 3670 horsepower, and was the first and only variant of the Wyvern to enter service with the British Royal Navy.

The Wyvern S.4 only saw actual combat in late 1956 during the Suez Crisis, racking up 79 sorties and 2 losses. This marked the Wyvern as the only British turboprop to ever see combat.<ref>http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1482</ref>

The type was plagued with various engine problems during its brief period in service, and was retired soon after in 1958.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=wyvern_s4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150">
Image:Westland Wyvern on the runway.jpg|Westland Wyvern on the runway
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|0k4QRAI_ILw|'''The Shooting Range #369''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:01 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|nMwQCST13GM|'''Should You Buy The Wyvern''' - ''Sako Sniper''|Hryh-SLXmU4|'''Premium Vehicles: Wyvern S4''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|95zYKZDSVjQ|''' Premium Review: Westland Wyvern S4''' - ''Jengar''}}

== 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/3735-development-westland-wyvern-the-turboprop-dragon-en|[Devblog] Westland Wyvern: The Turboprop Dragon]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/315763-westland-wyvern-s4/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== References ===
<references />

{{AirManufacturer Westland}}
{{Britain strike aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

P-51C-10

2024-08-29T17:05:44Z

U136670024: /* Offensive armament */

{{About
| about = American fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = P-51 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=p-51c-10-nt
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''P-51C''' and the essentially identical P-51B were the first production P-51 Mustang models equipped with the famous British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, license-produced in the United States as the Packard V-1650, significantly improving its high-altitude performance with its two-speed two-stage supercharger in conjunction with a new Rotol four-blade propeller. While not quite as famous as the later P-51D series with bubble canopies, these "razorback" Mustangs were produced in large numbers and served Allied forces well. This aircraft is by default painted in the livery of the 332nd Fighter Group, a distinguished all-African-American unit known as the "Red Tails".

Introduced in [[Update "Raining Fire"]], the P-51C-10 handles similarly to comparable Merlin-engined Mustangs like the [[P-51D-5]] and [[P-51D-20-NA]] and is slightly better than them in some respects. Its main weaknesses lie in its armament: only four wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns leave something to be desired, though the access to late-war belts helps somewhat with damage output, and the suspended ordnance is nothing special. Overall, it is still a competitive aircraft and offers a good learning opportunity for later USAF propeller fighters.

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

Unlike its Rank II predecessors, the [[P-51]] and [[A-36]], this plane performs well not only at low altitudes but also above 3,000 m because of the new Merlin engine and two-stage supercharger instead of one in the Allison powered models. Level speed is exceptionally good at all altitudes compared to the opposition at similar battle ratings. In Realistic Battles, it can reach 610 km/h at sea level and 705 km/h at 7,300 m of altitude. Acceleration is also above average in level flight. The climb rate is good, especially when compared to the other American planes, and is noticeably better than the P-51D-5 and P-51D-20. At low altitude, it is slightly above 20 m/s and the plane can reach 6,000 m alt in about 7 minutes. Diving performance is great as usual, its elevator and other control surfaces do not lock up even at 700-800 km/h IAS and can pull 9G at that speed. Medium and high speed manoeuvrability is good enough to keep up with the Bf 109 G and similar fighters for a while, and the sustained turn rate has been improved over previous Mustangs. Horizontal energy retention is very good, vertical energy retention is good, but manoeuvring energy retention is somewhat below average (but only in RB because of how the instructor controls the plane). Low speed manoeuvrability is still mediocre. The main issue is its rudder, which can lock up above 300 km/h IAS, albeit not to the extent of the P-51D models since the "razorback" fuselage provides better directional stability. The roll rate is not exceptional, veering into poor territory at low speeds.

If using Manual Engine Controls, it is worth mentioning that the Meredith effect is modeled on Mustangs. The cooling system is designed to generate a slight thrust that partially compensates for the aerodynamic drag caused by the radiators. This means that opening up the radiators even to high percentages only causes little effect on energy retention and top speed while keeping the engine nice and cool on WEP settings. This is definitely convenient considering that many contemporary opponents like the [[Bf 109 F-4]] will cook their engines if they run WEP for more than brief periods of time and tend to have draggy radiators.

When flying with full realistic controls, the plane requires some trimming, positive for the elevator (+ 5-7) and rudder or ailerons to the right (but only below 600 km/h IAS) if you want to keep the plane straight in the level flight, when turning the plane tends to roll to the right side. Stall characteristics are outstanding, and with the fuel set to 30 minutes, it stalls out only when the elevator deflection reaches 90%. However, it does have a high stalling speed at 175 km/h without flaps and 155 km/h with flaps.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,300 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
| 685 || 666 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.0 || 22.6 || 12.9 || 12.9 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 734 || 708 || 20.1 || 21.0 || 20.2 || 16.2
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 676 || 676 || 433 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 500 || < 300 || < 550 || > 400
|-
|}

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


The survivability is similar to most other prop fighters. The engine is located in the nose, and the fuel tanks are located behind the pilot's seat and in the wing roots. There is significant armour protection for the pilot, but the pilot is still vulnerable from the top, bottom, and sides. The fuel tanks are also vulnerable, as is the cooling system.

* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
* 11.11 mm Steel - Behind pilot's seat
* 6.35 mm Steel - Behind engine, in front of oil cooling system and pilot
* 6.35 mm Steel - In front of upper engine
* Self-sealing fuel tanks

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (280 rpg outer + 350 rpg inner = 1,260 total)

As mentioned earlier, the P-51C-10's armament is not its strong suit. Four late-war M2 Brownings do not provide much burst mass, and the most reliable way of dispatching enemy aircraft is to set them on fire. For this purpose, the Tracer belt has pure M20 API-T rounds. Tougher targets like [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190s]] can shrug off quite a few incoming rounds. Attackers, twin-engined fighters, and bombers with defensive armament tend to be durable and are also challenging to approach and destroy. Focus on knocking out defensive gunners and igniting engines for best results, though these targets are more easily dealt with by friendly [[P-61C-1|P-61 Black Widows]] and [[P-63 (Family)|P-63 Kingcobras]]. The ammunition supply of ~300 rounds per gun is good, allowing for some spray-and-pray.

Since the guns are mounted in the wings, gun convergence should be considered. Anywhere between 400-800 m should work well, but note that more distant convergence settings will make close range shooting more difficult, especially considering the low volume of fire.

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

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)

The P-51C-10 has the same suspended ordnance as the [[A-36|A-36 Apache]], minus the infamous gunpods. The only loadout worth taking is the twin 500 lb bombs. They drop as a pair and have enough power to take out a target or two if dropped with some precision, though they are certainly less impressive than the twin 1,000 lb bombs carried by later Mustangs with their reinforced hardpoints. Do not engage other fighters while carrying bombs, as they are mounted on the wings and contribute significant amounts of drag, weight, and inertia.

== Usage in battles ==


The P-51C-10 has outstanding performance compared to other planes that can meet in the same bracket (Enduring Confrontation 3, BR 3.7-4.7). Level speed is higher at all altitudes than the vast majority of things that it can face, so it can easily escape from anything when it finds itself in trouble. This plane, like all other Mustangs, does not overheat when the radiator is set to 90-100%, it also does not slow down the plane, so it can always cruise with enabled WEP, which is not limited, always engage other planes with tremendous speed advantage and make use of very good mid and high-speed manoeuvrability. The sustained climb rate is worse than that of the [[Bf 109 F-4]] or [[Bf 109 G-2|G-2]] by 2-4 m/s. Escaping from them by climbing away should be avoided, but it still allows the plane to get to 3,000 to 5,000 m; also, the zoom climb is very good.

One issue that the plane has is quite disappointing armament. It takes some time to shoot down the enemy fighters. It is even worse against bombers and attackers with higher durability, but attacking with a speed advantage and surprising the enemy should solve it.

The other issue is the unsatisfactory turn rate at low speed, engaging other fighters in dogfight should be avoided (instantaneous turn rate is reasonable when the plane has lots of energy to spare), especially the Bf 109 F-4, [[G.55 sottoserie 0|G.55]] or Yaks, and anything that can turn better than them, the speed advantage should be used instead to beat them.

Because of these points, the preferable tactics for this plane should be Boom and Zoom and other manoeuvres that do not purely depend on turn rate and more on the plane's speed. Dogfighting can work to some extent and against some planes like the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190 A]] (which does not really stand a chance against the razorback Mustang) but while doing that the player will be forced to sacrifice speed advantage and make the plane vulnerable to attacks from slower planes with far better turn rates. A common mistake that many new P-51C-10 players do is that they always assume they can just climb away after a Boom and Zoom attack. Zoom climbing should only be done when you are 100% sure that you have a very large energy advantage over your opponent. If the enemy's energy is somewhat equal, you should use the speed you gained from the dive to run away because your speed will stay almost unrivaled in a straight line. After getting some separation, you can then proceed to climb back to safety.

The plane, when it is upgraded, can also be used as a starter plane in the higher bracket (Enduring Confrontation 4, BR 5.0-6.3), where it should not have any issues with beating tier 4 German, Japanese and Italian fighters, most of them that can be meet there have very similar performance and the P-51C is even better than the D-5 version in some ways.

=== 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 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast at all altitudes, especially in a shallow dive
* Fantastic top speed and acceleration
* Outstanding Boom & Zoom capability
* Great performance at altitude
* Very agile at high speeds
* Decent cockpit visibility
* Large fuel capacity (1 hour 45 minutes maximum flight time)

'''Cons:'''

* 4x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns with late war belts, while generally adequate, may sometimes be lacking, especially against armored or large aircraft
* High stall speed and mediocre medium to low speed manoeuvrability
* Roll rate, while not terrible, is not sufficient enough to shake enemy planes off or force overshoots
* Rolls off center when performing dives, very hard to aim when Boom and Zooming a maneuvering fighter
* Only light bomb options; not very good at ground attack
* Not very durable
* The climb rate is not the best compared to other planes at the same BR

== History ==

{{main|P-51 (Family)|l1=History of the P-51 Mustang}}

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was successfully tested on a P-51 Mustang in late 1942, resulting in the production of P-51B Mustangs fitted with the Packard V-1650, a license-produced Merlin. North American Aviation's (NAA) plant in Inglewood, California, was maxing out production of the P-51B, so a new plant was opened up in Dallas, Texas, to increase production. The Mustangs produced in the Dallas plant were designated as the P-51C even though they were identical in all other regards to the P-51B. It was decided during the P-51B and C production run that the aircraft would no longer leave the factory with an olive drab paint, but would instead leave in the unpainted metal finish.

Deliveries of the P-51C to the US Army Air Force (USAAF) began in August 1943, much later than those of the P-51B due to the Dallas plant being in the construction process when the P-51B entered production at Inglewood. A total of 1,750 P-51C Mustangs were built by NAA during the war.

P-51B and C Mustangs began arriving in Europe in August and October of 1943, equipping fifteen fighter groups of the 8th and 9th Air Forces in England as well as the 15th Air Force in Italy. P-51C Mustangs, along with their P-51B brethren, were used by the USAAF 8th Air Force to escort B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on daylight raids across the English Channel: the long range of the P-51B/C Mustang made it ideal for that type of mission. The 9th Air Force used them in the fighter-bomber role. In addition to European operations, P-51C Mustangs were used in the China Burma India Theater (CBI). Even by the end of the war many of the P-51s still in service with the USAAF were of the P-51B and C models, not having been fully replaced by the P-51D and K models but instead only supplemented.

In addition to serving with the USAAF, 636 P-51B and C Mustangs were used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during the war, where they were designated as the Mustang Mk.III. P-51C Mustangs were also used by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) during the Second World War.

=== P-51C Variants ===
'''Combat Variants: 1,750 built'''

* P-51C-1-NT - Original production model with V-1650-3 engine; 350 built.
* P-51C-3-NT - Added an 85 gallon fuel tank behind the pilot's seat; unknown number converted from P-51C-1-NT.
* P-51C-5-NT - Used the more powerful V-1650-7 engine; 450 built.
* P-51C-10-NT - 823 built.
* [[P-51C-11-NT (Japan)|P-51C-11-NT]] - 127 built.

'''Non Combat Variants'''

* [[F-6C-10-NA|F-6C-NT]] - Reconnaissance conversion with added cameras, armament retained; 20 converted from P-51C-10-NT.
* TP-51C - Two-seat trainer conversion; 5 converted during WW2, 1 converted in 2000s.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=p-51c-10-nt 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/497252-p-51-c10/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer NAA}}
{{USA fighters}}

P-51C-10

2024-08-29T17:04:40Z

U136670024: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = American fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = P-51 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=p-51c-10-nt
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''P-51C''' and the essentially identical P-51B were the first production P-51 Mustang models equipped with the famous British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, license-produced in the United States as the Packard V-1650, significantly improving its high-altitude performance with its two-speed two-stage supercharger in conjunction with a new Rotol four-blade propeller. While not quite as famous as the later P-51D series with bubble canopies, these "razorback" Mustangs were produced in large numbers and served Allied forces well. This aircraft is by default painted in the livery of the 332nd Fighter Group, a distinguished all-African-American unit known as the "Red Tails".

Introduced in [[Update "Raining Fire"]], the P-51C-10 handles similarly to comparable Merlin-engined Mustangs like the [[P-51D-5]] and [[P-51D-20-NA]] and is slightly better than them in some respects. Its main weaknesses lie in its armament: only four wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns leave something to be desired, though the access to late-war belts helps somewhat with damage output, and the suspended ordnance is nothing special. Overall, it is still a competitive aircraft and offers a good learning opportunity for later USAF propeller fighters.

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

Unlike its Rank II predecessors, the [[P-51]] and [[A-36]], this plane performs well not only at low altitudes but also above 3,000 m because of the new Merlin engine and two-stage supercharger instead of one in the Allison powered models. Level speed is exceptionally good at all altitudes compared to the opposition at similar battle ratings. In Realistic Battles, it can reach 610 km/h at sea level and 705 km/h at 7,300 m of altitude. Acceleration is also above average in level flight. The climb rate is good, especially when compared to the other American planes, and is noticeably better than the P-51D-5 and P-51D-20. At low altitude, it is slightly above 20 m/s and the plane can reach 6,000 m alt in about 7 minutes. Diving performance is great as usual, its elevator and other control surfaces do not lock up even at 700-800 km/h IAS and can pull 9G at that speed. Medium and high speed manoeuvrability is good enough to keep up with the Bf 109 G and similar fighters for a while, and the sustained turn rate has been improved over previous Mustangs. Horizontal energy retention is very good, vertical energy retention is good, but manoeuvring energy retention is somewhat below average (but only in RB because of how the instructor controls the plane). Low speed manoeuvrability is still mediocre. The main issue is its rudder, which can lock up above 300 km/h IAS, albeit not to the extent of the P-51D models since the "razorback" fuselage provides better directional stability. The roll rate is not exceptional, veering into poor territory at low speeds.

If using Manual Engine Controls, it is worth mentioning that the Meredith effect is modeled on Mustangs. The cooling system is designed to generate a slight thrust that partially compensates for the aerodynamic drag caused by the radiators. This means that opening up the radiators even to high percentages only causes little effect on energy retention and top speed while keeping the engine nice and cool on WEP settings. This is definitely convenient considering that many contemporary opponents like the [[Bf 109 F-4]] will cook their engines if they run WEP for more than brief periods of time and tend to have draggy radiators.

When flying with full realistic controls, the plane requires some trimming, positive for the elevator (+ 5-7) and rudder or ailerons to the right (but only below 600 km/h IAS) if you want to keep the plane straight in the level flight, when turning the plane tends to roll to the right side. Stall characteristics are outstanding, and with the fuel set to 30 minutes, it stalls out only when the elevator deflection reaches 90%. However, it does have a high stalling speed at 175 km/h without flaps and 155 km/h with flaps.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,300 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
| 685 || 666 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.0 || 22.6 || 12.9 || 12.9 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 734 || 708 || 20.1 || 21.0 || 20.2 || 16.2
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 676 || 676 || 433 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 500 || < 300 || < 550 || > 400
|-
|}

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


The survivability is similar to most other prop fighters. The engine is located in the nose, and the fuel tanks are located behind the pilot's seat and in the wing roots. There is significant armour protection for the pilot, but the pilot is still vulnerable from the top, bottom, and sides. The fuel tanks are also vulnerable, as is the cooling system.

* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
* 11.11 mm Steel - Behind pilot's seat
* 6.35 mm Steel - Behind engine, in front of oil cooling system and pilot
* 6.35 mm Steel - In front of upper engine
* Self-sealing fuel tanks

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (280 rpg outer + 350 rpg inner = 1,260 total)

As mentioned earlier, the P-51C-10's armament is not its strong suit. Four late-war M2 Brownings do not provide much burst mass, and the most reliable way of dispatching enemy aircraft is to set them on fire. For this purpose, the Tracer belt has pure M20 API-T rounds. Tougher targets like [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190s]] can shrug off quite a few incoming rounds. Attackers, twin-engined fighters, and bombers with defensive armament tend to be durable and are also challenging to approach and destroy. Focus on knocking out defensive gunners and igniting engines for best results, though these targets are more easily dealt with by friendly [[P-61C-1|P-61 Black Widows]] and [[P-63 (Family)|P-63 Kingcobras]]. The ammunition supply of ~300 rounds per gun is good, allowing for some spray-and-pray.

Since the guns are mounted in the wings, gun convergence should be considered. Anywhere between 400-600 m should work well, but note that more distant convergence settings will make close range shooting more difficult, especially considering the low volume of fire.

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

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)

The P-51C-10 has the same suspended ordnance as the [[A-36|A-36 Apache]], minus the infamous gunpods. The only loadout worth taking is the twin 500 lb bombs. They drop as a pair and have enough power to take out a target or two if dropped with some precision, though they are certainly less impressive than the twin 1,000 lb bombs carried by later Mustangs with their reinforced hardpoints. Do not engage other fighters while carrying bombs, as they are mounted on the wings and contribute significant amounts of drag, weight, and inertia.

== Usage in battles ==


The P-51C-10 has outstanding performance compared to other planes that can meet in the same bracket (Enduring Confrontation 3, BR 3.7-4.7). Level speed is higher at all altitudes than the vast majority of things that it can face, so it can easily escape from anything when it finds itself in trouble. This plane, like all other Mustangs, does not overheat when the radiator is set to 90-100%, it also does not slow down the plane, so it can always cruise with enabled WEP, which is not limited, always engage other planes with tremendous speed advantage and make use of very good mid and high-speed manoeuvrability. The sustained climb rate is worse than that of the [[Bf 109 F-4]] or [[Bf 109 G-2|G-2]] by 2-4 m/s. Escaping from them by climbing away should be avoided, but it still allows the plane to get to 3,000 to 5,000 m; also, the zoom climb is very good.

One issue that the plane has is quite disappointing armament. It takes some time to shoot down the enemy fighters. It is even worse against bombers and attackers with higher durability, but attacking with a speed advantage and surprising the enemy should solve it.

The other issue is the unsatisfactory turn rate at low speed, engaging other fighters in dogfight should be avoided (instantaneous turn rate is reasonable when the plane has lots of energy to spare), especially the Bf 109 F-4, [[G.55 sottoserie 0|G.55]] or Yaks, and anything that can turn better than them, the speed advantage should be used instead to beat them.

Because of these points, the preferable tactics for this plane should be Boom and Zoom and other manoeuvres that do not purely depend on turn rate and more on the plane's speed. Dogfighting can work to some extent and against some planes like the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190 A]] (which does not really stand a chance against the razorback Mustang) but while doing that the player will be forced to sacrifice speed advantage and make the plane vulnerable to attacks from slower planes with far better turn rates. A common mistake that many new P-51C-10 players do is that they always assume they can just climb away after a Boom and Zoom attack. Zoom climbing should only be done when you are 100% sure that you have a very large energy advantage over your opponent. If the enemy's energy is somewhat equal, you should use the speed you gained from the dive to run away because your speed will stay almost unrivaled in a straight line. After getting some separation, you can then proceed to climb back to safety.

The plane, when it is upgraded, can also be used as a starter plane in the higher bracket (Enduring Confrontation 4, BR 5.0-6.3), where it should not have any issues with beating tier 4 German, Japanese and Italian fighters, most of them that can be meet there have very similar performance and the P-51C is even better than the D-5 version in some ways.

=== 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 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast at all altitudes, especially in a shallow dive
* Fantastic top speed and acceleration
* Outstanding Boom & Zoom capability
* Great performance at altitude
* Very agile at high speeds
* Decent cockpit visibility
* Large fuel capacity (1 hour 45 minutes maximum flight time)

'''Cons:'''

* 4x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns with late war belts, while generally adequate, may sometimes be lacking, especially against armored or large aircraft
* High stall speed and mediocre medium to low speed manoeuvrability
* Roll rate, while not terrible, is not sufficient enough to shake enemy planes off or force overshoots
* Rolls off center when performing dives, very hard to aim when Boom and Zooming a maneuvering fighter
* Only light bomb options; not very good at ground attack
* Not very durable
* The climb rate is not the best compared to other planes at the same BR

== History ==

{{main|P-51 (Family)|l1=History of the P-51 Mustang}}

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was successfully tested on a P-51 Mustang in late 1942, resulting in the production of P-51B Mustangs fitted with the Packard V-1650, a license-produced Merlin. North American Aviation's (NAA) plant in Inglewood, California, was maxing out production of the P-51B, so a new plant was opened up in Dallas, Texas, to increase production. The Mustangs produced in the Dallas plant were designated as the P-51C even though they were identical in all other regards to the P-51B. It was decided during the P-51B and C production run that the aircraft would no longer leave the factory with an olive drab paint, but would instead leave in the unpainted metal finish.

Deliveries of the P-51C to the US Army Air Force (USAAF) began in August 1943, much later than those of the P-51B due to the Dallas plant being in the construction process when the P-51B entered production at Inglewood. A total of 1,750 P-51C Mustangs were built by NAA during the war.

P-51B and C Mustangs began arriving in Europe in August and October of 1943, equipping fifteen fighter groups of the 8th and 9th Air Forces in England as well as the 15th Air Force in Italy. P-51C Mustangs, along with their P-51B brethren, were used by the USAAF 8th Air Force to escort B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on daylight raids across the English Channel: the long range of the P-51B/C Mustang made it ideal for that type of mission. The 9th Air Force used them in the fighter-bomber role. In addition to European operations, P-51C Mustangs were used in the China Burma India Theater (CBI). Even by the end of the war many of the P-51s still in service with the USAAF were of the P-51B and C models, not having been fully replaced by the P-51D and K models but instead only supplemented.

In addition to serving with the USAAF, 636 P-51B and C Mustangs were used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during the war, where they were designated as the Mustang Mk.III. P-51C Mustangs were also used by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) during the Second World War.

=== P-51C Variants ===
'''Combat Variants: 1,750 built'''

* P-51C-1-NT - Original production model with V-1650-3 engine; 350 built.
* P-51C-3-NT - Added an 85 gallon fuel tank behind the pilot's seat; unknown number converted from P-51C-1-NT.
* P-51C-5-NT - Used the more powerful V-1650-7 engine; 450 built.
* P-51C-10-NT - 823 built.
* [[P-51C-11-NT (Japan)|P-51C-11-NT]] - 127 built.

'''Non Combat Variants'''

* [[F-6C-10-NA|F-6C-NT]] - Reconnaissance conversion with added cameras, armament retained; 20 converted from P-51C-10-NT.
* TP-51C - Two-seat trainer conversion; 5 converted during WW2, 1 converted in 2000s.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=p-51c-10-nt 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/497252-p-51-c10/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer NAA}}
{{USA fighters}}