War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

B-24D-25-CO

2024-07-14T11:53:20Z

U156755443: /* History */

{{Specs-Card
|code=b_24d
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

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

The Consolidated B-24D Liberator was built to be a long-range four-engine heavy bomber. It is most efficiently used for bombing stationary targets like bases, airfields, and pillboxes from high altitude.

The Liberator can cruise somewhat faster than the Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress and can also carry a heavier payload. Unfortunately, its manoeuvrability and handling are significantly worse thanks to the Davis wing design, which is optimized for efficient level flight only. Evasive manoeuvres are not easy to pull off and typically result in loss of altitude or going into a spin.

In line with the USAAF's philosophy during World War II, the Liberator is equipped with a relatively heavy defensive armament of eleven .50 cal AN/M2 heavy machine guns staffed by gunners. The theory behind this was intended that an American bomber would be able to defend itself from enemy fighters in daylight missions. These guns have excellent coverage and there is no angle from which attackers may come from on which no guns can be brought to bear.

Compared to the B-17E, the Liberator can carry an additional 2 x 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs. However, this maximum payload of 8,000 lb (3,632 kg) compares very unfavourably against other heavy bombers like the [[Yer-2_ACh-30B/L|Yermolayev Yer-2 with ACh-30B engines]] (5,000 kg), [[Do 217 M-1|Dornier Do 217]] series (4,000 kg), and [[Lancaster B Mk I|Lancaster]] series (14,000 lb or 6,363 kg), all of which have much lower battle ratings. On the flip side, while its payload may not have been as great as other nation's bombers, over 18,500 B-24 bombers were built over the duration of the war (the most produced bomber) and were deployed in sheer numbers unmatched by any other bomber.

== 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 7,620 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
| 477 || 465 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 39.1 || 40.2 || 3.0 || 2.9 || rowspan="2" | 820
|-
! Upgraded
| 511 || 494 || 36.9 || 38.0 || 6.6 || 4.6
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || X || 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 600  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 357 || 263 || ~4 || ~2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 200 || < 180 || < 180 || > 300
|-
|}

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


* 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plates behind the pilots
* 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plates in front of the dorsal gunner
* 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plate in front of the ventral gunner
* 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plate behind beam gunners
* 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plates around the tail gunner
* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Tail gunner's rear facing window

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

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

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)|AN-Mk 1 (1,600 lb)|AN-M66A2 (2,000 lb)}}

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

* 8 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 20 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 12 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 8 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,600 lb AN-Mk 1 bombs (6,400 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bombs (8,000 lb total)

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

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

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

* 3 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, nose turret (300 rpg = 900 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (400 rpg = 800 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (508 rpg = 1,016 total)
* 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (250 rpg)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, tail turret (400 rpg = 800 total)

== Usage in battles ==

The Liberator will face many high-altitude dedicated bomber interceptors with 20–30 mm cannons, making for an extremely dangerous environment. The defensive guns should be treated as a last resort; combat with fighters should be avoided at all costs by the use of careful route planning and cloud cover, if available.

If pursued, attempt to manoeuvre the Liberator so that the enemy is forced into a tail-chase, where the Liberator's defensive guns are most effective.

Low-level bombing is not recommended due to the limited manoeuvrability of the aircraft, the Liberator simply doesn't have the performance to get away with it and you will be an easy target for enemy fighters.

====Counter-tactics====

When going up against the B-24D, it is very important that the attacker must never underestimate the sheer defensive power this bomber holds. If not careful, your plane will either become critically damaged or a ball of fire from only a few hits from the 12.7 mm M2 Browning MGs.

The number one rule when fighting a bomber is to never engage it in front or the back; this applies heavily when engaging the B-24D since you will have 6 machine guns facing you. The best way to attack this bomber is from above or the sides. Attacking from below is highly discouraged since you will be forced to pull up in order to engage and end up above the bomber where 4 machine guns will be facing you automatically. Boom & Zoom tactics are highly recommended since it allows you to evade machine gun fire and be on the constant move at high speeds making it difficult for the gunners to get a bead on you.

When engaging the B-24D, you must always keep your momentum and never stall or bleed your speed. Losing speed means you are an easier target to hit, which means you are an easier target to shoot down. Aiming at the engines will also stress your opponent as it will cause the bomber to lose speed rapidly or even better, catch fire. If you wish for an easy kill without wasting precious time, it is recommended to aim for the bomber's wings. Damaging the wings of the plane will cause it to tilt to one side or snap.

The last thing a player should take note is the plane they plane they are flying. As bad as it sounds, a Japanese plane is more likely to be brought down than a German plane due to the difference in armour, it is better to bring an aircraft with some form of protection rather than a plane with no protection, this will determine your chances of survival by a great amount.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Heavy defensive armament, protected from every angle (deadly from frontal and rear attacks)
* Heavier payload than the [[B-17E/L]], however comparable to [[B-17G-60-VE|B-17G]]
* Overall better flight performance than the B-17E/L in level flight
* Great defensive armament with almost full coverage from the turrets
* Impressive rear, sideways, and top turret coverage makes it a very tough target in simulator
* Has two pilots who are protected by multiple layers of armour behind, meaning it is hard to pilot snipe it from behind
* Tricycle landing gear allows continuous breaking until full stop, without having to worry about flipping over
* Critical parts such as gunners/cooling systems are quite spread out, which helps to soak up damage

'''Cons:'''

* Poor handling, built for top speed and level flight, not manoeuvring
* Significantly lower payload compared to heavy bombers of other nations
* Twin tail configuration reduces manoeuvrability, rectified in [[PB4Y-2|PB4Y-2 ''Privateer'']] with a single tail

== History ==

The B-24 was produced in several variants to fulfil operational and training needs. More Liberators were eventually built than any other US Warplane during World War II. The first B-24 prototype flew in December of 1939 named "XB-24". The aircraft was designed around the "Davis" wing, a long, thin, large area structure mounted high on the fuselage. The long wingspan gave the B-24 excellent high altitude performance and allowed it to extend its range. The twin bomb-bays were called "roller shutter" doors. The doors rolled up into the aircraft. The purpose of this design was to reduce the drag while the bomb bay doors are open. The bomb-load was stored vertically with a catwalk down the middle, this gave crews easy access to the rear of the fuselage. The Liberator was powered by four 1,200 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines. The aircraft also included a twin tail design and tricycle landing gear.

The B-24 made its operational debut in June of 1942. It was tasked with long-range raids on Germany's Romanian oilfields. The B-24 is commonly remembered for its service with the Eighth Air Force but it filled a desperate roll for the navy as a long-range patrol aircraft. After huge losses of allied shipping, the Navy was granted access to Liberators. These aircraft were operated under the designation PB4Y. They were equipped with air to surface radar and depth charges. The B-24 also quickly replaced the B-17 in the Pacific theatre due to its long-range capabilities. The B-24 was used to bring havoc to Japanese land installations and naval vessels. Liberators stayed in service until 1951, they were replaced by the Privateer.

The B-24 is often unfairly compared to the B-17. The B-24 was newer, more efficient, and much more versatile then Boeing's design. The B-24 saw action on all fronts, its most valuable work may have been against U-boats. The aircraft also saw work as a cargo plane, tanker, patrol, and reconnaissance. Even some were armed with additional guns as escorts. However, the B-24 was not as popular with its crews as the B-17. The B-24 was known to catch fire in battle easier and at times was known to suffer from hydraulic problems, with most of its control surfaces controlled by snaking hydraulic pipes in its fuselage, meaning that it was much easier to disable the plane by shooting at the pipes. Its wings were much more narrow than the B-17, as such, wing hits had a higher chance of breaking a spar.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The Consolidated B-24D "Liberator" heavy bomber was created as a part of "Project A" a program launched to enhance the USA's industrial capacity to meet the needs of the Air Force. The contract for the aircraft, which was to be an improved B-17, was received by Consolidated in March of 1939, with a prototype required by the end of the year. The prototype was finished and made its first flight just two days before the deadline on December 29.

The new aircraft, although more difficult to control, was superior to the B-17 in range, operational ceiling, and maximum speed. In addition, it could carry a significantly larger bomb load (up to 3629 kg), which largely determined its application: the first models delivered to England were mainly used for coastal protection from German submarines.

The first successful modification of the aircraft was the B-24D, which was mass-produced from 1940 to 1942. This model had four 1,200 hp engines, and its armament was modified over time, based on pilot feedback. Eventually, it was equipped with eleven 12.7 mm machine guns (three in the nose, two remote-controlled guns in the dorsal turret, two in the ventral ball turret, one machine gun in each side window, and two machine guns in the tail turret).

The B-24 was the most mass-produced Allied bomber in World War II - all in all, 18,482 B-24s were produced, 2,696 of which were B-24Ds. These bombers were made in several factories. The factory which produced the most was the Henry Ford plant in Willow Run, which in 1944 released a B-24 every hour, 650 planes per month.

The B-24 was actively used in the Pacific and European theaters of war.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=b_24d Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|qR4zPyav9hk|'''The Shooting Range #320''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:15 discusses an air battle between a Liberator and Condors.|FHjd7MDjrMg|'''Spade Review. B-24 Liberator. Fly it like a PB4Y!''' - ''Joseph 2000''|-u9qHJjOEV0|'''B-24 EXPERIENCE in War Thunder''' - ''Munitions''}}

== See also ==


* [[B-24/PB4Y (Family)]]

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Consolidated}}
{{USA bombers}}

LOSAT/MGM-166

2024-07-03T10:16:05Z

U156755443: /* Usage in battles */

== Description ==

The MGM-166 is a US ATGM (Anti tank guided missile). It is a kinetic penetrator whose penetration increases with its flight speed.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|us_losat_ccv}}

== General info ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Missile characteristics
|-
| '''Mass''' || 78.92 kg
|-
| '''Guidance''' || Semi-automatic (SACLOS)
|-
| '''Maximum speed''' || 1,520 m/s
|-
| '''Missile guidance time''' || 5 secs
|-
| '''Firing range''' || 5 km
|}

{{:LOSAT/MGM-166/Ammunition|MGM-166}}

=== Effective damage ===

The missile has no explosive, but is a kinetic penetrator. The maximum penetration is 775 mm, but the missile needs to accelerate first to reach that value. So shooting at close targets will have worse penetration values.

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of missiles that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
This missile can be used to effectively destroy any target, with its devastating 775mm of penetration, anything that comes into contact with its missile at long ranges will almost always result in a successful destruction. Always snipe with this missile, as it cannot use its full potential in short to mid range combat situations. It has a pretty long reloading time of 19 seconds, so remember to have backup after firing.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very fast missile

'''Cons:'''

* Has difficulty engaging close range targets effectively

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon 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 weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-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>.''

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

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

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

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

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

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

F-104S TAF (Italy)

2024-06-30T05:48:12Z

U156755443: /* Details */

{{About
| about = premium jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = F-104 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f-104s_cb
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_002.jpg}}
|store=11809
}}

== Description ==

During the Cuban Missile Crisis era, the Turkish Air Force bought the F-104S from Italy to increase the combat capabilities of their air force already equipped with 2 squadrons of F-4E. Turkey bought 40 new F-104S interceptors from FIAT in 1974-1975.

Introduced in [[Update "Apex Predators"]], the F-104S (TAF) is rather complicated to use because of its lack of manoeuvrability. The aircraft can be used both as a CAS and an air superiority platform due to its excellent acceleration and climb rate, as well as a ballistic computer to aid in use of ordnance. You can rely on both the AIM-9P and AIM-7E SARH air-to-air missiles to shoot down enemy planes and helicopters during battles, or use a payload of bombs or rockets to act as CAS for your allies in Ground Battles, while the available flare/chaff can be used to ward off enemy threats. In comparison to the tech tree F-104S, the TAF carries the 20 mm minigun under the fuselage instead of in the nose.

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

The vehicle itself is totally identical to its [[F-104S|tech-tree counterpart]] but with Turkish markings. One of the most distinctive features of the F-104 series is the pencil-like airframe with extremely thin and small control surfaces: the F-104S is no exception. It also carries an engine with very similar thrust to the J79-GE-17 of the [[F-4E Phantom II|F-4 Phantom]], making it even faster than previous models. However, this increase in thrust doesn't change the drawback of the F-104 series - its manoeuvrability. Due to the design calling for the highest possible climb rate to counter Soviet bombers and earlier jets of its era (e.g. [[MiG-19 (Family)|MiG-19]]), it has some of the thinnest wings of any jet aircraft. Although it has a pair of flaps able to be extended even at 900 km/h for extra manoeuvrability, in most cases, if the target is not something as huge as a [[B-29A-BN|B-29 Superfortress]], chances are that players may get drawn into energy fights with enemies which could be extra challenging to handle due to the infamous lack of manoeuvrability. Be sure not to be baited into a dogfight, and finish an engagement as fast as possible as more speed means more odds to survive the battle.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 15,240 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
| 2,344 || 2,316 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 34.5 || 34.7 || 225.5 || 216.5 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,431 || 2,387 || 33.5 || 34.0 || 297.4 || 260.0
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 1,527  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 827 || 444 || ~12 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 720 || < 950 || < 800 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric J79-GE-19 || 1
| colspan="2" | 6,850 kg || colspan="3" | 565 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
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 32m fuel
|-
| 1,740 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 7,722 kg || 8,645 kg || 9,543 kg || 9,758 kg || 13,110 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
! 9m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 32m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,992 kgf || 7,688 kgf
| 1.00 || 0.89 || 0.80 || 0.79 || 0.59
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 5,044 kgf (1,200 - 1,400 km/h) || 10,253 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.33 || 1.18 || 1.07 || 1.05 || 0.78
|-
|}

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

Like its tech tree counterpart, the TAF F-104S also has no additional protection against oncoming shots. What makes the situation even more dire is that it also doesn't equip an EFS onboard: in case of an engine fire, players will have to pray that it burns out naturally before structural failure. In most cases, with the engine damaged by different means or other damage onboard, the F-104S will have an extremely hard time returning for a repair.

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

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


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

* A choice between two presets:
** Without offensive armament
** 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
| rowspan="15" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_F-104S.ASA.png]]</div>
|-
! [[M61A1 (20 mm)|20 mm M61A1]] cannons (750 rpg)
| || || || || || 1* || || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|250 lb LDGP Mk 81]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || || || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|750 lb M117 cone 45]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83]] bombs
| || || 1 || || 1 || || || 1 || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || || || || 1 || || || || ||
|-
! [[BLU-1 incendiary]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[FFAR Mighty Mouse]] rockets
| || 19 || 19 || || || || || 19 || 19 ||
|-
! [[Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP]] rockets
| || 4 || || || || || || || 4 ||
|-
! [[AIM-7E Sparrow]] missiles
| || 1* || || || || || || || 1* ||
|-
! [[AIM-9B Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || 1 || || || 1 || || 1 || 1
|-
! [[AIM-9P Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || 1 || || 1 || || || 1 || || 1 || 1
|-
| colspan="11" | Maximum permissible loadout weight: 3,400 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 500 kg
|-
| colspan="12" | * AIM-7E Sparrow missiles cannot be equipped in conjunction with the 20 mm M61A1 cannon.
|-
|}

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

* Without load
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon (750 rpg) + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 2 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 6 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 6 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-7E Sparrow missiles
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 6 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (3,500 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (5,250 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb (2,000 lb total)
* 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

Being a member of the Starfighter family, the F-104S excels excellently at its main feature - speed and climb rate. As one of the earliest jets to hit Mach 2.0 at high altitude, the design doctrine called for the maximum climb rate and speed possible, resulting in the pencil-like airframe. Players will soon find it very different from other jets of its tier: while those jets would still have the chance to succeed in a dogfight to a certain extent, this is not the case for F-104S. The jet itself does have varieties of air-to-air weaponries, such as later series of rear-aspect Sidewinders and even Sparrows at its disposal, the jet itself does also come with an M61 cannon on the port side of the airframe. At first glance this might sound pleasing as there are 6 missiles in total for the jet, but when players decided to equip AIM-7Es, they will find that the only cannon onboard is removed to fit the Sparrow guidance equipment.

The other thing that hinders F-104S is the radar itself. It does have 30 km search range but the scan rate is slow compared to jets at its tier; the overall performance of this radar also hindered as the Sparrow has difficulty handling targets below it - a major drawback for an interceptor. For most air-to-air combats, bringing 6 AIM-9s is more than enough to handle the heated battlefield when delivering strikes upon unaware enemies; if players want to take a bet on head-on fights against targets from below, the pair of Sparrows will make short work of enemies assuming the missiles do track on the target, but make sure every missile counts as these will be the only weapons onboard. However, the high velocity and rate of fire of the M61 cannon is also often enough to deal with head-on situations.

The F-104S should be used for high-altitude interception or going fast at lower altitudes, being fast helps its survivability; going fast and flying in mostly straight lines around the battlefield, picking off targets that have used up their energy or don't have any flares for the maximum efficiency. Only engage in a dogfight in dire situations or one-on-one battles; use the flaps accordingly as this can compensate for the poor manoeuvrability at speeds below 900 km/h.

While Starfighters are infamous at ground-attacking due to its lack of manoeuvrability at low altitude, the F-104S is able to carry up to 1.36 tons of LDGP bombs or napalm. Players will have to be extremely cautious about their position, diving onto targets or being too fast in this case is not a good idea for F-104S. The ballistic computer will make sure the bombs land on desired targets precisely.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Rather high acceleration and climb rate than previous models
* Varieties of air-to-air/ground weaponry with sufficient overall payload
* Sufficient counter-measures for oncoming missiles
* Relative high ammo pool for its M61 cannon
* High roll-rate at high speed

'''Cons:'''

* Installation of AIM-7 missiles trades the internal M61 cannon
* Huge turning radius
* Way high stall speed than conventional jets
* Somewhat inferior radar at its tier with a slow scan rate

== History ==

During the heat of the Cold War when the Cuban Missile Crisis almost brought an end to the world, Turkey, a site of US missile bases overseas, would become the frontline and in dire need for new jets. Later in May 1963, TAF received their first 54 F-104G series from the Military Aid Program (MAP; 48 104Gs and 6 TF-104Gs); this also included hundreds of other F-104G series from other NATO countries where they would be eventually replaced by their selected new jets by the 1980s. Aside from Lockheed and Canadair F-104s, Turkey also became the only export customer of the F-104S series at a total of 40 of them delivered in late 1974 to May 1975.

Their only combat operation was the Invasion of Cyprus where they could have encountered Starfighters from their neighbour across the Aegean Sea, Greece, but both air forces didn't meet each other and the F-104 series were kept in service until TAI's license-assembled F-16Cs arrived and eventually replaced them in the mid-1990s.<ref>Baugher, Joe. Starfighters with Turkey, December 12, 1999. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/f104_24.html.</ref><ref>F-104 Starfighter with the THK. http://www.karo-aviation.nl/favorite/pages/f104/f104thk.htm.</ref>

This jet, numbered '''MM6900/75-6900''' of the Project Bora-II delivery was then stored as part of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and later scrapped in June 1995.<ref>Peitzmeier, Hubert. "F-104S Turkish Air Force Serials," May 21, 2022. http://www.916-starfighter.de/F-104_THK_S.pdf.</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f-104s_cb 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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/8004-shop-pre-order-new-rank-vii-premium-jet-fighters-part-1-en|[Shop] Pre-order: new rank VII Premium jet fighters (part 1)]]

=== References ===
<references />

{{AirManufacturer Fiat}}
{{Italy jet aircraft}}
{{Italy premium aircraft}}