War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

A-10A

2024-09-27T06:58:25Z

U174590419: /* Suspended armament */

{{About
| about = American premium strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the regular version
| link = A-10A Late
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=a_10a_early
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_002.jpg|StoreImage_{{PAGENAME}}_004.jpg}}
|store=10896
}}

== Description ==

The A-10A Thunderbolt II is a single-seat attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic. Its main mission was to help friendly forces on the ground as well as strafe enemy positions, vehicles, and more. The plane was largely designed around the incredible 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon mounted in the chin of the nose. It could also carry an extensive amount of suspended ordnance. Survivability was also a key feature and the Thunderbolt II features many innovative design aspects. The pilot sat in a titanium bathtub of armour. It also had many redundancies in controlling the aircraft as well as TF34 turbofan engines which were selected due to their robust nature. The A-10's first combat role was during the Gulf War in 1991. Several A-10s were shot down from anti-air positions but overall the Thunderbolt II performed well.

Introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]] as a premium strike aircraft, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very good ground attack aircraft with many quirks. Firstly, the Thunderbolt II is extremely heavy and underpowered. It’s a very slow aircraft and is quite vulnerable to enemy aircraft and anti-air. Although it is armoured, it can still be easily taken down by cannon rounds or missiles. Fortunately, the Thunderbolt has an extensive amount of countermeasures so missiles won’t be a major issue if players stay aware around them. The A-10 Thunderbolt II also has a multitude of ordnance options including Mavericks, GBUs, dumb bombs, rockets, and more. The most notable thing about the A-10 Thunderbolt is the 30 mm cannon. It has plenty of ammunition and can penetrate relatively thick armour for aircraft rounds. For self-defense, the Thunderbolt can carry two AIM-9Ls which are quite dangerous from rear aspect. Players should be wary of the Thunderbolt’s weird quirks but also satisfied with its armament against ground targets.
== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

As expected from a strike aircraft, the A-10 Thunderbolt is quite weak when it comes to flight performance. At its battle rating, it is the slowest aircraft which means it is very vulnerable to enemy aircraft as well as enemy anti-air vehicles. The climb rate is also poor so players should expect to stick near the ground. Fortunately, the A-10 Thunderbolt II can roll well which can help make enemy aircraft overshoot. One unintended benefit of the slow speed is the ability to turn inside of faster enemy aircraft. Overall, the A-10’s flight performance is lacklustre but has a few cards up its sleeves to defend itself.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 624 || 609 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 30.2 || 30.8 || 21.0 || 19.9 || rowspan="2" | 700
|-
! Upgraded
| 662 || 642 || 28.5 || 29.0 || 30.3 || 25.3
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 874  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 740 || 370 || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 550 || < 650 || < 500 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="6" | 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="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | General Electric TF34-GE-100A || 2
| colspan="3" | 11,636 kg || colspan="3" | ___ kg/m<sup>2</sup>
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff<br>Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 14m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 48m fuel
|-
| 654 kg || colspan="2" | High-bypass turbofan
| 13,092 kg || 13,651 kg || 14,659 kg || 16,170 kg || 16,489 kg || _,___ 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 (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 14m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 48m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,036 kgf || N/A
| 0.62 || 0.59 || 0.55 || 0.50 || 0.49 || _.__
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,036 kgf<br>(0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.62 || 0.59 || 0.55 || 0.50 || 0.49 || _.__
|-
|}

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

[[File:A-10A armour layout.png|alt=Armour is shown around the cockpit.|thumb|Armour layout of the A-10A]]
The cockpit is where all of the extra armour plating is located, making the pilot have a high likelihood of surviving while leaving the fuel tanks, wings and engines without any armour. The armour is most effective against autocannons with the calibre of 25 mm or lower.

* 38 mm titanium alloy - Surrounding the bottom part of the cockpit.
* 44 mm bulletproof glass (54°) - Windshield.

=== 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}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|GAU-8/A (30 mm)}}

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

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm GAU-8/A cannon, chin-mounted (1,174 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm GAU-8/A cannon + 480 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="11" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_A-10A_Late.png]]</div>
|-
! [[GAU-4 (20 mm)|20 mm GAU-4]] cannons (1,200 rpg)
| || || || || 1 || 1 || || || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|500 lb LDGP Mk 82]] bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1, 3 || 1, 3 || 1 || 1 || 1, 3 || 1, 3 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[Mk 82 Snakeye (500 lb)|500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye]] bombs
| 1 || 1 || 1, 3 || 1, 3 || 1 || 1 || 1, 3 || 1, 3 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 Air (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! [[GBU-8 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb GBU-8]] bombs
| || || 1 || 1 || || || 1 || 1 || ||
|-
! [[Hydra-70 M247]] rockets
| || 7 || 7, 21 || 7, 21 || || || 7, 21 || 7, 21 || 7 ||
|-
! [[AGM-65B]] missiles
| || || 3 || || || || || 3 || ||
|-
! [[AIM-9L Sidewinder]] missiles
| 1 || || || || || || || || || 1
|-
| colspan="11" |max payload: yo mama=99999999999999999999999kg
|-
|}

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

* Without load
* 42 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 84 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets
* 84 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 10 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (5,000 lb total)
* 12 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 18 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (9,000 lb total)
* 12 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (6,000 lb total)
* 6 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 6 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air bombs (12,000 lb total)
* 6 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (12,000 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs (8,000 lb total)
* 4 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (8,000 lb total)
* 6 x AGM-65B missiles
* 6 x AGM-65B missiles + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg = 2,400 total)
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

The A-10A is extremely effective in ground battles as long as it is used the right way. There are two methods for ground attack, and the tactic used is dictated by the type of threats on the ground. A low-risk situation is when there are no enemy SPAAs or fighters. When performing an attack run, start at a higher altitude, drop ordnance and fire the Avenger then escape for another attack run. In a high-risk environment, where there are enemy SPAAs, stay low and (relatively) fast. This allows pilots to stay below SPAA radar and lines of fire. When attacking, use intel from friendly ground forces to make precision strikes, then retreat after a single pass. After one pass, enemy SPAAs will know that there is an A-10, and be more alert. When trying to escape enemy fire after an attack run, preemptively dump chaff and flares in groups of at least four, and bank hard left and right until out of immediate range. AGM-65B Maverick AGMs are effective from up to 8 km, but from that distance any locked enemy has time to move behind cover before the missile impacts. When firing Mavericks, attempt to target enemy SPAAs that have not left spawn before targeting enemy MBTs. You can then use the ballistic computer for the GAU-8 and fire at any ground target. Because of the GAU-8's high penetration and extremely high rate of fire, the rounds will manage to go through any tank, even the heaviest armoured MBTs. Remember that even though the A-10 is a ground attack fighter, it is still equipped with AIM-9L AAMs. The A-10 has a good turn rate so, if attacked, swing around and fire a missile. However, you do not want any enemy aircraft to get the first shot on you, so keep an eye out for enemy aircraft.

In air battles, the A-10A is way less potent but still decent. It has two all-aspect AIM-9Ls which can pull 30G, at this BR this is almost two guaranteed kills. However, it struggles because of its very low top speed: any jet can easily outrun it. You can score some kills with the GAU-8 cannon but you are outclassed at that BR because of its poor flight performance in air-to-air combat.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Retains manoeuvrability with a heavy payload
* Exceptional roll rate
* Airframe can take a considerable amount of damage
* Deadly GAU-8 cannon
* High number and variety of suspended weapons
* Access to 2 x AIM-9L all-aspect missiles
* Access to up to two 20 mm GAU-4 Vulcan Gunpods
* Access to up to four 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs
* Extremely large amount of countermeasures
* Has NVD

'''Cons:'''

* Very low top speed, making it an easy target both from the ground and in the sky
* The GAU-8 can drain the plane's low speed
* Poor climb rate
* AGM-65B and GBU-8 do not have a thermal camera, which limits their use to good climatic conditions and specifically daytime.

== History ==

After WWII, American aircraft designers shifted focus toward developing tactical aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons while conventional strike aircraft fell out of favor with the new American military doctrine. By the start of the Vietnam War however, the A-1 Skyraider, being the most widely used strike aircraft in U.S. service at the time, was considered vastly outdated. Furthermore, new aircraft such as the very successful F-4 Phantom II proved to be too expensive for strike mission operations.

As a result, in September 1966 the USAF ordered the development and procurement of a dedicated new close air support aircraft, resulting in the A-X program being launched shortly afterwards. In May 1970, the first requirements were issued, including the need to design the aircraft around a new 30 mm rotary cannon. Of six aircraft manufacturers who submitted design proposals, the two from Northrop and Fairchild Republic were chosen for further development, resulting in two prototypes: the YA-9A and YA-10A, respectively. After intensive testing of both prototypes, the YA-10A was declared the winning design and was ordered into production in January 1973.

After the USAF received its first production version of the A-10 in November 1975, the aircraft received its official name "Thunderbolt II" in April 1978 in honour of the WWII-era P-47 fighter-bomber also built by Republic. Although the A-10 was first assigned to a military unit in March 1976, its first combat use would be in 1991 as part of the Gulf War. During this conflict, the A-10 underwent its baptism by fire and successfully proved its design, racking up an impressive number of enemy targets destroyed. A-10s were also employed during the Balkan conflicts of the mid and late 1990s as well as during the Invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 2000s. The A-10 Thunderbolt II, despite its age, still forms the backbone of the USAF's close air support force to this date, with over 700 units of the A-10 being produced in total.

''- From [[wt:en/news/7590-development-a-10a-thunderbolt-ii-the-warthog-arrives-in-war-thunder-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=a_10a_early Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
A-10A_WTWallpaper001.jpg
A-10A_WTWallpaper002.jpg
A-10A_WTWallpaper003.jpg
A-10A_WTWallpaper004.jpg
A-10A_WTWallpaper005.jpg
A-10A_WTWallpaper006.jpg
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|vVPcNBt02cQ|'''A-10A Warthog Ultimate Review''' - ''Bob Dickinson''|wmahhlgwgkk|'''The Shooting Range #344''' - ''Arsenal'' section at 06:58 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|c1iQRpklIyo|'''Ferocious Warthog''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|1O9LpkPCJIo|''''Wind of Change' Update Teaser''' - Features the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[A-10 (Family)]]

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* [[Su-25 (Family)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7590-development-a-10a-thunderbolt-ii-the-warthog-arrives-in-war-thunder-en|[Devblog] A-10A Thunderbolt II: The 'Warthog' Arrives in War Thunder!]]
* [https://archive.org/details/T.O.1A10A1FlightManualA10ASerno7500258AndSubsequent15031988/mode/2up/ Technical Order 1A-10-1 - USAF Series A-10A Aircraft Flight Manual]

{{AirManufacturer Fairchild}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}
{{USA premium aircraft}}

Ju 87 B-2

2024-09-27T06:54:04Z

U174590419: /* Suspended armament */

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

== Description ==

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

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,100 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 367 || 356 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.1 || 29.2 || 2.5 || 2.5 || rowspan="2" | 434
|-
! Upgraded
| 403 || 383 || 25.9 || 27.0 || 9.9 || 9.5
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 469 || 320 || ~17 || ~7
|-
|}

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! !! width="15%" | 1 !! width="15%" | 2 !! width="15%" | 3
| rowspan="6" width="30%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! [[SC50JA (50 kg)|50 kg SC50JA]] bombs
|20||-||n1gg@
|-
! [[SC250JA (250 kg)|250 kg SC250JA]] bombs
| -||10||-
|-
! [[SC500K (500 kg)|500 kg SC500K]] bombs
| -||10||-
|-
! [[SC1000L2 (1,000 kg)|1,000 kg SC1000L2]] bombs
| -||10||-
|-
! [[Flam C 250 incendiary]] bombs
| -||10||-
|-
! [[Flam C 500 incendiary]] bombs
| -||10||-
|-
|}

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

* 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs + 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (450 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
* 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb (500 kg total)
* 1 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bomb (1,000 kg total)
* 1 x Flam C 250 incendiary bomb
* 1 x Flam C 500 incendiary bomb
{{Navigation-End}}

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

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

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

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

== Usage in battles ==

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

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

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

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

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

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

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

'''Cons:'''

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

== History ==


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

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

== Media ==


;Skins

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

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

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

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

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

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/161909-junkers-ju-87-b-2-and-r-2/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
* [[wt:en/news/4542-development-ju-87-stuka-new-models-en|[Devblog] Ju 87 Stuka - new models]]

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