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Mirage 2000C-S5

2024-11-24T10:00:51Z

U65959196: /* Offensive armament */ updated CM

{{About
| about = French jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Mirage 2000 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=mirage_2000c_s5
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

A timeless classic, and an icon of delta-wing fighter design, the Mirage 2000C-S5 is the penultimate production variant of the "C" variant of the Mirage 2000. Unlike the earlier production models of the Mirage 2000C, this version comes equipped with an upgraded SNECMA M53-P2 engine, an Eclair chaff-flare dispenser to increase the number of countermeasures available, as well as an improved Thomson-CSF RDI radar that allowed the use of the much improved Matra Super 530D missile. For the time, it was a very important upgrade alongside the [[Mirage 2000C-S4|C-S4]] variant, since it allowed the Mirage 2000 to be at the same level of the latest variants of the MiG-29 and F-16 in terms of technology and weapon systems.

It was introduced in [[Update "Drone Age"]]. The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very capable air superiority fighter. Compared to its competitors, it has access to a smaller payload in terms of air-to-air missiles and ground ordnance. However it compensates this with excellent flight performance, with very powerful engine in a light airframe. It has very good acceleration and top speeds, while it does have poor energy retention at low speeds due to the delta wing configuration, it pulls very good AOA and is competitive in sustained dogfights, the powerful engine and low speed acceleration also allows the Mirage 2000 C-S5 to regain its speed quickly if necessary. Since it has access to a small amount of air-to-air missiles, it is recommended to stay close to the ground, since the Matra R530Ds are not well-suited for BVR combat when compared to the latest versions of the AIM-7 and the R-27. The Matra Magic 2 has very good close range performance, and a seeker with IRCCM, but it should be used at distances not higher than 3 km due to the limited range.

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

Pilots familiar with delta-wing fighter designs will be at home in the Mirage 2000. While you still bleed airspeed rapidly when pulling tight manoeuvres - which you can do quite easily thanks to its large delta wing, and leading-edge slats - speed is much less of a problem thanks to its new engine which provides excellent acceleration. Its combination of decent top-speed, exceptional acceleration, and its stunning nose authority ensures that anyone who finds the Mirage 2000 on their six o'clock is going to find it difficult to shake. Pilots of the Mirage 2000 will have to watch their energy at all times, ensuring they do not waste it all unwisely, leaving them in a vulnerable position.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,246 || 2,174 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.2 || 26.6 || 155.9 || 145.0 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,453 || 2,351 || 23.9 || 25.0 || 237.9 || 195.0
|-
|}

==== 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 || X || ✓ || X || ✓* 
|-
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Installing countermeasures blocks the deployment of the 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 !! + !! -
|-
| 1,512 || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || - || - || - || ~13 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 920 || < 750 || < 650 || -
|-
|}

==== 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" | SNECMA M53-P2 || 1
| colspan="2" | 7,570 kg || colspan="3" | 268 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
|-
| 1,515 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 8,572 kg || 9,533 kg || 10,515 kg || 10,910 kg || 12,936 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'' || 6,200 kgf || 9,688 kgf
| 1.13 || 1.02 || 0.92 || 0.89 || 0.75
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 7,083 kgf (1,512 km/h) || 13,406 kgf (1,512 km/h)
| 1.56 || 1.41 || 1.27 || 1.23 || 1.04
|-
|}

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

{{main|DEFA 554 (30 mm)}}

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

* A choice between two presets:
** 2 x 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons (125 rpg = 250 total) + 16 x large calibre countermeasures
** 2 x 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons (125 rpg = 250 total) + 32 x large calibre countermeasures + 18 x countermeasures + 112 x chaff

=== 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 !! width="5%" | 9
| rowspan="9" width="25%" | <div class="ttx-image">[[File:Hardpoints_{{PAGENAME}}.png]]</div>
|-
! [[SAMP Type 25 (250 kg)|250 kg SAMP Type 25]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[SAMP Type 25 200 (250 kg)|250 kg SAMP Type 25 200]] bombs
| || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||
|-
! [[SNEB type 23]] rockets
| 18 || 18 || || || || || || 18 || 18
|-
! [[Matra R550 Magic 1]] missiles
| 1 || || || || || || || || 1
|-
! [[Matra R550 Magic 2]] missiles
| 1 || || || || || || || || 1
|-
! [[Matra Super 530D]] missiles
| || 1 || || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[Matra Super 530F]] missiles
| || 1 || || || || || || 1 ||
|-
! 1,300 l drop tanks
| || || || || 1 || || || ||
|-
|}

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

* 1 x 1,300 l drop tank
* 2 x Matra Super 530F missiles + 2 x Matra R550 Magic 1 missiles
* 2 x Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles
* 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 2 x Matra Super 530F missiles
* 2 x Matra Super 530D missiles
* 7 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs (1,750 kg total)
* 7 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 200 bombs (1,750 kg total)
{{Navigation-End}}

== Usage in battles ==

The aircraft's weapons suite paired with its flight performance makes it a dangerous foe to any aircraft opposing it. The aircraft is a formidable foe in BVR engagements and even more so in a dogfight. This versatility offered by its great weapons and flight performance means that it can perform as a support fighter, slinging its Super 530D's from afar and at high altitudes. Thanks to its flight performance, it can also comfortably perform well as a frontline fighter, diving straight in to fire its Super 530D and excellent all-aspect IR R550 Magic 2 missiles. However, pilots of the Mirage 2000 will have to be careful of when they fire their missiles as it carries only 4 missiles in total, which is little compared to a lot of its competition. In addition, missiles such as the AIM-7F Sparrow, carried by some American fighters, possess a higher effective range than the Super 530D missile. Therefore, the Mirage 2000 pilots are advised to stay out of the range in which a longer-range missile can strike the Mirage, while being too far for the Mirage's Super 530D to strike back.

The worst-case scenario for a Mirage 2000 pilot would be to be caught in a low-altitude sustained turn (or rate fight) with an adversary such as the F-14 Tomcat, or the F-16A, which could lead to the Mirage being eventually "out-rated". However, at high speeds the Mirage 2000 compresses slightly and has very good energy retention and is able to keep up a very competitive turn rate for a sustained amount of time. At low speeds, the Mirage 2000 is able to convert airspeed into AOA and stay within the opponent's turning circle and potentially be able to pull in for a gun shot.

When it comes to dogfighting, the Mirage's flight performance enables a skilled pilot to be a formidable adversary to any of its opponents, even to those such as the F-14A Early, and the F-16A. The Mirage's game plan should almost always be to get in, and out as quickly as possible. Taking advantage of the high AoA capability of the Mirage, and utilizing as much airspeed and altitude as possible is necessary to engage and defeat the target as quickly as possible, to give any prospecting enemies minimal time to find and defeat the Mirage while it is slow and vulnerable while busy in a dogfight.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Has access to excellent Matra R550 Magic II and Matra Super 530D missiles
* Very good acceleration
* Great manoeuvrability
* Powerful pulse-Doppler radar
* DEFA cannons deal heavy damage

'''Cons:'''

* Poor energy retention at low speeds
* Low ammo count for the DEFA cannons (only 250 rounds total)
* Carries a maximum of only 4 missiles
* Very limited options for ground attack ordnance

== History ==

'''Origin'''

During the mid-1960s, France and Britain agreed to design a swing-wing aircraft (AFVG project). France later split up from the project due to high costs to develop their own swing-wing aircraft, ultimately becoming the Mirage G8. (West Germany would end up collaborating with Britain to create the Panavia Tornado.) However, the Mirage G8 was rejected for being too costly and unable to dogfight. Dassault focused on what would become the 2000C, a single-engine fighter that would be far less expensive than the Mirage G8 and also meet the requirements of the French Air Force (AdA).

'''Production'''

Due to its similarities with the Mirage III, it only took ~27 months to go from the project beginning to the first flight. The first prototype (Mirage 2000 No. 1) made its first flight on March 10, 1978, which lasted 65 minutes. The prototype was found to be both a high-speed aircraft (Mach 2) and an agile, capable dogfighter at low speeds. After 4 years, the first production Mirage 2000C (C abbreviated for ''chasseur'': "fighter"), flew on the November 20, 1982. The French Air Force soon began to take delivery of the 2000Cs. The first 37 Mirage 2000Cs were the S1, S2, and S3, which included the SNECMA M53-5 engine and Thomson RDM radar. After the 37th Mirage 2000C airframe, they were upgraded to the SNECMA M53-P2 engine and RDI radar (Mirage 2000C-S4 - Mirage 2000C-S5). After No. 93, the Eclair countermeasure pod was replaced with countermeasure dispensers in the Karman fairings.

{| class="wikitable"
!Variant
!Airframe number
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S1
|No. 1 - No. 15
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S2
|No. 16 - No. ???
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S3
|No. ??? - No. 37
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S4
|No. 38 - No. 48
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S4-1
|No. 49 - No. 63
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S4-2
|No. 64 - No. 74
|-
|Mirage 2000C-S5
|No. 75 - No. 124
|}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=mirage_2000c_s5 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|vSDNdUBUvWI|'''The Shooting Range #324''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|VF8x_0XpqjQ|'''Mirage 2000C-S5 : A Basic Review''' - ''Tims Variety''}}

== 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/7856-development-mirage-2000c-s5-the-new-improved-classic-en|[Devblog] Mirage 2000C-S5: The New & Improved Classic]]
* [[wikipedia:Dassault_Mirage_2000|[Wikipedia] Dassault Mirage 2000]]

{{AirManufacturer Dassault}}
{{France jet aircraft}}

F-15J

2023-12-18T13:05:28Z

U65959196: Undo revision 178975 by U65959196 (talk)

{{Specs-Card
|code=f_15j
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a variant of the American [[F-15A|F-15 ''Eagle'']] customized for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and produced under a licensing agreement with the United States, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries taking the lead in manufacturing. The F-15J, which entered service in the early 1980s, was designed to replace Japan's ageing fleet of [[F-104J|F-104J ''Eiko'']]s and [[F-4EJ|F-4EJ ''Phantom'']]s. This twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter featured advanced radar and avionics for long-range engagement. The aircraft's design emphasized air-to-air combat capabilities, featuring a mix of short and medium-range missiles, the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow respectively, on top of the domestic [[AAM-3]] missile.

Introduced in [[Update "Air Superiority"]], the F-15J is the crown jewel of the Japanese air tree. This translates to a very fast dedicated air superiority fighter, that is surprisingly nimble for such a heavy machine. It remains a very capable jet even when compared to its competition like the [[Su-27]] and the [[JAS39A|JAS39 Gripen]]. It is also the only plane featuring the AAM-3 domestic Japanese missile in-game.

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

The F-15J is a heavy aircraft, but quite nimble for its size. It can pull surprisingly well for its weight and size. Caution should be taken between Mach 1.0 and 1.1, as a combination of elevator, rudder, and aileron deflection will easily rip the wings. It pulls very hard around 800 km/h IAS.

{| 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" | ___
|-
! 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
|-
| 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 || ~__ || ~__
|-
|}

{| 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" | Ishikawa-Harima F100-IHI-100 || 2
| colspan="2" | 12,940 kg || colspan="3" | 337 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
! 12m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 40m fuel
|-
| 1,470 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan
| 14,770 kg || 15,966 kg || 17,479 kg || 19,039 kg || 28,920 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
! 12m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 40m fuel || MGW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 6,140 kgf || 8,510 kgf
| 1.15 || 1.07 || 0.97 || 0.89 || 0.59
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 7,061 kgf (1,629 km/h) || 13,939 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.89 || 1.75 || 1.59 || 1.46 || 0.96
|-
|}

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

The F-15 was designed with a focus on survivability. It can often survive non-direct missile hits and still be operational enough to land, compared to an [[F-16 (Family)|F-16]] or a [[Mirage 2000 (Family)|Mirage 2000]] which cannot fly well with damaged wings. The F-15 has no armour protection, but the high capacity of countermeasures (240) helps with decoying incoming missiles.

=== 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|JM61A1 (20 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 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_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 ||
|-
! [[LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84]] bombs
| || 1 || || || || 1 || || || || 1 ||
|-
! [[BLU-27/B incendiary]] bombs
| || 3 || || || || 3 || || || || 3 ||
|-
! [[AAM-3]] missiles
| 1 || || 1 || || || || || || 1 || || 1
|-
! [[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 AAM-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)
* 9 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
{{Navigation-End}}

The F-15J has very basic armament loadouts. It gets access to some of the best IR missiles in-game, the AAM-3, which performs like an improved version of the famous [[AIM-9M]]. In terms of SARH missiles, the [[AIM-7M Sparrow|AIM-7M]] are the only possible missiles.

In terms of air-to-ground ordnance, the F-15J has three hardpoints that can carry up to 3 x 2,000 lb bombs, up to 18 x 500 lb bombs, or up to 9 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs.

The F-15J also has access to up to three drop tanks.

== Usage in battles ==

The F-15J is a top-tier aircraft that can punch above its weight. It is a big and heavy aircraft, with all of the features a competitive top-tier jet needs for air-to-air combat. It gets access to eight air-to-air missiles in total, a good amount of flares, and a good flight model.

One might think the F-15J would be bad at dogfighting, however, due to its design it can fight surprisingly well for such a big plane. It can have a hard time against planes that can pull a lot of AOA (Angle of Attack) like the [[Su-27]], or the [[JAS39A|JAS 39]], however, due to the powerful engines of the F-15J, such enemies will have a hard time keeping up with the Eagle in the long run.

The F-15's flight model can be compared to a combination of an F-4 and an F-16. It is a brick, like the F-4, however it turns extremely well under the right circumstances, like an F-16.

* The F-15J does not have a lot of playstyles due to its limitations. It should be used as a "Boom-And-Zoom" plane. the F-15J should never be inside the "furball" that forms in the first minutes of the match, however, the pilot of the F-15 should be ready at any moment after the formation of the "furball" be ready to speed towards it to launch some AAM-3 and maybe AIM-7M missiles. After passing through the furball and dodging incoming missiles, the pilot should keep their energy up, and go back again to try and destroy some more targets. It is also possible to grab 12 x 500 lbs bombs to destroy one base for some extra RP and SL, and then proceed to fight the enemy planes. Generally, 40 minutes of total fuel is enough for a match of Air Realistic battles. Each drop tank has around 11 minutes of fuel.
* The F-15J can be a good interceptor in Ground Realistic battles, however, it is outclassed by the [[F-16AJ]] due to its access to [[AGM-65B]].

The F-15J is quite a specialized aircraft, tailor-made for the air superiority role due to its armament. It is a competitive jet that has its quirks and few compromises, but it is very scary in the hands of a good pilot.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very high thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing very high acceleration, rapid climbing and dogfight endurance
* High amount of countermeasures (240) allowing it to decoy missiles reliably
* AAM-3 missiles, akin to an improved AIM-9M with better turning capability
* High amount of fuel, providing ~18 minutes of afterburning time
* Good manoeuvrability for such a big and heavy jet fighter
* High ammo capacity

'''Cons:'''

* Heavyweight
* No guided air-to-ground armament
* Tends to compress at speeds above Mach 1

== History ==

The '''F-15J ''Eagle''''', a cornerstone of Japan's air defence, represents a pivotal chapter in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's (JASDF) history. This twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter, a variant of the American McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, emerged from Japan's strategic need to modernize its air capabilities in the 1970s. During this period, Japan was in the process of phasing out its ageing fleet of [[F-104J]] Starfighters and [[F-4EJ Phantom II]]s. After a thorough evaluation of various options, including the [[F-14 (Family)|F-14 ''Tomcat'']] and [[F-16 (Family)|F-16 ''Fighting Falcon'']], the JASDF settled on the F-15 Eagle, primarily for its unmatched air superiority.

The journey of the F-15J began with a landmark agreement in 1978 between Japan and the United States, allowing Japan to produce the fighter under license. This decision was more than a mere procurement choice; it was a strategic manoeuvre aimed at bolstering Japan's domestic aerospace industry. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was entrusted with the manufacturing, marking a significant step in Japan's post-war industrial and defence capabilities. The initial batch of F-15Js was assembled in the United States and then shipped to Japan for final assembly, but subsequent units were wholly constructed in Japan, showcasing the country's growing technical prowess.

The F-15J was tailored to meet specific Japanese requirements. It incorporated indigenous electronic warfare systems, radar, and other avionics, distinguishing it from its American counterpart. However, in line with Japan's defence-oriented policy, certain features like in-flight refuelling were initially left out.

Inducted into service in 1982, the F-15J swiftly became the backbone of Japan's air superiority. Over the years, it underwent several upgrades, enhancing its radar, avionics, and weapon systems to keep pace with global technological advancements. The F-15J's role extended beyond mere hardware; it was integral in joint training exercises with the United States and other allies, honing the JASDF's tactical capabilities and ensuring interoperability.

A key aspect of the F-15J's operational history is its role in air defence. Tasked with safeguarding Japan's airspace, it has been routinely scrambled to intercept foreign military aircraft, particularly Russian and Chinese, near Japanese territory. However, in alignment with Japan's post-World War II pacifist constitution, the F-15J has not been engaged in active combat. Its use has been strictly limited to defensive and deterrence missions.

Looking to the future, Japan has initiated an ambitious modernization program for its F-15J fleet. This program aims to equip the fighters with advanced electronics, radar systems, and the ability to carry more sophisticated weaponry. Yet, as the defence landscape evolves, discussions about the F-15J's role in Japan's future air defence strategy continue, with potential transitions to newer platforms like the F-35 Lightning II being considered.

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Manufacturer MHI}}
{{Japan jet aircraft}}

F-15J

2023-12-18T13:02:53Z

U65959196:

Leopard 2A6

2020-11-22T16:44:06Z

U65959196: /* Main armament */ added turret rotation and reload rate

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2a6}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

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

'''Armour type:''' 


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

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,032|rbMinHp=1,327}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rh120 L/55 (120 mm)}}

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rh120 L/55 (120 mm)|120 mm Rh120 L/55]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full Crew !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.0 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 496 || 494 || 486 || 476 || 466 || 456
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 652 || 650 || 640 || 628 || 616 || 604
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS || 1,190 || 13.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,150 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 1,690 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
| DM53 || APFSDS || 1,750 || 5 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM33
|
|-
| II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
| III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke Grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
|Suspension
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM53
|Laser Rangefinder
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Incredibly powerful gun with the highest penetrating shell in the game, The DM53 with 652 mm of penetration
* Features the same nigh impenetrable turret as the Leopard 2A5
* Good mobility, accelerates quickly and can easily get to positions early

'''Cons:'''

* Still has the same extremely weak UFP as the previous Leopard
* Gun mantlet is, as always, a weak spot, and a well-known one at that

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6927-development-leopard-2a6-deadlier-than-ever-en|[Devblog] Leopard 2A6: Deadlier than ever]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

P-38L-5-LO

2020-10-13T13:24:21Z

U65959196: /* Flight Performance */

{{Specs-Card
|code=p-38l
|cockpit=cockpit_p-38l.jpg
}}
{{About
| about = American twin-engine fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = P-38 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]].

The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good manoeuvrability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.

The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 8,534 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 660 || 647 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 23.4 || 23.9 || 13.4 || 15.6 || 332
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 8,534 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude
(meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time
(seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run
(meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 717 || 690 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.0 || 22.0 || 24.0 || 19.3 || 332
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flap (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| 790 || 289 || 534 || ~9 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 490 || < 460 || < 500 || > 240
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,100 m || 1,415 hp || 1,550 hp
|-

|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Cockpit windscreen
* 6.5 mm Steel - Front cockpit armour plate
* 6.5 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
* 9.5 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|AN/M2 (20 mm)|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannon, nose-mounted (150 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 2,000 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|HVAR|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 10 x 127 mm HVAR rockets
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, suspended (340 rpg = 1360 total)

== Usage in battles ==

There are a few tactics to take into consideration when using the P-38L Lightning. All of them are viable, but some of them require more attention to detail, or else you can guarantee yourself a one-way ticket back to your garage.

===Air Superiority Roles===
The natural role for the P-38 is the Air Superiority role. When playing in this role, it is important to note that because the P-38L is classified as a "Heavy Fighter" but not an "Interceptor," you will often need to side-climb at the start of a match from the airfield. Once you get to an optimal altitude of roughly 4,500 meters (14,760 feet) it is paramount you keep your speed up to avoid getting jumped on by some of the better climbing aircraft. When climbing, it is best you keep your speed somewhere in the neighbourhood of roughly 210 MPH (337 KPH), to keep your energy up as well. It doesn't hurt if you climb higher, ''just be sure to keep your energy and speed constant.'' Once you have followed the steps to climb to altitude, start scanning for easier targets to support your allies. When you spot an enemy lower in altitude than you, dive down on them and line up your shots carefully- the 20 mm cannon has a good quantity of ammo, but it goes quickly in higher BR battles. Once you have lined-up your shots (preferably around 700-600 meters away,) fire a quick burst, then climb away to avoid a counter-attack. This is where the dive-brakes come in great use, as they can keep your aircraft stable when in a dive and prevents the airframe from disintegrating in a dive. The P-38's nose-mounted weaponry will act as a buzz-saw on enemy planes, providing extremely accurate fire. Once you destroy your adversary, start scanning for new targets and eliminate those of the next highest value. ''Just remember to keep your speed, energy and altitude high enough.'' The recommended ammunition type for this role is the "Universal" ammunition for the .50 cals and the "Air Target" rounds for the 20 mm cannon.

'''Note-''' At your battle rating of 4.7, it is ill-advised to attack your opponents head-on- especially if it is an Fw 190, or any plane bearing the prefix "Yak." That being said, getting behind your opponents is the best course of action. '''This is not to say a successful head-on attack cannot be done.''' If you have no alternatives but to attack head-on, fire a quick burst, then quickly hit the deck. The nose-mounted weaponry in this scenario is your greatest asset, and the astonishingly good roll-rate of the P-38 can help avoid any incoming enemy fire.

It is not advised that you spend too much time in a turning engagement with this plane. While the P-38L has a phenomenal roll-rate and very powerful Allison engines, prolonged turning will bleed your energy and eliminate your greatest advantage- speed. In addition, you are a rather large target, and getting caught in a turning engagement will only render you a highly exposed target to other enemy planes.

===Ground Attack Roles===
This is the role where paying attention to details is an absolute priority. This is given that the Anti-Aircraft fire is coming from actual players, and not artificial intelligence and one small mistake can send your plane down in a fireball. Nonetheless, the P-38L has all the tools necessary to be a ferocious Close Air Support aircraft. You have the option for two 500 lb bombs suspended underneath the fuselage of the plane or you can choose ten HVAR rockets. The distinguishing part of the Lightning, when used in ground attack, is that the bombs drop independently one-by-one, which allows for a second attack run if one needs to, allowing a chance for further kills. In addition to the options of bombs or rockets, the P-38's weaponry will punish any open-topped vehicles. The tactics for a ground attack are mainly brought out in making diving attacks in Ground RB. However, as mentioned earlier, you must pay attention to your surroundings- as you have no markers for enemy aircraft, and a loss of situational awareness will be your undoing. That being said, approach the battlefield from high altitude, or come in low and fast. When you spot an enemy vehicle, line up your attack run, then drop your bomb when you are close to the ground. Using the dive brakes is extremely recommended, as you can lose control quickly or need to pull up at a moment's notice. '''It is paramount you do not have "Assault Fuse" for your bombs, as you will be caught in the blast radius.''' When you have completed your attack runs using bombs or rockets, try and strafe enemy positions to spot for your allies and possibly eliminate enemy Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft vehicles as well. You can also act still as an Air Superiority fighter to keep your friendly ground forces in the game.

===Specific enemies worth noting===

====German Aircraft====
At your battle rating of 4.7, you can (and will) get dragged into some 5.7 BR games. That being said, your greatest threats come from the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8, given the speed and firepower it has. You also need to worry about late models of the Bf 109, such as the G-6, G-10, G-14 and the K-4 variants, which have the speed, firepower and even the manoeuvrability to tear the Lightning apart. It is plausible you will face the Fw 190 D variants, which will give you a serious run for your money, as will the Ta 152's. At 4.7, you also need to take into consideration that you will be facing Allied aircraft captured by the Germans- most notable among them are the Tempest V and the P-47 Thunderbolt. The vast majority of the German planes you will be facing have a high climb rate and are excellent energy fighters, which can leave you at a gaping deficit when facing Axis teams.

====Japanese Aircraft====
Japanese planes are notorious for their extreme turning abilities, which usually decimates Allied teams. This does not change in the higher battle ratings. The most dangerous Japanese aircraft that the P-38L-5LO Lightning will face is the Mitsubishi J2M4 Raiden, which has a top speed to rival even the Mustang. In addition, the J2M4 Raiden carries an armament of four 20 mm cannons, which will tear the Lightning to bits. Another dangerous opponent for the P-38L is the A7M1 and the A7M2 Reppu, which also have powerful armaments and a tighter turn radius than a Zero.

====Russian Aircraft====
Any aircraft bearing the prefix "Yak" is going to give you issues. Most notable among all of these planes will be the Yak-3P, as the aircraft has very powerful nose-mounted weaponry and can turn exceptionally well. The Yak-9T will also give you some problems, as the Yak-9T's 37 mm cannon will turn your aircraft into pieces of flying debris with one well-placed hit. The La-7 will also be a viable threat, as it has powerful nose-mounted weaponry combined with amazing capabilities as an energy fighter. '''Do not head-on any variant of a Su-6 or IL-10''', as their weaponry is mainly designed for busting open tanks and pillboxes. Do not tail either of those attackers for long either, due to their 20 mm defensive cannon.

====British Aircraft====
The British aircraft are notorious for their turning capabilities and heavy armament at this Battle-Rating. Any late variant of the Spitfire is going to give you problems, most notable among these variants are the Spitfire F. Mk.IX, the Spitfire Mk.Vc, and the Spitfire Mk.Vc/trop. Another notable adversary is the Typhoon Mk.Ib /Late, due to its heavy armament and good turning abilities.

====Counter-tactics====

With all the aspects mentioned above, the P-38L-5-LO is by no means an easy plane to kill. A P-38L pilot will play this aircraft more conservatively / reserved- mostly using it in a Boom-n'-Zoom fashion. However, a P-38L is a large target, thus making it highly exposed in a turn. That is the best way to secure a kill on a P-38L. Even if you only set the Lightning on fire, all the fuel tanks are either on the inside of the fuselage or in the wing-tips. That being said, a P-38L pilot will only be able to put out a fire if they exceed the structural integrity of the plane.

In addition, the P-38L has a bubble canopy, which offers minimal protection from incoming fire. Getting a pilot snipe on a P-38L is not totally uncommon.

If a P-38L is diving on you, try to force it to over-shoot by pulling either a Corkscrew or a Split-S. If you pull a Corkscrew and the Lightning overshoots, position yourself for a well-placed burst and try to knock-out the pilot. If you choose to pull a Split-S and the Lightning over-shoots, re-position yourself to energy-fight the P-38L.

The P-38L is also a very good energy fighter, thus rendering it able to make some very tight turns, but only for so long. If a Lightning manages to get behind you, try to out-manoeuvre it to then get behind or force it into a vertical scissors fight. In vertical scissors, a Lightning can only pull tight turns for so long before it bleeds too much energy- uses that to your advantage.

'''Heads-up for German, Russian and Italian players!''' While you may have strong nose-mounted weaponry to attack the Lightning in a head-on engagement, the P-38L will make you pay dearly. The "Air Targets" ammunition for the AN/M2 20 mm cannons makes the Lightning an even deadlier foe- especially if you are flying a Yak. If you find yourself facing a Lightning in a head-on engagement, fire a quick burst, then quickly dive to avoid being hit from incoming enemy return-fire.

'''It is ill-advised to try and out-dive a P-38L. This is directly resulting from the P-38L having a set of dive-brakes that will easily allow the pilot to reduce their speed if they are approaching the speed that the plane disintegrates. Of all the defensive actions you take, do not try to out-dive this plane.'''

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

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage Repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| DGP-1
|-
| II
| New Boosters
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
| FMBC mk.1
|-
| III
| Wings Repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
|
|-
| IV
| G-Suit
| Engine Injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm Cannons
| CTRC mk.3
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Accurate armament of 4 x 12.7mm Browning MG's and 1 x 20mm AN/M2 cannon (great for long-range shooting as its nose-mounted)
* Dive flaps to solve the P-38's high-speed dive recovery problem
* Dive flaps boost turn rate drastically for short durations
* Hydraulically boosted ailerons result in a higher roll rate
* Twin engines mean you can continue flying if one is damaged
* Good all-around cockpit visibly
* When spaded can out-manoeuvre even Yak's and [[Spitfire_(Family)|Spitfire]]s
* Good energy retention
* Well armoured for a head-on, although caution is still needed
* Being a heavy fighter it can choose to spawn in attackers' spawn point for AB only
* Works well with MEC
* Can carry a variety of ground attack ordnance (either bombs or rockets)
* Good high altitude performance
* Adequate ammo for 20 mm cannons
* Very responsive controls even at lower speeds
* One of the few fighter aircraft with air brakes
* The 20 mm cannon has access to "Air Target" ammunition, which will punish enemy planes
* Can mount 2 x 2 12.7 mm gun pods for increased firepower at a slight performance hit

'''Cons:'''

* High tendency to catch fire due to easy to hit fuel tanks inside wings, which means you cannot put out a fire without destroying the airframe
* Tendency to lock up at high speeds (700 kph+ or 435 mph+)
* Very poor turn rate without flaps
* Is not very durable
* Nose mounted armament, precision is required
* .50 cal MGs are the early version with no all tracer belts
* Large target as its a twin-engine fighter aircraft
* Gunpods are mounted on the outboard wing sections, resulting in significant convergence

== History ==


The concept of the plane was made in February 1937 when the US Army Air Corps made a requirement for a plane that had twin-engine and can act as a high-altitude interceptor that can hold a large amount of armament and ammunition. The term "interceptor" was used for the aircraft by the requirement authors, 1st Lt Benjamin S. Kelsey and Gordon P. Saville, to bypass the Air Corps' strict requirements on aircraft designs at the time. The specifications laid by this new requirements also called for a maximum speed of 360 mph (580 km/h) and able to climb to 20,000 ft altitude in six minutes, making it the toughest specifications at the time. Design proposals were made for the specifications, one of which would become the [[P-39N-0|Bell P-39 Airacobra]], but it was the Lockheed design team headed by Hall Hibbard and Clarence "Kelly" Johnson that made the final product. They made many designs with a twin-engine configuration. The prototypes made for the design used a twin-boom design to hold all the components of the aircraft. Various armaments were tested on the aircraft, from different machine gun combinations and autocannons. It was finally settled to four M2 .50 cal machine guns and one Hispano 20 mm autocannon. The aircraft armament configurations, all at the nose of the aircraft, was very unusual for American aircraft design, as most of their designs and those of their foreign contemporaries had the armament mounted on the wings angled forward. Because of this mounting, the aircraft is able to fire at a longer distance accurately than wing-mounts.

===Combat usage===
The P-38 performed very well in the Pacific and European theater's during World War II. They were used in roles such as Bombers Escorts, Escort V.I.P's, Performing reconnaissance over enemy locations, Combat Air Patrols, Ground Attack, Search and Rescue and other important and critical roles.

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

=== Notable pilots ===
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Richard_Bong_portrait.jpg|thumb|none|250px|link=User:U64962917#Bong,_Richard_I.|Major [[User:U64962917#Bong, Richard I.|Richard Bong]] flew the P-83 fighter for the duration of his career of the war and was credited with 40 confirmed victories over Japanese aircraft.]] </li>
</ul></div>

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Bristol [[Beaufighter Mk VIc|Beaufighter]]
* de Havilland [[Mosquito (Family)|Mosquito]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-96]]
* Mitsubishi [[Ki-83]]
* Nakajima [[J5N1|J5N]]
* Northrop [[P-61C-1|P-61]] Black Widow
* Westland [[Whirlwind Mk I| Whirlwind]]
* Petlyakov [[Pe-3 (e)|Pe-3]]
* Savoia-Marchetti [[SM.92]]

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{USA twin-engine fighters}}

P-38L-5-LO

2020-10-13T13:23:45Z

U65959196: /* Flight Performance */

{{Specs-Card
|code=p-38l
|cockpit=cockpit_p-38l.jpg
}}
{{About
| about = American twin-engine fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = P-38 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]].

The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. Boom & Zoom tactics are one of your greatest assets in this aircraft. By using your powerful armament, high speed, good manoeuvrability and good climb rate, in the hands of a skilled pilot, a P-38L is one of the greatest threats to an entire team.

The P-38L is the last Lightning in the US Aviation tech tree that is able to be researched. This plane has some of the same defining factors of prior models of the Lightning, but with greater modifications to make this variant of the P-38 among the best planes in the game. The biggest upgrade over the P-38J-15 is the presence of air brakes on the P-38L, which means you can pull out of a dive much easier than in any other prior model. In addition, you also have the ability to research the "New Boosters" module, which greatly improves your roll-rate.

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 8,534 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 660 || 647 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 23.4 || 23.9 || 13.4 || 15.6 || 332
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 8,534 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude
(meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
! AB
! RB
|-
| 717 || 690 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.0 || 22.0 || 24.0 || 19.3 || 332
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flap (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| 790 || 289 || 534 || ~9 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 490 || < 460 || < 500 || > 240
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,100 m || 1,415 hp || 1,550 hp
|-

|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Cockpit windscreen
* 6.5 mm Steel - Front cockpit armour plate
* 6.5 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
* 9.5 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|AN/M2 (20 mm)|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannon, nose-mounted (150 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 2,000 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|HVAR|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 10 x 127 mm HVAR rockets
* 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, suspended (340 rpg = 1360 total)

== Usage in battles ==

There are a few tactics to take into consideration when using the P-38L Lightning. All of them are viable, but some of them require more attention to detail, or else you can guarantee yourself a one-way ticket back to your garage.

===Air Superiority Roles===
The natural role for the P-38 is the Air Superiority role. When playing in this role, it is important to note that because the P-38L is classified as a "Heavy Fighter" but not an "Interceptor," you will often need to side-climb at the start of a match from the airfield. Once you get to an optimal altitude of roughly 4,500 meters (14,760 feet) it is paramount you keep your speed up to avoid getting jumped on by some of the better climbing aircraft. When climbing, it is best you keep your speed somewhere in the neighbourhood of roughly 210 MPH (337 KPH), to keep your energy up as well. It doesn't hurt if you climb higher, ''just be sure to keep your energy and speed constant.'' Once you have followed the steps to climb to altitude, start scanning for easier targets to support your allies. When you spot an enemy lower in altitude than you, dive down on them and line up your shots carefully- the 20 mm cannon has a good quantity of ammo, but it goes quickly in higher BR battles. Once you have lined-up your shots (preferably around 700-600 meters away,) fire a quick burst, then climb away to avoid a counter-attack. This is where the dive-brakes come in great use, as they can keep your aircraft stable when in a dive and prevents the airframe from disintegrating in a dive. The P-38's nose-mounted weaponry will act as a buzz-saw on enemy planes, providing extremely accurate fire. Once you destroy your adversary, start scanning for new targets and eliminate those of the next highest value. ''Just remember to keep your speed, energy and altitude high enough.'' The recommended ammunition type for this role is the "Universal" ammunition for the .50 cals and the "Air Target" rounds for the 20 mm cannon.

'''Note-''' At your battle rating of 4.7, it is ill-advised to attack your opponents head-on- especially if it is an Fw 190, or any plane bearing the prefix "Yak." That being said, getting behind your opponents is the best course of action. '''This is not to say a successful head-on attack cannot be done.''' If you have no alternatives but to attack head-on, fire a quick burst, then quickly hit the deck. The nose-mounted weaponry in this scenario is your greatest asset, and the astonishingly good roll-rate of the P-38 can help avoid any incoming enemy fire.

It is not advised that you spend too much time in a turning engagement with this plane. While the P-38L has a phenomenal roll-rate and very powerful Allison engines, prolonged turning will bleed your energy and eliminate your greatest advantage- speed. In addition, you are a rather large target, and getting caught in a turning engagement will only render you a highly exposed target to other enemy planes.

===Ground Attack Roles===
This is the role where paying attention to details is an absolute priority. This is given that the Anti-Aircraft fire is coming from actual players, and not artificial intelligence and one small mistake can send your plane down in a fireball. Nonetheless, the P-38L has all the tools necessary to be a ferocious Close Air Support aircraft. You have the option for two 500 lb bombs suspended underneath the fuselage of the plane or you can choose ten HVAR rockets. The distinguishing part of the Lightning, when used in ground attack, is that the bombs drop independently one-by-one, which allows for a second attack run if one needs to, allowing a chance for further kills. In addition to the options of bombs or rockets, the P-38's weaponry will punish any open-topped vehicles. The tactics for a ground attack are mainly brought out in making diving attacks in Ground RB. However, as mentioned earlier, you must pay attention to your surroundings- as you have no markers for enemy aircraft, and a loss of situational awareness will be your undoing. That being said, approach the battlefield from high altitude, or come in low and fast. When you spot an enemy vehicle, line up your attack run, then drop your bomb when you are close to the ground. Using the dive brakes is extremely recommended, as you can lose control quickly or need to pull up at a moment's notice. '''It is paramount you do not have "Assault Fuse" for your bombs, as you will be caught in the blast radius.''' When you have completed your attack runs using bombs or rockets, try and strafe enemy positions to spot for your allies and possibly eliminate enemy Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft vehicles as well. You can also act still as an Air Superiority fighter to keep your friendly ground forces in the game.

===Specific enemies worth noting===

====German Aircraft====
At your battle rating of 4.7, you can (and will) get dragged into some 5.7 BR games. That being said, your greatest threats come from the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8, given the speed and firepower it has. You also need to worry about late models of the Bf 109, such as the G-6, G-10, G-14 and the K-4 variants, which have the speed, firepower and even the manoeuvrability to tear the Lightning apart. It is plausible you will face the Fw 190 D variants, which will give you a serious run for your money, as will the Ta 152's. At 4.7, you also need to take into consideration that you will be facing Allied aircraft captured by the Germans- most notable among them are the Tempest V and the P-47 Thunderbolt. The vast majority of the German planes you will be facing have a high climb rate and are excellent energy fighters, which can leave you at a gaping deficit when facing Axis teams.

====Japanese Aircraft====
Japanese planes are notorious for their extreme turning abilities, which usually decimates Allied teams. This does not change in the higher battle ratings. The most dangerous Japanese aircraft that the P-38L-5LO Lightning will face is the Mitsubishi J2M4 Raiden, which has a top speed to rival even the Mustang. In addition, the J2M4 Raiden carries an armament of four 20 mm cannons, which will tear the Lightning to bits. Another dangerous opponent for the P-38L is the A7M1 and the A7M2 Reppu, which also have powerful armaments and a tighter turn radius than a Zero.

====Russian Aircraft====
Any aircraft bearing the prefix "Yak" is going to give you issues. Most notable among all of these planes will be the Yak-3P, as the aircraft has very powerful nose-mounted weaponry and can turn exceptionally well. The Yak-9T will also give you some problems, as the Yak-9T's 37 mm cannon will turn your aircraft into pieces of flying debris with one well-placed hit. The La-7 will also be a viable threat, as it has powerful nose-mounted weaponry combined with amazing capabilities as an energy fighter. '''Do not head-on any variant of a Su-6 or IL-10''', as their weaponry is mainly designed for busting open tanks and pillboxes. Do not tail either of those attackers for long either, due to their 20 mm defensive cannon.

====British Aircraft====
The British aircraft are notorious for their turning capabilities and heavy armament at this Battle-Rating. Any late variant of the Spitfire is going to give you problems, most notable among these variants are the Spitfire F. Mk.IX, the Spitfire Mk.Vc, and the Spitfire Mk.Vc/trop. Another notable adversary is the Typhoon Mk.Ib /Late, due to its heavy armament and good turning abilities.

====Counter-tactics====

With all the aspects mentioned above, the P-38L-5-LO is by no means an easy plane to kill. A P-38L pilot will play this aircraft more conservatively / reserved- mostly using it in a Boom-n'-Zoom fashion. However, a P-38L is a large target, thus making it highly exposed in a turn. That is the best way to secure a kill on a P-38L. Even if you only set the Lightning on fire, all the fuel tanks are either on the inside of the fuselage or in the wing-tips. That being said, a P-38L pilot will only be able to put out a fire if they exceed the structural integrity of the plane.

In addition, the P-38L has a bubble canopy, which offers minimal protection from incoming fire. Getting a pilot snipe on a P-38L is not totally uncommon.

If a P-38L is diving on you, try to force it to over-shoot by pulling either a Corkscrew or a Split-S. If you pull a Corkscrew and the Lightning overshoots, position yourself for a well-placed burst and try to knock-out the pilot. If you choose to pull a Split-S and the Lightning over-shoots, re-position yourself to energy-fight the P-38L.

The P-38L is also a very good energy fighter, thus rendering it able to make some very tight turns, but only for so long. If a Lightning manages to get behind you, try to out-manoeuvre it to then get behind or force it into a vertical scissors fight. In vertical scissors, a Lightning can only pull tight turns for so long before it bleeds too much energy- uses that to your advantage.

'''Heads-up for German, Russian and Italian players!''' While you may have strong nose-mounted weaponry to attack the Lightning in a head-on engagement, the P-38L will make you pay dearly. The "Air Targets" ammunition for the AN/M2 20 mm cannons makes the Lightning an even deadlier foe- especially if you are flying a Yak. If you find yourself facing a Lightning in a head-on engagement, fire a quick burst, then quickly dive to avoid being hit from incoming enemy return-fire.

'''It is ill-advised to try and out-dive a P-38L. This is directly resulting from the P-38L having a set of dive-brakes that will easily allow the pilot to reduce their speed if they are approaching the speed that the plane disintegrates. Of all the defensive actions you take, do not try to out-dive this plane.'''

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

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage Repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| DGP-1
|-
| II
| New Boosters
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
| FMBC mk.1
|-
| III
| Wings Repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
|
|-
| IV
| G-Suit
| Engine Injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm Cannons
| CTRC mk.3
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Accurate armament of 4 x 12.7mm Browning MG's and 1 x 20mm AN/M2 cannon (great for long-range shooting as its nose-mounted)
* Dive flaps to solve the P-38's high-speed dive recovery problem
* Dive flaps boost turn rate drastically for short durations
* Hydraulically boosted ailerons result in a higher roll rate
* Twin engines mean you can continue flying if one is damaged
* Good all-around cockpit visibly
* When spaded can out-manoeuvre even Yak's and [[Spitfire_(Family)|Spitfire]]s
* Good energy retention
* Well armoured for a head-on, although caution is still needed
* Being a heavy fighter it can choose to spawn in attackers' spawn point for AB only
* Works well with MEC
* Can carry a variety of ground attack ordnance (either bombs or rockets)
* Good high altitude performance
* Adequate ammo for 20 mm cannons
* Very responsive controls even at lower speeds
* One of the few fighter aircraft with air brakes
* The 20 mm cannon has access to "Air Target" ammunition, which will punish enemy planes
* Can mount 2 x 2 12.7 mm gun pods for increased firepower at a slight performance hit

'''Cons:'''

* High tendency to catch fire due to easy to hit fuel tanks inside wings, which means you cannot put out a fire without destroying the airframe
* Tendency to lock up at high speeds (700 kph+ or 435 mph+)
* Very poor turn rate without flaps
* Is not very durable
* Nose mounted armament, precision is required
* .50 cal MGs are the early version with no all tracer belts
* Large target as its a twin-engine fighter aircraft
* Gunpods are mounted on the outboard wing sections, resulting in significant convergence

== History ==


The concept of the plane was made in February 1937 when the US Army Air Corps made a requirement for a plane that had twin-engine and can act as a high-altitude interceptor that can hold a large amount of armament and ammunition. The term "interceptor" was used for the aircraft by the requirement authors, 1st Lt Benjamin S. Kelsey and Gordon P. Saville, to bypass the Air Corps' strict requirements on aircraft designs at the time. The specifications laid by this new requirements also called for a maximum speed of 360 mph (580 km/h) and able to climb to 20,000 ft altitude in six minutes, making it the toughest specifications at the time. Design proposals were made for the specifications, one of which would become the [[P-39N-0|Bell P-39 Airacobra]], but it was the Lockheed design team headed by Hall Hibbard and Clarence "Kelly" Johnson that made the final product. They made many designs with a twin-engine configuration. The prototypes made for the design used a twin-boom design to hold all the components of the aircraft. Various armaments were tested on the aircraft, from different machine gun combinations and autocannons. It was finally settled to four M2 .50 cal machine guns and one Hispano 20 mm autocannon. The aircraft armament configurations, all at the nose of the aircraft, was very unusual for American aircraft design, as most of their designs and those of their foreign contemporaries had the armament mounted on the wings angled forward. Because of this mounting, the aircraft is able to fire at a longer distance accurately than wing-mounts.

===Combat usage===
The P-38 performed very well in the Pacific and European theater's during World War II. They were used in roles such as Bombers Escorts, Escort V.I.P's, Performing reconnaissance over enemy locations, Combat Air Patrols, Ground Attack, Search and Rescue and other important and critical roles.

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

=== Notable pilots ===
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Richard_Bong_portrait.jpg|thumb|none|250px|link=User:U64962917#Bong,_Richard_I.|Major [[User:U64962917#Bong, Richard I.|Richard Bong]] flew the P-83 fighter for the duration of his career of the war and was credited with 40 confirmed victories over Japanese aircraft.]] </li>
</ul></div>

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Bristol [[Beaufighter Mk VIc|Beaufighter]]
* de Havilland [[Mosquito (Family)|Mosquito]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-96]]
* Mitsubishi [[Ki-83]]
* Nakajima [[J5N1|J5N]]
* Northrop [[P-61C-1|P-61]] Black Widow
* Westland [[Whirlwind Mk I| Whirlwind]]
* Petlyakov [[Pe-3 (e)|Pe-3]]
* Savoia-Marchetti [[SM.92]]

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{USA twin-engine fighters}}

P-38J-15

2020-10-13T13:23:12Z

U65959196: /* Flight performance */ removed unnessecary text

{{Specs-Card
|code=p-38j
|cockpit=cockpit_p-38j.jpg
}}
{{About
| about = American twin-engine fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the premium version
| link-1 = Bong's P-38J-15
| usage-2 = other variants
| link-2 = P-38 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in Update 1.53 "Firestorm"

The P-38J is a sleekly designed, two-engine monoplane made by Lockheed. This plane has a top speed of 431 mph (694 km/h) and a VNE of 460 mph (740 km/h). Its main armament consists of 1 x AN/M2 20 mm cannon and 4 x 12.7 mm [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|Browning machine guns]]. With upgrades, the Lightning can function as a multi-role fighter with bazooka rockets or bombs to help lead your team to victory, both in the air and on the ground.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,921 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 669 || 651 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.6 || 23.4 || 15.9 || 15.9 || 332
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,921 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 721 || 693 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.4 || 21.5 || 24.3 || 19.6 || 332
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 620 || ~9 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 380 || < 460 || < 500 || > 420
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 7,500 m || 1,290 hp || 1,416 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 6.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit plating
* 6.5 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
* 9.8 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest
* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windscreen

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|AN/M2 (20 mm)|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannon, nose-mounted (150 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 2,000 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|M8}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 6 x M8 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

When playing the P-38J, climb to a high altitude, search for the enemy, and then pick an enemy you feel confident in engaging.

Once these steps have been ticked-off, assuming you are above the enemy target, put the Lightning into a gradual descent. This allows you to maintain a speed advantage. As you are descending, make small course corrections, so you don't give the element of surprise away by shooting too soon, overshooting or being within view.
When you are about 1-2 seconds away from your target, line your sights up and fire a short burst with your cannon and machine guns. Your target should now be heavily damaged or shot down. If you fail to damage your target, climb back up above using your energy advantage and repeat or move on.

'''Ground Battles''' 
Using the Lightning in ground forces (RB) is very effective once you have unlocked the appropriate modules. '''FMBC Mk.1''' allows you to equip 2 x 500 lb bombs, which are mounted under your wings. To help get the bombs on target, put the plane into a steep dive. As you near the ground, drop the bombs then pull up. Make sure you either pull up with altitude to spare or have a timed fuse to avoid crashing or blowing yourself up. The M10 Bazooka module allows you to equip your P-38J with 2 triple Bazooka launchers. These are attached to the lower nose panel and are very accurate. These are ideal for destroying tanks and bunkers.

Once the enemy ground units have been destroyed or you run out of external ordnance, you can use the Lightning to help maintain air superiority. This will help you secure that much-wanted victory.

=== 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 || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
|
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
| FMBC mk.1
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
|
|-
| IV
| G-suit
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
| Rocket Launcher M10
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent speed
* Incredible energy retention let's you have multiple approaches on a helpless target
* Excellent acceleration
* Excellent climb rate
* Very powerful armament, great for bomber hunting
* Nose mounted armament allows it to have the great and fearsome head-on capability
* Multiple armament presets; allows it to function as a ground attack and/or air superiority fighter
* Good roll and turn time
* Good overall visibility in simulator matches
* Great air superiority aircraft.

'''Cons:'''

* Fuel tanks catch on fire easily
* Low initial roll rate
* Unable to dive to put fires out without breaking wings
* Easy to rip wings in dives; no airbrakes installed unlike the [[P-38L-5-LO|P-38L]]
* Easy to black-out if your crew's G-Tolerance and Stamina are low
* Low cannon ammunition amount compared to other planes at the rank.

== History ==

===Development===
The concept of the plane was made in February 1937 when the US Army Air Corps made a requirement for a plane that had twin-engine and can act as a high-altitude interceptor that can hold a large amount of armament and ammunition. The term "interceptor" was used for the aircraft by the requirement authors, 1st Lt Benjamin S. Kelsey and Gordon P. Saville, to bypass the Air Corps' strict requirements on aircraft designs at the time. The specifications laid by this new requirements also called for a maximum speed of 360 mph (580 km/h) and able to climb to 20,000 ft altitude in six minutes, making it the toughest specifications at the time. Design proposals were made for the specifications, one of which would become the [[P-39N-0|Bell P-39 Airacobra]], but it was the Lockheed design team headed by Hall Hibbard and Clarence "Kelly" Johnson that made the final product. They made many designs with a twin-engine configuration. The prototypes made for the design used a twin-boom design to hold all the components of the aircraft. Various armaments were tested on the aircraft, from different machine gun combinations and autocannons. It was finally settled to four x M2 .50 cal machine guns and one Hispano 20 mm autocannon. The aircraft armament configurations, all at the nose of the aircraft, was very unusual for American aircraft design, as most of their designs and those of their foreign contemporaries had the armament mounted on the wings angled forward. Because of this mounting, the aircraft is able to fire at a longer distance accurately than wing-mounts.

===P-38J===
The '''P-38J''' model of the series was introduced into service in August 1943. Its distinctive form is the movement of the turbo-supercharger intercooler system from the leading edges of the wings to in between the oil coolers of the engine to protect them from combat damages. Thus, the J models of P-38s have a distinctive "chin" in the engine design. The empty spaces on the wing now made room for fuel tanks for an additional 55 gallons of fuel when installed. Other improvements in the P-38J's was a hydraulically boosted ailerons and flat bullet-proof windscreens. 2970 P-38J's were built during its production period.

===Combat usage===
The P-38 performed very well in the Pacific and European theatres during World War II. They were used in roles such as bomber and transport escorts, performing reconnaissance, Combat Air Patrols, ground attack, Search and Rescue and other important and critical roles.

===Survivors===
Unfortunately, it is estimated that only five P-38J's survive to this day. Only two of them are still airworthy.

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

=== Notable pilots ===
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Richard_Bong_portrait.jpg|thumb|none|250px|link=User:U64962917#Bong,_Richard_I.|Major [[User:U64962917#Bong, Richard I.|Richard Bong]]'s infamous fighter with the ''Marge'' nose-art was a {{PAGENAME}}. Bong became the top U.S. ace of W.W. II after 40 confirmed victories (and a possible 8 more).]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Robin_Olds_portrait.jpg|thumb|none|350px|link=User:U64962917#Olds,_Robin|United States ace pilot [[User:U64962917#Olds, Robin|Robin Olds]], the only pilot to become an ace in a '''P-38''' and '''P-51''' during World War II.]] </li>
</ul></div>

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Bristol [[Beaufighter Mk VIc|Beaufighter]]
* de Havilland [[Mosquito (Family)|Mosquito]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-96]]
* Mitsubishi [[Ki-83]]
* Nakajima [[J5N1|J5N]]
* Northrop [[P-61C-1|P-61]] Black Widow
* Westland [[Whirlwind Mk I| Whirlwind]]
* Petlyakov [[Pe-3 (e)|Pe-3]]
* Savoia-Marchetti [[SM.92]]

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Lockheed}}
{{USA twin-engine fighters}}

BMP-2M

2020-08-09T17:19:12Z

U65959196: /* Ammunition */ added ricochet

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_bmp_2m}}
{{About
| about = squadron Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = BMP (Disambiguation)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet infantry fighting vehicle (light tank) {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Starfighters"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The vehicle's playstyle is relatively similar to the [[BMP-2]]'s. The fast turret traverse speed, wide field of view, and thermals for the optics combined with a fast-firing 2A42 autocannon and four 9M133 ATGMs makes it an excellent close range combat IFV and good front line scout at open fields. Armour on this vehicle can only protect the crew from 7.62 mm fire at all angles and sometimes 12.7 mm or even 20 mm when being shot from the front. The BMP-2M is prone to hull-break, but sometimes AP rounds such as APFSDS can penetrate the vehicle without significant damage due to its large empty space inside. The hull-break mechanics will mean that even a poorly placed shot may immediately destroy the vehicle. Overall, survivability is poor, and the BMP-2M should use its manoeuvrability to flank opponents and strike before the enemy can locate you and return fire.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}

With 60 extra horsepower, the BMP-2M has excellent mobility compared to the BMP-2. The acceleration of the BMP-2M in off road conditions is excellent, and it is able to keep up with top tier MBTs like the [[T-80U]], [[M1A2 Abrams]] and [[Leopard 2A5]]. The reverse speed however is still 10 kilometers per hour and it still has no neutral steering. Its amphibious capabilities can be useful to cross deep water sections to reach places normally unreachable for other vehicles.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|2A42 (30 mm)}}
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[2A42 (30 mm)|30 mm 2A42]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 500 (340) || rowspan="2" | 550 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+74° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
* '''30 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T|High-explosive fragmentation tracer}}
* '''30 mm APT:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T|High-explosive fragmentation tracer}}
* '''30 mm APDS:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-T|High-explosive fragmentation tracer}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Default || 65 || 62 || 50 || 38 || 29 || 22
|-
| 30 mm HE || 65 || 62 || 50 || 38 || 29 || 22
|-
| 30 mm APT || 65 || 62 || 50 || 38 || 29 || 22
|-
| 30 mm APDS || 82 || 81 || 79 || 75 || 72 || 69
|-
|}

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

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

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|9M133}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[9M133]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 8 (4) || rowspan="2" | -5°/+10° || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 9M133 || ATGM (tandem) || 1,200 || 1,200 || 1,200 || 1,200 || 1,200 || 1,200
|-
| 9M133FM-3 || ATGM-HE || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61 || 61
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 9M133 || ATGM (tandem) || 300 || 26.00 || 0.2 || 0.01 || 6,160 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
| 9M133FM-3 || ATGM-HE || 300 || 26.00 || 0.2 || 0.01 || 9,240 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

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

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

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|AG-30 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[AG-30 (30 mm)|30 mm AG-30]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 300 (300) || rowspan="2" | 400 || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || rowspan="2" | N/A || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| VOG-30 || VOG || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| VOG-30 || 185 || 0.35 || N/A || 0.1 || 284.9 || 79° || 79° || 80°
|81°
|-
|}

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

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

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|PKT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PKT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm PKT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (250) || 700 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

During the stock grind, the vehicle is best played as a scout/SPAA platform, as the stock ammo with the exception of the ATGMs is poor. Once it is spaded, the vehicle is basically a complete lineup in itself, as it can play the part of a light tank, with excellent manoeuvrability, the ability to scout and repair, and the fast-firing autocannon to flank and destroy light to medium armoured targets, and mark the heavily armoured targets for allies or eliminate them with ATGMs. If played cautiously, it can also be played as a true IFV, supporting MBTs in CQB. However, when playing like this, it is a SUPPORT vehicle, and should not engage in frontal brawls with MBTs, as it will quickly be destroyed. It can be played at long range, using its scouting ability and ATGMs to know out targets at long range. Once the laser rangefinder is unlocked, one can use APDS rounds at range as it can easily pen the side and roofs of most enemies it will face, and the high volume of rounds will quickly disable if not destroy the target. This vehicle can also be played as an SPAA, with its fast firing 30 mm autocannon and proximity fuse ATGMs.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! colspan="2" | Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Airstrike
| Horizontal Drive
| 30 mm APT
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| NVD
| Adjustment of Fire
| 9M133FM-3
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Laser rangefinder
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
| 30 mm APDS
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
| ESS
| Smoke grenade
| Artillery Support
| Improved optics
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 2A42 autocannon can punch through any vehicle at its battle rating from the back, side and sometimes front
* Fast turret traverse speed, 35, 42, and 60 degrees per second at stock and full modifications respectively
* High-resolution thermal optics, wide field of view and 2.5 to 12 times zoom for gun sight, suitable for combat at any range
* 1,200 mm penetration power for the standard 9M133 missile, highest in the game; can fire and guide all four missiles simultaneously while on the move
* Can equip 9M133FM-3 HE missile with proximity fuses, useful for SPAA purposes
* Amphibious ability can be useful for crossing the water to areas hard-to-reach for other vehicles
* Very cheap repair cost means easy Silver Lions profit from combat
* Roof-mounted grenade launcher can clear obstacles that typically machine guns can not
* Relatively easy stock grind
* Can be played as a light tank, long range tank, CQB support vehicle, or SPAA

'''Cons:'''

* Missiles mounted on the turret has a chance to explode from shrapnel if too close to any form of explosion
* Chassis can only protect the crew from 7.62 mm and with limited 12.7 mm or bigger calibre ammunition protection from the front
* No neutral steering, the slow reverse speed maxes out at 10 kilometres per hour
* While driving, thermal optics vision to the left of the chassis at 30 to 50 degrees are obscured from the engine exhaust gas
* Grenade launcher has only 6 mm of pen, is useful for obstacles and clearing ERA at close range, but otherwise useless

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6758-development-squadron-vehicles-bmp-2m-berezhok-en|[Devblog] Squadron vehicles: BMP-2M "Berezhok"]]

{{USSR light tanks}}
{{USSR squadron ground vehicles}}

M48 Super

2020-08-09T17:09:45Z

U65959196: /* Mobility */ add stock hp

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_mkpz_super_m48}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm || 76 mm ''Top'' 38 mm ''Bottom'' || 35 mm || 57 - 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 400 - 210 mm ''Turret front'' 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 120 - 100 mm || 75 - 50 mm || 69 - 25 mm
|-
| Cupola || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,550|rbMinHp=884|AoAweight=}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||408||405||398||389||379||370
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||337||335||330||322||314||306
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||400||400||400||400||400||400
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||127||127||127||127||127||127
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||1,173||10.5||N/A||0.1||1,271||65°||72°||77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||732||14.85||0.4||0.1||4,306||73°||77°||80°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle
| 2750 (1,000) || 1,200 || __° || __°
|-
| Coaxail
| 2000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A° || N/A°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM502
|
|-
| II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM12
|
|-
| III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke Grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM33
|Laser Rangefinder
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Improved in all aspects compared to M48A2-G-A2
* Unlike the M48A2-G-A2 its gun has a two-plane stabilizer so it can fire on the move
* Much better turret protection than the previous M48A2-G-A2 model
* Has a new better transmission and engine so it can go around as fast as a leopard tank
* Has access to thermal vision device for both gunner and commanders optics
* Has access to better DM33 shell

'''Cons:'''

* All the add on armor on the turret is ineffective against APFSDS shells and powerful HEAT shells
* It has a high chance of getting ammo detonation due to ammo layout inside the tank
* Penetrating shots will always take out the gun breech and at least two crews
* It has a large profile compared to other tanks of the same rank
* Has a large engine bulge at the back so it cant fire from its back at all

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

M48 Super

2020-08-09T17:06:46Z

U65959196: /* Machine guns */ added numbers

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_mkpz_super_m48}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm || 76 mm ''Top'' 38 mm ''Bottom'' || 35 mm || 57 - 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 400 - 210 mm ''Turret front'' 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 120 - 100 mm || 75 - 50 mm || 69 - 25 mm
|-
| Cupola || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||408||405||398||389||379||370
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||337||335||330||322||314||306
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||400||400||400||400||400||400
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||127||127||127||127||127||127
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||1,173||10.5||N/A||0.1||1,271||65°||72°||77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||732||14.85||0.4||0.1||4,306||73°||77°||80°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle
| 2750 (1,000) || 1,200 || __° || __°
|-
| Coaxail
| 2000 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A° || N/A°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM502
|
|-
| II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM12
|
|-
| III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke Grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM33
|Laser Rangefinder
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Improved in all aspects compared to M48A2-G-A2
* Unlike the M48A2-G-A2 its gun has a two-plane stabilizer so it can fire on the move
* Much better turret protection than the previous M48A2-G-A2 model
* Has a new better transmission and engine so it can go around as fast as a leopard tank
* Has access to thermal vision device for both gunner and commanders optics
* Has access to better DM33 shell

'''Cons:'''

* All the add on armor on the turret is ineffective against APFSDS shells and powerful HEAT shells
* It has a high chance of getting ammo detonation due to ammo layout inside the tank
* Penetrating shots will always take out the gun breech and at least two crews
* It has a large profile compared to other tanks of the same rank
* Has a large engine bulge at the back so it cant fire from its back at all

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

M48 Super

2020-08-09T17:02:30Z

U65959196: /* Survivability and armour */ added numbers

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_mkpz_super_m48}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm || 76 mm ''Top'' 38 mm ''Bottom'' || 35 mm || 57 - 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 400 - 210 mm ''Turret front'' 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 120 - 100 mm || 75 - 50 mm || 69 - 25 mm
|-
| Cupola || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm || 70 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===

''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''

{{tankMobility}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 46 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||408||405||398||389||379||370
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||337||335||330||322||314||306
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||400||400||400||400||400||400
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||127||127||127||127||127||127
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS ||1,455||3.79||N/A||N/A||N/A||78°||80°||81°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||1,173||10.5||N/A||0.1||1,271||65°||72°||77°
|-
| DM502 || HESH ||732||14.85||0.4||0.1||4,306||73°||77°||80°
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
{{main|MG3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG3A1]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM502
|
|-
| II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM12
|
|-
| III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke Grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM33
|Laser Rangefinder
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Improved in all aspects compared to M48A2-G-A2
* Unlike the M48A2-G-A2 its gun has a two-plane stabilizer so it can fire on the move
* Much better turret protection than the previous M48A2-G-A2 model
* Has a new better transmission and engine so it can go around as fast as a leopard tank
* Has access to thermal vision device for both gunner and commanders optics
* Has access to better DM33 shell

'''Cons:'''

* All the add on armor on the turret is ineffective against APFSDS shells and powerful HEAT shells
* It has a high chance of getting ammo detonation due to ammo layout inside the tank
* Penetrating shots will always take out the gun breech and at least two crews
* It has a large profile compared to other tanks of the same rank
* Has a large engine bulge at the back so it cant fire from its back at all

== History ==

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

== Media ==

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

== See also ==

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

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

== External links ==

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard 2K

2019-11-12T16:15:57Z

U65959196: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2k}}
{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The Leopard 2K is one of the most thinly armoured MBT in the German tree, having only 50 mm of actual thickness and 144 mm of effective thickness upper frontal plate and actual 59 mm with an effective thickness of 118 mm for its lower frontal plate. Thin armour would tend to cause concern for the tanker, however, much of this is negated due to the angles in the armour. For survivability, it is almost comparable to the T-64s but without blowing up, playing this tank is a 50/50.

=== Mobility ===

The Mobility of the Leopard 2K is astonishing, making it one of the most agile MBTs in its BR, reaching the speed of 70km/h on road.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}

The Leopard 2Ks gun is a 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 It can be found on the later models of the tank, such as the Leopard 2A4, and Leopard 2A5. But this does not mean it gets all of the later rounds, the rounds that the Leopard 2K gets is a DM12 and DM13 just like the Leopard A1A1 L/44. Being fitted with a 120 mm Rheinmetall gun it is effective at all ranges, capable of Penetrating tanks 1,000 m away

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="8" |Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" |Ammunition
! rowspan="2" |Type of warhead
! colspan="6" |'''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
!10m
!100m
!500m
!1000m
!1500m
!2000m
|-
|DM12
|HEATFS
|480
|480
|480
|480
|480
|480
|-
|DM13
|APFSDS
|393
|390
|384
|376
|367
|359
|}

=== Additional armament ===

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}

The tank has a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun situated on top of the turret which can fire over cover and be used to knock out Gun Barrels, Light Tanks, Helicopters and Planes. The belts are alternating AP-IT/HEF-IT, with 47 mm of penetration at 90 degrees at 0 m. The 20 mm has quite good elevation, and rotates independently from the turret, able to surprise light tanks attempting to flank following turret ring immobilization.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" |[[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! colspan="7" |''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" |Fire rate
(shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" |Vertical
guidance
! rowspan="1" |Horizontal
guidance
|-
| colspan="4" |5,500 (1,000)||1,200||N/A||N/A
|}

== Usage in battles ==

As mentioned earlier, the Leopard 2K is very agile, well equipped and thinly armoured. Overall the tank fits well into both flanker and sniper roles. The mobility of the tank can take you to places where the enemy will not expect a tank to be in such a short period of time. It is not a good idea to lead the advance or brawl because of the lack of armour on this vehicle, and it's best to instead let the well-armoured tanks take the lead. This tank is just an M18, but has a good gun and is even faster if you utilize its speed, doing so will allow for potential domination of the matches

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 120 mm gun with effective rounds
* APFSDS is a tier 1 modification - high-velocity rounds allow for long-range shots with ease
* Sloped armour has a tendency to bounce shots, somewhat making up for the lack of actual thickness
* 20 mm cannon very effective against light armour and aircraft
* Excellent mobility - one of the most mobile tanks on the battlefield

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour, ineffective if angles and cover not utilised
* Relatively large profile, the 20 mm Rh 202 gun often sticks out behind cover, making an easy target for Russian HE-Frag-FS shells
* Slow reload time relative to tanks with smaller guns or autoloaders
* Stock round is HEAT-FS, and struggles against allied vehicles, especially ones outfitted with ERA blocks (such as the T-64BV it often faces)
* Infrared imager is less effective than thermal imager during night battles
* Thin top armour and auto cannon means you are a priority target by rocket helicopters and aircraft due to the tanks ability to kill them with relative ease once they get close

== History ==

In the 1960s, Germany and the United States were jointly-developing the MBT-70, and Germany was contractually prevented from developing any new MBTs independently until the joint project with the US was completed.

But development problems plagued the MBT-70 project, and it appeared that the vehicle would not be finished within an acceptable time frame—so Germany found a way to bypass contractual limitations for the MBT-70 development.

Instead of ordering the development of a new tank, the German government issued an order to the Porsche company to research ways to improve the Leopard I tank already in service with the German army. This enabled Germany to research a more advanced fighting vehicle without breaching the contract signed with the US.

Porsche’s first study of the Leopard I revealed a lot of room for improvement, and second study focusing on upgrading the Leopard I to match the MBT-70’s firepower was launched almost immediately. This eventually resulted in the construction of two prototype vehicles—one in 1969 and one in 1970—nicknamed Keiler (tusker).

In the early 1970s, Germany was able to back out of the MBT-70 project due to spiraling development costs. Instead, they continued work on the development of the Keiler, which was renamed to Leopard 2.

The Leopard 2 project was expected to yield two versions: the Leopard 2K armed with a cannon, and the Leopard 2FK armed with a gun/launcher similar to the MBT-70. In 1971, ten prototypes were ordered, and seven more orders followed shortly thereafter.

To get the most out of their prototypes, German engineers equipped each one with different components to determine what worked best. Some Leopard 2 versions were equipped with a 105mm smoothbore cannon, whereas others were fitted with 120mm smoothbore cannons. Some prototypes received a hydraulic suspension while others didn’t, and there was even a version equipped with the 20mm anti-air mount on the turret (similar to the one found on the Kpz-70).

Sixteen out of seventeen Leopard 2 prototypes were built and tested, yielding many refinements to the Leopard 2 design. Subsequent models further increased the Leopard 2’s capabilities, with each variant making it more powerful—and ultimately into the Leopard 2 known today.

''- From [[wt:n/news/5309-development-leopard-2k-a-legend-in-the-making-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


{{Youtube-gallery|FM-V6Rp1Cgs|20 Minutes of JUST Leopard 2k, But I ONLY use HEAT - War Thunder
 ''-By Ruskii9000''}}
== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:n/news/5309-development-leopard-2k-a-legend-in-the-making-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2K: A Legend In The Making]]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Bf 109 G-6

2019-11-03T12:38:25Z

U65959196: /* Specific enemies worth noting */ adds and s to plit-S

{{Specs-Card|code=bf-109g-6}}
{{About
| about = German fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Bf 109 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Bf109G6.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Bf 109 G-6 is, while stock, a difficult plane to fly, and needs the upgrades to even be considered an opponent for its adversaries. Once upgraded, however, it performs decently enough to even the playing field and allows an enjoyable experience.

This variant is played much like its predecessors, so stick to energy fighting. Because of its poor performance, it's imperative to keep your energy state high at all times.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
''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"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 634 || 617 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.3 || 22.2 || 14.1 || 14.1 || 343
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 707 || 668 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 19.2 || 20.0 || 27.5 || 19.5 || 343
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 460 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 450 || < 390 || < 450 || > 715
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,700 m || 1,270 hp || 1,778 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 60 mm Bulletproof glass in front and rear of the cockpit.
* 4-8 mm Steel plates on pilot seat.
* 10 mm Steel plates around pilot's head.
* 21 mm Steel plate on the rear of the fuel tank, with 4 mm plates surrounding it on other sides.

== Armaments ==
=== Offensive armament ===

{{main|MK 108 (30 mm)|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}

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

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, nose-mounted (200 rpg) + 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
** 1 x 30 mm MK 108 cannon, nose-mounted (65 rpg) + 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

The two machine guns are located just forward of the pilot firing out of the nose of the aircraft. The cannon (either 20 mm or 30 mm) is mounted in the propeller shaft and will fire through the propeller hub.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)|Wfr.Gr.21|MK 108 (30 mm)|MG 151/20 (20 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
* 2 x 30 mm MK 108 cannons, gunpods (wing-mounted) (35 rpg = 70 total)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, gunpods (wing-mounted) (135 rpg = 270 total)
* 2 x Wfr.Gr.21 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

When stock, you should side climb and enter combat with a superior altitude before engaging. Your enemies will render you ineffective if you don't have the height advantage. However, when it's fully upgraded you might omit side-climbing as the plane should generally get you either at the same altitude or above the opponent. WEP is very effective, so use it to get to an effective altitude in the least amount of time. The engine overheats quite fast, but it also cools down rapidly. Don't be afraid to use WEP even if your temperature is yellow or red.

If you're engaging an enemy while you have an energy advantage, you should do everything in your power to keep or regain this advantage while depleting his. The Bf 109 can achieve this through the use of energy traps like rope-a-dopes, and to disengage when a foe avoids your boom. When neither you or the enemy has an advantage, you should avoid head-ons with the least amount of energy waste. Most of the time the enemy tries to get back on your 6 o clock, which drains his energy much more than yours. This gives you the opportunity to extend, climb, or bait him into an energy trap. Should you, however, face an enemy with superior altitude or speed, attempt to evade his booms on you or force him to overshoot.

When it comes to armament you have the choice of a 20 or 30 mm cannon in the engine, and gun pods of the same calibre. The 20 mm gun has good gun characteristics with decent damage and a good ammo count, while the 30 mm deals devastating damage but has a low ammo capacity and a very slow shell velocity. The gun pods aren't recommended as they dramatically decrease the plane's performance.

====Specific enemies worth noting====

Your worst enemies in the Bf-109 G-6 are the [[Spitfire (Family)|Spitfires]] and the [[P-47 (Family)|P-47D/N/M Thunderbolts]]. The Spitfire can out-turn you at almost all altitudes below 4,000 meters. You have to be really careful when engaging a P-47 with an altitude advantage against you. The best thing you can do in that case is to turn away and keep climbing. If the Thunderbolt dives on you, turn into the head-on, fire a few rounds then use your superior roll rate to do a split-S. If a Spitfire engages you DO NOT try to turn with it! If you try, you will have fallen into their trap, your best defence is similar to the tactics employed against the Thunderbolt, split-S and use your roll rate.

====Counter-tactics====

If you're facing this plane, try to deplete its energy and force the plane either low or high. At higher altitudes, the engine performance is poor at best, and at lower ones, the plane loses energy quickly with no fast means to regain it. Avoid head-ons, as the enemy aircraft can potentially carry up to 3 x 30 mm guns.

=== 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 || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 13 mm
| New 13 mm MGs
| ETC 50/VIIId
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| Offensive 20 mm
| New 20 mm cannons
| ETC 500/IXb I
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 30 mm
| New 30 mm cannons
| U4 modification
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| R5 modification
| R6 modification
| W.Gr.21
|-
|}

As mentioned earlier, the Bf 109 G-6 performs badly in stock conditions with bad flight characteristics (essentially a brick with guns) and armament that is vastly inferior to most other fighters. This changes drastically with upgrades. The upgrades are listed in the order in which they should be acquired.

* ''Offensive 13 mm'' (for removing the tracers and getting an idea of where your cannon rounds land)
* ''Radiator''
* ''Compressor''
* ''Offensive 20 mm'' (the stock belts are abhorrent with only 25% of glorious minengeschosse)
* ''Engine''
* ''U4 modification'' (do not equip it now, the single 30 mm is a bit inconsistent)
* ''Offensive 30 mm'' (for later use)
* ''Engine injection''
* ''Gunpods'' (depending on which you like more take the 30s (R5) or 20s (R6), though generally, the 30s are more sensible since when engaging fighters gun pods are more of a hindrance and the 30s are very useful against bombers)

Afterward, get all the cannon and machine gun upgrades and the remaining for better flight characteristics. Bombs and rockets should be ignored until you have researched everything else since they are not very useful.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful nose-mounted armaments, very accurate
* Can get a lot of kills with precision aiming
* Has a researchable 30 mm cannon replacement for close-up approaches
* Can research 2 types of gun pods for increased firepower
* Can be equipped with 30 mm gunpods, with 3 x 30 mm 11.95 kg/s burst mass is insane at its battle rating
* Very good energy retention
* Very good rate of climb
* Somewhat stable
* Somewhat decent manoeuvrability at low speeds in comparison to other a Bf 109 models
* Pilot protection from the rear is good
* Powerful engine
* Feels a lot lighter than the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190s]]
* Features the Stab.III/JG.52 camouflage, which considered to be one of the best and historically accurate camouflage for the 109

'''Cons:'''

* Poor performance without flight performance upgrades
* Is not really suited for new players
* Still overheats, although not that often as the F model
* Gunpods will reduce performance to some degree
* MK 108 has low ammo count compared to the 20 mm
* MK 108 is has a slow velocity, is very hard to lead
* 13 mm machine guns create bulges in the nose, limiting visibility in the cockpit
* 13 mm machine guns are underpowered

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

=== In-game description ===
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a single-seat monoplane fighter used by the Luftwaffe before and during WWII. It was used as a fighter, interceptor, high-altitude interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

The Bf 109 G-6 "Gustav" was the most mass-produced variant of the Gustav series. It entered production in the late Autumn of 1942, and was initially designed as a universal platform which could be quickly converted to various roles as needed in field conditions. The G-6 was also equipped with improved engines, either with MW 50 methanol-water injection, or the high-altitude GM-1 nitrous oxide injection. The DB 605AS engine, which used 96-octane fuel, as opposed to 87-octane, could reach over 2,000 HP at 500 m and 1,800 HP at 5,000 m. These variants were designated Bf 109G-6/AS. The armored seat had a transparent seat back, which significantly improved visibility. A total of 700 /AS aircraft were produced.

In addition to those changes, the G-6 was also the first to house the 30mm MK 108 cannon, which had 60 specially designed incendiary shells. A single hit was usually enough to destroy a single-seat fighter, most bombers needing no more than 4 or 5 hits.

== Media ==


* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23bf109g6 Skins and camouflages for the Bf 109G-6 from War Thunder Live].

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

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

{{Germany fighters}}

F-4C Phantom II

2019-10-27T16:35:31Z

U65959196: Added aim9e

{{Specs-Card|code=f-4c}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

Development of fighter aircraft attempts to balance size, speed, armament and manoeuvrability to come up with the perfect fighter. Due to the difficulties and challenges of bundling all of these in one aircraft, many different varieties have been developed through the years which highlighted one or more aspects but rarely all in one. And sometimes the mould had to be broken and the motto "bigger IS better" came into play. Due to these such heavyweight fighters like the [[P-61C-1|P-61]], [[Me 410 (Family)|Me 410]], [[Beaufighter (Family)|Beaufighter]], [[J5N1]] and [[SM.91]] were developed to fly faster, remain manoeuvrable and carry heavier weapons and ordnance, sometimes much heavier than their lighter counterparts. The {{PAGENAME}} is no exception, originally developed as a souped-up F-3H Demon, this fighter was modified into a larger, heavier, faster fighter-interceptor/bomber that the U.S. Navy didn't realize it needed and when it did, it went all in.<ref name="Hachette" />

The imposing {{PAGENAME}} can seem a bit intimidating at first due to its size, but the pilot will quickly find that with the dual J79-GE-15 engines that this fighter is no slouch. Going from takeoff, acceleration in a climb and to level flight the {{PAGENAME}} will move and is quite agile for an aircraft of its size. More than capable as a dogfighter, it however has many options up its sleeve to deal with enemy aircraft it may encounter. Pilots new to the {{PAGENAME}} will initially be set up with an M61 20 mm cannon. Due to this aircraft not being configured with an internal cannon, one was required to be mounted on a centre-line pylon. Options become available to mount two additional 20 mm cannon gun pods, one under each wing which all together will spew out a slew of 20 mm rounds acting like a shotgun effect even at >500 m. [[AIM-9B]] and AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles round out the Phantom's anti-air capabilities and is a solid missile to use against enemy aircraft which will cause the enemy pilot to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid the missile. In the event that happens, be ready with the cannons for backup as the enemy pilot should be an easy target after bleeding all of their speed and energy avoiding the missile.

[[File:F 4 phantom markymark 002.jpg|350px|thumb|left|Bird's eye view of a '''{{PAGENAME}}''' from the VF-111 ''Sundowners'' squadron.]]

Another arena where the {{PAGENAME}} shines is in the ground-pounding or ground attack function of the aircraft. With eleven hardpoints, this fighter/bomber can be configured in many different ways to carry a combination of guns, bombs and rockets. When it comes to bombs, the {{PAGENAME}} has the option to use either 250 lb, 500 lb, 750 lb or 1,000 lb bombs and can hold upwards of 9,000 lbs total! The Phantom also has three different rocket types to choose from, depending on the targets you are going after. These range from anti-tank AGM-12B and AGM-12C Bullpup guided rockets, Zuni Mk32 anti-tank rockets and the small but powerful FFAR Mighty Mouse in a volume of 228, which can be devastating when used en masse.

The amazing F-4 Phantom II was state-of-the-art in its day and even 60 years later, several countries are still utilising this iconic fighter/bomber as a force multiplier with their air forces today. This fighter coupled with a pilots skill and determination can help alter the outcome in the jet-battle matches.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===


The {{PAGENAME}} is an incredibly stable aircraft, however from the way its wingtips and tailplanes look, one might think otherwise. Due to extensive wind tunnel testing, McDonnell engineers determined that by canting the tailplanes downward at a 23° anhedral (inclination) the stability and stall recovery characteristics of the aircraft dramatically improved and in the same fashion they didn't interfere with the engine's jet exhaust. The wings, on the other hand, were developed to be extremely strong to support large suspended armaments; however, they needed to be given a 5° upward inclination, though, to prevent having to redesign the entire wing, the engineers elected to just raise the wingtips at 12° dihedral which averaged the wing at the necessary 5°. The iconic shape of the {{PAGENAME}} was set.<ref name="Hachette" />

With the airframe, wings and tailplanes set in place, the fighter became a stable and solid aircraft. Stability is especially critical with a jet which closes in on the Mach 2 mark. Early speed trials identified flaws in the aircraft which at times proved fatal, but corrections and modifications for later aircraft increased their stability and airworthiness which saved many pilots with damaged aircraft. The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by two General Electric J79-GE-15 engines which are necessary to keep the fighter/bomber in the sky, especially with heavy ordnance loads, however, these engines don't bog down too much under heavy loads as it will still accelerate in a climb, during level flight and during a dive. A testament to the jet and its engines, during one altitude test, the F-4 flew Mach 2 all the way to 90,000 feet where the engines were shut off and the plane coasted up to 98,000 ft, slowing to almost 45 mph and upon dropping back to Earth, fired up its engines at around 70,000 ft and successfully landed.

The Phantom II has the speed and acceleration and also has sufficient manoeuvrability. As a low altitude bomber, the {{PAGENAME}} needed to be manoeuvrable or else it would have been an easier target for either the MiG fighters or the anti-aircraft ground fire. Even with heavy ordnance loads, the Phantom II could still shimmy into position, release its ordnance and then rocket away to higher altitude. Pilots found out early on that some MiG fighters like the -17 were extremely manoeuvrable and had to be prepared to nullify the target to prevent the MiG from getting behind them.
For the {{PAGENAME}} pilot, it is important when bombing targets to keep a look around and watch for enemy fighters attempting to swoop in, attack the ground target and rocket up to safety. When flying at altitude, be careful not to get into a turning fight as the Phantom is a very heavy aircraft and does not turn very well, instead fly fast and work with Boom & Zoom techniques and always watch your six as a MiG may try to sneak up from behind.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,192 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 2,231 || 2,206 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.4 || 27.9 || 144.1 || 135 || 850
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,192 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
| 2,362 || 2,290 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 25.6 || 26.0 || 202.1 || 172 || 850
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 625 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 0 m || 4,910 kgf || 6,874 kgf
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===

[[File:F 4 phantom sgtroach.png|350px|thumb|right|''Fox-2, Fox-2'' - ROKAF '''{{PAGENAME}}''' launching an [[AIM-9B]] Sidewinder missile.]]
Due to the sheer weight of the {{PAGENAME}} it is surprising to note that there is no armour plating nor any bulletproof canopies. Littered with eight fuel tanks, one in each wing and the other six in the fuselage right above the engines, there isn't much protection for the self-sealing tanks. The Phantom pilot will need to be cognizant of where enemy aircraft are behind them to ensure they prevent their aircraft from taking damage as speed and manoeuvrability are the keys to survival and if lost, there is not much hope for the fighter.

For those aircraft attacking the {{PAGENAME}}, when using machine guns and cannons you can try to blow off a wing or snipe the pilot, however, your best bet will be to aim for centre fuselage where you have the greatest chance of hitting several fuel tanks or even the engines. Firing missiles will cause the pilot to take evasive manoeuvres which may cause the aircraft to pitch up or down which will expose the greatest surface area allowing your guns or cannons to finish the fight as for without any armour, only the thin metal skin separates the incoming bullets from critical {{PAGENAME}} components.

== Armaments ==
=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|M61 (20 mm)|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|AGM-12B Bullpup|AGM-12C Bullpup|FFAR Mighty Mouse|Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP|AIM-9B}}
[[File:F 4 phantom news001.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Three-quarter view of an '''{{PAGENAME}}''' displaying the variance of suspended armament.]]
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* 1 x 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon in a SUU-16/SUU-23 gun pod (approximately 1200 rounds)
* 2 x additional SUU-16/SUU-23 gun pods for a total of 3 x M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannons
* 18 x 250 lb. Mk.81 bombs (4,500 lbs total)
* 18 x 500 lb. Mk.82 bombs (9,000 lbs total)
* 12 x 750 lb. M117 cone 45 bombs (9,000 lbs total)
* 8 x 1000 lb. Mk.83 bombs (8,000 lbs total)
* 2 - 4 x AGM-12 Bullpup Air-to-Surface Missiles
* 48 x Mk. 32 Zuni ATAP rockets
* 228 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles

It is rare for a fighter not to have any native offensive weapons, typically this is a situation you would find on a bomber. The {{PAGENAME}} is unique in that what it lacks in offensive weapons, it more than makes up for in suspended weapons. With a total of 11 hardpoint pylons, an array of guns, bombs, rockets and missiles can be added, fully customizing the mission to suit the needs of the pilot. The pilot has the choice of configuring for air-to-air, air-to-ground or a mixture of both (bombs and Bullpup rockets are ground attack only, missiles are air-to-air attack only while the cannons, Zuni and FFAR rockets can be used for both).

In regards to air-to-air combat, the {{PAGENAME}} is hard-pressed to find a competitor on equal footing, but that can be found with an exceptional pilot flying a less than equal aircraft. This fighter is fast and with its speed, it can relatively sneak up on enemy fighters by closing the gap on the field with its twin J79-GE-15 engines. Once in place and the enemy is in range, two options are available, guns or missiles? The M-61 Vulcan cannon can spew 20 mm rounds at the rate of just over 6,000 rounds per minute (roughly 100 per second), now multiply that by three (if the Phantom is configured for three gun pods) and you can see devastating firepower which will be difficult for any enemy aircraft to avoid. Even just quick bursts at a manoeuvring fighter can be enough to inflict critical damage or even blowing off a wing. Ground attack with the guns can be effective on lighter armoured vehicles with just a few quick bursts.

The AIM-9B Sidewinder is the missile option available for the {{PAGENAME}}. During the Vietnam War when F-4D model aircraft began operations, it did so without the capability of mounting AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, just Sidewinders. Sidewinders had gained a reputation of not being reliable (not firing, not tracking, not exploding) so several squadrons had their F-4D fighters field outfitted with the ability to mount their trusted Sidewinder missiles. Here on the {{PAGENAME}}, four Sidewinders are available and are very effective at hounding down an aircraft when a lock is acquired. Though not 100% chance to hit, a very competent pilot can avoid them, however, it will cost much in speed and situational awareness that it ends up making them an easy target to clean up with the cannons.
[[File:F 4 phantom markymark 001.jpg ‎|350px|thumb|left|VF-96 ''Showtime-100'' '''{{PAGENAME}}''' unloading bombs in Vietnam.]]
Zuni and FFAR rockets can be utilised effectively against bombers or even against other fighters, especially during a head-on. Though unguided and not very accurate, usually a salvo of these rockets is enough to cause an enemy to panic into an unexpected manoeuvre. Usage of these rockets on ground targets works very well too. Again, with them being unguided, shooting them en masse ensure greater possibility of one or more to hit the target. The AGM-12B Bullpup rockets are excellent rockets to use against ground targets, however, the one drawback is that it needs to be guided in by the pilot, so if there are any distractions to the pilot, the rocket will likely go off course and miss the target.

9,000 lbs. Yes, you read that number correctly, the {{PAGENAME}} can carry up to 9,000 lbs of bombs, which is half of what a [[B-29A-BN|B-29]] bomber could carry, however, the Phantom is quite a bit more accurate dropping from much lower altitudes. Using combinations of 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 lb bombs allows the pilot to pick targets accordingly. To ensure the {{PAGENAME}} is not left defenceless after the bombs are away, each configuration has at least one 20 mm cannon pod and/or AIM-9B missiles to go with it.

== Usage in battles ==

The {{PAGENAME}} relies on brute force to get its job done. With this version of the Phantom II, there is no protective armour, there are no defensive weapons and there are no countermeasures to ward off the enemy and the weapons they bring to the table. As a brute, the Phantom II muscles its way into a fight, it brings the big guns whether it is cannons, rockets, bombs, missiles or any combination of them and when it does bring them, it brings lots of them. When attacking a Phantom, don't assume it is just a fighter, interceptor or a bomber as it can switch roles on the fly depending on its suspended armament loadout and what needs to be done.

;Air-to-air

The {{PAGENAME}} was originally developed to be an all-weather fleet defensive interceptor for the U.S. Navy, however that role was already taken by the Vought F-8 Crusader, so going back to the drawing board, McDonnell engineers reconfigured the Phantom II so that it can be more versatile and be configured with weapons to suit the mission needed or the branch of military it would be flying for.<ref name="Hachette" /> Though large and intimidating, the Phantom II is a fast-moving beast of an aircraft which can hold its own in air-to-air combat. Due to its size and weight, turn fighting is not the best way to handle the aircraft as with its speed, acceleration and climbing abilities, it can Boom & Zoom with the best of them.

Typically two weapons can be mounted which help this fighter excel in combat of this type and which are AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles and M-61 Vulcan cannons (in a configuration of one or three). The Vulcan cannons can spray the area in front of the Phantom II with an insane amount of 20 mm rounds, especially when three gun pods are mounted which almost has a shotgun scatter effect by the time it gets to where the enemy fighter is and should put enough holes in it with a few quick bursts to get a critical or even just destroy the enemy aircraft. Sometimes the cannons may not be the right option and for this, the AIM-9B comes into play. The Sidewinder missile is very effective and has a very low failure rate, though, in the hands of a good pilot, an enemy fighter does have a chance to evade the missile. The {{PAGENAME}} carries four AIM-9Bs and can utilize them to "spook" an enemy aircraft which might have an energy advantage to attempt energy bleeding manoeuvres to avoid the missile only inadvertently actually setting them up for an easy fly-by kill with the Phantom II's cannons.
Rockets are another option for this aircraft, however for air-to-air combat, the Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets are the best bet of the three as they were designed to be fired off in large groups to take down large bombers, however, the Phantom II can make use of them not only with bombers but also against fighters attempting a head-on pass or even aircraft landing on airfield in domination matches, as a salvo of missiles will end short their attempt to capture the airfield.

;Ground pounding

[[File:F 4 phantom iscari.png‎|450px|thumb|right|Fully loaded '''{{PAGENAME}}''' en route to bombing site.]]
The {{PAGENAME}} was not called a ''Mud Mover'' for nothing as with its legendary suspended ordnance options it can quickly reshape the landscape with bombs and rockets.<ref name="Hachette" /> One of the other configurations the McDonnell engineers designed the Phantom II for was to fit the role of a bomber. Knowing ahead of time this option would increase the fighters value as a force multiplier, the aircraft's wings were originally super strengthened to support eleven hardpoint pylons to allow for up to 9,000 lbs of bombs to be carried (''to keep this in perspective, two {{PAGENAME}}s with four crew members could carry the same max weight of bombs of what one B-29 bomber with a total crew of 10 could but could do it a lot faster and at a lot lower altitude'').
The bomb options for the Phantom II range from 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 lb bombs which will allow this fighter/bomber to virtually attack any ground target on the map to include large bases. As a bonus, once all of the bombs have been dropped, the F-4 will not be a sitting duck while waiting for the reload timer (arcade) or when heading back to base (realistic and simulator) to reload as each loadout option includes one 20 mm gun pod to allow for a continued attack. Zuni and FFAR Might Mouse rockets can be used for great effect on vehicles and anti-aircraft sites, especially those which are clustered close together, however against heavy pillboxes and heavy tanks they might not do much. The final option is to outfit the AGM-12B or AGM-12C Bullpup rockets. These rockets are a mixed bag for the pilot as they excel at being used against tanks due to their 250 lb warhead; however, on the flip side, these rockets are MCLOS (manual command line of sight) which requires the Phantom II pilot to guide the rocket all the way to the target. Any cause for pilot deviation could potentially throw the Bullpup off course. During the guiding phase of Bullpup on the way to the target, a Phantom II is vulnerable as the pilot cannot be looking around for incoming enemy aircraft and must keep a visual on the target until the rocket hits its target.

;Bait attack

The {{PAGENAME}} is a phenomenal aircraft to use in a group manoeuvre known as a baiting attack. This fighter can play both roles as either the bait or an attacking aircraft. For this to work, the Phantom II can be used as the bait aircraft, which flies in a way to attract the attention of an enemy fighter (or two), after closing in, the Phantom II should use its speed and acceleration to go into a climb, almost like setting up for a rope-a-dope manoeuvre. While the enemy aircraft are attempting to chase the F-4 in the climb the group buddies can swoop in and take out the distracted enemy aircraft. Due to the fast speed and acceleration of the F-4, it can also be used as the support aircraft in the manoeuvre as with its cannons and missiles; it can lunge in to take out the baited enemy fighters.

;Most dangerous enemies

MiG fighters tend to be the most dangerous enemies, especially the MiG-21 which extremely agile and can typically outmanoeuvre the F-4. The max speed of the MiG-21 is comparable with the F-4, whereas the earlier MiG 17 and 19 will get left in the dust as they are almost only half as fast. The MiG-21 does not carry air-to-air missiles; however, it is configured with rockets and a 30 mm cannon which can rain destruction down on the {{PAGENAME}}. Best bet against a MiG-21 is to attempt to first cripple the aircraft either during a head-on approach or through a missile, rocket or gun attack, once it is operating at less than 100%, it will be easier to manoeuvre around it and set up for the killing blow.

[[File:F 4 phantom commander drew.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Artistic rendition of a '''{{PAGENAME}}''' in a power climb.]]

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="4" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Compressor
| Fuselage repair
| Offensive 20 mm cannons
| Mk81
| AGM-12B Bullpup
|
|-
| II
| New boosters
| Airframe
| New 20 mm cannons
| Mk82
| AGM-81C Bullpup
| AIM-9B
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| G-suit
| Gun pod SUU-23/A.
| M117
| LAU-3/A
| AIM-9E
|-
| IV
| Engine
| Cover
|
| Mk83
| LAU-10/A
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Centre-line gun pod is default weapon on all load-outs
* Wide variety of payload options to include 20 mm cannons, rockets, missiles and bombs
* One of the fastest aircraft in the game pushing Mach 2
* Has access to the fantastic AIM-9 Sidewinders air-to-air missiles
* Excellent rate of climb
* Good roll rate
* M61 Vulcan is devastating to enemy aircraft (especially when three gun pods are outfitted)

'''Cons:'''

* Missiles are a Tier IV modification which requires unlocking before use
* Large target profile compared to other fighters
* When maxed out at 24 t (21,800 kg/48,000 lb) manoeuvrability suffers
* Using wing-mounted hardpoints will break wings at low altitudes at Mach +1.10

{{Notice|'''Fun Fact''': The {{PAGENAME}}'s air-intake splitters each have ''12,500'' small holes drilled into them to reduce incoming turbulence and allow the maximum amount of ram air available into the air-intakes for the engines.}}

== History ==

McDonnell Aircraft Corporation began operations in 1939, though it didn't produce any fighter aircraft for the second great war, it did make a name for itself manufacturing aircraft parts for other aircraft. Though the company worked on a prototype twin-engine, single-seat interceptor aircraft, the XP-67 ''Bat'' (also known as ''Moonbat''), the destruction of the prototype due to an engine fire caused the project to be cancelled. However, starting in 1943, McDonnell began developing jet aircraft and successfully produced the FH-1 Phantom during the post-war era.<ref name="Hachette" /> The success of the Phantom prompted other McDonnell aircraft to have similar features such as the dual engines placed forward under the fuselage and exiting just behind the wings, unlike many single-engine jet fighters which ran the rear length of the aircraft and exited out the rear. Follow on aircraft which shared the engine style of the Phantom was the F2H Banshee, F3H Demon and the F-101 Voodoo.<ref name="Hachette" />

Though McDonnell had initial success with the Phantom and Banshee, they started having problems with the Demon, though it was not because of the aircraft itself, however, it was because of the engines it was outfitted with. The aircraft was sound in its construction and aerodynamics. Later after the Westinghouse XJ40 turbojet was replaced with the Allison J71, the Demon saw greater success.<ref name="Hachette" /> The F-101 Voodoo was an excellent performing aircraft which fulfilled its multi-role capability as an interceptor, fighter/bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, however, when going up against Vought Aircraft Company for a contract with the Navy, McDonnell lost out with the F-8 Crusader being the winner<ref name="Joiner" />.

McDonnell's response to this failure was to task their design team to build a fighter aircraft that the Navy could not refuse, but they did not yet know they needed. Part of the time spent gathering information included interviews with pilots and their wives and one major find was that while the pilots loved to fly fast single-engine fighters, they felt safer in an aircraft which had two engines. With this and other information in hand, McDonnell knew that they needed a single-seat, long-range attack aircraft which manifested itself in a full-size mock-up as the F3H-H, looking noticeably like a combination of a shortened Demon with the swept wings of a Banshee, plus straight tailplanes and an aerodynamic fuselage. This fighter was outfitted with four internal 20 mm cannons plus numerous external payload pylons mounted under the wings and fuselage. The F3H-H was considered more than just an aircraft and was evolving into what would be known as a weapon system. The original engines specified for this aircraft were the Wright J65-W-2, but McDonnell was eyeballing the new General Electric J79 engines for this project.<ref name="Hachette" />

The F3H-H was soon changed to the AH-1 (later the F4H-1) when it went into prototype status, but the aircraft was still having difficulty trying to find a place in the Navy as existing aircraft were already fulfilling the same roles. To make a fit, it was understood to the McDonnell engineers that major changes and modifications were needed to be made, the biggest of which was adding a second crew member.<ref name="Hachette" /> Also, the Navy was willing to sit down and detail out all of the requirements they would need the aircraft to have before they would consider buying it.<ref name="Joiner" /> Three other major requirements were that the aircraft was to be outfitted with the GE J79 engines, the aircraft was to be capable of Mach 2 and the internal 20 mm cannons were removed from the design. Upon the Navy committing to two prototypes, McDonnell knew they needed to undergo a major redesign of the flight surfaces. Through extensive wind tunnel testing the rear tailplanes ended up needing to be bent downward at a 23° anhedral while remaining clear of the jet exhaust. The wings needed to go through a similar change of a 5° dihedral, however, to save time and engineering, it was settled on just adjusting the outer most section of the wings at 12° dihedral which averaged to 5° across the entire wing.<ref name="Hachette" />

Though the first two test flights of the F4H-1 ran into issues (after the first one, the right engine needed to be replaced due to foreign object damage to the compressor blades), flights three and four went smoothly including exceeding Mach 1. The F4H-1 was then shipped to Edwards Air Force Base where it was tested against the Crusader III where after being tested to its full capabilities showed that is undeniably beat the Vought aircraft across the board. Following this McDonnell followed up with breaking a height record where an F4H-1 successfully reached 98,500 ft in altitude and successfully returned. After this, the name of the jet was agreed to be the ''Phantom II'' which was a nod to the Navy's first jet fighter, the FH-1 Phantom.<ref name="Hachette" />

The United States Marine Corps had shown interest in the F-4 program since its inception as they were tired of the worn-out hand-me-downs that Navy tended to give them.<ref name="Roblin" /> Impressed with the payload and range of the aircraft, the Corps went all in with this fighter to augment and enhance their current aircraft inventory. The United States Air Force, on the other hand, baulked at the F-4, believing it to be a second-rate fighter having to be constrained to be built for carrier operations. However, the Air Force could not turn down a request to pit the Phantom II against their finest fighter, the Convair F-106 Delta Dart. During the endurance trials between the two aircraft, again it was shown that the F-4 excelled in just about every area tested (speed, payload, altitude, range and maintenance hours needed) over the F-106 and because of this, the Air Force requested two prototypes for further evaluation.<ref name="Hachette" /> At this point the Navy was receiving the F-4B fighters and ultimately after further testing, the Air Force put in an urgent request for a transfer of 29 Navy F-4Bs while the Air Forces F-4C models were being built.<ref name="Hachette" />

Air Force versions of the F-4C differed from the Navy's F-4B in that the C version had additional ground-attack capabilities along with a full set of controls for the rear seat.<ref name="Joiner" /> The rear-seater was typically a junior pilot nicknamed "Wizzo" or Weapons Systems Operator. Other changes included a reworking of the landing gear which led to lower pressure, but wider tires and an anti-skid assembly attached to the landing gear.<ref name="Hachette" /> The refuelling probe was replaced with a receptacle in the spine of the fighter (for boom refuelling operations) and the cockpit was reconfigured to improve visibility for the guy in back. Updated SST-181X Combat Skyspot radar bombing system allowed the F-4s to accomplish bombing missions under complete cloud cover. Though, not essential to the Air Force, their F-4s did retain the Navy's folding wings, catapult hooks and arrestor hook.<ref name="Hachette" />

Initial deliveries of the F-4C delivered them in the standard non-combat grey and white paintwork; however, upon arriving in Vietnam at Udon RTAFB in Thailand, the aircraft was painted to the more appropriate green and brown tactical camouflage.<ref name="Hachette" />

===[[wt:en/news/6352-development-f-4c-phantom-ii-the-record-breaker-en|Devblog]]===
In the early 1950s, McDonnell Aircraft began work on a revised design of their F3H Demon naval fighter, in an effort to expand upon its capabilities and improve performance in general. By September 1953, the design was submitted for Navy consideration. Showing interest in the project, the U.S. Navy ordered the construction of a mock-up and expressed interest in potentially procuring the type.

By 1955, however, the U.S. Navy changed the requirements for the aircraft substantially. Instead of a multipurpose aircraft, the new design was now supposed to act as a two-seat, long-range, all-weather fleet interceptor. Having revised the design, orders were issued for the construction of two XF4H-1 prototypes as well as an additional five pre-production F4H-1s. Following comparative testing against other machines in service with the Navy at the time, the F4H proved itself as highly capable aircraft and was thus ordered into full-scale production as the F-4. The name ‘Phantom II' was given to the aircraft at McDonnell's 20th anniversary celebration in July 1959.

Some time after the Navy procured the F-4, other branches of the U.S. military also became interested in the aircraft. A result, the USAF also introduced a special "army" version of the F-4 into service during the mid 1960s under the designation F-4C.

The F-4 Phantom II would become one of the most produced and widely used American combat aircraft of the second half of the 20th century. With over 5,100 machines being built, the F-4 Phantom II saw service with several operators around the globe and remained in service until the 1990s, while some still serve to this day. Phantom II is widely known as a symbol of the US campaign in Vietnam, in particular.

== Media ==

<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:F 4 phantom news002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:F 4 phantom news003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:F 4 phantom news004.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:F 4 phantom news005.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:F 4 phantom news006.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

=== Notable pilots ===
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Robin_Olds_portrait.jpg|thumb|none|300px|link=User:U64962917#Olds,_Robin.|During the Vietnam war [[User:U64962917#Olds, Robin|Robin Olds]] flew the '''F-4C''' and '''F-4D''' fighters and failed to claim aircraft kills after #4 to prevent attaining ace status to remain flying in the war as long as possible.]] </li>
</ul></div>

== 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/6352-development-f-4c-phantom-ii-the-record-breaker-en|[Development<nowiki>]</nowiki> F-4C Phantom II: The Record Breaker]]
* [https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/what-couldnt-f-4-phantom-do-180953944/ AirandSpaceMag.com - What Couldn't the F-4 Phantom Do?]
* [https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-you-need-respect-mcdonnell-douglas-f-4-phantom-ii-fighter-52862 Nationalinterest.org - Why You Need to Respect the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Fighter]

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Hachette">Hachette Partworks LTD. (2019). McDonnell F-4 Phantom II - The Greatest Warplane in the West. (5th ed.). London: Hachette Partworks LTD. ISSN:2517-259X</ref>
<ref name="Joiner">Joiner, S. (2015, March). What Couldn't the F-4 Phantom Do? Retrieved from https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/what-couldnt-f-4-phantom-do-180953944/.</ref>
<ref name="Roblin">Roblin, S. (2019, April 17). Why You Need to Respect the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Fighter. Retrieved from https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-you-need-respect-mcdonnell-douglas-f-4-phantom-ii-fighter-52862.</ref>
</references>

{{USA jet aircraft}}

Leopard A1A1 (L/44)

2019-10-17T14:50:40Z

U65959196: Number change from 20 to 18

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_a1a1_120}}
{{About
|about=medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage Leopard A1A1 (L 44).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


Players who have purchased the Leopard A1A1 L44 should be familiar with the armour of non-premium Leopard 1s. If not, the Leopard may not be what people expect a tank to be. It was developed before composite materials were discovered at a time where HEAT shells were so effective that in order for armour to be effective, it would be so thick that it would not be practical. Hence, the designers of Leopard 1s, knowing that there was no possible way of stopping HEAT rounds, removed the concept of armour. In essence, the Leopard A1A1 has no armour. The front hull, accounting slope, is only some 130 mm thick. The turret and gun mantle are some 100 mm depending on the angle. [[BMP-2]]'s auto-cannon, racked with APDS, will penetrate your turret and will cause major damage. Any HEAT projectile impacting the tank will likely result in instantly being destroyed. However, the engine block can at times reliably save the crew from HEAT shells. APDS and APFSDS are a different story. The armour on the Leopard A1A1 is so thin that most non-explosive-filled shells will seldom cause spalling upon penetrating the side of the tank. Frontal penetrations will cause much more damage, as the armour is just enough to cause spalling.

The ready rack ammo is stored vertically within your turret to the left side of the tank. So AP penetrations to the right side of your tank may not set off the ammo. But, 3/4 of your crew are sited in a single file on the right side. So a penetration will knock you out nonetheless. Try to take no more than 18 shells, as it will increase the likelihood of ammo cook-off. The point is not to get hit, because if anything hits you, it will go through, and it will cause damage.

In some cases, you could operate the tank backwards and use your engine block as a shield, as most HEAT shells will be absorbed by your transmission, radiator and engine. Although in this position you have limited depression as the engine block forces the gun upwards.

=== Mobility ===


The mobility of the Leopard A1A1 is between the [[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]] and [[T-55AM-1|T-55AM-1]]. Forward speed off road, expect some 40-50 km/h. The reverse is about 15 km/h off-road. The neutral steering is absolutely amazing, you are able to swivel your tank easily. The suspensions are also great, very soft with great dampening effects, so expect a smooth drive.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}

The legendary 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 cannon does not fall short of its name. You get access to only two types of shells, DM13 APFSDS and DM12 HEAT-FS, with both being highly competitive and effective at its battle-rating. The DM13 APFSDS round has a whopping 390 mm of penetration and is capable of defeating any armour of any tank this tank may potentially face, bar the [[T-64B]]. The round also travels extremely fast at 1,650 m/s, making long-range shooting and hitting moving targets exceptionally easy. The HEAT-FS, on the other hand, will result in hull-breaks on lightly armoured targets while also being free of cost. The 120 mm HEAT with its 650 mm penetration is able hull-break [[Object 120]]s and [[Object 906|906]]s and anything that's not a main battle tank. For example, you can hit the tracks of an anti-aircraft vehicle, and it will hull-break. The 1,100 m/s velocity may, however, make long-range engagements more difficult, especially when dealing with moving targets.

The L44 also features a decent reload time of 8.7 seconds stock and 6.7 seconds spaded, which is comparable to its 105 mm armed counterpart. The gun also features a stabiliser, firing on the move a definite capability. However, it only works up to around 30 to 40 km/h. Beyond that, the gun becomes quite jittery and hard to aim.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is armed with two MG 3A1s, which fires a 7.62 mm round. However, these are more of deterrents to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, as the small calibre bullets will rarely cause critical damage to aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==
=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Good mobility with excellent hull traverse and reverse speeds
* Effective gun with powerful ammunition able to defeat any opponent at its battle-rating
* The reload speed hasn't changed despite its new 120 mm cannon
* Laser rangefinder
* Despite the addition of bigger gun, the mobility hasn't changed
* Night vision device (thermal) for the gunner

'''Cons:'''

* Armour does not reliably protect against even autocannons
* No available heavy machine gun, often helpless against helicopter attacks

=== Tactics and strategy ===
Arcade Battles

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) is quite similar to that of it in Realistic Battles. The vehicle sports an excellent 120mm L/44 cannon which can make short work of any vehicle that it sees without any issues, however, its armour is extremely lacking and the mobility while good is not as good as an OF-40 (MTCA) or AMX-30 SUPER. playing in Arcade Battles, its best to make sure that you are always the first to fire, ensuring you get the jump on your enemies first. what's best done is to hull down and take advantage of the rather good 9 degrees of gun depression and ensuring that you are currently covering a relatively active zone of combat. with its cannon, it can be a very effective sniper or defensive vehicle as those both styles usually involves getting the jump on the enemy while remaining stationary in a concealed position. if done right, the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) can be an extremely effective weapon in Arcade Battles. its still best to prioritize targets by targeting the most dangerous ones first in order to be of most help to your team. The tank's mobility does allow for flanking however avoid direct confrontation as much as possible.

==== Realistic battles ====
The primary role of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) should be that of a long-range sniper and flanker. Its incredible firepower with its 120 mm gun makes it easy to engage and destroy any tank from long distances while remaining concealed and thus protected from enemy fire. The good mobility on this vehicle allows you to reach good positions to snipe from and the laser rangefinder makes long-range targeting easy. The lack of armour on this tank makes direct engagements very risky and often nonviable so keeping at a distance maximises your chances of survival and opportunity to inflict damage. Alternatively, the Leopard can be employed in flanking manoeuvres, using its good mobility to encircle the enemy and destroy them while they are unaware, again removing the danger of enemy fire destroying your tank.

== History ==

Development of a Leopard 1 fitted with the 120mm L44 cannon began as a private venture of the Rheinmetall company, hoping that such a Leopard 1 variant would be of interest, not just to the German army due to logistical commonalities with the Leopard 2 and higher performance of the gun, but also to international customers seeking third generation MBT features on older machines.

In the early 1980s, a Leopard 1A1A1 was modified with a thicker cast steel mantlet, suitable for mounting the Rheinmetall 120mm cannon, and additional interior changes to hold the respective ammunition. Further changes were applied in early 1985, with the installation of the EMES 18 fire control system from the Leopard 1A5.

Although there were several different prototypes based on Leopard 1 outfitted with the 120mm Rheinmetall cannon, none of them managed to justify a costly large scale upgrade effort of existing Leopard 1s. The upgrade was largely considered redundant due to the already more advanced Leopard 2 being in service.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en Devblog]''

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|Vm0waTJnLrM|Downtiered and More Competitive - Leopard A1A1 L/44 - War Thunder RB Gameplay ''-Jim Chamberlin''|nwskQP2t5Io|WT: Leo A1A1 (L/44) - Tank Review ''-Napalmratte''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1 with the Rheinmetall 120mm L44]

{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Leopard A1A1 (L/44)

2019-10-17T14:49:10Z

U65959196: Additional information about depression when facing gun backwards

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_a1a1_120}}
{{About
|about=medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage Leopard A1A1 (L 44).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


Players who have purchased the Leopard A1A1 L44 should be familiar with the armour of non-premium Leopard 1s. If not, the Leopard may not be what people expect a tank to be. It was developed before composite materials were discovered at a time where HEAT shells were so effective that in order for armour to be effective, it would be so thick that it would not be practical. Hence, the designers of Leopard 1s, knowing that there was no possible way of stopping HEAT rounds, removed the concept of armour. In essence, the Leopard A1A1 has no armour. The front hull, accounting slope, is only some 130 mm thick. The turret and gun mantle are some 100 mm depending on the angle. [[BMP-2]]'s auto-cannon, racked with APDS, will penetrate your turret and will cause major damage. Any HEAT projectile impacting the tank will likely result in instantly being destroyed. However, the engine block can at times reliably save the crew from HEAT shells. APDS and APFSDS are a different story. The armour on the Leopard A1A1 is so thin that most non-explosive-filled shells will seldom cause spalling upon penetrating the side of the tank. Frontal penetrations will cause much more damage, as the armour is just enough to cause spalling.

The ready rack ammo is stored vertically within your turret to the left side of the tank. So AP penetrations to the right side of your tank may not set off the ammo. But, 3/4 of your crew are sited in a single file on the right side. So a penetration will knock you out nonetheless. Try to take no more than 20 shells, as it will increase the likelihood of ammo cook-off. The point is not to get hit, because if anything hits you, it will go through, and it will cause damage.

In some cases, you could operate the tank backwards and use your engine block as a shield, as most HEAT shells will be absorbed by your transmission, radiator and engine. Although in this position you have limited depression as the engine block forces the gun upwards.

=== Mobility ===


The mobility of the Leopard A1A1 is between the [[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]] and [[T-55AM-1|T-55AM-1]]. Forward speed off road, expect some 40-50 km/h. The reverse is about 15 km/h off-road. The neutral steering is absolutely amazing, you are able to swivel your tank easily. The suspensions are also great, very soft with great dampening effects, so expect a smooth drive.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}

The legendary 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 cannon does not fall short of its name. You get access to only two types of shells, DM13 APFSDS and DM12 HEAT-FS, with both being highly competitive and effective at its battle-rating. The DM13 APFSDS round has a whopping 390 mm of penetration and is capable of defeating any armour of any tank this tank may potentially face, bar the [[T-64B]]. The round also travels extremely fast at 1,650 m/s, making long-range shooting and hitting moving targets exceptionally easy. The HEAT-FS, on the other hand, will result in hull-breaks on lightly armoured targets while also being free of cost. The 120 mm HEAT with its 650 mm penetration is able hull-break [[Object 120]]s and [[Object 906|906]]s and anything that's not a main battle tank. For example, you can hit the tracks of an anti-aircraft vehicle, and it will hull-break. The 1,100 m/s velocity may, however, make long-range engagements more difficult, especially when dealing with moving targets.

The L44 also features a decent reload time of 8.7 seconds stock and 6.7 seconds spaded, which is comparable to its 105 mm armed counterpart. The gun also features a stabiliser, firing on the move a definite capability. However, it only works up to around 30 to 40 km/h. Beyond that, the gun becomes quite jittery and hard to aim.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is armed with two MG 3A1s, which fires a 7.62 mm round. However, these are more of deterrents to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, as the small calibre bullets will rarely cause critical damage to aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==
=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Good mobility with excellent hull traverse and reverse speeds
* Effective gun with powerful ammunition able to defeat any opponent at its battle-rating
* The reload speed hasn't changed despite its new 120 mm cannon
* Laser rangefinder
* Despite the addition of bigger gun, the mobility hasn't changed
* Night vision device (thermal) for the gunner

'''Cons:'''

* Armour does not reliably protect against even autocannons
* No available heavy machine gun, often helpless against helicopter attacks

=== Tactics and strategy ===
Arcade Battles

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) is quite similar to that of it in Realistic Battles. The vehicle sports an excellent 120mm L/44 cannon which can make short work of any vehicle that it sees without any issues, however, its armour is extremely lacking and the mobility while good is not as good as an OF-40 (MTCA) or AMX-30 SUPER. playing in Arcade Battles, its best to make sure that you are always the first to fire, ensuring you get the jump on your enemies first. what's best done is to hull down and take advantage of the rather good 9 degrees of gun depression and ensuring that you are currently covering a relatively active zone of combat. with its cannon, it can be a very effective sniper or defensive vehicle as those both styles usually involves getting the jump on the enemy while remaining stationary in a concealed position. if done right, the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) can be an extremely effective weapon in Arcade Battles. its still best to prioritize targets by targeting the most dangerous ones first in order to be of most help to your team. The tank's mobility does allow for flanking however avoid direct confrontation as much as possible.

==== Realistic battles ====
The primary role of the Leopard A1A1 (L/44) should be that of a long-range sniper and flanker. Its incredible firepower with its 120 mm gun makes it easy to engage and destroy any tank from long distances while remaining concealed and thus protected from enemy fire. The good mobility on this vehicle allows you to reach good positions to snipe from and the laser rangefinder makes long-range targeting easy. The lack of armour on this tank makes direct engagements very risky and often nonviable so keeping at a distance maximises your chances of survival and opportunity to inflict damage. Alternatively, the Leopard can be employed in flanking manoeuvres, using its good mobility to encircle the enemy and destroy them while they are unaware, again removing the danger of enemy fire destroying your tank.

== History ==

Development of a Leopard 1 fitted with the 120mm L44 cannon began as a private venture of the Rheinmetall company, hoping that such a Leopard 1 variant would be of interest, not just to the German army due to logistical commonalities with the Leopard 2 and higher performance of the gun, but also to international customers seeking third generation MBT features on older machines.

In the early 1980s, a Leopard 1A1A1 was modified with a thicker cast steel mantlet, suitable for mounting the Rheinmetall 120mm cannon, and additional interior changes to hold the respective ammunition. Further changes were applied in early 1985, with the installation of the EMES 18 fire control system from the Leopard 1A5.

Although there were several different prototypes based on Leopard 1 outfitted with the 120mm Rheinmetall cannon, none of them managed to justify a costly large scale upgrade effort of existing Leopard 1s. The upgrade was largely considered redundant due to the already more advanced Leopard 2 being in service.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en Devblog]''

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|Vm0waTJnLrM|Downtiered and More Competitive - Leopard A1A1 L/44 - War Thunder RB Gameplay ''-Jim Chamberlin''|nwskQP2t5Io|WT: Leo A1A1 (L/44) - Tank Review ''-Napalmratte''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5724-development-leopard-1-with-the-rheinmetall-120mm-l44-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1 with the Rheinmetall 120mm L44]

{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}