War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

A-26B-10

2021-01-10T07:24:33Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
|about=American attacker '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other variants
|link=A-26 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=a-26b_10
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]].

The A-26 ''Invader'' is an excellent ground attack aircraft, boasting 6 nose-mounted M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns, as well as a potential payload of up to 4,000 lbs worth of bombs (4 x 1,000 lbs). The Invader also sports two dual-M2 Browning machine gun turrets, remote controlled by a gunner located in the rear section of the aircraft, that flawlessly track aircraft transitioning in the vertical.

In addition, later upgrades of this particular A-26 model grant the user the ability to use a nose-mounted M4 37 mm cannon, at the expense of two of the .50 cals.

The Invader's strengths over many similar dual-engine aircraft is a surprising punch that it packs, especially when the 37 mm cannon is equipped, which can possibly turn the attacker into a fearsome, yet cumbersome blitzer due to its incredible speed.

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,573 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
| 554 || 541 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 31.1 || 32.0 || 9.9 || 9.8 || rowspan="2" | 1,000
|-
! Upgraded
| 596 || 576 || 29.1 || 30.0 || 14.2 || 12.0
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 527 || 527 || 351 || ~6 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 370 || < 375 || < 460 || > 350
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 1,310 m || 2,000 hp || No WEP
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,572 m || 1,600 hp || No WEP
|-
|}

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


* 12.7 mm Steel - Nose plate
* 8 mm Steel - Under engine armour plate (each nacelle)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore/aft nacelle fuel protection plates x 2 (each nacelle)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
* 9.5 mm Steel - Cockpit tub
* 9 mm Steel - Pilot/Co-pilot's seat backs
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner aft armour plate
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner lower armour plate
* 12.7 mm Steel - Aircraft tail armour plate
* 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot

With this array of armour, the A-26B-10 is well-protected from any glancing rounds from machine guns.

As mentioned earlier, the A-26B-10 has the option to mount a 37 mm cannon in the nose. That in combination with its speed and additional four .50 cals in the nose will punish any opponent foolish enough to head on this aircraft. In addition, the rear of the aircraft is well defended by the two remote-controlled .50 cal turrets.

Thus, to fight an A-26, the best method of attack is to perform a Boom & Zoom run and aim for the engines. As fast as the A-26 is, it loses a fair deal of speed if one of the engines is out of action and, (if your aim is good enough), you may even snipe the gunner, leaving a massive blind spot from the rear of the Invader. If you find yourself in front of this plane, and there are no alternatives, aim for the cockpit only! This is as a result of the A-26 having both a pilot and a co-pilot, meaning if one is knocked out, the other can still take command of the plane. Nonetheless, the best possible angle to attack an Invader is from the sides, where the gunner cannot traverse the turrets.

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

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

{{main|M4 (37 mm)|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* A choice between three presets:
** 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)
** 1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 rpg) + 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)
** 2 x 37 mm M4 cannons, nose-mounted (30 rpg = 60 total)

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

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 16 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,600 lb total)
* 12 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 10 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (5,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)

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

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

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

* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==


Though the A-26B-10 Invader will suffer in combat versus more nimble single-engine fighters, it still has some tricks it can employ to eke out a victory in the skies. Due to all the offensive weaponry being mounted in the nose of the plane, it creates a rather dense cone of fire, similar to that of most heavy fighters. This enables the Invader to nearly guarantee either to destroy or critically damage any fighter greedy enough to head you on, even if they are armed with cannons. The A-26B-10 is a very resilient aircraft, similar to other dual-engine aircraft like the [[Beaufighter Mk 21]]. Because of this, the pilot of the Invader can allow his opponent to land some hits in exchange for coming in view of either the A-26's forward facing armaments, or of its two rear-facing turrets. Though M2 Brownings lack the stopping power of cannons such as the 23 mm NS-23 cannon, they are still capable of inflicting immense damage to enemy aircraft, lighting up fuel tanks and disabling key components like control surfaces. This can buy the pilot some breathing room, by forcing enemy fighters to return to base after coming under fire from the Invader's guns.

While the A-26 Invader is fast for its battle rating of 5.0, it will still be intercepted by almost any late models of aircraft such as the Bf 109 "Gustav" series, the [[Bf 109 K-4]], almost any later model of the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]], including the Focke-Wulf [[Ta 152 C-3|Ta 152]] series. Any of the above-mentioned German aircraft will tear you apart due to all of them sporting the "Minengeschoß" shells.

'''Play styles'''

due to its versatility the A-26 can play a variety of play styles and once you learn its strengths and weaknesses it is very easy and fun to use.

'''In air battles'''

Despite being an attacker designed to perform tactical attacks and close air support, the A-26 is good at air battles and not just ground battles. It can perform a large amount of essential roles such as a bomber or an attacker.

'''Low altitude bomber'''

This play style is the easiest to execute even when stock, so it is recommended for players who are new to the plane.

before you spawn in make sure to load the 10X500lbs bombs loadout. once you spawn in, fly towards the enemy bases in a shallow dive, the A-26 is capable of cruising at 500kph so you won't need to wait much before you will reach the enemy bases. once you are close to the bases check the battle's [[Battle ratings|battle rating]]. if it is 4.7 and below, drop 6 bombs on your chosen base. if it is 5.0 and above drop 7 bombs.

'''Attacker'''

This role can be played both from the start of the battle or after you finished your role as a low altitude bomber. before the battle, make sure to load all 6 0.5 caliber [[AN-M2 (12.7 mm)|M2]] machine guns since they are more effective overall then the [[M4 (37 mm)|37 mm]] cannons. In this role, the bomb loadout does not matter much since it is quite hard and inefficient to bomb ground targets. the only targets worth bombing are light and regular pillboxes, and these can be destroyed with your main weaponry. after spawning fly to the ground targets and start firing. if you didn't manage to destroy your target in your first pass, try firing at them with your turrets, if that didn't destroy your target, move on or return for a second pass.

'''In ground battles'''

In ground battles the A-26 gets a chance to do what it was designed to do - provide close air support for troops on the ground. it is recommended to use the 4X1000lbs bombs loadout since the 1000lbs bombs provide twice the TNT equivalent and almost twice the destruction radius of the 500lbs bombs making them much easier to use. You can also load the [[M4 (37 mm)|37 mm]] with ground targets belt and strife enemy tanks.

'''Defensive flying'''

Once someone got behind your tail you are probably not going to out-maneuver him, so your only options are to either shoot him down, scare him away or out-run him.

Once his is about 1.6km away from you start shooting, use zoom to aim better and make sure to make slight maneuvers to dodge his bullets. if he can not get closer you won, but if he is faster and you couldn't kill him, once he is closer then 800 meters pull hard and try to make him overshoot, after he overshot try to open as much distance as possible between you and him in order to trap him in the ideal shooting range stated above (1.6km-0.8km). Repeat this until he either dies or pulls off.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

Against the Russians, any of the La-7s or La-9s can and will be able to catch you. In addition, aircraft such as the [[Yak-9P]] or [[Yak-9UT]], which wield both [[ShVAK (20 mm)|20 mm]] and either a [[NS-37 (37 mm)|37 mm]] or [[NS-45 (45 mm)|45 mm]] will tear your plane to bits. While the Russians do not have cannons armed with the same round types as a German fighter does, the multitude of cannons they wield can make short work of you.

The British can also give you a run for your money. The most common adversary that could give you an issue is the [[Wyvern S4|Wyvern]], due to its blistering speed and four 20 mm [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|Hispano Mk.V]] cannons. In addition, a Tempest could also make quick work of you due to the same reasoning in firepower. While it is unlikely you will see any of the Griffon Spitfires, earlier models can still inflict a heavy amount of damage to your air frame.

One SPAA to worry about in Ground Realistic Battles is the Chinese [[ZSD63]]. Though it is hard to identify specific SPAA vehicles on the ground (especially when they are shooting tracers at the plane), if a ZSD63 can be identified, avoid it at all costs and '''do not''' attempt head-ons with it, ever. It can easily snap a wing off by causally putting a short burst in the {{PAGENAME}}'s flight path. Don't even get close to it unless it is occupied with another friendly or if the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with a bomb that it can use. Some identifying features of the ZSD63 is its rather boxy and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. The firing manner is also distinctive: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzz saw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading. Armour-piercing belt is recommended since their high penetration can tear through the ZSD's armour with ease and knock out its crews.

=== 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 Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable 2 gears || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Respectable forward-facing armament
* Impressive secondary armament when compared to its counterparts
* Highly durable
* Fast
* Decent energy retention
* Two remote-controlled turrets
* Respectable climb rate for an attacker
* Can mount up to 2 cannon for either air targets or ground targets
* Pilot and co-pilot: if one is knocked out, the other can take command

'''Cons'''

* Not very maneuverable
* As fast as it is, it is slower when compared to single-engine fighters
* Poor roll and rudder performance
* Large silhouette
* Fairly high repair cost
* Only one gunner. If he is knocked out both of the turrets will stop working

== History ==

In the mid 1930s, Douglas Aircraft analysed contemporaries like the Do 17 and Blenheim, making them gamble on a fast, versatile, and manoeuvrable bomber. The resulting world leading DB-7, A-20 attacker/bomber paid off in immediate orders from France and England if not initially from USA. A great start, the pace of aircraft innovation only accelerated and Douglas knew its world leading design would soon be outdated. Work began on a new design.

Master engineer Edward Heinemann reassembled a team of Robert Donovan and Ted R. Smith from the A-20 program. Most important was aerodynamicist Apollo M.O. Smith who chose the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar flow airfoil that promised better top speed. Laminar Flow was still a radical technology at the time, the yet unproven Mustang Mk 1 was the only production aircraft using the technology. To make this high speed wing also fly slowly for safe landing, a double-slotted flaps system was created, the first production aircraft to use what is now common in all modern jet liners. The wing also had a relatively high aspect ratio for long range performance.

Design features from the breakthrough A-20 design were carried into the A-26. It is easy to spot the family resemblance of the nose gear, high wing, straight fuselage, and dihedral wing and tail. The easily replaceable nose unit, either a solid nose unit or the glass bombardier's unit, was also carried over, the latter used a Norden M-9 bombsight. The engines were also upgraded to the much more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp fourteen-cylinder, double-row, radial air-cooled engines. Armaments were now standardized as the Colt-Browning AN/M2 .50 cal machine guns offensively mounted in all versions' noses. All models had space in wing for ammo belts feeding up to four dual gun pods mounted underneath the wing. Versatility was a key point and many other armament options were made, including large cannons and wing-mounted bombs and rockets. A-26's could even carry two torpedoes, however there is no evidence it was ever used operationally. Another key feature was the General Electric remote control turret top and bottom of the attacker, both controlled by a single crewman using a periscope sighting system (a year ahead of a similar system created by the Germans).

The ХА-26 prototype made its first flight on July 10, 1942. Mass production began in September 1943. Parallel production lines started in Douglas, Long Beach (code DL) making the solid nose A-26B, and Douglas, Tulsa making the bombardier nose A-26C (but both could be easily swapped in less than an hour). A total of 2,503 were built.

While praised by the pilots at home, its first trial by fire in May 1944 over New Guinea was less enthusiastic mainly due to limited downward view and other issues soured the Pacific crews. Less than 4 months later, missions in Europe received a completely different response where as a low altitude level bomber it excelled at its operation and easily countered defending Luftwaffe with strong defenses or high speed. Over this time, upgrades to the design came about, including a new canopy that improved pilot view with the А-26C-30-DT, and integrating six .50 machine guns into the wings starting with the А-26B-50-DL and А-26C-55-DT.

After WW2 ended only the A-26 was kept in active service, its performance securing its usefulness, but the designation changed to B-26 (causing confusion with the name of the retired B-26 Marauder). When the Korean war started in 1950 the underappreciated attacker suddenly became vital again, heavily employed in day and night attacks against North Korean forces. Conflict did not end with Korea, so the B-26 was now needed elsewhere, but quirk of political nuance forced the name back to the original A-26 so they could be sold to Thailand.

In short, with continuing conflicts and numerous upgrades the A-26 was actively used decades after it first flew, with the last known military mission in 1977.

It was not done with "combat" missions then; however, being actively used to fight wildfires that ravaged parts of the US, Canada, and Australia, immortalized by the 1989 film "Always".

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=assault&vehicle=a-26b_10 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|E1IDVFUqzrI|'''The Shooting Range #83''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 10:27 discusses the Douglas A-26 Invader.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Douglas [[A-20G-25|A-20]] Havoc

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Bristol [[Brigand B 1|Brigand]]
* Junkers [[Ju 288 C|Ju 288]]
* North American [[B-25 (Family)|B-25]] Mitchell
* Tupolev [[Tu-2 (Family)|Tu-2]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3230--en|[Vehicle Profile] Douglas A-26C]]

{{AirManufacturer Douglas}}
{{USA attackers}}

Me 264

2021-01-05T12:59:55Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=me_264
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].

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

The first thing the player will notice is the plane's similarity to the famed B-29, as it shares a similarly designed fuselage and glazed nose, but a different twin tail instead of the large single tail on the B-29. Despite being a heavy bomber, the Me 264 is quite responsive and manoeuvrable. However, you are still a heavy bomber and you shouldn't try to turn with anyone. It is also quite speedy for its rank and classification, able to out-speed some of the planes at its BR when at altitude.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 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
| 495 || 478 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 38.4 || 39.4 || 1.2 || 1.2 || rowspan="2" | 2,600
|-
! Upgraded
| 546 || 519 || 35.8 || 37.0 || 6.6 || 3.5
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 380 || 380 || 290 || ~6 || ~3
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 340 || < 350 || < 290 || > 290
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,600 m || 1,750 hp || 2,074 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,800 m || 1,540 hp || 1,825 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 3
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 9,700 m || 1,230 hp || 1,458 hp
|-
|}

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


* 7 mm steel behind and to the left of pilot
* 9 mm steel to the right of pilot
* Self-sealing fuel tanks located throughout the wings
* Unarmoured pilots (can be knocked out in head-ons)

Despite not being well armoured, the Me 264 ''Amerikabomber'' can take quite a beating and has a knack for surviving fires. Due to its four engines, it can lose one or two and still make it back to base for repairs. However, it is one of the largest planes in the game and thus is impossible to miss, so while you can take a lot of damage, you will be receiving a lot as well.

Although it doesn't have a lot of armour, it has the guns to make up for it. With 3 x MG 151/20's that have access to the dreaded ''Minengeschoß'' high-explosive incendiary round complemented by another 3 x MG 131 heavy machine guns, as a few well-placed shots will make short work of any attacker that recklessly tails you.

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

The stock payload is quite poor, so pick up the ''ETC 500/II'' modification first, followed by the 20 mm belts to add more ''minengeschoß'' rounds, then the ''ETC 1000/I'' and ''ETC 1800''. The rest of the modules are up to you, but survivability modules are recommended to withstand the beating you will be getting.

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

{{main|SC250JA (250 kg)|SC500K (500 kg)|SC1000L2 (1,000 kg)|SC1800B (1,800 kg)}}

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

* 9 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (2,250 kg total)
* 6 x 500 kg SC500K bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (3,750 kg total)
* 4 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bombs (4,000 kg total)
* 2 x 1,800 kg SC1800B bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (4,350 kg total)

With a massive 4,000 kg payload, the Me 264 has the second-best payload of any non-premium German bomber and one of the best payloads at its battle rating. Ideally, you should use the 2 x 1,800 kg bombs + 3 x 250 kg bombs for destroying bases, as in Arcade Battles this payload can destroy a base in one pass (or get close depending on if you up-tier it) and in Realistic Battles, the 4 x 1,000 kg bombs, as each can just barely destroy a base. It is also good for ground pounding.

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

{{main|MG 151 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, nose turret (750 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, front dorsal turret (450 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, rear dorsal turret (450 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, ventral turret (750 rpg)
* 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (500 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==


'''When flying as:'''

The Me 264 plays like your typical heavy bomber: a slow and lumbering beast that has amazing defensive armament and a good payload. While you may have one of the best defensive armaments in the German bomber line (or out of bombers in general), it is best to avoid engagements all together to minimize potential damage due to your massive size. However, if an enemy gets on your tail, they're as good as dead thanks to your superb defensive armament that can shred through planes like paper. '''Never allow a plane to head-on you.''' Be sure to face your tail towards the attacker, as more than half of your guns face towards the back and your glazed nose makes it easy to snipe your pilot out.

Notable enemies include any heavily armed interceptor that has at least semi-decent performance, but notably the [[P-61C-1|P-61]], [[P-38J-15|P-38J]], [[Mosquito FB Mk VI|Mosquito]] and the [[P-47D-28|P-47D]]'s, as all of these planes can climb to your altitude and destroy you with their heavy armament.

The P-61 and P-38J are some of the most deadly, as their powerful armament can tear you in half, especially the P-61 with its quad AN/M2 20 mm cannons. Focus fire on the cockpit in order to snipe the pilot.

The Mosquito is a sort of push-pull. While you can down it easily due to its wooden construction, it can do the same to you with its quad Hispano Mk.II's. Aim for a centre mass near the cockpit, as this is the most vulnerable area or aim for the wings where the fuel tanks are stored and can cause fires.

You can deal with the P-47D's in a similar fashion as the P-61 and P-38J, but you should focus fire on the engine and wings as this can result in fires, broken engines and snapped wings. Watch out for its 8 x .50 cals, as most of the pilots run the ''Tracer'' belt which is entirely API-T and is known for starting fires.

'''Play styles'''

There are three playstyles the 264 can cater to, although the second one is very risky and is not recommended.

'''High-Altitude Strategic Bomber:''' The role the 264 was designed for, and the role it excels the most at. Firstly climb to altitude, anywhere from 6-7 km and then maintain that altitude through a level flight and gain some speed, as would-be attackers will struggle to catch you by keeping a constant speed of 400-435 kph or 250-270 mph. Make your way towards the bases and drop your bombs.

'''Gunship''': While being significantly more dangerous to the player, the "Gunship" playstyle is infinitely more fun. It is only recommended to use this play style when the plane is spaded. Stay relatively low to the ground and attack ground troops, and if any player comes to attack you, focus your guns on them and let them tail you. The main bonus for flying in this way is that your extremely vulnerable belly is covered, preventing anybody from attacking you from there. The only reason this playstyle is viable is that the lower rank players you will encounter are more likely to make mistakes such as tailing you, allowing you to shoot them down for points.

'''Bomber Hunter''': Climb to meet enemy bombers at high-altitude. While the enemy bombers will acknowledge the Me 264, they will rarely react against the Me 264 aside from keeping some air space. Deny their evasive manoeuvres and close-in to the enemy bombers. Once in range, use the 20 mm HEI-T belts and attack the enemy. Attempt to approach the target to make use of as many turrets as possible at a time for a quick end to the engagement. If the bomber's defensive is formidable, try to enter and exit the engagement as fast as possible to avoid significant damage to the Me 264.

'''When attacking''':

"'''Never tail a Me 264'''". Tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as the planes are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the bomber if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However, the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. When at a higher altitude, it is best to make a dive from an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Deadly and accurate defensive armament
* Great payload, unmatched by any non-premium until the [[He 177 A-5]]
* Decent speed and acceleration for a bomber
* Good manoeuvrability
* Solid RP grinder with 1.42 multiplier in all game modes
* Surprisingly responsive
* Fast and very hard to catch once it's in altitude
* Cheap repair cost in AB and reasonable repair cost at RB and SB
* Durable, can take a beating

'''Cons:'''

* Gunners have a lot of deadzones
* Massive size, one of the biggest planes in the game
* Has troubles diving at high speeds
* No significant armor protection
* Incredibly hard to land, even harder with a damaged airframe
* Very hard to pull the nose down due to high lift

== History ==

Development of the Me 264 began in the late 1930s when Messerschmitt conducted work on developing a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, designated P.1061. In early 1941, six prototypes of the P.1061 were ordered and the aircraft received the formal designation of Me 264. However, the initial order for six prototypes would shortly afterwards be dropped to three.

Progress on constructing the ordered prototypes was slow at start, but development quickly picked up the pace with the start of the Amerikabomber project in spring 1942. The project called for new very long range strategic bomber designs, resulting in several designs being proposed, among them also the Me 264.

It soon became clear that despite all the advantages of the Me 264 the aircraft would not be able to demonstrate acceptable flight characteristics due to the lack of more powerful engines at that time. Apart from the Amerikabomber project, the Me 264 was also briefly considered by the Kriegsmarine as a possible replacement for the dated Fw 200 in the maritime reconnaissance role.

The first and only prototype of the Me 264 which saw completion, flew on 23 December 1942. While undergoing modifications, the Me 264 project had its further development halted, with the sole completed prototype being used as a transport machine. In 1943, the second prototype was destroyed during an allied bombing raid. The same fate also struck the first and unfinished third prototype in July 1944. After all prototypes were lost, the Me 264 project was officially cancelled in September 1944.

''- From [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Images
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 003.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 004.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 005.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 006.jpg
File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 007.jpg
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|lBTQGGr-Kxs|'''The Shooting Range #149''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:10 discusses the Me 264.}}

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Avro [[Lincoln B Mk II|Lincoln]]
* Boeing [[B-29A-BN|B-29]] Superfortress
* Nakajima [[G8N1]]
* Piaggio [[P.108B serie 1|P.108]]
* Tupolev [[Tu-4]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|[Devblog] Me 264: The Teutonic Superfortress]]
* [https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/amerikan-bomber-1942/ [Rare Historical <nowiki>Photos]</nowiki> Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika bomber]

{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
{{Germany bombers}}

Saetta P-494

2020-12-07T14:34:41Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=it_p494_saetta}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian motor torpedo gun boat {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Starfighters"]]. As of [[Update "Starfighters"]], it is the only naval vessel in the game to be equipped with guided weapons.

== General info ==
[[File:Saetta Screenshot 1.jpg|thumb|Saetta sails into battle]]

=== Survivability and armour ===


The only armour on this vehicle surrounds the two 40 mm main cannons, which can be useful for keeping the guns operational when coming under fire. However, the rest of the vehicle has no armour protection.

The Saetta can survive a number of hits when dealing with gunboats, but higher-calibre cannons such as those on destroyers will have no trouble sinking it.

The hull of this vessel is made up of 8 mm of steel, and the superstructure is made up of 4 mm of steel.

=== Mobility ===


{{NavalMobility}}

The Saetta has the highest top speed of any non-premium tier 2 Italian boat. With such speed, it is often able to reach desirable locations on the map before the enemy is able to.

== Armament ==
[[File:Type 107 Screenshot.jpg|thumb|The front 40mm mounting on the Saetta]]

=== Primary armament ===

{{main|40 mm/70 Breda-Bofors type 107 (40 mm)}}


The Main armament on the Saetta is a Pair of '''<nowiki/>'<nowiki/>''40mm/70 Breda-Bofors Type 107 Cannons,''''' ''one at the bow and one at the stern, these guns have access to two ammunition belt types, '''''<nowiki/>'''<nowiki/>'High Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary tracers belts'<nowiki/>'' or ''<nowiki/>'High Explosive variable time fuse belts, the latter of which has a 7m trigger radius making it quite useful for dealing enemy aircraft, especially when they are at relatively close range.

Both turrets have a full 360° arc of horizontal rotation and traverse at 95°/second, certainly fast enough to keep up with most surface and air targets. These guns are protected by some armour which will aid in keeping them operational against enemy fire, although this is the only armour on the whole vessel.

=== Special armament ===

{{main|Nettuno}}
[[File:Nettuno Missile GIF.gif|thumb|Nettuno Missile]]


The Secondary armament on the Saetta is the '''Nettuno (Sea Killer Mk.1)''' missile, these missiles have a range of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) with a max velocity of 280m/s and carry a warhead with just over 25kg of TNT equivalent, these also feature a proximity fuse making them ideal for engaging enemy air units as well as their usual anti ship-role.

The missiles are carried in a five-round launcher just behind the Saetta’s bridge and smoke funnel structure which does mean that the launcher cannot be aimed towards the bow but rather has a 260 degree turning arc of which it navigates at a speed of 11 degrees per second.

== Usage in battles ==
[[File:Saetta Screenshot 4.jpg|thumb|Saetta fires a Nettuno missile, has a user skin https://live.warthunder.com/post/912798/en/]]

The guided missiles are the Saetta's most unique feature. This missile can be used to attack ships quite effectively (usually it can destroy a smaller vessel in one hit), and is also very capable of destroying enemy aircraft, thanks to its proximity fuse. When using the missile, remember that the launcher cannot point directly forwards, and that the enemy must be near the sides or rear of the vessel before a firing solution is achieved. Also keep in mind that the missile is not very fast (280m/s), and that it can take a considerable amount of time to reach the target.

As for the main cannons, the Saetta's 40 mm Bofors are great for dealing with smaller boats. They can be used to sink destroyers, but it will usually take a considerable length of time to do so. The Saetta is equipped with a radar, and has a lead indicator for use in an anti-air role. The lead indicator, when used with the vehicle's 40 mm cannons, makes dealing with aircraft a breeze.

This vessel has quite a high top speed, and is often able to reach favourable positions on the map before the enemy. This speed can also be used to help the vessel outflank the enemy and take them by surprise.

Since the Saetta is unable to survive more than a few hits from an enemy destroyer, it is recommended to stay away from their firing lines, and to keep to cover if possible. Certainly, it is almost never a good idea to engage an enemy destroyer at ranges above one or two kilometres.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! Seakeeping
! colspan="2" | Unsinkability
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Dry-Docking
| Tool Set
|
|
|
|-
| II
| Rudder Replacement
| Fire Protection System
| Smokescreen
| 40 mm HE-PFF
|
|-
| III
| Propeller Replacement
|
|
| Primary Armament Targeting
| Rocket Launcher
|-
| IV
| Engine Maintenance
| New Pumps
|
| Artillery Support
|
|-
|}

[[File:Saetta Screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|Saetta while sailing, Featured user skin https://live.warthunder.com/post/912798/en/]]

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Equipped with guided missiles (Nettuno).
* Guided missiles are able to make quick work of enemy ships.
* High speed.
* Radar with lead indicator.
* Cannons provide great stopping power.
* Great agility.

'''Cons:'''

* Not suited for fighting destroyers.
* Not suited for long range combat with it's cannons.
* No armour.

== History ==
[[File:Saetta Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|Saetta firing a Nettuno missile, user skin: https://live.warthunder.com/post/912798/en/]]
''''

The Saetta is a MC590 (Freccia class) motor gun boat, this series was an evolution of the earlier Lampo class which itself was a development of the MC490 Folgore. The Saetta is the second ship of the Freccia class, being laid down after the Freccia P-493 and before the never completed Dardo P-495. After its launch in 1965 the Saetta was outfitted and entered service with the Italian Navy on the 25th April 1966, In the same year as its commissioning the centrally mounted 40mm turret was replaced with a five round launcher for the Nettuno (Later called Sea Killer Mk.1) Anti Ship Missile, these missiles were carried onboard until the mid 1970's after which the main role of the Saetta (P-494) and its sister ship Freccia (P-493) had be taken over by the Sparviero class patrol boats of which more were available, with 7 in active service at the time, with less demand for the use of the two ships the Freccia was decommissioned on the 15th of February 1985 and the Saetta on the 15th of May 1986.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=italy&vehicleType=ship&vehicleClass=torpedo_gun_boat&vehicle=it_p494_saetta Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos

{{Youtube-gallery|-XtgK9-DNCQ|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Missiles To End Gun Superiority?''' - ''Napalmratte''|a7CRHmjXTBo|'''{{PAGENAME}} Missile Boat - Review & Gameplay''' - ''BaconGaming''|R49DdNEH0WM|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Flipped Review''' - ''Flipped StuG''}}

== See also ==

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

* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
* ''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 ship;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Italy boats}}

F-84G-21-RE

2020-11-25T07:35:52Z

U70750748:

{{Specs-Card
|code=f-84g
|cockpit=cockpit_f-84g.jpg
}}
{{About
|about=American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other variants
|link=F-84 (Family)
}}

== 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 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].

Republic Aircraft Company's jump into the jet fighter market was not as smooth as they would have liked. They experienced severe growing pains as they developed and produced the F-84 series aircraft, especially the B, C, D and E variants. Important upgrades and modifications included a more powerful turbine engine, strengthened wings, aerodynamically secure wing-tip fuel tanks and a strengthened structure. The resultant of these upgrades was the much improved F-84G fighter, which boasted new innovations such as improved avionics, radar, the capability of in-flight refuelling and ability to carry a Mark 7 nuclear bomb. Though the operationally longest lasting of the series with the United States (into the mid-1960s), several other nations continued to use it including France, Italy and Taiwan (Republic of China), however, Greece continued flying their fighters until 1991.<ref name="Burrows" />

Even with the changes from earlier models, even in-game pilots will notice the quirkiness of the F-84G. Noted for its nickname "Lead Sled", the F-84G, like the B version in-game has an extremely long takeoff roll, around 1,500 m, typically due to the heavier payloads afforded to this aircraft. Though, once at altitude and during attack runs, the F-84G is an incredibly stable platform and can be outfitted with a number of various suspended armaments along with its six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns. Each gun only has 300 rounds of ammunition, therefore trigger control is necessary or else the pilot will be left with empty guns in short order. Considered a multi-role aircraft, the F-84G can be utilised as a fighter-interceptor, bomber interceptor and ground attack fighter. The F-84G can be laden with a variety of bombs ranging from 100 lbs all the way up to two 1,000 lb bombs. [[HVAR]] and [[Tiny Tim]] rockets are a viable option alone or mixed with bombs to expand the options of targets to be attacked depending on the map the pilot is flying in.

Like many jet fighters, flying slowly makes for an easy target and this is no exception for the F-84G. Speed is necessary to ensure manoeuvrability both to engage a target and to shake a tail. Though not the fastest fighter at this rank, the F-84G can hold its own and when pressed, the six centre lined M3 Browning machine guns can punch enough holes in an enemy fighter to bring it down. Don't expect this fighter when laden down with two 1,000 lbs bombs or two Tiny Tim and 24 HVAR rockets to excel in a dog-fight as it won't with all that weight, however, after all that ordnance is released the F-84B can then mix it up, though it is preferable to maintain speed while performing Boom & Zoom manoeuvres.

While dealing with mixed reviews over its positive and negative aspects, the F-84 series aircraft paved the way for a later aircraft which magnified all of the positive qualities of the F-84, being a stable firing platform, loaded to the gills with assorted suspended armaments and a main gun which rained destruction on the enemy, this aircraft would later be know as the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.

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


The F-84G is a streamline all-metal jet fighter which was designed to house the upgraded Allison J35-A-29 turbine jet engine. Though an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, typically this fighter was laden with more ordnance thus still requiring a significant roll-out time of 1,500 m (~5,000 ft) before lift-off. Don't be dismayed as other fighters are taking to the sky while you are still building up speed as once in the air you can climb to bomber altitude or set up for a ground attack run that few others can rival.

Though the take-off and climb characteristics of the Allison jet engine appeared lacklustre, it actually had decent level flight speed and good dive characteristics. Speed is what saves this fighter, in once it has enough built up, it will perform. Though not the fastest at its battle rating, the F-84G is a great boom & zoom aircraft vs. being a dog-fighter. Turning this aircraft will bleed its speed and the roll rate can be affected by the weight of the wing-tip fuel tanks. One negative aspect of the wing-tip fuel tanks of the early F-84s was that high speeds (+1,000 kph) tended to cause the fuel tanks to twist resulting (mitigated by the addition of fins on the tanks) in the destruction of the wings which does reflect in realistic and simulator battles in-game if exceeded. While turning in this jet is not advised, Immelmann and Split-S manoeuvres will help to conserve energy without compromising the speed of the aircraft.

If ever in danger of risking going faster than maximum rip speed, it is important to throttle back and extend air-brakes to reduce speed enough to keep the aircraft intact and manoeuvre in for the kill.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 976 || 971 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.0 || 30.4 || 30.8 || 29.3 || rowspan="2" | 3,000
|-
! Upgraded
| 993 || 985 || 27.2 || 28.0 || 42.1 || 36.2
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 550 || 550 || 350 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 530 || < 600 || < 690 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Allison J35-A-29 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,450 kg || colspan="2" | 276 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,050 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,868 kg || 6,447 kg || 6,685 kg || 9,979 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 2,300 kgf || N/A
| 0.39 || 0.36 || 0.34 || 0.23
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 2,300 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.39 || 0.36 || 0.34 || 0.23
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 6.35 mm Steel plate in front of pilot.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest.
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Like many early jet fighters, the armour was placed around the pilot while not much thought was given to the other critical components of the aircraft mostly due to the weight imposed on the early and weak turbojet engines placed into service. From behind, the pilot is protected by an 8 mm steel plate behind the seat with a 12.7 mm steel plate as a headrest. In front of the pilot, a 38 mm bulletproof windscreen adds protection from head-on's or from defensive bomber weapons. Another 6.35 mm steel plate is placed in front of the pilot and instrument panel for further protection of bullets entering the open-ended air-intake.

Other critical components such as the jet turbine, fuel tanks and coolers are all exposed, only protected by the outer skin of the aircraft which may deflect incoming bullets if at sufficient distance or angle to do so.

When attacking an F-84G, aim for the centre of the aircraft where you have a good chance of getting a critical hit on the engine or in a fuel tank. Due to this aircraft having wing-tip fuel tanks, shots to the wings or wing-tip tanks have a potential of starting a fire or breaking a wing off. If the attacking aircraft has sufficient calibre ammunition then shots taken at the pilot may have a larger chance of success if made from the sides or behind. This aircraft does not have much protection against rockets or missiles, however, given sufficient notice, rockets can be avoided and it is possible that missiles can be outmanoeuvred, however, when playing in realistic or simulator you run the risk of the pilot blacking-out due to G-force manoeuvers or wings snapping while trying to outfly a missile.

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

{{main|M3 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

Early fighters had many different configurations of machine guns and cannons mounted in the fuselage and in the wings, sometimes needing to be synced with the propeller to prevent its destruction. With the jet age developing, many factors of the past needed to be reconsidered with gun placement. With jet fighters flying faster and chasing faster targets, trying to find the sweet spot with gun convergence was extremely difficult, jet fighter pilots needed a little extra help with this. Besides implementing newer gun sites and early radar, jet fighter guns tended to be fuselage-mounted, thus eliminating the need to set the convergence and at any point between 0 m and 800 m the ammunition rounds would fly true without a convergence point.

For the F-84G, four of the 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns were mounted in the fuselage with the other two mounted in the wing roots. While they were not all centre mounted, the two in the wing roots were close enough that convergence did not need to be messed with. Two ammunition options provide the most bang-for-the-buck, firstly, the omni-purpose rounds are good all-around ammunition rounds which provide tracers and explosive/incendiary rounds which are effective against aircraft and up to light armoured vehicles. Hardened vehicles and bunkers should be left to bombs and rockets for their destruction. If as a pilot you are looking for the sneak attack, stealth rounds will allow you to get on target fire off rounds and not give away your position, giving you a few seconds to make a second attack if needed before the target realizes where you are coming from.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|HVAR|Tiny Tim}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 24 x HVAR rockets
* 32 x HVAR rockets
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x Tiny Tim rockets + 24 x HVAR rockets

The F-84G is one of a small handful of aircraft in War Thunder which offers many different suspended armament options ranging from bombs and rockets depending on the target needing to be destroyed. Due to the more effective engine utilised in the F-84G, it could sport a larger number of suspended armaments compared to its older brother the [[F-84B-26|F-84B]], turning into a truly ground attack workhorse. In comparison, a fully-loaded single-seat {{PAGENAME}} had approximately the same loadout capability as an early 7 crew [[B-25J-1|B-25J]] bomber. The smaller bombs such as the AN-M30A1 and AN-M57 and HVAR rockets are useful against soft targets like anti-aircraft batteries, unarmored vehicles, ships and some light tanks. The heavier hitters like the AN-M61A1, AN-M65A1 and Tiny Tim rockets are effective (more like overkill) for the softer targets, but also work well with bunkers, heavier armoured tanks, larger ships and can also be utilised against bases.

Sometimes the suspended weapons you start out with doesn't work well later on in the match, therefore you can return to your base and exit the aircraft (default key = 'j') and select a different load-out unless you would like to fly strictly as a fighter where you can select "without load" and rely just on the six Browning M3 machine guns. The wide variety of ordnance options available for this aircraft make it an excellent clean-up ground attacker which can attack just about anything on the map with the right setup.

== Usage in battles ==


The F-84G is a versatile multi-role fighter and can be configured to be used in various types of aerial warfare, namely bomber interceptor, ground attack and fighter-interceptor.

;Bomber Interceptor

Thanks to an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, the G model has a bit more climbing power and does not need to rely solely on side climbing and reach the necessary altitude to begin hunting bombers or diving onto hapless fighters. As a bomber interceptor, the pilot has two options for weapon load-outs besides the default guns, noting the HVAR and Tiny Tim rockets.

If the F-84G is still stock or in the process of upgrading modules, the best bet will be to not load any suspended armaments and rely on the six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns to do the work. Just using the machine guns will help save on weight and make it a bit easier to climb on the unmodified engine. For those pilots who have modified engines, they can opt for guns only for a quicker climb or attach HVAR rockets for an additional punch against larger bombers.

Once at altitude, scan and select a bomber target of opportunity. It is best to attain higher altitude than the bomber, giving you options as to which direction to attack from and increase your speed when diving in, speed is key to avoid defensive guns, race out of their range and to gain enough distance to safely turn around and follow up with another attack if needed.

Since the six M3 machine guns are virtually centered on the aircraft, the inbound bullets will be clustered and should be aimed at engines, cockpit, fuel tanks and any other critical areas as the body of the aircraft can sometimes absorb a large amount of smaller caliber ammunition before causing a critical hit or crippling the aircraft. The limitation of only 300 rounds per gun will require trigger discipline by the pilot to ensure enough rounds are available for a secondary or tertiary attack without having to reload or return to base.

Utilizing HVAR rockets at large lumbering bombers can have a great impact, though unguided, they will need to be pointed in the general direction when launched, it may take several practice runs to determine best angle and distance in which to fire from for a successful attack. As with any unguided rocket, the best bet is to launch a volley of rockets to ensure a greater chance of at least one hitting.

;Ground Attack

Jet fighters tend to not make good ground attackers as it typically requires them to fly low and slow making them easy pickings for enemy fighters above or anti-aircraft fire below. Since the F-84G is neither an exceptionally fast fighter nor a lumbering bomber, it has an advantage of being fast enough to be dangerous to ground targets without being a sitting duck for patrolling enemy fighters. Compared to many other fighters which are capable of ground attack, the F-84G can carry a fantastic amount of ground attack ordnance which can seriously put a dent into the enemy teams vehicles, bunkers and bases.

While many aircraft available in War Thunder has a specific role of fighter-interceptor, ground attack or bomber, the F-84G can set itself up with suspended ordnance depending on the targets available on the map. The F-84G has several options depending on the modules unlocked by the pilot which range from outfitting HVAR unguided rockets, massive Tiny Tim unguided rockets, 100 lb, 250 lb, 500 lb and 1,000 lb bombs or a mixture of bombs and rockets.

Smaller bombs and the HVAR rockets are best for going after lighter armored targets such as aircraft (on the ground or with rockets in the air), anti-aircraft batteries, trucks, some light tanks and ships. The larger Tiny Tim rockets and bombs are best reserved for more hardened targets like pillboxes, medium and large tanks, bunkers, large ships and bases. This fighter is not afraid to get down and dirty taking out ground targets, just be aware of your surroundings and watch for enemy fighters or anti-aircraft guns poised to take you out.

;Fighter Interceptor

The F-84G is one of the fastest aircrafts at its BR and it is more then capable of fighting early jets, preferably using [[Boom & Zoom|B&Z]] and [[Boom & Run|B&R]] tactics. After spawning reach a speed of at least 650kph or about 400mph (this part shouldn't be very hard since the F-84G gets an airspawn on most maps) then climb at an angle of 10 degrees, after reaching your wanted altitude precede to dive down on your unsuspecting enemies and disintegrate them using your centerline [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|M3 .50 cals]]. After you made your pass do not turn after your opponents but keep your energy up and gain your distance then, repeat the process.

The F-84G has a minimum fuel load of 7 minutes which means that you will have to be aware of your fuel or take a bigger fuel load and accept the performance drop that comes with it. Another problem the F-84G has is the ammo count. it has 300 round per gun and because of the [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|M3]] machine guns' high ate of fire the ammo can be depleted entirely in just 15 seconds. This may sound a lot to some players but the [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|M3]] are machine guns and not cannons so you will need to hit more then usual and in turn waste more then usual. Nonetheless the F-84G still has enough ammo to reliably take down 3-4 aircraft before having to rearm in the airfield.

The F-84G is fast and very capable at the hands of an experienced player, it is not very different from its predecessor the [[F-84B-26|F-84B]] and although often mistaken for being an easy pray for its bad maneuverability it is quite the opposite, if you fight it remember: a good F-84G is a dead F-84G.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
|
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| FRC mk.7
| FSBC mk.1
|-
| II
| New boosters
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
| FRC mk.7a
| FSBC mk.5
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 12 mm MGs
|
| FMBC mk.1
|-
| IV
| G-suit
|
| Cover
|
| LFRC mk.12
| FLBC mk.1
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Center-line armament of six .50 cal machine guns with a great rate of fire
* Huge payload options, a fantastic ground attacker
* Good acceleration
* Excellent dive speed
* Usually gets a low airspawn that gives him a speed advantage
* Sturdy wings, nearly unrippable

'''Cons:'''

* Turn rate is not very good, though better than the F-84B
* Maneuverability diminished with heavy payloads
* Middle road fighter, not the best or fastest, but capable
* Long takeoff roll out
* Very bad when stock
* Big performance drop at higher altitude

== History ==


In early 1944, Alexander Kartveli, the chief designer for the Republic Aviation Aircraft Company set out to work on a replacement for the piston-powered P-47 Thunderbolt which instead would be powered by a turbojet. All attempts at trying to use the P-47 frame to accommodate a turbojet failed and Kartveli resorted to designing a brand new aircraft around an axial compressor turbojet engine.<ref name="Burrows" /> Due to the nature of the engine taking up a large majority of the fuselage, fuel tanks were designed to be in the wings of the aircraft, however, the body was streamlined to make the smallest profile possible and retain all necessary critical components.

The USAAF in September 1944 released new requirements for a daytime fighter along with specific characteristics such as the top speed of 600 mph (966 kph), armament of six 21.7mm machine guns or four 15.2 mm machine guns along with housing a General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet also known as the Allison J35 series turbojet engine.<ref name="Burrows" /> Republic proposed their new aircraft and on paper proposed it would be superior to Lockheed's P-80 Shooting Star. The USAAF noting Republic's already proven experience with single-seat fighters proposed a contract without holding any competition. These initial order fighters were listed as YP-84As and P-84Bs.

These early test aircraft were put to wind tunnel testing and it was found that major flaws developed when subjected to high speeds, notably longitudinal instability in the aircraft's frame and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds. Also noted was issues with the weight of the aircraft and the problem with early turbojets not producing enough thrust for takeoff and climb outs (a problem which plagued the F-84B aircraft until more robust engines were outfitted). Early J35-GE-7 engines were replaced with J35-A-15 versions which helped with the thrust ratio, however wing-tip fuel tanks were added to the mix prior to proper testing and issues developed which at one point grounded the fleet of aircraft until modifications were made.

In 1947, the USAF changed the pursuit designation of the aircraft to fighter and thus the P-84 became the F-84. The YP-84A and the F-84B only differed when it came to the type of M3 machine guns they carried, as the F-84B had faster-firing machine guns than the YP-84A. Early successes of the F-84B were overshadowed by problem after problem including a speed restriction limiting flight to no more than Mach 0.8 as any faster and the aircraft experienced control reversal where the pilot would input normal commands with the control stick and the opposite manoeuvre would occur (for instance if the pilot pulled back on the control stick to make the aircraft climb, the aircraft would actually begin to dive and vice versa). Even with the speed restrictions, the entire fleet of F-84B fighters was grounded by 1948 due to parts shortages and structural failures.<ref name="Burrows" /> It was also at this time that the F-84C aircraft were also determined to be incapable of performing any of their mission parameters, however since the F-84D was already under production (with all of the B and C variants issues being resolved), the program continued. Funding was allocated to upgrade the B and C variants, however, both were finally withdrawn from active duty service by the end of 1952.

Testing of the F-84D determined that the wings needed to be covered with a thicker aluminium skin to strengthen them which was helpful because the engine was upgraded to the more powerful J35-A-17D. Here it was found that during high-G manoeuvres, the wingtip fuel tanks led to the structural failure of the wings due to twisting motions. A simple fix of adding a small triangular fin to the external portion of the fuel tank alleviated that problem. Despite the fixes introduced with the D variant, it too was withdrawn from active duty in 1952.
The F-84E variant fighter saw modifications specifically with strengthened wings and a larger cockpit which was necessary to equip advanced avionics to include an A-1C gunsight which worked with an APG-30 radar.<ref name="Burrows" /> Folding rocket racks were also developed so that once the HVAR rockets were fired; the racks would fold flush with the wing increasing the aircraft's overall aerodynamics. Unfortunately even with all of the modifications, failure of the aircraft hinged upon the Allison J35-A-17 engines which were only designed to be flown for 25 hours a month and would receive a complete overhaul after 100 hours of flight. Due to the number of sorties flown in the Korean War, engine overhauls were taking place more frequently and quickly exhausted all of the spare parts and new engines produced.

The final variant of F-84 introduced was the G variant which began service in 1951. Utilised for the next nine years, the F-84G had new innovations which became standard on future aircraft to include, a refuelling boom mounted on the left-wing for in-flight refuelling, instrument landing system to allow for landing during inclement weather, a J35-A-29 engine, an autopilot system and the first fighter with the ability to carry a single Mark 7 nuclear bomb. The F-84G was retired from US service in 1960, however, countries such as Portugal continued to use this fighter through 1974 and were flown out of Angola.

The F-84 had a rocky start into the foray of turbine jet fighters, however, challenges and difficulties paved the way for the [[F-100D|F-100]] Super Sabre and the RF-101 Voodoo as their replacements.

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

== See also ==


;Other versions

* [[F-84B-26|F-84B-26 ''Thunderjet'']]
* [[F-84G-21-RE (China)]]
* [[F-84G-21-RE (Italy)]]
* [[F-84G-26-RE (France)]]

;Contemporary aircraft

* de Havilland [[Venom_FB.4|Venom]]
* Gloster [[Meteor (Family)|Meteor]]
* Dassault [[M.D.450B_Ouragan|M.D.450B Ouragan]]
* Grumman [[F9F-2|F9F]] Panther (USAF)
* Grumman [[F9F-8|F9F]] Cougar (US Navy)

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references>
<ref name="Burrows">Burrows, W. E. (2013, August). It had the body of a fighter and a bomber's soul. Retrieved from https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/thunderjet-307269/</ref>
</references>

{{AirManufacturer Republic}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}

F3H-2

2020-11-23T07:43:49Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=f3h-2
|cockpit=cockpit_f3h-2.jpg
}}

== 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 "Starfighters"]].

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

The F3H is quite possibly the most fun and enjoyable jet to play of the American naval jets, once fully upgraded. On first glance the jet may look big and slow and it may be in some situations, but the turning abilities and acceleration are a completely new breath of fresh air for American naval jets.

You are no longer confined to the slow acceleration, slower turns of the F9F series, but are almost if not completely capable of going tip of the spear with full afterburner and charging the enemy, that is with a smart head on charge with your subsonic jet. Note that the leading edge slats can be controlled manually by engaged combat flaps (pressing F by default for flaps) which take your already amazing elevator control to a next level even at lower speeds!

When flying this jet, you can really stretch your legs with different tactics: you have great ordnance for Ground battles, you have great air to air performance. The mix of the two major combat scenarios make this jet a truly universal naval jet with just about any play style for anyone available in someway.

Important things to remember:

* While you may be able to turn fight a MiG for a short period of time, it's important to employ vertical and hi yo-yo manoeuvres as at low speed your aircraft will feel very brick-like. This can be semi-negated by using the combat flaps to extend your leading edge slats.
* The aircraft is very fuel-hungry when using afterburner which drastically increases flight acceleration and overall performance so it is recommended to bring around 20-30 minutes of fuel.
* On take-off there is a tail strike guard, but the elevator may tap the ground if you're not using a full "stick back" takeoff.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,149 || 1,141 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.6 || 30.6 || 58.0 || 53.5 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,177 || 1,163 || 26.6 || 28.0 || 87.5 || 72.0
|-
|}

==== 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 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 833 || 833 || 370 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

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

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="6" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Basic Mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Allison J71-A-2 || 1
| colspan="3" | 9,965 kg || colspan="3" | 299 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 16m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 53m fuel
|-
| 2,180 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 11,305 kg || 11,640 kg || 12,478 kg || 13,735 kg || 14,405 kg || 18,000 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="6" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 16m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 53m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,590 kgf || 6,334 kgf
| 0.56 || 0.54 || 0.51 || 0.46 || 0.44 || 0.35
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,774 kgf (1,200 km/h) || 8,037 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 0.71 || 0.69 || 0.64 || 0.59 || 0.56 || 0.45
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* No armour protection
* Large aircraft compared to [[F-86 (Family)|Sabres]] and MiGs
* The engine is quite large resulting in grazing bullets probably hitting your engine
* The wings are more than capable of taking high G forces so there is no need to worry about high speed turns
* Fuel tanks are located throughout the belly and shoulders of the wings so there is the chance of fires being started

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

{{main|Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 cannons, chin-mounted (190 rpg = 760 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|LDGP Mk 81 (250 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)}}
{{main|LDGP Mk 83 (1,000 lb)|LDGP Mk 84 (2,000 lb)|M118 (3,000 lb)|AIM-9B Sidewinder|FFAR Mighty Mouse}}

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

* Without load
* 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 6 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (1,500 lb total)
* 4 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs + 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (3,500 lb total)
* 2 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 1 x 3,000 lb M118 bomb (3,000 lb total)
* 56 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 114 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
* 2 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles (2,000 lb total)
* 1 x 3,000 lb M118 bomb + 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 42 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

== Usage in battles ==

In Air Realistic battles, it is recommended to start a match with a fuel load of 20 minutes, gaining speed of around 950 km/h, and putting the plane at a 15 to 20 degree climb. The amount of climb is entirely dependent on the pilots play style, as more aggressive players will enjoy a lower altitude. Since the F3H has a high maneuverability, it is recommended to go after lower-ranked vehicles, like the F-86A, MiG-15, and the Hunter F.1. If the F3H gets into a uncomfortable situation against these planes, it can simply dive away to avoid getting caught. Getting used to the four 20 mm cannons will also assist, as their damage is high, allowing for swift attacks in intercepting maneuvers. The most dangerous enemies of the F3H are the G.91 YS, and Lightning F.6 pilots, as they pick it off quite easily.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="4" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Compressor
| Fuselage repair
| Offensive 20 mm
|
| Mk81
| AN-M57A1 BOX
|-
| II
| New boosters
| Airframe
|
| AERO 6A
| Mk82
| AN-M64A1 BOX
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| G-suit
| New 20 mm cannons
| AERO 7D
| Mk83
| Mk84
|-
| IV
| Engine
| Cover
|
| AIM-9B
|
| Mk118
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the faster planes compared to its peers
* Can carry 4 AIM-9B missiles (useful for low speed chases or stall outs)
* Wide variety of payload options
* Very good maneuverability
* Good cockpit visibility with well placed in cockpit radar position

'''Cons:'''

* Loses much of its speed when maneuvering
* Missiles may be a disappointment if not used correctly

== History ==

The McDonnell F3H Demon was the product of a new swept-wing naval fighter to compete with the F4D Skyray. The aircraft was McDonell's first swept-wing fighter, and also one of the first American fighters to be armed with air-to-air missiles. Originally intended to fight MiG-15s over the Korean peninsula, the aircraft entered service too late to participate in that conflict but went on to become an important carrier-based fighter aircraft, serving until 1964. Along with the F11F Tiger and F8U Crusader, the aircraft was eventually replaced by the F-4 Phantom II - itself being an enlarged evolution of the Demon.

=== Design and development ===
[[File:F3H Demon.jpg|thumb|The first F3H-1N aircraft in 1954.]]
The F3H Demon was a new swept-wing aircraft design built around the Westinghouse J40 engine, competing with the F4D Skyray. At that time, the Navy desperately needed a naval fighter to engage the swept-wing MiG-15s commonly encountered over the skies of Korea. As a result, the F3H-1N aircraft were ordered even before the test flight of the XF3H prototype. However, by that time, the Korean war was drawing to a close, meaning the aircraft would not see combat in the Korean theatre.

The aircraft was centred around the Westinghouse J40, an ambitious engine design intended to produce 50 kN of thrust. However, the engine was a failure, only producing half its required thrust. Even worse, the engine was unreliable and resulted in loss of eleven aircraft and four pilots out of the 35 F3H-1N aircraft. As a result the remaining 24 F3H-1N aircraft were permanently grounded, leading to a major fiasco. The J40 engine was cancelled in late 1955.

At that point, the aircraft required a new engine. It was subsequently redesigned around the Allison J71, a more powerful engine producing 64 kN of thrust with afterburner. This engine dramatically improved the aircraft's flying characteristics, though problems were still encountered with engine reliability and ejection seats. At this point, the redesigned aircraft became the F3H-2.

=== Operational history ===
Despite the remaining issues with the aircraft's airframe, the Navy ordered a total of 239 F3H-2 Demons. These aircraft began entering service in March 1956, and additional Demons were delivered until the end of production in late 1959. By that point, a total of 519 aircraft of various variants had been built. The aircraft gained praise from pilots for being a reliable aircraft, and relatively easy to take-off and land from carrier decks. The aircraft was also the first naval fighter to be fitted with a radar, giving it some night-fighter capabilities. The aircraft was capable of carrying the AIM-9B Sidewinder, and later F3H-2M variants introduced the first AIM-7 Sparrows.

Despite the aircraft's strong capabilities, it was still limited by fundamental issues with the aircraft's performance. The J71, though powerful, did not give the aircraft sufficient performance. As a result, the plane was limited to subsonic speeds, and had inferior acceleration to many of its Air Force counterparts. Despite that, the aircraft still served as the primary carrier-based fighter on American aircraft carriers, complemented by the F11F and F8U daylight dogfighters. During service, the aircraft was frequently nicknamed "The Chair" due to its excellent cockpit visibility, as well as "Lead sled" due to its lacking engine power. Pilots of the F3H were called "Demon Drivers" while ground personnel were nicknamed "Demon Doctors".

The F3H Demon started to get replaced by the larger and faster F4H (F-4) Phantom II beginning from 1961. The Phantom itself began as an advanced development of the Demon, known as the "Super Demon". The larger and faster Phantom went on to enjoy a long and distinguished service life serving with the air forces of many countries. The last Demon squadron, VF-161 "Chargers", flew their Demons until late 1964 when they traded them for the newer Phantom. Though the aircraft saw some action over the skies of the South China Sea, the aircraft never engaged in actual combat. Three F3H airframes remain intact today, held at various museums.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|kmLZDtH7FpU|'''The Shooting Range #208''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:52 discusses the F3H-2 Demon.}}

== 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/6708-development-f3h-2-demon-linking-eras-en|[Devblog] F3H-2 Demon: Linking Eras]]

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

SK60B

2020-11-22T10:26:10Z

U70750748:

{{Specs-Card|code=saab_sk60b}}

== Description ==


The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish jet attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]].

== 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" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 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
| 760 || 741 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 25.0 || 25.4 || 17.7 || 16.7 || rowspan="2" | 850
|-
! Upgraded
| 824 || 792 || 23.6 || 24 || 26.8 || 22
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} ||N/A||400||350|| ~11 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 650 || < 580 || N/A
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===

The SK60B has no armour. The internal modules of the aircraft are fairly spaced out with engines far apart in the rear fuselage and fuel tanks in the wings and forward fuselage.

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

{{main|Rb05A|m/56D|psrak m/49A|Akan m/55 (30 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 30 mm Akan m/55 cannons (150 rpg = 300 total)

The standard armament found on the {{PAGENAME}} are two powerful Akan m/55 gunpods. These cannons are identical to platforms like the [[J35D]], giving the {{PAGENAME}} a formidable burst-mass of 12,15 kg/s! These guns are incredibly reliable and fast in velocity, as they're replicas of the [[ADEN (30 mm)|ADEN]] platform. This is one of the main advantages of the {{PAGENAME}} outside of maneuverability. Since the {{PAGENAME}} isn't particulary swift, having armament capable of reaching most opponents is a welcome addition. This can catch many people off-guard, and thus it's recommended to practice aiming these guns, along with finding a comfortable convergence setting for maximum efficiency.

These gunpods are also good against ground-based targets, especially in Air Realistic battles, where light pillboxes are common. The Akan m/55 is capable of destroying these in a short burst, allowing for some effective ticket bleed when there are no enemy fighters around. They can also be used in Ground Realistic to a certain extent, as they disintegrate any open-top vehicle. They also aid in air-support, as most fighters at this BR are propeller powered, unable to defend themselves against high-velocity 30mm revolver cannons.

* 2 x Rb05A missiles

The {{PAGENAME}} features a lot of unique armament compared to most other Swedish vehicles. One of the most unique of which are two Rb05A Air-to-Ground missiles. Similar to the American [[AGM-12B Bullpup]] in design and explosive mass, the {{PAGENAME}} goes one step further by featuring a proximity-fuze inside the missile. This makes the Rb05 incredibly unique for its class, as it is the only missile outside of helicopters, capable of effectively dealing with both aerial and grounded opponents. Since the missile is intended for distanced ground-attacks, the Rb05 features a range of over 8km, making it useful against long-range bombers such as the [[B-29/Tu-4 (Family)|B-29]]. In Ground-Realistic the missile is even more useful, as the explosive mass of 48kg allows for reliable kills against ground-units without putting the {{PAGENAME}} in front of radar SPAA. And since the Rb05 can be used against aerial opponents, the {{PAGENAME}} can easily deal with helicopters without going back to base.

* 6 x psrak m/49/56 rockets

* 12 x m/56D rockets

For players more interested in unguided air-support, the {{PAGENAME}} doesn't disappoint! The {{PAGENAME}} features 12 m/56D rockets also found on the J35D. Thanks to the superior aerodynamics of the {{PAGENAME}}, along with a lower battle-rating, the m/56 rockets get a lot more use than on the Draken. The velocity is immense, reaching 650m/s, allowing for accurate and distanced engagements. The m/56D carriers less explosives than the earlier m/49A, but compensates for this by still featuring the same penetration values. This makes the m/56 overall better than the earlier m/49A, as the higher velocity makes engagements a lot easier.

One downside, however, is that the {{PAGENAME}} fires two rockets simultaneously from each wing. This is quite normal for most nations, but Sweden has been well known for having single-fire rockets, even on winged mounts, which can confuse people who've already gotten used to planes such as the [[A21A-3]]. The {{PAGENAME}} is incredibly vulnerable to SPAA when using the m/56D, as they require the {{PAGENAME}} to position itself close to the battlefield. And since the {{PAGENAME}} is one of the slowest jet-powered aircraft in the game, even machine-gun fire can prove lethal if the plane is flown carelessly. Sticking low to the ground and carefully observing opponents is a must if a pilot wants to make every rocket count.

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a 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. Examine 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" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
|Fuselage repair
|
|
|
|M/49/56
|-
| II
|
|Compressor
|Airframe
|Offensive 30 mm
|m/57d
|-
| III
|Wings repair
|Engine
|
|
|Rb05A
|-
| IV
|G-suit
|
|Cover
|New 30 mm cannons
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Incredible maneuverability - Responds quickly to inputs and turns better than most opponents
* Devastating firepower - Access to Aden gunpods and AGM missiles at a low battle-rating
* Access to attacker spawn
* Long endurance - High fuel and ammo count makes returning to base less frequent
* Decent survivability - It has 2 pilots, can fly without a wing, or without one of the engines
* Easy to land - Low stall speed and strong landing gear aids in critical touchdowns

*

'''Cons:'''

* Slow top-speed - Unable to catch most opponents it faces
* Weak engines - Loses speed in vertical maneuvers
* Lack of cockpit protection - Pilot knockout incredibly common in head-on engagements
* Slow acceleration
* Zero integral offensive armament, requiring gun pods

*

== History ==

'''Background'''

Unlike most aircraft orders from the Swedish Air-Force, the Sk60 has an unusual background compared to its peers. The aircraft initially started as a commercial project under the name 220, led by none other than Eric Bratt, one of the main engineers behind the J35D. The aircraft was supposed to serve as a private airliner, sporting two engines, and a delta-wing design. But in the autumn of 1958, the Swedish Air-Force was looking for a successor to replace the aging Sk28C Vampire. This led Bratt and his team to rework the design of project 220, switching the delta-wing design for a conventional straight-wing one. When the Air-Force later specified that this trainer had to carry external ordinance in the form of gun pods, rockets, and bombs, the wing was moved to an upper position. A result of this radical change forced a complete reconstruction of the elevator, mounting it higher than before. Along with some tweaking of the cockpit design, the project received the official name Saab 105.
[[File:Saab 105 prototype.png|alt=A black & white image showing the Second Saab 105 prototype mid-flight. The aircraft is mostly unpainted, while carrying civilian markings.|thumb|Second Saab 105 prototype mid-flight]]
The first test flight was conducted in July of 1963, piloted by Karl-Erik Fernberg. The second prototype flew a year later, in June 1964. After some extensive modifying of the air-intakes and wing-structure, the plane was deemed worthy of production. However, during this period the design was going through extensive changes in terms of propulsion, as the french Turbomèca-Aubisque engines (RM9) lacked the required strength. This problem would delay the program another year, but would increase the overall engine thrust.
The third prototype was deemed worthy of service by December of 1965. And by April 1966, the Sk60A would enter service with F5 Air-Division stationed at Ljungbyhed. Disappointingly, the french engines showed a lack of reliability and required a lot of modifying. This issue was however solved by SAAB during the second batch. The deliveries were finalized by 1968.
'''Sk60B'''

The Sk60B was the second modification of the Saab 105. This version, just like the Sk60C, was directly modified from already existing Sk60A’s. The Sk60B featured a gunsight, along with the capability of carrying external ordinance in the form of bombs and rockets. The Sk60C went through identical modifications but featured an elongated nose-cone housing a panoramic camera for additional reconnaissance capabilities. Although the early Sk60 only sported a carrying capacity of around 700kg’s, the external ordinance allowed for diverse options depending on the mission, capable of dealing with lightly, and heavily armoured targets.

'''Light attack purposes'''

The Sk60B and Sk60C would see extensive use outside the primary training purpose, as on the 29th of May, 1972, the Swedish government decided a reorganization of the Air-Force's attacker divisions. This forced four attack divisions to be converted into four light-attack divisions, making use of the lightweight Sk60B and Sk60C. These would be stationed accordingly at F21, F5, F3, and F16 fighter wing. The Sk60 was light and slow compared to the Viggen platform. The plane operated inland, as the strike capacity wasn’t enough for naval operations, aside from small patrol boats and landing crafts. One major advantage of the Sk60 however, was the small profile and good aerodynamic properties, allowing for precise strike operations. This was already realized long before 1972, as F21 Luleå, an air division located alongside infantry and armoured divisions, saw potential in the Sk60 for close air support as early as 1969. This attacker mentality was put into action on all divisions between 1974 and 1976 and would see extensive use throughout the decade. Although the Sk60B was more of a last-ditch vehicle for air support, the plane proved lethal when put against armoured targets and helicopters, as it could remain fairly hidden by flying low against the ground. This strategy was necessary to avoid incoming fire, as the Sk60 featured no countermeasures or modern avionics. But as a result of the twin-seat design, low altitude flying became a lot safer. The pilot could focus entirely on flying as the second seat was occupied by a navigator giving directions. Though a lack of avionics was a major as the Sk60B required full eye-contact with the target to engage it. This limited the plane to only operate during clear weather, and along with a limited range, made the plane less ideal for wartime conditions.

'''Present day'''

The light attack divisions were already getting disbanded by the early 80s, and the light-attack educational program, along with the remaining light-attack divisions, were entirely disbanded by 1998. Although it’s easy to determine this as the end for the Sk60, the plane was still a fantastic trainer. The Sk60 went through a major engine overhaul in 1992, doubling its carrying capacity thanks to a much stronger engine. This fixed a lot of reliability issues, and thanks to modern avionics, the Sk60 featured ballistic computers and navigational systems. The Sk60 was projected to be withdrawn from service several times, but thanks to its reliability and flight performance, the Sk60 remains in active use with both the Swedish and Austrian air force, more than 55 years after its introduction. By some estimates, the Sk60 will remain in the Swedish Air-Force until 2030, making the Sk60 older than its numerical designation.

=== [[wt:en/news/6912-development-saab-sk-60b-instructed-to-destroy-en|Devblog]] ===
In 1959, Saab began development of a new twin-engine jet aircraft, intended to serve a wide variety of different roles both in civilian and military use. This led to questions being raised regarding the powerplant choice for the new aircraft, causing delays in development. However, once the decision was made to develop the new aircraft solely for military purposes, the project substantially picked up in momentum.

By 1961, Saab’s efforts were endorsed by the Swedish Air Force, which sponsored the development of the aircraft, by then known as the Saab 105, and ordered the production of a prototype in trainer configuration for testing. The prototype took to the skies for its maiden flight in June 1963 and quickly demonstrated excellent handling characteristics. In 1964, the Swedish Air Force placed an initial order for 130 Saab 105’s, with that order being raised to 150 machines soon after. The machine received the designation Sk 60 in Swedish service.

During production, the Swedish Air Force drew conclusions from the experiences made by the U.S. forces during the Vietnam War and decided to convert the Saab 105 trainer into a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. This undertaking proved to be successful, with 60 machines of the trainer version being converted for ground attack missions.

Apart from the Swedish Air Force, Austria also ordered a modified multirole version of the Saab 105 for its air force. Both air forces still employ the Saab 105 to the present day and around 190 units of the type were built in total.

== Media ==


[[File:SK60B WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|400px]]

== 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/6912-development-saab-sk-60b-instructed-to-destroy-en|[Devblog] Saab Sk 60B: Instructed to Destroy]]

{{Sweden jet aircraft}}

F-84G-21-RE

2020-11-22T07:38:30Z

U70750748: /* Modules */

{{Specs-Card
|code=f-84g
|cockpit=cockpit_f-84g.jpg
}}
{{About
|about=American jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other variants
|link=F-84 (Family)
}}

== 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 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].

Republic Aircraft Company's jump into the jet fighter market was not as smooth as they would have liked. They experienced severe growing pains as they developed and produced the F-84 series aircraft, especially the B, C, D and E variants. Important upgrades and modifications included a more powerful turbine engine, strengthened wings, aerodynamically secure wing-tip fuel tanks and a strengthened structure. The resultant of these upgrades was the much improved F-84G fighter, which boasted new innovations such as improved avionics, radar, the capability of in-flight refuelling and ability to carry a Mark 7 nuclear bomb. Though the operationally longest lasting of the series with the United States (into the mid-1960s), several other nations continued to use it including France, Italy and Taiwan (Republic of China), however, Greece continued flying their fighters until 1991.<ref name="Burrows" />

Even with the changes from earlier models, even in-game pilots will notice the quirkiness of the F-84G. Noted for its nickname "Lead Sled", the F-84G, like the B version in-game has an extremely long takeoff roll, around 1,500 m, typically due to the heavier payloads afforded to this aircraft. Though, once at altitude and during attack runs, the F-84G is an incredibly stable platform and can be outfitted with a number of various suspended armaments along with its six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns. Each gun only has 300 rounds of ammunition, therefore trigger control is necessary or else the pilot will be left with empty guns in short order. Considered a multi-role aircraft, the F-84G can be utilised as a fighter-interceptor, bomber interceptor and ground attack fighter. The F-84G can be laden with a variety of bombs ranging from 100 lbs all the way up to two 1,000 lb bombs. [[HVAR]] and [[Tiny Tim]] rockets are a viable option alone or mixed with bombs to expand the options of targets to be attacked depending on the map the pilot is flying in.

Like many jet fighters, flying slowly makes for an easy target and this is no exception for the F-84G. Speed is necessary to ensure manoeuvrability both to engage a target and to shake a tail. Though not the fastest fighter at this rank, the F-84G can hold its own and when pressed, the six centre lined M3 Browning machine guns can punch enough holes in an enemy fighter to bring it down. Don't expect this fighter when laden down with two 1,000 lbs bombs or two Tiny Tim and 24 HVAR rockets to excel in a dog-fight as it won't with all that weight, however, after all that ordnance is released the F-84B can then mix it up, though it is preferable to maintain speed while performing Boom & Zoom manoeuvres.

While dealing with mixed reviews over its positive and negative aspects, the F-84 series aircraft paved the way for a later aircraft which magnified all of the positive qualities of the F-84, being a stable firing platform, loaded to the gills with assorted suspended armaments and a main gun which rained destruction on the enemy, this aircraft would later be know as the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.

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


The F-84G is a streamline all-metal jet fighter which was designed to house the upgraded Allison J35-A-29 turbine jet engine. Though an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, typically this fighter was laden with more ordnance thus still requiring a significant roll-out time of 1,500 m (~5,000 ft) before lift-off. Don't be dismayed as other fighters are taking to the sky while you are still building up speed as once in the air you can climb to bomber altitude or set up for a ground attack run that few others can rival.

Though the take-off and climb characteristics of the Allison jet engine appeared lacklustre, it actually had decent level flight speed and good dive characteristics. Speed is what saves this fighter, in once it has enough built up, it will perform. Though not the fastest at its battle rating, the F-84G is a great boom & zoom aircraft vs. being a dog-fighter. Turning this aircraft will bleed its speed and the roll rate can be affected by the weight of the wing-tip fuel tanks. One negative aspect of the wing-tip fuel tanks of the early F-84s was that high speeds (+1,000 kph) tended to cause the fuel tanks to twist resulting (mitigated by the addition of fins on the tanks) in the destruction of the wings which does reflect in realistic and simulator battles in-game if exceeded. While turning in this jet is not advised, Immelmann and Split-S manoeuvres will help to conserve energy without compromising the speed of the aircraft.

If ever in danger of risking going faster than maximum rip speed, it is important to throttle back and extend air-brakes to reduce speed enough to keep the aircraft intact and manoeuvre in for the kill.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 976 || 971 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.0 || 30.4 || 30.8 || 29.3 || rowspan="2" | 3,000
|-
! Upgraded
| 993 || 985 || 27.2 || 28.0 || 42.1 || 36.2
|-
|}

==== 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 !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 550 || 550 || 350 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 530 || < 600 || < 690 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Allison J35-A-29 || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,450 kg || colspan="2" | 276 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,050 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,868 kg || 6,447 kg || 6,685 kg || 9,979 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 2,300 kgf || N/A
| 0.39 || 0.36 || 0.34 || 0.23
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 2,300 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.39 || 0.36 || 0.34 || 0.23
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 6.35 mm Steel plate in front of pilot.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest.
* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Like many early jet fighters, the armour was placed around the pilot while not much thought was given to the other critical components of the aircraft mostly due to the weight imposed on the early and weak turbojet engines placed into service. From behind, the pilot is protected by an 8 mm steel plate behind the seat with a 12.7 mm steel plate as a headrest. In front of the pilot, a 38 mm bulletproof windscreen adds protection from head-on's or from defensive bomber weapons. Another 6.35 mm steel plate is placed in front of the pilot and instrument panel for further protection of bullets entering the open-ended air-intake.

Other critical components such as the jet turbine, fuel tanks and coolers are all exposed, only protected by the outer skin of the aircraft which may deflect incoming bullets if at sufficient distance or angle to do so.

When attacking an F-84G, aim for the centre of the aircraft where you have a good chance of getting a critical hit on the engine or in a fuel tank. Due to this aircraft having wing-tip fuel tanks, shots to the wings or wing-tip tanks have a potential of starting a fire or breaking a wing off. If the attacking aircraft has sufficient calibre ammunition then shots taken at the pilot may have a larger chance of success if made from the sides or behind. This aircraft does not have much protection against rockets or missiles, however, given sufficient notice, rockets can be avoided and it is possible that missiles can be outmanoeuvred, however, when playing in realistic or simulator you run the risk of the pilot blacking-out due to G-force manoeuvers or wings snapping while trying to outfly a missile.

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

{{main|M3 Browning (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine gun, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

Early fighters had many different configurations of machine guns and cannons mounted in the fuselage and in the wings, sometimes needing to be synced with the propeller to prevent its destruction. With the jet age developing, many factors of the past needed to be reconsidered with gun placement. With jet fighters flying faster and chasing faster targets, trying to find the sweet spot with gun convergence was extremely difficult, jet fighter pilots needed a little extra help with this. Besides implementing newer gun sites and early radar, jet fighter guns tended to be fuselage-mounted, thus eliminating the need to set the convergence and at any point between 0 m and 800 m the ammunition rounds would fly true without a convergence point.

For the F-84G, four of the 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns were mounted in the fuselage with the other two mounted in the wing roots. While they were not all centre mounted, the two in the wing roots were close enough that convergence did not need to be messed with. Two ammunition options provide the most bang-for-the-buck, firstly, the omni-purpose rounds are good all-around ammunition rounds which provide tracers and explosive/incendiary rounds which are effective against aircraft and up to light armoured vehicles. Hardened vehicles and bunkers should be left to bombs and rockets for their destruction. If as a pilot you are looking for the sneak attack, stealth rounds will allow you to get on target fire off rounds and not give away your position, giving you a few seconds to make a second attack if needed before the target realizes where you are coming from.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|HVAR|Tiny Tim}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 24 x HVAR rockets
* 32 x HVAR rockets
* 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (200 lb total)
* 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 24 x HVAR rockets (2,000 lb total)
* 2 x Tiny Tim rockets + 24 x HVAR rockets

The F-84G is one of a small handful of aircraft in War Thunder which offers many different suspended armament options ranging from bombs and rockets depending on the target needing to be destroyed. Due to the more effective engine utilised in the F-84G, it could sport a larger number of suspended armaments compared to its older brother the [[F-84B-26|F-84B]], turning into a truly ground attack workhorse. In comparison, a fully-loaded single-seat {{PAGENAME}} had approximately the same loadout capability as an early 7 crew [[B-25J-1|B-25J]] bomber. The smaller bombs such as the AN-M30A1 and AN-M57 and HVAR rockets are useful against soft targets like anti-aircraft batteries, unarmored vehicles, ships and some light tanks. The heavier hitters like the AN-M61A1, AN-M65A1 and Tiny Tim rockets are effective (more like overkill) for the softer targets, but also work well with bunkers, heavier armoured tanks, larger ships and can also be utilised against bases.

Sometimes the suspended weapons you start out with doesn't work well later on in the match, therefore you can return to your base and exit the aircraft (default key = 'j') and select a different load-out unless you would like to fly strictly as a fighter where you can select "without load" and rely just on the six Browning M3 machine guns. The wide variety of ordnance options available for this aircraft make it an excellent clean-up ground attacker which can attack just about anything on the map with the right setup.

== Usage in battles ==


The F-84G is a versatile multi-role fighter and can be configured to be used in various types of aerial warfare, namely bomber interceptor, ground attack and fighter-interceptor.

;Bomber Interceptor

Thanks to an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, the G model has a bit more climbing power and does not need to rely solely on side climbing and reach the necessary altitude to begin hunting bombers or diving onto hapless fighters. As a bomber interceptor, the pilot has two options for weapon load-outs besides the default guns, noting the HVAR and Tiny Tim rockets.

If the F-84G is still stock or in the process of upgrading modules, the best bet will be to not load any suspended armaments and rely on the six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns to do the work. Just using the machine guns will help save on weight and make it a bit easier to climb on the unmodified engine. For those pilots who have modified engines, they can opt for guns only for a quicker climb or attach HVAR rockets for an additional punch against larger bombers.

Once at altitude, scan and select a bomber target of opportunity. It is best to attain higher altitude than the bomber, giving you options as to which direction to attack from and increase your speed when diving in, speed is key to avoid defensive guns, race out of their range and to gain enough distance to safely turn around and follow up with another attack if needed.

Since the six M3 machine guns are virtually centered on the aircraft, the inbound bullets will be clustered and should be aimed at engines, cockpit, fuel tanks and any other critical areas as the body of the aircraft can sometimes absorb a large amount of smaller caliber ammunition before causing a critical hit or crippling the aircraft. The limitation of only 300 rounds per gun will require trigger discipline by the pilot to ensure enough rounds are available for a secondary or tertiary attack without having to reload or return to base.

Utilizing HVAR rockets at large lumbering bombers can have a great impact, though unguided, they will need to be pointed in the general direction when launched, it may take several practice runs to determine best angle and distance in which to fire from for a successful attack. As with any unguided rocket, the best bet is to launch a volley of rockets to ensure a greater chance of at least one hitting.

;Ground Attack

Jet fighters tend to not make good ground attackers as it typically requires them to fly low and slow making them easy pickings for enemy fighters above or anti-aircraft fire below. Since the F-84G is neither an exceptionally fast fighter nor a lumbering bomber, it has an advantage of being fast enough to be dangerous to ground targets without being a sitting duck for patrolling enemy fighters. Compared to many other fighters which are capable of ground attack, the F-84G can carry a fantastic amount of ground attack ordnance which can seriously put a dent into the enemy teams vehicles, bunkers and bases.

While many aircraft available in War Thunder has a specific role of fighter-interceptor, ground attack or bomber, the F-84G can set itself up with suspended ordnance depending on the targets available on the map. The F-84G has several options depending on the modules unlocked by the pilot which range from outfitting HVAR unguided rockets, massive Tiny Tim unguided rockets, 100 lb, 250 lb, 500 lb and 1,000 lb bombs or a mixture of bombs and rockets.

Smaller bombs and the HVAR rockets are best for going after lighter armored targets such as aircraft (on the ground or with rockets in the air), anti-aircraft batteries, trucks, some light tanks and ships. The larger Tiny Tim rockets and bombs are best reserved for more hardened targets like pillboxes, medium and large tanks, bunkers, large ships and bases. This fighter is not afraid to get down and dirty taking out ground targets, just be aware of your surroundings and watch for enemy fighters or anti-aircraft guns poised to take you out.

;Fighter Interceptor

The F-84G is one of the fastest aircrafts at its BR and it is more then capable of fighting early jets, preferably using [[Boom & Zoom|B&Z]] and [[Boom & Run|B&R]] tactics. After spawning reach a speed of at least 650kph or about 400mph (this part shouldn't be very hard since the F-84G gets an airspawn on most maps) then climb at an angle of 10 degrees, after reaching your wanted altitude precede to dive down on your unsuspecting enemies and disintegrate them using your centerline [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|M3 .50 cals]]. After you made your pass do not turn after your opponents but keep your energy up and gain your distance then, repeat the process.

The F-84G has a minimum fuel load of 7 minutes which means that you will have to be aware of your fuel or take a bigger fuel load and accept the performance drop that comes with it. Another problem the F-84G has is the ammo count. it has 300 round per gun and because of the M3 machine guns' high ate of fire the ammo can be depleted entirely in just 15 seconds. This may sound a lot to some players but the [[M3 Browning (12.7 mm)|M3]] are machine guns and not cannons you will need to hit more rounds then usual and in turn waste more rounds. Nonetheless the F-84G still has enough ammo to reliably take down 3-4 aircraft before having to rearm in the airfield.

The F-84G is fast and very capable at the hands of an experienced player, it is not very different from its predecessor the [[F-84B-26|F-84B]] and although often mistaken for being an easy pray for its bad maneuverability it is quite the opposite, if you fight it remember: a good F-84G is a dead F-84G.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
|
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| FRC mk.7
| FSBC mk.1
|-
| II
| New boosters
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
| FRC mk.7a
| FSBC mk.5
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 12 mm MGs
|
| FMBC mk.1
|-
| IV
| G-suit
|
| Cover
|
| LFRC mk.12
| FLBC mk.1
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Center-line armament of six .50 cal machine guns with a great rate of fire
* Huge payload options, a fantastic ground attacker
* Good acceleration
* Excellent dive speed
* Usually gets a low airspawn that gives him a speed advantage
* Sturdy wings, nearly unrippable

'''Cons:'''

* Turn rate is not very good, though better than the F-84B
* Maneuverability diminished with heavy payloads
* Middle road fighter, not the best or fastest, but capable
* Long takeoff roll out
* Very bad when stock
* Big performance drop at higher altitude

== History ==


In early 1944, Alexander Kartveli, the chief designer for the Republic Aviation Aircraft Company set out to work on a replacement for the piston-powered P-47 Thunderbolt which instead would be powered by a turbojet. All attempts at trying to use the P-47 frame to accommodate a turbojet failed and Kartveli resorted to designing a brand new aircraft around an axial compressor turbojet engine.<ref name="Burrows" /> Due to the nature of the engine taking up a large majority of the fuselage, fuel tanks were designed to be in the wings of the aircraft, however, the body was streamlined to make the smallest profile possible and retain all necessary critical components.

The USAAF in September 1944 released new requirements for a daytime fighter along with specific characteristics such as the top speed of 600 mph (966 kph), armament of six 21.7mm machine guns or four 15.2 mm machine guns along with housing a General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet also known as the Allison J35 series turbojet engine.<ref name="Burrows" /> Republic proposed their new aircraft and on paper proposed it would be superior to Lockheed's P-80 Shooting Star. The USAAF noting Republic's already proven experience with single-seat fighters proposed a contract without holding any competition. These initial order fighters were listed as YP-84As and P-84Bs.

These early test aircraft were put to wind tunnel testing and it was found that major flaws developed when subjected to high speeds, notably longitudinal instability in the aircraft's frame and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds. Also noted was issues with the weight of the aircraft and the problem with early turbojets not producing enough thrust for takeoff and climb outs (a problem which plagued the F-84B aircraft until more robust engines were outfitted). Early J35-GE-7 engines were replaced with J35-A-15 versions which helped with the thrust ratio, however wing-tip fuel tanks were added to the mix prior to proper testing and issues developed which at one point grounded the fleet of aircraft until modifications were made.

In 1947, the USAF changed the pursuit designation of the aircraft to fighter and thus the P-84 became the F-84. The YP-84A and the F-84B only differed when it came to the type of M3 machine guns they carried, as the F-84B had faster-firing machine guns than the YP-84A. Early successes of the F-84B were overshadowed by problem after problem including a speed restriction limiting flight to no more than Mach 0.8 as any faster and the aircraft experienced control reversal where the pilot would input normal commands with the control stick and the opposite manoeuvre would occur (for instance if the pilot pulled back on the control stick to make the aircraft climb, the aircraft would actually begin to dive and vice versa). Even with the speed restrictions, the entire fleet of F-84B fighters was grounded by 1948 due to parts shortages and structural failures.<ref name="Burrows" /> It was also at this time that the F-84C aircraft were also determined to be incapable of performing any of their mission parameters, however since the F-84D was already under production (with all of the B and C variants issues being resolved), the program continued. Funding was allocated to upgrade the B and C variants, however, both were finally withdrawn from active duty service by the end of 1952.

Testing of the F-84D determined that the wings needed to be covered with a thicker aluminium skin to strengthen them which was helpful because the engine was upgraded to the more powerful J35-A-17D. Here it was found that during high-G manoeuvres, the wingtip fuel tanks led to the structural failure of the wings due to twisting motions. A simple fix of adding a small triangular fin to the external portion of the fuel tank alleviated that problem. Despite the fixes introduced with the D variant, it too was withdrawn from active duty in 1952.
The F-84E variant fighter saw modifications specifically with strengthened wings and a larger cockpit which was necessary to equip advanced avionics to include an A-1C gunsight which worked with an APG-30 radar.<ref name="Burrows" /> Folding rocket racks were also developed so that once the HVAR rockets were fired; the racks would fold flush with the wing increasing the aircraft's overall aerodynamics. Unfortunately even with all of the modifications, failure of the aircraft hinged upon the Allison J35-A-17 engines which were only designed to be flown for 25 hours a month and would receive a complete overhaul after 100 hours of flight. Due to the number of sorties flown in the Korean War, engine overhauls were taking place more frequently and quickly exhausted all of the spare parts and new engines produced.

The final variant of F-84 introduced was the G variant which began service in 1951. Utilised for the next nine years, the F-84G had new innovations which became standard on future aircraft to include, a refuelling boom mounted on the left-wing for in-flight refuelling, instrument landing system to allow for landing during inclement weather, a J35-A-29 engine, an autopilot system and the first fighter with the ability to carry a single Mark 7 nuclear bomb. The F-84G was retired from US service in 1960, however, countries such as Portugal continued to use this fighter through 1974 and were flown out of Angola.

The F-84 had a rocky start into the foray of turbine jet fighters, however, challenges and difficulties paved the way for the [[F-100D|F-100]] Super Sabre and the RF-101 Voodoo as their replacements.

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

== See also ==


;Other versions

* [[F-84B-26|F-84B-26 ''Thunderjet'']]
* [[F-84G-21-RE (China)]]
* [[F-84G-21-RE (Italy)]]
* [[F-84G-26-RE (France)]]

;Contemporary aircraft

* de Havilland [[Venom_FB.4|Venom]]
* Gloster [[Meteor (Family)|Meteor]]
* Dassault [[M.D.450B_Ouragan|M.D.450B Ouragan]]
* Grumman [[F9F-2|F9F]] Panther (USAF)
* Grumman [[F9F-8|F9F]] Cougar (US Navy)

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references>
<ref name="Burrows">Burrows, W. E. (2013, August). It had the body of a fighter and a bomber's soul. Retrieved from https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/thunderjet-307269/</ref>
</references>

{{AirManufacturer Republic}}
{{USA jet aircraft}}

F9F-2

2020-11-16T07:55:21Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=f9f-2
|cockpit=cockpit_f9f-2.jpg
}}
{{About
| about = naval fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other planes of the family
| link-1 = F9F (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses of the nickname
| link-2 = Panther (Disambiguation)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American naval jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.37]].

The Panther will typically find itself outclassed as it often faces against more advanced jet designs, such as the [[MiG-15]] or [[Venom_FB.4|Venom]]. However, it does excel in a support fighter role. Distracted opponents are easy prey when the Panther's high-speed driving and manoeuvrability are applied correctly. When engaged 1 on 1 with other jet fighters, its flaws (low top speed) can be exposed. Defensively, the Panther has an uncanny ability to escape pursuing enemies when using its agility to your advantage. The Panther greatly excels at the Fighter-bomber role due to its optional payloads.

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 913 || 904 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.3 || 28.6 || 19.8 || 18.3 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 939 || 926 || 26.8 || 27.0 || 34.1 || 26.5
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 607 || 607 || 310 || ~16 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 620 || < 650 || < 700 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="7" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | Empty mass || colspan="4" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Pratt & Whitney J42-P-8 || 1
| colspan="3" | 4,650 kg || colspan="4" | 318 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="6" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 19m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 60m fuel || 64m fuel
|-
| 600 kg || colspan="2" | Centrifugal-flow turbojet
| 5,467 kg || 5,509 kg || 5,935 kg || 6,573 kg || 7,211 kg || 7,381 kg || 9,636 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="7" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 19m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 60m fuel || 64m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 2,260 kgf || 2,599 kgf
| 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.44 || 0.40 || 0.36 || 0.35 || 0.27
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 2,260 kgf (0 km/h) || 2,599 kgf (0 km/h)
| 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.44 || 0.40 || 0.36 || 0.35 || 0.27
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 9.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
* 9.5 mm Steel - Armor plate behind pilot's seat
* 60 mm Bulletproof Glass - Windshield

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

{{main|AN/M3 (20 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 20 mm AN/M3 cannon, nose-mounted (190 rpg = 760 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|HVAR|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 6 x 127 mm HVAR rockets
* 8 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (800 lb total)
* 6 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (600 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==


The F9F-2 is best described as a support fighter. It is often outclassed by more powerful enemies such as the [[MiG-15]], but as a support to allies, it shines nonetheless. In this play-style, the Panther can leverage its desirable dive characteristics to prey on distracted opponents. A Panther pilot may often find themselves with an enemy on their six. In such a defensive situation, the F9F-2 provides an excellent roll rate with which to dodge enemy fire. However, to dispatch the opponent, it is often necessary to employ the help of teammates.

The Panther has a wide selection of ground-attack ordnance options and can use either bombs or rockets to destroy ground targets very effectively in ground realistic battles. In air battles, the Panther is in almost all cases better suited for an air-to-air role, but even when ordnance is not mounted, the internal 20 mm cannons are able to destroy lightly armoured ground targets. When using HVAR rockets, the aim is especially important, as the six rockets are fired in pairs. With only three shots, it is important to maximize the rockets' effectiveness by aiming slightly to the side of the target. Since the rockets are wing-mounted, this will result in one of them hitting the target directly and causing the maximum possible damage.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage Repair
| Compressor
|
|
| FRC mk.2
|-
| II
| New Boosters
|
| Airframe
| Offensive 20 mm
|
|-
| III
| Wings Repair
| Engine
|
|
| FLBC mk.1
|-
| IV
| G-Suit
|
| Cover
| New 20 mm Cannons
|
|-
|}

* The primary modules that will need to be unlocked are flight performance, handling (''New boosters''), and ''Offensive 20 mm'' belts. After unlocking these high priority improvements, then the focus is secondary weaponry. Without the ''New 20 mm Cannons'' module the plane tends to have a high spread when firing its primary armament.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Decent maneuverability at higher speeds
* Excellent roll rate
* Decent secondary armament
* Good low altitude performance
* Powerful armament with a high rate of fire
* A lot if ammo
* Large fuel capacity in comparison with other fighter jets

'''Cons'''

* Poor high altitude performance
* Poor low-speed maneuverability
* Poor top speed
* Very fragile tail
* WEP runs out very quickly
* Battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB), pits the Panther against planes like the [[MiG-15bis]], the [[MiG-17 (Family)|MiG-17]] and the [[Hunter (Family)|Hawker Hunter]], all of which outperform it
* Cannons are horribly inaccurate when stock

== History ==


The Panther was born during a time when the jet engine was beginning to make its appearance into service. The United States Navy commissioned a jet-powered fighter for its carrier decks. Grumman began work on the XF9F-1 Prototype (Grumman designation G75). The air-frame would carry two crewmen and implement four turbojet engines. At the time, four of them were planned to be used due to the low power output by early turbojet engines. This ran into several issues including taking up too much space on American carriers. Eventually, the design was dropped in favour of the XF9F-2 prototype, Grumman's Model G79, that utilized 1 crew member and eventually a single-engine. The British Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine was used for basic testing. Pratt & Whitney were eventually able to produce the engine and it was designated "J42". As the Panther moved along the creation process, items like wingtip fuel tanks were added to increase its range. Carrier trials with the prototypes were completed in March of 1949. The F9F-2 entered US Navy service in May of 1949.

The F9F-2 is the first production variant of the Panther. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney J42-P-8, a license-built version of the Rolls Royce Nene engine. The F9F-2B was a new variant of the F9F-2 which allowed it to carry 2,000 lbs of ordinance under its wings. Once all F9F-2s were upgraded to the B standard, the B designation was dropped and the aircraft was simply referred to as F9F-2.

The Panther entered combat during the Korean War. It was the primary jet fighter used by the U.S. Navy and Marines. It played a significant part in the ground attack role and flew over 78,000 sorties. It secured the first U.S. Naval air to air kill against a Yak-9. Famous F9F pilots included astronaut John Glenn and Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams. Panthers were pulled from front-line service in 1956 in favour of the swept-wing "Cougar". F9F Panther was the first jet used with the US Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic team.

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

== See also ==

[[F9F-5]] [[F9F-8]]

== 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 Grumman}}
{{USA jet aircrafts}}

MiG-15

2020-11-16T07:52:05Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=mig-15_ns23}}
{{About
| about = Russian jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = MiG-15 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left|The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' in the garage]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.35. The main differences between this aircraft and the [[MiG-15bis|MiG-15 bis]] are weaker engine performance and [[NR-23 (23 mm)|NR-23 23 mm]] autocannons.

== General info ==
[[File:CockpitImage_MiG-15.jpg|thumbnail|right|The '''MiG-15''''s instrument panel.]]

=== Flight Performance ===


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,009 || 975 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.4 || 23.7 || 34.2 || 32.5 || rowspan="2" | 600
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,067 || 1,050 || 22.8 || 22.1 || 50.8 || 42.0
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 650 || 450 || ~12.5 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 600 || < 700 || < 750 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Klimov RD-45F || 1
| colspan="2" | 3,508 kg || colspan="3" | 229 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel
|-
| 872 kg || colspan="2" | Centrifugal-flow turbojet
| 3,875 kg || 4,241 kg || 4,608 kg || 4,718 kg || 5,485 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 (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 33m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 2,086 kgf || N/A
| 0.54 || 0.49 || 0.45 || 0.44 || 0.38
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 2,086 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.54 || 0.49 || 0.45 || 0.44 || 0.38
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 64 mm Bulletproof glass in the cockpit front
* 10 mm Steel plate in front of the pilot in the nose
* 6 mm Steel plate in pilot's seat
* 10 mm Steel plate behind the pilot's head

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

{{main|N-37 (37 mm)|NS-23 (23 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 37 mm N-37D Cannon, nose mounted (40 RPG = 40 total)
* 2 x 23 mm NS-23 Cannon, nose mounted (80 RPG = 160 total)

Both the N-37 and the NS-23 cannons have the muzzle velocity of 690 m/s.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|FAB-100 (100 kg)|FAB-250M43 (250 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (200 kg = total)
* 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg = total)

== Usage in battles ==

At higher ranks of the Soviet aviation line, the MiG-15 series is one of the most iconic jet fighter aircraft designs from after the Second World War. Earning its reputation on fame over the skies of Korea against its US contemporary, the [[F-86A-5|F-86 ''Sabre'']].

The MiG-15 can be researched from its predecessor, the [[MiG-9_/L|MiG-9/L]]. The MiG-15 features a powerful cannon arrangement of 2 x 23 mm and 1x 37 mm, excellent high altitude performance and is highly effective in vertical maneuvers. Unlike the MiG-9, the MiG-15 is also the first Soviet jet aircraft to feature an air brake which is extremely useful in combat situations. The jet fighter does, however, have its downsides. The lack of an “All-flying tailplane” (such as that featured on the [[F-86F-25|Sabre]]) leads to less control over the aircraft at higher speeds approaching 1,000 kph. While the MiG is initially faster in acceleration by comparison to the Sabre, this does mean that once both aircraft are up at higher speeds, the Sabre will hold some advantages over the MiG-15. It should be noted that if you load 8 minutes of fuel instead of the regular (for most pilots) 20, it drastically improves your performance. However, this is not recommended to be done at the beginning of the match as most matches last longer than 8 minutes, and should instead be done when you land mid-match.

The combination of 37 mm and 23 mm cannons creates aiming issues for pilots not familiar with their ballistic properties or velocity. Due to the size of these cannons, ammunition pools are restricted by comparison to other top tier jet aircraft. To help compensate the two different trajectories of the armament, it is recommended to use 'rolling' maneuvers, as the rudder may lock in high speeds. To aim with these cannons, it is best to estimate the lead with the experience built up with planes beforehand (ie.: Yak-9T / La-9) and add extra distance over the estimated lead (about double from the estimated).

Once pilots have learned to use the MiG-15s excellent rate of climb, acceleration and high altitude capabilities to their advantage, the downsides of the aircraft are far less significant than the positives. In the right hands, the MiG-15 can be a devastating combatant, capable of dealing with any aircraft in game swiftly. Teamwork, Squads and communication will also be beneficial when flying the MiG-15 as effective coordination between multiple pilots allow you to use this aircraft to its maximum potential. After mastering the MiG-15, you can research its improved variant, the [[MiG-15bis|MiG-15Bis]]. As the MiG-15 is essentially a slightly merged MiG-15bis, it shares much of its performance issues and abilities.

===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 || 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
| Compressor
|
| Offensive 23 mm
|
|-
| II
|
|
| Airframe
| New 23 mm Cannons
|
|-
| III
| Wings Repair
|
|
| Offensive 37 mm
| BD-2-48
|-
| IV
|
| Engine
| Cover
| New 37 mm Cannons
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Flaps can be deployed at high speeds
* Capable and useful air brake
* High rate of climb
* Great acceleration
* Deadly armament capable of making snapshots

'''Cons:'''

* Worse energy retention than the Sabre
* Poor roll rate
* Poor turning circle
* Compression at high speeds
* Really bad when stock
* Armament difficult to use (low velocities, low ammo and two different trajectories)
* Guns tend to spark a lot (the N-37 in particular)
* No G-Suit, so maintaining control is difficult when turning at high speeds

== History ==

First taking to the air in December of 1947, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighter aircraft came as a massive shock to the west when it appeared in the skies over Korea in the early 1950s. The swept wing fighter quickly proved itself as a capable and effective combat aircraft and forged a fearsome reputation.

The prototype I-310 was designed around the British Rolls Royce Nene engine which was purchased under license from Great Britain as the RD-45. Featuring sleek swept back wings,tricycle undercarriage and the same armament as its predecessor, the [[MiG-9]], in the form of 2 x 23mm NS-23 cannons (Later replaced by NR-23 cannons in the [[MiG-15bis|MiG-15Bis]] model) and a single 37mm N-37D cannon all mounted centrally under the nose intake. The new aircraft was designed as an interceptor with heavy armament capable of quickly taking out bomber formations and was one of the most advanced aircraft in the world at the time.

Entering service between 1949-50, the MiG-15 made its operational combat debut in the Korean War, completely outclassing the first generation jet fighter aircraft of the UN forces such as the [[F-80C-10|F-80]] and [[F-84B-26|F-84]]. The MiG’s excellent rate of climb, high-speed performance and deadly weaponry proved superior to the early jets and was only challenged by the arrival of the [[F-86A-5|North American F-86 Sabre]]. At the time, the Sabre was the only aircraft capable of effectively combating the MiG in aerial combat and the pair became synonymous with the conflict.

From 1950, the MiG-15 was later developed into the Bis model, featuring a new engine, armament changes and minor overall improvements. However, the aircraft would ultimately lead to the development of the MiG-17. The MiG-15 was also a hugely successful export aircraft, operated by many nations such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, [[MiG-15bis_(Germany)|East Germany]], China, North Korea and Vietnam to name but a few. Licence built versions of the MiG-15 also existed such as the Chinese J-2, Czech S-102/3 and Polish Lim-1.

The MiG-15 is a true icon of aviation and will provide experienced pilots with an impressive top tier jet fighter when employed to its strengths, being more than a match to any other aircraft in the game.

=== In-game description ===
"A single-seat all-metal cantilever monoplane fighter.
Continuing the line of the La-5/La-7 fighters, the designers of the Lavochkin Design Bureau wanted to remove all of the wood from the aircraft's construction and create an all-metal fighter. In early 1946, prototype fighter 130 was built, to be launched into full-scale production under the designation of La-9 (Product 48) after the tests had been passed.

The La-9 was a new plane, not just an upgrade of the La-7 with metal parts instead of wooden ones. The La-9 had differently shaped monospar wings with laminar flow airfoils. This plane did not have leading edge slats. The weight savings gained by replacing wood with duralumin enabled the designers to mount five fuel tanks on the aircraft and increase the total fuel capacity.

The La-9's cockpit was more spacious than the La-7's, and its canopy required less framing and provided better visibility. By pressurizing the cockpit and the power unit compartment, one of the main shortcomings of the Lavochkins - the high temperature in the pilot's cockpit during engine operation - was finally overcome. Also, the aircraft's instrumentation system was brought into line with worldwide standards. A radio compass, an attitude indicator, and an identification-friend-or-foe transponder enabled the aircraft to be piloted and engage in dogfights even in difficult weather conditions.

The La-9 had a Shvetsov ASh-82FN fourteen-cylinder two-row radial air-cooled fuel-injected engine producing a maximum power of 1,850 hp.
The plane's armament consisted of four synchronous 23mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23S cannons with 300 rounds each. A Fairchild gun camera mounted on the right wing panel was used to direct shooting and for training purposes. Later it was replaced with an S-13, its Soviet counterpart, which was placed in the fairing over the cockpit windshield.

Production of the La-9 continued until 1949. A total of 1,882 planes were manufactured. Troops in the Soviet Air Force began to receive the new fighters in 1947. The La-9 did not remain in service for long, since the Air Force quickly switched to jet technology. The early 1950s saw the beginning of the mass handover of piston fighters for warehousing and conservation, as well as the re-equipping of fighting troops with MiG-15 jet aircraft.

In addition to flying with the Soviet Air Force, La-9 fighters remained in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force of China until 1959, laying the foundation for the new Chinese Air Force. When the Korean War began, the La-9 was being supplied to the North Korean Air Force. The first planes were received in September and October 1950. During the final stage of the war, the Koreans used the La-9s as light night bombers. When bomb racks were mounted, the fighter could carry two 50-kg bombs. After the war, La-9s were in service with the Korean People's Army Air Force until the end of the 50s."

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as 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 ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3054/current/ [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> MiG-15]

{{AirManufacturer MiG}}
{{USSR jet aircrafts}}

Whirlwind P.9

2020-11-13T08:18:37Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=whirlwind_p9
|market=Whirlwind P.9 (Britain)
}}
{{About
| about = British gift twin-engine fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = the other version
| link = Whirlwind Mk I
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} British twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. This aircraft was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]] during the 2018 World War Two Chronicles. It was later re-released during [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]] as a reward for Operation "Shipyard". Whirlwind P.9, an experimental pre-production vehicle, is the direct ancestor of the British [[Whirlwind Mk I]] heavy fighter. Development of the aircraft began in 1937 and the aircraft in this series had plenty of time to fight against German aircraft and ships during the Battle of Britain.

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

The vehicle is agile and speedy on level flight. The maneuverability is surprising, and even better with the use of flaps, making it possible to dogfight with most of the twin-engine fighters and, with skill and situational advantages, few single-engine planes as well. Just be wary of not draining all your speed while dogfighting enemies.

If played conservatively, this plane can be a tenacious opponent, especially when having an altitude advantage as this allows the {{PAGENAME}} to dive, fire, and then escape from enemies all with the same energy. This way a pilot can exploit the {{PAGENAME}}'s great speed to minimize the enemy's chance of getting a successful hit.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,877 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
| 559 || 543 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.2 || 25.1 || 12.2 || 12.2 || rowspan="2" | 650
|-
! Upgraded
| 602 || 580 || 21.9 || 23.0 || 18.2 || 15.0
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 490 || 490 || 265 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 420 || < 420 || < 450 || > 324
|-
|}

[[File:Whirlwind P.9 Formation.png|thumb|466x466px|Whirlwind P.9 squadron patrolling over Dover skies ]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,575 m || 885 hp || 947 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


Packed with wide 2 layers of armour (both of ''9mm'') in front of the pilot, covering the 20 mm cannons and the engine. The bulletproof glass (''60mm'') will also be helpful in head-ons or when hunting turret defended planes.

The Whirlwind P.9 has a vulnerable tail as the elevator and ailerons generally will be blown off if the enemy gets to blaze you from behind or wins in a head-on. Hence you should avoid be caught off guard as it will much likely end your flight capacities.

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

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

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.I cannons, nose-mounted (121 rpg = 484 total)

The four cannons make the {{PAGENAME}} well-armed for head-on engagements or Boom & Zoom tactics, as the four nose-mounted cannons will shred through everything, especially with the ''Ground Targets'' belt due to its AP ammunition. If pilots rather the enemy planes catch on fire, it is recommended to use the universal or stealth ammunition belts which offer this kind of benefit, unfortunately at the cost of somewhat reduced armour piercing performance. Keep in mind the reduced ammo of the cannons and the ability of some planes to turn off fires with self-sealing fuel tanks. The choice of engagement is up to the pilot.

Although gun convergence its a personal choice, it's suggested to set the gun convergence of the nose-mounted cannons to '''600 m''' as the four cannons are lined horizontally (vertical convergence if Boom & Zooming). This allows scoring great shots at the moment when diving onto an enemy without getting to close or too far away. Just enough to aline with the target's flight trajectory and release a short burst. If engaged with them in a dogfight just keep in mind this distance.

== Usage in battles ==


The Whirlwind P.9 should be used similarly to other heavy fighters. The flight characteristics are very similar to the [[Whirlwind Mk I]] with the main difference being that the Whirlwind P.9 has more than double the ammunition count.

The P.9 is very effective in a boom and zoom role due to its good climb rate, and powerful armament. However, the relatively low wing break speed in RB does limit you in this role. The Whirlwind P.9 has a good turn rate for a heavy fighter but will be easily out-turned by single-engined fighters. The use of combat flaps will help to balance out this disadvantage. Care must be taken when using the combat flaps, however, as they are prone to snapping off at a relatively low speed.

At this battle-rating you will see many [[BV 238]]s and [[Me 264]]s. Heading on these bombers will usually guarantee you a kill, but you still need to be careful of the powerful defensive armament of them.

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 20 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 20 mm cannons
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
|
|-
! colspan="5" |This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
|-
|}

[[File:Whirlwind P.9 Flight.png|thumb|361x361px|Whirlwind P.9 silhouette ]]

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Devastating armament in 4 x nose-mounted 20 mm Hispano cannons
* Guns are tightly packed which makes it easier to aim
* Decent maneuverability for a twin-engine fighter
* Decent roll rate for a heavy fighter
* Deadly with the Ground Targets belt
* Gets an airspawn

'''Cons:'''

* Ammo can deplete pretty quickly (though still double that of the [[Whirlwind Mk I]])
* Slower than average dive speed
* Unlike the Mk I variant the P.9 can't take any secondary weapons
* Experiences severe control stiffening at speeds above 500 km/h
* Vulnerable to speedy fighters
* Very low red-line speed

== History ==


During the Mid-1930s, development of combat aircraft in Britain was accelerated, when a war with Germany was becoming more apparent. While trusty and advanced, the Hurricane and Spitfire lacked in range and armament, and in 1935 the British Air Ministry issued operational Requirement F.37/35 which called for a heavy fighter design to be fitted with four 20mm Hispano cannons. Many British aircraft manufacturers responded, but it was found that the submission made by Westland Aircraft of Yeovil in Somerset would be the one selected in 1937.

Known as the P.9, Westland's fighter design featured innovative designs such as low mounted wings with the engines mounted in under-wing pods, as well as the four 20mm Hispano cannons being mounted in the nose. The aircraft aso featured two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, which were proven by that point in the inter-war period with aircraft such as the Hawker Fury and Handley Page Heyford Bi-Plane bomber. The canopy, being a bubble design, gave excellent all around visibility and combined with a "Tail-Dragger" configuration allowed for the installation of a high-mounted elevator assembly. The tail design was initially planned to incorporate a twin-tail design, but this was found to be impractical as the disturbed air from the engines affected performance.

The first flight of the new aircraft, now designated the Whirlwind, took place in October 1938 with the prototype aircraft being made of an all-metal design with flush riveted construction as well as magnesium skin at the rear of the fuselage. Initial flight testing proved impressive, so much so that the Air Ministry considered rushing the aircraft into production. These considerations were dismissed as a decision was reached to swap the Kestrel engines with newly developed, supercharged Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines, outputting over 850HP compared to the Kestrel's 650HP.

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Whirlwind_P9_WTWallpaper_001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Whirlwind_P9_WTWallpaper_002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Whirlwind_P9_WTWallpaper_003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|76ArCiYaEog|'''The Shooting Range #81''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 08:13 discusses the Whirlwind.|zdpmAJUOMOg|'''Whirlwind P.9 (Devastating at 4.0!)''' - ''Jengar''|iXSUd36GYbA|'''Out and Out Aggression - Whirlwind P.9 Review''' - ''TheEuropeanCanadian''|DnvPBX5qF-c|'''Whirlwind P.9 - kill compilation''' - ''Wolvy''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Westland [[Whirlwind_Mk_I|Whirlwind Mk I]]

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Grumman [[XF5F]] Skyrocket
* Grumman [[XP-50]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-45 (Family)|Ki-45-II]]
* Lockheed [[P-38 (Family)|P-38]] Lightning
* Yakolev [[Yak-2 KABB]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6403-operation-shipyard-h-34-and-whirlwind-p-9-en|Operation "Shipyard": H-34 and Whirlwind P.9]]
* [[Wikipedia:Westland_Whirlwind_(fighter)|[Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Westland Whirlwind (fighter)]]

{{AirManufacturer Westland}}
{{Britain strike and twin-engine fighters}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Me 262 A-1a/U1

2020-11-13T08:11:52Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=me-262a1_u1}}
{{About
| about = squadron German jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Me 262 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Me_262_A1a-U1.png|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} German jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]]. It can be unlocked with 310,000 squadron activity points or 6,600 golden eagles.

== 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"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 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
| 825 || 798 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 29.4 || 30.4 || 16.2 || 15.3 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ??? || 865 || ??.? || 28.0 || ??.? || 19.5
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 580 || 580 || 380 || ~10 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 500 || < 600 || < 680 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="6" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="3" | Empty mass || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Junkers Jumo 004B-1 || 2
| colspan="3" | 4,550 kg || colspan="3" | 300 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="5" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 16m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 53m fuel
|-
| 720 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 5,164 kg || 5,311 kg || 5,679 kg || 6,231 kg || 6,525 kg || 6,520 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="6" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 16m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 45m fuel || 53m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 910 kgf || N/A
| 0.35 || 0.34 || 0.32 || 0.29 || 0.28 || 0.28
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 910 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.35 || 0.34 || 0.32 || 0.29 || 0.28 || 0.28
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 15 mm Steel - Behind the pilot
* 15 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest
* 15 mm Steel - Between cockpit and fore fuel tank
* 15 mm Steel - Instrument panel plate
* 16 mm Steel x 2 - Ammunition protection plates
* 90 mm Bulletproof glass

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

{{main|MK 103 (30 mm)|MK 108 (30 mm)|MG 151/20 (20 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 30 mm MK 103 cannons, nose-mounted (72 rpg = 144 total)
* 2 x 30 mm MK 108 cannons, nose-mounted (66 rpg = 132 total)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, nose-mounted (146 rpg = 292 total)

== Usage in battles ==


As a modified [[Me 262 A-1a]], its role in the battle has not changed that much. The added cannons make the plane more capable at its battle rating, with a single burst it will obliterate any opponent in its path.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="2" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
|
|
| Offensive 20 mm
| Offensive 30 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 20 mm cannons
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
|
|
| Offensive 30 mm
| New 30 mm cannons
|-
| IV
|
| Engine
| Cover
| New 30 mm cannons
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Outstanding amount of nose battery of 6 auto cannons
* Can completely obliterate enemy teams if in the hands of a capable player
* Decent energy retention (compared to other contemporary aircraft)
* Can equip it's MK103 autocannons with HVAP rounds that can pen 95mm of armour
* Plenty of ammo, especially compare to Russian planes
* Only a slight difference in flight performance compared to the [[Me 262 A-1a]]
* Good roll rate at low speeds
* Fairly maneuverable at low speeds compared to early jets

'''Cons:'''

* Lack of mounted armaments
* Can regularly face post-war jets that outrun him like the F-84
* Rather slow compared to most other jets
* Bad acceleration
* Very fragile engines
* If engines are hit it is quite easy to get into a cartwheel while stalling
* Not very nimble at high speeds
* Poor rate of climb
* Fuel feed cuts off if flying with inverted G-loads for an extended period of time

== History ==


The Me 262A-1a / U1 is a modification of the world's first mass produced jet fighter, the German [[Me 262 A-1a|Me 262]] ‘Schwalbe’. The armament of the A-1 sub-serie, being four 30mm MK.108 auto cannons, had a number of drawbacks, such as cycle failures and complex heavy shell ballistics. For these reasons, engineers experimented with different variations as to the weaponry, including a reinforced cannon battery. As such, the Me.262A-1a/U1 modification was created as part of this program. German engineers managed to fit 6 autocannons in the nose: 2x20mm MG.151/20, 2x30mm stock version MK.108, and 2x30mm MK.103 guns. For the latter, they developed shells with a higher initial speed, and the guns themselves had a longer barrel length than the MK.108, as well as an effective muzzle brake - all to improve the ballistics of the heavy shells. They built a prototype (according to other sources, there were three units), but the project was not entered into mass production. However, one example was flown by one of the most effective jet aces of World War II, Heinz Bär, who flew it at the end of April 1945, and with it, even shot down several Thunderbolts in the skies over Germany.

''- From [[wt:en/news/6386-development-squadron-vehicles-me-262a-1a-u1-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=fighter&vehicle=me-262a1_u1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Me 262A-1a U1 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Me 262A-1a U1 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Me 262A-1a U1 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|V77eUJjifzM|'''The Me-262 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:17 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|d5k2T9FP0bQ|'''Avoid them in frontal attack!''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:33 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|bxalaBFUfb8|'''The Shooting Range #174''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:45 discusses the Me 262 "Schwalbe".|V7WNaq8wiqQ|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Squadron Vehicle Overview''' - ''Bacongaming''|n7R9ix6KSfY|''' The Germans were NUTS - {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''PhlyDaily''}}

== 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/6386-development-squadron-vehicles-me-262a-1a-u1-en|[Development<nowiki>]</nowiki> Squadron vehicles: Me 262A-1a/U1]]

{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
{{Germany jet aircraft}}
{{Germany squadron aircraft}}

UH-1D (Germany)

2020-11-09T06:23:42Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=uh_1d}}
{{About
| about = German utility helicopter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = UH-1 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_UH-1D_Germany.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German utility helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. This helicopter was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]].

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="4" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
|-
| ? || ? || {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! colspan="4" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
|-
| ? || 287 || {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
''Examine the survivability of the helicopter. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, how many engines the vehicle has. Describe the armour, if there is any, also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''

== Armaments ==
=== Suspended armament ===
{{main|FFAR Mighty Mouse|TDA|M134 Minigun (7.62 mm)|SS.11}}

''Describe the helicopter's suspended armament: additional cannons under the winglets, any type of bombs, and rockets. Since any helicopter is essentially only a platform for suspended weaponry, this section is extremely important and deserves your special attention. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.''

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Able to carry 6 SS.11s ATGMs
* Able to carry unguided HEAT rockets with good penetration (which the predecessor [[SA.313B Alouette II (Germany)|Alouette II]] could not)
* Reasonably fast (Fastest in the Bell Huey helicopter family in WT with exception to the AH-1F/S and AH-1Z)
* Very wide ATGM Camera gimbal limits(The horizontal limit is 110 degrees to each side and the vertical limit is from +10 to -70)
* Light weight allows helicopter to glide reasonably well, for a helicopter (glide ratio 4:1, 15° below horizon)
* Joystick specific handling characteristics:
** Very low minimum stable flight speed
** Excellent yaw rate and stability
*** Perhaps the easiest helicopter in the game to hover without SAS mode assistance
** Weak adverse roll (retreating blade stall effect) at high speeds
** Easier to recover from retreating blade stall compared to other helicopters
** Positive vertical ATGM camera limit allows the helicopter to hit targets slightly above the horizon while maintaining forward stable flight conditions

'''Cons:'''

* Has a moderate tendency to nose over into an inverted dive
* Low redline speed (160 knots, 295 km/h),
* Helicopter is rather fat and long, therefore easy to hit
* Cannot equip any guns together with missile/rockets and the only gun modification allowed is the fixed M134 Minigun pods
* Night vision is essentially useless
* No countermeasure flares
* Not a lot of armour
* Joystick specific handling characteristics:
** Lack of SAS modes
** Tends to float while flaring (pitching up to slow down) because the helicopter is very light and minimum collector lift is rather high compared to other helicopters
** Tends to bleed off RPM quickly if the flight angle of attacks is large

== History ==


The United States Army identified in 1952 a need for a new general utility helicopter which could also serve as medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and instrument training helicopter too. The current inventory of helicopters had several flaws which the Army wanted to overcome including being too large, underpowered or extremely complex to maintain. The Army wanted a workhorse that was easy to maintain and have a fairly small profile. Twenty companies participated in the bidding process and in 1955, Bell Helicopter was selected to build three copies of the Model 204 for evaluation, and this version was designated XH-40 (Experimental Helicopter-40).

The XH-40 was built with the Lycoming YT52-L-1 (LTC1B-1) turbo engine helicopter, the first non-piston helicopter tested by the military and first flew in 1956. Even before the prototype had flown, the Army put in an order for six YH-40 service test aircraft in which they could field test to determine how it would work under military unit operations. Proving successful, Bell was awarded a contract to build another 100 helicopters which were designated HU-1A (Helicopter Utility-1A) and hence was officially named ''Iroquois''. Iroquois ended up being a mouthful for people to say, so a nickname developed from the HU-1 designation which ended up being pronounced as ''Huey'' and stuck. In September 1962, the Department of Defense changed up the aircraft identification system to streamline between all of the different aircraft and their variations and changed the HU-1 to UH-1 (Utility Helicopter-1). Even with the change, the official Army name and the new DOD designation was rarely used as Huey was so well recognised as the name, that is what was to most people.

Unfortunately, with all of the positive feedback received for the YH-40, service tests performed by the Army found the T53-L-1A engine was found to be underpowered and could not perform to the level that was needed. Bell proposed to swap the T53-L-1A engine with the T53-L-5 engine, upping the shaft horsepower from 770 to 960 (570 kW to 720 kW) and extended the cabin to accommodate more people, up to 7 passengers or four stretchers and a medical attendant. The first production of the new helicopter UH-1B was delivered for service in 1961.

Several aerodynamic deficiencies of an armed UH-1B was explicitly identified not having enough engine power to lift the necessary weapons systems. The UH-1C was developed to overcome these problems by upgrading the helicopter with the T53-L-11 engine which had 1,100 shaft horsepower or 820 kW. The UH-1B helicopters which were in the service of the Army at the time were also upgraded with the new engine. Several adjustments were made to the UH-1C which included a new rotor-system, however, like many things which are upgraded, domino effect also requires other components and modules also to be updated. A larger diameter rotor was installed to counter blade stall during dives which required the tail boom to be extended and larger synchronized elevators to be added. While operating in military operations, it was determined necessary to add a redundant hydraulic control system to allow for continued operation in the event of a failure in one system. Larger fuel tanks allowed for further range with the total useful load capacity topping out at 4,673 lbs (2,120 kg). Mid-1966 saw the line production of the fully upgraded UH-1C helicopter.

Huey model 204 helicopters were a huge success and were put to use in several different capacities. However, the Army wanted another version which facilitated the carrying of more troops which spawned the Model 205. Bell adjusted by extending the HU-1B’s fuselage by a total of 41 in (104 cm), boxed in the transmission and was able to add four more seats, two on each side of the transmission box facing out the side doors. With the side doors being easily removable, options to fly without doors made for quick loading and unloading of the helicopter which could now accommodate 15 persons, including the crew and could now hold six stretchers and a medic. First flown in 1961, the 205 took on many of the same upgrades as the UH-1C including the T53-L-11 which enabled usage of multiple types of fuel. Prototypes of this helicopter were designated YUH-1D, and the final assembly line aircraft was called the UH-1D.

This helicopter while still under evaluation the Army sent it to Vietnam in 1962 where it began operations. Initially only required as a general utility, MEDEVAC, and an instrument trainer, this helicopters role also expanded to include but not limited to air assault, cargo transport, search and rescue, electronic warfare and eventually ground attack.

During the Vietnam War, the UH-1 earned several other nicknames other than "Huey" which quickly identified to troops what role the helicopter had been outfitted for. Gunship versions of the UH-1s were identified as ''Frogs'' or ''Hogs'' if they carried rockets while if they just carried guns, they were identified as ''Cobras''. Troop transport versions were called ''Slicks'' due to weapon pods being absent on the external pylons while they did retain their door gunners. Later in the war from 1967 to 1968, the gunship Huey’s were replaced by the new [[AH-1G|AH-1]] attack helicopters.

The success of the Iroquois helicopters did not go unnoticed by allies of the United States. When the USA released the UH-1D model, the West German government agreed to purchase a license to manufacture the latest Iroquois helicopters at German factories, particularly those of the Dornier company. Between February 1967 and the end of 1981, German aircraft manufacturers constructed 352 UH-1D helicopters.

== Media ==

<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 004.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 005.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:UH-1D Germany WTWallpaper 006.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </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 ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5833-development-uh-1d-the-german-iroquois-helicopter-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> UH-1D: The German Iroquois Helicopter]

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{Germany helicopters}}

IL-2 (1942)

2020-11-05T07:32:58Z

U70750748: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card|code=il-2i}}
{{About
| about = Russian attacker '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the captured German version
| link-1 = IL-2 (1942) (Germany)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = IL-2 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_IL-2_1942.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
''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 2,500 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
|-
| 406 || 391 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 25.9 || 26.7 || 6.2 || 6.2 || 450
|-
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 2,500 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
|-
| 447 || 426 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.1 || 24.9 || 11.1 || 8.6 || 450
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| X || X || ✓ || 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}} || 470 || ~15 || ~15
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 320 || < 320 || < 370 || > 360
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 1,750 m || 1,500 hp || 1,593 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and 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.''

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

{{main|VYa-23 (23 mm)|ShKAS (7.62 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 23 mm VYa-23 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
* 2 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|:Category:Suspended armaments|l1=Suspended armaments}}

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

* Without load
* 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs (300 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs (200 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (400 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x RS-82 rockets
* 8 x RBS-82 rockets
* 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
* 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (300 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (200 kg total)
* 8 x RS-132 rockets
* 8 x RBS-132 rockets
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RBS-82 rockets (400 kg total)
* 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
* 12 x 25 kg AO-25M-1 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (300 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
* 4 x 50 kg FAB-50 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (200 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RS-132 rockets (400 kg total)
* 4 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 8 x RBS-132 rockets (400 kg total)

== Usage in battles ==


The IL-2 is an attacker which excels at low altitude. You'll be flying close to the ground in order to hit your targets with your cannons and machine guns, so watch for obstacles and use the IL-2's phenomenal low-speed performance and tight turning circle to get out of harm's way, though beware of the mediocre roll rate and the weak acceleration. Give yourself time to build up a good amount of speed before going for another attack, otherwise, you'll struggle to climb away. Make note of what targets you can eliminate: light pillboxes can be destroyed by your cannons, and even extended MG fire from your 7.62 mm guns, but other pillboxes will be impossible to destroy with your guns, and bombs will need a direct hit. Likewise, light tanks and armoured cars can be destroyed with your guns, but medium tanks will need to be hit from the top or rear to penetrate the thicker armour, and heavy tanks are invulnerable unless you land a direct bomb or rocket hit.

Your bombs and rockets are best used for tougher targets, like pillboxes and medium/heavy tanks. You lack any sort of bombing reticule in Realistic Battles, so aim carefully and get used to how your rockets fall and their velocity. Overall, your load is still very strong. Direct bomb hits will destroy any sized tank, and your rockets can be devastating against ground convoys, especially with your 8 x RBS-132 rockets.

Another way to play is to select the loadout with the 2 250kg bombs which are a lot more powerful and easier to use than the 100kg bombs. after dropping your bombs gain some altitude and attack with your guns from high angle to increase your chance of penetrating your target. this loadout has much less damage potential but takes much less skill.

The armoured cockpit keeps your pilot safe from harm, and while your engine does have a tendency to take damage, you should still be safe from anti-aircraft artillery unless you're exposed to it for too long. The biggest threat posed to the IL-2 is enemy fighters since you're slower and less manoeuvrable than any fighter at this rank. Unlike the later Shturmovik models, you lack any form of defensive armament, so once an interceptor is on you, typically your outlook is grim. Keep an eye on the movement of enemy fighters and use terrain to hide your movements to and from targets if you can. Once intercepted, make use of the IL-2's slow speed to force overshoots, and use the adequate turning capabilities to dodge fire and get around the fighters. If you have a shot, take it: the 23mm cannons will shred even large heavy fighters with ease.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil
! Water
! Type
|-
| Controllable || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Auto control available || rowspan="2" | Controllable Auto control available || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not controllable 1 gear || 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 7 mm
| RO-82
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 23 mm
| Der-21
|-
| IV
| 95 octane fuel usage
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 23 mm cannons
| RO-132
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* '''23''' different payload arrangements including bombs and rockets of varying size, flexible ground attack options
* Powerful pair 23 mm VYa canons, increased firepower, ample ammo capacity
* Strong protection surrounds the pilot and engine
* Can be used as a makeshift fighter
* Great turn rate, can out turn Bf109 series and even C205s

'''Cons:'''

* Lacks defensive armament
* Heavy plane
* Can't carry bombs larger than 250 kg, difficult to destroy more than one target
* Restricted visibility from the cockpit in Simulator Battles due to protective armour
* Higher battle rating
* Slow acceleration
* Bad energy retention

== 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 famous IL-2 Sturmovik was a Soviet WWII-era attack aircraft created by the Ilyushin Design Bureau and nicknamed "Hunchback" by Red Army troops due to the distinct fuselage shape. The designers nicknamed their aircraft the "Flying Tank". Luftwaffe pilots, due to the IL-2's incredible ability to withstand battle damage, called it the "Betonflugzeug" or "Concrete Plane". German ground troops, conversely, despised and feared the IL-2, giving it a slew of unpleasant nicknames, such as "Schlachter" (Butcher); "Fleischwolf" (Meatgrinder); "Eiserner Gustav" (Iron Gustav) and "Schwarzer Tod" (the Black Death). Some historians believe that the 'Black Death' was actually a successful invention of the Soviet propaganda machine that caught on with the Germans.

The IL-2 was the most mass-produced military aircraft in history. However, early in the war German air superiority coupled with the absence of rear gunners on early variants and poorly organized Soviet fighter escorts led to high rates of losses for the type. A favorite attack tactic for IL-2 pilots was a low-level attack run, first letting loose with rockets at 600-700 meters, then firing on-board armament from a distance of 400 to 600 meters. Bombs would be dropped in subsequent passes from an altitude of 100-200 meters, using an impact fuse. The recommended tactic for attacking concentrations of soft targets was a strafing run in a shallow dive from 100-200 meters and a subsequent dropping of bombs at low level when exiting the dive.

== 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;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Ilyushin}}
{{USSR attackers}}

Merkava Mk.3D (USA)

2020-11-02T08:33:07Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_merkava_mk_3d
|market=items_Merkava Mk.3D (USA)
}}
{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Merkava (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Raining Fire"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/6878-event-wargame-strategist-en|2020 Wargame "Strategist" event]].

== 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 || 50 mm || 50 mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || 30 mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || 65 - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 65 - ___ mm || 65 - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || 30 mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,860|rbMinHp=1,061}}

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

{{main|IMI MG251 (120 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[IMI MG251 (120 mm)|120 mm IMI MG251]] || 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" | -7°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane ||32.4||44.8||54.4||60.2||64.0|| rowspan="2" |8.71|| rowspan="2" |7.70|| rowspan="2" |7.10|| rowspan="2" |6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
|20.2||23.8||28.9||32.0||34.0
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| M325 || HEATFS || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480 || 480
|-
| M339 || HE-TF || 65 || 65 || 60 || 58 || 53 || 50
|-
| M322 || APFSDS || 625 || 622 || 613 || 601 || 588 || 575
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M325 || HEATFS || 1,078 || 15.81 || 0.05 || 1 || 2,360 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| M339 || HE-TF || 900 || 17 || 1.5 || 3 || 3,660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M322 || APFSDS || 1,705 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Last updated: 1.101.0.109'''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''46''' || 45 ''(+1)'' || 43 ''(+3)'' || 42 ''(+4)'' || 6 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+45)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack n°5 is a ready rack containing 5 shells.
* This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
* The depletion order at full capacity is: 5 - 1 - 2 up to 4.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 4 into rack 5. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
* The double rack n°4 depletes row by row from top to bottom (starting with the right rack).

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 900 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 5,950 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Commander's cupola || 1,750 (200) || 600 || __° || __°
|-
| Loader's cupola || 1,750 (200) || 600 || __° || __°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Merkava Mk.3D offers an excellent cannon and great manoeuvrability, along with great frontal armour protection. The front of the tank is heavily armoured with angled armour plates, providing protection of over 300 mm. The only main weakness of this legendary tank is it's side and rear armour. On the sides, the NERA armour only covers the top half, above the composite screen plates.
The composite screen plates can provide over 500 mm or protection. On the rear, the spaced armour only protects the crew compartments with 900 mm of air protection. Internally, the storage bins are covered in a fireproof container, with no ammunition stored in the turret. This reduces the risks of the ammunition being destroyed by a fire.

===How to combat enemy tanks===

Using the '''M325 HEATFS''' Round: is a '''H'''igh '''E'''xplosive '''A'''nti '''T'''ank '''F'''in '''S'''tabilised round, with a velocity of 1,078 meters per seconds, with a war head mass of 15.81 Kg. This round provides a maximum penetration of 480 mm at all ranges. To get the best from this round, you must aim for weakly armoured places on the enemy tank, generally the weakest places are the sides and rear of the enemy tank. At rank seven, most MBT's are heavily armoured with ERA plates which can defeat these types of rounds, with ease. However, it does not mean these rounds are usless, in-fact they are very good, instead of being able to single shot an enemy tank, it only requires an additional reload or two. The first shot, will most likely knock off and destroy the ERA plate. The second shot, will penetrate and knock the tank out.

Using the '''M339: HE-TF''' Round: is a '''H'''igh '''E'''xplosive '''T'''imed '''F'''used round, with a velocity of 900 meters per seconds, with a war head mass of 17 Kg. The maximum Penetration of the round is 65 mm, which is more than enough to penetrate the roofs of the enemy tanks, at rank seven. This round allows you to knockout targets which are hiding behind rocks, vehicles, houses and other objects. The round works by recording the distance to the target then denoting on them. To get the best out of this round fire above the target, allowing it to explode thus the enemy tank gets knocked out by being penetrated by the roof.

Using the '''M399: APFSDS''' Round: is one of the best rounds in the game it provides up to 625 mm of penetration. It is able to virtually penetrate almost any armour in the game at incredible lengths, at close range it is able to make the enemy tanker, go, pop.

===How to combat enemy helicopters===
The Merkava Mk.3D has four machine guns, one 12.7 mm mounted on the cannon, with an additional 7.62 mm machine gun mounted on each of the Commander's & Loader's cupola's and finally a coaxial 7.62 mm. The Merkava Mk.3D, is able to handle airborne threats extremally well, with it's LWS/LR system it alerts you to when someone is locking on with a laser range finder, which are installed in most if not all high ranking helicopters.
When a notification pops up, switch to gunner sight and enable the thermal sight, look around in the sky and you will see brightly lit dot - if it flying away from you ignore it. If it is coming closer, keep an eye on it and wait until it is close enough for you to engage it.

However, if it has fired it's ATGM's pop smoke and retreat behind an object, until it's missile has blown up. Then locate it and fire the four machine guns, it will be able to bring it down. Or a using the M332 or M325 round a single hit in the fuselage will knock it out.

===Capitalising on the terrain and environments===
=====Capitalising on urban maps and environments:=====

When engaged in combat on a map which features an urban close range environment, the Merkava Mk.3D provides great threat to any enemy tanker. The manoeuvrability, is one of the best in the game, it is able to pivot on the spot and change course. If that is due to a sudden appearance of enemy tank which has appeared or if the strategic interest has changed, the MK.3D is able to handle it. To get the best out of the Mk.3D, either flank around the urban parts of the map or stay & utilise the compact urban environment.

To utilise the compact urban environment, stay close to buildings, use the buildings to your advantage. Using the buildings will allow you to dominate the battle zone, it's 120mm cannon is able to destroy enemy tanks with ease, especially at close ranges. It is important not to stay in the middle the roads or open areas which offers no concealment. The Merkava Mk.3D, is a tall tank, it is taller than the '''''[[M1_Abrams_(Family)|M1 Abrams family of tanks]]''''' This means, you can be seen and shot at by the enemy team, it is not a sleek low profile tank like the '''''[[HSTV-L|HSTV-L.]]'''''

=====Capitalising on rural maps and rural terrain:=====

To capitalise on rural maps head into the forest, and stay in the forest it's important not to leave the forest or rural terrain like this. This type of terrain offers great protection and makes the Merkava Mk.3D almost invisible to the enemy. The thermal profile is reduced by the vegetation, which blocks the heat signature. It's very important to use the correct camouflage, which helps to make you harder to detect.

The Merkava Mk.3D 120 mm gun is able to snipe the enemy tanks from far and wide. to win do not keep firing from one spot, after every shot move to another location using the rural vegetation to make you stealthy and remain unseen. The MK.3D has a thermal sight, that allows you to find the enemy tanks in situations like this. The gunner sight also provides a zoom of 6 to 12x allowing for pin-point shots combined with the M322 round - makes for one of the most lethal tanks in the game.

=====Night Battles:=====

Do not expose the right hand side of the tank, due to the exhaust gas which will make it impossible for you to locate and knockout enemy tankers with the thermal sight. Instead, keep the left hand side of the tank exposed towards the enemy frontline. It's also as important keep an eye out for air threats such as '''''[[Ka-52]]''''', '''''[[Mi-28N]]''''', '''''[[EC-665_Tiger_UHT|EC-665 Tiger UHT]]''''', '''''[[AH-64D]]''''' and other helicopters.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! colspan="2" | Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
|
| Horizontal Drive
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
|
| Adjustment of Fire
| LWS/LR
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
|
| Elevation Mechanism
| M322
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
| ESS
| Smoke grenade
| Artillery Support
| NVD
|-
|}
A tip for grinding it:

Unlock parts first, horizontal drive, FPE, Adjustment of fire then M322. Everything after these can be unlocked after.

The M322 round offers up to 625 mm of penetration, it is able to penetrate most tanks at distance with ease allowing for other parts to be unlocked faster.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has access to one of the best penetrating APFSDS round in the game.
* Has access to timed HE, which can be set to detonate at a very specific distance, for example just behind enemy ammunition panel or above a light tank completely hidden behind cover
*Timed HE round has a less sensitive detonator than normal HE-type shells, so it can overcome common obstacles such as bushes and fences.
* Great survivability, thanks to its internal layout.
* Ammo storage is wrapped in a fire proof container, preventing it from denotating in-case of a fire, inside of the tank.
* Great manoeuvrability, able to pivot and turn on a dime.
* Certain redundant parts of the turret can be used as extra protection against chemical ammunition, or to bait shots from impatient opponents.
* Turret armour can withstand direct hits from enemy tanks.
* Engine & external fuel tank is able to prevent APFSDS from penetrating and knocking the tank out if shot at the front, head on.

'''Cons:'''

* Only has first generation gunner & thermals optics.
* Hits to the upper half of the hull can bypass all the screens and modules and go straight for the ammo or crew as the engine is not tall enough to absorb the shot - attacks from high ground are particularly dangerous.
*Due to the placement of the external fuel tank, which is placed in front of the engine. It absorbs the kinetic force of the round - Thus gets set on fire and blocks gunner view from the front with thick smoke.
* Engine exhaust is placed on the right hand side of the tank, the exhaust gas limits the gunner view, since the gunner can only see exhaust gas when traveling.
* In night battles, exhaust gas blocks out the right hand side of the vehicle from the gunner view.
* Weak side and rear amour, well placed shot here can knock the tank out.
* Tall profile compared to other tanks in this tier.

== History ==


The Merkava Mk.3 was an improved model of the Merkava Mk.2 that was introduced in 1989 for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). It featured improvements in firepower, mobility, and electronics. It was in production from 1989 to 2003 and remains the most numerous tank in service with the IDF.

One of the most major changes was the change to the main armament. The 105 mm gun of the Mk.2 was replaced by a 120 mm gun produced by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) in Israel. The engine was also replaced by a more powerful 1,200 hp diesel engine. The turret was also heavily modified to allow target tracking independent of the hull’s movements. Additionally, a two-way phone was added for communication between the tank crew and friendly infantry, the ammunition stowage was redesigned for more safety, and laser designators were added. The weight was increased to 65 tons, but the more powerful engine increased the maximum speed to 60 kph.

The Merkava Mk.3 Baz was an improved model that was introduced in 1995. It featured a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) protection system, an air-conditioning unit, and an upgraded fire control system (FCS).

The Merkava Mk.3D was a further improvement that added modular composite armor on both the chassis and turret, visually most notable on the turret.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_merkava_mk_3d Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uSAKjBXX_X0|'''Holding The Line - {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''DEFYN''|WdOQXq-CgCQ|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|1gSNZiirWEI|'''The Shooting Range #219''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|gkyl7bowQ2k|'''Should You Grind The {{PAGENAME}}?''' - ''Sako Sniper''|TrwGDzUgUjE|'''{{PAGENAME}} - The Iron Chariot Ft. M322''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* {{Specs-Link|us_merkava_mk_1}}
* {{Specs-Link|us_merkava_mk_2b_late}}

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Merkava#Merkava_Mark_III|[Wikipedia] Merkava Mark III]]
* [[wt:/en/news/6877-development-crafting-event-strategist-merkava-mk-3d-en|[Devblog] Crafting event “Strategist”: Merkava Mk.3D]]

{{USA medium tanks}}

Vautour IIA IDF/AF

2020-10-29T08:06:31Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=so_4050_vautour_2a_iaf
|store=6679
}}
{{About
| about = jet bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| and
| usage = other versions
| link-1 = S.O.4050 Vautour IIA
| link-2 = S.O.4050 Vautour IIB
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_Vautour_IIA_IDFAF.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} French jet bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

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


Like most bombers, the Israeli Vautour has decent maneuverability (for a bomber mind you), but you shouldn't be turning with anything to begin with. Where this plane really shines is the acceleration owing to the two powerful engines in the underling nacelles and the heavy air frame. Which makes it amazing in the vertical. But since you can't have everything, the wings will break in prolonged >7g maneuvers. Essentially you don't want to do any insane maneuvers, and risk getting sent back to the hanger.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 1,093 || 1,091 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 32.6 || 33.2 || 43.0 || 41.1 || rowspan="2" | 900
|-
! Upgraded
| 1,106 || 1,100 || 31.4 || 32.0 || 62.7 || 52.0
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|разрушение|конструкции}} || {{Specs|разрушение|шасси}} || 600 || 600 || 463 || ~7 || ~3
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 480 || < 620 || < 590 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | Empty mass || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | SNECMA Atar 101E3 || 2
| colspan="2" | 11,000 kg || colspan="2" | 316 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 950 kg || colspan="2" | Axial-flow turbojet
| 11,974 kg || 13,388 kg || 14,213 kg || 21,000 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,293 kgf || N/A
| 0.55 || 0.49 || 0.46 || 0.31
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,595 kgf (1,100 km/h) || N/A
| 0.60 || 0.54 || 0.51 || 0.34
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 2 mm steel behind rearmost fuel tank
* 2 mm steel in the rear fuselage
* 3 mm steel surrounding the pilot
* 6 mm steel in front of pilot's controls
* 13.5 mm steel in front of pilot's controls
* 13.5 mm steel headrest
* 50 mm bulletproof in front of pilot
* Self-sealing fuel tanks (4 in the fuselage, 1 in each wing)

This thing can take quite a lot of punishment before going down due to the bomber's damage model.

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

{{main|DEFA 551 (30 mm)}}

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

* 4 x 30 mm DEFA 551 cannons, nose-mounted (100 rpg = 400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|M117 cone 90 (750 lb)|M117 cone 45 (750 lb)|AN-M65A1 Fin M129 (1,000 lb)}}
{{main|Shafrir|T10 140|T10 151|SNEB type 23}}

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

* 10 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (2,500 lb total)
* 10 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (5,000 lb total)
* 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 8 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (7,500 lb total)
* 6 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (6,000 lb total)
* 24 x T10 140 rockets
* 24 x T10 151 rockets
* 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets
* 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (1,500 lb total)
* 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (4,500 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (2,000 lb total)
* 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (1,500 lb total)
* 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (4,500 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (2,000 lb total)
* 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (1,500 lb total)
* 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (4,500 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (2,000 lb total)
* 4 x Shafrir missiles

== Usage in battles ==


# The regular "rush the base and run away" style that all Jet bombers can do and excel at. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's not where the Vautour excels.
# Ignore all the other payloads and load up on missiles. This arguably the more interesting way to play, but there are risks involved as well. i.e. having the whole enemy team pick the Vautour as a priority target.

If you take the missiles, here's how you want to play it:

Look for high altitude dots , these usually mean other jet bombers or the odd Tu-4. The missiles are not that effective at a range greater then 1 km. The farther that missiles are fired, the greater the chance of the locked-on enemy have in evading the missile. On the off hand that the first missile misses, the Vautour has four of them so a follow-up shot is an encouraged option.

Once in a while, look around and support your team, especially the teammates that are engaging the enemy. If an ally has an enemy at their tail, work around towards the enemy's rear and fire off a missile to take care of them. This can be beneficial if a long chain of alternating enemy and ally fighters have gotten together as each of them try to hit the fighter at their front and evade the fighter at their tail. If able to pounce on these chains, come in from the very rear and take out the very last enemy fighter in this chain. This will either cause the chain to break-up, potentially freeing up pressure on your allies, or the chain will continue without noticing the Vautour's presence. In the latter case, continue towards the next enemy and take them out one-by-one.

Once all missiles are expended, switch to the guns, which are powerful enough to take care of any enemies unfortunate to be in front of them. However, high-speeds will cause the controls to be less responsive, so fine-manoeuvring for these gun-runs may be difficult. If the gun pass misses, itch up and use the Vautour's amazing vertical energy retention to reset and try again. Usually the guns don't get much use as the missiles will completely over shadow them.

Overall this plane destroys people who don't pay attention and or make bad plays. The most effective way to lock it down is to simply look back every now and then, just to make sure nothing's behind you.

;Enemies of note:

F-100's: These things will out speed you and outmaneuver you in the vertical. If one happens to latch onto your 6, drag him away from his friends and force him to overshoot. Then assuming the reversal was successful, throw a missile at them. Most F-100 may not be aware that the Vautour has missiles, and so firing off a missile can destroy the F-100 while it is supersonic.

Vautours: The Vautour's great performance means its greatest enemy is going to be itself. Be especially wary on maps like Hokkaido where there's thick cloud cover. They have a tendency to come out of nowhere, destroy you and retreat back into the cloud cover like some air-borne monster.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" | Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! colspan="1" | Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
|
|
| Offensive 30 mm
| Matra T10 140
| SBC-17
|-
| II
| New boosters
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
| Matra T10 151
| M117
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 30 mm cannons
| Matra SNEB
| LBC-25
|-
| IV
| G-suit
|
| Cover
|
| Shafrir
|
|-
! colspan="7" |This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Normally able to reach bombing points before being intercepted
* Good top speed, able to keep up with fighters at its rank
* Good energy retention
* Versatile, has access to a wide range of ordinance including air to air missiles

'''Cons:'''

* Poor manoeuvrability
* Vulnerable to missiles
* Transonic and supersonic aircraft can easily match your speed
* Shafrir missiles are only slightly better to Aim-9B
* Missiles have a very limited range, 2.5 km optimal range

== History ==


The French Vautour twin-engine bomber had been produced in three variants between 1956 and 1959. In 1960, after four years in service, the French Armee de l'Air divested itself of its 25 surviving Vautour II-A single seat ground attack planes, along with its 40 II-B two-seater bombers, selling them to Israel, which kept them in service until the 1970s.

== 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;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer SNCA SO}}
{{France jet aircraft}}
{{France premium aircraft}}

IAR-81C

2020-10-27T12:26:03Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=iar_81c}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]]. It is the first domestic-produced Romanian plane in the game, added into the Italian tree. 

This variant is the up-gunned version, designated 81C and it excels at ground support. Boasting good offensive firepower and decent payload options for a converted fighter, the IAR-81 is capable of multiple roles. Harassing enemy ground forces only to follow up by securing the air space is among tactics typical for this type of fighter. While there are no obvious shortcomings to this fighter, neither does it excel in any category. The combat role flexibility is a force multiplier especially on early maps as it opens another crew slot for specialist vehicles.

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

On paper the IAR-81C looks to be a [[Bf 109 E-3|Bf 109E]] clone. Though looks can be deceiving. This vehicle feels far heavier than it really is. Cause for this is the early starting lock-up of the elevator at high speeds and the lack of leading-edge wing slats at low ones. Flaps use is essential, but slows down the plane very much in using so. Turn characteristics are average which can be said for most of its statistics. Although it lacks the horsepower to accelerate ones coming out of a manoeuvre. Despite the elevator lock-up above 400 kph, the IAR-81C is an excellent Boom & Zoom fighter. The sleek design, the terminal velocity of 680 km/h IAS and the late break-off speed for the flaps all greatly help. The latter especially is of use to tighten the recovery from dive attacks, ensuring that even at high dive speeds the flaps can be deployed. 

A bit cumbersome the IAR-81C takes about 20 seconds to take-off from a standstill, especially with a payload onboard. A hard Split-S without the combat flaps is a dangerous affair thanks to the elevator locking up and will take about 460 m to perform. The Immelmann should be reserved for a better accelerating fighter for this plane is not a fan of it. A high Yo-Yo is preferable. Climbing should be done at 15° and between 250 and 270 km/h (240 f/s), though a stable climb is possible at 150 km/h, too.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - at sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (meters/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (meters)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| ??? || ??? || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || rowspan="2" | 350
|-
! Upgraded
| 509 || 485 || 19.1 || 20.0 || 14.8 || 11.9
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 550 || ??? || ??? || ~11 || ~8
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 350 || < 300 || < 370 || > 341
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 3,900 m || 1,000 hp || 1,090 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 75 mm bulletproof glass windscreen
* 12.7 mm steel headrest

If one were to hit the pilot from the front, the enemy would need to pass through the engine block, the oil filter and one of two big fuel tanks. Engaging bombers or head-on attacks are well-nigh saved bets for the pilot. Further the fuselage inline fuel tanks are consequently safe from pursuit and frontal fire. The rearward protection is not as stellar though. The decently thick steel plate does not protect the entire pilot, leaving the lower back open. Overall a sturdy little fighter for its rank.

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

{{main|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|FN Browning (7.92 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, wing-mounted (175 rpg = 350 total)
* 2 x 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (700 rpg = 1,400 total)

The IAR-81C packs a considerable punch for its battle rating, including two MG 151's and two 7.7 mm machine guns for a total of 3.11 kg/s. Naturally, the MG 151's found on this aircraft gain access to the powerful ''Minengeschoß'' shells, making the vehicle a deadly force to be reckoned with for what it can face. The 7.7 mm machine guns found on this vehicle are adequate at best and provide the best effect when used with tracer rounds to provide more effective aiming when using stealth belts for cannons.

A big downside is the wing-mounted position of all firearms. This location drastically lowers the firing density and brings with it the issue of gun convergence. In short, the convergence/crossing point is were the fire lines of each gun meet and close this imaginary triangle. For ground strafing the gun convergence should be set as high as possible, for the distance of engagement varies on the approaching run. For dogfights, a range from either 100 to 300 m is common to bring all guns in the crossing section to bear.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)|Wfr.Gr.21}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (100 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb + 2 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (350 kg total)
* 2 x Wfr.Gr.21 rockets
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb + 2 x Wfr.Gr.21 rockets (250 kg total)

Where this vehicle really shines, however, is its access to a ground-pounding loadout of a 250 kg bomb and 2x ''"Werfergranate 21"'' rockets. Although created for anti-bomber use, the Wfr.Gr.21 rockets are capable of shredding tanks it faces at its battle rating or above, penetrating even a tank's side armour with a near-miss in some scenarios. With powerful HE shells for its cannons to demolish open-topped vehicles, a 250 kg bomb on a "trapeze"-style mount like those found on the [[Ju 87 (Family)|Ju 87-series]] aircraft, and Wfr.Gr.21 rockets for engaging fast-moving tanks or more armoured anti-aircraft vehicles from a distance (namely the [[Crusader AA Mk I]] or the [[AC Mk II AA]]), the IAR-81C provides the Italian tree with a vehicle that poses a serious threat to all but the most armoured vehicles or cautious anti-air.

== Usage in battles ==

With the advantage of flexibility, a mode of attack should be chosen before spawning. Climbing at the start to fight for air dominance with allies, or going full ground support with the option to defend oneself upon being spotted. Perhaps even taking ordnance for a quick drop only to retreat behind allies to initiate a late climb to dogfight altitude. The options are all there, however in-game a fighter first and ground support second is more often than not welcomed by the team. In combined Air & Tank Battles the multi-role nature of the IAR-80C is a great fortune as one can swap between ground support and air supremacy at one's leisure. 

For dogfighting Boom & Zoom is the favourite combat style of the IAR-81C. While it is quite nimble in a turn, it lacks the engine performance and low stall speed for a continues turn fight. Horizontal and hard manoeuvres are more for emergencies.

=== 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" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not controllable 1 gear || 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 7 mm
|
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs
| R6 modification
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
|
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
|
|-
! colspan="6" |This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great multi-role aircraft
* MG151 cannons have very powerful HE rounds
* Good payload options
* Good cockpit visibility
* Average in performance
* Average in maneuverability
* Great armament

'''Cons:'''

* No breakout features as a fighter, fighter-interceptor, bomber-interceptor or fighter-bomber
* Uncontrollable at high speeds
* MG151 cannons have pretty weak armor piercing rounds
* Cannot compete with most turn fighters

== History ==


After fulfilling several governments and licence contracts, the relatively young I.A.R. (Industria Aeronautică Română) company had enough resources and technical know-how to begin developing their own fighter aircraft. Taking inspiration from previous licenced projects, I.A.R. engineers initiated a private venture by beginning work on their own fighter aircraft in late 1937, which would later be known as the I.A.R. 80. As work was progressing slowly, the first prototype wasn’t completed until spring 1939. Initial testing produced positive results, proving that the I.A.R. 80 could be considered a modern fighter despite not matching the performance of contemporary Bf 109s and Spitfires. After addressing some minor issues and upgrading the prototype’s engine, the I.A.R. 80 was tested in a head-to-head competition with the German He 112. Impressed by the aircraft’s display, the Romanian government placed an order for 100 I.A.R. 80s to be produced, while only a limited number of He 112s were ordered for production. Despite starting production almost instantly after the order was placed, I.A.R. struggled to ramp up production as shortages on the Belgian-made FN Browning 7.92mm machine guns became an increasing issue in the wake of the German invasion of the Benelux states. By April 1941 however, with Romania joining the Axis, the armament shortages were temporarily addressed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I.A.R. upgraded their fighter to the I.A.R. 80-A, increasing the number of machine guns to the initially proposed six and installing a more powerful engine, thus solving many initial concerns with the aircraft.

Even prior to Romania’s entry into WW2 in 1941, the government was keen on modernizing their stock of strike aircraft and dive bombers. The latter role was to be filled with the Ju 87 Stuka. However, as Germany initially refused to permit a licence production, I.A.R. came up with the proposal to convert some I.A.R. 80 fighters into dive bombers, creating the I.A.R. 81. These machines differed only from fighter models in the installation of a bomb rack underneath the fuselage, capable of suspending a 225 kg bomb. The I.A.R. 81-C was the final modification of this series, featuring upgraded MG 151/20 20mm cannons compared to previous versions. Around 150 examples of this modification were produced out of the approximate total of around 350 I.A.R. 80/81. By the end of the war, most of the I.A.R. 81s were not used in the dive bomber role and were instead used side by side with the I.A.R. 80 as fighters, most notably taking part in the famous defence of Ploesti against U.S. bombing raids in 1944. I.A.R. 80s continued their service with the Romanian air force after the end of WW2 and even into the early 1950s, before being replaced by more advanced Soviet counterparts.<ref>[https://warthunder.com/en/news/5525-development-i-a-r-81-c-supporting-the-axis-en], taken from the War Thunder Devblog on the IAR-81C. Copied 9 March 2019</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/755557/en/ Skin: No. 429 "Lenuța" Summer 1944 - by ''TeodorSan'']
* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/747083/en/ Skin: 2th Fighter Group, Squadron 46 - by ''WinGAflo'']


;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|b6qqrQqgUZw|'''The Shooting Range #99''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:27 discusses the IAR-80 & 81.|CUGEtGFN4qc|'''"Why it's currently the best plane in Italian tech tree? IAR-81C"''' by ''HowToPlay1337''|Vb8MTRtg5Cw|'''"IAR-81C - Thumbs Up From Me"''' by ''Napalmratte''|NgeaBXpaYd8|'''"Forgotten Aircraft: The I.A.R 80 and I.A.R 81"''' by ''Wartime History''}}

== See also ==


* [[P-40E-1]]
* [[Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop]]
* [[Yak-9B]]
* [[Re.2002_Early|Re.2002 Early]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/412550-iar-81-c-joining-the-italian-forces/ <nowiki>[</nowiki>WT Forum<nowiki>]</nowiki> IAR-81C discussion thread]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/414724-iar-81c/ <nowiki>[</nowiki>WT Forum<nowiki>]</nowiki> IAR-81C Flight Model thread]
* [[wikipedia:IAR_80|<nowiki>[</nowiki>Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> IAR-80 and IAR-81]]
* IAR-81C model created under the [[Affiliate Program Revenue Share]] by [https://live.warthunder.com/user/NovA29R/ NovA29R]
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5525-development-i-a-r-81-c-supporting-the-axis-en <nowiki>[</nowiki>Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> I.A.R. 81-C: Supporting the Axis]

==References==
<references />

{{AirManufacturer IAR}}
{{Italy fighters}}
{{Italy premium aircraft}}

Mi-4AV

2020-10-25T07:02:30Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card|code=mi_4av}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet attack helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].

The legendary Mi-4 is a pioneer in the Soviet helicopter aviation. It served as a multi-role and extremely capable helicopter for many different work fields in The Soviet Union and to many countries in the world. In the game, its combat variant represents an honour to fly, but also a huge learning challenge.

Aspiring Soviet pilots will need a lot of patience, skills and tactics to master this helicopter serving as an intro for the formidable and lethal Soviet Helicopters tree.

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

This helicopter is very slow; often times, you will most likely find yourself not being able to go over '''200 km/h'''. Additionally, the Mi-4AV has a poor roll rate. When fully loaded, the performance struggles more. This allows the helicopter to become an easy target for machine gun and cannons fire. Pilots should keep this in mind when choosing the payload.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 500 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 173 || 162 || rowspan="2" | 6,000 
|-
! Upgraded
| 206 || 190
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===

The {{PAGENAME}} is a large helicopter and a big target. Unfortunately, to help keep this bird in the air and hauling troops and weapons to the battlefront, sacrifices had to be made. Here, the sacrifice was armour protection. Armour would have weighted down the already heavy helicopter, but the lack of it did not deter the Soviet Union from building these helicopters and using them on a large scale as a showcase piece of their technological prowess.

The {{PAGENAME}} turned out to be a do-it-all helicopter despite not having any armour protection.

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

{{main|A-12.7 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm A-12.7 machine gun, nose turret (900 rpg)

The {{PAGENAME}} starts with one .50 cal as its only machine gun. This gun has a limited movement, meaning you may not be able to get it on target at times. It's best suited for extremely light targets which are not a common sighting at this battle rating, such as the '''[[U-SH 405]]'''. Therefore any engagements relying on this machine gun should be avoided. It works best as a defensive armament against other light helicopters you might encounter on the battlefield.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|FAB-100 (100 kg)|FAB-250M43 (250 kg)|9M17M Falanga|S-5K}}

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

* Without load
* 96 x S-5K rockets
* 6 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 96 x S-5K rockets + 4 x 9M17M Falanga missiles
* 6 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs + 4 x 9M17M Falanga missiles (600 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs + 4 x 9M17M Falanga missiles (1,000 kg total)

The only suspended armament it comes stock with is 96 x S5K rockets. They can be replaced with ATGMs or bombs with later upgrades.

== Usage in battles ==

Pilots should be aware this helicopter is not made for dedicated '''CAS''' ''(Close air Support)'', mainly because of some traits such as low top speed, big size, and low manoeuvrability. Rather consider using it as tactical anti-tank support with mobile capacities around the allied half of the map, where it is far enough from enemy radars and anti-air vehicles.

The pilots must be alert of their surroundings, as they do not want to bring undue notice upon themselves. Ending being downed by a plane is a common situation. Strategy plays key in this helicopters ability to sneak into position, let lose a volley of rockets or zero-in an anti-tank guided missile onto an unsuspecting target. Use structures and terrain to act as shields when possible.

It might be wise to use this helicopter only for '''ATGM''' duties in most long open maps, while benefiting from the '''rocket pods''' or '''bombs''' in close and cramped maps. Stay away from packs and hunt light tanks flanking your team on the sides of the map with the rockets pods, or load ATGMs and become an efficient '''4 km''' sniper with them. Multiple tactics for multiple different maps. Trial and error should be made to ensure self-survival and team victory.

'''Arcade Battles'''

An easy way to use this helicopter is to play it on Arcade Assault mode where you can rearm constantly and help your team against waves of enemies while also researching more equipment for your Mixed battles.

Enduring confrontation helicopter battles can allow for profit and RP research, however is risky since there is a lot of more technologically superior enemies that will do quick work of you with any kind of guided missiles, with little to no chance of survival.

'''Simulator Battles'''

Despite the natural difficulties of this mode, it's greatly rewarding due to the stealth element of Simulator. You can allow yourself to execute a more offensive approach and attack without be seen as easily. Do not forget to watch for any enemy aircraft and be ready to swiftly return to base. Avoid staying around too much since helicopters are easily noticeable and will be quickly taken down. Consider using this helicopter to control enemy offensives and defend points with ATGMs.

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! colspan="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Compressor
|
| Flak jacket
| Offensive 12 mm
| FAB-100
|
|-
| II
|
|
| Helicopter frame
|
|
| 2P32M/K-4V
|-
| III
| Engine
| Replacing helicopter blades
| NVD
| New 12 mm MGs
| FAB-250
|
|-
| IV
|
|
| Cover
|
|
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Workhorse multipurpose machine
* Several external payload options for weapons
* Quiet resilient
* Can carry '''Falanga''' ATGMs with 4 km of firing range
* 12.7 mm turret for light or exposed targets, as well as any unarmoured aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* S-5K rockets are very inaccurate which results in a very hard stock grind
* No armour or bullet-proof glass
* Critical components co-located (cockpit, engine, motor and oil coolers)
* Huge, slow and not very manoeuvrable
* ATGM targeting range is narrow (difficulties when tracking a target may arise)
* Unforgiving playstyle due to vital deficiencies.

== History ==

The Soviet Army Aviation owes its emergence mostly to the transport landing helicopter Mi-4. The Mi-4 paved the way for helicopter usage in the Soviet national armed forces.

The Korean War was the main impetus in which provided the need for a Mi-4 helicopter which started its official development in the early 1950s. At the time, the American military was widely using helicopters as a force multiplier which enabled troops to advance and reinforce areas much quicker than when travelling by vehicle or more to a pinpoint location without needing finding or building an airfield. Through the use of helicopters, rapid and large scale operations became a possibility that had yet to be exploited to its fullest. At this time, the Americans were using different types of helicopters to do various tasks, depending on what payload was needed. Light helicopters were used for duties such as taking wounded back to hospitals, means of communication and spotters for artillery units. More massive helicopters were utilised for delivering troops, vehicles, supplies and artillery directly to the battlefield. The Korean War demonstrated the increased need for a role which rotor vehicles could fulfil within the Armed Forces.

Once realising their folly of not developing helicopters for inclusion in the armed forces, Soviet leadership decided they needed to make up for lost time and get to work designing and building their helicopter force. In October 1951, the leading aviation designers of the Soviet Union were called to the Kremlin. As a result of the meeting, tasks for developing new rotor vehicles were given to the aviation designers. Here, the Mil Design Bureau specifically was assigned to the designing and creating a landing-transport helicopter which could carry up to 12 persons. Quick work was needed because experimental models were required to be ready for trials one year after receiving this assignment.

Mikhail Mil began to work on a solution; however, unbeknownst to many, he already had a head start on this project which he called the VD-12 or Vertolyot Desantniy (a landing helicopter) which was designed to hold 12 persons. The design of Mikhail Mil's had been around since the end of the 40s. However, it never went anywhere because nobody was willing to support the project at the time. The lack of support extended from the military through the highest leadership in the country because they did not understand the battlefield benefits this tool would provide their soldiers. It wasn't until the Soviets were spectators in the Korean War that they saw firsthand the effectiveness of helicopters on the battlefield.

Initially the VD-12 was designed to receive a 1,000 HP engine; however, when the helicopter was ready to begin construction and to receive it, the engine was determined not to be ready for the deadline trials. Mil was then required to redesign the VD-12 to accept a more powerful and heavy engine, the Ash-82 developed by Arkadiy Shevetsov which was a couple of generations newer than the Ash-73TK utilised on the Tu-4 bomber. This piston engine had proven itself an excellent engine when employed on various aeroplanes. To accept this new engine, the helicopter needed to be enlarged to adequately encompass it. Yakovlev DB had intended on providing the rotor, main rotor head, wobble plate, reduction gear and engine for the project, however that was for the smaller VD-12 and all that had to be scrapped for the newer and larger helicopter. Igor Sikorsky developed the S-55 (H-19) which was very similar in size and layout, and Mil decided to model the more modern and larger helicopter off of the aspects of the S-55 which applied to his larger helicopter. The Radial engine was placed in the front nose with the drive shaft passing through the cockpit and turning the rotor, which left the lower section of the helicopter to be a large cargo cabin. Again the cabin needed to be able to hold 12 troops or various military equipment which weighed up to 1,600 kg.

With this plan in action, designers were working almost around the clock to complete the schematics. Within four months of the project starting, the prototype was rolled out of the hanger and prepped for flight. With the radial engine firing, the rotor began to spin, however during acceleration of the motor; the blades started to bend severely, threatening to break apart and destroy the helicopter. The rotor was powered down, and the minds went to work attempting to figure out what the issue was. Mil settled on the problem being the rotors fluttering, which for aircraft surfaces bending or flexion which causes material fatigue and the parts disintegrate thus destroying the entire project. To validate this theory, special weights were built in one night and then installed on the blades. A repeat of the experiment was conducted, and the rotor behaved in a manner it needed to work correctly. Further testing created a blade which was constructed to eliminate any flutter.

Seven months after receiving their assignment to develop and build a helicopter, the first helicopter trials were ready to begin. While the first test had the helicopter tethered to the ground to prevent any mishaps, on the 3rd of June, Vsevolod Vinnitskiy made the first free flight in the new helicopter. At this point, the VD-12 was the most significant and most massive lifting helicopter in the World. With the completion of the state's trials, the VD-12 began mass production, and its name was changed to Mi-4 and was introduced into service the next year.

In many ways the Mi-4 surpassed the US helicopter H-19's capabilities as the rear of the Mi-4 could open up and through the use of a ramp, men, vehicles and artillery could quickly be loaded and unloaded. Also installed under the nose of the helicopter was a gunner position with a 12.7 mm machine gun. The Soviet military found many uses for the new helicopter beyond just transporting people and equipment, and as more equipment was outfitted, the helicopter also took on roles such as ground attack and submarine hunter. More than 3,000 Mi-4 helicopters were produced during its years in service and proved to be an essential force multiplier on the battlefield for the Soviet Armed Forces.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=helicopter&vehicleClass=attack_helicopter&vehicle=mi_4av Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 004.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 005.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 006.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Mi-4AV WTWallpaper 007.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|lTR8bhL4BUc|'''The Mi-24 Family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:47 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|h_Gng-eiEXE|'''The Shooting Range #113''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 06:00 discusses the Mi-4AV.|Ndj0AenHKN8|'''Mil Mi-4 Transport Helicopter Making Of - MADE in the USSR''' - ''Epic Soviet Documentaries''}}

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* [[H-34]] - Sikorsky Choctaw
* [[H-34 (France)]] - French variant of the Choctaw

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5708-development-uh-1-and-mi-4-early-birds-en|[Devblog] UH-1 and Mi-4: Early Birds]]

{{AirManufacturer Mil}}
{{USSR helicopters}}

M4A3E2 (76) W

2020-10-22T14:18:39Z

U70750748: /* Pros and cons */ (can dominate entire matches at downtier)(very small weakspots

{{Specs-Card|code=us_m4a3e2_76w_sherman_jumbo}}
{{About
| about = American heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = M4 Sherman (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_M4A3E2(76)W.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]] in the initial batch of US vehicles available at launch. Taking from its predecessor, the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2]], it is improved with a more powerful 76 mm cannon that allows it to take on the majority of Rank III and some of the Rank IV tanks. As a side note, the nickname "Jumbo" was likely never used during WWII, as there is no record of it. However, its use both on the Wiki and In-Game is still prevalent.

The M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo is an all-around good tank with no major limitations or advantages, with average speed, manoeuvrability and thick frontal armour, making it a 'jack of all trades tank' equally good in defensive tactics as well as offensive tactics. staying behind good cover, exposing only the thick gun mantlet and engaging targets in long range, or offensive tactics. It's 2 main advantage is that it has a fast firing 76 mm gun, combined with high penetration rounds,and it can be used to quickly disable and overwhelm otherwise heavier targets. Its armour is also excellent - the hull armour is just 1 mm short of the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]]'s hull, and that is not even taking into account the sloping, making the hull next to impossible to penetrate frontally, and your sides are also up armoured, so unlike the Shermans, your angling will not cause you to be shot through the side. Angling with this tank will make you nearly indestructible to enemy fire. Compare this to the very tough Tiger I at the same battle rating. Beware, your hull is not up armoured from the rear, and most rounds at it's BR will set the engine on fire, and some will even go into the fighting compartment. You should also beware that you are not always indestructible, and things like the [[Tiger II (P)]] will penetrate you, even when angled. Another final thing to keep in mind is that despite you mainly fighting other 5.7 vehicles like [[Panther D|Panthers]], the battle rating will sometimes get you up against tougher opponents like the [[T-44]] and the dreaded [[Tiger II (H)]], and if in arcade, even the terrifying [[T29]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 + 38.1 mm (47°) || 76.2 mm || 38.1 mm || 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 177.8 mm || 152.4 mm || 152.4 mm || 25.4 mm
|}

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=646|rbMinHp=442}}

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

{{main|M1 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm M1]] || 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" | 71 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.78 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''M62 Shot''' - M62 shot is the standard stock shell of the {{PAGENAME}}. With a 149 mm top penetration, it usually won't be able to destroy heavy opponents or tank destroyers it will see at its BR from the front, however, the armour makes up for it to have more time looking for a good shot. Although this is the stock shell it is quite handy, and can deal with many of the opponents at its BR, if you know where to aim. For one thing, this shell can destroy most cannon barrels with a direct hit, but this should not be your go-to in most situations.

* '''M42A1 Shot''' - This is the HE shell of the {{PAGENAME}}. With a 7mm penetration at all ranges, it's best to use this when fighting AA trucks or other lower-armoured tanks. It's advised to only carry 0-5 of these shells as you won't really need them, but they're useful for when a pesky AA truck comes around the corner and shoots your cannon barrel off when your firing APCR at it.

* '''M79 Shot''' - The M79 shot is a clear upgrade from the M62 shot, with more than 30mm more penetration, this will pack a punch. However, you will need to make sure you know your enemy tank's guts, as this does not fragment nor have a HE filler, and will rely on your aiming skills to destroy the core components of a tank. Just like the M93 shot, this tank shell will not explode in the tank, but rather go straight through. It's best to carry these shells instead of the M62, but when you get the upgrade to M93 don't carry any at all.

* '''M93 Shot''' - This is the last shot upgrade of the {{PAGENAME}}. With a penetration upgrade of more than 110 mm from the M62 shot and more than 70 mm than the M79 shot, this will be the best shell for the {{PAGENAME}} Sherman Jumbo. With this shell, you'll be able to pen even the most armoured of opponents, except perhaps the occasional Tiger II or IS-2 mod. However, it's best to carry at least 35-50 shells of this, as this should be your main shell during combat.

{| 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
|-
| M62 shell || APCBC || 149 || 146 || 133 || 119 || 106 || 95
|-
| M42A1 shell || HE || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7
|-
| M79 shot || AP || 134 || 132 || 121 || 109 || 99 || 89
|-
| M93 shot || APCR || 190 || 186 || 167 || 146 || 128 || 112
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M62 shell || APCBC || 792 || 7.00 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| M42A1 shell || HE || 800 || 5.84 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 390 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M79 shot || AP || 792 || 6.80 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M93 shot || APCR || 1,036 || 4.22 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M88 || 274 || 3.44 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M4A1_(76)_W.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[M4A1 (76) W]] (identical to the {{PAGENAME}})]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''71''' || 57 ''(+14)'' || 43 ''(+28)'' || 29 ''(+42)'' || 15 ''(+56)'' || 1 ''(+70)'' || Yes
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+30° || ±60°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M4A3E2's regular enemies are [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and [[Panther (Disambiguation)|Panthers of all variants]] and [[Panzer IV/70(V)|Jagdpanzer IV/70]]s which can be dealt with using the tactics described above. Occasionally you will face [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II]]s and [[Jagdpanther]]s, the best way to deal with them is to flank and disable them quickly. However, if this is not possible, you should not engage them, and await help. Beware though, that things like the [[Tiger II (H)]] and [[T29]] and [[Caernarvon]] might get away with destroying all those trying to help you, ending up with your untimely end. Avoid engaging them frontally at all costs, especially at long ranges.

Although this is based on a medium tank, the tank is not as fast as the other mediums at its rank. Because of the heavier armour, this tank will be a few more miles slower than the rest of the tanks. However, this does not mean that the tank is bad. Most Russian tanks at this rank will usually have a very easy to spot the point where the hull and turret meet together, that point is usually under-armoured and a well-placed shot will usually cripple the tank and the turrets horizontal will be gone.

Never show your side. No matter what you do, never show your side. Your front is the most armoured piece on your tank, and you must use that your advantage. Never allow the enemy to flank or ambush you. To ensure that you can get a good shot, find out what enemy tanks you'll see in the Jumbo then check where their ammo is and how much armour is protecting that area. If you know you can penetrate that, go for the ammo/gunner/gun, as the M93 shot does not fragment or have a HE filler, it simply pierces the tank and goes straight through.

'''''Environments''''' 
In urban environments, you're going to want to move up with the rest of the group, however, don't move up as the lead tank because you will surely find a nasty surprise at the end of the road. When facing Tiger II's, they will be able to pen anywhere they want in your frontal armour, even your thickest point (turret) if their ammo is upgraded enough. It's best to shoot the flat part of the turret, or get to their sides and pen them. However, if you can't do either of those, track them and hope that something bigger on your team will be able to take it out. The M93 can penetrate the front of the [[Tiger II (P)]], but not the H model.

In open terrain, you can usually brawl from long-range with certain tanks, such as the Tiger I, and mediums of Russia. However, if you see a Tiger II or other formidable opponent, it's best to stay far and show your front, angling the best. You can also use the hills to your advantage as most tanks do, and hide behind them quickly moving out of cover, pot-shotting the enemy tank then heading back into cover.

===Arcade battles===
In Arcade Battles you will usually see some pretty nasty tanks, however, because of your turret and hull armour, you will be able to usually survive. Use the player-name system to your advantage and shoot enemy tanks when they're not looking. However, because it's arcade and you're much more likely to be hit, it's best to angle your armour at a slightly less 35-degree angle. In AB, you will most likely have an advantage if you make the first shot, you're fast, and you never show your side.

===Realistic/Simulator battles===
[[File:Where to Aim at a Tiger E With A 76mm Jumbo.png|thumb|This is where you should aim with the M62 shell to penetrate a Tiger from the front.]]
In realistic battles and simulator battles, your opponents will be much more battle hardened and know where to shoot the Jumbo. When facing enemy tanks, don't always suspect that you can just show your frontal armour and turret and expect to not get penetrated. As said before, be safe and be quick, and angle your armour when you can because that saves lives. You never want to go solo and move up on your own, as you will most definitely meet a tank destroyer or quite possibly a heavy tank. When meeting an [[IS-2]], a turret hit or shot between the hull and turret will usually cripple it, but when facing a Tiger II you'll have to be a bit more careful, as the tank is bigger and stronger than you. Although your M93 shot usually has the penetration power, it cannot penetrate the Tiger II's hull and your best luck will be shooting the flat armour of the turret front.

'''Tiger I E:''' This is a tough opponent to face, but, it can be killed quite easily if you know what to do. With the M62 round, you should aim at the area shown in the picture. It will penetrate the Tiger unless it is very sharply angled, but that could often mean that you can get a side shot. Do not aim for the drivers viewport or the machine gun, just aim for the flat armor on this section of the tank.
[[File:Panther Cupola - Where to Shoot.png|left|thumb|This is the most most surefire way to disable a Panther quickly.]]
'''Panther:''' This is another very common and tough opponent to face. Do not shoot for the hull front, it will not be able to penetrate. You can try to shoot the turret front, but there is a chance you will bounce. The most surefire way to disable a Panther is to shoot the commander's cupola, highlighted on the left. This will often kill the commander and gunner, and about half the time it will also kill the loader.

'''IS-2:''' This is one common opponent from the Soviet/Chinese tree. Its 122 mm gun can easily penetrate the Jumbo, regardless of angle and distance. To destroy it, shoot at it when it's reloading or is unaware of your presence. For the 1943 model, aim at the cupola or the curved part of its hull armour that blends into the side. It has only 4 crew so killing all the turret crew (3, which is easy) will destroy it. For the 1944 model, only aim at the turret or the cupola as its hull is very strong.
{{Clear}}

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="2" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| M79 shot
| Adjustment of Fire
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| M93 shot
| Elevation Mechanism
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| M88
|
|-
|}

To start out, you will want to get Tracks, Parts, then M79 Shot, and work your way from there, as those are the core components of the M4A3E2 (76) W Sherman Jumbo. With the better ammunition, you will be able to penetrate more and be far more dangerous on the field. And with Tracks & Parts, you won't need to worry about the lights/mediums that keep popping out your tracks to get to your side or backside. After getting these three things, it's best to work on manoeuvrability and M93 Shot as a first priority.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Learning curve from the 75 mm Jumbo should help a lot when playing this tank
* Can dominate entire matches at downtiers
* Decent 76 mm gun with APCR rounds
* Very small weakspots are very hard to hit and especially at medium - long ranges
* Can now dish a little bit more damage than the 75 mm Jumbo
* APCR shells are a step up from the 75 mm and cost slightly more with a lot of added benefits
* High rate of fire for the main gun
* Excellent gun depression
* Very strong turret armour from all sides, very good at hull down position
* Very good at leading a spearhead towards a capture point where it can provide cover to weaker allied tanks with more powerful guns
* Excellent frontal armour, about 101 mm thick and sloped
* Excellent all around turret armour, average 152 mm thick! and a 177.8 mm gun mantlet
* Can absorb a lot of damage
* Wet ammo storage - Which reduces greatly ammo rack chances, is indicated by the "W" in its name, this also means tightly packed ammo only placed under the turret
* Equipped with gun stabilizer, working only at slow speeds under 20 km/h
* Good acceleration
* 1.72 RP efficiency
* Incredibly tough when angled, except for its lower side armour
* Wider tracks than regular Shermans, except M4A3E8 variants

'''Cons:'''

* Will struggle a lot when getting up-tiered as in general it will be unable to compete with 6.7 vehicles.
* It still needs allies support to be effective in battle
* While armour is decent, it will not stop everything; Panthers, King Tigers and large calibre Russian tanks can penetrate your armor, most notably the upper glacis, though angling can make it difficult
* Armour weak spot above the gun-mantlet (63.5 mm @ 61°). (can be corrected by angling yourself with a hill)
* Side armour better than normal, but still weak (76.2 mm). Allows for light angling and protection against most AA
* Rear armour is still thin
* Roof armour is not upgraded from the previous version, still weak but protects against most calibres under 37 mm
* Tall profile makes it a bigger target
* Bad off-road manoeuvrability
* Quite low top speed of 35 km/h
* Reverse speed is bad, 4 km/h
* Hull MG is still a weak spot (but hard to hit)
* Can not properly angle since it's low sides are only 38.1 mm thick
* Due to the layered armour at the front and the armour over-matching mechanic, the upper glacis armour can be dubious in that it does not reliably ricochet shells, even from smaller calibre guns like the 75 mm SA50

== History ==

===Development===
Long before D-Day, American war planners knew that it would a long and decisive battle against the German defensive and that the need for an assault tank to push the lines and capture the beach was needed. The Americans knew they would need a tank that was up-armoured and up-gunned, something beyond the standard M4 Sherman. The hope was the have the M26 Pershing finished by 1944, however, because of difficulties, it was delayed to 1945.

The US ordinance then took their abundant [[M4|M4 Shermans]] in stock and fixed them up for the new role they've been assigned in. Although keeping the same engine, the armour was upped from around 76.2 mm initial thickness to 102 mm and angled at 47 degrees from vertical. This angle would influence later Sherman design such as the M4A3 by changing the original 56 degrees angled glacis with protruding crew hatches to 47 degrees angled glacis without any protrusion from the crew hatches. This modified M4 Sherman's armour when angled would then be 150 mm line-of-sight (LOS) thick and 180 mm effective. The side armour is also increased to 76.2 mm thick and the turret is redesigned to provide more protection. These modified Shermans were designated the '''[[M4A3E2|M4A3E2]]''' by the Ordnance Department, whereas the nickname "Jumbo" was likely a post-war invention. At the end of the modifications, the Sherman "Jumbo" now weighed about 42 tons and moves a lower speed of 22 miles per hour. A drawback to the increased weight of the Sherman is that the Vertical Volute Suspension System (VVSS) from the Sherman was unable to take the weight easily, so extra care was taken by the crew members to not break the suspension.

In March of 1944, the US Army ordered for 254 of these vehicles to be delivered for use for European Operations. Intended for the assault on the Normandy Beachhead, it was deployed in Normandy after D-Day to assist the infantry push through German defences. The M4A3E2 originally came with the 75 mm guns to support infantry with its better HE shells compared to the planned 76 mm instalment, but the 76 mm was installed later in the campaign and called the '''M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo'''.

===Combat usage===
The M4A3E2 was well-liked by the crew and commanders due to its protection value. Despite the weight difference and strain on the suspension, it performed reliably and could absorb damage that would otherwise destroy regular Shermans. Later in the war, when the quantity of the M4 Sherman "Jumbos" were unable to meet the demand, George S. Patton ordered for existing M4 Shermans to weld on armour plates scavenged from knocked out tanks to a makeshift "'Expedient Jumbos'. This caused the newer Shermans such as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3 (76) W HVSS]] could have the same protection by welding metal onto the hull. One of the Jumbo's notable participation in the war was in Patton's Third Army where it spearheaded the assault to Bastogne to relieve the pinned down 101st Paratroopers.

When the war in the European Theater ended, the M4A3E2s were then placed stateside for the preparation for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. However, this was never to be fulfilled as Japan then surrendered to the United States in September 1945. The M4A3E2 Shermans proved to be a very effective stop-gap solution until heavier armoured tanks such as the Pershing could come into play. In 1948, about 96 Sherman Jumbos still remained in US inventory.

=== In-game description ===
Preparations for the invasion of Europe saw a heavily armored assault tank designated M4A3E2 (76)W designed using the M4A3 base. In March 1944 the Armed Forces Committee approved a program refitting 254 tanks, some of which were equipped with 76 mm cannons. Their armor was strengthened by stacking 38 mm armor plates welded together on the front and sides of the hull. As a result, the frontal armor reached a thickness of 102 mm to go along with the 76 mm on the sides. The transmission was protected with a 140 mm cast cover, while the rest of the hull was not modified. The new T23 cast turret had walls 152 mm thick and was special in that it did not have a hatch from which to fire a personal weapon. The 178 mm mantlet was mounted with a 76 mm M1A1C cannon, while ammunition was stored in wet stowage. The thicker armor pushed the tank's weight to 38 tons, simultaneously lowering its top speed to 35 km/h.

The exact number of M4A2E2 tanks refitted with 76 mm M1A1C cannons was never ascertained.

The tanks were very popular as column leads, given the fact that German antitank guns could not penetrate their frontal armor.

== Media ==


* '''Camouflages''' and '''skins''' for the M4A3E2 (76) from live.warthunder.com. Two common terms are in use: The full name [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23m4a3e2_76 '''#m4a3e2_76'''] and the postwar definition [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23jumbo '''#jumbo'''], albeit the last one contains entries for the earlier [[M4A3E2|75mm Jumbo]], too.

== 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.''

{{USA heavy tanks}}

AH-1G

2020-10-19T16:20:43Z

U70750748: added a pro (is the fastest starting helicopter)

{{Specs-Card|code=ah_1g}}
{{About
|about=aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=AH-1 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} USA attack helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. This helicopter was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].

This helicopter, being the first Attack Helicopter in the American Tech Tree, is a maneuverable and powerful beast if used in the right hands. It has 7 armaments presets, most of which need to be researched. The AH-1G comes with one secondary weapon, in the form of 28 Mighty Mouse rockets.

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


Despite having not the best flight performance of helicopters, it is still better than most counterparts. It can struggle to get off the ground, and the collective cannot be increased to 100% without causing a severe decrease in engine RPM. It is maneuverable at low and medium speed, and can get up to 255 km/h in a straight line at low level.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Characteristics
|-
! colspan="4" | ''Stock''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
|-
| 261 || 255 ||3475
|-
! colspan="4" | ''Upgraded''
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (meters)
|-
! AB
! RB
|-
|296||277||3475
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 12 mm steel - engine
* 20 mm composite boron-carbide - pilot/gunner seats
* Self-sealing fuel tanks: 2 in central fuselage

The AH-1G is by no means the most survivable helicopter, with relatively weak armor and fuel tanks that are prone to catching on fire. However, if the helicopter removes the threat of AA before dealing with other targets and stays out if range of small tank mounted machine guns, it is very effective. When fighting the AH-1G, it is always a good bet to get the "High Ground" or altitude advantage of this vehicle. Try to strafe it and get around to its blinds spot, as it can't use the tail rotor effectively when moving. Always aim for the cockpit, as one the gunner is knocked out the turret becomes unusable. When coming up against a Cobra with gun pods, or and secondary weapons, know that the pilot can still fire these even if the Gunner in knocked out.

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

{{main|M134 Minigun (7.62 mm)|M129 (40 mm)}}
The AH-1G can carry up to 4 x 7.62 mm miniguns with a very generous ammo supply allowing it to put out an extremely dense amount of fire over an extended period. This should be used to the pilot's advantage when engaging enemy aircraft in the skies.

The standard armament of the AH-1G can be switched for a dual 40mm M129 grenade launcher (can be researched as a tier III modification). This is an excellent CQB weapon, and has much better penetration then the miniguns. However, the range is very short, it can't be used against aircraft, and it can be tricky to aim.

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|FFAR Mighty Mouse|M195 (20 mm)|M134 Minigun (7.62 mm)}}

* 28 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x 7.62 mm M134 Minigun machine gun (3,000 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm M195 cannon (1,500 rpg)
* 2 x 7.62 mm M134 Minigun machine gun (3,000 rpg) + 14 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
* 2 x 7.62 mm M134 Minigun machine gun (3,000 rpg) + 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

Unlike other AH series helicopters, the AH-1G can equip either two 7.62 mm Miniguns or one 20 mm Gatling gun as suspended armaments. The minigun can pack a real punch when engaging enemy helicopters due to their light armour, however, the one drawback will be the pilot will have to deal with the massive recoil from the fast rate of fire.

The AH-1G can also serve in a ''ground pounding'' role by equipping '''FFAR''' rockets that can reload quite quickly while still being able to defend itself with its turret miniguns. While the AH1G cannot carry as much ordinance as its Soviet counterparts, it can defend itself very well and even equip suspended armament such as rockets, something which the Soviet choppers cannot do until BR 9.7.

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:AH-1G Test fly.jpg|thumb|292x292px|A brief test fly screenshot]]
In helicopter battles, the AH-1G serves best in an anti-air role by combating other enemy helicopters. Due to being the only dedicated attack helicopter for the first half of the USA helicopter tree, it serves as the backbone for eliminating enemy air threats for US pilots until the AH-1F and AH-1Z become researchable.

The AH-1G is sluggish when it comes to climbing rate. This results in the vehicle being very maneuverable at low altitudes. Players should always save rockets for enemy vehicles that need it.

In-ground realistic battle, the AH-1G has the best loadout for 8.0 helicopter. The twin 40 mm grenade launcher is the best for dealing with tanks at a close range battle but should be very careful of any tanks or SPAA.

=== Pros and cons ===
[[File:CHARTWTTEMPLATE9.png|thumb|Attack helicopter abilities of the Cobra AH-1G.]]

'''Pros:'''

* Is the fastest starting helicopter
* Two miniguns have a very high rate of fire
* Fairly small target due to its small width dimension
* Can equip several Hydra rocket pods, miniguns, and cannon as payload
* Miniguns do not jam unlike conventional guns
* Twin 40mm grenade launchers are very effective against a tank, even at high ranks
* Has the best CAS capability for a starting helicopter

'''Cons:'''

* Limited traverse for the miniguns
* Does not have any guided munitions
* The 20 mm cannon gun pod has a lot of recoil which can throw your aim off
* 40mm grenade has a slow travel speed, the pilot has to aim away from the enemy to hit
* Slow climb rate if using a heavy payload
* Stock 7.62mm minigun is insufficent against anything other than helicopters

== History ==

[[File:AH-1G .jpg|alt=Brief test fly screenshot.|thumb|292x292px]]
Parallel to the development of the UH-1 transport helicopter, Bell was actively conducting research on helicopter gunship designs. This resulted in the creation of the Model D255 “Iroquois Warrior”, a mockup of a gunship design based on components from the UH-1B Huey. The mockup was presented to interested Army officials in June 1962, resulting in a proof-of-concept contract later that year. Following the contract award, Bell created the Model 207 “Sioux Scout”, which was evaluated by the Army in early 1964.

Although impressed by the Model 207, the Army sought a larger and more powerful design, resulting in the creation of a new competition (AAFSS Advanced Aerial Fire Support System), of which Bell was not a part of. Instead, Bell independently continued developing and refining their gunship design, eventually creating the Model 209 - a design that was a combination of the Iroquois Warrior mockup and the concepts behind the Model 207.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Vietnam War sparked an urgent demand for dedicated attack helicopters. Although gunship versions of the UH-1 performed this role with relative success, the fact that they weren’t initially intended for this role somewhat limited their effectiveness. Back in the States, the Army’s ongoing competition produced no winning design as a result of technical and political difficulties. To quickly address their demand, the Army started looking for an interim design to act as a stopgap measure in 1965.

Soon after testing of the Model 209 concluded in September 1965, the Army decided to award Bell with a manufacturing contract later that year. The contract officially put the Model 209 into production under the Army designation of UH-1H Huey Cobra but was later redesignated to AH-1G Cobra.

The AH-1G Cobra entered service with the U.S. Army in 1967, participating mainly through the remainder of the Vietnam War as well as other conflicts. The AH-1G was retired from active service in the early 1980s, being replaced by newer models of the Cobra. The AH-1G also served with the Spanish Navy 1971 - 1985. And with the Israeli Armed forces from 1974 -1977.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5730-development-ah-1g-cobra-strike-fast-strike-hard-en Devblog]''

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 001.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 002.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 003.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 004.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 005.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:AH-1G WTWallpaper 006.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|6QZAY1EtkFU|'''The Shooting Range #110''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:44 discusses the AH-1 Cobra.}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* Bell [[AH-1 (Family)|AH-1]] SuperCobra
* Bell [[AH-1Z]] Viper
* Bell [[UH-1 (Family)|UH-1]] Iroquois

;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* Agusta [[A-129_International|A129]] Mangusta

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5730-development-ah-1g-cobra-strike-fast-strike-hard-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> AH-1G Cobra: Strike Fast, Strike Hard]

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{USA helicopters}}