War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Firecrest

2024-06-05T19:14:52Z

U86824756: Added a pro relating to the strike aircraft classification.

{{Specs-Card
|code=b_48_firecrest
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
|cockpit=cockpit_b_48_firecrest.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', given the SBAC designation '''YA.1''', was a single-engine naval strike fighter built by Blackburn Aircraft for service with the British Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. Developed over the troubled [[Firebrand TF Mk IV|Blackburn Firebrand]] for aircraft operations, three prototypes were created but only two actually flew. The aircraft suffered from many problems, changes in design requirements, lack of components and the halted development of more capable piston engines cemented its destiny. These problems delayed the aircraft's production until 1947. At this point, aircraft like the [[Meteor (Family)|Gloster Meteor]] started to become more common and other jet powered attackers were already in development, so the Firecrest was deemed obsolete for its time.

It was introduced during [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]] as one of the first Squadron vehicles. It represents the attempt to develop an improved naval aircraft from the troubled [[Firebrand TF Mk IV|Blackburn Firebrand]]. It could be considered as a hybrid between the Firebrand and a [[F4U (Family)|F4U Corsair]] due to its gull shaped wings, durability, powerful engine and beautiful sleek appearance. However, it also has other traits that make it well-suited for the naval environment of War Thunder. Armed with a couple of HMGs mounted in the wings, and a single 18-inch Mk XV torpedo, it is not the most capable aircraft in air battles, but is more suited for players that are interested in naval battles. It has access to airbrakes and an arrestor gear, which means that it can land and take off from aircraft carriers, while the airbrakes allow the aircraft to lose speed quickly if needed.

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


Once upgraded and spaded, the Firecrest is able to go anywhere it must go. Climbing to the sky or speeding steadily to a target. It all can be achieved.

The Bristol Centaurus 59 engine producing 2,475 hp is able to accelerate pretty quickly, something needed for sea and carrier landing and takeoff operations. This allows the plane to climb consistently to 6 km of altitude where the max speed can also be achieved while conserving all the manoeuvrability due to the supercharger and a great roll rate.

If necessary it can dive very fast and possesses air brakes for handling such speeds with ease. It does not turn that well horizontally but the skilled control of combat flaps and the airbrakes can prove adequate in several instances.

It's recommended to engage planes without carrying ordnance to maximize the flight performance, particularly the torpedo load.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,791 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
| 587 || 568 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.1 || 25.0 || 15.4 || 15.4 || rowspan="2" | 300
|-
! Upgraded
| 636 || 608 || 21.9 || 23.0 || 23.6 || 19.0
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 430 || 404 || 272 || ~10 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 460 || < 450 || < 450 || > 330
|-
|}

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


The pilots should note that no armour protection is present, this will limit the ability to tolerate heavy fire since any armour-piercing bullet is capable of going through the entire plane. The strongest and yet the more vulnerable part of the plane is the engine. No head-on engagements or attacking bombers are advised since the radial engine with the pilot can be easily taken out.

Separately, the fuselage is quite resilient and sleek. This can often ricochet fire that would otherwise hit the spars and inflict greater damage. The only thing protecting the pilot from behind aside from the fuselage is a fuel tank.

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

Pilots should focus on improving most of the flight performance first then the payloads, since this plane won't perform like it should when stock. Rockets, bombs and torpedoes should be secondary.

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

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

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

* 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

Here's the main difficulty of the Firecrest: its offensive armament.

The M3 Browning machine guns are amazing for quick and precise attack. They will inflict severe damage or ignite the enemy plane, mainly because of the rapid fire of the 2 machine guns. What pilots should be constantly alert about, is the ammo counter, since these machine guns will deplete all the ammo very quickly.

Fixing a convergence up to the preference of attack and having the right ammo belt is necessary, as the low ammo input does not allow for long bursts or consecutive leading shots. It's also relevant to note that such machine guns are generally only available on American jets such as the [[F-86A-5|Sabres]] and [[F-84 (Family)|Thunderjets]]', thus making the Firecrest one of the few piston planes with such machine guns.

'''Most notable/useful ammo belts'''

* '''Tracers''': These bullets are completely visible, they will help to adapt with the ballistics of this unique machine gun for the British. They will start a lot of fires thanks to all the bullets being API-T (Armour-piercing incendiary tracer) with a good 23 mm of armour penetration.
* '''Default''': This ammo belt offers 2 types of incendiary ammunition, while it also carries full solid AP bullets. This increases the penetration damage for spars, armour plates or engines while also being able to make the rival plane burn.
* '''Ground targets''': This belt is not commended for anything heavier than light tanks or fully enclosed vehicles, as only a section of it carries full AP bullets. This performs as an all-purpose belt due to the large diversity of bullets that conform it. Great if required to engage all kinds of targets, ceding less ammo count of a specific type.

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|RP-3|18 inch Mark XV (450 mm)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 1 x 450 mm (18 inch) Mark XV torpedo
* 8 x RP-3 rockets

[[RP-3|RP-3 rockets]] - These are exceptional for many objectives. They have good armour penetration, moderate velocity and satisfactory amount of explosive mass when matched to contemporaries as US's [[HVAR]] or the Soviet's [[RBS-132]].

Appropriate for most tanks excluding some heavy tanks like the Soviet KV series or the German captured variant, the KV I C 756 with a very tough turret of 105 mm. Targeting at the top of these tanks is suggested. Naval objectives such as patrol boats can be annihilated in one single shot; a real spectacle. Destroyers or anything heavier could withstand more damage, but their modules and crew will be decimated by these rockets.

[[G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|500 lb G.P Bombs]] - They involve some skills at the moment of delivery since the lethal range for armoured targets is only of 4 m. For naval targets the lethal range is less of a drawback but the actual obstacle is dropping such bombs over AA covered ships. Pilots should note that these bombs might not consistently be enough to sink destroyers or anything bigger.

[[18 inch Mark XV (450 mm)|Mark XV torpedo]] - It's when everything else doesn't seem enough that the torpedo joins into action. This ultimate ship destroyer is very capable and usually one sole hit is enough. What is more important, is the way to deliver the torpedo without sacrificing the plane.

== Usage in battles ==


The Firecrest is an experimental torpedo bomber with average capacities. It has low anti-air effectiveness in Air Arcade battles due to rather clumsy manoeuvring and no armour protection. A good pilot is needed to fully exploit the handy machine guns this plane is armed with. It has a place in Ground Realistic Battles, thanks to its payload capacities and the extremely powerful 8 x RP-3 rockets. However its best place is in Naval Battles, where is possible to engage more freely in wider spaces and make use of the full ordnance capacities (once the Mark XV torpedo is unlocked for use). Due to the lacklustre firepower when stock, one of the recommended ways to gain the necessary research points for unlocking modules is to simply attack AI targets like artillery and trucks, then tanks as the 500 lb bombs are unlocked prior to the torpedoes.

'''Naval Battles'''

Once the torpedoes are unlocked, the Firecrest performs similarly to other torpedo bombers of the rank. One of the outstanding traits is in its high survivability that can help in destroying one target if the tactics are played to the plane's strength (the good roll is perfect for low altitude flying). Aim towards destroyers or cruisers as they are larger targets that are easier to hit and prioritize the vessels that are threatening allies on the seas. However, try to ensure that the enemy ship is occupied with attacking surface targets so that their anti-air armament is not focused on the Firecrest to allow for some breathing room to position for an attack run.

'''Encounter mode''' proves to be one of the best for this plane. Here will be possible to infiltrate by the sides at low-level flight behind the enemies to the cargo ships, and release a torpedo from a safe distance. Always keeping in mind the torpedo drop requirements and the target. Is possible to risk a bit more if equipping bombs, but a tactic that might also work is to skip the bombs to the cargo ship swiftly retreating in the same direction, in a tactic that is known as skip bombing.

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

The main aspects of using MEC with this aircraft are the Supercharger and Radiators, since this will increase drastically the climb and high altitude performance as well as the dive speed and energy retention.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire of M3 Browning provides rapid damage output
* Good top speed overall with decent acceleration; excellent high speed control
* Respectably durable airframe
* Has RP-3s and bombs against ground targets
* Good all altitude performance thanks to supercharger
* Has airbrakes (can be used as a dive bomber)
* Excellent roll rate
* Above average stock performance
* [[18 inch Mark XV (450 mm)|Mark XV]] torpedo is effective against ships; RP-3 lethal versus small PT-boats
* Attacker spawn in Air RB
* Attack classification means it won't effect SP cost of fighters in Ground RB

'''Cons:'''

* Bleeds speed easily and not very manoeuvrable, especially at low speeds
* Only 300 rounds per machine gun; trigger discipline is needed for the pair of machine guns
* Limited payload options compared to Firebrand and contemporary naval planes of the Fleet Air Arm
* Large engine with no armour plates; not recommended to engage bombers
* No armour anywhere; even just a few .50 cal rounds can seriously damage vital components
* Large target, most dedicated fighters will run circles around the plane

== History ==


The Blackburn Firecrest was a British Torpedo Strike Fighter, derived from the earlier [[Firebrand TF Mk IV|Blackburn Firebrand]] but designed from the outset as a torpedo strike fighter. Designed to the S.28/43 specification set by the Admiralty on February 26th 1943 for a 'Firebrand Torpedo Fighter with improved wing and improved pilot view', the Firecrest was designed with a number of issues of the Firebrand in mind. Specifically, effort was done to produce a type which had improved forward visibility to facilitate deck landings, and which had better lateral control at landing speeds. The design specification also called for the Firecrest to be powered by a Bristol Centaurus 77 engine powering a contra-rotating propeller.

Early on during its design, the Admiralty also ordered three prototypes which would have been driven by the Napier E.122 24-cylinder H-block engine, a 3500 hp development of the Napier Sabre used on the original Firebrand. However, it was soon found that in order to maintain an acceptable center of gravity, the heavy Napier engine would have to be installed behind the cockpit, which would require an extensive redesign and add considerable weight to the aircraft. As a result, the Napier E.122 powered variant was cancelled in October of 1945 before metal was cut on any of their prototypes. Just before completion of the design, the Centaurus 77 variant with its contra-rotating propeller was cancelled in January of 1946, and it was replaced by a 2,825 hp Centaurus 57 with a conventional five-bladed propeller. The first of three completed prototypes of the Firecrest flew on April 1st 1947.

The Firecrest differed from the Firebrand in having a cockpit that was set higher and more forward than that of the Firebrand, which combined with a shortened nose did improve the forward visibility during deck landing. A redesigned inverted gull wing conceptually not unlike that of the Vought Corsair did much to improve the type's low speed handling and take off characteristics: even at full weight, take-off was possible in just under 430 ft with a 29 mph headwind; its landing run was an impressive 390 ft with a 5 mph headwind. With its conventional five-bladed propeller, the Firecrest's top speed lay at 380 mph, some 38 mph faster than the Firebrand despite weighing slightly more. Unlike the Firebrand which used hand-folded wings, the Firecrest had power-assisted folding wings with a double fold.

However, it soon became apparent that the Firecrest was even more sluggish in handling than the Firebrand, that the design in itself did not give any distinct advantages over the Firebrand or the newly developed [[Wyvern_S4|Westland Wyvern]], and that it was less versatile than types such as the [[Firefly_FR_Mk_V|Fairey Firefly]] or [[Sea_Fury_FB_11|Hawker Sea Fury]]. As a result, all development work on the Firecrest ceased in September of 1947, with the second prototype only being used for structural testing, and the third prototype used to test the power-boosted ailerons which were eventually fitted to the Firebrand TF.5A. All three prototypes were bought back by Blackburn in 1950, and scrapped in 1952.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=b_48_firecrest Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|qoZv-sA80aI|'''Squadron Vehicles''' discusses the Firecrest at 02:10 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


'''Related Development:'''

* [[Firebrand TF Mk IV]]

'''Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era:'''

* [[F4U (Family)|F4U Corsair (Family)]]
* [[Firefly FR Mk V]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/457979-b48-firecrest/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
* [[wikipedia:Blackburn_Firecrest|[Wikipedia] Blackburn Firecrest]]
* [https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/blackburn-b-48-firecrest <nowiki>[BAE Systems]</nowiki> Blackburn B-48 Firecrest]

{{AirManufacturer Blackburn}}
{{Britain strike aircraft}}
{{Squadron aircraft}}

HKP2

2024-02-20T20:12:55Z

U86824756: I added the the Pros that it gets airspawn.

{{Specs-Card
|code=hkp2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish utility helicopter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

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

''Describe how the helicopter 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 0 m - at sea level)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 168 || 155 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}}
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___
|-
|}

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

''Examine the survivability of the helicopter. 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 systems.''

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

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

{{main|RB 52 A}}

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

* 4 x RB 52 A missiles

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the tactics of playing in a helicopter, the features of using the helicopter 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).''

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Can mount 4 ATGMs that are fairly decent for the BR
* Can land on water and land with its pontoons, which also makes it unique from other Alouette variants
* Small profile, makes for a harder target to hit
* Agile enough to dodge some autocannon fire or the occasional ATGM fired by ground vehicles
* Gets airspawn due to being amphibious

'''Cons:'''

* No MGs, cannons, or rockets - limited to the 4 x ATGM loadout
* Low engine power, and the engine is not very responsive
* Fragile airframe which will not resist much more than glancing hits from MG caliber rounds

== History ==

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

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=hkp2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[Alouette (Family)]]

== External links ==

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Aerospatiale}}
{{Sweden helicopters}}

T32

2023-12-29T06:56:59Z

U86824756: I replaced all instances of M82 with T41. The T32 does not have M82 so I assume they were referring to T41 (a shell of same type) I replaced when they talked about the APCR being good against King Tiger, with it being good against the Maus turret cheeks.

{{About
|about= American heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage= other versions
|link= T32 Heavy Tank (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_t32
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. It can be seen as an extremely buffed up version of a [[M26|M26 Pershing]] with a [[T15E2 (90 mm)|high velocity 90 mm gun]] and extremely tough front turret armour able to exploit hull down positions against its competitors.

The T32 is a post-World War II heavy tank with 7.3 Battle Rating, and it's one of the best tanks for a specific battle tactic known as hull-down. Due to its 298 mm thick frontal turret armour, it will mostly deflect any incoming armour-piercing shells at any range, except incoming High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin-Stabilized (HEATFS), aimed at the turret hole beneath the mantlet. It's crucial to conceal the T32's weak spots, especially the lower plate tips and lower mantlet since both spots can cause catastrophic damage to the T32.

Even if a T32 is hull-down, doesn't mean it's invulnerable. If an armour-piercing shot deflects at the lower mantlet and penetrates through top hull armour, It will instantly knock out the tank, since the deflected shot goes right through the main ammo load and blows it off. Also, a very powerful HE shot from guns with over 120 mm calibre can cause severe damage to the T32's armour.

It's armed with the [[T15E2 (90 mm)|90 mm T15E2 gun]], and very effective against most enemies appearing in its Battle Rating range, mainly with late-World War II German and Soviet tanks. The stock ammunition T43 Armoured Piercing shell has good penetration but lack of explosive warhead is not enough to knock out most tanks in a single shot. A concentrated shot has to be very well aimed to seriously damage any enemy. Like most of U.S. tanks, the T32 performs better when armed with newly researched shell, the T41 Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap. Thus, the ammunition upgrades are very advisable to research first. The T41 shell has the roughly equal penetrating power with the T43 shell but contains 140 grams of explosive warhead inside, deadly enough to destroy any kind of tank in a single successful penetrating shot. Other shell includes T44 Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid, with impressively better penetration but unarmed with explosives. Despite having no explosive at all, APCR is good enough to cook off enemy tank's ammo load or take out critical module parts with an accurate shot. There's also T42 High Explosive shell, which is useful for destroying [[:Category:Anti-aircraft vehicles|Self-Propelled Anti-Air vehicles]], but rather ineffective against armoured vehicles.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:T32 weak spots.png|right|thumb|350px|Green area = easy chance of penetration; yellow area = medium chance of penetration]]

The T32 has an impressive 298.4 mm cast homogeneous armour thickness in the gun mantlet and turret cheeks, making it almost impossible to be pierced by traditional full calibre rounds (AP, APC, APCBC), only high velocity, kinetic (APCR, APDS) and chemical rounds (HEAT, HEATFS) can penetrate it. The downside is the bottom of the gun mantlet that is a shot trap. The commander cupola is also well armoured, with 152.4 mm of thickness, it can only be pierced by high-velocity and chemical rounds.
The top frontal hull has a slopped 127 mm armour thickness at 54° and the bottom frontal hull with a slopped 95.5 mm armour at 59°, both effective against full caliber rounds and weak against kinetic and HEAT rounds. Otherwise, its hull machine gun is a critical weak spot and bottom hull has two weak spots next to both left and right tracks, with a variable angle that varies from 30° to 44° all those can be pierced by full calibre rounds.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Front glacis, turret, gun mantlet, cupola)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, rear & roof, turret roof, cupola roof)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 127 mm (54-70°) ''Front Glacis'' 95.25 mm (26-46°) ''Lower Glacis'' || 76.2 mm || 50.8 mm (0-56°) || 38.1 mm
|-
| Turret || 298.4 mm (8-21°) ''Turret front'' 298.4 mm (0-80°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 152.4-196 mm (3-42°) || 152.4 mm (0-72°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 152.4 mm (conical) || 152.4 mm ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* MG port weak point is 127 mm + 25.4 mm of armour.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=994|rbMinHp=681}}

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|T15E2 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[T15E2 (90 mm)|90 mm T15E2]] || 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" | 54 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.4 || 26.9 || 32.6 || 36.1 || 38.4 || rowspan="2" | 18.85 || rowspan="2" | 16.68 || rowspan="2" | 15.37 || rowspan="2" | 14.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.3 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''T43'''; AP - Stock shell, which means it's free to use, but highly recommended to replace with the T41 APCBC once available.
* '''T41'''; APCBC - This shell is superior to the above shell in very way, able to penetrate ~10-15mm more armour at all angles and distances as well as an explosive filler to increase post-penetration damage. Post-penetration effects are fantastic, only oversized fighting compartments can survive a successful penetration (e.g. Tortoise, Tiger) if the ammo racks have conveniently been emptied prior. 137 gram of TNT equivalent knocks the Soviet [[D-10T (100 mm)|100 mm D-10T]] out of the park.
* '''T44'''; APCR - Plus ~50 mm penetration on all ranges, looks good on paper, but a further check reveals a great disadvantage. With greater armour angles the penetration quickly drops, bone breaking as angled plates become very common in era IV and V. Additionally, the post-penetration effects are small, so it's best to focus fire on important crewmen and modules to disable the tank momentarily, with direct hits on ammo racks having a good chance (but not guaranteed) to cause an explosion like the T43 AP shot. Best use one might find for this ammo is against tanks with flat armour like the turret cheeks of the [[Maus]] at long range, especially over 1000 m where the T41 APCBC shell will be unable to penetrate in comparison.
* '''T42'''; HE - Penetration power is nothing to boast about, 1 mm more than the [[KwK43 (88 mm)|long 88]] of the [[Tiger II (Family)|King Tigers]], but 2 mm less than of the [[M46|90 mm cannons]] used by Patton's. Damage against common [[:Category:Anti-aircraft vehicles|SPAA]] is satisfactory, but the long reload and good fuse sensitivity make the T41 APCBC shell the better choice. The roof-mounted [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|M2HB Browning]] heavy machine gun is the better weapon of choice against light vehicles.

{{:T15E2 (90 mm)/Ammunition|T43 shot, T42 shell, T41, T44 shot}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''54''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 50 ''(+4)'' 28 ''(+26)'' || 45 ''(+9)'' 1 ''(+53)'' || 23 ''(+31)'' ''N/A'' || 1 ''(+53)'' ''N/A'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
* Packs 23 ''(+31)'' shells to have the turret and left flank racks empty.

The cannon takes two-piece ammunition, which explains why it takes so long for the cannon to load despite its 90 mm caliber. The propellant stowage covers the entire floor of the fighting compartment three times over. The projectiles themselves are kept in four racks, two lining both sides of the hull's fighting compartment, and two smaller ones on the port side of the turret in front of the loader.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{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 || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+35° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| 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 || 4,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The playstyle of the T32 is vastly different in each game mode, due to the nature of the gameplay available in Ground Forces:

'''Arcade battles'''

* Player, ally, and enemy position will be immediately spotted upon detection with their name indicator visible above their vehicle and on the minimap
* Aim assist is present to help accurate aiming at a target
* Player and enemy team tank's nationality are mixed

The T32 shouldn't be exposed to the enemy at a prolonged time at close range engagement since the enemies will use aim assist to take out the T32 from either lower plate tips or lower turret. On the other hand, the T32 can also utilize these features against the enemy, albeit with much harder difficulty due to rather sub-par penetration against other tanks in Rank IV to reliably achieve first penetration in arcade tank combat. Exercise caution

'''Realistic battles'''

* No visible name indicator
* Manual range calculation
* Player and enemy team tank's nationality are not mixed

The T32 can safely mobilize itself due to the dissipation of name indicator above the vehicle, especially with its low profile. In Realistic Battle, the T32 can do almost anything on its own, especially with flanking enemies to deliver a striking blow to the enemy formations, since the sub-par penetration of the T41 APCBC is negated by the enemies' side armour weakness (be aware with [[IS-4M]] as it has 160 mm of side armour, expect to use both APCBC and APCR). The T32 excels at flanking than other roles due to characteristics of its gun performance, mobility, and protection.

'''Simulator battles'''

* No visible name indicator
* Manual range calculation
* Player and enemy team tank's nationality are not mixed

The T32 can safely mobilize itself due to the dissipation of name indicator above the vehicle, especially with its low profile. In Simulator Battle, the battle tactic is almost similar to Realistic Mode. T32 can do almost anything on its own, especially with flanking enemies to deliver a striking blow to the enemy formations. Since the sub-par penetration of the T41 APCBC is negated by the enemies' side armour weakness (be aware with [[IS-4M]], as it has 160 mm of side armour, expect to use both APCBC and APCR). The T32 excels at flanking than other roles due to characteristics of its gun performance, mobility, and protection.

Other considerations in Simulator mode is the different gun sight placement and 3rd person perspective. The gun sight is tough to control, located on the left side of mantlet. The 3rd person perspective, now in the commander's cupola area, helps the T32 by restricting the enemy's field of vision (although the player is as well) and allow the T32 to move stealthily more easily.

=== Combat tactics ===
The T32 can fulfill major roles in battle due to its flexibility at any kind of operation, known as "Jack-of-all-Trades". Its role is not far different than the well-known [[M26|M26 Pershing]]. There are 5 known roles that can be used in battle, which are Assault, Flank, Snipe, Support, and the last but not least, Ambush:

;Assault:

Leading an assault directly into the enemy forces is the most frequently used tactic, especially in urban areas. It's quite capable to abuse the enemy shots with angling, but not entirely, since battle will mostly take place at very close range (about 0 - 100 m). A strike team is needed to carry out an assault since T32 can't cover its side armour and slow reload time alone. In most cases, a T32 will likely to initiate flanking role to the enemy once it comes up-close to increase the chance of incapacitating a vehicle with a single strike in quick succession.

;Flank

Flanking is the most effective role for the T32. Its characteristics and performances are highly orientated for flanking purpose. At given destructive penetrating power of the T41 Shell from close range, the T32 can critically damage, if not outright knocking out everything from the side. Be aware when initiating the operation, since someone might be trying to flank the flanker. Flanking is also a part of the assault role, albeit with a more focused objective on manoeuvring on the enemies' side. At this rate, the enemies will likely to scatter around to evade, so eliminating any available threat is required to continue the tactic. The armour will greatly aid in this tactic, as return fire is commonly a hasty act, yet be wary of the tank's weak spots! On open terrain keep manoeuvring during reload to throw of aim, alternatively on distances above 400 m drive slightly angled forwards and backwards.

;Snipe:

Sniping is frequently used by the T32 when encountering enemies in a large, open map such as Kursk and Mozdok. The T44 APCR is a good option when the target is too far and very fast since the APCBC travels slower than APCR. Locating target is much harder than engaging at close range, since most of the enemies will also be sniping from afar, especially when sharpshooting against [[:Category:Germany ground vehicles|German tanks]]. Fortunately, almost no T32's frontal weak spot will be a viable target when sniping, since the weak spots are much more protected at longer range. It is suggested, if having to play on wide open terrain found on Tunisia, Kursk and Mozdok, to take full ammo load and 50/50 of APCR and APHE.

;Support:

Supporting the allies to attack the enemies is a backup plan used to increase the allied forces firepower when attacking the enemies, such as providing covering fire for smaller tank such as [[T-44|T-44]] or to increase the combat effort alongside the other heavy tank like [[Tiger II (Family)|Tiger II]].

;Ambush'

Ambush is preferable when enemies are unaware of the presence of a concealing T32. It should be commenced at a strategic choke point where the enemies will likely to mobilize their armour from there. Be aware that ambush is only used when the enemies are already identified by allies and heading to the choke point. Otherwise, sitting still and waiting for nothing can burden the team. Keep in mind that 90 mm T15E2 is L/73 length gun (aka very long), so make sure the gun barrel is hidden from the enemy if planning to catch them by surprise.

;"Hunker down"-Support:

Move up to an distant open spot, visible from the enemy spawn or main route of attack and begin firing machine guns to draw in attention. The idea is caught the enemies attention and with this bind enemy firepower on something they can physically not destroy from the distance. Both the hostile force and the T32 will be pinned down in a stalemate, subtracting from each team's firepower. Therefore keep in mind the enemy's tank value. If it is only an M26, the T32 may be better off in the Support role, but if it is an IS-4 or several other evenly ranked tanks, then pursuing the hunker down tactic is worthwhile to the team's success.

;Conclusion:

Overall, the T32 is a versatile heavy tank with an impressive performance in the game, but since it's not invincible with a fair amount of potential weaknesses, it requires specific knowledge with this tank to survive. The T32 will lead to the pinnacle of the U.S. heavy tank branch – the [[M103]].

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent 298 mm front turret armour
* Sloped front armour has effective ~200 mm thick
* Accurate high-velocity T15E2 cannon
* Splendid destructive power of the T41 APCBC
* Low profile
* Reasonably agile for a heavy tank
* Versatile tank role: sniper, assault, flanker, support, and ambush
* Very efficient in hull-down fighting

'''Cons:'''

* Long gun easily knocked out and disabled
* "Shot trap" on the lower part of mantlet can blow the main ammo load entirely
* Bow machine gun port and lower glacis armour are vulnerable front weak points
* Weak lower plate tips
* Rather thin side armour of 76 mm, angling could expose the weaker sides
* Lengthy reload time
* A single shot into the centre main hull can cause the ammo to explode violently
* Overall performance of the vehicle is bad when uptiered

== History ==


{{Main|T32 Heavy Tank (Family)#History|l1=History of the T32 Heavy Tank family}}

'''Development'''

Late in the Second World War the US Army began a program to develop a new heavy tank using components of the M26 Pershing. On 8 February 1945, a total of four prototypes were requested. The first two pilot vehicles, designated Heavy Tank T32, were delivered on 15 January 1946 and 19 April 1946 respectively. They were then shipped to Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing. The third and fourth pilots were completed in May and June, but were designated as T32E1s due to having some differences compared to the first two.

'''Design'''

The T32 had a combat weight of 120,000 pounds and a crew of five: a driver and assistant driver/machine gunner in the hull and the gunner, loader, and commander in the turret. The hull was based on the Pershing's hull but was modified, while the turret was a new design that simply used M26 components.

The hull was largely similar to the Pershing's except for its length, engine compartment, and frontal armour. The hull was lengthened and a seventh road wheel was added to each side. The torsion bar suspension remained the same but the 23 inch T80E1 tracks from the M26 were fitted with 5 inch extended end connectors for reduced ground pressure. The engine compartment was changed and a new powerplant was fitted. It consisted of a 770 horsepower Ford GAC engine hooked to an EX-120 cross-drive transmission. This powerplant allowed the T32 to achieve a maximum speed of 22 miles per hour (35.4 kilometers per hour).

The frontal armour was increased in thickness to 5 inches (127 mm) at 54 degrees on the upper glacis and 95 mm at 59 degrees on the lower glacis. The side armour stayed at 3 inches (76.2 mm) and the rear armour stayed at 2 inches (50.8 mm). The driver and assistant driver/machine gunner each had an overhead hinged hatch with a wide-view periscope fitted in it. The assistant driver/machine gunner's position also received a .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919A4 machine gun in a ball mount in the upper glacis.

A newly designed turret was fitted that used some components from the Pershing. The armour ranged from 6 inches (152.4 mm) on the rear to 11¾ inches (298.45 mm) on the front. The main armament fitted was a 90 mm high velocity T15E2 gun, using two piece ammunition. Because of the large two piece ammunition the ammunition stowage had to be redesigned from that of the M26. The gun had an elevation arc of +20° to -10°. A .30 cal (7.62 mm) M1919A4 machine gun was fitted coaxial to the main gun and a .50 cal (12.7 mm) M2HB machine gun could be fitted either on the rear of the turret roof or in front of the commander's cupola. The ammunition capacity was 54 90 mm rounds, 550 12.7 mm rounds, and 4,000 7.62 mm rounds. A radio was located in the turret bustle.

'''Production and Service'''

The T32 never entered production or service and neither did the T32E1, mostly just because it came after the war had already ended. On the bright side, the T32 program was the first to test the EX-120 transmission. The transmission was proven to be finicky and maintenance heavy but it later led to the CD-850 series of transmissions which would later see production on American tanks.<ref>Hunnicutt, R. P. (1988). ''Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank''. New York, NY: Presidio.</ref>

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In 1944-1945 the Ordnance Department initiated the T29 program, which was the high priority construction of several tanks based on the M26. The end result was the next version of the M26 Pershing. The US ground forces needed a new, modified version of the mass-produced M26 outfitted with thicker armour, heavier weaponry, and an enlarged turret.

On February 8, 1945, the construction of four prototypes was approved, with the official T32 designation conferred in March. The tank hull was made from plates of homogeneous armour, and protecting the front section was prioritized. As a result, the armour there was 70-127 mm thick, while the side armour was made with 51-76 mm armour plates and the rear was protected by only 19-51 mm. The thickness of the lower section's front part was expanded to 38 mm, identical to the hull roof. The hull enjoyed a traditional design, though two prototypes had a cast front hull section and the other two had welded components.

The turret construction resembled the T29 models, which were larger than the M26 and had a gun mantlet that was expanded to 298 mm. The main weapon was a 90 mm T15E2 cannon with separate tube reloading. The weapon boasted high initial velocity and was good at penetrating armour, outstripping almost every one of its foreign equivalents.

Regardless of the work put into the project, the tank could not be completed by the end of the war, after which the T32 program lost its priority status. The conclusion had already been drawn by 1946 that there was no need to mass produce the model, given that M29s with similar weaponry already existed. There were also more powerful tanks in the pipeline.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:ArtImage T32.png|T32 in [[Advance to the Rhine]]
</gallery>

;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_t32 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:19 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2881/current/|[Vehicle Profile] T32 Heavy Tank]]

=== References ===
<references />

{{USA heavy tanks}}