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F4U-4

2021-05-06T19:46:17Z

U87403807: Edited the description. An article should NOT look like a conversation.

{{About
|about=American fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=F4U (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=f4u-4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_f4u-4.jpg
}}

== Description ==

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

The F4U-4 is excellent at Boom & Zoom fighting. Its high energy-retention and acceleration make it the true pinnacle of the Corsairs. Although you don't get an air spawn, the climb rate of the F4U-4 makes up for that. When engaging an enemy, you should try and maintain an altitude advantage while keeping your speed up; speed is life, altitude is life insurance. Once you gain an altitude advantage, dive on your opponent and fire. Your engine lacks fuel injection, so experiencing negative G forces is likely to temporarily shut down your engine. The six .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns, while not as destructive as the quadruple 20 mm cannons or the eight .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns on the P-47, they will destroy any lighter aircraft with ease, with plenty of ammunition that allows spraying and still being dangerous in the later stages of the match.

== 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 9,000 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
| 682 || 662 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.0 || 21.8 || 14.3 || 14.3 || rowspan="2" | 200
|-
! Upgraded
| 742 || 711 || 19.0 || 20.0 || 24.1 || 18.5
|-
|}

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

{| 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}} || 388 || 330 || 252 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 450 || < 220 || < 500 || > 450
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 450 m || 2,100 hp || 2,450 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,638 m || 1,885 hp || 2,199 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 3
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 7,619 m || 1,710 hp || 1,955 hp
|-
|}

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


* 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of pilot.
* 3 mm Steel plates on top of fuel tank and in front of cockpit.
* 12.7 mm and 8 mm Steel plates behind pilot.

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

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

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

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

* 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)

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

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

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

* Without load
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 8 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,800 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 4 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,900 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 8 x HVAR rockets

== Usage in battles ==

Being true for the entire Corsair series the most distinctive features of this plane is its huge R-2800-P&W 18 Cylinder Radial engine and its inverted gull wing.

One Advantage of the Inverted gull wing;

:The Wing is impossible to rip in a dive as long as you don't pull a turn greater than 25 G's, which is almost impossible because the aircraft does suffer from compression above 800 kph.

One disadvantage of the aircraft is its high-speed dive characteristics;

:During the dive the aircraft tends to yaw severely to the right making you roll, possibly making the shot you need miss.

The worst enemies for the F4U are the Ki-84, N1K1, A7M's, and some late mark Zeros. Their extreme turning ability would make any of the F4U-4's attempt at turn fighting worthless. In the worst case scenario when these aircraft managed to get an energy advantage over the F4U-4, escape from the encounter with a dive and try to lose the aircraft through the assistance of allied anti-air fire from friendlies or the airfield.

In Simulator battles, the F4U-4 is exceptionally good at dogfighting due to its forgiving flight characteristics and excellent visibility. The six M2 Brownings are also easy to aim and can be sprayed for quite some time. Due to its stable nature you can out-turn pretty much any opposing aircraft if it comes to it, though boom and zoom tactics are what you should be sticking to. Enemies especially worth noting are most Russian and Japanese fighters. Russian fighters can keep up with you in a dogfight quite well and the Japanese' turn rate is something to watch out for. On the other hand, however, both Russian and Japanese fighters get set on fire quite easily, and once you get a good burst in, you have (in most cases) secured the kill.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast at all altitudes (3rd supercharger gear isn't needed until over 6,500 meters altitude). Once it reaches max speed, only Yak-3 (VK-107), Yak-3U, La-9, and Do 335 B-2, can catch it at sea level. This means diving away and extending is a reliable escape tactic.
* Respectable armament of six .50 Cal machine guns with late war belts
* Powerful engine, which allows for excellent energy retention
* Decent secondary weapons for destroying ground targets
* Excellent roll rate and good elevator authority at all speeds
* While turnfighting is almost never "plan A" in this plane, turn performance is quite good above 400kph.
* Longer WEP duration than previous corsairs (approximately 12 minutes total)
* Landing gear can be deployed at most speeds without breaking, which is immensely helpful when attempting to land at higher speeds (often necessary when damaged)
* Improved flight performance in all aspects over F4U-1s.

'''Cons'''

* Armament insufficient for high-speed snapshots, require more time on target than planes with cannons.
* Engine prone to overheating after prolonged usage of WEP (RB), though this can be mitigated with manual engine control
* Turn-fighting heavy aircraft at low speeds is not advised, as the engine isn't strong enough to compensate for the speed lost in prolonged turnfights
* Rudder becomes less responsive in high speed dives
* Supercharger setup leaves the plane weakest between 1000-2000 meters and 6000-7000 meters — at these altitudes, the previous supercharger gear is no longer able to maintain manifold pressure (plane begins to lose power and WEP does not increase power), yet the power draw from the engine to run the next supercharger gear is too much to make it worthwhile to switch until more altitude is gained.
* Bleeds speed very quickly in vertical manoeuvres.
* Supercharger setup allows for plane to be fast at high altitudes, but limited power-to-weight ratio on 3rd gear makes climbing or accelerating difficult above 7,500 m; this forces pilots to spend more time extending away from enemy planes before re-engaging.

== History ==

{{main|F4U (Family)|l1=History of the F4U Corsair}}

The F4U-4 was based on the -1A Corsair. In order to improve and modernize the Corsair, so it would be able to fight the new Japanese planes in the Pacific, a number of changes were made. One of the major changes was the engine. The Pratt and Whitney R-2800-8W engine was replaced by the more powerful R-2800-18W engine. This -18W engine boosted the speed of the Corsair by up to 46.3 kph (25 kn, 28.76 mph). When injected with an alcohol/water mixture, the performance could be boosted even further. In order for the propeller to be able to handle the more powerful engine, the propeller had to be changed from 3 blades to 4 blades. Modifications to the fuselage were required, including the addition of a scoop to the lower engine cowling. In addition, the cockpit was completely redesigned.

The armament of the -4 corsair was six .50 in machine guns, up to 4,000 lbs of bombs and/or eight 5 in rockets. There were multiple variants of the F4U-4. There was the F4U-4B, which had only slight modifications for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. They were never actually delivered to the Royal Navy, as the US kept them instead.The F4U-4C was another variant, which had four 20 mm cannons instead of six .50 in machine guns. There were also two night fighter variants, the F4U-4E and the F4U-4N. The -4E had an APS-4 search radar on the starboard wing tip, while the -4N had an APS-6 search radar instead. Both night fighter versions replaced the six .50 in machine guns with four 20 mm cannons. There was also F4U-4K, an experimental drone variant, and the F4U-4P, a photo reconnaissance variant.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|LW_BVvR7CIg|'''The Shooting Range #122''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:50 discusses the fate of the F4U Corsair after WW2.}}

== See also ==


* [[F4U (Family)|F4U Family]]
* [[F4U-4B]]
* [[F4U-1A]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4960-development-f4u-corsair-sky-pirates-are-back-en|[Devblog] F4U Corsair: Sky pirates are back!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/378367-f4u-4/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

=== Bibliography ===

* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/f4u-4-vought-corsair F4U-4 Vought Corsair]", ''F4U Corsair - The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
* "[https://www.jdsf4u.be/type-of-plane-f4u Types of Plane F4U - Variants]", ''F4U Corsair- The Bent Wing Bird plane site'', Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

{{AirManufacturer Vought}}
{{USA fighters}}

G.56

2021-04-22T15:20:38Z

U87403807: /* Specific enemies worth noting */

{{Specs-Card
|code=g_56
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_g_56.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]] and represents the penultimate modification of the G.55 ''Centauro''.

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

Loved by its pilots and despised by the enemies that get in its crosshairs, the G.56 is an excellent plane at its tier. It takes the already very solid G.55 airframe, extends the fuselage and places a powerful DB 603 engine in place of the already good DB 605, and drops the two Breda 12.7 mm HMG's, which were fairly useless, to begin with. The improved power of the 603 combined with overall weight deductions allows the aircraft to both literally and figuratively propel itself to new heights and gives it more than a fighting chance when facing other aircraft in the 5.0-6.3 range. Generally speaking, it is a very responsive aircraft with good overall flight characteristics that can dominate the airspace if given the chance. These traits have gained the aircraft the affectionate nickname of ''Super Centauro'' by the community.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 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
| 676 || 659 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.8 || 21.4 || 18.0 || 18.0 || rowspan="2" | 250
|-
! Upgraded
| 724 || 700 || 19.5 || 20.0 || 26.2 || 21.7
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 437 || 408 || 260 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 400 || < 420 || < 450 || > 314
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,500 hp || 1,650 hp
|-
|}

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


* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot
* 50 mm Bulletproof glass

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

Focus on performance upgrades to remedy a few of the G.56's weaknesses that are more pronounced when stock, such as manoeuvrability. Do not worry about researching the bomb options, as they are next to useless and only hampers the aircraft's performance.

Upgrades should follow a similar path as this:

* Fuselage repair
* Radiator
* Compressor
* Airframe
* Offensive 20 mm
* Engine
* Wings repair
* Engine injection
* Cover
* New 20 mm cannons

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

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

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

* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose-mounted (300 rpg)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)

Two of the cannons are mounted one each in the wings with the remaining cannon being nose-mounted through the propeller spinner. Each wing-mounted cannon is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all wing-mounted guns will fire together until empty. The nose cannon contains 50 more rounds of ammo than the wing-mounted cannons and will continue to fire after the wing-mounted cannons have run out of ammunition.

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

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (100 kg total)
* 2 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (200 kg total)

Unless the situation is extremely dire, it is never a wise move to use bombs on the G.56, as it wastes the aircraft's potential and puts it in its most vulnerable altitude where it can't use its excellent dive speed and top-end speed to get away from opponents.

== Usage in battles ==

Thanks to the powerful DB 603 and general aerodynamic improvements from the previous [[G.55 serie 1|G.55]], the G.56 will be a competitive aircraft in almost any role you put it in. Low-altitude, medium-altitude, high-altitude, energy fighting, Boom-&-Zoom, or (in some cases) turn-fighting, the ''Super Centauro'' can do it all! However, your ideal flying style should be as a more reserved medium to high altitude energy fighter, as this is the area the aircraft excels. One should always keep their speed up, a minimum of 370 km/h (230 mph), as this allows you to whip your nose around with alarming speed and bug out of unfavorable scenarios. It is important to note that the G.56 can very quickly bleed velocity in high-speed horizontal turns, and you may find yourself struggling to regain it.

One does not have to worry about the aircraft's ammunition, as you are given an absurd 800 rounds total (300 in the nose-mounted gun plus 500 rounds, 250 in each of the two wing-mounted cannons) and have access to the universally feared ''minengeschoß'' round that will destroy anything in a few well-placed hits

=== Playstyles ===
Beneath the sleek and eye-pleasing design of the ''Super Centauro'' lies a monster of a plane if piloted well. The aircraft's main strength is not its armament, speed, maneuverability, or climb rate (which are excellent in their rights), but how easily it can set up an attack on an enemy. Your primary method of battle should be energy fighting at a middle or high altitude so you can keep up your potential energy while also making the most out of the aircraft's engine. You can dictate the flow of the battle by staying around 5,000 - 6,000 meters due to the ability to choose your fights easily; you can dive in and shred your targets, then be gone before anyone knows what happened. If an enemy tries to intercept you, pay attention to the aircraft they're flying, adjust accordingly, and then engage on your terms. If they are approaching from below, pull up into a stall climb or vertical spiral to make them waste their energy and then pounce while they're recovering. If they are approaching from above, attempt to get them to overshoot and follow through.

The weakest flying style the G.56 can be put into is in a low-altitude combat scenario, where it can't abuse its excellent supercharged engine and doesn't have the altitude to dive so it can escape. It is a generally safe idea to avoid these scenarios and climb to get your advantages back, and you won't be torn to shreds by the hordes of enemies that will flock to your location due to seeing you as easy prey.

The G.56 is adept at dealing with bombers thanks to its excellent performance and powerful armament layout that can easily tear through the large bodies of strategic bombers. When engaging a bomber, it is best to either approach the front to get a pilot snipe or approach from below and aim for the wings or engines, as it can't get very far without them. '''"Oh, it has weak guns, I can tail it."''' If these words enter your mind, throw them out immediately. No matter how "weak" its defensive armament may be, never tail any bomber, as this mindset can lead to some embarrassing deaths regardless of the skill of the pilot in question.

=== Specific enemies worth noting ===
While the G.56 can out-perform a good portion of enemies it will face, there are a few enemies that one should pay attention to.

* '''Late Griffon Spitfires ([[Spitfire F Mk XIVe|MkXIV]], [[Spitfire F Mk XVIIIe|MkXVIII]], [[Spitfire F Mk 22|Mk22]] and [[Spitfire F Mk 24|Mk24]]):''' I will tell you this right away. '''This is the kind of plane you want to deal with inmediately.''' Griffon spitfires are faster that you, turn slightly better without flaps, roll just as good, and have similar compression. There are two things though: for one, you have slightly better Maneuvering Energy Retention. In the other hand, you have adjustable flaps, whereas spitfires don't. If you find one during a headon, you can exploit your nose-mounted cannon to hit him easier, break off and use your combat flaps to get behind the Spitfire. Do not get caught doing flat horizontal turns near sea level, as you will be inevitably trapped by the spitfire's lower turn time and higher top speed. Though, if you get behind one, your slightly higher Thrust to Weigh ratio and flaps will help you stay behind it. (Still, you should not attpempt to stall a Spitfire with equal energy states if you don't have enough experience, as your elevator authority below 300 km/h is worse that that of the spitfire's, and you will be shot down, stalling right in front of the spitfire).
* '''[[N1K2-Ja|N1K2]] and [[Ki-84 hei|Ki-84]]''': The best of the Japanese air tree in terms of fighters. The N1K2 and the Ki-84 are both highly maneuverable, and, in the case of the Ki-84, are faster that your G.56. You should either abuse your nose-mounted cannon in a headon, or dive and exploit their worse high speed compression to get behind them, and then deploy your combat flaps when necesary to stay behind them and shoot them down. In update 2.5, the Japanese and the Americans are usually in one side, while you will be in the other with everyone else. It is important to take this technique into account.
* '''[[Bf 109 K-4]]:''' The ''Kurfürst'' is the penultimate modification of the legendary Bf 109 and plays surprisingly similar to the G.56, even sharing the same armament layout (2 x 13.2 mm HMGs and 3 x 20 mm cannons, as this is the setup most pilots use). However, it does outclimb and out speed you by a relatively large margin, but you beat it at higher altitudes and have more responsive controls at lower speeds. The result of the dogfight comes down to pilot skill, as the planes are extremely similar, but you should try to Boom & Zoom against it to avoid the danger the aircraft presents. It is worthy to note that you outturn every 109 except the earlier ones such as the [[Bf 109 F-4|F-4]], and can turn around them even more so when the 109's pilot uses the gun pod attachments, which is more than common.
* '''[[F8F-1B]]:''' The Bearcat is also a very dangerous opponent that you can encounter. Its roll rate is comparable to the Fw 190 series, its speed and acceleration are almost unparalleled, and its armament is very effective in all forms of combat. You are under no circumstances to engage a Bearcat that is aware of your presence, as it will easily beat you in almost every scenario. If one forces an engagement on you, seek assistance from teammates or attempt to bleed his speed with safe manoeuvres.
* '''[[I-225]]:''' The I-225 is the king of Russian props and excels in a high altitude, energy-based flying style. While the G.56 itself is very solid at higher altitudes thanks to its DB 603 combined with a supercharger, it is nothing compared to the I-225, which loses almost no performance flying anywhere above 6 km. Combined with its amazing speed and relatively powerful armament, the Russian menace is a fear to any aircraft it comes into contact with. However, if you can engage it with an energy advantage via Boom & Zoom, it is an easy target thanks to its very vulnerable airframe and almost total lack of armour. The aircraft is also inferior in low-speed engagements, an area the G.56 does well in and can take advantage of.
* '''[[Re.2005 serie 0|Re.2005]]:''' While Realistic Battles will never have you go against the ''Saggitario'', Arcade and Mixed Battles poses this challenge. The Re.2005 is an amazing prop fighter with a turning circle that embarrasses a Spitfire and makes a Zero blush, plus it has the armaments to back up said manoeuvrability. These traits make 2005 one of the most universally feared threats to anyone in its airspace. However, it lacks the speed to compete with its contemporaries and has a very weak airframe that cannot afford to take many central hits. Your amazing dive speed is your friend in these scenarios, always engage 2005 with a speed advantage and never turn after a run.

=== When Engaging the Aircraft ===
The G.56 is an enemy that you need to dispatch as soon as you possibly can, as even a singular one can be the most painful thorn in your side for the rest of the game. It would be best if you never let them gain an altitude advantage, as this allows them to singlehandedly dictate the flow of the battle with its high diving speed and excellent top-end speed. If one is diving on you, you should take advantage of the aircraft's reduced roll rate due to high-speed compression, force an overshoot, and light them up during their zoom climb.

Unless you're in a Re.2005, Ki-84, Zero, Ki-61, Reppu, or Spitfire, you should never engage a G.56 in a turn-fight. Despite the aircraft's stat card saying otherwise, the G.56 turns better than almost every aircraft it faces and turns especially well with energy. Your go-to tactic for engaging the aircraft should be Boom-&-Zoom, as it allows you to blitz them and take advantage of their relatively weak airframe.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful engine gives it great acceleration and great top speed
* Can easily set and rack up kills in the hands of a skilled pilot
* Fast firing, an accurate triad of MG 151 cannons with access to the dreaded ''minengeschoß'' explosive round
* Large ammo reserve (800 rounds total)
* Above average climb rate
* Superb manoeuvrability at all speeds
* Competitive flight performance at most altitudes
* Arguably the best 6.0 Axis aircraft that can deal with most Allied props with relative ease
* Excellent top speed, although slightly slower than its competitors
* Lenient stock grind
* Great manoeuvre energy retention

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre roll rate
* Control surfaces function poorly at high speeds
* Stays in take-off settings while using Automatic Engine Controls, overheating the plane quickly
* Open radiator affects plane's top speed more than typical fighters
* Can face early jets in Arcade
* Has a high repair cost in RB/SB for a vehicle in its rank

== History ==

The concept of the G.56 traces back to 1942, when the ''Stato Maggiore dell Aeronautica'' requested Fiat to develop an aircraft based on the G.55 airframe, which would allow it to mount recently available DB 603 engine that produced 1,750 horsepower, 275 more horsepower than the DB 605. Giuseppe Gabrielli designed it in 1944. The design was proven to be an all-around improvement from the already excellent G.55, with Commander Valentino Cus reaching nearly 710 km/h (450 mph) and official records stating a maximum speed of roughly 685 km/h (426 mph). The two Breda-SAFAT Machine guns that were mounted in the nose were removed to make room for the massive engine, reducing the weight slightly and allowing more 20 mm ammunition to be carried.

Leader of the Luftwaffe Hermann Goering saw the potential in the prototype and immediately proposed it to Hitler and Galland as an alternative to the Me 309, a similarly designed Bf 109 with a DB 603 engine. He described that due to the state of the war, Germany could not afford to make such radical changes to the Bf 109, as it was already difficult enough to go from the [[Bf 109 E-3|E series]] to the [[Bf 109 F-4|F series]], let alone the [[Bf 109 G-10|G series]]. Thus, he proposed that Germany would take over the aircraft production, giving them a fighting chance versus the myriad of enemy fighters that started to outclass the 109. However, engine production of the DB 603 was put on the back burner to focus on the DB 605 that powered most of German aircraft, so there was only a handful of DB 603's to go around. Despite showing excellent flight characteristics and was able to compete with every allied fighter at the time, it was never put into production due to the lack of DB 603 engines and Italy's horrible economic status, with only two prototypes being made before the war's end.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=italy&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=fighter&vehicle=g_56 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|94S5XQwnX2I|'''The Shooting Range #108''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:16 discusses the G.56.|4v3fxupuZPA|'''Last piston fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:45 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[G.55 (Family)]]: the family the G.56 comes from
* [[Fw 190 D-9]], [[Fw 190 D-12|D-12]]/[[Fw 190 D-13|D-13]] and [[Ta 152 H-1]]: equivalent fighter aircraft using the same engine

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/364976-fiat-g56/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Fiat}}
{{Italy fighters}}

G.56

2021-04-22T15:19:07Z

U87403807: /* Usage in battles */ Gave advice on spitfires and added late japanese fighters

{{Specs-Card
|code=g_56
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_g_56.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]] and represents the penultimate modification of the G.55 ''Centauro''.

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

Loved by its pilots and despised by the enemies that get in its crosshairs, the G.56 is an excellent plane at its tier. It takes the already very solid G.55 airframe, extends the fuselage and places a powerful DB 603 engine in place of the already good DB 605, and drops the two Breda 12.7 mm HMG's, which were fairly useless, to begin with. The improved power of the 603 combined with overall weight deductions allows the aircraft to both literally and figuratively propel itself to new heights and gives it more than a fighting chance when facing other aircraft in the 5.0-6.3 range. Generally speaking, it is a very responsive aircraft with good overall flight characteristics that can dominate the airspace if given the chance. These traits have gained the aircraft the affectionate nickname of ''Super Centauro'' by the community.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 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
| 676 || 659 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 20.8 || 21.4 || 18.0 || 18.0 || rowspan="2" | 250
|-
! Upgraded
| 724 || 700 || 19.5 || 20.0 || 26.2 || 21.7
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 437 || 408 || 260 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 400 || < 420 || < 450 || > 314
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,500 hp || 1,650 hp
|-
|}

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


* 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot
* 50 mm Bulletproof glass

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

Focus on performance upgrades to remedy a few of the G.56's weaknesses that are more pronounced when stock, such as manoeuvrability. Do not worry about researching the bomb options, as they are next to useless and only hampers the aircraft's performance.

Upgrades should follow a similar path as this:

* Fuselage repair
* Radiator
* Compressor
* Airframe
* Offensive 20 mm
* Engine
* Wings repair
* Engine injection
* Cover
* New 20 mm cannons

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

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

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

* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose-mounted (300 rpg)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)

Two of the cannons are mounted one each in the wings with the remaining cannon being nose-mounted through the propeller spinner. Each wing-mounted cannon is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all wing-mounted guns will fire together until empty. The nose cannon contains 50 more rounds of ammo than the wing-mounted cannons and will continue to fire after the wing-mounted cannons have run out of ammunition.

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

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (100 kg total)
* 2 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (200 kg total)

Unless the situation is extremely dire, it is never a wise move to use bombs on the G.56, as it wastes the aircraft's potential and puts it in its most vulnerable altitude where it can't use its excellent dive speed and top-end speed to get away from opponents.

== Usage in battles ==

Thanks to the powerful DB 603 and general aerodynamic improvements from the previous [[G.55 serie 1|G.55]], the G.56 will be a competitive aircraft in almost any role you put it in. Low-altitude, medium-altitude, high-altitude, energy fighting, Boom-&-Zoom, or (in some cases) turn-fighting, the ''Super Centauro'' can do it all! However, your ideal flying style should be as a more reserved medium to high altitude energy fighter, as this is the area the aircraft excels. One should always keep their speed up, a minimum of 370 km/h (230 mph), as this allows you to whip your nose around with alarming speed and bug out of unfavorable scenarios. It is important to note that the G.56 can very quickly bleed velocity in high-speed horizontal turns, and you may find yourself struggling to regain it.

One does not have to worry about the aircraft's ammunition, as you are given an absurd 800 rounds total (300 in the nose-mounted gun plus 500 rounds, 250 in each of the two wing-mounted cannons) and have access to the universally feared ''minengeschoß'' round that will destroy anything in a few well-placed hits

=== Playstyles ===
Beneath the sleek and eye-pleasing design of the ''Super Centauro'' lies a monster of a plane if piloted well. The aircraft's main strength is not its armament, speed, maneuverability, or climb rate (which are excellent in their rights), but how easily it can set up an attack on an enemy. Your primary method of battle should be energy fighting at a middle or high altitude so you can keep up your potential energy while also making the most out of the aircraft's engine. You can dictate the flow of the battle by staying around 5,000 - 6,000 meters due to the ability to choose your fights easily; you can dive in and shred your targets, then be gone before anyone knows what happened. If an enemy tries to intercept you, pay attention to the aircraft they're flying, adjust accordingly, and then engage on your terms. If they are approaching from below, pull up into a stall climb or vertical spiral to make them waste their energy and then pounce while they're recovering. If they are approaching from above, attempt to get them to overshoot and follow through.

The weakest flying style the G.56 can be put into is in a low-altitude combat scenario, where it can't abuse its excellent supercharged engine and doesn't have the altitude to dive so it can escape. It is a generally safe idea to avoid these scenarios and climb to get your advantages back, and you won't be torn to shreds by the hordes of enemies that will flock to your location due to seeing you as easy prey.

The G.56 is adept at dealing with bombers thanks to its excellent performance and powerful armament layout that can easily tear through the large bodies of strategic bombers. When engaging a bomber, it is best to either approach the front to get a pilot snipe or approach from below and aim for the wings or engines, as it can't get very far without them. '''"Oh, it has weak guns, I can tail it."''' If these words enter your mind, throw them out immediately. No matter how "weak" its defensive armament may be, never tail any bomber, as this mindset can lead to some embarrassing deaths regardless of the skill of the pilot in question.

=== Specific enemies worth noting ===
While the G.56 can out-perform a good portion of enemies it will face, there are a few enemies that one should pay attention to.

* '''Late Griffon Spitfires ([[Spitfire F Mk XIVe|MkXIV]], [[Spitfire F Mk XVIIIe|MkXVIII]], [[Spitfire F Mk 22|Mk22]] and [[Spitfire F Mk 24|Mk24]]):''' I will tell you this right away. '''This is the kind of plane you want to deal with inmediately.''' Griffon spitfires are faster that you, turn slightly better without flaps, roll just as good, and have similar compression. There are two things though: for one, you have slightly better Maneuvering Energy Retention. In the other hand, you have adjustable flaps, whereas spitfires don't. If you find one during a headon, you can exploit your nose-mounted cannon to hit him on a headon, then dodge and use your combat flaps to get behind the Spitfire. Do not get caught doing flat horizontal turns near the surface, as you will be inevitably trapped by the spitfire's lower turn time and higher top speed. Though, if you get behind one, your slightly higher Thrust to Weigh ratio and flaps will help you stay behind it. (Still, you should not attpempt to stall a Spitfire with equal energy states if you don't have enough experience, as your elevator authority below 300 km/h is worse that that of the spitfire's, and you will be shot down, stalling right in front of the spitfire).
* '''[[N1K2-Ja|N1K2]] and [[Ki-84 hei|Ki-84]]''': The best of the Japanese air tree in terms of fighters. The N1K2 and the Ki-84 are both highly maneuverable, and, in the case of the Ki-84, are faster that your G.56. You should either abuse your nose-mounted cannon in a headon, or dive and exploit their worse high speed compression to get behind them, and then deploy your combat flaps when necesary to stay behind them and shoot them down. In update 2.5, the Japanese and the Americans are usually in one side, while you will be in the other with everyone else. It is important to take this technique into account.
* '''[[Bf 109 K-4]]:''' The ''Kurfürst'' is the penultimate modification of the legendary Bf 109 and plays surprisingly similar to the G.56, even sharing the same armament layout (2 x 13.2 mm HMGs and 3 x 20 mm cannons, as this is the setup most pilots use). However, it does outclimb and out speed you by a relatively large margin, but you beat it at higher altitudes and have more responsive controls at lower speeds. The result of the dogfight comes down to pilot skill, as the planes are extremely similar, but you should try to Boom & Zoom against it to avoid the danger the aircraft presents. It is worthy to note that you outturn every 109 except the earlier ones such as the [[Bf 109 F-4|F-4]], and can turn around them even more so when the 109's pilot uses the gun pod attachments, which is more than common.
* '''[[F8F-1B]]:''' The Bearcat is also a very dangerous opponent that you can encounter. Its roll rate is comparable to the Fw 190 series, its speed and acceleration are almost unparalleled, and its armament is very effective in all forms of combat. You are under no circumstances to engage a Bearcat that is aware of your presence, as it will easily beat you in almost every scenario. If one forces an engagement on you, seek assistance from teammates or attempt to bleed his speed with safe manoeuvres.
* '''[[I-225]]:''' The I-225 is the king of Russian props and excels in a high altitude, energy-based flying style. While the G.56 itself is very solid at higher altitudes thanks to its DB 603 combined with a supercharger, it is nothing compared to the I-225, which loses almost no performance flying anywhere above 6 km. Combined with its amazing speed and relatively powerful armament, the Russian menace is a fear to any aircraft it comes into contact with. However, if you can engage it with an energy advantage via Boom & Zoom, it is an easy target thanks to its very vulnerable airframe and almost total lack of armour. The aircraft is also inferior in low-speed engagements, an area the G.56 does well in and can take advantage of.
* '''[[Re.2005 serie 0|Re.2005]]:''' While Realistic Battles will never have you go against the ''Saggitario'', Arcade and Mixed Battles poses this challenge. The Re.2005 is an amazing prop fighter with a turning circle that embarrasses a Spitfire and makes a Zero blush, plus it has the armaments to back up said manoeuvrability. These traits make 2005 one of the most universally feared threats to anyone in its airspace. However, it lacks the speed to compete with its contemporaries and has a very weak airframe that cannot afford to take many central hits. Your amazing dive speed is your friend in these scenarios, always engage 2005 with a speed advantage and never turn after a run.

=== When Engaging the Aircraft ===
The G.56 is an enemy that you need to dispatch as soon as you possibly can, as even a singular one can be the most painful thorn in your side for the rest of the game. It would be best if you never let them gain an altitude advantage, as this allows them to singlehandedly dictate the flow of the battle with its high diving speed and excellent top-end speed. If one is diving on you, you should take advantage of the aircraft's reduced roll rate due to high-speed compression, force an overshoot, and light them up during their zoom climb.

Unless you're in a Re.2005, Ki-84, Zero, Ki-61, Reppu, or Spitfire, you should never engage a G.56 in a turn-fight. Despite the aircraft's stat card saying otherwise, the G.56 turns better than almost every aircraft it faces and turns especially well with energy. Your go-to tactic for engaging the aircraft should be Boom-&-Zoom, as it allows you to blitz them and take advantage of their relatively weak airframe.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful engine gives it great acceleration and great top speed
* Can easily set and rack up kills in the hands of a skilled pilot
* Fast firing, an accurate triad of MG 151 cannons with access to the dreaded ''minengeschoß'' explosive round
* Large ammo reserve (800 rounds total)
* Above average climb rate
* Superb manoeuvrability at all speeds
* Competitive flight performance at most altitudes
* Arguably the best 6.0 Axis aircraft that can deal with most Allied props with relative ease
* Excellent top speed, although slightly slower than its competitors
* Lenient stock grind
* Great manoeuvre energy retention

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre roll rate
* Control surfaces function poorly at high speeds
* Stays in take-off settings while using Automatic Engine Controls, overheating the plane quickly
* Open radiator affects plane's top speed more than typical fighters
* Can face early jets in Arcade
* Has a high repair cost in RB/SB for a vehicle in its rank

== History ==

The concept of the G.56 traces back to 1942, when the ''Stato Maggiore dell Aeronautica'' requested Fiat to develop an aircraft based on the G.55 airframe, which would allow it to mount recently available DB 603 engine that produced 1,750 horsepower, 275 more horsepower than the DB 605. Giuseppe Gabrielli designed it in 1944. The design was proven to be an all-around improvement from the already excellent G.55, with Commander Valentino Cus reaching nearly 710 km/h (450 mph) and official records stating a maximum speed of roughly 685 km/h (426 mph). The two Breda-SAFAT Machine guns that were mounted in the nose were removed to make room for the massive engine, reducing the weight slightly and allowing more 20 mm ammunition to be carried.

Leader of the Luftwaffe Hermann Goering saw the potential in the prototype and immediately proposed it to Hitler and Galland as an alternative to the Me 309, a similarly designed Bf 109 with a DB 603 engine. He described that due to the state of the war, Germany could not afford to make such radical changes to the Bf 109, as it was already difficult enough to go from the [[Bf 109 E-3|E series]] to the [[Bf 109 F-4|F series]], let alone the [[Bf 109 G-10|G series]]. Thus, he proposed that Germany would take over the aircraft production, giving them a fighting chance versus the myriad of enemy fighters that started to outclass the 109. However, engine production of the DB 603 was put on the back burner to focus on the DB 605 that powered most of German aircraft, so there was only a handful of DB 603's to go around. Despite showing excellent flight characteristics and was able to compete with every allied fighter at the time, it was never put into production due to the lack of DB 603 engines and Italy's horrible economic status, with only two prototypes being made before the war's end.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=italy&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=fighter&vehicle=g_56 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|94S5XQwnX2I|'''The Shooting Range #108''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:16 discusses the G.56.|4v3fxupuZPA|'''Last piston fighters''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:45 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


* [[G.55 (Family)]]: the family the G.56 comes from
* [[Fw 190 D-9]], [[Fw 190 D-12|D-12]]/[[Fw 190 D-13|D-13]] and [[Ta 152 H-1]]: equivalent fighter aircraft using the same engine

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/364976-fiat-g56/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Fiat}}
{{Italy fighters}}

Beginner's guide to tank battles

2021-02-23T14:01:33Z

U87403807: a M slipped where it should not have gone

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Beginner's Guide to Tank Battles}}

Welcome to the '''Tank Battles''' mode of War Thunder! This guide will help get a player on their feet in trying out War Thunder tank warfare.

[[File:Wallpaper KurskBattle.jpg|x420px|frameless|right]]
__TOC__

= Getting started in War Thunder =

This section's purpose is to get the player adequately ready in jumping into a War Thunder tank battle, starting from choosing a nation towards joining a battle.

== Choosing a nation==
With seven nations in the game as of [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]], there are lots of starting points to choose from for the War Thunder tank career. These descriptions will cover the first impressions of each country and the trends in tank characteristics as a player progresses in the tech tree.

{{notice|Do note that these are very general descriptions of the tech tree and that individual vehicles present in each nation can have their own characteristics that may differ from the trends.}}

==== [[File:USA flag.png|50px|link=Category:USA ground vehicles]] USA ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The starter American tanks have a good mix of mobility and protection in their overall design, combined with a fast-firing cannon to do good work against the enemy. This mix in characteristics make the tanks very versatile in their battlefield performance when used correctly. The American tanks' good mobility allows them to take on advantageous position against enemy routes, with their firepower allowing them to penetrate foes with ease. Armour is also good with an average amount throughout the body; while not thick enough to resist a full-on hit, they could provide some lucky ricochets from poorly angled incoming shots.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
The American starter tanks epitomize the rest of the American tech tree with a mediocrity that gives each tank a balance of firepower, mobility, and protection. However, this also means that against enemies that are more focused to a specific trait, the American tanks would do poorly in regards. One general advantage in American tanks is the presence of a [[Gun stabilizer|gun stabilizer]], which allows the gun to lay more easily during slow movements or when coming to a halt. While Rank I-III American tanks do generally well against their counterparts, the tanks slowly begin to fall behind in tank traits in Rank IV, as the medium tank's averageness could not easily compete in face-to-face combat against the common foe. However, the more specialized ends such as light and heavy tanks begin shining in prominence however as they bring better mobility and firepower to the matches respectively. At Rank V and beyond, medium tanks catch back up and bring forth the epitome of Cold War main battle tanks to the battlefield.

Tank destroyers in the American tree are quite unique compared to other nations' as they are primarily turreted designs. Most American tank destroyers rely on mobility to benefit their firepower and definitely have armour considerations last, so careful positioning is always important to preserve the tank destroyer's efforts on the battlefield. All these special mentions, however, go out the window with the Rank V [[T28]]/[[T95]] casemate tank destroyer, which is an armoured shell with a gun sticking out that moves at a snail pace, so be aware so that this radical shift in play style does not surprise you.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the American tree are quite lacking at first with only barely armoured half-tracks bearing machine guns, though make up with saturation of fire to whittle down aircraft. This progresses slightly in Rank III-IV with a tank chassis with a 40 mm Bofors gun, which can down planes more reliably but still has an exposed tank crew and low amount of ammo for extended firing. Anti-air capabilities exponentially rise by Rank V-VI with the [[M163]] and [[M247]] providing heavy fire onto target.

==== [[File:Germany flag.png|50px|link=Category:Germany ground vehicles]] Germany ====
There are other things to consider about the German tree besides those fancy Tiger tanks in Rank III-IV, hold your horses.

'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Starter tanks for Germany are characterized by high mobility, decent firepower, and dubious armour protection. Most German vehicles at this early stage are quite quick due to their light weight and engine power. Armaments vary from the quite damaging 37 mm guns to the rapid-fire 20 mm autocannons that arm the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] tanks. However, the armour in these tanks is often the bare minimum, and sometimes even thinner especially on the sides. Thus, early German tanks must make the most of their mobility to establish an advantageous position and then relying on their guns to defeat the enemy. However, the guns also lack a comfortable amount of long-distance penetration power, so there may be more than a few times the German tanks would have to wait for the enemy to come in closer for a penetrating shot. All this combined with sub-par armour means the German tanks snare the initiative to prevent the enemy from firing back.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Going up the tech tree to Rank II and III, the German tanks begin catching up dramatically in firepower, with armour improving as well. Firepower is enhanced by longer cannons that now provide more than enough power against enemy armour even at range. Armour is enhanced little by little with each version of the Panzer III and IV, but the enemy cannons could also deal with this armour easily as well so they are simply proof against earlier enemies. Mobility takes a short dip as engine power stays the same while tank weight increases. All this is capped off by the introduction of newer tanks like the infamous "Panther" and "Tiger tanks" in Rank III and IV. These two tank designs expand on the potentials of German tanks with better firepower, armour, and mobility; with the Tiger tanks providing much more of the first two. However, these tanks also bring higher battle ratings into the matchmaking, so players should be careful in instantly jumping into the BR 5.7 Tiger I tanks when the rest of the line-up only consists of the BR 3.3 Panzer IIIs (Read the ''[[Beginner's_guide_to_tank_battles#Matchmaking|Matchmaker section]]'' for more details).

After Rank IV, the German tanks take a sharp split in the extremes of design. One side is the super-heavy tanks such as the [[Maus]] tank that brings all 188 tons of armour into battle with good gun and poor mobility. The other side puts all their chips into mobility and firepower with the medium tank such as the [[Leopard I|Leopards]], being able to outpace the enemies with a cannon able to obliterate from kilometers away. This trend continues up until the [[Leopard 2A4]] at the (current) end of the tree, with great extremes in firepower, mobility, and protection. There are also a few scout vehicles at this top rank that also bring good firepower to the table with their mobility.

Tank destroyers for Germany also split into two design philosophies. One is the light-weight open-top vehicles with a huge gun, which often brings a gun from the next rank into the current that absolutely devastated the enemies like the [[Sturer Emil]]. The other is the enclosed armoured casemate design that offer decent to impressive frontal armour, though a gun that is contemporary with those in the same rank. As the ranks go up however, the armour becomes much thicker, as seen going from the [[StuG III F|StuG]] series of tank destroyers to the [[Jagdtiger]].

German anti-aircraft vehicles are nothing to slouch at, all bring impressive capabilities of downing the enemy aircraft. However, from Rank I-II, the crew arrangement is very vulnerable and can be quickly knocked out with an airstrike or a nearby artillery shell. From Rank III onward, all German anti-aircraft vehicles keep the crew in a semi to fully-protected position, with the vehicle bristling with rapid-fire cannons able to track and shoot down the enemy aircraft.

==== [[File:USSR flag.png|50px|link=Category:USSR ground vehicles]] USSR ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early USSR tanks are defined by lackluster armour, but good gun penetration and good rate of fire. These tanks are easy to penetrate and are destroyed quickly. When playing these tanks try to stay in the second rank or on the flanks. Sniping is also an option with them because the guns fire at relatively high velocities. Remember to seek cover when an enemy starts to shoot at you, as you will not survive many hits. These tanks are powerful weapons in the correct hands, capable of selecting targets of importance and dispatching them in quick order – however, one must be mindful of one's surroundings since the only protection early USSR tanks have is natural cover or distance.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Several trends make the Soviet tanks stand out in comparison to their peers: Heavily sloped hull armour and minute amount of gun depression. Past the starter tanks onto BR ~3.0 in Rank II, the access to the famous [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] tanks will show the heavily-angled sloped armour on not just the front armour, but the sides and rear as well. This can be the bane against enemies with poor shot placements and/or weaker guns. However, design trade-offs in Soviet designs that reduce their overall profile on the battlefield also cause gun depression in the turret to be rather poor, with the average depression angle being only 5 degrees. As such, many conventional tank tactics such as the hull-down position and terrain exploitation (such as hills) are complicated by the lacking gun depression.

However, Rank II is characterized with great hull armour with the KV-1 heavy tanks and T-34 medium tanks, with the turret being the primary weak points on these tanks. By Rank III, more powerful armaments such as the 85 mm are available that can make short work of many tanks, but the presence of more powerful enemy tanks, while Russian tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Russian tanks. Even in Rank IV, which features improved tank armour as seen in the [[T-44]] and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] tanks, the stronger enemy guns could make short work of the hull, and even the weaker ones could penetrate through the turret.

By Rank IV onwards as well, the Soviet tree also has a great diversity in the types of vehicles able to be used, with light, amphibious, scout vehicles such as the [[PT-76B]], [[BMP-1]], and [[Object 906]]; heavily armoured tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[T-10M]]; and the medium tanks. Medium tanks begin to dominate the Soviet play style by Rank VI as the introduction of main battle tanks such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64]] and [[T-80B]] set the score up at the top.

Soviet tank destroyers are characterized early with weakly armoured, but heavily gunned platforms such as the [[ZiS-30]]. This soon peters out in Rank III to armoured casemates with either a respectable gun or a massive-calibre cannon as seen in the SU series of tank destroyers from the mellow [[SU-85]] to the pumpin' [[SU-152]]. While a few more lightly-armoured, open-topped tank destroyers exist by Rank IV, the solid armoured casemate designs remain a prominent figure in the Soviet tech tree.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the Soviet tree are all quite poor in their ability to protect the crew, as every anti-air vehicle up to Rank IV is built from a truck chassis; and even up to Rank V with the [[ZSU-57-2]], the crew compartment is exposed. While Rank I is quite low-powered with rather anemic machine guns and fire rate available, auto cannons become present and available by Rank II that could lay down impressive fire to destroy the aircraft, providing the aircraft does not strafe and knock out the crew in an attack run.

==== [[File:Britain flag.png|50px|link=Category:Britain ground vehicles]] Britain ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early British tanks are defined by speed and adequate firepower. The usage of the cruiser tanks enable the British to have some of the fastest introductory tanks available in the game, second to USSR's [[BT-5|BT]] tanks. Armour on the cruiser tanks are at a minimum to keep speed, but will improve as you move down the rank. Unlocking the medium tank Valentine will also help in armour, though at a cost of speed. The British all have a very high damage output with their large, rapid-fire guns.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Past Rank II battle rating 3.0, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for their armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles, requiring you to aim at the enemy critical components. Early British tanks are also burdened by a nonexistent reverse speed, especially in their [[Cromwell V|Cromwell chassis]].

British tanks up the line to Rank II and III split their tank designs to two types, the cruiser and infantry tank which are characterized in War Thunder as light/medium and heavy tanks respectively. So, fast tanks like the Cromwell are working alongside heavily armoured ones such as the [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill]] tanks. By Rank III, while infantry tank armour proves much more substantial than its peers, the cruiser tanks begin expanding their firepower with the famous [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounder cannon]]. While still firing solid-shot, the cannon can penetrate most, if not all, of its peers' armour. By Rank IV, the infantry tank concept fades away as the more flexible medium tanks in the form of [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurions]] become the predominant British tank up to Rank V, with few heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]] supporting its protection. By Rank VI, the British revolve around the [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftain]] and [[Challenger (Disambiguation)|Challenger]] tanks for their duties, with the assisting [[Warrior]] for recon tasks.

British tank destroyers take up an odd niche of supplying much needed firepower, but in many different manners, forcing you to change tactics and adapt to constant design swaps, such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], mobile [[Achilles]] and [[Avenger]], Shoot'n'scoot [[Charioteer Mk VII]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] and so on. As such, it is hard to establish any trend they set other than giving a bigger gun to the average British line-up. By Rank VI though, tank destroyers primarily focus on missile launching systems.

Anti-air vehicles in the British tree are often lackluster in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 caliber ones before switching over to more reliable autocannons. By Rank II however, all of Britain's anti-air crew compartments are decently protected from enemy fire that can allow for closer protection of the fighting groups.

==== [[File:Japan flag.png|50px|link=Category:Japan ground vehicles]] Japan ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early Japanese tanks have generally light frames, but decent manoeuvrability. Their armament has terrible penetration, but the shells have good explosive content. The only exception is the excellent Rank I truck mounted anti-aircraft gun. The tracked artillery gun is also devastating at medium range.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Moving up to Rank II shows almost no changes in the trend from the starter, with light armour and decent manoeuvrability attached to a rather anemic gun. However, at the end of Rank II, the [[Chi-Nu]] vehicle begins to solve the firepower issue with a larger and more powerful 75 mm gun. This is continued in Rank III where armour really takes a setback as an even longer 75 mm becomes the go-to gun for the Japanese tree, while mobility slowly drags down up to the bulky [[Chi-Ri II]]. By Rank III, there are also some American tanks to supplement the line-up.

By Rank IV onwards, armour has taken a backseat while firepower and mobility becomes the prime focus of addition. By the Rank V, a new mechanic called "[[Hydropneumatic suspension|Hydropneumatic suspension]]" allows for more flexibility in the positioning of Japanese tanks to ambush enemies from locations that are unorthodox in tank placements. It is not until the top-rank tank, the [[Type 90]] main battle tank, that an balance to the extremity of firepower, mobility, and protection is achieved. To add to this, the Type 90 also has one of the highest penetrating sabot round in the game, meaning while the journey to the top may be hard, it could be quite rewarding with a potent vehicle and a huge reserve of game skills.

Japanese tank destroyers are emphasized by being lightly armoured and heavily gunned, each of them more than able to destroy the competitors on a battlefield. The one exception are the [[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]] types, which trade in mobility for a larger set of armour encapsulating the crew and modules.

Anti-aircraft vehicles are quite capable, with every single one equipped with autocannons to smack down enemy planes. However, the crew are always exposed in all versions except the top-rank [[Type 87]] SPAA.

==== [[File:Italy flag.png|50px|link=Category:Italy ground vehicles]] Italy ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early Italian tanks have good emphasis on firepower, sub-par armour, but are quite lacking in mobility. The various 47 mm calibre cannons give good penetration and damage, which can give the Italians a good advantage at range. Armour is often averagely thick, but have huge unevenly angled plates, that could be easily penetrated even when tank itself is angled. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position.

Some of the early Italian tank destroyers rely on stealth to attack opponents instead and have nearly no armour, but are extremely small. This gives them an advantage in Realistic battle mode.

Another important half of Italian tank tree revolves around wheeled armoured cars. While the armoured car option is extremely fast on roads compared to tanks and more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that allows even rifle-caliber (7mm) machine gun rounds to penetrate it at the right conditions.

A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians, and players have to keep attention to which tanks are useful in which situation and in which game mode.

The one thing that stay unique for most early Italian tanks is their upgraded high-normalization APHE shell, which gives them upper hand at longer ranges compared to other factions that use similar APHE shell, although at point-blank range these shells aren't any better than normal ones.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Italy follows a trend of generally below-average armored vehicles with above-average mobility at medium and high tiers while being average at tier I. The tree has 4 lines. From left to right, they are:

# The light tank line, which consists of Armored cars and Light tanks with good mobility and decent guns, which make them able to flank.
# The medium tank line, which consists of medium tanks. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Average at everything.
# The Anti-Aircraft line, oriented to the destruction of aircraft, but that has some fun vehicles like the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS and the OTOMATIC at the end of the tree.
# The SPG line, which has generally Mobile tank destroyers usually with little armor, which makes them good for taking positions and firing from afar.

The Italians also do not have heavy tanks, and rarely have tanks which have more armour than deemed average by the time period. Some of these vehicles can be destroyed even by fighters. For that reason, they also possess decent Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft guns, which employ absurdly high fire rate or quadruple gun compositions. These SPAA are also usually capable of dealing with tanks of their battle rating, being the most infamous one the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS with a fast-firing 20mm cannon.

Their tree is complemented by american tanks for their low and medium tiers, as early as rank II and until rank V, Mostly on the Medium Tank line.

Since Rank III, Italians start to mostly rely on stealth and speed in any of their own designs. At the rank, Italian tree gets its iconic armoured car design in form of [[R3 T20 FA-HS]] SPAA. You will see this car design, ironically called by players "thelunchbox". It will be carrying a lot of different weapons, from quad machine guns to recoilless rifles, to actual tank turrets. It generally can be annihilated even by 7.62 mm machine guns from the rear, and by 12.7 mm machine guns from the front, but it's '''extremely''' fast on roads, '''very''' small, and usually can use hull down positions, even in arcade mode.

At Rank V, battle rating 8.0, Italy finally stands back up and starts getting tanks that feel more unique, featuring the infamous wheeled tank [[Centauro]] and the medium main battle tank [[OF-40]]. They also use [[SIDAM 25]] and [[M113A1 (TOW)]] based on an American chassis, to provide support. From this point on, Italy mostly gets "more of the same, but superior gun and ammunition, if possible".

The only exception is at Rank VI, where [[OTOMATIC]], based on OF-40 chassis, is introduced, being SPAA, which is not only capable of defeating an entire squadron of pilots on it's own, but is also capable of defeating an actual medium tank squad with APDSFS. Unfortunately it lacks missiles, its quite large and its armor is not impressive.

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lackluster firepower but excellent armor. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armor, however, is quite a tough nut to crack. The mobility is generally average or sub-par. The main exception is the [[P.7.T AA]], an anti-aircraft armed tractor, and the [[AMR.35 ZT3]], a light, maneuverable tank destroyer.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Rank II trends closer towards an even balance in tank traits, though firepower still requires catching up. Some American vehicles such as the [[M4A1 (France)|M4A1]] and the [[M10 GMC (France)|M10]] are available to supplement the odd French tanks. Once Rank III roll by, firepower has been improved with many high-velocity 75 mm cannons available for all types of tanks. However, emphasis on armour begins to decline in the face of the opponents of the rank.

Rank IV introduces some of the more popular French tanks of the game such as the Lorraines and the AMX tank series. These tanks have armour that are quite thin even among its peers, but boast high mobility and heavy firepower that allows them to exploit enemy weaknesses by getting around them at places they don't expect. This trend is continued all the way to Rank VI, where armour may not be heavily relied upon, but firepower and mobility can be. However, the French are in a general disadvantage in the top-rank battles due to the absence of gun stabilizers, so keep this in mind when fighting in a warfare of movement.

Tank destroyers in the French tree are a mix of casemates and turreted designs, though the general trend is always in firepower and mobility; with only the turreted [[ARL-44]] having decent amount of armour to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy.

Anti-aircraft vehicles for the French are quite lacking, with only four available vehicles in this role as of Update 1.85. The first two are typical trucks with guns mounted on them, but the last two AMX designs provide powerful guns for combating aircraft, as well as radars to more easily target and destroy enemy aerial threats.

== Preparing for the first match ==
Before starting up the first tank match, it is recommended for all players to play the tutorial section in-game to be familiarized with the tank controls and damage mechanics of the game.

To enter the tutorial form the menu, go to "Battles" at the top left corner in between a cog icon and "Community." A drop down menu should appear, with "Tutorials" appearing fourth from the top. From there, the tutorials titled "Tank Control Basis" and "Tank Gunnery" should be completed, with a bonus in currency added once completed.

Now, it is time to select the game mode for the match. For any newcomers, Arcade mode is recommended as there will be assist markers available for shell trajectory and penetration indication that helps new players understand where their shots will go at long range, and what tanks they could handle. As experience is earned while playing the game, the player can choose between realistic or simulator battles for their continued gameplay experience.

Once a mode is set, click the large, orange "To Battle!" button to join a queue for game match to be made!

For more details on the game modes for tanks, [[Beginner%27s_guide_to_tank_battles#Game_modes|click here!]]

==Fighting in the first match==
Once a match has been chosen, the map and objective will be laid out for the player.

The first thing encountered upon joining a match is a vehicle and ammo selection screen, with vehicle selection done atop and ammunition done in the center. The next thing to take note of is a map of the battlefield on the right side, where diamond symbols with letters on it will be pinpointed, these are the primary objectives of any War Thunder tank battle.

Most objectives in the game rely on the capture and control of strategic points, with the game mode being called "Conquest" or "Domination" depending on the number of capture points available. These points are captured simply by driving into the bordered circle area with the enemy removed from it.

However, the ease of capturing these points is hampered by the terrain of each map and the enemies shooting. To solve this, start planning a route towards the target point using the mini-map provided, then pick the appropriate ammunition for the task.

{{Notice
|The best penetrating ammunition is not necessarily the most optimal round to fight with in War Thunder, as other factors such as round type (AP, APCBC, etc.), angle of attack effect, and explosive filler are to be considered as well. Though APCR ammunition may have a large amount of penetration potential upclose, they are poor at long-range fighting, against non-flat armour plates, and have negligible post-penetration damage. For more details on ammo type, see ''[[Tank ammunition|this page]]''.

When selecting ammo type and numbers, a general rule is to not bring all available ammunition into the battle as these increase the presence of [[Ammo_racks|ammo racks]] in the tank which, when hit, could detonate and instantly destroy the tank.
|!
}}

Once these considerations are taken into account, click any of the orange "To Battle!" buttons; the large one on the bottom right or the ones above the vehicle icon (or double-click on a vehicle icon) to spawn into the fight!

Now that the tank is finally track-on-the-ground and ready to rumble, the one thing to keep in mind is to '''''play the objective'''''. Because even if one side manages to knock out more total tanks than the enemy, if the enemy retains the capture points, they will win by draining the ticket counter. Plus, capturing these points result in a nice reward and score boost, so there's something in it for not just for the team, but for the individual!

Maneuvering the battlefield takes skill and familiarity around the terrain and tank's characteristics. Bead-lining a straight path towards the objective could run into open, exposed areas where the enemy could fire upon with ease. Use the terrain for cover and concealment under foliage, rubble, hills, buildings, and the such. Knowing the tank's mobility power can allow for more complicated manoeuvres in rough terrain like steep hills and river-bogged areas to get around predictable road routes that may have enemy in sight.

Every encounter with an enemy, like in most player-versus-player games, is a test of wits and initiative. As such, it comes down to whether a penetrating shell could be placed onto their tank before they could open fire and destroy the player. A good mindset to have is to not view exposure as a mere state, but rather as a conscious, active decision. Every second of exposure represents a risk one should be aware of. Try to surprise the enemies by attacking on their flanks, even when sniping. When you must move into an area that an enemy tank is aiming at, remember to pre-angle your armour and aim your weapon to do as much damage as you can with your first shot. This means aiming for driver's view ports and the cheeks of the turret.

The reward at the end of a match is largely determined by whether you have won or lost the match, and the outcome of the match is largely determined by who possesses the capture points. This, coupled with the fact that a point capture carries a higher reward than destroying an enemy, means capturing points is a first priority. Even having more targets destroyed and losing can net a smaller result than less targets destroyed and winning.

Congratulations! You have experienced your first match in War Thunder (or at least one that you have a good awareness on what's actually happening). However, there's more to War Thunder than just blasting away at the enemy.

==After the first match==
Now that you know how to fight and win battles, it is now time to use that experience to advance your placement in the tech tree you have chosen.

As more battles are fought, research points are earned towards upgrading the tank and progressing the tech tree. We'll relay how to do each step here.

===Upgrades===
Upgrading tanks comes down to two factors, unlocking modifications for the modules and training the crew.

====Modules and modifications====
{{main|Modifications}}

In the menu, there is the option to unlock modifications for the vehicle in question. These are divided into three categories: Mobility, Protection, and Firepower. Mobility upgrades the engine, transmission, and suspension characteristics. Protection upgrades survivability potential with repairs, fire extinguishers, and crew replacement. Firepower upgrades turret characteristics, accuracy, and unlocks new ammunition to be used. These are researched and unlocked one by one, and as the criteria is met, the next tier of modifications can be unlocked to further enhance the vehicle.

In any vehicle, it is recommended to always focus on unlocking these two modifications, which happen to both be in the protection column.

* ''Parts'' — This is due to otherwise being unable to repair critical modules on the battlefield. By default, only track damage could be repaired anywhere on the battlefield and repairs can be done on captured points. However, repairs to critical modules such as the gun, turret, transmission, and engine would be impossible away from a captured point without the ''Parts'' modification.
* ''FPE'' — The ''Fire Protection Equipment'' is very important for combat survival as these are the most viable way to extinguish vehicle fires (outside of driving and submerging in a body of water. Without this, a simple fire will slowly chip away at module health (and expose the tank for anyone in the vicinity to find) and eventually lead to a fuel or ammo combustion that will knock out the tank from the game.

Past these, the priority of modifications to upgrade can vary from different tanks and should be consulted on individual vehicle pages on whether mobility or firepower is more important to research.

====Crew skills====
{{main|Crew skills}}

Arguably one of the least looked at part of tank upgrades, crew skills can play a big role in the firepower and mobility of a tank. Unlike modifications, the training of a crew are specific to the crew slot in the line-up and can be transferable to any tank the crew is using (except "Expert" and "Ace" status).

Crew information can be reached on the left drop-right menu on the screen with the middle button for the selected crew (under "Vehicle Information" and above the "Favourite Achievements" button). From here, "Crew Training" would direct the player to a screen that would show the following tabs:
[[File:CrewSkills_Tank_reloading_upgradedskill.jpg|x200px|thumb|right|The crew training page, where upgrades in the loader's reload skill shows an appreciable benefit.]]

* Driver
* Gunner
* Tank Commander
* Tank Loader
* Radio Operator Gunner
* Logistical Service
* Qualification

Each have their own unique skills to help enhance the tank in their role, from driving capabilities, gun laying, and communications. Upgrading each trait in a crew tab with the earned Crew XP Points would add a 0.5 point to the overall crew level. Each skill that can be upgraded is detailed more on the [[Crew skills|crew skills]] page.

Once a certain crew level is reached with crew upgrades, they can enter "Qualification" to become enhanced to one specific tank. The first stage would be "Expert" which adds 3 point to every crew skill for the cost of several Silver Lions {{Sl}}. The impact can be quite noticeable once put into a match.

After an "Expert" qualification is gained, the next step past a maxed out "Expert" crew is the "Ace" status, which enhances the reward to an additional 5 point to every crew skill. However, earning this status is much harder and requires either Golden Eagles {{Ge}} or a huge amount of experiences to achieve.

===Progression===
Upon selecting your preferred tech tree, you will then being the gradual process of unlocking, researching, and purchasing vehicles down a column to progress towards the next vehicle type.

Progression is restricted by two factors in the tech tree, vehicle unlock criteria per rank and vehicle branch connection. Each rank past the first has a criteria of the number of vehicles that must be researched and purchased before the next rank's vehicles could be researched. Vehicles are then linked via an arrow branching from one vehicle to the next. These arrows indicate that the prior vehicle must be researched before the next vehicle could be researched, and purchased before the next vehicle could be purchased.

Vehicles restricted from being researched are noted by being under a dark red overlay, with indications that the vehicle is locked.

====Matchmaking====
{{main|Matchmaker|Battle ratings}}

While ranks are important for progression, they are not the deciding factor on what types of battles you enter.

Matchmaking in the game is solely based on [[Battle_ratings|battle ratings]], which are indicated by a numerical value on the lower right corner of a vehicle box (or on top of a stat card). The rank of a vehicle does not play a part in this matchmaking process, and so a rank II vehicle can be evenly matched with a rank III vehicle if both have the same battle rating.

Matchmaking in tank battles is sorted by the highest battle rating in the line-up and then battling against enemies within a battle rating range of ± 1.0. For example, a player enters a battle with a line-up with a maximum battle rating of 2.3, causing the player to join a match potentially between 1.3 to 3.3 in battle ratings. This is further divided into groups separated by a value of 1.0, so matches would consist of vehicles in the 1.3-2.3, 1.7-2.7, 2.0-3.0 and 2.3-3.3 vehicles. This develops into the concepts of "uptier" and "downtier" as coined by the community, where "uptier" would be placing the 2.3 line-up in a 2.3-3.3 match, while a "downtier" would be in a 1.3-2.3 match.

Always consult the stats cards for tanks when creating a line up. Also remember that every vehicle have a different battle ranking and stats card in different game modes. To change which stats card you are looking at, simply click on the mode view option at the bottom right of the research tree.

= Advanced considerations =
Aside from turning that diamond-shape symbol on the capture point into a blue color and destroying enemy tanks, there are more intricate details to cover when detailing how to play the game more deeply than shoot-and-scoot.

==Vehicle usage==
Here we detail the typical usage of each vehicle type in a battle.

{{notice|It should be pointed out that when choosing a vehicle to load into a battle, not every tank in the game is optimal for every situation. For example, it would probably be unwise to take the slow [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]] infantry tank on the vast, open and maneuvre-friendly map of Kursk, or to pick a heavy tank during an uptier where enemy tanks would have firepower that makes the armour moot.

These situations are the reason why a diverse line up is usually good, as you cannot predict what map or match you will get, so the tank line up has to be suitable for most/all maps. In addition, later into the game, the second, third, and proceeding vehicles you choose can impact the game. If your team needs to quickly capture the "A" point to avoid a loss, you want a fast-moving vehicle to get there quickly to stop the "ticket bleed".}}

Without further ado, here's a general "doctrine" on how each tank type are to perform on the battlefield.

==== Light tanks ====
''Light tanks'' are lightly armoured and small, yet highly mobile and armed with an adequate gun. At Rank I and the reserves, the light tanks make up the majority of the tanks involved in the playing field. Make good usage of your mobility and small size to move from cover to cover, peeking out occasionally to fire at the enemy. Don't fire from the same place more than twice as it will let the enemy take aim at your position. Peek out the other side of the cover or reposition for a better chance at survival. You can also use your mobility to get to the enemy's sides, thus giving you a good shot on the vulnerable weak side of the tanks. At the later ranks, most of the nations have phased out the light tanks due to their inadequacy against the larger tanks, but the American and Soviet tree still retain them up to the late ranks. These late rank light tanks put more emphasis on the firepower to deal more damage for the light weight, so more confidence can be had fighting the ranks they exist in. However, the strategy remain unchanged in making sure you do not even take a single enemy hit, as a single hit will end you.

==== Medium tanks ====
''Medium tanks'' are the jack-of-all-trade tank in the game. Armed with a adequate armour, mobility, and firepower, they can fit in multiple roles on the battlefield. Their greatest pro is also their greatest weakness, being just as good in everything and also being just as bad in everything. They are not armoured enough to hold positions, fast enough to flank the enemy, or armed enough to take out any tank they see. Flexibility is the key of the medium tanks, giving you free rein in what you will do to dominate the battlefield. By Rank IV, the firepower and armour of the medium tanks start to wane in the presence of the stronger heavy tanks such as the [[IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. At this point, start playing the medium tanks akin to the light tanks, taking cover and popping out occasionally to fire before repositioning or get on the enemy's flanks.

==== Heavy tanks ====
''Heavy tanks'' are the breakthrough vehicles of the game and in MMORPG terms, would be the "tank" of the team. Their heavy armour allows them to absorb enemy fire, their size makes them bullet magnet to take fire intended for your weaker teammates, and more often than not you have a very powerful gun able to destroy the opposing forces. Though you may want to ominously crawl toward the enemy with a face of intimidation, you are not invulnerable. Going up to the enemy increases the risk of their gun being able to penetrate certain weak points on your frontal armour or even get a tank onto your sides and penetrate your weaker side armour. Use the heavy tanks sparingly, stand back a certain distance from an enemy strong point and blast at the stranglers, with the distance empowering your armour as the enemy's shells may not have enough energy to penetrate your armour after traveling a distance. Remember to slope your armour by angling the hull so the enemy would never get a straight shot onto your armour.

==== Tank destroyers ====
''Tank destroyers'' are a specialized type of vehicle meant to... well, destroy tanks. However, different design aspects on these tanks lead to different doctrines within the same class.

'''Armoured casemate structure'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], [[SU-85]], and [[75/46 M43|Semoventes]], are distinguished by a fully enclosed fighting compartment with a gun mounted fixed to the front on a flexible mount. These tank destroyers typically rely on a low-profile to set up unnoticed ambush positions against incoming enemies, and often carry guns equivalent to the tanks in the rank. Exploit the low silhouette by hiding in the distance or in foliage so the enemies cannot detect it. Take position near choke-points to channel the enemy in and open fire in opportune moments at the weak spots or when they expose their sides.

Another school of thought in casemate structures are larger-profiled, but more heavily armoured designs such as the [[Jagdtiger]], [[Tortoise]], and [[T95]] in a role that could be considered ''assault'' tank destroyers. While these could still rely on ambush methods to obtain hits on the enemy, their slower speed and higher profile can make concealment at advantageous positions difficult, often causing them to take up a role similar to heavy tanks to absorb fire from the front while using their cannon to decimate the enemies in front trying to penetrate the thick armour.

'''Glass-cannon casemate structures'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Marder III]], [[ZiS-30]], and [[Ho-Ni I]], are distinguished by very little, if any, armour on the design. For this penalty in armour, mobility may or may not be enhanced as well. However, firepower on these tank destroyers are often of a league of the next rank's equivalent, such as the Rank III [[Nashorn]] being equipped with an [[PaK 43 (88 mm)|88 mm cannon]] that does not begin to appear on tanks until the next rank up. As such, while these tank destroyers are lightly armoured, probably slow, and most likely of high-profile construction, they provide firepower nearly unparalleled to the matches they can fight in. These should not go on any offensive and rely on advantageous, defensive terrain to be positioned where minimum return fire can be expected while ambushing the enemy as they appear in the gun sights.

'''Turreted'''
{{Break}}
Mostly exclusive to the United States' and British designs, these turreted designs are typically higher-profile and lighter armoured than the casemate counterparts, but feature greater tactical flexibility and mobility. The epitome of this type of tank destroyer lies in the American [[M18 GMC|M18 ''Hellcat'']], which provides very high speed with a reliable cannon to destroy most tanks upon a penetration; yet has paper-thin armour that even high-explosive shells could cripple it. These tank destroyers rely on moving to areas in a very short amount of time to set up flanking ambushes against the incoming enemy. The additional advantage is that these tank destroyers, with the tank characteristic of a turret, can use the gun depression for hull-down positions and the turret traverse for an enhanced horizontal targeting range.

==== Self-propelled anti-aircraft ====
''Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles'' are specialized vehicles not meant to destroy ground vehicles, instead they are meant to attack the enemy aircraft. Equipped with rapid-firing autocannons or machine guns, you are to lead the enemy plane right into your firing field to knock them out of the sky. Most SPAA do not have the same armour as a tank, so the SPAA should stay back behind the attacking force to stay safe from enemy fire and yet blast away any plane attempting to strafe your allies. Some SPAA are able to defend themselves against ground targets such as the German [[Ostwind]], the British [[Falcon]] and the Soviet [[ZSU-57-2]], but these are last ditch weapons.

====Aircraft====
Aircraft in tank battles, whether unlocked through the point system in Arcade Battles or player-owned in Realistic Battles, can help give the team an edge with supplementary air power in a combined-arms role. These too are separated into roles of emphasis in tank battles.

* ''Fighters'' should primarily be focused on protecting the air space against enemy aircraft that come in to intercept friendly aircraft or attack ground units. The best strategy to destroy enemy planes is to gain a higher altitude than them, then dive and shoot them down. If no enemy planes are present, strafing the enemy ground units to harass them also fits fighter duty, but the most important role you can be is act as an aerial reconnaissance for your team, relaying where each enemy is on the map. Staying at a high altitude or taking evasive manoeuvres would be necessary if an enemy SPAA is present on the ground.
** Alternatively, fighters can be armed with bombs and rockets in a ''Fighter-bomber'' role to attack ground units. Note that this sacrifices the plane's ability to fight other aircraft so long as these armaments are on the aircraft, and the aircraft's performance in this role varies as they are not designed for the purpose of attacking ground units.
* ''Attackers'' and ''Dive-bombers'' should both focus on targeting individual ground units and eliminating them with either cannon-armaments on the aircraft or the available bombs and rockets.
** ''Attackers'' come in at a low altitude with their relatively armoured air frame to get better accuracy onto target. Due to their low altitude of attack, equipped bombs should be set on delay to avoid the bomb blast and shrapnel on the ground from affecting the aircraft.
** ''Dive-bombers'' rely on coming in from a high altitude towards the ground to directly deliver a bomb onto target. Air-brakes are available on most of these aircraft to help slow down the dive to allow for an easier adjustment of aim and also to be easier to pull up from the dive.
* ''Bombers'' are more preferred for a carpet-bombing of an area to eliminate the enemy. These should be retained at high altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire as most bombers lack the maneuverability owing to their size from dodging enemy fire.

==Gameplay==
Outside of the written guide here, there are several YouTube tutorials provided by War Thunder to further enhance your experience, as listed here:

{{Youtube-gallery|sWTV4PWs3FM|"Part 3: Tanks '''Arcade'''"|cwApkEkC660|"Part 7: Tanks '''Tactics'''"|ZoP70wYsQdI|"Part 11: Tanks '''Armour'''"|bea0YmP8qWo|"Part 12: '''Tanks Sniper'''"}}

Beyond those videos, here are some details to consider when playing in a match.

===Shoot-and-scoot===
Probably one of the more basic detail to know in a tank fight, it details changing positions after engaging in a firefight. This can be done as simple as retreating back into cover after firing the cannon to reload in safety, or as thorough as repositioning the fire location before exposing the tank again. This is done because after opening an engagement, the enemy downrange will be focused on locating the origin of the attack to eliminate the threat. As such, repositioning by moving out of the line-of-sight and then changing the firing location will buy time in the enemy not realizing where the shot come from. With this, even if they did identify where the first shot originated, the repositioning will ensure their gun sights are not aligned onto the last appeared area, buying extra time as the enemy would then need to readjust the sights towards the new location. This is especially important if artillery is incoming onto the location; as exposure to this attack is detrimental to anyone's health, movement to another firing location will make the incoming rain of explosions miss your vehicle.

=== Protecting a capture point ===
Capture points serve as giant magnets of allies and enemies, and protecting these points from enemies can be a chore. The preferred tank specifications for this job is one with lots of armour and a very powerful gun, though any tank can do this job given the correct skill sets. There are two ways to protect a capture point:

# Stay on the capture point and fight off any incoming invaders.
# Position yourself a distance away from the capture point so you are able to see any enemy that tries to reach the point, then pick them off when they are either on the way or on the capture point.

Both have their pros and cons. Staying on the capture point ensures that you will be there to prevent the zone from being captured, but you risk being swarmed by the enemy or picked off at a distance by a tank hitting one of your critical weak points. Positioning yourself away from the capture point at a vantage point around the zone so you can give supporting fire to any teammates that are at the zone, but if the enemy manage to get to the zone and none of your teammate are on the zone, the zone will be captured by the enemy easily, or neutralized if you are able to knock out the enemy on the zone before they can capture it. Either way, it may require you to move away from your position to take back the point. Protecting the capture point requires a good knowledge of your tank's strengths and the environment to find good vantage areas and cover.

=== Flanking ===
Flanking is one of the main tactic that must be recognized by everyone. Flanking is the movement of units to get around the enemy to their sides, then hitting them. In tank warfare, flanking is absolutely essential to gain an upper hand over the enemy. If coordinated, this would force the enemy to engage in two different directions, the front where the main force would be, and the sides where the flanking force is. This will lower their distribution of firepower to two targets, whereas the flanking force and main force can still concentrate their firepower on just one enemy force. With the addition of lowering the enemy's attention to one target, the flanking force also had the benefit of being able to get to one of the tank's main weaknesses, their side armour. This will allow flankers to be able to not only take the advantage over the enemy, but give them a lethal edge over their forces.

Flanking requires tanks that are very mobile due to the quick nature of the tactic, yet have a gun that can reliable defeat the enemy. Armour should not be prioritized because that would decrease mobility, and hopefully if the tactic is done right, the main force should be receiving the brunt of the enemy's firepower rather than the flanking force. Thus, the best tanks for this job is a light or medium tank.

=== Sniping ===
Like real-life sniping, this tactic requires skill and patience. Skill to accurately range and hit ''very'' far away targets, patience to wait for the enemy to drive right into your firing range. If you are able to exploit not only your tank's firepower, but also the environment, the enemy may never be able to accurately pinpoint your location and you will be able to pick them off one-by-one.

Tank destroyers do this job the best due to their low silhouette and high-power guns compared to tanks, but suffer from a limited firing angle (unless you are using American or British tanks, in which case their silhouette is large, but allow a larger degree of fire).

=== Brawling ===
This is where things get aggressive. No fancy long shots or skillful maneuvers, just getting up close and personal with the enemy, front and center. This tactic requires fast reflexes and intuition, and most importantly, the ability to get the first shot off to your enemy. The first shot is the most important shot as a brawler, because at the close ranges this tactic is in when fighting, the tank armour can be negligible, and also the first shot could impede the enemy's attempt to fire off a shot at all if you are able to incapacitate their gunner, then they can't get any shot off at all.

Any tank can play this tactic really, its just two factors that matters the most now, how many tanks your team has and the penetration value on your gun. So a light tank can play this role if it has a very powerful gun and would not be out-numbered by the enemy. Strike at the enemy's ability to fire back by destroying each enemy tank, or their gunner if you do not believe a one-shot knock-out is possible. Overwhelm them, swarm them, but do not give the enemy the edge because in brawling, anything is exploitable.

==Game modes==
Should you wish for more excitement in your game play, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battle's unless stated otherwise.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Ground Forces - Features by Game Mode
|-
! Arcade (AB) !! Realistic (RB) !! Simulator (SB)
|-
|
* Aim and penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder always enabled
* 3D markers indicate enemy and friendly vehicles and range
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of both teams
* Engine power is enhanced
* No player-owned aircraft - only selected match spawns available
* Limited to three spawns
|
* No aim or penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder only on selected tanks with the modification
* 3D markers indicate only friendly vehicles
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of only player's team
* Engine power matches real life specifications
* Player aircraft can be brought in and used
* Spawn using "Respawn Points" earned through contributing actions in the match
|
* Friendly fire is on
* Only a "first-person" view from commander's position
* Gun sight is moved to the actual position of optics
* Vehicles limited to allowed vehicle in simulator events
* 3D markers are now absent
* Unable to lock onto target due to absence of markers
* Vehicle selection system restricted to one vehicle per air and ground.
* One or two spawn depending on vehicle type
|-
|}

As mentioned earlier, the Arcade Battle mode is the recommended starter mode since it is forgiving to beginners with assists in firepower (aim and penetration indicators) and mobility (enhanced engine power) to help be familiarized around the mechanics of the game. Once comfortable with the game, Realistic and Simulator Battles can be considered for further immersion into the War Thunder battles. Realistic and Simulator battles, owing to their more complicated game style, also offer enhanced rewards after a battle.

=Other tips for beginners=
There is a lot of things to learn about War Thunder, so much so that all other tips are placed here! Here are some tips we can give you if you're still new to War Thunder Ground Battles and want some advice, or for ideas on how to fight certain vehicles.

*[[M4|M4 Sherman]]s are tough American medium tanks to crack, but there are certain weak points at the hull such as the transmission area, and the side armour are very thin, large, and flat for an easy penetration.
*[[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV E|IV]] are the main German medium tanks in the early ranks, here are some tips...
**They are quite easy to take out if you hit their front plate as close to a perpendicular angle as possible, but the front glacis part in front of the front plate is basically invulnerable, so aim a bit higher when aiming at the front plate to avoid a round ricocheting off the glacis.
** Shooting the Panzers in the empty space in the middle of the suspension will most likely cook off the ammunition rack or fuel container under the tank, ensuring their knock-out.
*[[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s are the early bane in the Rank II with their extreme sloped front armour. Until you gain a powerful gun able to penetrate the front armour like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], here are some tips...
** Aim for the sides of the turret, the areas that look like the "cheek" on a face. These are weak spots and are much weaker than the frontal hull. Shoot the right side because that is where the gunner sits. When that is hit, the T-34 is unable to fire. Once that's done, aim at the left to knock out the loader, so if he is able to fire, the next shot will take a longer time to follow-up. Finish by either waiting for the replacement gunner to come in and take him out as well or flank the T-34 during this opportunity and fire at its weaker side armour at the driver's compartment in front.
** Aim at the hull armour on a hill when it is below you. This way, you can minimize the sloping effectiveness of the tank, as the armour facing towards you is less sloped if you can see it in a near 90 degree angle. The hull armour is only 45 mm thick, and without the sloping advantage, it is easy to penetrate.
** Ambush the T-34 on its sides, it is less sloped than the front armour. If possible, you can also aim at the small clearing above the track, but below the sloped side armour to hit an unsloped 45 mm side plate behind the track.

* Mastering the different camera viewpoints is vital to tank battles:
** '''Gunner view''', named ''Sniper mode'' in the controls option, is necessary to make accurate shots at long-distance targets or to hit weak spots.
** '''Commander view''', named ''Binoculars'' in the controls option, is necessary to look over hills and obstacles.
** Driver view, is sometime useful to peek below obstacles.
** '''Turret view''', which is the zoomed-in exterior (third-person) view (right-click by default), is necessary for close-quarter combat (especially on urban maps).

* '''''Use your binoculars''', it's free''. This [[Hints|ingame hint]] points at a major element of ''Ground Forces'': spotting enemies before they spot you. Being able to ambush enemies to land the first hit is the best way to win a tank fight. Binding the '''Binoculars''' command in the controls option ("Tank Controls" category) will allow you to watch the landscape with a significant zoom, while keeping your hull behind cover and your turret aimed at its current direction.
** While looking through the Binoculars, the Gunner can be ordered to aim where you are looking, by left-clicking. This function can be used to make accurate shots at long range, when the Gunner view ''(Sniper mode)'' is obstructed by bushes, or has a lesser magnification (zoom) than the ''Binoculars''.
** Most importantly, the Binoculars view position is from the Commander point of view, which is nearly always higher than the Gunner view ("Sniper mode" in the controls option), allowing you to scan and spot above obstacles and hills without exposing more than your cupola.

* The controls command "Tank: '''short stop'''" (no keybind by default), when pressed and held, will stabilize and progressively slow down the tank to a stop. An absolute life-saver when driving at high-speed and suddenly encountering an enemy: continuing with the full-speed drive will make aiming too difficult, while braking will leave you unable to aim until the tank is properly stopped. The ''short stop'' is the best way to survive an unexpected duel.

* The '''[[Towing|towing hook]]''' (default keybind: 0) actually works pretty well if you respect these two rules:
** '''Point of attachment''': if you want to roll a tank back on its tracks, attach the hook at the top (aiming with the mouse and pressing the hook key), then drive perpendicular to its tracks. The goal is to ''pull'' the top of the tank, not ''drag'' the bottom across the ground.
** '''Momentum''': if you want to turn over a large tank, or a tank that has both of its tracks in the air, you need momentum. Pick up some speed from a short distance, make sure to narrowly drive past the tank (don't drive into it!), and just as you sneak past it: look behind you, and HOOK the tank while still speeding away at full speed! Attach the hook to the top or the furthest point from you if possible to really pull it back around. Your tank will suddenly be attached to its target and the momentum will brutally pull it back up. With practice, practically all Light and Medium tanks and many Heavy tanks can be put back on their tracks on the first try.

*Do not leave a battle if you can still respawn. Not only will you be ditching your team, you will also get a [[Crew_lock|Crew Lock]], which prevents you from using whichever vehicles receive the lock.

[[Category:Custom articles]]

Beginner's guide to tank battles

2021-02-23T14:00:21Z

U87403807: Revised the italian section to make it more similar to its 1.103 "Hot Tracks" status and made it so that "its writing looked less foreign"

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Beginner's Guide to Tank Battles}}

Welcome to the '''Tank Battles''' mode of War Thunder! This guide will help get a player on their feet in trying out War Thunder tank warfare.

[[File:Wallpaper KurskBattle.jpg|x420px|frameless|right]]
__TOC__

= Getting started in War Thunder =

This section's purpose is to get the player adequately ready in jumping into a War Thunder tank battle, starting from choosing a nation towards joining a battle.

== Choosing a nation==
With seven nations in the game as of [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]], there are lots of starting points to choose from for the War Thunder tank career. These descriptions will cover the first impressions of each country and the trends in tank characteristics as a player progresses in the tech tree.

{{notice|Do note that these are very general descriptions of the tech tree and that individual vehicles present in each nation can have their own characteristics that may differ from the trends.}}

==== [[File:USA flag.png|50px|link=Category:USA ground vehicles]] USA ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The starter American tanks have a good mix of mobility and protection in their overall design, combined with a fast-firing cannon to do good work against the enemy. This mix in characteristics make the tanks very versatile in their battlefield performance when used correctly. The American tanks' good mobility allows them to take on advantageous position against enemy routes, with their firepower allowing them to penetrate foes with ease. Armour is also good with an average amount throughout the body; while not thick enough to resist a full-on hit, they could provide some lucky ricochets from poorly angled incoming shots.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
The American starter tanks epitomize the rest of the American tech tree with a mediocrity that gives each tank a balance of firepower, mobility, and protection. However, this also means that against enemies that are more focused to a specific trait, the American tanks would do poorly in regards. One general advantage in American tanks is the presence of a [[Gun stabilizer|gun stabilizer]], which allows the gun to lay more easily during slow movements or when coming to a halt. While Rank I-III American tanks do generally well against their counterparts, the tanks slowly begin to fall behind in tank traits in Rank IV, as the medium tank's averageness could not easily compete in face-to-face combat against the common foe. However, the more specialized ends such as light and heavy tanks begin shining in prominence however as they bring better mobility and firepower to the matches respectively. At Rank V and beyond, medium tanks catch back up and bring forth the epitome of Cold War main battle tanks to the battlefield.

Tank destroyers in the American tree are quite unique compared to other nations' as they are primarily turreted designs. Most American tank destroyers rely on mobility to benefit their firepower and definitely have armour considerations last, so careful positioning is always important to preserve the tank destroyer's efforts on the battlefield. All these special mentions, however, go out the window with the Rank V [[T28]]/[[T95]] casemate tank destroyer, which is an armoured shell with a gun sticking out that moves at a snail pace, so be aware so that this radical shift in play style does not surprise you.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the American tree are quite lacking at first with only barely armoured half-tracks bearing machine guns, though make up with saturation of fire to whittle down aircraft. This progresses slightly in Rank III-IV with a tank chassis with a 40 mm Bofors gun, which can down planes more reliably but still has an exposed tank crew and low amount of ammo for extended firing. Anti-air capabilities exponentially rise by Rank V-VI with the [[M163]] and [[M247]] providing heavy fire onto target.

==== [[File:Germany flag.png|50px|link=Category:Germany ground vehicles]] Germany ====
There are other things to consider about the German tree besides those fancy Tiger tanks in Rank III-IV, hold your horses.

'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Starter tanks for Germany are characterized by high mobility, decent firepower, and dubious armour protection. Most German vehicles at this early stage are quite quick due to their light weight and engine power. Armaments vary from the quite damaging 37 mm guns to the rapid-fire 20 mm autocannons that arm the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II]] tanks. However, the armour in these tanks is often the bare minimum, and sometimes even thinner especially on the sides. Thus, early German tanks must make the most of their mobility to establish an advantageous position and then relying on their guns to defeat the enemy. However, the guns also lack a comfortable amount of long-distance penetration power, so there may be more than a few times the German tanks would have to wait for the enemy to come in closer for a penetrating shot. All this combined with sub-par armour means the German tanks snare the initiative to prevent the enemy from firing back.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Going up the tech tree to Rank II and III, the German tanks begin catching up dramatically in firepower, with armour improving as well. Firepower is enhanced by longer cannons that now provide more than enough power against enemy armour even at range. Armour is enhanced little by little with each version of the Panzer III and IV, but the enemy cannons could also deal with this armour easily as well so they are simply proof against earlier enemies. Mobility takes a short dip as engine power stays the same while tank weight increases. All this is capped off by the introduction of newer tanks like the infamous "Panther" and "Tiger tanks" in Rank III and IV. These two tank designs expand on the potentials of German tanks with better firepower, armour, and mobility; with the Tiger tanks providing much more of the first two. However, these tanks also bring higher battle ratings into the matchmaking, so players should be careful in instantly jumping into the BR 5.7 Tiger I tanks when the rest of the line-up only consists of the BR 3.3 Panzer IIIs (Read the ''[[Beginner's_guide_to_tank_battles#Matchmaking|Matchmaker section]]'' for more details).

After Rank IV, the German tanks take a sharp split in the extremes of design. One side is the super-heavy tanks such as the [[Maus]] tank that brings all 188 tons of armour into battle with good gun and poor mobility. The other side puts all their chips into mobility and firepower with the medium tank such as the [[Leopard I|Leopards]], being able to outpace the enemies with a cannon able to obliterate from kilometers away. This trend continues up until the [[Leopard 2A4]] at the (current) end of the tree, with great extremes in firepower, mobility, and protection. There are also a few scout vehicles at this top rank that also bring good firepower to the table with their mobility.

Tank destroyers for Germany also split into two design philosophies. One is the light-weight open-top vehicles with a huge gun, which often brings a gun from the next rank into the current that absolutely devastated the enemies like the [[Sturer Emil]]. The other is the enclosed armoured casemate design that offer decent to impressive frontal armour, though a gun that is contemporary with those in the same rank. As the ranks go up however, the armour becomes much thicker, as seen going from the [[StuG III F|StuG]] series of tank destroyers to the [[Jagdtiger]].

German anti-aircraft vehicles are nothing to slouch at, all bring impressive capabilities of downing the enemy aircraft. However, from Rank I-II, the crew arrangement is very vulnerable and can be quickly knocked out with an airstrike or a nearby artillery shell. From Rank III onward, all German anti-aircraft vehicles keep the crew in a semi to fully-protected position, with the vehicle bristling with rapid-fire cannons able to track and shoot down the enemy aircraft.

==== [[File:USSR flag.png|50px|link=Category:USSR ground vehicles]] USSR ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early USSR tanks are defined by lackluster armour, but good gun penetration and good rate of fire. These tanks are easy to penetrate and are destroyed quickly. When playing these tanks try to stay in the second rank or on the flanks. Sniping is also an option with them because the guns fire at relatively high velocities. Remember to seek cover when an enemy starts to shoot at you, as you will not survive many hits. These tanks are powerful weapons in the correct hands, capable of selecting targets of importance and dispatching them in quick order – however, one must be mindful of one's surroundings since the only protection early USSR tanks have is natural cover or distance.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Several trends make the Soviet tanks stand out in comparison to their peers: Heavily sloped hull armour and minute amount of gun depression. Past the starter tanks onto BR ~3.0 in Rank II, the access to the famous [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] tanks will show the heavily-angled sloped armour on not just the front armour, but the sides and rear as well. This can be the bane against enemies with poor shot placements and/or weaker guns. However, design trade-offs in Soviet designs that reduce their overall profile on the battlefield also cause gun depression in the turret to be rather poor, with the average depression angle being only 5 degrees. As such, many conventional tank tactics such as the hull-down position and terrain exploitation (such as hills) are complicated by the lacking gun depression.

However, Rank II is characterized with great hull armour with the KV-1 heavy tanks and T-34 medium tanks, with the turret being the primary weak points on these tanks. By Rank III, more powerful armaments such as the 85 mm are available that can make short work of many tanks, but the presence of more powerful enemy tanks, while Russian tanks are still using the same armour as Rank II, mean that enemies will have an easier time knocking out Russian tanks. Even in Rank IV, which features improved tank armour as seen in the [[T-44]] and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] tanks, the stronger enemy guns could make short work of the hull, and even the weaker ones could penetrate through the turret.

By Rank IV onwards as well, the Soviet tree also has a great diversity in the types of vehicles able to be used, with light, amphibious, scout vehicles such as the [[PT-76B]], [[BMP-1]], and [[Object 906]]; heavily armoured tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[T-10M]]; and the medium tanks. Medium tanks begin to dominate the Soviet play style by Rank VI as the introduction of main battle tanks such as the [[T-64A (1971)|T-64]] and [[T-80B]] set the score up at the top.

Soviet tank destroyers are characterized early with weakly armoured, but heavily gunned platforms such as the [[ZiS-30]]. This soon peters out in Rank III to armoured casemates with either a respectable gun or a massive-calibre cannon as seen in the SU series of tank destroyers from the mellow [[SU-85]] to the pumpin' [[SU-152]]. While a few more lightly-armoured, open-topped tank destroyers exist by Rank IV, the solid armoured casemate designs remain a prominent figure in the Soviet tech tree.

Anti-aircraft vehicles in the Soviet tree are all quite poor in their ability to protect the crew, as every anti-air vehicle up to Rank IV is built from a truck chassis; and even up to Rank V with the [[ZSU-57-2]], the crew compartment is exposed. While Rank I is quite low-powered with rather anemic machine guns and fire rate available, auto cannons become present and available by Rank II that could lay down impressive fire to destroy the aircraft, providing the aircraft does not strafe and knock out the crew in an attack run.

==== [[File:Britain flag.png|50px|link=Category:Britain ground vehicles]] Britain ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early British tanks are defined by speed and adequate firepower. The usage of the cruiser tanks enable the British to have some of the fastest introductory tanks available in the game, second to USSR's [[BT-5|BT]] tanks. Armour on the cruiser tanks are at a minimum to keep speed, but will improve as you move down the rank. Unlocking the medium tank Valentine will also help in armour, though at a cost of speed. The British all have a very high damage output with their large, rapid-fire guns.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Past Rank II battle rating 3.0, the British are burdened with only solid-shot rounds for their armaments, meaning there are no explosive fillers available to enhance post-penetration damage on enemy vehicles, requiring you to aim at the enemy critical components. Early British tanks are also burdened by a nonexistent reverse speed, especially in their [[Cromwell V|Cromwell chassis]].

British tanks up the line to Rank II and III split their tank designs to two types, the cruiser and infantry tank which are characterized in War Thunder as light/medium and heavy tanks respectively. So, fast tanks like the Cromwell are working alongside heavily armoured ones such as the [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill]] tanks. By Rank III, while infantry tank armour proves much more substantial than its peers, the cruiser tanks begin expanding their firepower with the famous [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounder cannon]]. While still firing solid-shot, the cannon can penetrate most, if not all, of its peers' armour. By Rank IV, the infantry tank concept fades away as the more flexible medium tanks in the form of [[Centurion Mk 3|Centurions]] become the predominant British tank up to Rank V, with few heavy tanks like the [[Conqueror]] supporting its protection. By Rank VI, the British revolve around the [[Chieftain (Family)|Chieftain]] and [[Challenger (Disambiguation)|Challenger]] tanks for their duties, with the assisting [[Warrior]] for recon tasks.

British tank destroyers take up an odd niche of supplying much needed firepower, but in many different manners, forcing you to change tactics and adapt to constant design swaps, such as the odd [[3 inch Gun Carrier]], the rear-facing [[Archer]], mobile [[Achilles]] and [[Avenger]], Shoot'n'scoot [[Charioteer Mk VII]], heavily armoured [[Tortoise]], the big-bang slinging [[FV4005]] and so on. As such, it is hard to establish any trend they set other than giving a bigger gun to the average British line-up. By Rank VI though, tank destroyers primarily focus on missile launching systems.

Anti-air vehicles in the British tree are often lackluster in firepower, earlier ones relying on either regular machine guns or the large 0.50 caliber ones before switching over to more reliable autocannons. By Rank II however, all of Britain's anti-air crew compartments are decently protected from enemy fire that can allow for closer protection of the fighting groups.

==== [[File:Japan flag.png|50px|link=Category:Japan ground vehicles]] Japan ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early Japanese tanks have generally light frames, but decent manoeuvrability. Their armament has terrible penetration, but the shells have good explosive content. The only exception is the excellent Rank I truck mounted anti-aircraft gun. The tracked artillery gun is also devastating at medium range.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Moving up to Rank II shows almost no changes in the trend from the starter, with light armour and decent manoeuvrability attached to a rather anemic gun. However, at the end of Rank II, the [[Chi-Nu]] vehicle begins to solve the firepower issue with a larger and more powerful 75 mm gun. This is continued in Rank III where armour really takes a setback as an even longer 75 mm becomes the go-to gun for the Japanese tree, while mobility slowly drags down up to the bulky [[Chi-Ri II]]. By Rank III, there are also some American tanks to supplement the line-up.

By Rank IV onwards, armour has taken a backseat while firepower and mobility becomes the prime focus of addition. By the Rank V, a new mechanic called "[[Hydropneumatic suspension|Hydropneumatic suspension]]" allows for more flexibility in the positioning of Japanese tanks to ambush enemies from locations that are unorthodox in tank placements. It is not until the top-rank tank, the [[Type 90]] main battle tank, that an balance to the extremity of firepower, mobility, and protection is achieved. To add to this, the Type 90 also has one of the highest penetrating sabot round in the game, meaning while the journey to the top may be hard, it could be quite rewarding with a potent vehicle and a huge reserve of game skills.

Japanese tank destroyers are emphasized by being lightly armoured and heavily gunned, each of them more than able to destroy the competitors on a battlefield. The one exception are the [[Ho-Ri Production|Ho-Ri]] types, which trade in mobility for a larger set of armour encapsulating the crew and modules.

Anti-aircraft vehicles are quite capable, with every single one equipped with autocannons to smack down enemy planes. However, the crew are always exposed in all versions except the top-rank [[Type 87]] SPAA.

==== [[File:Italy flag.png|50px|link=Category:Italy ground vehicles]] Italy ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
Early Italian tanks have good emphasis on firepower, sub-par armour, but are quite lacking in mobility. The various 47 mm calibre cannons give good penetration and damage, which can give the Italians a good advantage at range. Armour is often averagely thick, but have huge unevenly angled plates, that could be easily penetrated even when tank itself is angled. The low engine power seems to only just be able to drag the tank by to its firing position.

Some of the early Italian tank destroyers rely on stealth to attack opponents instead and have nearly no armour, but are extremely small. This gives them an advantage in Realistic battle mode.

Another important half of Italian tank tree revolves around wheeled armoured cars. While the armoured car option is extremely fast on roads compared to tanks and more viable for mobility, the expense is extremely thin armour that allows even rifle-caliber (7mm) machine gun rounds to penetrate it at the right conditions.

A smart play style will be needed when starting the Italians, and players have to keep attention to which tanks are useful in which situation and in which game mode.

The one thing that stay unique for most early Italian tanks is their upgraded high-normalization APHE shell, which gives them upper hand at longer ranges compared to other factions that use similar APHE shell, although at point-blank range these shells aren't any better than normal ones.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Italy follows a trend of generally below-average armored vehicles with above-average mobility at medium and high tiersm while being average at tier I. The tree has 4 lines. From left to right, they are:

# The light tank line, which consists of Armored cars and Light tanks with good mobility and decent guns, which make them able to flank.
# The medium tank line, which consists of medium tanks. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Average at everything.
# The Anti-Aircraft line, oriented to the destruction of aircraft, but that has some fun vehicles like the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS and the OTOMATIC at the end of the tree.
# The SPG line, which has generally Mobile tank destroyers usually with little armor, which makes them good for taking positions and firing from afar.

The Italians also do not have heavy tanks, and rarely have tanks which have more armour than deemed average by the time period. Some of these vehicles can be destroyed even by fighters. For that reason, they also possess decent Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft guns, which employ absurdly high fire rate or quadruple gun compositions. These SPAA are also usually capable of dealing with tanks of their battle rating, being the most infamous one the OTO R3 T20 FA-HS with a fast-firing 20mm cannon.

Their tree is complemented by american tanks for their low and medium tiers, as early as rank II and until rank V, Mostly on the Medium Tank line.

Since Rank III, Italians start to mostly rely on stealth and speed in any of their own designs. At the rank, Italian tree gets its iconic armoured car design in form of [[R3 T20 FA-HS]] SPAA. You will see this car design, ironically called by players "thelunchbox". It will be carrying a lot of different weapons, from quad machine guns to recoilless rifles, to actual tank turrets. It generally can be annihilated even by 7.62 mm machine guns from the rear, and by 12.7 mm machine guns from the front, but it's '''extremely''' fast on roads, '''very''' small, and usually can use hull down positions, even in arcade mode.

At Rank V, battle rating 8.0, Italy finally stands back up and starts getting tanks that feel more unique, featuring the infamous wheeled tank [[Centauro]] and the medium main battle tank [[OF-40]]. They also use [[SIDAM 25]] and [[M113A1 (TOW)]] based on an American chassis, to provide support. From this point on, Italy mostly gets "more of the same, but superior gun and ammunition, if possible".

The only exception is at Rank VI, where [[OTOMATIC]], based on OF-40 chassis, is introduced, being SPAA, which is not only capable of defeating an entire squadron of pilots on it's own, but is also capable of defeating an actual medium tank squad with APDSFS. Unfortunately it lacks missiles, its quite large and its armor is not impressive.

==== [[File:France flag.png|50px|link=Category:France ground vehicles]] France ====
'''Starters:'''
{{Break}}
The early French tanks are defined by extremely lackluster firepower but excellent armor. Even the highest penetrating shells on the reserve tanks cannot engage most tanks of their tier from the front. The armor, however, is quite a tough nut to crack. The mobility is generally average or sub-par. The main exception is the [[P.7.T AA]], an anti-aircraft armed tractor, and the [[AMR.35 ZT3]], a light, maneuverable tank destroyer.

'''Tech Tree trends:'''
{{Break}}
Rank II trends closer towards an even balance in tank traits, though firepower still requires catching up. Some American vehicles such as the [[M4A1 (France)|M4A1]] and the [[M10 GMC (France)|M10]] are available to supplement the odd French tanks. Once Rank III roll by, firepower has been improved with many high-velocity 75 mm cannons available for all types of tanks. However, emphasis on armour begins to decline in the face of the opponents of the rank.

Rank IV introduces some of the more popular French tanks of the game such as the Lorraines and the AMX tank series. These tanks have armour that are quite thin even among its peers, but boast high mobility and heavy firepower that allows them to exploit enemy weaknesses by getting around them at places they don't expect. This trend is continued all the way to Rank VI, where armour may not be heavily relied upon, but firepower and mobility can be. However, the French are in a general disadvantage in the top-rank battles due to the absence of gun stabilizers, so keep this in mind when fighting in a warfare of movement.

Tank destroyers in the French tree are a mix of casemates and turreted designs, though the general trend is always in firepower and mobility; with only the turreted [[ARL-44]] having decent amount of armour to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy.

Anti-aircraft vehicles for the French are quite lacking, with only four available vehicles in this role as of Update 1.85. The first two are typical trucks with guns mounted on them, but the last two AMX designs provide powerful guns for combating aircraft, as well as radars to more easily target and destroy enemy aerial threats.

== Preparing for the first match ==
Before starting up the first tank match, it is recommended for all players to play the tutorial section in-game to be familiarized with the tank controls and damage mechanics of the game.

To enter the tutorial form the menu, go to "Battles" at the top left corner in between a cog icon and "Community." A drop down menu should appear, with "Tutorials" appearing fourth from the top. From there, the tutorials titled "Tank Control Basis" and "Tank Gunnery" should be completed, with a bonus in currency added once completed.

Now, it is time to select the game mode for the match. For any newcomers, Arcade mode is recommended as there will be assist markers available for shell trajectory and penetration indication that helps new players understand where their shots will go at long range, and what tanks they could handle. As experience is earned while playing the game, the player can choose between realistic or simulator battles for their continued gameplay experience.

Once a mode is set, click the large, orange "To Battle!" button to join a queue for game match to be made!

For more details on the game modes for tanks, [[Beginner%27s_guide_to_tank_battles#Game_modes|click here!]]

==Fighting in the first match==
Once a match has been chosen, the map and objective will be laid out for the player.

The first thing encountered upon joining a match is a vehicle and ammo selection screen, with vehicle selection done atop and ammunition done in the center. The next thing to take note of is a map of the battlefield on the right side, where diamond symbols with letters on it will be pinpointed, these are the primary objectives of any War Thunder tank battle.

Most objectives in the game rely on the capture and control of strategic points, with the game mode being called "Conquest" or "Domination" depending on the number of capture points available. These points are captured simply by driving into the bordered circle area with the enemy removed from it.

However, the ease of capturing these points is hampered by the terrain of each map and the enemies shooting. To solve this, start planning a route towards the target point using the mini-map provided, then pick the appropriate ammunition for the task.

{{Notice
|The best penetrating ammunition is not necessarily the most optimal round to fight with in War Thunder, as other factors such as round type (AP, APCBC, etc.), angle of attack effect, and explosive filler are to be considered as well. Though APCR ammunition may have a large amount of penetration potential upclose, they are poor at long-range fighting, against non-flat armour plates, and have negligible post-penetration damage. For more details on ammo type, see ''[[Tank ammunition|this page]]''.

When selecting ammo type and numbers, a general rule is to not bring all available ammunition into the battle as these increase the presence of [[Ammo_racks|ammo racks]] in the tank which, when hit, could detonate and instantly destroy the tank.
|!
}}

Once these considerations are taken into account, click any of the orange "To Battle!" buttons; the large one on the bottom right or the ones above the vehicle icon (or double-click on a vehicle icon) to spawn into the fight!

Now that the tank is finally track-on-the-ground and ready to rumble, the one thing to keep in mind is to '''''play the objective'''''. Because even if one side manages to knock out more total tanks than the enemy, if the enemy retains the capture points, they will win by draining the ticket counter. Plus, capturing these points result in a nice reward and score boost, so there's something in it for not just for the team, but for the individual!

Maneuvering the battlefield takes skill and familiarity around the terrain and tank's characteristics. Bead-lining a straight path towards the objective could run into open, exposed areas where the enemy could fire upon with ease. Use the terrain for cover and concealment under foliage, rubble, hills, buildings, and the such. Knowing the tank's mobility power can allow for more complicated manoeuvres in rough terrain like steep hills and river-bogged areas to get around predictable road routes that may have enemy in sight.

Every encounter with an enemy, like in most player-versus-player games, is a test of wits and initiative. As such, it comes down to whether a penetrating shell could be placed onto their tank before they could open fire and destroy the player. A good mindset to have is to not view exposure as a mere state, but rather as a conscious, active decision. Every second of exposure represents a risk one should be aware of. Try to surprise the enemies by attacking on their flanks, even when sniping. When you must move into an area that an enemy tank is aiming at, remember to pre-angle your armour and aim your weapon to do as much damage as you can with your first shot. This means aiming for driver's view ports and the cheeks of the turret.

The reward at the end of a match is largely determined by whether you have won or lost the match, and the outcome of the match is largely determined by who possesses the capture points. This, coupled with the fact that a point capture carries a higher reward than destroying an enemy, means capturing points is a first priority. Even having more targets destroyed and losing can net a smaller result than less targets destroyed and winning.

Congratulations! You have experienced your first match in War Thunder (or at least one that you have a good awareness on what's actually happening). However, there's more to War Thunder than just blasting away at the enemy.

==After the first match==
Now that you know how to fight and win battles, it is now time to use that experience to advance your placement in the tech tree you have chosen.

As more battles are fought, research points are earned towards upgrading the tank and progressing the tech tree. We'll relay how to do each step here.

===Upgrades===
Upgrading tanks comes down to two factors, unlocking modifications for the modules and training the crew.

====Modules and modifications====
{{main|Modifications}}

In the menu, there is the option to unlock modifications for the vehicle in question. These are divided into three categories: Mobility, Protection, and Firepower. Mobility upgrades the engine, transmission, and suspension characteristics. Protection upgrades survivability potential with repairs, fire extinguishers, and crew replacement. Firepower upgrades turret characteristics, accuracy, and unlocks new ammunition to be used. These are researched and unlocked one by one, and as the criteria is met, the next tier of modifications can be unlocked to further enhance the vehicle.

In any vehicle, it is recommended to always focus on unlocking these two modifications, which happen to both be in the protection column.

* ''Parts'' — This is due to otherwise being unable to repair critical modules on the battlefield. By default, only track damage could be repaired anywhere on the battlefield and repairs can be done on captured points. However, repairs to critical modules such as the gun, turret, transmission, and engine would be impossible away from a captured point without the ''Parts'' modification.
* ''FPE'' — The ''Fire Protection Equipment'' is very important for combat survival as these are the most viable way to extinguish vehicle fires (outside of driving and submerging in a body of water. Without this, a simple fire will slowly chip away at module health (and expose the tank for anyone in the vicinity to find) and eventually lead to a fuel or ammo combustion that will knock out the tank from the game.

Past these, the priority of modifications to upgrade can vary from different tanks and should be consulted on individual vehicle pages on whether mobility or firepower is more important to research.

====Crew skills====
{{main|Crew skills}}

Arguably one of the least looked at part of tank upgrades, crew skills can play a big role in the firepower and mobility of a tank. Unlike modifications, the training of a crew are specific to the crew slot in the line-up and can be transferable to any tank the crew is using (except "Expert" and "Ace" status).

Crew information can be reached on the left drop-right menu on the screen with the middle button for the selected crew (under "Vehicle Information" and above the "Favourite Achievements" button). From here, "Crew Training" would direct the player to a screen that would show the following tabs:
[[File:CrewSkills_Tank_reloading_upgradedskill.jpg|x200px|thumb|right|The crew training page, where upgrades in the loader's reload skill shows an appreciable benefit.]]

* Driver
* Gunner
* Tank Commander
* Tank Loader
* Radio Operator Gunner
* Logistical Service
* Qualification

Each have their own unique skills to help enhance the tank in their role, from driving capabilities, gun laying, and communications. Upgrading each trait in a crew tab with the earned Crew XP Points would add a 0.5 point to the overall crew level. Each skill that can be upgraded is detailed more on the [[Crew skills|crew skills]] page.

Once a certain crew level is reached with crew upgrades, they can enter "Qualification" to become enhanced to one specific tank. The first stage would be "Expert" which adds 3 point to every crew skill for the cost of several Silver Lions {{Sl}}. The impact can be quite noticeable once put into a match.

After an "Expert" qualification is gained, the next step past a maxed out "Expert" crew is the "Ace" status, which enhances the reward to an additional 5 point to every crew skill. However, earning this status is much harder and requires either Golden Eagles {{Ge}} or a huge amount of experiences to achieve.

===Progression===
Upon selecting your preferred tech tree, you will then being the gradual process of unlocking, researching, and purchasing vehicles down a column to progress towards the next vehicle type.

Progression is restricted by two factors in the tech tree, vehicle unlock criteria per rank and vehicle branch connection. Each rank past the first has a criteria of the number of vehicles that must be researched and purchased before the next rank's vehicles could be researched. Vehicles are then linked via an arrow branching from one vehicle to the next. These arrows indicate that the prior vehicle must be researched before the next vehicle could be researched, and purchased before the next vehicle could be purchased.

Vehicles restricted from being researched are noted by being under a dark red overlay, with indications that the vehicle is locked.

====Matchmaking====
{{main|Matchmaker|Battle ratings}}

While ranks are important for progression, they are not the deciding factor on what types of battles you enter.

Matchmaking in the game is solely based on [[Battle_ratings|battle ratings]], which are indicated by a numerical value on the lower right corner of a vehicle box (or on top of a stat card). The rank of a vehicle does not play a part in this matchmaking process, and so a rank II vehicle can be evenly matched with a rank III vehicle if both have the same battle rating.

Matchmaking in tank battles is sorted by the highest battle rating in the line-up and then battling against enemies within a battle rating range of ± 1.0. For example, a player enters a battle with a line-up with a maximum battle rating of 2.3, causing the player to join a match potentially between 1.3 to 3.3 in battle ratings. This is further divided into groups separated by a value of 1.0, so matches would consist of vehicles in the 1.3-2.3, 1.7-2.7, 2.0-3.0 and 2.3-3.3 vehicles. This develops into the concepts of "uptier" and "downtier" as coined by the community, where "uptier" would be placing the 2.3 line-up in a 2.3-3.3 match, while a "downtier" would be in a 1.3-2.3 match.

Always consult the stats cards for tanks when creating a line up. Also remember that every vehicle have a different battle ranking and stats card in different game modes. To change which stats card you are looking at, simply click on the mode view option at the bottom right of the research tree.

= Advanced considerations =
Aside from turning that diamond-shape symbol on the capture point into a blue color and destroying enemy tanks, there are more intricate details to cover when detailing how to play the game more deeply than shoot-and-scoot.

==Vehicle usage==
Here we detail the typical usage of each vehicle type in a battle.

{{notice|It should be pointed out that when choosing a vehicle to load into a battle, not every tank in the game is optimal for every situation. For example, it would probably be unwise to take the slow [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]] infantry tank on the vast, open and maneuvre-friendly map of Kursk, or to pick a heavy tank during an uptier where enemy tanks would have firepower that makes the armour moot.

These situations are the reason why a diverse line up is usually good, as you cannot predict what map or match you will get, so the tank line up has to be suitable for most/all maps. In addition, later into the game, the second, third, and proceeding vehicles you choose can impact the game. If your team needs to quickly capture the "A" point to avoid a loss, you want a fast-moving vehicle to get there quickly to stop the "ticket bleed".}}

Without further ado, here's a general "doctrine" on how each tank type are to perform on the battlefield.

==== Light tanks ====
''Light tanks'' are lightly armoured and small, yet highly mobile and armed with an adequate gun. At Rank I and the reserves, the light tanks make up the majority of the tanks involved in the playing field. Make good usage of your mobility and small size to move from cover to cover, peeking out occasionally to fire at the enemy. Don't fire from the same place more than twice as it will let the enemy take aim at your position. Peek out the other side of the cover or reposition for a better chance at survival. You can also use your mobility to get to the enemy's sides, thus giving you a good shot on the vulnerable weak side of the tanks. At the later ranks, most of the nations have phased out the light tanks due to their inadequacy against the larger tanks, but the American and Soviet tree still retain them up to the late ranks. These late rank light tanks put more emphasis on the firepower to deal more damage for the light weight, so more confidence can be had fighting the ranks they exist in. However, the strategy remain unchanged in making sure you do not even take a single enemy hit, as a single hit will end you.

==== Medium tanks ====
''Medium tanks'' are the jack-of-all-trade tank in the game. Armed with a adequate armour, mobility, and firepower, they can fit in multiple roles on the battlefield. Their greatest pro is also their greatest weakness, being just as good in everything and also being just as bad in everything. They are not armoured enough to hold positions, fast enough to flank the enemy, or armed enough to take out any tank they see. Flexibility is the key of the medium tanks, giving you free rein in what you will do to dominate the battlefield. By Rank IV, the firepower and armour of the medium tanks start to wane in the presence of the stronger heavy tanks such as the [[IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. At this point, start playing the medium tanks akin to the light tanks, taking cover and popping out occasionally to fire before repositioning or get on the enemy's flanks.

==== Heavy tanks ====
''Heavy tanks'' are the breakthrough vehicles of the game and in MMORPG terms, would be the "tank" of the team. Their heavy armour allows them to absorb enemy fire, their size makes them bullet magnet to take fire intended for your weaker teammates, and more often than not you have a very powerful gun able to destroy the opposing forces. Though you may want to ominously crawl toward the enemy with a face of intimidation, you are not invulnerable. Going up to the enemy increases the risk of their gun being able to penetrate certain weak points on your frontal armour or even get a tank onto your sides and penetrate your weaker side armour. Use the heavy tanks sparingly, stand back a certain distance from an enemy strong point and blast at the stranglers, with the distance empowering your armour as the enemy's shells may not have enough energy to penetrate your armour after traveling a distance. Remember to slope your armour by angling the hull so the enemy would never get a straight shot onto your armour.

==== Tank destroyers ====
''Tank destroyers'' are a specialized type of vehicle meant to... well, destroy tanks. However, different design aspects on these tanks lead to different doctrines within the same class.

'''Armoured casemate structure'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Jagdpanzer IV]], [[SU-85]], and [[75/46 M43|Semoventes]], are distinguished by a fully enclosed fighting compartment with a gun mounted fixed to the front on a flexible mount. These tank destroyers typically rely on a low-profile to set up unnoticed ambush positions against incoming enemies, and often carry guns equivalent to the tanks in the rank. Exploit the low silhouette by hiding in the distance or in foliage so the enemies cannot detect it. Take position near choke-points to channel the enemy in and open fire in opportune moments at the weak spots or when they expose their sides.

Another school of thought in casemate structures are larger-profiled, but more heavily armoured designs such as the [[Jagdtiger]], [[Tortoise]], and [[T95]] in a role that could be considered ''assault'' tank destroyers. While these could still rely on ambush methods to obtain hits on the enemy, their slower speed and higher profile can make concealment at advantageous positions difficult, often causing them to take up a role similar to heavy tanks to absorb fire from the front while using their cannon to decimate the enemies in front trying to penetrate the thick armour.

'''Glass-cannon casemate structures'''
{{Break}}
These tank destroyers, with examples like the [[Marder III]], [[ZiS-30]], and [[Ho-Ni I]], are distinguished by very little, if any, armour on the design. For this penalty in armour, mobility may or may not be enhanced as well. However, firepower on these tank destroyers are often of a league of the next rank's equivalent, such as the Rank III [[Nashorn]] being equipped with an [[PaK 43 (88 mm)|88 mm cannon]] that does not begin to appear on tanks until the next rank up. As such, while these tank destroyers are lightly armoured, probably slow, and most likely of high-profile construction, they provide firepower nearly unparalleled to the matches they can fight in. These should not go on any offensive and rely on advantageous, defensive terrain to be positioned where minimum return fire can be expected while ambushing the enemy as they appear in the gun sights.

'''Turreted'''
{{Break}}
Mostly exclusive to the United States' and British designs, these turreted designs are typically higher-profile and lighter armoured than the casemate counterparts, but feature greater tactical flexibility and mobility. The epitome of this type of tank destroyer lies in the American [[M18 GMC|M18 ''Hellcat'']], which provides very high speed with a reliable cannon to destroy most tanks upon a penetration; yet has paper-thin armour that even high-explosive shells could cripple it. These tank destroyers rely on moving to areas in a very short amount of time to set up flanking ambushes against the incoming enemy. The additional advantage is that these tank destroyers, with the tank characteristic of a turret, can use the gun depression for hull-down positions and the turret traverse for an enhanced horizontal targeting range.

==== Self-propelled anti-aircraft ====
''Self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles'' are specialized vehicles not meant to destroy ground vehicles, instead they are meant to attack the enemy aircraft. Equipped with rapid-firing autocannons or machine guns, you are to lead the enemy plane right into your firing field to knock them out of the sky. Most SPAA do not have the same armour as a tank, so the SPAA should stay back behind the attacking force to stay safe from enemy fire and yet blast away any plane attempting to strafe your allies. Some SPAA are able to defend themselves against ground targets such as the German [[Ostwind]], the British [[Falcon]] and the Soviet [[ZSU-57-2]], but these are last ditch weapons.

====Aircraft====
Aircraft in tank battles, whether unlocked through the point system in Arcade Battles or player-owned in Realistic Battles, can help give the team an edge with supplementary air power in a combined-arms role. These too are separated into roles of emphasis in tank battles.

* ''Fighters'' should primarily be focused on protecting the air space against enemy aircraft that come in to intercept friendly aircraft or attack ground units. The best strategy to destroy enemy planes is to gain a higher altitude than them, then dive and shoot them down. If no enemy planes are present, strafing the enemy ground units to harass them also fits fighter duty, but the most important role you can be is act as an aerial reconnaissance for your team, relaying where each enemy is on the map. Staying at a high altitude or taking evasive manoeuvres would be necessary if an enemy SPAA is present on the ground.
** Alternatively, fighters can be armed with bombs and rockets in a ''Fighter-bomber'' role to attack ground units. Note that this sacrifices the plane's ability to fight other aircraft so long as these armaments are on the aircraft, and the aircraft's performance in this role varies as they are not designed for the purpose of attacking ground units.
* ''Attackers'' and ''Dive-bombers'' should both focus on targeting individual ground units and eliminating them with either cannon-armaments on the aircraft or the available bombs and rockets.
** ''Attackers'' come in at a low altitude with their relatively armoured air frame to get better accuracy onto target. Due to their low altitude of attack, equipped bombs should be set on delay to avoid the bomb blast and shrapnel on the ground from affecting the aircraft.
** ''Dive-bombers'' rely on coming in from a high altitude towards the ground to directly deliver a bomb onto target. Air-brakes are available on most of these aircraft to help slow down the dive to allow for an easier adjustment of aim and also to be easier to pull up from the dive.
* ''Bombers'' are more preferred for a carpet-bombing of an area to eliminate the enemy. These should be retained at high altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire as most bombers lack the maneuverability owing to their size from dodging enemy fire.

==Gameplay==
Outside of the written guide here, there are several YouTube tutorials provided by War Thunder to further enhance your experience, as listed here:

{{Youtube-gallery|sWTV4PWs3FM|"Part 3: Tanks '''Arcade'''"|cwApkEkC660|"Part 7: Tanks '''Tactics'''"|ZoP70wYsQdI|"Part 11: Tanks '''Armour'''"|bea0YmP8qWo|"Part 12: '''Tanks Sniper'''"}}

Beyond those videos, here are some details to consider when playing in a match.

===Shoot-and-scoot===
Probably one of the more basic detail to know in a tank fight, it details changing positions after engaging in a firefight. This can be done as simple as retreating back into cover after firing the cannon to reload in safety, or as thorough as repositioning the fire location before exposing the tank again. This is done because after opening an engagement, the enemy downrange will be focused on locating the origin of the attack to eliminate the threat. As such, repositioning by moving out of the line-of-sight and then changing the firing location will buy time in the enemy not realizing where the shot come from. With this, even if they did identify where the first shot originated, the repositioning will ensure their gun sights are not aligned onto the last appeared area, buying extra time as the enemy would then need to readjust the sights towards the new location. This is especially important if artillery is incoming onto the location; as exposure to this attack is detrimental to anyone's health, movement to another firing location will make the incoming rain of explosions miss your vehicle.

=== Protecting a capture point ===
Capture points serve as giant magnets of allies and enemies, and protecting these points from enemies can be a chore. The preferred tank specifications for this job is one with lots of armour and a very powerful gun, though any tank can do this job given the correct skill sets. There are two ways to protect a capture point:

# Stay on the capture point and fight off any incoming invaders.
# Position yourself a distance away from the capture point so you are able to see any enemy that tries to reach the point, then pick them off when they are either on the way or on the capture point.

Both have their pros and cons. Staying on the capture point ensures that you will be there to prevent the zone from being captured, but you risk being swarmed by the enemy or picked off at a distance by a tank hitting one of your critical weak points. Positioning yourself away from the capture point at a vantage point around the zone so you can give supporting fire to any teammates that are at the zone, but if the enemy manage to get to the zone and none of your teammate are on the zone, the zone will be captured by the enemy easily, or neutralized if you are able to knock out the enemy on the zone before they can capture it. Either way, it may require you to move away from your position to take back the point. Protecting the capture point requires a good knowledge of your tank's strengths and the environment to find good vantage areas and cover.

=== Flanking ===
Flanking is one of the main tactic that must be recognized by everyone. Flanking is the movement of units to get around the enemy to their sides, then hitting them. In tank warfare, flanking is absolutely essential to gain an upper hand over the enemy. If coordinated, this would force the enemy to engage in two different directions, the front where the main force would be, and the sides where the flanking force is. This will lower their distribution of firepower to two targets, whereas the flanking force and main force can still concentrate their firepower on just one enemy force. With the addition of lowering the enemy's attention to one target, the flanking force also had the benefit of being able to get to one of the tank's main weaknesses, their side armour. This will allow flankers to be able to not only take the advantage over the enemy, but give them a lethal edge over their forces.

Flanking requires tanks that are very mobile due to the quick nature of the tactic, yet have a gun that can reliable defeat the enemy. Armour should not be prioritized because that would decrease mobility, and hopefully if the tactic is done right, the main force should be receiving the brunt of the enemy's firepower rather than the flanking force. Thus, the best tanks for this job is a light or medium tank.

=== Sniping ===
Like real-life sniping, this tactic requires skill and patience. Skill to accurately range and hit ''very'' far away targets, patience to wait for the enemy to drive right into your firing range. If you are able to exploit not only your tank's firepower, but also the environment, the enemy may never be able to accurately pinpoint your location and you will be able to pick them off one-by-one.

Tank destroyers do this job the best due to their low silhouette and high-power guns compared to tanks, but suffer from a limited firing angle (unless you are using American or British tanks, in which case their silhouette is large, but allow a larger degree of fire).

=== Brawling ===
This is where things get aggressive. No fancy long shots or skillful maneuvers, just getting up close and personal with the enemy, front and center. This tactic requires fast reflexes and intuition, and most importantly, the ability to get the first shot off to your enemy. The first shot is the most important shot as a brawler, because at the close ranges this tactic is in when fighting, the tank armour can be negligible, and also the first shot could impede the enemy's attempt to fire off a shot at all if you are able to incapacitate their gunner, then they can't get any shot off at all.

Any tank can play this tactic really, its just two factors that matters the most now, how many tanks your team has and the penetration value on your gun. So a light tank can play this role if it has a very powerful gun and would not be out-numbered by the enemy. Strike at the enemy's ability to fire back by destroying each enemy tank, or their gunner if you do not believe a one-shot knock-out is possible. Overwhelm them, swarm them, but do not give the enemy the edge because in brawling, anything is exploitable.

==Game modes==
Should you wish for more excitement in your game play, there are other modes to try out with their own perks!

{{notice|Simulator Battles features are assumed to also match Realistic Battle's unless stated otherwise.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" | Ground Forces - Features by Game Mode
|-
! Arcade (AB) !! Realistic (RB) !! Simulator (SB)
|-
|
* Aim and penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder always enabled
* 3D markers indicate enemy and friendly vehicles and range
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of both teams
* Engine power is enhanced
* No player-owned aircraft - only selected match spawns available
* Limited to three spawns
|
* No aim or penetration indicator available
* Rangefinder only on selected tanks with the modification
* 3D markers indicate only friendly vehicles
* Scoreboard shows vehicle composition of only player's team
* Engine power matches real life specifications
* Player aircraft can be brought in and used
* Spawn using "Respawn Points" earned through contributing actions in the match
|
* Friendly fire is on
* Only a "first-person" view from commander's position
* Gun sight is moved to the actual position of optics
* Vehicles limited to allowed vehicle in simulator events
* 3D markers are now absent
* Unable to lock onto target due to absence of markers
* Vehicle selection system restricted to one vehicle per air and ground.
* One or two spawn depending on vehicle type
|-
|}

As mentioned earlier, the Arcade Battle mode is the recommended starter mode since it is forgiving to beginners with assists in firepower (aim and penetration indicators) and mobility (enhanced engine power) to help be familiarized around the mechanics of the game. Once comfortable with the game, Realistic and Simulator Battles can be considered for further immersion into the War Thunder battles. Realistic and Simulator battles, owing to their more complicated game style, also offer enhanced rewards after a battle.

=Other tips for beginners=
There is a lot of things to learn about War Thunder, so much so that all other tips are placed here! Here are some tips we can give you if you're still new to War Thunder Ground Battles and want some advice, or for ideas on how to fight certain vehicles.

*[[M4|M4 Sherman]]s are tough American medium tanks to crack, but there are certain weak points at the hull such as the transmission area, and the side armour are very thin, large, and flat for an easy penetration.
*[[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV E|IV]] are the main German medium tanks in the early ranks, here are some tips...
**They are quite easy to take out if you hit their front plate as close to a perpendicular angle as possible, but the front glacis part in front of the front plate is basically invulnerable, so aim a bit higher when aiming at the front plate to avoid a round ricocheting off the glacis.
** Shooting the Panzers in the empty space in the middle of the suspension will most likely cook off the ammunition rack or fuel container under the tank, ensuring their knock-out.
*[[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s are the early bane in the Rank II with their extreme sloped front armour. Until you gain a powerful gun able to penetrate the front armour like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]], here are some tips...
** Aim for the sides of the turret, the areas that look like the "cheek" on a face. These are weak spots and are much weaker than the frontal hull. Shoot the right side because that is where the gunner sits. When that is hit, the T-34 is unable to fire. Once that's done, aim at the left to knock out the loader, so if he is able to fire, the next shot will take a longer time to follow-up. Finish by either waiting for the replacement gunner to come in and take him out as well or flank the T-34 during this opportunity and fire at its weaker side armour at the driver's compartment in front.
** Aim at the hull armour on a hill when it is below you. This way, you can minimize the sloping effectiveness of the tank, as the armour facing towards you is less sloped if you can see it in a near 90 degree angle. The hull armour is only 45 mm thick, and without the sloping advantage, it is easy to penetrate.
** Ambush the T-34 on its sides, it is less sloped than the front armour. If possible, you can also aim at the small clearing above the track, but below the sloped side armour to hit an unsloped 45 mm side plate behind the track.

* Mastering the different camera viewpoints is vital to tank battles:
** '''Gunner view''', named ''Sniper mode'' in the controls option, is necessary to make accurate shots at long-distance targets or to hit weak spots.
** '''Commander view''', named ''Binoculars'' in the controls option, is necessary to look over hills and obstacles.
** Driver view, is sometime useful to peek below obstacles.
** '''Turret view''', which is the zoomed-in exterior (third-person) view (right-click by default), is necessary for close-quarter combat (especially on urban maps).

* '''''Use your binoculars''', it's free''. This [[Hints|ingame hint]] points at a major element of ''Ground Forces'': spotting enemies before they spot you. Being able to ambush enemies to land the first hit is the best way to win a tank fight. Binding the '''Binoculars''' command in the controls option ("Tank Controls" category) will allow you to watch the landscape with a significant zoom, while keeping your hull behind cover and your turret aimed at its current direction.
** While looking through the Binoculars, the Gunner can be ordered to aim where you are looking, by left-clicking. This function can be used to make accurate shots at long range, when the Gunner view ''(Sniper mode)'' is obstructed by bushes, or has a lesser magnification (zoom) than the ''Binoculars''.
** Most importantly, the Binoculars view position is from the Commander point of view, which is nearly always higher than the Gunner view ("Sniper mode" in the controls option), allowing you to scan and spot above obstacles and hills without exposing more than your cupola.

* The controls command "Tank: '''short stop'''" (no keybind by default), when pressed and held, will stabilize and progressively slow down the tank to a stop. An absolute life-saver when driving at high-speed and suddenly encountering an enemy: continuing with the full-speed drive will make aiming too difficult, while braking will leave you unable to aim until the tank is properly stopped. The ''short stop'' is the best way to survive an unexpected duel.

* The '''[[Towing|towing hook]]''' (default keybind: 0) actually works pretty well if you respect these two rules:
** '''Point of attachment''': if you want to roll a tank back on its tracks, attach the hook at the top (aiming with the mouse and pressing the hook key), then drive perpendicular to its tracks. The goal is to ''pull'' the top of the tank, not ''drag'' the bottom across the ground.
** '''Momentum''': if you want to turn over a large tank, or a tank that has both of its tracks in the air, you need momentum. Pick up some speed from a short distance, make sure to narrowly drive past the tank (don't drive into it!), and just as you sneak past it: look behind you, and HOOK the tank while still speeding away at full speed! Attach the hook to the top or the furthest point from you if possible to really pull it back around. Your tank will suddenly be attached to its target and the momentum will brutally pull it back up. With practice, practically all Light and Medium tanks and many Heavy tanks can be put back on their tracks on the first try.

*Do not leave a battle if you can still respawn. Not only will you be ditching your team, you will also get a [[Crew_lock|Crew Lock]], which prevents you from using whichever vehicles receive the lock.

[[Category:Custom articles]]

SD10C (10 kg)

2020-11-09T16:23:20Z

U87403807: /* Effective damage */ 76mm HE

{{DISPLAYTITLE:10 kg SD10C bomb}}
== Description ==

[[File:SD10C.jpg|left|thumb]]
{{break}}
The SD10C was a German anti-personnel bomb, mainly used as a sub-munition in cluster bombs.

The grooves seen on the bomb's body ensured good fragmentation, similar to the Mk 2 "pineapple" hand grenade of the US.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|he51b_2w}}
* {{Specs-Link|he51c1}}
* {{Specs-Link|he51c1_late}}

== General info ==


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | Bomb characteristics
|-
| '''Mass'''
| 10 kg
|-
| '''Explosive mass'''
| 0.75 kg
|-
| '''Explosive type'''
| TNT
|-
| '''TNT equivalent'''
| 0.75 kg
|-
| '''HE max penetration'''
| 11 mm
|-
| '''Destruction radius'''
| N/A
|-
| '''Fragment dispersion radius'''
| 16 m
|-
|}

=== Effective damage ===
This bomb has an explosive power comparable to that of a 3 inch/76mm HE shell. Barely enough to destroy anything, even armored cars and open vehicles, in which case many consecutive explosions are needed.

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

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe situations when you would utilise this bomb in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)''

=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''

'''Pros:'''

* Light and easy for new players to learn how to use ground attack weapons.
* Effective against soft targets (AA, Artillery, open vehicles)

'''Cons:'''

* Payload too small to even inflict damage to armored targets (pillboxes, tanks).

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, 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 article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/sd10c.htm <nowiki>[warbirdsresourcegroup.org]</nowiki> SD 10C Antipersonnel Bomb]

{{Bombs}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

SM.92

2020-10-27T13:43:22Z

U87403807: Added high res imagery

{{Specs-Card|code=sm_92}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

The SM.92 was an italian twin-engine fighter/bomber prototype designed and produced on 1943. It had 2 import Daimler-Benz 605 engines. It was designed to have better performance that its predecesor, the SM.91. The middle gondola got removed and the crew of two, the pilot and the gunner, were moved behind the left engine. The gunner remotley opperated a fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine gun in the tail.

It had an armament of 3 20mm MG 151 autocannons and 4 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine guns.

In-game this plane can reach over 16m/s of climb rate, and with its airspawn, that is enough to get a sufficient altitude once engagements start
== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
The SM.92 has a better performance that its predecesor, despite the engines staying the same. It has been made much more aeordynamic with the removal of the gondola on the SM.91 and the moving of the crew to the left fuselage, behind one of the 2 powerful Daimler-Benz 605A1 engines. Part of this improvement is also due to the change on the defensive armament, changing from a 20mm cannon with decent traverse to an aerodynamically mounted fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat

This plane also has leading edge slats, which help it on its roll rate (as they get deployed on one wing when doing a roll maneuver) and its low speed performance.
{| class="wikitable" width="70%" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Characteristics
! colspan="2" |Max Speed
(km/h at 6,500 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
|606||590|| rowspan="2" |{{Specs|ceiling}}||20.5||21.2||8.9||8.9|| rowspan="2" |375
|-
!Upgraded
|656||630||18.9||19.5||16.0||12.0
|}
==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 600 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 240 || < 500 || > 380
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,232 hp || 1,387 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===

*[[File:Sm.92 XRay modules HIGH RES.png|thumb|The Modules on the SM.92 as seen from the top down. The red squares are the fuel tanks. The green squares are the cooling systems]][[File:Serious this time SM.92 high res armour.png|thumb|Armoured windshield on the SM.92]]Fuel Tanks located in wings and behind the engines 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armored windscreen

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

{{main|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, centre-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, mounted in right propeller hub (300 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 1,400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)|GP 250 (250 kg)|GP 500 (500 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 6 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (300 kg total)
* 6 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg GP 250 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg GP 500 bombs (1,000 kg total)

=== Defensive armament ===

{{main|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, tail turret (350 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, 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 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).''

=== 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" | 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="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| Turret 12 mm
| MCGP50
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
|
| MCSAP100
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
| MCGP250
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
|
| MCRO500
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Lots of guns that can be brought to use

'''Cons:'''

* Defensive turret is almost fixed (only ±2° in each direction); the target has to be at exact 6 o'clock to be engaged
* Bad acceleration-rate, even when diving

== 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).''

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 001.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 002.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 003.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 004.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 005.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 006.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 007.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 008.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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/6056-development-sm-92-second-chance-for-a-second-tail-en|[Devblog] SM.92: Second Chance for a Second Tail]]
* '''[http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n1/italtwin.html Might Have Beens: Italian Twin-Engined Fighters, 1943]'''

{{AirManufacturer SM}}
{{Italy attackers}}

File:Sm.92 XRay modules HIGH RES.png

2020-10-27T13:42:24Z

U87403807:

High res image of the module picture i show. red is fuel green is cooling

File:Serious this time SM.92 high res armour.png

2020-10-27T13:39:09Z

U87403807:

Ok ok get it this is the high res one blah blah blah

File:SM.92 Armored WIndscreen HIGH RES.png

2020-10-27T13:36:51Z

U87403807:

High resolution upload i promised

SM.92

2020-10-27T13:17:06Z

U87403807: DId not realize there was already a photo. Removed mine

{{Specs-Card|code=sm_92}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

The SM.92 was an italian twin-engine fighter/bomber prototype designed and produced on 1943. It had 2 import Daimler-Benz 605 engines. It was designed to have better performance that its predecesor, the SM.91. The middle gondola got removed and the crew of two, the pilot and the gunner, were moved behind the left engine. The gunner remotley opperated a fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine gun in the tail.

It had an armament of 3 20mm MG 151 autocannons and 4 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine guns.

In-game this plane can reach over 16m/s of climb rate, and with its airspawn, that is enough to get a sufficient altitude once engagements start
== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
The SM.92 has a better performance that its predecesor, despite the engines staying the same. It has been made much more aeordynamic with the removal of the gondola on the SM.91 and the moving of the crew to the left fuselage, behind one of the 2 powerful Daimler-Benz 605A1 engines. Part of this improvement is also due to the change on the defensive armament, changing from a 20mm cannon with decent traverse to an aerodynamically mounted fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat

This plane also has leading edge slats, which help it on its roll rate (as they get deployed on one wing when doing a roll maneuver) and its low speed performance.
{| class="wikitable" width="70%" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Characteristics
! colspan="2" |Max Speed
(km/h at 6,500 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
|606||590|| rowspan="2" |{{Specs|ceiling}}||20.5||21.2||8.9||8.9|| rowspan="2" |375
|-
!Upgraded
|656||630||18.9||19.5||16.0||12.0
|}
==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 600 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 240 || < 500 || > 380
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,232 hp || 1,387 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
[[File:SM.92 showing its armoured windscreen.png|thumb|The SM.92 showing its 38mm armoured windshield]]

*[[File:XRay SM.92 Xray Modules.png|thumb|Fuel tanks are in red. Cooling systems are in blue. Pilot and gunner are in green]]Fuel Tanks located in wings and behind the engines 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armored windscreen

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

{{main|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, centre-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, mounted in right propeller hub (300 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 1,400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)|GP 250 (250 kg)|GP 500 (500 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 6 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (300 kg total)
* 6 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg GP 250 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg GP 500 bombs (1,000 kg total)

=== Defensive armament ===

{{main|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, tail turret (350 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, 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 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).''

=== 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" | 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="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| Turret 12 mm
| MCGP50
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
|
| MCSAP100
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
| MCGP250
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
|
| MCRO500
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Lots of guns that can be brought to use

'''Cons:'''

* Defensive turret is almost fixed (only ±2° in each direction); the target has to be at exact 6 o'clock to be engaged
* Bad acceleration-rate, even when diving

== 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).''

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 001.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 002.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 003.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 004.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 005.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 006.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 007.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 008.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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/6056-development-sm-92-second-chance-for-a-second-tail-en|[Devblog] SM.92: Second Chance for a Second Tail]]
* '''[http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n1/italtwin.html Might Have Beens: Italian Twin-Engined Fighters, 1943]'''

{{AirManufacturer SM}}
{{Italy attackers}}

SM.92

2020-10-27T13:16:04Z

U87403807: Made half of the page. Images. Description

{{Specs-Card|code=sm_92}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian attacker {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].

The SM.92 was an italian twin-engine fighter/bomber prototype designed and produced on 1943. It had 2 import Daimler-Benz 605 engines. It was designed to have better performance that its predecesor, the SM.91. The middle gondola got removed and the crew of two, the pilot and the gunner, were moved behind the left engine. The gunner remotley opperated a fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine gun in the tail.

It had an armament of 3 20mm MG 151 autocannons and 4 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine guns.

In-game this plane can reach over 16m/s of climb rate, and with its airspawn, that is enough to get a sufficient altitude once engagements start
[[File:SM.92 on hangar.png|thumb|The SM.92 on the hangar]]

== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
The SM.92 has a better performance that its predecesor, despite the engines staying the same. It has been made much more aeordynamic with the removal of the gondola on the SM.91 and the moving of the crew to the left fuselage, behind one of the 2 powerful Daimler-Benz 605A1 engines. Part of this improvement is also due to the change on the defensive armament, changing from a 20mm cannon with decent traverse to an aerodynamically mounted fixed 12.7mm Breda-Safat

This plane also has leading edge slats, which help it on its roll rate (as they get deployed on one wing when doing a roll maneuver) and its low speed performance.
{| class="wikitable" width="70%" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Characteristics
! colspan="2" |Max Speed
(km/h at 6,500 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
|606||590|| rowspan="2" |{{Specs|ceiling}}||20.5||21.2||8.9||8.9|| rowspan="2" |375
|-
!Upgraded
|656||630||18.9||19.5||16.0||12.0
|}
==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps
! Take-off flaps
! Landing flaps
! Air brakes
! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! +
! -
|-
|{{Specs|1=destruction|2=body}}||{{Specs|1=destruction|2=gear}} || 600 || ~10 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
|-
! Ailerons (km/h)
! Rudder (km/h)
! Elevators (km/h)
! Radiator (km/h)
|-
| < 300 || < 240 || < 500 || > 380
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 6,000 m || 1,232 hp || 1,387 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
[[File:SM.92 showing its armoured windscreen.png|thumb|The SM.92 showing its 38mm armoured windshield]]

*[[File:XRay SM.92 Xray Modules.png|thumb|Fuel tanks are in red. Cooling systems are in blue. Pilot and gunner are in green]]Fuel Tanks located in wings and behind the engines 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armored windscreen

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

{{main|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, centre-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, mounted in right propeller hub (300 rpg)
* 4 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (350 rpg = 1,400 total)

=== Suspended armament ===

{{main|GP 50 (50 kg)|GP 100 (100 kg)|GP 250 (250 kg)|GP 500 (500 kg)}}

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

* Without load
* 6 x 50 kg GP 50 bombs (300 kg total)
* 6 x 100 kg GP 100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg GP 250 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg GP 500 bombs (1,000 kg total)

=== Defensive armament ===

{{main|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, tail turret (350 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, 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 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).''

=== 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" | 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="3" | Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
| Turret 12 mm
| MCGP50
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 12 mm MGs
|
| MCSAP100
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 20 mm
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
| MCGP250
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 20 mm cannons
|
| MCRO500
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Lots of guns that can be brought to use

'''Cons:'''

* Defensive turret is almost fixed (only ±2° in each direction); the target has to be at exact 6 o'clock to be engaged
* Bad acceleration-rate, even when diving

== 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).''

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 001.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 002.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 003.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 004.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 005.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 006.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 007.jpg |thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:SM 92 WTWallpaper 008.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 ==


* [[wt:en/news/6056-development-sm-92-second-chance-for-a-second-tail-en|[Devblog] SM.92: Second Chance for a Second Tail]]
* '''[http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n1/italtwin.html Might Have Beens: Italian Twin-Engined Fighters, 1943]'''

{{AirManufacturer SM}}
{{Italy attackers}}

File:XRay SM.92 Xray Modules.png

2020-10-27T13:14:35Z

U87403807:

Top-down SM.92 In XRay with odules signaled

File:Top Down SM.92 XRay.png

2020-10-27T13:12:09Z

U87403807:

A top down SM.92 with XRay view on. i will replace it with a higher res image

File:SM.92 showing its armoured windscreen.png

2020-10-27T13:06:59Z

U87403807:

Placeholder. i will replace it with a higher res one

File:SM.92 on hangar.png

2020-10-27T13:04:46Z

U87403807:

A photography of the SM.92 on the hangar. i will replace it with a higher res one soon

User:U87403807

2020-10-12T21:28:13Z

U87403807: BTW

When i first edited a page on this wiki (a serious edit on the swedish J20) i looked at the history and saw my page did not exist. I said "oh well lets create my page" and so i did. I don't play tanks much because of lack of dedicated graphics. i can really only play planes. I love italian fighters because of their firepower and agility. I natively speak spanish but am also pretty good at english as well. I kinda speak russian and wish i had a GPU

By the way, i think german firepower is insufficient

User:U87403807

2020-10-12T21:27:13Z

U87403807: Please dont touch it unless its serious

J20

2020-10-12T21:10:18Z

U87403807: Basically described it as a reggiane with worse armament

{{Specs-Card|code=re_2000_j20}}
{{About
| about = Swedish fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Re.2000 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Swedish fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.95 "Northern Wind"]]. It is an export version of the Italian [[Re.2000 serie 1]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
This plane is basically a carbon copy of the italian Re.2000 serie 1 in everything but the ammo belts available. Because of this, it flies pretty much like its italian counterpart.

Its playstyle is similar to that of a turn-fighter / energy-fighter. Turns well, but is still not enough to counter biplanes. Can energy fight, but its energy retention is average. The acceleration on a dive is a bit above average but unfortunately the rudder starts to compress at 400 Km/h, and gets dramatic above 500 Km/h. It is a Jack-of-all-trades but master of none.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,300 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
| 510 || 495 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 16.8 || 17.3 || colspan="2" | 12.8 || rowspan="2" | 220
|-
! Upgraded
| 550 || 529 || 15.5 || 16.0 || 20.6 || 16.2
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 480 || 480 || 280 || ~12 || ~9
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 350 || < 350 || < 380 || > 200
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Compressor
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
! Setting 1
| 4,180 m || 1,000 hp || 1,130 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===

The J20 does not have any armour, like its counterpart, the [[Re.2000 serie 1]]. However, it does have 2 self-sealing fuel tanks underneath the pilot. Despite this, it is prone to fires, and due to the proximity of the fuel tanks to the pilot, a fire is likely going to be fatal

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

{{main|Akan m/40 (12.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 12.7 mm Akan m/40 machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)

Akan m/40 was the designation the swedish gave to the italian 12.7mm Breda-Safat machine gun. Despite this, the gun lacks the incendiary belts found on the italian planes mounted with this gun. Tracer belts are easily the worst, as they contain only Ball ammo with a tracer component. Its recommended to use either Air Targets belts or Universal belts, wich are basically the same belt but with ammo types changing position on the belts.

== 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).''

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 12 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
|
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| New 12 mm MGs
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
|
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great climb rate (20+ m/s)
* Great at energy fighting
* Good acceleration (capable of 700 km/h (435 mph) in a dive)
* Good turn rate, amazing at 400 to 500 km/h (248 to 310 mph)
* Full manual engine control + propeller feathering

'''Cons:'''

* Average speed (450 IAS)
* Average roll rate at any speed
* Underwhelming performance of the 2 x 12.7 mm Akan m/40 machine guns
* Low ammunition count for machine guns (only 600 rounds total)
* Overheats easily, even with 100% radiators, can only WEP for a few seconds before the engine overheats and destroys itself
* Sensitive to battle damage (damage will usually result in the aircraft catching fire)

== 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).''

== 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 Reggiane}}
{{Sweden fighters}}

C. 205 serie 1

2020-09-12T14:59:56Z

U87403807: /* Usage in battles */ Fixed the caliber of the Breda-SAFAT from 7.62mm to 7.7mm

{{Specs-Card|code=mc-205_serie1}}
{{About
| about = Italian fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = C.205 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]] along with the initial Italian aviation tree.

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 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
| 659 || 641 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 19.0 || 19.7 || 16.8 || 16.8 || rowspan="2" | 250
|-
! Upgraded
| 710 || 683 || 17.0 || 18.0 || 25.0 || 20.4
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 600 || 340 || 260 || ~14 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 400 || < 270 || < 550 || > 380
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 5,800 m || 1,232 hp || 1,387 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===


* 8 mm Steel - Armoured plate behind the pilot
* 50 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
* Critical components located at the front of aircraft (pilot, engine, controls)
* More fuel tanks located in wings near the fuselage
* Fuel tank in the fuselage behind the pilot

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

{{main|Breda-SAFAT (12.7 mm)|Breda-SAFAT (7.7 mm)}}

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

* 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)
* 2 x 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

== Usage in battles ==


The C.205 Serie 1 is perhaps the most underrated rank III Italian fighter, most likely due to the underpowered armament which consists of 2x 12.7 mm and 2x 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns. This can be a serious problem since this fighter is BnZ fighter, meaning even a successful pass will badly cripple the target instead destroying it. Therefore, stick with teammates in order to support them. The C.205 Serie 1 works well when escorting bombers.

This fighter can climb fast for its rank and battle rating, thanks to DB 605-A which was installed in Bf 109 G-2, even in stock. The {{PAGENAME}} could climb up to 5,000 m in to seek enemy planes, but higher than 6,000-7,000 m is recommended for safest altitude. Use this advantage when retaining energy, to outrun enemies or gain altitude if the first pass failed and make up the second pass. Although the engine provides considerable manoeuvrability, one should not do excess dogfighting toward the target, as it will burn up energy faster. Never attempt to make a contact against well-manoeuvrable fighters, like Spitfires and Yaks, especially at low altitude. Call teammates, then gain some altitude until the enemy cannot pursue. Use this chance to make a counter-attack and destroy the enemy. One thing to note, this plane's propeller pitch can be tweaked to the maximum value without blowing the engine, unlike all Bf 109s with same engine when using MEC.

When in stock, the armament leaves much to be desired: low velocity and ball ammunition limits the effectiveness of the weapon. Never attempt to head-on by any means; chances are the opponent's bullets will reach the C.205 before its own. One thing should be noticed: while the C.205 has a powerful engine at its battle rating, never intercept the bomber without teammates, especially when down-tiered. However, these machine guns quite effective against dive-bombers or low-flying bombers. Try to aim at the wing or the engine compartment for a desirable hit. Adjust the machine gun convergence to 250-300 m for better effectiveness. Also, load Air Targets or Universal belts for .50 cal, along Stealth belts for the .30 cal.

Overall, C.205 Serie 1 is a support BnZ fighter with good climb rate, reasonably fast for its battle rating. While being overshadowed by under performed armament among all the fighters, in the hands of a skilled player this fighter became a bane among all the enemy fighters, even bombers.

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

=== Modules ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Flight performance
! Survivability
! Weaponry
|-
| I
| Fuselage repair
| Radiator
|
| Offensive 7 mm
|-
| II
|
| Compressor
| Airframe
| New 7 mm MGs
|-
| III
| Wings repair
| Engine
|
| Offensive 12 mm
|-
| IV
|
| Engine injection
| Cover
| New 12 mm MGs
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Arguably fast and nimble against any opponents at its battle rating, thanks to the engine from Bf 109 G-2
* Tweaking the propeller pitch in MEC will not blown the engine, unlike the Bf series with same engine
* Excellent energy retention and roll rate
* Reasonable climb rate
* Excellent high altitude performance
* Insane straight-line acceleration

'''Cons:'''

* Inadequate armament at its tier, shots tend to only cripple your enemies instead destroy it
* Hard to control during low speed and altitude
* Any damage severely degrades aircraft functionality

== History ==

The last Italian fighters of the war (the Serie 5, or "third-generation") all used the new German Daimler Benz 605 engine, putting them on a par with the best mid-war aircraft. The M.C. 205 was the only one of the Serie 5's to see much service with the Italian air force. The prototype, based on the M.C. 202, first flew in April, 1942. The added power allowed it to become the first Italian aircraft with cannon armament in the wings. It was considered extremely maneuverable at middle and low altitudes. About 200 were built and delivered starting in October, 1942, seeing combat service in the Mediterranean and Sicily the next year. Another 112 were built after the armistice and delivered to Fascist Italian forces, who used the plane until summer, 1944. Others continued on in Allied use and after the war remained in service as combat fighters until 1947.

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|DwbexTKZA-A|'''The Shooting Range #49''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 07:02 discusses the C.205.}}

== 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 Macchi}}
{{Italy fighters}}