War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Tempest Mk V

2022-07-31T13:42:10Z

U94309259: Use in CAS

{{About
| about = British fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Tempest (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=tempest_mkv
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,000 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
| 649 || 634 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.5 || 22.4 || 14.0 || 14.0 || rowspan="2" | 370
|-
! Upgraded
| 788 || 703 || 19.6 || 20.1 || 30.1 || 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}} || 412 || 389 || 269 || ~14 || ~7
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 440 || < 430 || < 530 || > 337
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 1,447 m || 2,085 hp || 2,585 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,981 m || 1,735 hp || 2,151 hp
|-
|}

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


The Tempest Mk.V has a fairly average level of survivability compared to most single engine fighters. In terms of armour, the pilot is protected by 16.9 mm of steel in their seat, and 44.5 mm of bulletproof glass at the front of the cockpit. This armour will protect the pilot against machinegun and some cannon rounds from the direct front and rear, but is fairly weak and does not cover all angles. The Napier Sabre 2 24 cylinder engine is somewhat robust, and should continue to function for some time after being hit with a few rounds. The plane will continue to fly after taking some hits to the fuselage, wings, or tail, but with increasingly dramatic reductions in manoeuvrability as more damage is taken. Especially hits to the wings dis-balance the plane, and make turning especially difficult. Overall the plane should not be expected to survive long against enemies with substantial levels of firepower (such as the [[MG 151 (20 mm)|MG-151]] cannon).

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 800 total)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I (1,000 lb)|RP-3}}

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

* Without load
* 2 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (500 lb total)
* 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 8 x RP-3 rockets

== Usage in battles ==


Climb with your team as high as you can muster (<4,000 m) and proceed to feast on anything the Spitfires above drop from their clouds. Speed is life and should never be wasted. Maintaining its velocity is the way of the Tempest in realistic battles.

The Tempest Mk. V excels at low to medium altitude battles, performing both as a Boom'n'Zoomer, ground attacker or energy fighter. To efficiently utilise its full engine power, do not get above 6,000 m or 19,000 ft, as the engine power drops significantly beyond that point. However, due to the supercharged engine, it outperforms aircraft like the Fw 190 D-9 by far at high altitudes (over 7,600 m or 25,000 ft) but gets obliterated by Ta 152Hs and some Bf 109 models, such as the K-4s and G-10s. To counter the BF109K-4, pilot Pierre Clostermann was quoted as saying:

"Tempest V. Messerschmitts: I kept on reminding my pilots to keep their speed above 300 m.p.h., for "109's" could turn better than we could at low speed, and you had to watch out for the 30 mm cannon in their propeller - it didn't give you a second chance. The best technique was to do a spiral dive, work up to a speed of 450 m.p.h., do a straight climb and then start all over again. The "109's" on the other hand, knowing that we dived faster than they did, tried to get us up to 16,000 feet, where our Tempests were heavy and our engines sluggish."

In Arcade battles, stick with WEP on and Boom & Zoom tactics. On realistic you can try the above strategy, but you may find that due to mouse aim some adaptations must be implemented. Don't lose sight of your attacker and be on guard for when his cannon fires. As soon as you see the barrel flash, you have about 0.7 seconds to take your plane out of the way, depending on the distance. At that point, you can throw off his aim by performing a low Yo-Yo to gain more speed and proceed to zoom away if you're below 3,000 m or 10,000 ft, because at this altitude your engine should provide enough power for you to outrun the BF109K-4 or G-10. However, you may find that the Tempest Mk.V is a cinder brick because you accelerate stupidly fast diving straight to the ground. When in trouble at high heights, dive like there is no tomorrow.

==== As CAS Fighter: ====
Tempest is one of the better British aircraft for mixed battles at its rating, carrying payload vastly superior to that of Spitfires, and performing much better than [[Hornet Mk.III|Hornet]] when it comes to dogfights. Its 2x[[M.C. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|1000lb M.C. Mk.I]] are enough to take out any tank within ~5m radius, and the airframe is capable of pulling out of all but the most extreme dive drops. It also has access to 8 tried and true [[RP-3]] rockets; while they may struggle to penetrate heavier tanks you will face even from the side, hit on the top of the turret will often one-shot the target.

[[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|Hispano Mk.V]]'s ground targets belt lacks penetration to kill medium and heavy tanks' crews even when fired directly from above, but it doesn't mean one should abandon it completely. These guns are accurate enough to shoot engine decks from a fair distance, which often knocks out the engine and/or sets the fuel tanks on fire, even with just a few shots. Immobilizing enemy tanks when they are engaged in battle or crossing an open spot is always a good help to the team on the ground.

Alternatively, you can also play an air superiority role. The advice is pretty much the same as for Air RB - stay high and stay fast.

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

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good climb rate
* Excellent acceleration in dive
* Good manoeuvrability at high speeds
* Powerful engine providing both great acceleration and top speed below 3 km altitude
* Strong airframe
* Powerful armament with lots of ammo allowing to stay a long time in battle and ability to take out even four-engined bombers easily
* Air belts are powerful against aircraft

'''Cons:'''

* Poor engine performance at high altitudes
* Sub-par manoeuvrability at low speeds

== History ==


From its initial conception, the Hawker Tempest was conceived of as a replacement for the Typhoon, a fighter-bomber created by the Hawker company in 1941. The Typhoon had many deficiencies such as an unreliable engine, insufficient structural strength leading in some cases to the entire tail detaching, a sub-standard rate of climb and poor high altitude performance. Because of these, it could not compete with the latest fighter of the time, the German Focke-Wolf FW190, and the Typhoon's was removed from its planned role as an interceptor and used mainly for ground strike missions. The Tempest prototype, first flown in February 1943, inherited some of the traits of its older brother, but experts took into account Hawker's negative experience and did their best to refine the aerodynamic shape of the new aircraft. The wing was slightly shorter, the profile more slender, and the back edge elliptical. Compensating the fuel capacity lost in the newly designed, thinner wings, came in the way of adding another fuel tank to the fuselage which accounted for the increased length of the aircraft. Consequently, the tail section was also modified, most noticeably by a fairing fitted to the vertical fin's leading edge and an increase of the tailplane chord.

Due to the unavailability of Napier Sabre Mk IV engine, which was supposed to keep the new aircraft from having the Typhoon's "beard" radiator, the same Sabre Mk IIA engine, rated at 2,180 HP, had to be installed along with a four-bladed de Havilland propeller. On the first batch of Tempests (100 aircraft) the armament stayed unchanged, but subsequent fighters had the long-barrelled Hispano Mk II gun replaced with the more rapid and light Hispano Mk V. The ammunition was also increased from 140 to 150 rounds per gun. Thanks to the strength of its wings, the aircraft could carry a substantial bomb load or two 500 lb or 1000 lb bombs, two 45 or 90-gallon fuel tanks, or eight 76 mm rockets. The Tempest proved far more successful and popular with its pilots than the Typhoon, eliminating its predecessor's shortcomings.

Front line service for the Tempest began in April 1944, when 50 Tempest Mk Vs formed the first Tempest Wing at Newchurch. The Tempest Wing was particularly active in the build-up to D-Day, but when the first German V-1 flying bombs began to fall on British soil, the Tempest was found to be one of the only fighters fast enough to counter the new threat. Fast, manoeuvrable and heavily armed, the Tempest was also able to prove a threat to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter by destroying a total of 20 262s. Some 1,700 Tempests were manufactured until the aircraft was phased out of service with the RAF in 1949.

=== In-game description ===
From its initial conception, the Hawker Tempest was conceived of as a replacement for the Typhoon, a fighter-bomber created by the Hawker company in 1941. The Typhoon had many deficiencies such as an unreliable engine, insufficient structural strength leading in some cases to the entire tail detaching, sub-standard rate of climb and a poor high altitude performance. Because of these it could not compete with the latest fighter of the time, the German Focke-Wolf FW190, and the Typhoon's was removed from its planned role as an interceptor and used mainly for ground strike missions. The Tempest prototype, first flown in February 1943, inherited some of the traits of its older brother, but experts took into account Hawker's negative experience and did their best to refine the aerodynamic shape of the new aircraft. The wing was slightly shorter, the profile more slender, and the back edge elliptical. To compensate for the fuel capacity lost in the new, thinner wings, another fuel tank was added to the fuselage which accounted for the increased length of the aircraft. Consequently, the tail section was also modified, most noticeably by a fairing fitted to the vertical fin's leading edge and an increase of the tail plane chord.

Due to the unavailability of Napier Sabre Mk IV engine, which was supposed to keep the new aircraft from having the Typhoon's "beard" radiator, the same Sabre Mk IIA engine, rated at 2180 HP, had to be installed; this was fitted with a de Havilland four bladed propeller. On the first batch of Tempests (100 aircraft) the armament stayed unchanged, but subsequent fighters had the long-barrelled Hispano Mk II gun replaced with the more rapid and light Hispano Mk V. The ammunition was also increased from 140 to 150 rounds per gun. Thanks to the strength of its wings, the aircraft could carry a substantial bomb load or two 500 lb or 1000 lb bombs, two 45 or 90 gallon fuel tanks, or eight 76 mm rockets. The Tempest proved far more successful and popular with its pilots than the Typhoon, eliminating its predecessor's shortcomings.

Front line service for the Tempest began in April 1944, when 50 Tempest Mk Vs formed the first Tempest Wing at Newchurch. The Tempest Wing was particularly active in the build up to D-Day, but when the first German V-1 flying bombs began to fall on British soil, the Tempest was found to be one of the only fighters fast enough to counter the new threat. Fast, manoeuvrable and heavily armed, the Tempest was also able to prove a threat to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, with 20 262s being destroyed by Tempests. Some 1700 Tempests were manufactured until the aircraft was phased out of service with the RAF in 1949.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|D9koCGqkWtE|'''Realistic: Tempest Mk V [Beastmode]''' - ''Jengar''|MS89qL3sbD8|'''Pages of History: Tempest Mk. V''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/184--en|[Ace of the Month] Pierre Clostermann]]

{{AirManufacturer Hawker}}
{{Britain fighters}}

Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper

2022-05-18T15:00:51Z

U94309259: No damage belly landing

{{About
| about = premium British jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the regular version
| link-1 = Meteor F Mk 8 G.41K
| usage-2 = other versions
| link-2 = Meteor (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=meteor_fmk8_reaper
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} British jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]] as a [[wt:en/news/5924-development-shop-jet-packs-en|premium pack]] in the Gaijin store, but was discontinued after [[wt:en/news/6464-shop-war-thunder-birthday-sale-en|War Thunder's 7th Anniversary]]. It was later reintroduced as a premium purchasable for Golden Eagles {{ge}} after [[wt:en/news/6907-special-8th-anniversary-of-war-thunder-en|War Thunder's 8th Anniversary]].

The ''Reaper'' is a dedicated ground-attack variant based on the 'standard' Meteor F Mk.8 (G.41K) fighter-bomber which did not progress beyond its prototype stage. Thanks to a number of modifications, it would have been capable of carrying twice the payload of the standard Meteor F.8. However, combat experience of the Meteor F.8 in Korea showed that the base type had reached its technical limitations and would have been outclassed in any future conflict; the appearance of more modern types such as the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift - and equivalent foreign designs - led to a loss of interest in the type.

== 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 100 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
| 920 || 897 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.1 || 24.7 || 33.6 || 31.7 || rowspan="2" | 325
|-
! Upgraded
| 976 || 962 || 22.2 || 23.0 || 47.4 || 40.2
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 495 || 462 || 290 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 560 || < 600 || < 620 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 || 2
| colspan="2" | 5,496 kg || colspan="2" | 216 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 23m fuel
|-
| 443 kg || colspan="2" | Centrifugal-flow turbojet
| 5,953 kg || 6,796 kg || 7,020 kg || 8,061 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 23m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 1,633 kgf || N/A
| 0.55 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.41
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 1,633 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.55 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.41
|-
|}

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


;Armour plates

* 38 mm (60°) Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate in the nose.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

;Critical components

* Self-sealing fuel tanks are located behind the pilot on the central airframe.
* Engines and cooling systems are in the wings.
* Traction cables of control surfaces run in the tail section and in the wings.

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, nose-mounted (200 rpg upper + 180 rpg lower = 780 total)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|RP-3}}

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

* Without load
* 4 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 24 x RP-3 rockets
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

'''As a fighter:'''

The Meteor Mk. 8 can play both as an energy fighter and a turn fighter. While not as manoeuvrable as a Vampire or a Venom, it can still outturn most of its opposition, but will bleed a lot of precious speed doing so. It's often better to energy trap your target, and save turnfights for emergencies or for times you're sure no third party would interfere.

The Meteor's control surfaces work best in the 400-700 km/h range, but they don't lock up too badly even at the red line. Below 300 km/h, it begins to really struggle, even with flaps out. The rudder is pretty weak, so you will often find yourself slipping to the side for a while after exiting a hard turn.

As any jet, Meteor does not take damage well. Any black wing segment or engine cowling will cut your level max speed to about 550 km/h - way too slow to continue fighting. It also can't return to base on one engine, unless you're already close, as there just isn't enough power to keep you flying level.

Interestingly enough, Meteor Mk. 8 has the ability to belly land without taking any damage. To do that, simply reduce speed to below 500kph, and land at as shallow angle as possible. Doing so will bring you to stop significantly faster than braking on wheels, while zero damage allows to immediately leave aircraft and change the loadout, or simply skip the reloading timer and take off again. Note that it '''does not work in Ground RB''', where you would need extra RP to respawn after leaving the vehicle.

Finally, there is no optimal option for fuel load. 6 minutes of fuel is just about enough to take off, fight in a couple of engagements and return, which makes flying from and to the airfield a larger proportion of your game time. 20 minutes load, while more than enough to last you through the entire battle, is considerably heavier, making speed losses that much painful, and therefore it requires more conservative fighting style.

Notable enemies:

* [[La-200]] will outrun you in most circumstances. It has relatively small ammo pool and bad at turning, so practice defensive flying.
* [[A28B]], Italian [[Vampire FB 52A]], and [[Ho 229 V3]]: These can and will outturn you if given the opportunity, but are generally slower than Meteor in a straight line.
* [[Ki-200]] and [[Me 163 B]] will both outrun and outturn you. Getting a numerical advantage is your best bet.
* [[G.91 (Family)|G.91 series]] have higher max speed than you and can keep up in turns. R/4 variant also has air to air missiles that you will need to be careful around. It doesn't have the best energy retention, so depending on the situation, you may turnfight them into a stall, or at least force it to do 180 and run away for a while.

'''As a ground attacker:'''

Bombs: Reaper can carry 4 x 1,000 lb bombs, which is just one shy destroying an entire base on most maps. Since it has no air spawn, the best strategy for base bombing is flying close to the ground as fast as possible, sometimes even circling around the map to avoid interceptors. You will often still arrive after your team's attackers and bombers have had their run, at which point it's better to last hit whatever they left. If instead of bases you want to hit ground units, you can also take 500 lb bombs instead for better flight characteristics in exchange for more precision requirement.

Rockets: 24 RP-3 rockets can decimate ground units. However, 2/3 of them are wing-mounted, making them much harder to aim. This loadout adds a lot of drag too, so it's better to go for rockets once the sky is relatively clear.

The Hispano Mk.V's AP rounds can damage light pillboxes, so if you find no enemies to use your ammo on, you can always take out 5-6 pillboxes on your way back for a neat profit.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Effective in turnfights
* High ammo capacity
* Strong ground attack loadouts

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre top speed
* Slow acceleration

== History ==

With the appearance of the Meteor F.8 (Type G.41K) in 1949, which offered an overall improved performance over the earlier F.4 variant, a number of studies were launched aimed at increasing the versatility of the Meteor. One obvious path given the type's improved performance and stability as a gun platform was that of a dedicated ground attack platform, the so-called ''Ground Attack Fighter'' (GAF, or G.44), which was started as a private venture by Gloster.

Initial studies of the GAF foresaw the modification of a standard F.8 airframe with new outer wing panels, fitted with 4 additional 20 mm Hispano cannons similar to the armament lay-out on the Meteor NF.11 night fighter variant, albeit with cropped wing tips similar to those on the standard F.8. This early design initially presented some problematic flight characteristics, mostly linked to the wing's reduced torsional stiffness caused by the wing gun bays: aileron reversal set in at speeds above 885 km/h (550 mph), which was considered unacceptable for a single-seater fighter-bomber. Work was done to rectify this, and eventually the reinforced wings allowed a maximum speed of 965 km/h (600 mph) while retaining the wing-mounted armament of four Hispano cannons with 160 rounds each.

By the time this issue had been rectified, priorities for the design had changed. Rather than focussing on an eight-gun fixed armament, priority was given to the ability to carry an increased payload; as a result, the wing-mounted fixed armament was suppressed, and instead the wing panels were redesigned and restressed to allow the carriage of an increased underwing armament. The stiffened wings and addition of spring tab ailerons increased the type's high-speed handling. Armament options for the redesigned GAF included either a single 1,000 lb GP bomb, or up to 8 unguided 60 lb RP-3 rocket projectiles on each side. So as not to affect the range of the GAF when she was carrying her underwing armament, provisions were made for 100 gal (imp) (454 litre) jettisonable tip-mounted fuel tanks. Additionally, hardpoint mountings were added to the fuselage where the belly-mounted fuel tank was usually fitted, which further increased the Reaper's carrying capacity. These could be used for either additional RP-3 rockets or up to two 1,000 lb bombs. Gloster also designed a belly-mounted pod was designed which could be carried in lieu of the usually-mounted belly tank, and which could carry an additional armament of either 2 x 20 mm Hispano or 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, each armed with 100 rounds per gun.

With the design finalised, Gloster financed the construction of a single prototype of the GAF/G.44, which by now had gained the nick-name of "Reaper". The prototype, construction number G5/1210, was registered with the civilian registration G-AMCJ on June 19th 1950, initially receiving Gloster's carmine red house colours, and was demonstrated as such at the 1950 Farnborough air show. As a prototype for the Reaper, she only lacked the airfield arrestor hook and rocket-assisted take-off gear (RATOG) planned for the serial production model.

The carmine red livery and civilian registration were relatively short-lived; on February 1st 1951 G-AMCJ was de-registered and reverted to a B-type military test serial, becoming G-7-1, an all-silver aircraft. For the next three years, she was used as a test aircraft, however interest in the Ground Attack Fighter waned as new types such as the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift arrived. For a brief moment in 1953, the Indian Air Force expressed interest in the type, but due to poor experiences with the service provided by another British aircraft manufacturer in mind, they ended up selecting the French Dassault Ouragan instead.

As interest in the Reaper waned, Gloster began studies for the ''Meteor Armed Trainer'' (Project code P.307), which reverted to some of the earlier Reaper design, combining a standard T.7 trainer fuselage with cannon-armed short-span wings. While the P.307 remained unbuilt, the Reaper prototype was rebuilt with a T.7 front fuselage while retaining its F.8 tail and tip-mounted fuel tanks: the 'new' aircraft, construction number G5/1525, was registered as G-ANSO on June 12th 1954. As such, she was used by Gloster as both a company demonstrator and test bed for the next four years.

Eventually, with the appearance of more capable designs, interest in any Gloster Meteor-based designs disappeared, and in November of 1958 Gloster agreed to sell G-ANSO to the Swedish target towing company ''Svensk Flygtjänsk AB'', on the condition that she was refurbished and fitted with standard T.7 outer wing panels and tail surfaces. Following this refurbishment by Flight Refuelling Ltd, she was sold and struck from the British register on August 11th 1959.

Following local conversion to a target tug, the former Reaper prototype, now Meteor T.7 SE-DCC, entered service with ''Svensk Flygtjänsk AB'' in February of 1960, remaining in service until July 27th 1974. Following a short stay at the Flygvapenmuseum or Swedish Air Museum at Linköping from September 1974 until September 1976, she ended up in 1977 at the ''Svedinos Bil- och Flygmuséum'' (Svedinos car and aircraft museum) in Ugglarp, where restoration was started in 2012 with the intention of cosmetically restoring her to her appearance as the Gloster company demonstrator G-ANSO (albeit retaining her appearance as a 'standard' T.7).

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=meteor_fmk8_reaper Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|CtFA7r6OTiw|'''The Shooting Range #144''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|VHJN6ZWOmnY|'''The bane of tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:45 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5924-development-shop-jet-packs-en|[Shop] Jet Packs!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/264949-gloster-meteor-f-mk8-g41k/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Gloster}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper

2022-04-22T01:39:17Z

U94309259: Usage in battles section added

{{About
| about = premium British jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the regular version
| link-1 = Meteor F Mk 8 G.41K
| usage-2 = other versions
| link-2 = Meteor (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=meteor_fmk8_reaper
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} British jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]] as a [[wt:en/news/5924-development-shop-jet-packs-en|premium pack]] in the Gaijin store, but was discontinued after [[wt:en/news/6464-shop-war-thunder-birthday-sale-en|War Thunder's 7th Anniversary]]. It was later reintroduced as a premium purchasable for Golden Eagles {{ge}} after [[wt:en/news/6907-special-8th-anniversary-of-war-thunder-en|War Thunder's 8th Anniversary]].

The ''Reaper'' is a dedicated ground-attack variant based on the 'standard' Meteor F Mk.8 (G.41K) fighter-bomber which did not progress beyond its prototype stage. Thanks to a number of modifications, it would have been capable of carrying twice the payload of the standard Meteor F.8. However, combat experience of the Meteor F.8 in Korea showed that the base type had reached its technical limitations and would have been outclassed in any future conflict; the appearance of more modern types such as the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift - and equivalent foreign designs - led to a loss of interest in the type.

== 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 100 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
| 920 || 897 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 24.1 || 24.7 || 33.6 || 31.7 || rowspan="2" | 325
|-
! Upgraded
| 976 || 962 || 22.2 || 23.0 || 47.4 || 40.2
|-
|}

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

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 495 || 462 || 290 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 560 || < 600 || < 620 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 || 2
| colspan="2" | 5,496 kg || colspan="2" | 216 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 23m fuel
|-
| 443 kg || colspan="2" | Centrifugal-flow turbojet
| 5,953 kg || 6,796 kg || 7,020 kg || 8,061 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 7m fuel || 20m fuel || 23m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 1,633 kgf || N/A
| 0.55 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.41
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 1,633 kgf (0 km/h) || N/A
| 0.55 || 0.48 || 0.47 || 0.41
|-
|}

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


;Armour plates

* 38 mm (60°) Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate in the nose.
* 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

;Critical components

* Self-sealing fuel tanks are located behind the pilot on the central airframe.
* Engines and cooling systems are in the wings.
* Traction cables of control surfaces run in the tail section and in the wings.

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

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

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

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

* 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, nose-mounted (200 rpg upper + 180 rpg lower = 780 total)

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

{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. Mk.I (1,000 lb)|H.E. M.C. Mk.13 (1,000 lb)|RP-3}}

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

* Without load
* 4 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 24 x RP-3 rockets
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (2,000 lb total)
* 16 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==
'''As a fighter:'''

Meteor Mk. 8 can play both as an energy fighter and a turn fighter. While not as maneuverable as Vampire or Venom, it can still out-turn most of its opposition, but will bleed a lot of precious speed doing so. It's often better to energy trap your target, and save turnfights for emergencies or for times you're sure no third party would interfere.

Meteor's control surfaces work the best in 400-700kph range, but they don't lock up too badly even at the red line. Below 300kph, it begins to really struggle, even with flaps out. The rudder is pretty weak, so you will often find yourself slipping to the side for a while after exiting a hard turn.

As any jet, Meteor does not take damage well. Any black wing segment or engine cowling will cut your level max speed to about 550kph - way too slow to continue fighting. It also can't RTB on one engine, unless you're already close, as there just isn't enough power to keep you flying level.

Finally, there is no optimal option for fuel load. 6 minutes of fuel is just about enough to take off, fight in a couple of engagements and return, which makes flying from and to the airfield a larger proportion of your game time. 20 minutes load, while more than enough to last you through the entire battle, is considerably heavier, making speed losses that much painful, and therefore it requires more conservative fighting style.

Notable enemies:

* La-200: will outrun you in most circumstances. It has relatively small ammo pool and bad at turning, so practice defensive flying.
* A28B/Italian Vampire and Ho 229: These can and will outturn you if given the opportunity, but are generally slower than Meteor in a straight line.
* Ki-200 and Me 163: will both outrun and outturn you. Getting a numerical advantage is your best bet.
* G.91 series: have higher max speed than you and can keep up in turns. R/4 variant also has air to air missiles that you will need to be careful around. It doesn't have the best energy retention, so depending on the situation, you may turnfight them into a stall, or at least force it to do 180 and run away for a while.

'''As a ground attacker:'''

Bombs: Reaper can carry 4x1000lb bombs, which is just one shy of oneshotting a base on most maps. Since it has no air spawn, the best strategy for base bombing is flying close to the ground as fast as possible, sometimes even circling around the map to avoid interceptors. You will often still arrive after your team's attackers and bombers have had their run, at which point it's better to last hit whatever they left. If instead of bases you want to hit ground units, you can also take 500lb bombs instead for better flight characteristics in exchange for more precision requirement.

Rockets: 24 RP-3 rockets can decimate ground units. However, 2/3 of them are wing mounted, making them that much harder to aim. This loadout adds a lot of drag, too, so it's better to go for rockets once the sky is relatively clear.

It's also notable that Hispano Mk.V's AP (maybe SAP too?) rounds can damage light pillboxes, so if you find no enemies to use your ammo on, you can always take out 5-6 pillboxes on your way back for a neat profit.

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

* Effective in turnfights;
* Adequate energy retention;
* High ammo capacity;
* Strong ground attack loadouts.

*

'''Cons:'''

* Mediocre top speed;
* Bleeds a lot ofspeed when turning;
* Slow acceleration;
* Susceptible to damage.

*

== History ==

With the appearance of the Meteor F.8 (Type G.41K) in 1949, which offered an overall improved performance over the earlier F.4 variant, a number of studies were launched aimed at increasing the versatility of the Meteor. One obvious path given the type's improved performance and stability as a gun platform was that of a dedicated ground attack platform, the so-called ''Ground Attack Fighter'' (GAF, or G.44), which was started as a private venture by Gloster.

Initial studies of the GAF foresaw the modification of a standard F.8 airframe with new outer wing panels, fitted with 4 additional 20 mm Hispano cannons similar to the armament lay-out on the Meteor NF.11 night fighter variant, albeit with cropped wing tips similar to those on the standard F.8. This early design initially presented some problematic flight characteristics, mostly linked to the wing's reduced torsional stiffness caused by the wing gun bays: aileron reversal set in at speeds above 885 km/h (550 mph), which was considered unacceptable for a single-seater fighter-bomber. Work was done to rectify this, and eventually the reinforced wings allowed a maximum speed of 965 km/h (600 mph) while retaining the wing-mounted armament of four Hispano cannons with 160 rounds each.

By the time this issue had been rectified, priorities for the design had changed. Rather than focussing on an eight-gun fixed armament, priority was given to the ability to carry an increased payload; as a result, the wing-mounted fixed armament was suppressed, and instead the wing panels were redesigned and restressed to allow the carriage of an increased underwing armament. The stiffened wings and addition of spring tab ailerons increased the type's high-speed handling. Armament options for the redesigned GAF included either a single 1,000 lb GP bomb, or up to 8 unguided 60 lb RP-3 rocket projectiles on each side. So as not to affect the range of the GAF when she was carrying her underwing armament, provisions were made for 100 gal (imp) (454 litre) jettisonable tip-mounted fuel tanks. Additionally, hardpoint mountings were added to the fuselage where the belly-mounted fuel tank was usually fitted, which further increased the Reaper's carrying capacity. These could be used for either additional RP-3 rockets or up to two 1,000 lb bombs. Gloster also designed a belly-mounted pod was designed which could be carried in lieu of the usually-mounted belly tank, and which could carry an additional armament of either 2 x 20 mm Hispano or 2 x 30 mm ADEN cannons, each armed with 100 rounds per gun.

With the design finalised, Gloster financed the construction of a single prototype of the GAF/G.44, which by now had gained the nick-name of 'Reaper'. The prototype, construction number G5/1210, was registered with the civilian registration G-AMCJ on June 19th 1950, initially receiving Gloster's carmine red house colours, and was demonstrated as such at the 1950 Farnborough air show. As a prototype for the Reaper, she only lacked the airfield arrestor hook and rocket-assisted take-off gear (RATOG) planned for the serial production model.

The carmine red livery and civilian registration were relatively short-lived; on February 1st 1951 G-AMCJ was de-registered and reverted to a B-type military test serial, becoming G-7-1, an all-silver aircraft. For the next three years, she was used as a test aircraft, however interest in the Ground Attack Fighter waned as new types such as the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift arrived. For a brief moment in 1953, the Indian Air Force expressed interest in the type, but due to poor experiences with the service provided by another British aircraft manufacturer in mind, they ended up selecting the French Dassault Ouragan instead.

As interest in the Reaper waned, Gloster began studies for the ''Meteor Armed Trainer'' (Project code P.307), which reverted to some of the earlier Reaper design, combining a standard T.7 trainer fuselage with cannon-armed short-span wings. While the P.307 remained unbuilt, the Reaper prototype was rebuilt with a T.7 front fuselage while retaining its F.8 tail and tip-mounted fuel tanks: the 'new' aircraft, construction number G5/1525, was registered as G-ANSO on June 12th 1954. As such, she was used by Gloster as both a company demonstrator and test bed for the next four years.

Eventually, with the appearance of more capable designs, interest in any Gloster Meteor-based designs disappeared, and in November of 1958 Gloster agreed to sell G-ANSO to the Swedish target towing company ''Svensk Flygtjänsk AB'', on the condition that she was refurbished and fitted with standard T.7 outer wing panels and tail surfaces. Following this refurbishment by Flight Refuelling Ltd, she was sold and struck from the British register on August 11th 1959.

Following local conversion to a target tug, the former Reaper prototype, now Meteor T.7 SE-DCC, entered service with ''Svensk Flygtjänsk AB'' in February of 1960, remaining in service until July 27th 1974. Following a short stay at the Flygvapenmuseum or Swedish Air Museum at Linköping from September 1974 until September 1976, she ended up in 1977 at the ''Svedinos Bil- och Flygmuséum'' (Svedinos car and aircraft museum) in Ugglarp, where restoration was started in 2012 with the intention of cosmetically restoring her to her appearance as the Gloster company demonstrator G-ANSO (albeit retaining her appearance as a 'standard' T.7).

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=meteor_fmk8_reaper Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|CtFA7r6OTiw|'''The Shooting Range #144''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:32 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|VHJN6ZWOmnY|'''The bane of tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:45 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5924-development-shop-jet-packs-en|[Shop] Jet Packs!]]
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/264949-gloster-meteor-f-mk8-g41k/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Gloster}}
{{Britain jet aircraft}}
{{Britain premium aircraft}}

HMS Dido

2021-10-24T22:44:45Z

U94309259: Usage in battles - rolling in turns

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British light cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.85 "Supersonic"]].

One of the first British cruisers (alongside [[HMS Enterprise|HMS ''Enterprise'']]), HMS ''Dido'' is a ''Dido''-class anti-aircraft light cruiser armed with 5.25-inch dual-purpose guns instead of the more usual light cruiser armament of 6-inch guns. She is similar in design concept to the [[USS Atlanta|USS ''Atlanta'']].

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

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s hull features 76 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) plating over the sides of the machinery spaces with 25 mm of RHA covering the ends and the machinery deck. This plating covers the boilers and the parts of propeller shafts that are above the waterline. The steering gear is protected by 25.4 mm RHA plating all around. The main gun turrets and barbettes are also protected by 25.4 mm RHA, as is helm located in the central shaft leading down from the bridge.

The ammunition magazines are very well-protected against other light cruisers' and destroyers' main guns. They are located below the waterline and there is 50.8 mm RHA deck plating over the main gun magazines, as well as covering the bow and stern-facing ends of the magazines. The sides of the magazines are protected by 19.05 mm of anti-fragmentation armour. In addition, there are fuel tanks on each side of the magazines. This means that only plunging fire from high calibre guns can be expected to reach the magazines.

The rest of the hull is entirely unprotected by anything other than the standard 25 mm steel plating of light cruisers. The bridge, in particular, is open and quite vulnerable to getting disabled by even destroyers.

There is also 12.7 mm hardened armour plating facing the front of the 20 mm Oerlikon mounts.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s mobility is rather standard for a light cruiser. She is not quite as fast or as nimble as the ''Enterprise'', but her mobility is adequate for most needs.

{{NavalMobility}}

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

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}

{{main|5.25 inch/50 QF Mark I (133 mm)}}

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s primary armament consists of ten QF 5.25-inch dual-purpose guns. These are most comparable to the 5"/38 guns carried by most American destroyers and the [[USS Atlanta|USS ''Atlanta'']]. The 5.25-inch gun's rate-of-fire is much lower (10 rounds/minute vs. 22 rounds/minute), firing generally heavier shells.

All of the main gun turrets are capable of full 360° traverse and elevating up to 70°, allowing them to engage aircraft effectively. They also have a relatively fast traverse rate compared to other light cruisers, although a bit on the slow side for engaging aircraft.

The ammunition types available consist of HE, SAP, and HE-VT. HE-VT is broadly superior to standard HE, especially against aircraft. Despite the heavier shells, both contain less explosive filler than the HE shells of the American 5"/38. The SAP is superior to the Common shells of the American 5"/38, having better penetration and more explosive filler. It is capable of penetrating light cruisers, and even heavy cruisers at close range.

=== Secondary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}

{{main|2pdr QF Mk.VIII (40 mm)}}

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s designated secondary armament is the two quadruple 2-pdr 'pom-pom' guns mounted amidships. These are primarily anti-aircraft guns, although they can be effective against lighter targets such as destroyers and coastal craft at close ranges.

=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}

{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s designated anti-aircraft armament consists of five single 20 mm Oerlikon mounts. These are lethal against coastal craft and aircraft that dare to approach within range.

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}

{{main|Mk.IX (533 mm)}}

The ''Dido'' is armed with two triple 21-inch torpedo tubes located next to the aft funnel, one on each side of the ship. Unlike on British destroyers, these torpedo tubes have wide traverse arcs. They are armed with the Mk. IX torpedo, which has a powerful 340 kg TNT warhead and long range (9.67 km) even without the torpedo modification.

== Usage in battles ==

The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s unusual main gun battery makes her very specialised as an anti-aircraft and anti-destroyer ship. She is very well protected against destroyer guns, and in return, a single salvo from her ten 5.25-inch guns will inflict a great deal of damage to them.

Conversely, the ''Dido'' will struggle against even light cruisers at medium to long ranges, having to rely on whittling down the crews using fires and HE. At close range, her SAP is effective against light cruisers, and the high rate-of-fire compared to cruiser 6-inch guns can be used to disable and then overwhelm them. However, the ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s armour can be penetrated relatively easily by the 6-inch guns of most light cruisers, so engaging in straight-up trading fights will usually result in taking extensive damage, even if the ''Dido'' emerges victorious. The ''Dido'' is mostly helpless against heavy cruisers and battleships other than getting close enough to torpedo them.

Once the HE-VT shells have been unlocked, the 5.25-inch gun is quite effective against aircraft, though the relatively low rate-of-fire makes it less than ideal in the role compared to other true dual-purpose guns such as the British 4.5-inch or the American 5"/38 guns. The 'pom-poms' and 20 mm Oerlikons mostly function as back-up to the main guns. They should not be relied upon to shoot down aircraft except at close ranges.

Because of her weight distribution and narrow hull, Dido rolls rather dramatically in turns, leaning towards the outer side of the turning circle. It might prove detrimental in close range combat, as guns can't depress enough to fire at anything inside ~4km range on the raised side (assuming full speed ahead, max rudder deflection).

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Well-protected ammunition magazines and machinery spaces.
* Primary armament dispersed across 5 turrets (3 bow, 2 stern).
* Main gun turrets have unrestricted traverse arcs and high elevation arcs.
* Access to HE-VT shells.
* High rate-of-fire for the main guns' calibre.
* Low horizontal gun dispersion.

'''Cons:'''

* Lightly armoured main gun turrets and unarmoured bridge.
* Low penetration and individual shell damage output compared to 6-inch guns.
* Low rate-of-fire compared to other dual-purpose main guns.
* Relatively small close/medium-range anti-aircraft battery.
* High vertical gun dispersion.

== History ==

[[File:HMS Dido (37).jpg|thumb|450x450px|HMS Dido at anchor in the Firth of Forth.]]
HMS ''Dido'' (37) was a British AA cruiser and the lead ship of her class, a series of 16 ships built in the late 1930s to the early 1940s. Designed for fleet air defence, the ships were armed with a 5.25-inch (133 mm) main battery capable of engaging both ships and naval vessels. ''Dido'' was commissioned in 1940 and deployed to the Mediterranean, serving there for the large part of the Second World War. She later deployed to the Arctic, and in 1945 accepted the surrender of the Kriegsmarine. ''Dido'' was present at the Coronation review of 1953 as the flagship of the Reserve fleet, and was scrapped in 1957.

=== Design and development ===
Following the four ships of the ''Arethusa'' class, the British navy decided to construct a new class of light cruiser for anti-aircraft duties - the ''Dido'' class. Displacing 6850 tons on full load, the ships were small even for a light cruiser. Their armour was also scarce, the main belt being just 3 inches (76 mm) thick. The ''Dido''<nowiki/>'s main armament comprised 10 5.25-inch (133 mm) guns in five dual-purpose turrets, which served as the primary anti-ship and anti-aircraft armament. Her anti-aircraft armament was initially weak (quite surprising given her role), composed of three quad pom-poms and five single Oerlikon cannons; this was improved over the course of the Second World War. ''Dido'' was initially laid down in 1937, and was commissioned by 1940.

=== Operational history ===
Immediately after her commissioning, the ''Dido'' was sent to Scapa Flow, and spent the next couple months in training. However, she was soon dispatched to the British fleet in the Mediterranean, and soon began operating as part of the British East Mediterranean fleet. She ran supplies to Malta, and later helped move 7 million dollars of Gold away from the conflict-torn lands of Greece. She participated in several runs to the besieged island of Crete and was later damaged by bombs while escorting a troop convoy to Alexandria. She was later bombed again, but quickly repaired as she made up a significant portion of the ship-starved British East Mediterranean fleet.

''Dido'' spent the greater part of 1942 and 1943 in the Mediterranean, though she travelled back to the UK on several occasions for various reasons. In 1944, she was recalled to the UK and began convoy operations in the Arctic, and thereafter stayed in the northern Atlantic to lay mines and provide fire support. In May of 1945, she fired the last naval shot in Europe as she accepted the surrender of the Kriegsmarine; she then escorted the cruisers ''Prinz Eugen'' and ''Nurnberg'' to internment at Wilhelmshaven. Following the cessation of hostilities, ''Dido'' was reduced to reserve; she took part in the 1953 Coronation review of Queen Elizabeth II as the flagship of the reserve fleet. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1957.

=== [[wt:en/news/5948-development-hms-dido-the-peacemaker-en|Devblog]] ===
The Dido-class light cruiser was designed in the 1930s as convoy escorts and destroyer leaders, intended for operations in the Mediterranean. As such, ships of the Dido-class had to be both large enough to operate in rough waters as well as fast and manoeuvrable enough in order to keep up with destroyers, whilst at the same time remaining relatively cheap to produce in large numbers.

HMS Dido, the lead ship of her class, was laid down in October 1937. In July 1939, Dido was completed and commissioned into service a year later. HMS Dido's early service life was marked with convoy escort duties in the Atlantic, before joining the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet in April 1941.

As part of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean forces, HMS Dido took part in numerous major operations, including the landings at Sicily and mainland Italy as well as southern France. During her service in the Mediterranean, HMS Dido performed various roles, from doing supply runs over evacuating troops to bombarding shorelines.

By 1944, HMS Dido briefly returned to Great Britain, before being sent off on escort duties as part of the Arctic convoys. In 1945, HMS Dido was sent to Copenhagen, where the warship fired the last naval shot as part of the war in Europe, however not in anger, but in celebration of the surrender of the German Kriegsmarine.

Sometime after the end of WW2, HMS Dido joined the ranks of the Royal Navy reserve fleet, remaining in service for another good decade. In 1957 however, HMS Dido was decommissioned from service and sold for scrap.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|bAGQ_HTxUfg|'''HMS Dido - SAP Master [First Impressions]''' - ''Napalmratte''|XnH-NsWFMnc|'''HMS Dido - Guide 129''' - ''Flipped StuG''}}

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

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

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5948-development-hms-dido-the-peacemaker-en|[Devblog] HMS Dido: The Peacemaker]]

=== References ===

*Mason, G. B., & Smith, G. (2004). HMS Dido, British AA Cruiser. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Dido.htm</nowiki>
* Helgason, G. (1995). Uboat.net. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from <nowiki>https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4010.html</nowiki>

{{Britain light cruisers}}

HMS Hawkins

2021-10-06T18:47:42Z

U94309259: A note on Hawkins's turret protection

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British heavy cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''

{{NavalMobility}}

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

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}
{{main|7.5 inch/45 BL Mk.VI (190 mm)}}

''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''

=== Secondary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}
{{main|4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)}}

''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''

=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}
{{main|2pdr QF Mk.VIII (40 mm)|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}

''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}
{{main|Mk.V (533 mm)}}

''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''

== Usage in battles ==

Like many other first cruisers, the Hawkins is an awkward ship, but does have its strengths. The 7.5-inch guns are very powerful for the battle rating, doing huge damage compared to the 6-inch (and smaller) cannons it can face. They also have a pretty good reload, meaning you can duel light cruisers to good effect. Unfortunately, the guns are few in number and spread out over the ship. You can only use six on a broadside, and they are painfully inaccurate due to their positioning, meaning long-range gunnery can be frustrating. Still, when they do hit, they can be deadly. These 190 mm shells can be a death sentence for destroyers, and other cruisers should be wary of them.

The Hawkins is slow for a cruiser, doing just 55 km/h even when fully upgraded. Repositioning can be difficult, and she isn't a fast turner either. Also, the Hawkins' armour is a mixed bag. The central belt armour can be difficult for destroyers and light cruisers to contend with, but the front and rear armour sections are pretty thin, and the deck armour is dreadful. Bombs and rockets can be especially dangerous for this ship. It also boasts a poor crew size, meaning fires can be especially dangerous. Turret protection is non-existent, meaning that close-range engagements tend to go very wrong, very quickly, as every enemy volley is almost guaranteed to cripple a gun or two and light up their ready-fire ammo racks, making damage event harder to contend with.

The Hawkins does have a fairly adequate AA armament, though it pales in comparison to its German and American rivals. Its secondary armament is also nothing to write home about, with just four 4-inch guns, and only two on broadside. It's best not to rely on them. The Hawkins does also get torpedoes, and while they have a pretty weak distance (especially without torpedo mode unlocked), they're quite fast for British torpedoes, making them quite deadly to enemy ships at close range.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful main guns with a good reload can make this ship's main battery deadly to almost any ship it's likely to face, even in an uptier
* Adequate AA protection, especially at close quarters
* Good belt armour can prove to be a challenge for light cruisers, especially at long range
* Torpedoes have good speed and damage, making them deadly at close range

'''Cons:'''

* Poor top speed, even for a heavy cruiser
* Overall armour protection is weak, especially against aircraft
* Secondary armament is close to useless
* Layout of main battery leads to inaccurate volleys and a fairly weak broadside

== History ==

HMS ''Hawkins'' (D86) was the lead ship of the ''Hawkins''-class of heavy cruisers. Launched in 1917, the ship would go on to serve as the flagship of the 5th Light Cruiser squadron based in the Eastern theatre, as well as the flagship of the 2nd Wing based in the Atlantic. In 1930, she was decommissioned, had her armament removed and became a training ship. However, she was recommissioned in 1939 with the outbreak of the Second World War. ''Hawkins'' served as a convoy escort ship and participated in the D-Day naval bombardment. In early 1945, ''Hawkins'' was placed in reserve; she served as a cadet training ship and a target ship, and was scrapped in mid-1947.<ref name=":0">D-Day Encyclopedia. (n.d.)</ref>

=== Design and Construction ===
The ''Hawkins'' was the lead ship of the ''Hawkins''-class of five heavy cruisers. Designed during the first half of WWI, the ships were designed as a series of fast, lightly-armoured heavy cruisers capable of hunting down similar German cruisers and commerce raiders of its era. By 1915, the design had been finalized, despite there being no need for a cruiser of its configuration due to the eradication of German commerce raiders.<ref name=":1">Alvama. (1970)</ref>

The ship was 184 metres long and displaced 12,190 tons full load.<ref name=":0" /> Main armament consisted of seven 7.5-inch (190 mm) guns in single mounts - five were mounted on the centreline while two were mounted at the sides. The ships initially carried a mix of 76 mm and 2-pounder (40 mm) AA guns, but these were removed in later refits. ''Hawkins'' was also initially armed with a pair of triple torpedo tubes, but these were removed in 1937. The ship had light armour protection with a maximum thickness of 3 inches (76 mm), and could make 30 knots (55 km/h).<ref name=":0" />

Five ships of the ''Hawkins''-class were ordered: ''Hawkins'', ''Raleigh'', ''Frobisher'', ''Effingham'' and ''Cavendish''. However, ''Cavendish'' was reconstructed during construction as an aircraft carrier and entered service as HMS ''Vindictive''. HMS ''Hawkins'' was laid down on June 3rd 1916 and launched on October 1st 1917. She was completed and commissioned in July 1919.<ref name=":1" />

=== Operational Service ===
[[File:HMS Hawkins Underway.jpg|thumb|490x490px|HMS Hawkins Underway, circa 1929-1935.]]
Following the completion of sea trials, ''Hawkins'' served as the flagship of the 5th Light Cruiser Fleet, based in the China Sea. She served in the Eastern Theatre until 1928, when she was transferred back to the Atlantic as the flagship of the 2nd Wing. In 1930, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve, where she was used by cadets of the Royal Navy for training purposes. In 1937, she had her 7.5-inch guns and torpedo tubes removed, as required by the London Naval Treaty.<ref name=":0" />

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, ''Hawkins'' was recommissioned and had her main guns reinstalled. She was immediately deployed to the southern Atlantic, serving convoy escort duties. She served in the Indian ocean between 1942 and 1944, and captured many Axis merchantmen and freighters. She also served in the naval bombardment preceding the D-Day invasions.<ref name=":0" />

In August of 1944, ''Hawkins'' was again relegated to cadet-training units. She was placed into reserve and 1945, and served as a cadet training ship for an additional year. In 1947, she was used as a target ship for RAF bomb-dropping tests<ref name=":1" /> and was scrapped shortly thereafter.<ref name=":0" />

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

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

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

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

=== Works Cited ===

* D-Day Encyclopedia. (n.d.). HMS Hawkins - Battle of Normandy. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from <nowiki>https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/material/warships/hms-hawkins</nowiki>
* Alvama. (1970, January 01). British heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins (D86) 1916-1947. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from <nowiki>http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.com/2017/05/british-heavy-cruiser-hms-hawkins-d86.html</nowiki>

{{Britain heavy cruisers}}