B-239 (Sweden)

▄B-239

▄B-239

Description

The ▄Brewster Model 239 is a denavalized version of the F2A-1 Buffalo, ordered by Finland in 1939 as a means of acquiring a modern fighter plane. Unlike the US Navy F2A-1, the plane had better performance due to being stripped of arresting gear and all other equipment necessary for carrier landings, together with a more powerful Wright R-1820-G5 engine producing 10 hp more compared to the US Navy Buffalos. Another difference was mountings for four machine guns with two in the engine cowling and two in wings. The planes themselves arrived too late to participate in the Winter War, but were used extensively in the Continuation War all the way to late 1944 when they were withdrawn from service. Finnish pilots regarded the plane as very manoeuvrable, easy to fly, and also not requiring extensive maintenance. LeLV 24 had a score of 26:1 using B-239 as they claimed 477 Soviet planes shot down for a loss of just 19 B-239s.

Introduced in Update "Fire and Ice", the B-239 has big potential even in the hands of a not so skilled pilot. Its manoeuvrability, armament, and speed compared to contemporaries make it a very dangerous foe. The B-239 is best utilized in a role similar to the Bf 109 as a boom and zoom fighter, although the ability to turnfight not only at high speed is better when compared to the Messerschmitt.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at 5,400 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	438	421		16.7	17.2	10.5	10.5	130
Upgraded	484	460		15.8	16.0	19.1	14.2

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
761		425	380	240	~12	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ~300	< ~320	< ~350	> ___

Survivability and armour

Armour

• 8.5 mm steel - Pilot seat

Survivability

• Self-sealing wing tanks
• Exposed engine and oil cooling system, prone to damage

Armaments

Offensive armament

The B-239 (Sweden) is armed with:

• 2 x 12.7 mm LKk/42 machine guns, nose-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm LKk/42 machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)

Usage in battles

You are pretty manoeuvrable and can win a dogfight against most enemies, the exception being Spitfires and Japanese single engine fighters. Be wary of your poor energy retention though, this leads you to gain an advantage in the first couple of turns in your dogfight but you should try to avoid longer fights, by any means. You can use flaps to get the maximal turn rate possible. You can also climb at the beginning of a match, get to 3-4 km while climbing at 220 km/h IAS. Once you see enemy fighters, level out and stay above 280-300 km/h, this ensures you can at least follow one or two turns, to get a good shot in. If this fails, dive away and reposition.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very manoeuvrable
• Effective weaponry
• Above average climb rate

Cons:

• Quite slow
• Vital components not protected by armour

History

At the beginning of 1939, Finland was looking to purchase modern fighter aircraft. They contacted the USA with the only demand being that the plane was already in service and had the ability to use 87-octane fuel. 44 F2A-1 Buffalo fighters intended originally for the US Navy were sold to Finland after the USN agreed to wait for the F2A-2 variant instead. Model B-239E was built with a more powerful Wright R-1820-G5 engine producing 950 hp as opposed to the 940 hp Wright R-1820-34 engine used in USN planes and featured mountings allowing installation of four machine guns instead of two on the American counterpart. The planes were also de-navalised, which meant they weighed less while having better performance.

The planes were delivered in January and February 1940 to Bergen, Norway, then sent by railway to Sweden where they were assembled in SAAB factory at Trollhättan. There, they were equipped with armoured backrests, metric flight instruments, a domestic Väisälä T.h.m.40 gunsight, and four 12.7 mm machine guns. Unimpressed with the plane at first, the Finnish view on it changed drastically after a Brewster company test pilot demonstrated that the B-239E was able to out-turn the Fiat G.50 Freccia fighter, although it was slower in level flight than the G.50. None of the B-239s saw combat during the Winter War.

Finnish pilots regarded the B-239 as an easy to fly plane, while its relatively long range and easy maintenance allowed to keep them operational without much effort. It earned a reputation as one of the best Finnish fighters alongside the Fiat G.50 which had a kill-loss ratio of 33:1, while Lentolaivue 24 (Fighter Squadron 24) managed to score 26:1 ratio with 477 Soviet planes claimed destroyed with loss of only 19 B-239s. Finnish B-239s were in service from 1940 all the way to 1948 with the last eight remaining since the end of war in Lapland. The last victory of a B-239 over Soviet aircraft was claimed on 17th June 1944 near the Karelian Isthmus, while the last victory of a B-239 in WWII was achieved on 3rd October 1944 when HLeLV 26 intercepted German Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers and claimed two shot down.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the B-239 (Sweden) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• F2A (Family)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
Fighters	F2A-1 · Thach's F2A-1 · F2A-3
Export	▄B-239