VB.10-02
| This page is about the French twin-engine fighter VB.10-02. For the other version, see VB.10C-1. |
Contents
Description
The VB.10-02 is a rank III French twin-engine fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB), 4.7 (RB), and 4.0 (SB). This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France".
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 679 | 660 | 11000 | 25.4 | 26.5 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 700 |
| Upgraded | 745 | 710 | 23.1 | 24.0 | 20.4 | 15.4 | ||
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 | + | - | ||
| 820 | 450 | 520 | 520 | 320 | ~11 | ~6 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 380 | < 380 | < 540 | > 340 |
| Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 3,000 m | 1,200 hp | 1,536 hp |
| Setting 2 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 8,000 m | 1,120 hp | 1,433 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 50 mm Bulletproof glass in front and rear of the cockpit.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The VB.10-02 is armed with:
- 4 x 20 mm Hispano 404 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 600 total)
- 6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)
The six machine guns and four cannons are arranged in bundles of three and two respectively when mounted in each wing. Each of the cannons contains the same number of rounds and each of the machine guns respectively contains the same number of rounds, however, if fired continuously, the cannons will run out of ammunition before the machine guns will.
Usage in battles
Like most heavy fighters, the VB. 10-02 does well with a somewhat passive playstyle. Poor maneuverability means that dogfights against single engined fighters are generally a bad idea, and boom and zoom tactics should be used instead. Your biggest threats are G55s and G-series Bf109s, as they can outperform you in every aspect other than diving speed. Due to the mediocre climb speed and a fairly low altitude air spawn, most single engined fighters will climb to 4-5 kilometers before you, so side-climbing is recommended. While the plane is lacking in armor, the excellent armament does allow you to win headons more often than not.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Controllable | Controllable Not auto controlled |
Controllable Not auto controlled |
Controllable Not auto controlled |
Separate | Controllable 2 gears |
Not controllable |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent firepower
- Has an air spawn
- Elevator doesn't lock up much at high speed
- Very good ammunition capacity, especially on the 50cal machineguns
- Great acceleration in a dive, high wing rip speed
- Maintains speed well after a dive, even if the maximum level flight speed is exceeded
Cons:
- Below average climb rate and acceleration
- Poor roll rate
- Stock 20mm guns jam very quickly
- Below average turn rate
- Poor rudder effectiveness at high speeds
- Engines overheat quickly under WEP
History
Arsenal first replaced the dual Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 860 hp engines with the new 12Z-12/13 version, which increased the VB.10-02 horsepower to 1150. The cockpit canopy was also redesigned into a teardrop shape, and weapons were added to it.
Even before the second prototype was tested, the French government, already impressed by projected performance figures, ordered 200 of the aircraft. Unfortunately, because jet propulsion was increasingly seen as the future of fighter planes, interest in piston-engine fighters steadily dropped thereafter. In addition, while the French air force was establishing their own fleet of jet aircraft, they used American and British piston engine fighters as transitional equipment.
Due to waning interest and the use of allied planes in the interim, the French Air Force ultimately cancelled its initial order for the 200 VB.10-02 aircraft in September 1948, after the fourth production aircraft had been delivered. As a result, only six VB.10 aircraft were produced: the two initial prototype models, and the four production models.
- From Devblog
Media
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
| Arsenal Aeronautical (Arsenal de l'Aéronautique) | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | VB.10-02 · VB.10C-1 |
| V.G.33C-1 | |
| France twin-engine fighters and strike aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Twin-engine fighters | Potez 630 · Potez 631 · VB.10C-1 · VB.10-02 |
| Strike aircraft | Br.693AB2 · ▄AD-4 · ▄AD-4NA |
| Netherlands | |
| Twin-engine fighters | ◗Fokker G.IA |
| Strike aircraft | ◘Firefly F.Mk.IV |
