B18B
| This page is about the Swedish bomber B18B. For other versions, see SAAB 18 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The B18B is a rank III Swedish bomber with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB), 4.0 (RB), and 3.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".
Sweden had been using the Ju 86K (export version of the German Ju 86) or the B3C bomber as their main bomber. In 1938 a requirement was put forth to Swedish aircraft manufactures for a fast reconnaissance aircraft with a crew of three. SAAB was awarded the contract for the project and began to build the SAAB 18 alongside the smaller SAAB B17 bomber. At this point the B17 had the facilities priorities in construction, however, the B18 was modified from being just a reconnaissance aircraft to also being a medium bomber. The mid-project changes caused a significant delay in the production of the aircraft which didn't roll out for duty until mid-1944.
Initially, the B18A aircraft was deemed underpowered with the two Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engines, but would later be replaced by license-built Daimler-Benz DB 605 liquid-cooled engines. Later the B18B variant was modified to operate as a dive bomber/ground attack variant which could be outfitted with three 120 kg bombs or 12 m/51 rockets which could utilize both the internal bomb bay and hardpoints on under the wings. A single defensive positions utilised two 13.2 mm Akan m/39 machine guns which had limited coverage the rear dorsal position of the aircraft. The pilot was in control of a single 13.2 mm m/39A machine gun.
The B18B was a multi-role aircraft which filled a need for the Swedish air forces, which continued on until 1959. This bomber can operate in two roles, either as a medium-altitude bomber working on destroying vehicles and anti-aircraft artillery targets or to bomb enemy bases. Flying at a higher altitude will help to avoid a majority of the fighter aircraft which tend to stay at the lower altitudes. The B18B can also be pressed into service in the lower altitudes and even on the deck. When outfitted with rockets, the B18B can dive-bomb ground targets to include tanks, bunkers, anti-aircraft artillery and naval ships.
General info
Flight performance
The aircraft performs extremely well, and can outrun anything. Its turn time is good, can out-turn most twin engine fighters. It has a really good rate of climb, and an excellent dive speed. The only issue with the flight performance is that it bleeds energy when you have the payload options strapped on.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 549 | 533 | 10000 | 28.1 | 28.9 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 400 |
| Upgraded | 593 | 570 | 26.0 | 27.0 | 15.9 | 11.5 | ||
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 735 | 320 | 467 | 438 | 290 | ~9 | ~3 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 370 | < 350 | < 400 | > 420 |
Survivability and armour
- 10 mm steel - cockpit floor under pilot's seat
- 10 mm steel - pilot's seatback
- 10 mm steel - rear gunner protective plate
- 10 mm steel - cockpit floor under gunner's seat
- 10 mm steel - aft protective plate
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
The priority modules are the guns and bombs. Get all the bombs and guns and the first set of rockets. Save the other two for last. After the weaponry, go for all the engine modules, then wings repair and survivability mods, then go fuselage repair and lastly the other rockets.
Armaments
Offensive armament
The B18B is armed with:
- 1 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39A machine gun, nose-mounted (300 rpg)
This heavy machine gun is great against planes as well as against open-topped and lightly-armoured vehicles.
Suspended armament
The B18B can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg sb m/42 bombs | 4 | 10 | 4 | ||||
| 250 kg mb m/40 bombs | 3 | ||||||
| 500 kg mb m/41 bombs | 2 | ||||||
| 600 kg mb m/50 bombs | 2 | ||||||
| hprak m/49 rockets | 2 | ||||||
| psrak m/49B rockets | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| srak m/51 rockets | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Maximum permissible loadout weight: 1,620 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 450 kg | |||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
50 kg bombs are useful to attack soft ground targets and a bad choice for destroying bases. 250 kg bombs are great for destroying lightly-armoured vehicles, even without a direct hit. 500 kg bombs work well against medium and heavy tanks. 600 kg bombs are great against large collections of ground targets but several bombs are needed to destroy a base. With their high penetration, psrak m/49B HEAT rockets are good at destroying tanks but need a direct hit in order to deal major damage. Srak m/51 SAP-HE rockets need direct hits too and several rockets are required to overpressure a tank.
Defensive armament
The B18B is defended by:
- 1 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39 machine gun, dorsal turret (300 rpg)
- 1 x 13.2 mm Akan m/39 machine gun, ventral turret (300 rpg)
Both machine guns are great against attacking planes.
Usage in battles
The B18B is a really good aircraft in all game modes. Its frontal armament is really powerful, using HEF shells. It does have a low ammo count of 300 for all guns, including the turrets. The B18B is a good bomber hunter, as you'll be facing He 111's which have such poor defensive armaments. You can easily destroy axis bombers with this plane. The G4M1 and He-111 don't hold a candle to this bomber. You can use this plane in all roles, even fighter. The list is below for realistic battles.
Bomber: This plane can carry enough bomb to destroy 2 and a half bases on maps with three bases, and 1 base on new maps with its max bomb payload. Once you drop your payload, you can kill any remaining bombers or fighters still hanging around. Remember, if an aircraft is on your six, outspeed them and use your turrets to your advantage.
Ground Attacker/CAS: With 12 rockets and 2 x 600 kg bombs, this plane is a devastating ground attacker. It can penetrate 500 mm of armour with the M/49A and is really good at getting rockets on target. The bombs will one shot anything in a huge radius. It is a great aircraft for ground support. Watch out for SPAAs though, as they will find you a large and easy target.
Fighter/Bomber Hunter: The 13 mm is absolutely devastating. When you prepare to engage a bomber, go head-on, and try to bait them into getting behind you. Use your turrets from below where they have no coverage, and aim for the cockpit. For fighter engagements, you need to ask yourself three things. Am I faster than them? Am I higher than them? Can I dive at least 1.5 km? If one of them is yes, go for the engagement. If none are yes, run away, and use your good turret coverage and acceleration to fly away.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Not controllable | Controllable Auto control available |
Controllable Auto control available |
Controllable Auto control available |
Separate | Not controllable 1 gear |
Not controllable |
It is advisable to keep the radiators at 20%, and the prop pitch on 95%, since you are traveling at high speeds.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Extremely quick for a twin engine aircraft, especially at altitude. Able to cruise at ~560 km/h @ 5 km and even run away from some single-engine fighters
- Blisteringly fast maximum top speed, able to reach almost 900 km/h without ripping wings, possibly fastest twin engine prop in the game
- Above average climb rate for an aircraft of its size
- Defensive guns will melt any enemies that attack from behind
- Air spawn gives it a good opportunity for chasing down enemy bombers with its superior speed
- Versatile secondary weapons allow it to take on a variety of roles
- Very strong ground attacker, carries 12 rockets, 2 x 600 kg bombs, perfect CAS plane
- Low repair costs for Swedish standards
- Really effective airbrakes
- 13.2 mm machine guns have HEF bullets, which make them more potent than the already powerful 50 cals.
Cons:
- Gunners are vulnerable and die easily
- Higher than average chance of getting set on fire
- Single forward facing 13.2 mm inadequate for taking down larger aircraft like the BV 238
- Very nose heavy when landing, must take great care not to tip forward and crash, leave the airbrake retracted when landing
- As with most DB engine aircraft, the cooling system is vulnerable and you will find yourself overheating after only a few hits
- Low ammo count of 300 rounds per gun for each gun, including the turrets. It is advisable to reload your turrets after an engagement
History
The B18B is a dive bomber variant of the Saab 18 bomber used by the Swedish air force during and after the Second World War. Initially designed to replace the older Ju 86 bombers in Swedish service, the Saab 18 series were capable of fulfilling fast reconnaissance, bomber and attack roles. The B18B was the second variant of the Saab 18 family after the B18A and served as a dive-bomber. The aircraft was later developed into the T18B, a dedicated attack aircraft, and served well into the 1950s before being retired.
The B18B was an improved version of the prior B18A dive bomber and featured numerous improvements: notably, the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engines were replaced with more-powerful license-built DB 605 inline engines. Additionally, later B18Bs had one less defensive weapon as the underside turret was removed; this was a relatively small change given that the weapon had extremely limited firing angles making it quite ineffective. The B18B retained the bomb load of the B18A and was capable of carrying up to 2 x 600 kg bombs internally, along with eight 50 kg bombs or twelve rockets on wing racks.
The B18B first flew in July of 1944 and soon entered service with the Swedish air force, with a total of 119 aircraft built. The aircraft was later developed into the T18B, which was originally designed to serve as a torpedo bomber but ended up as an attack aircraft, fitted with additional frontal-firing weapons including a 57 mm cannon. In the late 1940s, the three-man crew was reduced to two, and the aircraft were fitted with ejection seats. The B18B was finally phased out in the late 1950s, replaced by the Saab 32 Lansen. A single example survives today at the Swedish Air Force Museum as the only Saab 18 still intact.
Media
- Skins
- Images
Side rearview B18B
Frontal view B18B
See also
- Related development
External links
| Swedish Aeroplane Company Ltd. (SAAB) | |
|---|---|
| Pre-SAAB: SA / ASJA | |
| SA 'Jaktfalken' | J6B |
| SAAB 17 | B17A · B17B · S17BS |
| SAAB 18 | B18A · B18B · T18B · T18B (57) |
| SAAB 21 | J21A-1 · J21A-2 · A21A-3 · J21RA · A21RB |
| SAAB 29 'Tunnan' | J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F |
| SAAB 32 'Lansen' | J32B · A32A · A32A Röd Adam |
| SAAB 35 'Draken' | J35A · J35D |
| SAAB 37 'Viggen' | JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 · AJ37 · AJS37 |
| SAAB 39 'Gripen' | JAS39A · JAS39C |
| SAAB 105 | SK60B · SAAB-105G |
| License Production | B3C (Ju 86K) |
| Export | SAAB-105OE · J35XS · ▄JAS39C · ◔JAS39EBS HU C |
| Sweden bombers | |
|---|---|
| B3 | B3C |
| B17 | B17A · B17B · S17BS |
| SAAB 18 | B18A · B18B · T18B · T18B (57) |
| T 2 | T 2 |
| Finland | ▄Ar 196 A-5 · ▄Ju 88 A-4 |
