Sea Venom FAW 20

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This page is about the British naval jet fighter Sea Venom FAW 20. For the standard version, see Venom FB.4.
sea_venom_faw20.png
GarageImage Sea Venom FAW 20.jpg
Sea Venom FAW 20
Research:61 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:340 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

Following the development of the de Havilland Venom for the RAF, the Royal Navy also expressed an interest in acquiring the aircraft for its Fleet Air Arm. The twin-seat night-fighter variant NF.2 was modified to be suitable for aircraft carriers, featuring a strengthened undercarriage, folding wings, and tailhook. This first navalised variant was designated the Sea Venom FAW.20, operating as naval interceptors from 1951. It eventually began to be replaced by the de Havilland Sea Vixen in 1959, with the final units withdrawn from second-line service in 1970.

Introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March", the Sea Venom is a shadow of its land-based sibling, with remnants of its power and manoeuvrability marred by the significant increase in weight from the naval modifications. However, with its relatively advanced airframe and nonetheless powerful engine, the lower BR causes the Sea Venom to be one of the fastest aircraft at the BR. Unlike the Venom, turnfighting should be avoided, as the Sea Venom will lose significant amounts of energy while doing so and will soon end up floating in the air. Instead, use its speed to make fast passes against unsuspecting opponents, and quickly zoom away from danger before they can even think about giving chase.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear
Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier
Air brakes
Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps
Max speed
at 3 048 m985 km/h
Turn time25 s
Max altitude12 192 m
Enginede Havilland Ghost-103
TypeJet
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight7 t

The Sea Venom is a relatively light jet but heavy compared to other planes it will face, especially prop planes. Despite the high agility of the Venom compared to other jets, it is really mediocre against prop planes as most of them will outturn you within seconds. It maintains energy much better than it is to turn, meaning the Sea Venom should be flown as a Boom and Zoom plane rather than a turn fighter. Its acceleration isn't impressive compared to other jets and almost subpar to even prop planes. The Venom will lose a tremendous amount of energy when trying to turn fight a plane. Fighting at sea level is the way to go of this plane as only a couple of planes, like the MiG-15 will be able to catch you up. Be aware of jets like Sea Hawk Mk.100 as they have air-to-air missiles which will catch you up.

Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 3,048 m)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 935 908 12192 26.1 26.8 22.9 21.5 850
Upgraded 1,033 985 24.2 25.0 33.5 28.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear Drogue chute
X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
1,045 420 425 393 320 ~9 ~4
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 650 < 640 < 640 N/A

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
de Havilland Ghost-103 1 4,707 kg 246 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Takeoff
Weight
Weight (each) Type 9m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 32m fuel
1,000 kg Centrifugal-flow turbojet 5,211 kg 5,747 kg 6,267 kg 6,387 kg 7,080 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition 100% WEP 9m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 32m fuel MTOW
Stationary 2,100 kgf N/A 0.40 0.37 0.34 0.33 0.30
Optimal 2,100 kgf
(0 km/h)
N/A 0.40 0.37 0.34 0.33 0.30

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear420 km/h
  • 3 mm Steel plate under the jet engine.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 474 → 4 742 Sl icon.png
RB9 800 → 13 377 Sl icon.png
SB12 459 → 17 006 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications102 300 Rp icon.png
164 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training98 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 800 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
130 / 370 / 600 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
27 000 Sl icon.png
580 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
17 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
27 000 Sl icon.png
580 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
hispano_belt_pack
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods weapon.png
hispano_mk5_new_gun
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png

The engine is somewhat underpowered, so it is recommended to research compressor and engine modifications first for better acceleration and top speed.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Ammunition600 rounds
Fire rate750 shots/min
Main article: Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)

The Sea Venom FAW 20 is armed with:

  • 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, nose-mounted (150 rpg = 600 total)

Usage in battles

The Sea Venom has a fully air fighting role as the lack of ordnance and penetration for the 20 mm cannons make the aircraft useless for CAS or ground attack. The Sea Venom has 2 primary combat roles, as well as 1 last resort:

Bomber hunter:

The radar, speed, acceleration, and firepower make this jet usable for bomber hunting, especially when on cloudy maps as many planes at the BR lack radar. Pilots should use 30° climb to gain speed and altitude to be able to hunt bombers (always use aircraft carrier take-off when possible). Depending on the type of bomber that the Sea Venom encounters (jet bomber or prop bomber), tactics should vary.

For jet bombers:

Ar 234 B-2, Ar 234 C-3, IL-28 (all variants), etc, the pilot must try to use their agility to their advantage as most of them carry both offensive and defensive weaponry and sometimes will try to dogfight you (with exception of Ar 234 B-2 and B-57A). IL-28 should be approached carefully as the 23 mm offensive and defensive cannons can tear the Sea Venom apart with small bursts. Use your speed to your advantage.

For prop bombers:

B-29/Tu-4, etc, the pilot must use boom and zoom tactics as big planes lack agility but have powerful firepower. These aircraft should be approached as any other prop bomber (head-on or from below). Be aware of B-29 and Tu-4 as both have ventral turrets that will harm you, approach them in a head-on or in a frontal arc of 45° (blind spot for most turrets) or in a very steep angle from above (although this should not be the main angle of approach as both B-29 and Tu-4 have a turret elevation of 89°).

Air superiority fighter:

The Sea Venom is one of the fastest jets at its BR (909 km/h at sea level with no upgrades) and will outrun most planes when energy is kept. Do not attempt to turn fight as you will lose a tremendous amount of energy and most planes will outturn you (Ho 229, Kikka, etc). Boom and zoom and do not be afraid of running, most planes will not be able to chase you. Do not attempt to outrun enemy jets when uptiered as aircraft like MiG-15 will catch you easily.

Bait:

This tactic should be a last resort when you are unable to take down any aircraft. The Sea Venom is a pretty easy target due to its small and tight cabin and small wingspan (although this can sometimes be beneficial) but can be used as bait for enemy planes for the same reason. Let friendlies deal with them while you grab their attention.

Radars

Main article: AI Mk. X

The sea venom is equipped with an AI Mk. X search radar, located in the nose of the aircraft.

AI Mk. X
Target Detection Radar
Maximum
Detection
Range
Guaranteed
Detection
Range
Max Azimuth
Scan Angle
Max Elevation
Scan Angle
14,000 m 8,500 m ±75° -20°/+40°

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Adequate ammo supply of 600 rounds (150 RPG)
  • Able to land on carriers in case an airfield is not available
  • Able to take off from carriers, allowing acceleration from 0 to 300 km/h in couple seconds
  • Good turn time and roll rate
  • Good at defensive flying
  • Very good at diving with a high rip speed of 1,040 km/h IAS
  • Retains energy well
  • Low compression at high speeds
  • Faster than most aircraft it faces when down-tiered
  • Has access to a search radar (max range 18 km, fast sweep)

Cons:

  • G-LOCs easily
  • Does not prepare you well for top rank combat (for new top tier pilots in air realistic battles)
  • No payload (for tank realistic battles)
  • Subpar acceleration
  • Rudder effectiveness is inadequate, due to small size

History

Development

The Sea Venom, designed to succeed the de Havilland Sea Hornet, was the first all-weather jet-propelled fighter aircraft of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Initially without folding wings, the initial Sea Venom prototypes were trialled aboard HMS Illustrious in July 1951. After a further two years of testing, the Sea Venom F.A.W. 20 designation models entered production in March 1953, forty were constructed over two years, finishing in June 1955.[1]

Further Sea Venom developments culminated in the production of F.A.W. 21 and 22 variants, respectively. These variants made improvements to the control surfaces and canopy; and incorporated upgraded ejection seats and American manufactured radar. The Sea Venom made great strides in safety in many areas, examples include the strengthened catapult and arrestor hook capability which increased the safety of take-off and landing; and the canopy advancements which allowed it to be jettisoned from the aircraft when submerged underwater. These were essential upgrades as the early F.A.W. Sea Venoms lacked any ejector seat at all which caused pilots great risk.[2]

Overall, 256 units of the de Havilland Sea Venom were produced and delivered to the Fleet Air Arm.[1]

Operation

During their service life, Sea Venoms saw significant combat. Their activity peaked with their involvement in the 1956 Suez Crisis, in which five squadrons of Sea Venoms conducted ground-strike sorties from their deployed carriers HMS Albion and HMS Eagle.[1]

Due to the all-weather nature of the aircraft, they were uniquely able to intercept jet bombers at night. Slight modifications to the breathing apparatus and oxygen distribution allowed the aircraft to reach these heights, though after the late mid-fifties they were decreasingly in consideration for interception duties.[3]

The Sea Venom is also credited with the first operational firing of Firestreak infrared guided missiles by a Royal Navy fighter squadron aircraft, after successfully destroying drone targets in an exercise off the coast of Malta in 1959.

After the Sea Venom's retirement from carrier service in 1960, it was subsequently replaced by the de Havilland Sea Vixen. It was retired from ground service at RNAS Yeovilton in October 1970.[1]

Devblog

The carrier-based Sea Venom FAW.20 fighter appeared as a version of the two-seater (seats for the pilot and radar operator) ground-launched Venom NF.Mk2 fighter, fitted with radar equipment. At the request of the navy, the base interceptor was equipped with an arrestor hook, a "folding" mechanism to store the wings for convenient storage on aircraft carriers, and a tail bumper to protect the tail unit from strikes on the deck. The aircraft completed testing and went into service with the "all-weather fighter" designation (FAW – Fighter, All-Weather).

Media

Skins

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

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Thetford, O. (1991) British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, pp. 111-13.
  2. Hobbs, D. (1992) Aircraft of the Royal Navy since 1945. Liskeard: Maritime Books Duloe, p. 18.
  3. Jackson, A. (1987) De Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, pp. 479-82.


De Havilland Aircraft Company Limited
Fighters  Hornet Mk.I · Hornet Mk.III · Mosquito FB Mk VI · Mosquito FB Mk XVIII
Jet fighters  Vampire F.B.5 · Venom FB.4 · Sea Venom FAW 20 · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2
Export  Mosquito FB.Mk.26 ·Vampire FB 52A(Italy) · ▄Vampire FB 52A(Finland) · A28B

Britain jet aircraft
Blackburn  Buccaneer S.1 · Buccaneer S.2 · Buccaneer S.2B
British Aerospace  Harrier GR.7 · Sea Harrier FRS.1 (e) · Sea Harrier FRS.1 · Sea Harrier FA 2
British Aircraft Corporation  Strikemaster Mk.88
English Electric  Canberra B Mk 2 · Canberra B (I) Mk 6 · Lightning F.6 · Lightning F.53
Gloster  Meteor F Mk 3 · Sea Meteor F Mk 3 · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41F · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41G · Meteor F Mk.8 G.41K · Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper
  Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9
de Havilland  Vampire F.B.5 · Venom FB.4 · Sea Venom FAW 20 · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2
Hawker  Sea Hawk FGA.6 · Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9 · Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3
Panavia  Tornado GR.1 · Tornado F.3 · Tornado F.3 Late
SEPECAT  Jaguar GR.1 · Jaguar GR.1A · Jaguar IS
Supermarine  Attacker FB 1 · Attacker FB.2 · Scimitar F Mk.1 · Swift F.1 · Swift F.7
Foreign  Phantom FG.1 (USA) · Phantom FGR.2 (USA) · F-4J(UK) Phantom II (USA)
Australia  F-111C
India  ▄MiG-21 Bison
South Africa  ▄JAS39C