Vautour IIA IDF/AF
This page is about the premium jet bomber Vautour IIA IDF/AF. For other versions, see Vautour (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Vautour IIA was a jet-powered attack aircraft designed by France during the 1950s. It was operated by Israel alongside the IIN variant. Armed with cannons and rockets, it was used in aerial reconnaissance duties but had the capabilities to perform Close Air Support missions thanks to its large amount of anti-ground ordnance. A total of 25 Vautour IIAs were sold to Israel from the inventories of the French Air Force. The aircraft participated in the Six Days War and Yom Kippur War, and was retired shortly after.
It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On" as a premium pack in the Gaijin store and was removed from the store with the introduction of the Update "Winged Lions". The Vautour IIA has very good flight performance compared to most bombers. The engines of the Vautour can beat most subsonic jets, both in top speed and acceleration. The aircraft has decent manoeuvrability for a bomber, and since it lacks any way to guide bombs precisely to its destination it's better used in low level attacks, flying close to the ground and dropping the bombs close to the target. These can be dangerous but is the most effective way to destroy enemy bases and ground units.
General info
Flight performance
The Vautour IIA IDF/AF has decent manoeuvrability for a bomber, but you shouldn't be turning with anything to begin with. Where this plane really shines is the acceleration owing to the two powerful engines in the underling nacelles and the heavy airframe, which makes it amazing in the vertical. But since you can't have everything, the wings will break in prolonged >7g manoeuvres. Essentially you don't want to do any insane manoeuvres and risk getting sent back to the hangar.
Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
Stock | 1,093 | 1,091 | 15000 | 32.6 | 33.2 | 43.0 | 41.1 | 900 |
Upgraded | 1,106 | 1,100 | 31.4 | 32.0 | 62.7 | 52.0 |
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 | + | - | ||
1,166 | 425 | 584 | 564 | 463 | ~7 | ~3 |
Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
< 480 | < 620 | < 590 | N/A |
Engine performance
Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine name | Number | Empty mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
SNECMA Atar 101E3 | 2 | 11,000 kg | 316 kg/m2 | |||
Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff Weight | ||||
Weight (each) | Type | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 27m fuel | ||
950 kg | Axial-flow turbojet | 11,974 kg | 13,388 kg | 14,213 kg | 21,000 kg | |
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%) | |||||
Condition | 100% | WEP | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 27m fuel | MTOW |
Stationary | 3,293 kgf | N/A | 0.55 | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.31 |
Optimal | 3,595 kgf (1,100 km/h) |
N/A | 0.60 | 0.54 | 0.51 | 0.34 |
Survivability and armour
- 2 mm steel behind rearmost fuel tank
- 2 mm steel in the rear fuselage
- 3 mm steel surrounding the pilot
- 6 mm steel in front of pilot's controls
- 13.5 mm steel in front of pilot's controls
- 13.5 mm steel headrest
- 50 mm bulletproof in front of pilot
- Self-sealing fuel tanks (4 in the fuselage, 1 in each wing)
The Vautour IIA IDF/AF can take quite a lot of punishment before going down due to the bomber's damage model.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Vautour IIA IDF/AF is armed with:
- 4 x 30 mm DEFA 551 cannons, nose-mounted (100 rpg = 400 total)
Suspended armament
The Vautour IIA IDF/AF can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100/50 kg G.P. bombs | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
250/50 kg G.P. bombs | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
360/50 kg G.P. bombs | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
500/50 kg G.P. bombs | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
SNEB type 23 rockets | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | ||
T10 140 rockets | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||
T10 151 rockets | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||
Shafrir missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Default weapon presets | |
---|---|
|
Usage in battles
- The usual "rush the base and run away" style that all Jet bombers can do and excel at. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's not where the Vautour excels.
- Ignore all the other payloads and load up on missiles. This arguably the more interesting way to play, but there are risks involved as well. i.e. having the whole enemy team pick the Vautour as a priority target.
If you take the missiles, here's how you want to play it:
Look for high altitude dots, these usually mean other jet bombers or the odd Tu-4. The missiles are not that effective at a range greater then 1 km. The farther that missiles are fired, the greater the chance of the locked-on enemy have in evading the missile. On the off hand that the first missile misses, the Vautour has four of them, so a follow-up shot is an encouraged option.
Once in a while, look around and support your team, especially the teammates that are engaging the enemy. If an ally has an enemy at their tail, work around towards the enemy's rear and fire off a missile to take care of them. This can be beneficial if a long chain of alternating enemy and ally fighters have got together, as each of them try to hit the fighter at their front and evade the fighter at their tail. If able to pounce on these chains, come in from the very rear and take out the very last enemy fighter in this chain. This will either cause the chain to break-up, potentially freeing up pressure on your allies, or the chain will continue without noticing the Vautour's presence. In the latter case, continue towards the next enemy and take them out one-by-one.
Once all missiles are expended, switch to the guns, which are powerful enough to take care of any enemies unfortunate to be in front of them. However, high-speeds will cause the controls to be less responsive, so fine-manoeuvring for these gun-runs may be difficult. If the gun pass misses, itch up and use the Vautour's amazing vertical energy retention to reset and try again. Usually the guns don't get much use as the missiles will completely overshadow them.
Overall, this plane destroys people who don't pay attention and or make bad plays. The most effective way to lock it down is to simply look back sporadically, just to make sure nothing's behind you.
- Enemies of note
F-100's: These things will out speed you and outmanoeuvre you in the vertical. If one happens to latch onto your 6, drag him away from his friends and force him to overshoot. Then, assuming the reversal was successful, throw a missile at them. Most F-100 may not be aware that the Vautour has missiles, and so firing off a missile can destroy the F-100 while it is supersonic.
Vautours: The Vautour's great performance means its greatest enemy is going to be itself. Be especially wary on maps like Hokkaido, where there's thick cloud cover. They have a tendency to come out of nowhere, destroy you and retreat back into the cloud cover like some air-borne monster.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good top speed, able to keep up with fighters at its rank
- Good energy retention
- Versatile, has access to a wide range of ordnance including air-to-air missiles
- Great guns
Cons:
- Poor manoeuvrability
- Vulnerable to missiles, has difficulty dodging them
- Transonic and supersonic aircraft can easily match your speed
- Shafrir missiles are only slightly better than AIM-9Bs
- Missiles have a very limited range, 2.5 km optimal range
- No bombing sight
- Unguided rockets are inaccurate
History
The French Vautour twin-engine bomber had been produced in three variants between 1956 and 1959. In 1960, after four years in service, the French Armee de l'Air divested itself of its 25 surviving Vautour II-A single seat ground attack planes, along with its 40 II-B two-seater bombers, selling them to Israel, which kept them in service until the 1970s.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
SNCA SO (Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest) | |
---|---|
Fighters | S.O.8000 Narval |
Jet Fighters | S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late) |
Jet Bombers | S.O.4050 Vautour IIA · S.O.4050 Vautour IIB · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN |
Export | Vautour IIA IDF/AF · Vautour IIA · Vautour IIN |
France jet aircraft | |
---|---|
Fighters | M.D.450B Ouragan · M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA · Super Mystere B2 |
▄F-86K · ▄F-100D · ▄F-8E(FN) | |
Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan · Mirage 5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 4000 | |
Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT | |
Strike aircraft | ▄F-84F · F-84F IAF · ▄F-84G-26-RE |
Etendard IVM · Super Etendard · Alpha Jet E | |
Jaguar A · Jaguar E · Mirage 2000D-R1 | |
Bombers | S.O.4050 Vautour IIA · Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIB · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN (late) |
Belgium | ▄Meteor F Mk.8 · ▄Mirage 5BA · ▄F-104G · ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM |
Netherlands | ▄Sea Hawk Mk.50 · ◘Hunter F.6 |
France premium aircraft | |
---|---|
Fighters | D.371 H.S.9 · Pallier's D.510 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · F-6C-10-NA |
M.B.152C1 · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900 · S.O.8000 Narval | |
Jet fighters | ▄Sea Hawk Mk.50 · Milan · Mirage F1C-200 |
Strike aircraft | ▄AD-4NA · F-84F IAF |
Bombers | Late 298D · ▄PBY-5A Late |
Jet bombers | Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN |