Difference between revisions of "Me 264"

Visual (beta)Wikitext

Revision as of 07:04, 29 February 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles

Su-25K Pack

BUY

Me 264

He 111 H-16

Do 217 E-2

Me 264

AB	RB	SB
4.3	5.0	5.0

Class:

Bomber

Long Range bomber

Research:18 000

Purchase:47 000

Show in game

Description

The Me 264 was Messerschmitt's submission to the German Air Ministry's specification for a long-range heavy bomber. Hitler reportedly boasted to Mussolini that Germany would have bombers that could fly all the way to the east coast of the United States by 1941. Messerschmitt had thought of creating a long-range aircraft before and finally saw the Amerika Bomber project as a way to design and produce them. Messerschmitt had tough competition like Junkers and Dornier who had an immense amount of experience building bombers. The final design included four engines and had a range of around 7,000 miles (11,265 km). Eventually, the Me 264 failed to compete with the performance of competition like the Junkers 390, Junkers' proposal with six engines. The Kriegsmarine expressed interest in the project and planned to repurpose the Me 264 as a reconnaissance aircraft for the U-boats. However, Doenitz saw the failures of the program and managed to talk Hitler out of it. Finally, after the prototypes were damaged by the Allied bombing campaigns and constant setbacks, Hermann Göring ordered work be stopped on the Me 264.

Introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy", the Me 264 is a powerful and strong heavy bomber. It features an excellent bomb load of up to two 1,800 kg bombs and three 250 kg bombs totalling 4,350 kg. It also has strong defensive capabilities, with two 13 mm turrets and three 20 mm turrets. Combined with the very high altitude bomber air spawn, the Me 264 is a very difficult aircraft for opponents to attack. It's also quite fast for a bomber with an impressive top speed of 519 km/h (324 mph). Players will be satisfied with its performance and capability against both ground targets and enemy aircraft.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 6 000 m519 km/h

Turn time37 s

Max altitude10 000 m

Engine4 х Junkers Jumo 213E

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight56 t

The first thing the player will notice is the plane's similarity to the famed B-29, as it shares a similarly designed fuselage and glazed nose, but a different twin tail instead of the large single tail on the B-29. Despite being a heavy bomber, the Me 264 is quite responsive and manoeuvrable. However, you are still a heavy bomber and you shouldn't try to turn with anyone. It is also quite speedy for its rank and classification, able to out-speed some of the planes at its BR when at altitude. In addition to its powerful engines, the Me 264 can be equipped with rocket boosters that provide additional thrust for a short time. The keybind to activate the feature can be set in Controls > Aircraft > Mechanization > Ignite boosters. These boosters will only appear if the bomber spawns on an airfield.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
Characteristics	AB	RB	Max altitude (metres)	AB	RB	AB	RB	Take-off run (metres)
Stock	494	477	10000	38.4	39.4	1.2	1.2	900
Upgraded	546	519	10000	35.8	37.0	6.6	3.5	900

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
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
609	309	370	357	290	~6	~3

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 340	< 350	< 290	> 290

Survivability and armour

Crew9 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear309 km/h

7 mm steel behind and to the left of pilot
9 mm steel to the right of pilot
Self-sealing fuel tanks located throughout the wings
Unarmoured pilots (can be knocked out in head-ons)

Despite not being well armoured, the Me 264 Amerikabomber can take quite a beating and has a knack for surviving fires. Due to its four engines, it can lose one or two and still make it back to base for repairs. However, it is one of the largest planes in the game and thus is impossible to miss, so while you can take a lot of damage, you will be receiving a lot as well.

Although it doesn't have a lot of armour, it has the guns to make up for it. With 3 x MG 151/20's that have access to the dreaded Minengeschoß high-explosive incendiary round complemented by another 3 x MG 131 heavy machine guns, as a few well-placed shots will make short work of any attacker that recklessly tails you.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB939 → 1 281

RB2 341 → 3 195

SB3 972 → 5 421

Total cost of modifications19 560

32 000

Talisman cost980

Crew training13 000

Experts47 000

Aces400

Research Aces280 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

70 / 160 / 300 %

136 / 136 / 136 %

Modifications

Flight performance

Survivability

Weaponry

Fuselage repair Research: 990 Cost: 1 600 120	Radiator Research: 990 Cost: 1 600 120
Airframe Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 135	Compressor Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 135
Wings repair Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 000 145	Engine Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 000 145
Cover Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 600 195	Engine injection Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 600 195

EFS

Research:

1 600

Cost:

2 600

195

mg131_turret_belt_pack Research: 990 Cost: 1 600 120		SC 500 Research: 990 Cost: 1 600 120
	mg15120_turret_belt_pack Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 135	SC 1000 Research: 1 100 Cost: 1 800 135
mg131_turret_new_gun Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 000 145		SC 1800 Research: 1 200 Cost: 2 000 145
	mg15120_turret_new_gun Research: 1 600 Cost: 2 600 195

The stock payload is quite poor, so pick up the ETC 500/II modification first, followed by the 20 mm belts to add more Minengeschoß rounds, then the ETC 1000/I and ETC 1800. The rest of the modules are up to you, but survivability modules are recommended to withstand the beating you will be getting.

Armaments

Suspended armament

List of setups (6)

Setup 19 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Setup 26 x 500 kg SC500K bomb
3 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Setup 34 x 1000 kg SC1000L2 bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Setup 42 x 1800 kg SC1800B bomb
3 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Setup 54 x 1000 kg PC1000 armor-piercing bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Setup 62 x 1600 kg PC1600 armor-piercing bomb
3 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x
1 x

Main articles: SC250JA (250 kg), SC500K (500 kg), SC1000L2 (1,000 kg), SC1800B (1,800 kg)

Main articles: PC1000 (1,000 kg), PC1600 (1,600 kg)

The Me 264 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

9 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (2,250 kg total)
6 x 500 kg SC500K bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (3,750 kg total)
4 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bombs (4,000 kg total)
2 x 1,800 kg SC1800B bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (4,350 kg total)
4 x 1,000 kg PC1000 bombs (4,000 kg total)
2 x 1,600 kg PC1600 bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (3,950 kg total)

With a massive 4,000 kg payload, the Me 264 has the second-best payload of any non-premium German bomber and one of the best payloads at its battle rating. Ideally, you should use the 4 x 1,000 kg bombs for destroying bases, as this payload has more TNT (2,400 kg TNT) than 2 x 1,800 kg + 3 x 250 kg payload (2,375 kg TNT) despite being lighter. But keep in mind that you cannot destroy a base in one go in Arcade Battles no matter the payload you choose even if you drop all of your bombs a little percentage of the base's health will remain and you have to drop another bomb to finish the base but in Realistic Battles you can destroy up to 2 bases with your 4 x 1,000 kg bombs.

For the mixed bomb loads, the rule of thumb is that the heaviest bombs drop first and the lighter 250 kg bombs drop last.

Defensive armament

2 х Turret20 mm MG 151 cannon

Ammunition450 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

Turret20 mm MG 151 cannon

Ammunition750 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

Turret13 mm MG 131 machine gun

Ammunition750 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

2 х Turret13 mm MG 131 machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate900 shots/min

Main articles: MG 151 (20 mm), MG 131 (13 mm)

The Me 264 is defended by:

1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, nose turret (750 rpg)
1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, front dorsal turret (450 rpg)
1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, rear dorsal turret (450 rpg)
1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, ventral turret (750 rpg)
1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (500 rpg)

Usage in battles

The Me 264 plays like your typical heavy bomber: a slow and lumbering beast that has amazing defensive armament and a good payload. While you may have one of the best defensive armaments in the German bomber line (or out of bombers in general), it is best to avoid engagements all together to minimize potential damage due to your massive size. However, if an enemy gets on your tail, they're as good as dead thanks to your superb defensive armament that can shred through planes like paper. Never allow a plane to head-on you. Be sure to face your tail towards the attacker, as more than half of your guns face towards the back and your glazed nose makes it easy to snipe your pilot out.

Due to the Me 264's painfully slow turning circle, fly for a bit before turning around in case you miss a base. Turning around prematurely can result in the base being missed once again. Once you have expended all your bombs, reduce throttle to 0-20% and gradually descend towards your airfield. Unlike other German bombers of this rank, its wings are surprisingly tolerant of higher speeds but it is still important to monitor speeds to avoid overload.

Notable enemies include any heavily armed interceptor that has at least semi-decent performance, but notably the P-61, P-38J, Mosquito and the P-47Ds, as all of these planes can climb to your altitude and destroy you with their heavy armament.

The P-61 and P-38J are some of the most deadly, as their powerful armament can tear you in half, especially the P-61 with its quad AN/M2 20 mm cannons. Focus fire on the cockpit in order to snipe the pilot.

The Mosquito is a sort of push-pull. While you can down it easily due to its wooden construction, it can do the same to you with its quad Hispano Mk.II's. Aim for a centre mass near the cockpit, as this is the most vulnerable area or aim for the wings where the fuel tanks are stored and can cause fires.

You can deal with the P-47D's in a similar fashion as the P-61 and P-38J, but you should focus fire on the engine and wings as this can result in fires, broken engines and snapped wings. Watch out for its 8 x .50 cals, as most of the pilots run the Tracer belt which is entirely API-T and is known for starting fires.

Playstyles

There are three playstyles the 264 can cater to, although the second one is very risky and is not recommended.

High-Altitude Strategic Bomber - The role the 264 was designed for, and the role it excels the most at. Firstly climb to altitude, anywhere from 6-7 km and then maintain that altitude through a level flight and gain some speed, as would-be attackers will struggle to catch you by keeping a constant speed of 400-435 km/h or 250-270 mph. Make your way towards the bases and drop your bombs.

Gunship - While being significantly more dangerous to the player, the "Gunship" playstyle is infinitely more fun. It is only recommended to use this playstyle when the plane is spaded. Stay relatively low to the ground and attack ground troops, and if any player comes to attack you, focus your guns on them and let them tail you. The main bonus for flying in this way is that your extremely vulnerable belly is covered, preventing anybody from attacking you from there. The only reason this playstyle is viable is that the lower rank players you will encounter are more likely to make mistakes such as tailing you, allowing you to shoot them down for points.

Bomber Hunter - Climb to meet enemy bombers at high-altitude. While the enemy bombers will acknowledge the Me 264, they will rarely react against the Me 264 aside from keeping some air space. Deny their evasive manoeuvres and close-in to the enemy bombers. Once in range, use the 20 mm HEI-T belts and attack the enemy. Attempt to approach the target to make use of as many turrets as possible at a time for a quick end to the engagement. If the bomber's defensive is formidable, try to enter and exit the engagement as fast as possible to avoid significant damage to the Me 264.

When attacking:

Never tail a Me 264. Tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as the planes are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the bomber if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However, the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. When at a higher altitude, it is best to make a dive from an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
Mixer	Pitch	Oil	Water	Type	Supercharger	Turbocharger
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Not controllable 3 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

Deadly and accurate defensive armament
Great payload, unmatched by any non-premium until the He 177 A-5
Decent speed and acceleration for a bomber
Good manoeuvrability
Surprisingly responsive
Fast and very hard to catch once it's at altitude
Durable, can take a beating
Engines do not overheat at all when using WEP

Cons:

Gunners have a lot of dead zones
Massive size, one of the biggest planes in the game
Has trouble diving at high speeds
No significant armour protection
Incredibly hard to land, even harder with a damaged airframe
No air brake
Very hard to pull the nose down due to high lift
Limited WEP duration

History

Development of the Me 264 began in the late 1930s when Messerschmitt conducted work on developing a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, designated P.1061. In early 1941, six prototypes of the P.1061 were ordered and the aircraft received the formal designation of Me 264. However, the initial order for six prototypes would shortly afterwards be dropped to three.

Progress on constructing the ordered prototypes was slow at start, but development quickly picked up the pace with the start of the Amerikabomber project in spring 1942. The project called for new very long range strategic bomber designs, resulting in several designs being proposed, among them also the Me 264.

It soon became clear that despite all the advantages of the Me 264 the aircraft would not be able to demonstrate acceptable flight characteristics due to the lack of more powerful engines at that time. Apart from the Amerikabomber project, the Me 264 was also briefly considered by the Kriegsmarine as a possible replacement for the dated Fw 200 in the maritime reconnaissance role.

The first and only prototype of the Me 264 which saw completion, flew on 23 December 1942. While undergoing modifications, the Me 264 project had its further development halted, with the sole completed prototype being used as a transport machine. In 1943, the second prototype was destroyed during an allied bombing raid. The same fate also struck the first and unfinished third prototype in July 1944. After all prototypes were lost, the Me 264 project was officially cancelled in September 1944.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins

Skins and camouflages for the Me 264 from live.warthunder.com.

Images

Videos

The Shooting Range #149 - Pages of History section at 05:10 discusses the Me 264.

External links

*Bavarian Aircraft Corporation (BFW)**
Bf 109	Flegel's Bf 109 A · Bf 109 B-1 · Bf 109 C-1 · Bf 109 E-1 · Bf 109 E-3 · Bf 109 E-4 · Bf 109 E-7/U2
	Bf 109 F-1 · Bf 109 F-2 · Bf 109 F-4 · Bf 109 F-4/trop · Bf 109 G-2/trop · Bf 109 G-6 · Bf 109 K-4 · Bf 109 G-10 · Bf 109 G-14 · Bf 109 Z-1
Bf 110	Bf 110 C-6 · Bf 110 C-7 · Bf 110 F-2 · Bf 110 G-2 · Bf 110 G-4
Me 410	Me 410 A-1 · Me 410 A-1/U2 · Me 410 A-1/U4 · Me 410 B-1 · Me 410 B-1/U2 · Me 410 B-2/U4 · Me 410 B-6/R3
Bombers	Me 264
Jet Fighters	Me 163 B · Me 163 B-0 · Me 262 A-1a · Me 262 A-1a/Jabo · Me 262 A-1a/U1 · Me 262 A-1/U4 · Me 262 A-2a · Me 262 C-1a · Me 262 C-2b
Export	▅Bf 109 E-7 · ▄Bf 109 G-14/AS · ◐Bf 109 F-4 · ◐Bf 109 G-2 · Bf 109 G-2 · ▄Bf 109 G-2 · ▄Bf 109 G-6 · ▄Bf 109 G-6 Erla · ◐Bf 110 G-4
Captured	▃Bf 109 F-4
	* BFW was later renamed Messerschmitt Aktiengesellschaft (AG) on 11 July 1938. All aircraft currently in production at this time retained the designation Bf while those developed after this date had the designation Me.

Germany bombers
Arado	Ar 196 A-3
Blohm & Voss	BV 138 C-1 · BV 238
Dornier	Do 17 E-1 · Do 17 Z-2 · Do 217 E-2 · Do 217 E-4 · Do 217 K-1 · Do 217 M-1
Focke-Wulf	Fw 189 A-1 · Fw 200 C-1
Henschel	Hs 123 A-1
Heinkel	He 111 H-3 · He 111 H-6 · He 111 H-16 · He 115 C-1 · He 177 A-5
Junkers	Ju 87 B-2 · Ju 87 R-2 · Ju 87 R-2 Libya · Ju 87 D-3 · Ju 87 D-5 · Ju 88 A-1 · Ju 88 A-4 · Ju 188 A-2 · Ju 288 C
Messerschmitt	Me 264
Savoia-Marchetti	▀S.M.79 serie 1 · ▀S.M.79 B · ▀S.M.79 serie 4 · ▀S.M.79 serie 8
	▀S.M.79 AS · ▀S.M.79 bis/N · ▀S.M.79 bis/T.M
Trophies	▀Wellington Mk Ic

Navigation menu

Personal tools

Namespaces

Variants

Search

Views

More

Vehicles

Resources

Navigation

Tools

Difference between revisions of "Me 264"

Revision as of 07:04, 29 February 2024

Contents

Description

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Suspended armament

Defensive armament

Usage in battles

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

History

Media

See also

External links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Specs-Card|code=me_264}}
+{{Specs-Card
+|code=me_264
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+}}
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
+The '''Me 264''' was Messerschmitt's submission to the German Air Ministry's specification for a long-range heavy bomber. Hitler reportedly boasted to Mussolini that Germany would have bombers that could fly all the way to the east coast of the United States by 1941. Messerschmitt had thought of creating a long-range aircraft before and finally saw the Amerika Bomber project as a way to design and produce them. Messerschmitt had tough competition like Junkers and Dornier who had an immense amount of experience building bombers. The final design included four engines and had a range of around 7,000 miles (11,265 km). Eventually, the Me 264 failed to compete with the performance of competition like the Junkers 390, Junkers' proposal with six engines. The Kriegsmarine expressed interest in the project and planned to repurpose the Me 264 as a reconnaissance aircraft for the U-boats. However, Doenitz saw the failures of the program and managed to talk Hitler out of it. Finally, after the prototypes were damaged by the Allied bombing campaigns and constant setbacks, Hermann Göring ordered work be stopped on the Me 264.
-{{break}}
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
+Introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]], the Me 264 is a powerful and strong heavy bomber. It features an excellent bomb load of up to two 1,800 kg bombs and three 250 kg bombs totalling 4,350 kg. It also has strong defensive capabilities, with two 13 mm turrets and three 20 mm turrets. Combined with the very high altitude bomber air spawn, the Me 264 is a very difficult aircraft for opponents to attack. It's also quite fast for a bomber with an impressive top speed of 519 km/h (324 mph). Players will be satisfied with its performance and capability against both ground targets and enemy aircraft.
 == General info ==
 === Flight performance ===
-''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''
+{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
+<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
+The first thing the player will notice is the plane's similarity to the famed B-29, as it shares a similarly designed fuselage and glazed nose, but a different twin tail instead of the large single tail on the B-29. Despite being a heavy bomber, the Me 264 is quite responsive and manoeuvrable. However, you are still a heavy bomber and you shouldn't try to turn with anyone. It is also quite speedy for its rank and classification, able to out-speed some of the planes at its BR when at altitude.
+In addition to its powerful engines, the Me 264 can be equipped with rocket boosters that provide additional thrust for a short time. The keybind to activate the feature can be set in Controls > Aircraft > Mechanization > Ignite boosters. These boosters will only appear if the bomber spawns on an airfield.
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
-|-
+! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
-! colspan="8" | Characteristics
-|-
-! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
-|-
 ! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 6,000 m)
-! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
+! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
 ! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
-! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
+! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
-! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(meters)
+! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
-|-
-! AB
-! RB
-! AB
-! RB
-! AB
-! RB
 |-
-| 496 || 487 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 38.1 || 39.1 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 2,600
+! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
 |-
-! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
+! Stock
+| 494 || 477 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 38.4 || 39.4 || 1.2 || 1.2 || rowspan="2" | 900
 |-
-! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 6,000 m)
+! Upgraded
-! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
+| 546 || 519 || 35.8 || 37.0 || 6.6 || 3.5
-! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
-! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
-! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(meters)
-|-
-! AB
-! RB
-! AB
-! RB
-! AB
-! RB
-|-
-| 545 || 519 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 35.9 || 37.0 || 6.7 || 3.5 || 2,600
 |-
 |}
 ==== Details ====
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 |-
 ! colspan="5" | Features
 |-
-! Combat flaps
+! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
-! Take-off flaps
-! Landing flaps
-! Air brakes
-! Arrestor gear
 |-
 | ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X     <!-- ✓ -->
@@ Line 66: / Line 46: @@
 |}
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 |-
-! colspan="5" | Limits
+! colspan="7" | Limits
 |-
-! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed<br>(km/h)
+! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
-! rowspan="2" | Gear limit<br>(km/h)
+! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
-! rowspan="2" | Combat flaps<br>(km/h)
+! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
 ! colspan="2" | Max Static G
 |-
-! +
+! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
-! -
 |-
-| {{Specs|destruction|constructions}} || {{Specs|destruction|chassis}} || 380 || ~6 || ~3
+| 609 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 370 || 357 || 290 || ~6 || ~3
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 84: / Line 63: @@
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 |-
-! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
+! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
 |-
-! Ailerons<br>(km/h)
+! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
-! Rudder<br>(km/h)
-! Elevators<br>(km/h)
-! Radiator<br>(km/h)
 |-
 | < 340 || < 350 || < 290 || > 290
@@ Line 95: / Line 71: @@
 |}
-{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+=== Survivability and armour ===
-|-
+{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
-! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
+<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
-|-
-! colspan="3" | Setting 1
+* 7 mm steel behind and to the left of pilot
-|-
+* 9 mm steel to the right of pilot
-! Optimal altitude
+* Self-sealing fuel tanks located throughout the wings
-! 100% Engine power
+* Unarmoured pilots (can be knocked out in head-ons)
-! WEP Engine power
-|-
+Despite not being well armoured, the Me 264 Amerikabomber can take quite a beating and has a knack for surviving fires. Due to its four engines, it can lose one or two and still make it back to base for repairs. However, it is one of the largest planes in the game and thus is impossible to miss, so while you can take a lot of damage, you will be receiving a lot as well.
-| 2,600 m || 1,750 hp || 2,074 hp
-|-
+Although it doesn't have a lot of armour, it has the guns to make up for it. With 3 x MG 151/20's that have access to the dreaded Minengeschoß high-explosive incendiary round complemented by another 3 x MG 131 heavy machine guns, as a few well-placed shots will make short work of any attacker that recklessly tails you.
-! colspan="3" | Setting 2
-|-
-! Optimal altitude
-! 100% Engine power
-! WEP Engine power
-|-
-| 6,800 m || 1,540 hp || 1,825 hp
-|-
-! colspan="3" | Setting 3
-|-
-! Optimal altitude
-! 100% Engine power
-! WEP Engine power
-|-
-| 9,700 m || 1,230 hp || 1,458 hp
-|-
-|}
-=== Survivability and armour ===
+=== Modifications and economy ===
-<--Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.-->
+{{Specs-Economy}}
-Despite the lack of armour overall, the Me 264 ''Amerikabomber'' can take quite a beating and has a knack for surviving fires. Due to its four engines, it can lose one or two and still make it back to base for repairs. However, it is one of the largest planes in the game and thus is impossible to miss, so while you can take a lot of damage, you will be receiving a lot as well.
+The stock payload is quite poor, so pick up the ETC 500/II modification first, followed by the 20 mm belts to add more Minengeschoß rounds, then the ETC 1000/I and ETC 1800. The rest of the modules are up to you, but survivability modules are recommended to withstand the beating you will be getting.
 == Armaments ==
+{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
 === Suspended armament ===
+{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}
 <!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 {{main|SC250JA (250 kg)|SC500K (500 kg)|SC1000L2 (1,000 kg)|SC1800B (1,800 kg)}}
+{{main|PC1000 (1,000 kg)|PC1600 (1,600 kg)}}
 The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
@@ Line 141: / Line 103: @@
 * 4 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bombs (4,000 kg total)
 * 2 x 1,800 kg SC1800B bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (4,350 kg total)
+* 4 x 1,000 kg PC1000 bombs (4,000 kg total)
+* 2 x 1,600 kg PC1600 bombs + 3 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs (3,950 kg total)
+With a massive 4,000 kg payload, the Me 264 has the second-best payload of any non-premium German bomber and one of the best payloads at its battle rating. Ideally, you should use the 4 x 1,000 kg bombs for destroying bases, as this payload has more TNT (2,400 kg TNT) than 2 x 1,800 kg + 3 x 250 kg payload (2,375 kg TNT) despite being lighter. But keep in mind that you cannot destroy a base in one go in Arcade Battles no matter the payload you choose even if you drop all of your bombs a little percentage of the base's health will remain and you have to drop another bomb to finish the base but in Realistic Battles you can destroy up to 2 bases with your 4 x 1,000 kg bombs.
+For the mixed bomb loads, the rule of thumb is that the heaviest bombs drop first and the lighter 250 kg bombs drop last.
 === Defensive armament ===
+{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}
 <!-- ''Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available, remove this subsection.'' -->
-{{main|MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}
+{{main|MG 151 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}
 The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:
 * 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, nose turret (750 rpg)
-* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, front dorsal turret (450 rpg)
+* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, front dorsal turret (450 rpg)
-* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, rear dorsal turret (450 rpg)
+* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, rear dorsal turret (450 rpg)
-* 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, ventral turret (750 rpg)
+* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, ventral turret (750 rpg)
 * 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (500 rpg)
 == Usage in battles ==
-<!--Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).-->
+<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
+The Me 264 plays like your typical heavy bomber: a slow and lumbering beast that has amazing defensive armament and a good payload. While you may have one of the best defensive armaments in the German bomber line (or out of bombers in general), it is best to avoid engagements all together to minimize potential damage due to your massive size. However, if an enemy gets on your tail, they're as good as dead thanks to your superb defensive armament that can shred through planes like paper. Never allow a plane to head-on you. Be sure to face your tail towards the attacker, as more than half of your guns face towards the back and your glazed nose makes it easy to snipe your pilot out.
+Due to the Me 264's painfully slow turning circle, fly for a bit before turning around in case you miss a base. Turning around prematurely can result in the base being missed once again. Once you have expended all your bombs, reduce throttle to 0-20% and gradually descend towards your airfield. Unlike other German bombers of this rank, its wings are surprisingly tolerant of higher speeds but it is still important to monitor speeds to avoid overload.
+Notable enemies include any heavily armed interceptor that has at least semi-decent performance, but notably the [[P-61C-1|P-61]], [[P-38J-15|P-38J]], [[Mosquito FB Mk VI|Mosquito]] and the [[P-47D-28|P-47D]]s, as all of these planes can climb to your altitude and destroy you with their heavy armament.
+The P-61 and P-38J are some of the most deadly, as their powerful armament can tear you in half, especially the P-61 with its quad AN/M2 20 mm cannons. Focus fire on the cockpit in order to snipe the pilot.
+The Mosquito is a sort of push-pull. While you can down it easily due to its wooden construction, it can do the same to you with its quad Hispano Mk.II's. Aim for a centre mass near the cockpit, as this is the most vulnerable area or aim for the wings where the fuel tanks are stored and can cause fires.
-The Me 264 plays like your typical heavy bomber: A slow and lumbering beast that has amazing defensive armament and a good payload. While you may have one of the best defensive armaments in the German bomber line (or out of bombers in general), it is best to avoid engagements all together to minimize potential damage due to your massive size. However, if an enemy gets on your tail, they're as good as dead thanks to your superb defensive armament that can shred through planes like paper. '''Never allow a plane to head-on you.''' Be sure to face your tail towards the attacker, as more than half of your guns face towards the back and your glazed nose makes it easy to snipe your pilot out.
+You can deal with the P-47D's in a similar fashion as the P-61 and P-38J, but you should focus fire on the engine and wings as this can result in fires, broken engines and snapped wings. Watch out for its 8 x .50 cals, as most of the pilots run the Tracer belt which is entirely API-T and is known for starting fires.
-Notable enemies include any heavily armed interceptor that has at least semi-decent performance, but notably the [[P-61C-1|P-61]], [[P-38J-15|P-38J]], [[Mosquito FB Mk VI|Mosquito]] and the [[P-47D-28|P-47D]]'s, as all of these planes can climb to your altitude and destroy you with their heavy armament.
+'''Playstyles'''
+There are three playstyles the 264 can cater to, although the second one is very risky and is not recommended.
+'''High-Altitude Strategic Bomber''' - The role the 264 was designed for, and the role it excels the most at. Firstly climb to altitude, anywhere from 6-7 km and then maintain that altitude through a level flight and gain some speed, as would-be attackers will struggle to catch you by keeping a constant speed of 400-435 km/h or 250-270 mph. Make your way towards the bases and drop your bombs.
+'''Gunship''' - While being significantly more dangerous to the player, the "Gunship" playstyle is infinitely more fun. It is only recommended to use this playstyle when the plane is spaded. Stay relatively low to the ground and attack ground troops, and if any player comes to attack you, focus your guns on them and let them tail you. The main bonus for flying in this way is that your extremely vulnerable belly is covered, preventing anybody from attacking you from there. The only reason this playstyle is viable is that the lower rank players you will encounter are more likely to make mistakes such as tailing you, allowing you to shoot them down for points.
+'''Bomber Hunter''' - Climb to meet enemy bombers at high-altitude. While the enemy bombers will acknowledge the Me 264, they will rarely react against the Me 264 aside from keeping some air space. Deny their evasive manoeuvres and close-in to the enemy bombers. Once in range, use the 20 mm HEI-T belts and attack the enemy. Attempt to approach the target to make use of as many turrets as possible at a time for a quick end to the engagement. If the bomber's defensive is formidable, try to enter and exit the engagement as fast as possible to avoid significant damage to the Me 264.
+'''When attacking''':
+Never tail a Me 264. Tailing a 264 is basically suicide unless all of their gunners are knocked out. You can treat the 264 almost like a B-29 or B-17 as the planes are very similar in both design and defensive capabilities. It is best to head-on the bomber if you can as you can easily knock out the pilots due to its glazed nose while also taking minimal damage. However, the bomber lacks a ventral turret on its belly, making it easy to deal damage from below, but be wary of the downwards facing rear 20 mm cannon near the tail. When at a higher altitude, it is best to make a dive from an oblique angle and focus fire on the wings and nose.
 === Manual Engine Control ===
@@ Line 172: / Line 163: @@
 ! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
 |-
-! Oil
+! Oil !! Water !! Type
-! Water
-! Type
 |-
-| Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable<br>Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Not controllable<br>Auto control available || rowspan="2" | Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Combined || rowspan="2" | Not controllable<br>3 gears || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
+| Not controllable || Controllable<br>Auto control available || Not controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Combined || Not controllable<br>3 gears || Not controllable
-|-
-|}
-=== Modules ===
-{| class="wikitable"
-! colspan="1" | Tier
-! colspan="2" | Flight performance
-! colspan="1" | Survivability
-! colspan="3" | Weaponry
-|-
-| I
-| Fuselage repair
-| Radiator
-|
-| Turret 13 mm
-|
-| ETC 500/II
-|-
-| II
-|
-| Compressor
-| Airframe
-|
-| Turret 20 mm
-| ETC 1000/I
-|-
-| III
-| Wings repair
-| Engine
-|
-| New 13 mm MGs (turret)
-|
-| ETC 1800
-|-
-| IV
-|
-| Engine injection
-| Cover
-|
-| New 20 mm cannons (turret)
-|
 |-
 |}
 === Pros and cons ===
-<!--Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
+<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 '''Pros:'''
-* Deadly defensive armament
+* Deadly and accurate defensive armament
-* Great payload
+* Great payload, unmatched by any non-premium until the [[He 177 A-5]]
 * Decent speed and acceleration for a bomber
-* Maneuverability is good
+* Good manoeuvrability
-* Solid RP grinder
+* Surprisingly responsive
+* Fast and very hard to catch once it's at altitude
+* Durable, can take a beating
+* Engines do not overheat at all when using WEP
 '''Cons:'''
-* Gunners have a lot of deadzones
+* Gunners have a lot of dead zones
 * Massive size, one of the biggest planes in the game
-* Has troubles diving at high speeds
+* Has trouble diving at high speeds
-* Ludicrously high repair cost
+* No significant armour protection
+* Incredibly hard to land, even harder with a damaged airframe
+* No air brake
+* Very hard to pull the nose down due to high lift
+* Limited WEP duration
 == History ==
-<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
+<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 Development of the Me 264 began in the late 1930s when Messerschmitt conducted work on developing a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, designated P.1061. In early 1941, six prototypes of the P.1061 were ordered and the aircraft received the formal designation of Me 264. However, the initial order for six prototypes would shortly afterwards be dropped to three.
@@ Line 249: / Line 204: @@
 The first and only prototype of the Me 264 which saw completion, flew on 23 December 1942. While undergoing modifications, the Me 264 project had its further development halted, with the sole completed prototype being used as a transport machine. In 1943, the second prototype was destroyed during an allied bombing raid. The same fate also struck the first and unfinished third prototype in July 1944. After all prototypes were lost, the Me 264 project was officially cancelled in September 1944.
-''- From [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|[Devblog]]''
+''- From [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|Devblog]]''
 == Media ==
-''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
+;Skins
+* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=me_264 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
+;Images
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 001.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 002.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 003.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 004.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 005.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 006.jpg
+File:Me 264 WTWallpaper 007.jpg
+</gallery>
+;Videos
+{{Youtube-gallery|lBTQGGr-Kxs|'''The Shooting Range #149''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:10 discusses the Me 264.}}
 == See also ==
-''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+<!-- ''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.'' -->
-* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
+;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
-* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+* Boeing [[B-29A-BN|B-29]] Superfortress
+* Tupolev [[Tu-4]]
+* Avro [[Lincoln B Mk II|Lincoln]]
+* Nakajima [[G8N1]]
+* Piaggio [[P.108B serie 1|P.108]]
 == External links ==
-<!--Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
+<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+* ''other literature.'' -->
-* ''topic on the official game forum;''
+* [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|[Devblog] Me 264: The Teutonic Superfortress]]
-* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
+* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/453535-me-264 Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
-* ''other literature.''-->
+* [https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/amerikan-bomber-1942/ <nowiki>[Rare Historical Photos]</nowiki> Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika bomber]
-* [[wt:en/news/6190-development-me-264-the-teutonic-superfortress-en|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Me 264: The Teutonic Superfortress]]
-* [https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/amerikan-bomber-1942/ [Rare Historical <nowiki>Photos]</nowiki> Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika bomber]
+{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
 {{Germany bombers}}