Difference between revisions of "P-36C (TheRussianBadger)"

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== Description ==
 
== 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.'' -->
+
<!-- ''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.'' -->In the early 1930s, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation began a private venture to build a fighter aircraft which was a revolutionary departure from earlier cloth-covered biplanes of World War I. This project aircraft under development was named the Curtiss Hawk Model 75 (later it would be known by P-36 Hawk, Hawk-75 – or just H-75 and Mohawk). The P-36 was an all-metal monoplane (although the control surfaces were fabric-covered) with a 900 hp radial engine, enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. Even though this aircraft touted some of the state-of-the-art development in aircraft design, several aspects remained lacking, such as the original two machine guns firing through the propeller arc, a 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm and other critical components such as the absence of armour in the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks. The P-36 was known as an outstanding turning aircraft due to its extremely low wing loading and had a beefy power-to-weight ratio of 0.186 hp/lb that placed this aircraft as one of the best climbing aircraft of the time. One drawback noted was that the P-36 was not outfitted with a supercharger which hampered its ability to operate at high altitudes, requiring it to stay under 10,000 ft in altitude. For all of this aircraft's positive attributes and unfortunate shortcomings, it performed well mostly for other nations such as Finland where the Hawk was known as "Sussu" or Finnish for "Sweetheart" as between 58 Finnish pilots flying the Hawk, they scored 190.3 aerial victories. The P-36 was the proving ground and stepping stone to the later great fighter, the [[P-40 (Family)|P-40]].
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a unique seal clubbing vehicle in affiliation with the Youtuber TheRussianBadger, boasting a unique crying seal camouflage. It reminds the player that is only a P-36C carrying only a singular .50 and 3 x .30 machine guns.
 
  
It was introduced during [[Update "Sky Guardians"]], obtainable by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aWlXvWK9Kw using the affiliate link of YouTuber TheRussianBadger].
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a unique seal clubbing vehicle in affiliation with the Youtuber TheRussianBadger, boasting a unique crying seal camouflage. It reminds the player that is only a P-36C carrying only a singular .50 and 3 x .30 machine guns. It was introduced during [[Update "Sky Guardians"]], obtainable by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aWlXvWK9Kw using the affiliate link of YouTuber TheRussianBadger]. The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very competent aircrafts thanks to its good agility and decent engine power. It can be compared to midtier Japanese fighters in the sense that its flight performance is not the best, having a decent enough engine power and an average rate of climb, but it relies on its very capable dogfight ability, because of its good low speed handling and tight turn radius. It is armed with 7.62mm and 12.7mm guns, good enough to deal with enemy fighters around its BR, however it lacks the firepower to be effective against enemy bombers. The P-36C is relatively fragile, since it lacks enough armour to stop MG fire against the pilot, at best it can stop fragments from destroying some critical components.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
Line 19: Line 18:
 
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
  
The {{PAGENAME}} is a relatively easy fighter aircraft to fly and requires only a relatively short space to both take-off and land. During World War II the P-36 was ferried over to Pearl Harbor aboard an aircraft carrier from which they took off and then landed at the Army Air Corps base.<ref name="MilFac" /> In the game, due to the very low stall speed, the P-36 can land on an aircraft carrier to a complete stop and take off again. Due to the fantastically low wing loading rate of 23.9 lb/ft<sup>2</sup><ref name="JoeB" />, this fighter is an excellent turning aircraft and accompanied by a strong rudder can spiral climb easily, especially during WEP cycles. This aircraft has the advantage of being both a turn fighter and a Boom & Zoom fighter, depending on the situation, type of aircraft which are flying against and mission type. The P-36 will out-turn many fighters of its rank and can prove difficult to follow if attempting to shoot it down. The [[P-36A]] and [[P-36C]] utilise the same engine, however with the extra two machine guns and associated ammunition, the C model lags slightly behind the A with flight characteristics, but not noticeable enough for the upgrading pilot to realize while manoeuvring the aircraft. The trade-off for more guns vs. slightly hampered flight model is well worth it.
+
The {{PAGENAME}} is a relatively easy fighter aircraft to fly and requires only a relatively short space to both take off and land. During World War II the P-36 was ferried over to Pearl Harbor aboard an aircraft carrier from which they took off and then landed at the Army Air Corps base.<ref name="MilFac" /> In the game, due to the very low stall speed, the P-36 can land on an aircraft carrier to a complete stop and take off again. Due to the fantastically low wing loading rate of 23.9 lb/ft<sup>2</sup><ref name="JoeB" />, this fighter is an excellent turning aircraft and accompanied by a strong rudder can spiral climb easily, especially during WEP cycles. This aircraft has the advantage of being both a turn fighter and a Boom & Zoom fighter, depending on the situation, type of aircraft which are flying against, and mission type. The P-36 will out-turn many fighters of its rank and can prove difficult to follow if attempting to shoot it down. The [[P-36A]] and [[P-36C]] utilise the same engine, however, with the extra two machine guns and associated ammunition, the C model lags slightly behind the A with flight characteristics, but not noticeable enough for the upgrading pilot to realize while manoeuvring the aircraft. The trade-off for more guns is a slightly hampered flight model, but it is well worth it.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
Line 82: Line 81:
 
* Self-sealing fuel tanks
 
* Self-sealing fuel tanks
  
As with many early pre-war fighters, not much emphasis was put on the survivability of the aircraft. The best course of action was for the pilot to not let anyone get behind them. The P-36's only sources of protection for the pilot is the engine block and the 9.5 mm (angled at 24° for effective thickness of 13 mm), that being said, depending on the engine block to save the pilot may do so at the expense of the engine, thus requiring the pilot to glide back to base if possible or bailout. There are also two unprotected oil coolers if which are punctured, the aircraft will leak oil until depleted eventually causing the engine to seize up.
+
As with many early pre-war fighters, not much emphasis was put on the survivability of the aircraft. The best course of action was for the pilot to not let anyone get behind them. The P-36's only sources of protection for the pilot is the engine block and the 9.5 mm (angled at 24° for an effective thickness of 13 mm), that being said, depending on the engine block to save the pilot may do so at the expense of the engine, thus requiring the pilot to glide back to base if possible or bailout. There are also two unprotected oil coolers if they are punctured, the aircraft will leak oil until depleted eventually causing the engine to seize up.
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
Line 100: Line 99:
 
* 2 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
 
* 2 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
  
Armament weaknesses found in the [[P-36A]] were addressed when outfitting the [[P-36C]] fighter, as the armament of a single 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine gun was found lacking. While the engine cowling was already crowded and no more machine guns could be centrally mounted which required wing modifications to install two more 7.62 machine guns, one in each wing. For this aircraft, two machine guns are mounted in the engine cowl and fire through the propeller arc while the other two are mounted one in each wing. Due to the wing-mounted machine guns, convergence is a factor to deal with with the optimal range being 100 - 200 m, anything beyond this will still work, however, the bullets significantly start losing their punch. The increase in armament increased the damage output ability of the fighter, however, the next generation P-36, the [[P-36G]] increased the deadliness of the fighter by adding two more wing-mounted machine guns for a total of six guns. Options in ammunition will allow the pilot to select the type best suited for their mission whether it be as an interceptor, ground target hunter or a stealthy pouncer.
+
Armament weaknesses found in the [[P-36A]] were addressed when outfitting the [[P-36C]] fighter, as the armament of a single 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine gun was found lacking. While the engine cowling was already crowded and no more machine guns could be centrally mounted which required wing modifications to install two more 7.62 machine guns, one in each wing. For this aircraft, two machine guns are mounted in the engine cowl and fire through the propeller arc while the other two are mounted one in each wing. Due to the wing-mounted machine guns, convergence is a factor to deal with with the optimal range being 100 - 200 m, anything beyond this will still work, however, the bullets significantly start losing their punch. The increase in armament increased the damage output ability of the fighter, however, the next generation P-36, the [[P-36G]] increased the deadliness of the fighter by adding two more wing-mounted machine guns for a total of six guns. Options in ammunition will allow the pilot to select the type best suited for their mission whether it be as an interceptor, ground target hunter, or a stealthy pouncer.
  
 
;Option 1 Configuration (optimal 200 - 400 m convergence)
 
;Option 1 Configuration (optimal 200 - 400 m convergence)
Line 109: Line 108:
  
 
==== 12.7 mm ammunition ====
 
==== 12.7 mm ammunition ====
 +
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|T|M1 tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|M2 Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|T|M1 tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|M2 Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|T|M1 tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|T|M1 tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}
Line 116: Line 116:
  
 
==== 7.62 mm ammunition ====
 
==== 7.62 mm ammunition ====
 +
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
 
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|Ball|Omni-purpose}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
 
* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|T|Tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|Incendiary}}
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== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''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).'' -->
 
<!-- ''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).'' -->
Energy retention lends this fighter to be a great zoomer, dropping in for a shot and then speeding back up to regain the energy advantage. With this aircraft having such a low stall speed; it makes a great fighter to practice Rope-a-dope energy depletion manoeuvres. This requires the P-36 pilot to bait another fighter into following them in a climb, as the attacker attempts to get guns on, the P-36 pilot can start to spiral climb which will cause the attacking aircraft to pull a tighter circle haemorrhaging their energy. If done correctly, the attacking fighter will stall out and be completely helpless as they begin to fall back to the ground allowing the P-36 to roll over or Split-S and take out the stalled fighter below.
+
Energy retention lends this fighter to be a great boom and zoomer, dropping in for a shot and then speeding back up to regain the energy advantage. With this aircraft having such a low stall speed; it makes a great fighter to practice Rope-a-dope energy depletion manoeuvres. This requires the P-36 pilot to bait another fighter into following them in a climb, as the attacker attempts to get guns on, the P-36 pilot can start to spiral climb which will cause the attacking aircraft to pull a tighter circle haemorrhaging their energy. If done correctly, the attacking fighter will stall out and be completely helpless as they begin to fall back to the ground allowing the P-36 to roll over or Split-S and take out the stalled fighter below.
  
Most fighters are typically only good at one thing whether its turning, speed or weapon systems, however, the P-36 is good at two, speeding and turning. This fighter has the ability to not only zoom attack but can also turn fight competitively with most other aircraft. There are few aircraft (notably the A6M Zero fighters of the Imperial Japanese Navy) which may outshine while turning, however, when utilizing flaps and rudder while turning, the P-36 can manoeuvre into some tight turns and allow guns to get on target.
+
Most fighters are typically only good at one thing whether it's turning, speed, or weapon systems, however, the P-36 is good at two, speeding and turning. This fighter has the ability to not only boom and zoom attack but can also turn fight competitively with most other aircraft. There are few aircraft (notably the A6M Zero fighters of the Imperial Japanese Navy) that outshine while turning, however, when utilizing flaps and rudder while turning, the P-36 can manoeuvre into some tight turns and allow guns to get on target.
  
Even with all of its power and mobility, the P-36 is a relatively fragile aircraft. Without much armour on the aircraft, many of its critical systems are exposed and it will not take much even from lower calibre machine guns to cause fuel fires, oil leaks and the engine shutdowns, not to mention a knocked out pilot. Situational awareness is critical to potentially know not only where the targets are, but also the enemy aircraft which are manoeuvring into position and ready to pounce. The weakness of only having four machine guns will require the pilot to get in close (50 – 200 m) to make the most of their shots as anywhere past 150 m, bullet penetration drops off considerably.
+
Even with all of its power and mobility, the P-36 is a relatively fragile aircraft. Without much armour on the aircraft, many of its critical systems are exposed and it will not take much even from lower calibre machine guns to cause fuel fires, oil leaks, and the engine shutdowns, not to mention a knocked-out pilot. Situational awareness is critical to potentially know not only where the targets are, but also the enemy aircraft which are manoeuvring into position and ready to pounce. The weakness of only having four machine guns will require the pilot to get in close (50 – 200 m) to make the most of their shots as anywhere past 150 m, bullet penetration drops off considerably.
  
 
=== Manual Engine Control ===
 
=== Manual Engine Control ===
Line 175: Line 176:
  
 
;Skins
 
;Skins
 +
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=p-36c_rb Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=p-36c_rb Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
Line 202: Line 204:
  
 
=== References ===
 
=== References ===
 +
 
;Citations
 
;Citations
 
<references>
 
<references>

Latest revision as of 04:19, 5 April 2024

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
This page is about the gift American fighter P-36C (TheRussianBadger). For other versions, see P-36 (Family).
○P-36C
p-36c_rb.png
GarageImage P-36C (TheRussianBadger).jpg
○P-36C
AB RB SB
2.0 1.7 2.3
Class:
Show in game

Description

In the early 1930s, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation began a private venture to build a fighter aircraft which was a revolutionary departure from earlier cloth-covered biplanes of World War I. This project aircraft under development was named the Curtiss Hawk Model 75 (later it would be known by P-36 Hawk, Hawk-75 – or just H-75 and Mohawk). The P-36 was an all-metal monoplane (although the control surfaces were fabric-covered) with a 900 hp radial engine, enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear. Even though this aircraft touted some of the state-of-the-art development in aircraft design, several aspects remained lacking, such as the original two machine guns firing through the propeller arc, a 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm and other critical components such as the absence of armour in the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks. The P-36 was known as an outstanding turning aircraft due to its extremely low wing loading and had a beefy power-to-weight ratio of 0.186 hp/lb that placed this aircraft as one of the best climbing aircraft of the time. One drawback noted was that the P-36 was not outfitted with a supercharger which hampered its ability to operate at high altitudes, requiring it to stay under 10,000 ft in altitude. For all of this aircraft's positive attributes and unfortunate shortcomings, it performed well mostly for other nations such as Finland where the Hawk was known as "Sussu" or Finnish for "Sweetheart" as between 58 Finnish pilots flying the Hawk, they scored 190.3 aerial victories. The P-36 was the proving ground and stepping stone to the later great fighter, the P-40.

The ○P-36C Hawk is a unique seal clubbing vehicle in affiliation with the Youtuber TheRussianBadger, boasting a unique crying seal camouflage. It reminds the player that is only a P-36C carrying only a singular .50 and 3 x .30 machine guns. It was introduced during Update "Sky Guardians", obtainable by using the affiliate link of YouTuber TheRussianBadger. The ○P-36C Hawk is a very competent aircrafts thanks to its good agility and decent engine power. It can be compared to midtier Japanese fighters in the sense that its flight performance is not the best, having a decent enough engine power and an average rate of climb, but it relies on its very capable dogfight ability, because of its good low speed handling and tight turn radius. It is armed with 7.62mm and 12.7mm guns, good enough to deal with enemy fighters around its BR, however it lacks the firepower to be effective against enemy bombers. The P-36C is relatively fragile, since it lacks enough armour to stop MG fire against the pilot, at best it can stop fragments from destroying some critical components.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 3 048 m501 km/h
Turn time17 s
Max altitude9 754 m
EnginePratt & Whitney R-1830-17
TypeRadial
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight3 t

The P-36C (TheRussianBadger) is a relatively easy fighter aircraft to fly and requires only a relatively short space to both take off and land. During World War II the P-36 was ferried over to Pearl Harbor aboard an aircraft carrier from which they took off and then landed at the Army Air Corps base.[1] In the game, due to the very low stall speed, the P-36 can land on an aircraft carrier to a complete stop and take off again. Due to the fantastically low wing loading rate of 23.9 lb/ft2[2], this fighter is an excellent turning aircraft and accompanied by a strong rudder can spiral climb easily, especially during WEP cycles. This aircraft has the advantage of being both a turn fighter and a Boom & Zoom fighter, depending on the situation, type of aircraft which are flying against, and mission type. The P-36 will out-turn many fighters of its rank and can prove difficult to follow if attempting to shoot it down. The P-36A and P-36C utilise the same engine, however, with the extra two machine guns and associated ammunition, the C model lags slightly behind the A with flight characteristics, but not noticeable enough for the upgrading pilot to realize while manoeuvring the aircraft. The trade-off for more guns is a slightly hampered flight model, but it is well worth it.

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 479 464 9754 17.7 18.1 7.1 7.1 183
Upgraded 524 501 16.8 17.0 15.2 10.6

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 + -
770 290 488 446 232 ~12 ~7
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 290 < 380 < 420 > 300

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural770 km/h
Gear290 km/h
  • 9.5 mm armoured pilot seat
  • Self-sealing fuel tanks

As with many early pre-war fighters, not much emphasis was put on the survivability of the aircraft. The best course of action was for the pilot to not let anyone get behind them. The P-36's only sources of protection for the pilot is the engine block and the 9.5 mm (angled at 24° for an effective thickness of 13 mm), that being said, depending on the engine block to save the pilot may do so at the expense of the engine, thus requiring the pilot to glide back to base if possible or bailout. There are also two unprotected oil coolers if they are punctured, the aircraft will leak oil until depleted eventually causing the engine to seize up.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB167 → 211 Sl icon.png
RB333 → 421 Sl icon.png
SB495 → 626 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications4 440 Rp icon.png
2 670 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost300 Ge icon.png
Crew training600 Sl icon.png
Experts2 100 Sl icon.png
Aces45 Ge icon.png
Research Aces110 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 30 / 60 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
70 Ge icon.png
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
70 Ge icon.png
Mods metanol.png
Engine injection
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
290 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
290 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
bmg30_belt_pack
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
bmg30_new_gun
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
bmg50_belt_pack
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
70 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
bmg50_new_gun
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
290 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Ammunition200 rounds
Fire rate750 shots/min
Ammunition1 500 rounds
Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The P-36C (TheRussianBadger) is armed with:

  • 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)
  • 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg)
  • 2 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Armament weaknesses found in the P-36A were addressed when outfitting the P-36C fighter, as the armament of a single 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine gun was found lacking. While the engine cowling was already crowded and no more machine guns could be centrally mounted which required wing modifications to install two more 7.62 machine guns, one in each wing. For this aircraft, two machine guns are mounted in the engine cowl and fire through the propeller arc while the other two are mounted one in each wing. Due to the wing-mounted machine guns, convergence is a factor to deal with with the optimal range being 100 - 200 m, anything beyond this will still work, however, the bullets significantly start losing their punch. The increase in armament increased the damage output ability of the fighter, however, the next generation P-36, the P-36G increased the deadliness of the fighter by adding two more wing-mounted machine guns for a total of six guns. Options in ammunition will allow the pilot to select the type best suited for their mission whether it be as an interceptor, ground target hunter, or a stealthy pouncer.

Option 1 Configuration (optimal 200 - 400 m convergence)
  • 12.7 mm = Ground target rounds
  • 7.62 mm = Stealth round
  • The use of ground target rounds gives you access to hard-hitting ammunition rounds with tracers to help guide in the rounds, however, the 7.62 mm should be set up with stealth rounds as providing a good mix of armour-piercing and incendiary rounds without the tell-tale tracers. Without the tell-tale show of tracers flying by, the pilot of the aircraft may assume a weakly armed aircraft is on their tail with intermittent tracers from the 12.7 mm machine gun. This can be a huge advantage for the attacking aircraft by sneaking in a large amount of lead and incendiaries while still having the ability to walk in the shots with the tracers (especially helpful in realistic and simulator battles where the aiming helper is not available for use).

12.7 mm ammunition

  • Default: T · Ball · I · AP
  • Universal: AP · AP · AP · T · I
  • Ground targets: T · AP · AP · AP
  • Tracers: T · T · T · AP
  • Stealth: AP · I · AP

7.62 mm ammunition

  • Default: T · Ball · Ball · Ball · AP · I
  • Universal: T · AP · I
  • Tracers: AP · T · T · T · T
  • Stealth: AP · AP · AP · I · I

This aircraft does not have the option to select any additional suspended armaments nor does it have any defensive weapons to counter any attackers.

Usage in battles

Energy retention lends this fighter to be a great boom and zoomer, dropping in for a shot and then speeding back up to regain the energy advantage. With this aircraft having such a low stall speed; it makes a great fighter to practice Rope-a-dope energy depletion manoeuvres. This requires the P-36 pilot to bait another fighter into following them in a climb, as the attacker attempts to get guns on, the P-36 pilot can start to spiral climb which will cause the attacking aircraft to pull a tighter circle haemorrhaging their energy. If done correctly, the attacking fighter will stall out and be completely helpless as they begin to fall back to the ground allowing the P-36 to roll over or Split-S and take out the stalled fighter below.

Most fighters are typically only good at one thing whether it's turning, speed, or weapon systems, however, the P-36 is good at two, speeding and turning. This fighter has the ability to not only boom and zoom attack but can also turn fight competitively with most other aircraft. There are few aircraft (notably the A6M Zero fighters of the Imperial Japanese Navy) that outshine while turning, however, when utilizing flaps and rudder while turning, the P-36 can manoeuvre into some tight turns and allow guns to get on target.

Even with all of its power and mobility, the P-36 is a relatively fragile aircraft. Without much armour on the aircraft, many of its critical systems are exposed and it will not take much even from lower calibre machine guns to cause fuel fires, oil leaks, and the engine shutdowns, not to mention a knocked-out pilot. Situational awareness is critical to potentially know not only where the targets are, but also the enemy aircraft which are manoeuvring into position and ready to pounce. The weakness of only having four machine guns will require the pilot to get in close (50 – 200 m) to make the most of their shots as anywhere past 150 m, bullet penetration drops off considerably.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Not controllable Controllable
Not auto controlled
Not controllable
Not auto controlled
Controllable
Not auto controlled
Combined Not controllable
1 gear
Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent climb rate
  • Excellent dive speed
  • Better-than-average turn rate
  • Good energy retention for Boom & Zoom manoeuvres
  • Two more machine guns (four total) for increased firepower over the P-36A

Cons:

  • Weapons have a low damage output compared to contemporary aircraft
  • No suspended armament options
  • Lower-than-average roll rate at high speeds
  • Very little armour protection
  • Poor in a head-on, engine and pilot exposed

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: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Related development
Analogues of other nations

External links

References

Citations
  1. Militaryfactory.com website (2019)
  2. Baugher, Joe (1999)
Bibliography


USA fighters
P-26 Peashooter  P-26A-33 · P-26A-34 · P-26A-34 M2 · P-26B-35
P-36 Hawk  P-36A · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-36C · ○P-36C · P-36G
P-39 Airacobra  P-400 · P-39N-0 · P-39Q-5
P-40  P-40C · P-40E-1 · P-40E-1 TD · P-40F-10
P-43 Lancer  P-43A-1
P-47 Thunderbolt  P-47D-22-RE · P-47D-25 · P-47D-28 · P-47M-1-RE · ⋠P-47M-1-RE · P-47N-15
P-51 Mustang  P-51 · P-51A (Thunder League) · P-51C-10 · P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30 · P-51H-5-NA
P-63 Kingcobra  P-63A-5 · P-63A-10 · P-63C-5 · ␠Kingcobra
Prototypes  XP-55
F2A Buffalo  F2A-1 · Thach's F2A-1 · F2A-3
BF2C  BF2C-1
F3F  F3F-2 · Galer's F3F-2
F4F Wildcat  F4F-3 · F4F-4
F4U Corsair  F4U-1A · F4U-1A (USMC) · F4U-1D · F4U-1C · F4U-4 · F4U-4B · F4U-4B VMF-214 · F2G-1
F6F Hellcat  F6F-5 · F6F-5N
F8F Bearcat  F8F-1 · F8F-1B
Other countries  ▃Ki-43-II · ▃Ki-61-Ib · ▃A6M2 · ▃Bf 109 F-4 · ▃Fw 190 A-8 · ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc