Vautour IIA IDF/AF

Vautour IIA IDF/AF

Vautour IIA IDF/AF

France

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.7	9.0	9.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Jet bomber

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This page is about the jet bomber Vautour IIA IDF/AF. For other versions, see S.O.4050 Vautour IIA and S.O.4050 Vautour IIB.

Description

The Vautour IIA IDF/AF is a bundle rank VI French jet bomber with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB) and 9.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On".

General info

Flight Performance

Like most bombers, the Israeli Vautour has decent maneuverability (for a bomber mind you), 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 air frame. Which makes it amazing in the vertical. But since you can't have everything, the wings will break in prolonged >7g maneuvers. Essentially you don't want to do any insane maneuvers, and risk getting sent back to the hanger.

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	+	-
0	425	600	600	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

This thing can take quite a lot of punishment before going down due to the bomber's damage model. There isn't much armour to speak of, put if played correctly you shouldn't get hit in the first place.

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:

• 10 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (2,500 lb total)
• 10 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (5,000 lb total)
• 8 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs (7,500 lb total)
• 6 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (6,000 lb total)
• 24 x T10 121 rockets
• 24 x T10 151 rockets
• 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets
• 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (1,500 lb total)
• 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (3,000 lb total)
• 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (4,500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 24 x T10 140 rockets (2,000 lb total)
• 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (1,500 lb total)
• 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (3,000 lb total)
• 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (4,500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 24 x T10 151 rockets (2,000 lb total)
• 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (1,500 lb total)
• 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (3,000 lb total)
• 4 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x 750 lb M117 cone 90 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (4,500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs + 76 x SNEB type 23 rockets (2,000 lb total)
• 4 x Shafrir air-to-air missiles

Usage in battles

In Realistic Battles (though this can apply to all game modes), you have two options:

1. The regular "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.
2. 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 gotten 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 over shadow 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 every now and then, just to make sure nothing's behind you.

Enemies of note

F-100's: These things will out speed you and outmaneuver 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.

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair			Offensive 30 mm	Matra T10 140	SBC-17
II	New boosters	Compressor	Airframe		Matra T10 151	M117
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 30 mm cannons	Matra SNEB	LBC-25
IV	G-suit		Cover		Shafrir

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Normally able to reach bombing points before being intercepted
• Good top speed, able to keep up with fighters at its rank
• Good energy retention
• Versatile, has access to a wide range of ordinance including air to air missiles
• Shafrir missiles have tracking comparable to SRAAMs at distances of less than 1.2 km

Cons:

• Poor manoeuvrability
• Vulnerable to missiles
• Transonic and supersonic aircraft can easily match your speed
• Missiles have a very limited range, will not hit a target from more than 2 km out

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

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

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

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• 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