H8K3

H8K3

H8K3

Japan

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	4.0	4.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Hydroplane

Long Range bomber

Torpedo bomber

Purchase:2 300

Show in game

This page is about the premium aircraft H8K3. For the other H8K plane, see H8K2.

Description

The H8K3 is a Rank II premium Japanese bomber with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB) and 4.0 (RB/SB). This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March".

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	514	503	9500	33.9	34.7	4.2	4.2	750
Upgraded	570	541		32.1	33.0	11.4	7.3

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
0	450	???	~6.2	~2.8

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< ???	< ???	< ???	> ???

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
?,??? m	??? hp	?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

• 20mm steel plates protecting rear gunner
• 5mm steel behind pilots
• 5mm protecting dorsal gunner
• 5mm behind hull fuel tanks
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (6 in mid-fuselage, 1 in each wingroot, 3 in each wing)

Armaments

Suspended armament

• 2 x Type 91 Mod.2 torpedoes
• 16 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (960 kg total)
• 8 x 250 kg Navy Type 98 Number 25 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 2 x 800 kg Navy Type 99 Number 80 AP bombs (1,600 kg total)
• 2 x 800 kg Navy Type Number 80 Model 1 bombs (1,600 kg total)

Defensive armament

• 1 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 navy cannon, tail turret (270 rpg)
• 1 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 navy cannon, nose turret (270 rpg)
• 1 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 navy cannon, 2 x beam turrets (270 rpg)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, wing turrets (582 rpg)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, cockpit turrets (582 rpg)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Type 92 navy machine gun, dorsal turret (582 rpg)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles 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).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 7 mm	12 in (mod30)
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs (turret)
III	Wings repair	Engine		Turret 20 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons (turret)	14 in (mod35)
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• A straight improvement over the H8K2, with more speed and retractable gear
• Incredible speed and climb, making it effectively untouchable if one climbs directly toward a base
• Good armament spread and damage (when they hit), including limited coverage under the plane
• Favourable matchmaking; always on Axis team.
• Incredible climb rate, slightly increased over the H8K2
• (RB) Long Range Bomber spawn, putting it at usually around 4,500m altitude on spawn
• Well armoured even for a non-Japanese bomber, with armoured pilot, gunners and self-sealing tanks
• Incredible SL modifier of 2.4 (meaning 480% when including premium vehicle modifier, 720% with premium account), one of the highest in the game
• Good RP modifier of 1.3, comparable to the BV 238 and better than the PBM-3

Cons:

• Awful bomb load; 780kg TNT equivalent with largest load with both wing bombs dropping together
• Armaments are unreliable; cannons are the weak 20 mm Type 99 Mod.1's, machine guns are single 7.7 mms, long reload on the cannons
• Landing is risky due to lack of land-suitable gear; the H8K must land on its hull
• Additional speed in dives cause the H8K to rapidly approach its rip speed of ~560 km/h IAS
• Retractable gear can make slowing down more difficult, especially with the landing flaps causing so much lift that they can often stall you
• Huge target

History

The H8K3 was a prototype variant of the H8K2. It was modified to allow the dorsal turret and the landing floats to retract, as well as to include fowler flaps, and the blisters which housed the side guns were replaced with sliding hatches. All such changes were made in order to reduce drag and thereby increase speed (Note: None of the turret modifications are currently modeled in game). A total of only 2 were built.

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.

Kawanishi Aircraft Company (川西航空機)
Fighters	J6K1
N1K	N1K1-Ja · N1K2-J · N1K2-Ja
Bombers	H6K4 · H8K2 · H8K3
Hydroplane	N1K1 · E7K2

Japan bombers
Navy
Carrier-based attack bomber
B5N	B5N2
B6N	B6N1 · B6N2 · B6N2a
B7A	B7A2 · B7A2 (Homare 23)
Carrier-based dive bomber
D3A	D3A1
D4Y	D4Y1 · D4Y2 · D4Y3 Ko
Shipboard Observation seaplane
F1M	F1M2
Land-based Attack bomber
G4M	G4M1
G5N	G5N1
G8N	G8N1
Flying boat
H6K	H6K4
H8K	H8K2 · H8K3
Land-based Bomber
P1Y	P1Y1
Army
Light	Ki-32
	Ki-48-II otsu
Heavy	Ki-21-Ia · Ki-21-I hei
	Ki-49-I · Ki-49-IIa · Ki-49-IIb · Ki-49-IIb/L
	Ki-67-I Ko · Ki-67-I otsu
Other countries	▅B-17E