TB-3M-17-32

TB-3M-17-32

TB-3M-17-32

USSR

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Long Range bomber

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

The TB-3M-17-32 is a gift rank I Russian heavy bomber with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced into the game sometime prior to Update 1.27.

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.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
168	162	3800	59.2	60.7	4.9	4.9	680
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
202	185	3800	56.9	58.0	10.2	7.2	680

Details

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

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

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

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.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.

Suspended armament

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.

Defensive armament

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.

Usage in battles

TB-3 is, in a nutshell a typical heavy bomber, and a very heavy, very slow one at that. It packs a truely majestic payload of 3000 kilos of bombs, however the problem is in getting this payload to its target. Maximum speed of TB-3 is less than 200 km/h and its flight will take a really long time during which the giant TB-3 will become a very easy and enticing target for all enemy fighters and even some bombers. All this combined with practically non existent manouverability makes this bomber a very vulnerable one and its pilots may consider themselves lucky if they reach the target - not mentioning the route back. However, the TB-3 is not at all defenceless. Five turrets with total of eight 7.62mm DA machine guns present quite an effective firepower - at least against fighters of the TB-3 age. When attacked, don't even bother with manouvers, man the turrets and open fire, it is the only hope of the TB. The effectivity of the turret fire is multiplied thanks to one previously mentioned factor - very low speed. As the maximum speed of TB-3 is equal to terminal speed of most of the fighters, these fighters will often have hard time intercepting the TB, while the TB gunners will gain great opportunity of hitting slowly approaching enemy planes. This tactics however doesn't work very well when attacked from below. In that case, pray.

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
II		Compressor	Airframe
III	Wings Repair	Engine
IV		Engine Injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Large payload of up to 3,000 kg (6,613 lb) with different payload configurations, capable of destroying all bombing targets in a single run
• Adequate defensive firepower capable of fending off enemy fighters effectively
• Good damage absorption due to large size and strong construction
• Difficult to hit by fast Boom & Zoom interceptors thanks to its low speed
• Low rank fighters, can have difficulties (pending the skill of the fighter pilot) with climbing and reaching the flight level of TB-3
• It never rips itself from a dive
• Surprisingly maneuverable for it's size
• Gunners have plenty of ammo before reloading

Cons

• Very slow speed - is one of the slowest planes in game
• Very slow climb rate - the speed loss while climbing is very significant and can be deadly due to the low overall speed
• Almost no speed reserve for maneuvring, especially apparent when landing
• There are no brakes, that you have to wait for the plane to glide to a full stop before rearming
• Basically incapable of manuevering when attacked - survival depends on turret fire
• Have no offensive armament and will require to slightly tip the plane forward for the turret to engage manually
• No armour protection for the crew or modules
• Large size makes large target for enemy fire, even flak
• While relatively safe from fast interceptor fighters, the TB-3 is very vulnerable to agile and manoeuvrable planes

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 big, 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>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

"A four-motor all-metal monoplane with fixed landing gear and a crew of 12. Designed in the AGOS department (Aviation, Hydroaviation and Experimental Construction) of the TsAGI (Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute) under the direction of A.N. Tupolev.

In February 1929, the UVVS and TsAGI signed a contract for the construction of a “Metal bomber-type aircraft with 2,400 hp engine output”. The ANT-6 prototype model took its maiden flight on 20 March 1931.

Based on flight tests, the ANT-6 received the following appraisal: “Judging by all its flight characteristics, this aircraft is a highly advanced bomber, on the same level as the best foreign aircraft”. In fact, no foreign bomber possessed the same collection of flight characteristics as the Tupolev at that time. It was the best of its class in the world.

The ANT-6 was recommended for series production and accepted into service with German BMW-VI engines. At the end of the 1920s, the USSR obtained a license for their production and organized their manufacturing at the Rybinsk engine plant under the designation M-17. The aircraft received the military designation TB-3 (“tyazhyolyj bombardirovshchik tretiy”or “third heavy bomber”)

The TB-3 went into construction at the No. 22 aircraft plant in Fili – the only Soviet plant at that time experienced in working with duraluminum. On 26 February 1932, the first serial TB-3 was rolled out of its gates. The aircraft was powered by four water-cooled V12 BMW-VI engines with a maximum output of 735 hp. After the license was obtained, the engine was refined for series production and received the designation Mikulin M-17.

The TB-3's artillery and firing armament included a front-mounted Tur-6 open turret containing two tandem 7.62 mm Degtyaryov DA machine guns (the tandem version was designated DA-2), two diagonally-placed upper Tur-5 open turrets behind the wing edge which moved from side to side, each with a DA-2, and two extensible B-2 turrets under the wings armed with a single DA on a pivot, for firing to the rear.

The DA machine guns were disc-fed. A standard disc contained 60 rounds. The underwing B-2 turrets had 420 rounds (7 discs) each. The DA-2 turrets had 1440 rounds (24 discs per tandem turret) each.

Its standard bomb load amounted to 2,000 kg. When overloaded (by reducing its fuel supply) the aircraft could carry up to five tons of ordnance."

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

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.