Difference between revisions of "CW-21"
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]]. | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]]. | ||
| − | A unique and capable fighter, the ''' | + | A unique and capable fighter, the '''{{PAGENAME}}''' will be a surprise to pilots stepping into the Chinese tech tree. Its appearance is unusual but elegant: the spindly wings, highly tapered fuselage, and bulbous nose hint at its high-flying capabilities. The first few Chinese aircraft can be a struggle to fly and master, however, the {{PAGENAME}} picks up the slack the moment it gets airborne. The {{PAGENAME}} begins lifting off when reaching 145 kph (90 mph), and climbs like a rocket, leaving all other planes at its rank in the dust. While speaking of speed, the CW will quickly outrun and outpace most of the competition, leading to a lot of the primary biplane opposition simply being unable to catch up and get within firing distance. |
| − | When it comes to firepower, this bird has talons and easily uses its 2 x .50 calibre M2s plus 2 x. 30 calibre M1919s to decimate any plane that crosses its path. While it can punch hard with its guns, it cannot take any beating in return due to its complete lack of protection. Not that it will be getting hit much, as a competent pilot will tell you manoeuvrability is key and an agile plane it is. The turn time is easily competitive with most if not all biplanes, except possibly the I-153 that intrinsically trumps all other aircraft when it comes to turning and turn fighting. All in all, the | + | When it comes to firepower, this bird has talons and easily uses its 2 x .50 calibre M2s plus 2 x .30 calibre M1919s to decimate any plane that crosses its path. While it can punch hard with its guns, it cannot take any beating in return due to its complete lack of protection. Not that it will be getting hit much, as a competent pilot will tell you manoeuvrability is key and an agile plane it is. The turn time is easily competitive with most if not all biplanes, except possibly the I-153 that intrinsically trumps all other aircraft when it comes to turning and turn fighting. All in all, the {{PAGENAME}} is a powerhouse, ready to ascend to great heights and deliver death from above. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
| Line 110: | Line 110: | ||
<!--''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.''--> | <!--''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.''--> | ||
| − | The | + | The {{PAGENAME}} is about as fragile as it looks as far as combat damage is concerned. It does not have any sort of armour protection whatsoever, a historical design decision to minimize weight and maximize its rate of climb. While the resulting flight performance is nothing short of spectacular, it renders the pilot very vulnerable to being knocked out, even by low-calibre machine guns. For this reason, head-ons should be avoided, and when being tailed by an enemy, evasive manoeuvres are very important. The fuel tanks are located in the wings and are at the very least self-sealing. |
| − | Upon its initial release, the | + | Upon its initial release, the {{PAGENAME}} was quite infamous for having literally unbreakable wings that would stay intact after suffering critical damage, but this has since been patched. Attempting to use the wings as a melee weapon is no longer recommended. |
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
| Line 127: | Line 127: | ||
<!--''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).''--> | ||
| − | The | + | The {{PAGENAME}} should be mainly used as a fighter. Excelling in turns, acceleration, and hard-hitting guns, it is very easy to dogfight other planes at its battle rating. Your main composition will sometimes be bi-planes and some bi-planes can out turn you. However, the {{PAGENAME}} against monoplanes is where it really shines. It can easily out turn other planes like the He-100 or even the He-112 which is crucial in a dogfight. The {{PAGENAME}} does not have any close air support potential other than knocking out light targets like anti-aircraft artillery and armoured vehicles, so the main targets will be other planes. |
| − | The CW-21 can outclimb practically any other fighter on the battlefield. While it is a good dogfighter, it excels in diving attacks, where enemies can | + | The CW-21 can outclimb practically any other fighter on the battlefield. While it is a good dogfighter, it excels in diving attacks, where enemies can be eliminated in a pass or two, and if not, the extra energy advantage makes the ensuing dogfights much easier. Cruise at high altitude, pick out a target and swoop down to begin the engagement, using the great handling to stay on the target's tail. If the fight is not going as well as expected, it is not difficult to disengage and climb back to safety, though it pays to fly carefully and watch out for bullets coming in from behind. |
| − | While intercepting bombers is easy, even the weakest of defensive armaments can do a serious number on the | + | While intercepting bombers is easy, even the weakest of defensive armaments can do a serious number on the {{PAGENAME}}, possibly ending the engagement abruptly with a pilot snipe. Study the layout of enemy bombers and only approach from angles that are not covered by turrets, or alternatively wait for a teammate to join in and distract the opponent's fire. Note that bringing down large aircraft can use up a large amount of the {{PAGENAME}}'s limited ammunition supply. |
| − | Something to note is that the | + | Something to note is that the {{PAGENAME}}'s incredibly lightweight (it weighs less than an I-16!) means that the energy retention after dives leaves something to be desired. The climb rate compensates for the mediocre top speed somewhat since altitude can be converted into speed, but this bonus will be quickly lost. Avoid prolonged chases against faster aircraft, otherwise one may be both unable to catch up and drained of energy. |
| − | Perhaps the only other opponent capable of giving the | + | Perhaps the only other opponent capable of giving the {{PAGENAME}} a run for its money in terms of performance is the German [[He 100 D-1]]. The Heinkel also has a very good climb rate and enjoys superior speed, though it has worse manoeuvrability and inferior armament. While the {{PAGENAME}} still has a better climb rate, He 100 pilots can build up speed in level flight and zoom climb to catch up, and the three 7.92 mm machine guns are still more than enough to dispatch the {{PAGENAME}}. Watch He 100s warily, be prepared to dodge them, and try to land a few hits - the He 100 is incredibly fragile and even a stray bullet can ruin its cooling system, forcing the pilot to return to base or burn up. |
=== Manual Engine Control === | === Manual Engine Control === | ||
| Line 200: | Line 200: | ||
* .50 calibre API at this rank is very dangerous | * .50 calibre API at this rank is very dangerous | ||
* Climb rate is very good for its rank | * Climb rate is very good for its rank | ||
| − | * Good dive characteristics - | + | * Good dive characteristics - difficult to induce compression, wings will not readily break |
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| Line 212: | Line 212: | ||
<!--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).--> | ||
| − | The Curtiss-Wrist 21 was a lightweight fighter interceptor based on the CW-19. | + | The Curtiss-Wrist 21 was a lightweight fighter-interceptor based on the CW-19. {{PAGENAME}} designer, George A. Page, only emphasized the plane to have an incredible rate of climb and to not dogfight. It would climb away from a dogfight instead of dog-fighting. The U.S. wouldn't adopt the plane as they wanted a plane with low-level dogfight capability, and to not only excel solely in climbing. George A. Page knew this and designed the plane mainly for exporting. |
| − | Intrigued by the | + | Intrigued by the {{PAGENAME}}'s performance, China looked into the {{PAGENAME}} furthermore with a prototype being delivered to China. During a discussion about the {{PAGENAME}}, a prototype {{PAGENAME}} shot down an Italian BR.20. China decided to buy some with China receiving 3 completely built {{PAGENAME}}'s and 27 kits. Another three {{PAGENAME}}'s were delivered to China and sent to the "Flying Tigers" group. They intended to use the {{PAGENAME}} for attacking Japanese reconnaissance but ended up crashing due to poor visibility. |
| − | Meanwhile, Curtiss-Wright | + | Meanwhile, Curtiss-Wright was developing the CW-21B. The CW-21B had inward retractable gears, instead of the gears being retracted into the fairings beneath each wing. The CW-21B also sported hydraulic control surfaces. The CW-21B did end up having a lower climb rate but did have a higher top speed. The Dutch ordered 24 CW-21B's in an effort to obtain modern aircraft, however, it was too late to receive them as they surrendered to the Germans. The Dutch ended up giving the CW-21B's to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). After assembling the newly acquired CW-21B's, they started using them. They later ended up finding cracks on some of their CW-21B's and grounded them. This was due to the very lightweight construction of the CW-21B. These CW-21B's were easy prey to Japanese planes and most were destroyed on the ground as well as the few which were able to fly. |
== Media == | == Media == | ||
Revision as of 12:54, 24 March 2020
Contents
Description
The CW-21 is a rank I Chinese fighter
with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/SB) and 2.7 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.91 "Night Vision".
A unique and capable fighter, the CW-21 will be a surprise to pilots stepping into the Chinese tech tree. Its appearance is unusual but elegant: the spindly wings, highly tapered fuselage, and bulbous nose hint at its high-flying capabilities. The first few Chinese aircraft can be a struggle to fly and master, however, the CW-21 picks up the slack the moment it gets airborne. The CW-21 begins lifting off when reaching 145 kph (90 mph), and climbs like a rocket, leaving all other planes at its rank in the dust. While speaking of speed, the CW will quickly outrun and outpace most of the competition, leading to a lot of the primary biplane opposition simply being unable to catch up and get within firing distance.
When it comes to firepower, this bird has talons and easily uses its 2 x .50 calibre M2s plus 2 x .30 calibre M1919s to decimate any plane that crosses its path. While it can punch hard with its guns, it cannot take any beating in return due to its complete lack of protection. Not that it will be getting hit much, as a competent pilot will tell you manoeuvrability is key and an agile plane it is. The turn time is easily competitive with most if not all biplanes, except possibly the I-153 that intrinsically trumps all other aircraft when it comes to turning and turn fighting. All in all, the CW-21 is a powerhouse, ready to ascend to great heights and deliver death from above.
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 3,700 m) |
Max altitude (meters) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| 480 | 465 | 10800 | 14.2 | 15.0 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 343 |
| Upgraded | |||||||
| Max Speed (km/h at 3,700 m) |
Max altitude (meters) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (meters/second) |
Take-off run (meters) | |||
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | ||
| 533 | 505 | 10800 | 13.8 | 14.0 | 24.6 | 18.2 | 343 |
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wing-break speed (km/h) |
Gear limit (km/h) |
Combat flaps (km/h) |
Max Static G | |
| + | - | |||
| 380 | ~10 | ~5 | ||
| Optimal velocities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons (km/h) |
Rudder (km/h) |
Elevators (km/h) |
Radiator (km/h) |
| < 280 | < 260 | < 450 | > 250 |
| Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 1,829 m | 850 hp | 1,000 hp |
| Setting 2 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 4,633 m | 750 hp | 882 hp |
Survivability and armour
The CW-21 is about as fragile as it looks as far as combat damage is concerned. It does not have any sort of armour protection whatsoever, a historical design decision to minimize weight and maximize its rate of climb. While the resulting flight performance is nothing short of spectacular, it renders the pilot very vulnerable to being knocked out, even by low-calibre machine guns. For this reason, head-ons should be avoided, and when being tailed by an enemy, evasive manoeuvres are very important. The fuel tanks are located in the wings and are at the very least self-sealing.
Upon its initial release, the CW-21 was quite infamous for having literally unbreakable wings that would stay intact after suffering critical damage, but this has since been patched. Attempting to use the wings as a melee weapon is no longer recommended.
Armaments
Offensive armament
The CW-21 is armed with:
- 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
- 2 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
Usage in battles
The CW-21 should be mainly used as a fighter. Excelling in turns, acceleration, and hard-hitting guns, it is very easy to dogfight other planes at its battle rating. Your main composition will sometimes be bi-planes and some bi-planes can out turn you. However, the CW-21 against monoplanes is where it really shines. It can easily out turn other planes like the He-100 or even the He-112 which is crucial in a dogfight. The CW-21 does not have any close air support potential other than knocking out light targets like anti-aircraft artillery and armoured vehicles, so the main targets will be other planes.
The CW-21 can outclimb practically any other fighter on the battlefield. While it is a good dogfighter, it excels in diving attacks, where enemies can be eliminated in a pass or two, and if not, the extra energy advantage makes the ensuing dogfights much easier. Cruise at high altitude, pick out a target and swoop down to begin the engagement, using the great handling to stay on the target's tail. If the fight is not going as well as expected, it is not difficult to disengage and climb back to safety, though it pays to fly carefully and watch out for bullets coming in from behind.
While intercepting bombers is easy, even the weakest of defensive armaments can do a serious number on the CW-21, possibly ending the engagement abruptly with a pilot snipe. Study the layout of enemy bombers and only approach from angles that are not covered by turrets, or alternatively wait for a teammate to join in and distract the opponent's fire. Note that bringing down large aircraft can use up a large amount of the CW-21's limited ammunition supply.
Something to note is that the CW-21's incredibly lightweight (it weighs less than an I-16!) means that the energy retention after dives leaves something to be desired. The climb rate compensates for the mediocre top speed somewhat since altitude can be converted into speed, but this bonus will be quickly lost. Avoid prolonged chases against faster aircraft, otherwise one may be both unable to catch up and drained of energy.
Perhaps the only other opponent capable of giving the CW-21 a run for its money in terms of performance is the German He 100 D-1. The Heinkel also has a very good climb rate and enjoys superior speed, though it has worse manoeuvrability and inferior armament. While the CW-21 still has a better climb rate, He 100 pilots can build up speed in level flight and zoom climb to catch up, and the three 7.92 mm machine guns are still more than enough to dispatch the CW-21. Watch He 100s warily, be prepared to dodge them, and try to land a few hits - the He 100 is incredibly fragile and even a stray bullet can ruin its cooling system, forcing the pilot to return to base or burn up.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Controllable | Controllable Not auto controlled |
Not controllable Not auto controlled |
Not controllable Not auto controlled |
Separate | Controllable 2 gears |
Not controllable |
Modules
| Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Fuselage repair | Radiator | Offensive 7 mm | ||
| II | Compressor | Airframe | Offensive 12 mm | ||
| III | Wings repair | Engine | New 7 mm MGs | ||
| IV | Engine injection | Cover | New 12 mm MGs | ||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Respectable firepower for the rank
- Turn rate is on par with the early Spitfires and even A6Ms
- .50 calibre API at this rank is very dangerous
- Climb rate is very good for its rank
- Good dive characteristics - difficult to induce compression, wings will not readily break
Cons:
- Mediocre energy retention
- Not very fast
- Very fragile
- Ammo can run out fast with poor trigger discipline
History
The Curtiss-Wrist 21 was a lightweight fighter-interceptor based on the CW-19. CW-21 designer, George A. Page, only emphasized the plane to have an incredible rate of climb and to not dogfight. It would climb away from a dogfight instead of dog-fighting. The U.S. wouldn't adopt the plane as they wanted a plane with low-level dogfight capability, and to not only excel solely in climbing. George A. Page knew this and designed the plane mainly for exporting.
Intrigued by the CW-21's performance, China looked into the CW-21 furthermore with a prototype being delivered to China. During a discussion about the CW-21, a prototype CW-21 shot down an Italian BR.20. China decided to buy some with China receiving 3 completely built CW-21's and 27 kits. Another three CW-21's were delivered to China and sent to the "Flying Tigers" group. They intended to use the CW-21 for attacking Japanese reconnaissance but ended up crashing due to poor visibility.
Meanwhile, Curtiss-Wright was developing the CW-21B. The CW-21B had inward retractable gears, instead of the gears being retracted into the fairings beneath each wing. The CW-21B also sported hydraulic control surfaces. The CW-21B did end up having a lower climb rate but did have a higher top speed. The Dutch ordered 24 CW-21B's in an effort to obtain modern aircraft, however, it was too late to receive them as they surrendered to the Germans. The Dutch ended up giving the CW-21B's to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). After assembling the newly acquired CW-21B's, they started using them. They later ended up finding cracks on some of their CW-21B's and grounded them. This was due to the very lightweight construction of the CW-21B. These CW-21B's were easy prey to Japanese planes and most were destroyed on the ground as well as the few which were able to fly.
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.
| Curtiss-Wright Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | BF2C-1 |
| P-36A · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-36C · P-36G | |
| P-40C · P-40E-1 · P-40F-10 | |
| Bombers | SB2C-1C · SB2C-4 |
| Floatplanes | SOC-1 |
| Experimental | XP-55 |
| Export | H-75A-1 · H-75A-4 · H-81A-2 · ▂P-40E-1 · ␗P-40E-1 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · CW-21 · Hawk III |
| ▄SB2C-5 | |
| Captured | ▀Hawk H-75A-2 |
| China fighters | |
|---|---|
| British | ␗Gladiator Mk I |
| French | D.510C |
| Japanese | ␗A6M2 · ␗Ki-27 otsu · ␗Ki-43-III ko · ␗Ki-44-II hei · ␗Ki-61-I otsu · ␗Ki-84 ko |
| American | CW-21 · Hawk III · P-66 · ␗P-40E-1 · H-81A-2 · ␗P-43A-1 |
| ␗P-47D-23-RA · ␗P-47D-30 · ␗F-47N-25-RE · ␗P-51C-11-NT · ␗P-51D-20 · ␗P-51K | |
| Soviet | ␗I-15bis · ␗I-153 M-62 · ␗I-16 Chung 28 · ␗I-16 type 5 · ␗I-16 type 10 · ␗I-16 type 17 · ␗La-11 · ␗La-9 |
