P-63C-5 (France)

▄P-63C-5

M.B.157

▄F6F-5N

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/5/52/Cockpit_p-63c-5_france.jpg

▄P-63C-5

M.B.157

▄F6F-5N

France

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.0	4.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:26 000

Purchase:76 000

Show in game

This page is about the French fighter P-63C-5 (France). For other uses, see P-63 (Family).

Description

The ▄P-63C-5 Kingcobra is a rank III French fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB) and 4.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France".

The aircraft is a high altitude interceptor/ energy fighter, with it's turn radius slightly better than before. The quick dive speed and high energy retention allows the player, with the correct altitude, to engage opponents below numerous times using the high yo-yo method. This aircraft should not be used for ground attacking due to it's average ammo count.

The 37 mm M10 cannon is ridiculously powerful. Aim carefully when firing, and do not fire too quickly, lest your gun jam and you lose your main weapon. A single shot to a wing or fuselage of an enemy plane will be all that it takes to bring it down.

The M2 Brownings are similar to the guns on the Bf-109 spotters. Use them to judge the range for your cannon shot. They are almost useless (except for those lucky pilot snipes) offensively.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,572 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	627	609	12500	24.2	25.1	16.8	16.8	289
Upgraded	710	663		22.3	23.0	29.0	21.7

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	+	-
0	304	390	390	260	~12	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 410	< 380	< 410	> 320

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of pilot.
• 12.7 mm Steel plate behind pilot's top body.
• 6.35 mm Steel plates on cockpit doors.
• 19.05 mm Steel plate behind 37 mm autocannon.
• 15.87 mm Steel plates in front of pilot's feet.
• 12.7 mm Steel plate behind engine.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-63C-5 (France) is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm M10 cannon, nose-mounted (58 rpg)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)

Suspended armament

The P-63C-5 (France) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 3 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,500 lb total)

Usage in battles

This aircraft is an improved version of the P-63A-10 carrying the same armament and main gun. The aircraft is still a high altitude interceptor/energy fighter, with its turn radius slightly better than before. The quick dive speed and high energy retention allow the player, with the correct altitude, to engage opponents below numerous times using the high yo-yo method. This aircraft should not be used for ground attack due to its average ammo count.

The 37 mm M10 cannon is ridiculously powerful. Aim carefully when firing, and do not fire too quickly, lest your gun jam and you lose your main weapon. A single shot to a wing or fuselage of an enemy plane will be all that it takes to bring it down.

The role of the M2 Brownings are similar to the guns on the Bf-109 - spotters. Use them to judge the range for your cannon shot. They can also be used to try for a lucky engine fire or pilot snipe in a pinch.

Unfortunately, the C-5 is relatively superior to its predecessors. It has far more cannon ammo and a slightly lower climb rate than the A-10. However, this is relatively trivial as both planes are generally evenly matched. Keep this in mind, though, when selecting your load out of planes.

It is recommended to use the P-63 against large fighters and bombers. It is far easier to hit a bomber with the cannon then a small fighter with it.

Head-on attacks are not advisable- the large cannon combined with the relatively weak M2s make for poor head on accuracy. Only engage in head-ons if you are absolutely confident in your aim.

Boom & Zoom is also an effective tactic with this plane. Its large cannon makes getting shots while diving relatively easy, and its high climb rate and energy retention can get it to safety.

Bomber hunting is also extremely effective with the P-63, a large bomber is far easier to hit with a massive cannon. A single shot can take off a bomber's wing. However, don't spam the cannon. Keep the delay between shots at 1-1.5 second. Firing too quickly will result in a jam, which makes your plane almost useless offensively.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs	FMBC mk.1
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 37 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 37 mm cannons

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent dive speed
• Excellent energy retention
• Better-than-average climb rate
• Good flat out speed
• Good cannon damage

Cons:

• Average turn time
• Worse-than-average performance at low speeds
• Ineffective armament against higher rank aircraft
• Prone to engine damage when being chased

History

The P-63C saw little use with the US Air Force, and most were exported via Lend-Lease to the USSR. However, France also placed an order for 300 P-63C Kingcobras, to be delivered in 1945; of these, 114 aircraft were delivered before the rest of the order was voided, as the US found it unprofitable to continue producing Kingcobras after the war's end. By the time of contract cancellation, 3 full squadrons had converted to the Kingcobra while many more planes weren't ready for service. The first squadron to convert to the P-63 was the II/9 "Auvergne", based in North Africa.

The delivery of these aircraft to France caused a diplomatic stir in the United States, where the Lend-Lease program had been subsidized using taxpayer dollars. It was hoped that the aircraft would see service fighting the Luftwaffe in WWII, rather than sit the war out. However, the French soon made good use of their P63C Kingcobras with the outbreak of conflict in French Indochina between 1946-47.

The first Kingcobras arrived in 1949, replacing ex-WWII Spitfires that had been donated by the RAF. As the Viet Minh had no air force, the P-63Cs were used as ground attack aircraft, dropping WWII-era 250 lb bombs or non-finned napalm bombs. However, the Viet Minh soon began to receive advanced AA guns from the USSR and China, resulting in a dramatic increase of aircraft loss rates. At one point, the attrition rate reached 25% per year, with 30 aircraft losses between 1949 and 1951. The majority of these aircraft were written off due to flak damage, or were destroyed in runway accidents due to the poor quality of the French airfields. The aircraft were further limited by a lack of spare parts (the US refused to supply any) and a general hostile attitude towards the conflict in the United States.

By 1951, the American attitudes changed and began actively supporting the French forces. As a result, the French started receiving surplus F6F, F8F and F4U aircraft from American inventories. By winter of that year, the P-63C Kingcobra had disappeared from service in Indochina. None of the airframes were ever shipped back, and several wrecked aircraft remain in present-day Vietnam. The final French P-63 was retired in 1962, having served as a trainer with the French Air force.

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.