BB-1

BB-1

Po-2 Night Witch

Su-2 MV-5

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/c/cc/Cockpit_bb-1.jpg

BB-1

Po-2 Night Witch

Su-2 MV-5

USSR

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.3	1.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Show in game

Description

The BB-1 is a rank I Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/SB) and 1.3 (RB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

In the mid-1930s, tensions were rising in Europe and the Soviet Union. Taking a look at the Soviet air forces of the time, it was determined that there was a need for a multi-purpose combat aircraft, which would not specialize in a role, but could be utilized as a bomber, attacker and even as a combat fighter if needed, however, its main job would be as a reconnaissance aircraft which would then attack targets it came across. Joseph Stalin personally issued the requirement for this aircraft and the project was code-named Ivanov. P.O. Sukhoi became the chief designer of this proposed aircraft while working at the Tupolev experimental design bureau and designed what initially was known as the ANT-51 first flying in 1937. Though a disappointment due to being outfitted with an 820 hp Shvetsov M-62 engine, the aircraft was outfitted with a Tumansky M-87 engine and now began production as the BB-1 (Blizhniy Bombardirovschik; Russian: Ближний Бомбардировщик — "short-range bomber").

Even small strike aircraft can dominate the sky.

The BB-1 is a very forgiving aircraft, especially to those who are new to attack aircraft. While not a fast aircraft, it does allow pilots to buzz tree-tops and follow the terrain on the way to the targets. Though not an aircraft which is adequate to bomb bases, it does have a keen ability to hover slowly weaving around a battlefield where light trucks, anti-aircraft artillery and light tanks will be about. The bomb options and the machine gun load-outs allow for this attacker to drop bombs on ground targets along with strafing them with machine guns. Once past the targets, the BB-1 can easily manoeuvre around and begin the attack run again. Enemy attackers and fighters which come along will attempt to eliminate the BB-1, but will quickly realize there is a rear-facing dorsal turret with a gunner manning a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun which is relatively fast firing and can be quite effective at times, hitting, damaging, and disabling aircraft which choose to sit on the BB-1's tail. Though not a strong suit of the attacker, it can if need be, engage as a fighter. This attacker will not win any speed records when dogfighting, though, with its large wings and rudder, it does have the ability to turn remarkably fast making it difficult for an enemy fighter to get a firing solution.

Many War Thunder matches have been won with the BB-1 or its younger siblings (Su-2s) loading up with the smaller 50 kg bombs and methodically bombing key ground vehicles while the fighters continue to chase each other around. Don't let a lone BB-1 fooling you into thinking it won't do much damage, it is better to eliminate these aircraft first before brawling in dog fights with other fighters.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 6 600 m467 km/h

Turn time23 s

Max altitude8 900 m

EngineTumansky M-88

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight4 t

The BB-1 has relatively good top speed and manoeuvrability for its battle rating. It can outrun most things it fights, and handles like a fighter without any bombs, albeit climbing isn't its strong suit. You shouldn't have to worry about rip speed or compression; being an attacker it should never reach a speed where that will become an issue.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,600 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	449	435	8900	23.9	24.7	7.5	7.5	420
Upgraded	490	467		22.1	23.0	15.2	9.8

A BB-1 watching a Do 17 Z-7 go down in flames.

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	+	-
620	350	394	340	340	~9	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 280	< 240	< 500	> 190

Survivability and armor

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural620 km/h

Gear350 km/h

• No armor plating
• No armor glazing
• Critical components located at the front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• More fuel tanks located in wings near the fuselage

The BB-1 was meant to be a light-weight attacker/bomber which could be produced rather quickly. To perform its mission adequately with the engines which were slated to be used, this aircraft needed to remain as light as possible, but still be able to carry an effective load of bombs. To eliminate weight where possible included not installing any protective armor or bulletproof windshields. Crazy as it sounds, another weight-saving method was to utilize wood paneling which is poor protection even against smaller 7 mm machine gun rounds. Though three fuel tanks are found in the aircraft (one in the fuselage in front of the cockpit and one in each wing), an ingenious solution of the time aided in the prevention of fuel tank fires and that was due to the aircraft having the ability to vent exhaust into the fuel tanks, preventing the burning of the fuel if the tank becomes ruptured. In-game, the BB-1 can tank a fair few hits from rifle-caliber MGs, but anything armed with 12.7 mm or larger will tear it apart.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB110 → 148

RB108 → 145

SB181 → 244

Total cost of modifications2 960

895

Talisman cost190

Crew training200

Experts1 000

Aces20

Research Aces96 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 20 / 40 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 Radiator Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 Airframe Research: 220 Cost: 65 65 Compressor Research: 220 Cost: 65 65 Wings repair Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Engine Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Cover Research: 240 Cost: 75 70 Engine injection Research: 240 Cost: 75 70	EFS Research: 240 Cost: 75 70	shkas_belt_pack Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 KD-2 Research: 150 Cost: 45 45 shkas_new_gun Research: 220 Cost: 65 65 shkas_turret_belt_pack Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 Der-19 Research: 185 Cost: 55 55 shkas_turret_new_gun Research: 240 Cost: 75 70

Armaments

Two BB-1s on their way to bomb a column of tanks.

Offensive armament

The BB-1 is armed with:

• 4 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (850 rpg = 3,400 total)

Suspended armament

The BB-1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 4 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs (200 kg total)
• 4 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (400 kg total)
• 12 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs (600 kg total)
• 6 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (600 kg total)
• 2 x 250 kg FAB-250sv bombs (500 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg FAB-500sv bombs (1000 kg total)
• 2 x 220 kg BRAB-220 (1930) bombs (440 kg total)

Defensive armament

The BB-1 is defended by:

• 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, dorsal turret (900 rpg)

Usage in battles

The BB-1's defensive gunner firing away with his ShKAS machine gun.

The BB-1 is one of the best low-BR ground attackers available, and is potent in every game mode. In Air Battles, it's advisable to take the 12 x 50 kg loadout, as it will allow you to do a bit of base-bombing. In Mixed battles, the most potent loadout is the 2 x 250 kg option, which will destroy or critically damage most tanks around this BR, even if you don't get a precise hit. It is recommended to set a 1.5s fuse for low-altitude attacks. After you are out of bombs, you can engage other fighters/attackers or strafe out AAA, light tanks and open topped vehicles (these are plentiful in low tier ground battles). It is not advised to dogfight but it does well in a head-on (because of the rate of fire, not the armour).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent ground attacker, decent dogfighter
• Very effective offensive guns for ground strafing
• Large bombload, several size options for different targets
• Bomb bay holds most smaller bombs which reduces drag
• Decent performance
• Has bombsight for accurate bombing
• Good manoeuvrability and responsive controls

Cons:

• No armour
• Defensive turret only has one 7.62 mm machine gun
• Only useful for bombing targets as the plane isn't competitive against faster fighter planes
• Works best at low altitudes, typically where fighters are hunting
• No dive flaps/brakes
• Relatively slow turn rate when damaged

History

Archive of the in-game description

OKB Sukhoi BB-1 (Su-2) "Ivanov" Short-Range Bomber with M-87 engine A single-engine, mixed-construction monoplane light bomber with retractable landing gear and tail wheel. This project was developed as an entry in the 1936 competition for the best high-speed long-range ground-attack reconnaissance plane, to be known as the "Ivanov". The design and construction were completed in a record time of 6 months. The first flight of the SZ-1 (SZ: "Stalin's Mission"), with an M-62 engine, was made on August 25, 1937. The prototype selected for mass production was the SZ-3, equipped with an M-87 engine. In March of 1939, even before government tests were completed, the "Ivanov" airplane (with the M-87A engine) was accepted by the Red Army Air Force. It entered mass production under the designation BB-1 (short-range bomber one). Unlike the prototypes, the production model had a mixed construction. The fuselage was a wooden monocoque with plywood paneling, and the wings and stabilizer were metal. This choice was made because, due to the many all-metal aircraft in the USSR at the time, metal was in short supply. The first production aircraft were fitted with air-cooled radial 14-cylinder OKB Tumansky M-87 engines, rated at 950 hp. The aircraft's armament included a battery of 4 fixed ShKAS 7.62 mm machine guns with 850 rounds each, mounted in pairs on each wing. To protect the aircraft's rear, the navigator had a rotating MB-5 turret with another 7.62 mm machine gun with 900 rounds of ammunition. The prototypes had a ventral MB-2 turret with a ShKAS machine gun, but this was removed as it seemed unlikely that any enemy fighter attacks would come from below when the plane was flying at a low altitude. However, it was soon shown that this was a poor decision, as such attacks were frequent in actual combat. The plane's usual bomb load, when flying at its maximum range, was 400 kg. Overweight capacity was up to 600 kg. The maximum bomb load was 1200 kg. Bombs of up to 100 kg could be placed both in the internal bomb bay and suspended under the outer wings. KD-1 or KD-2 bomb racks were used to carry and drop these bombs. Rockets were not carried.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the BB-1 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #28 - Pages of History section at 03:22 discusses the Sukhoi BB-1.

Sukhoi BB-1, Tier-1 / Rank-1 Review - Angry Nerd Gaming

BB-1 "The Farmer" - the European Canadian

See also

Related development

• Sukhoi Su-2
• Sukhoi Su-6

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
• Ilyushin IL-2
• Junkers Ju 87D
• Kawasaki Ki-32

External links

• [Wikipedia] Sukhoi Su-2
• [Militaryfactory website] Sukhoi Su-2 - Light bomber / Close support / High-speed attack / Reconnisance aircraft
• [Worldwarphotos website] Photo gallery of Su-2 aircraft from World War II

Sukhoi Design Bureau (Сухого Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Jet fighters	Su-9 · Su-11
Su-27	Su-27 · Su-27SM
Strike aircraft
Su-2	BB-1 · Su-2 (M-82) · Su-2 MV-5 · Su-2 TSS-1
Su-6	Su-6 · Su-6 (AM-42) · Su-6 (M-71F)
Su-7	Su-7B · Su-7BKL · Su-7BMK
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Su-25	Su-25 · Su-25BM · Su-25K · Su-25T · Su-25SM3 · Su-39
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Export	◊Su-22UM3K · ◔Su-22M3 · ◊Su-22M4 · ◄Su-22M4 WTD61
	J-11*
	*CKD and SKD kits assembled by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation