A-35B (France)

▄A-35B

M.B.175T

▄A-35B

M.B.175T

France

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	2.7	3.3

Class:

Bomber

Dive bomber

Research:11 000

Purchase:22 000

Show in game

Description

The ▄A-35B is a rank II French dive bomber with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB), 2.7 (RB), and 3.3 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France".

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	Max Speed (km/h at 3,650 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	466	448	7100	30.6	33.4	5.2		307
Upgraded	506	485		27.8	29.0	10.3	7.5

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
		430	290	278	~13	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 257	< 350	< 380	> 320

Compressor	Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
Setting 1	1,676 m	1,500 hp	1,672 hp
Setting 2	4,115 m	1,350 hp	1,430 hp

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of pilot.
• 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
• 6.35 mm Steel plate behind oil cooling system.
• 12.7 mm Steel plate in front of dorsal gunner.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The A-35B (France) is armed with:

• 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (375 rpg = 2,250 total)

The six machine guns are arranged in bundles of two mounted in each wing. Each is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire together until empty.

Suspended armament

The A-35B (France) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (1,500 lb total)
• 4 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

The A-35B (France) is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, dorsal turret (400 rpg)

Usage in battles

The A-35B is best used as a "swing fighter", switching between ground targets and slow, lumbering air targets as your bombs get used up. The typical American 6 x 12.7 mm MG armament allows this aircraft to hit hard at targets that sit still long enough for you to get a bead on them.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm	SBC-17
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		Turret 12 mm	LBC-25
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 12 mm MGs (turret)

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Manoeuvrable at low speeds
• Has dive brakes

Cons:

• Large and slow
• Small payload

History

At the beginning of the 1930s, the American company Vultee was developing a concept for a strike aircraft capable of effectively hitting ground targets, light vehicles and enemy infantry from low altitudes. Effective actions by Germany’s Ju-87 dive bombers in Europe served as a basis for the creation of a concept for the American A-31 Vengeance, a strike dive bomber with a machine gun battery in its wings. This new addition immediately caught the attention of the British delegation, which happened to be searching for a design like the Stuka to aid in the fight against Germany. In the course of modernization, the A-31 received a new 1700 hp engine and strengthened armament of five, and then seven high-caliber Browning machine guns (six in the wings and one more for defense against attacks from the rear), and a bomb load of up to 2000 pounds. Modernized version got new designation - Vultee A-35. In spite of a large export order, the Vengeance also served in the American air force and navy, and the reviews about it were contradictory. For the war in Europe, the bomber turned out to be ill-prepared. Its low speed, large silhouette and need to descend to drop its bombs made it very vulnerable to enemy flak cannons and fighters. However, in the Pacific Theater the vehicle performed well. The Japanese had far fewer anti-aircraft defenses, and the Vengeance served as an attack aircraft, a bomber and a submarine hunter.

Nonetheless, the main operators of the A-35 were foreigners. Several squadrons in the British Air Force were equipped with these dive bombers. The aircraft was delivered to Australia and Brazil, and it served in the Free French Army in Africa.

- From Devblog

Media

The Shooting Range #71 - Pages of History section at 03:13 discusses the A-35.

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

• [Devblog] A-35B: The American Legionnaire

Vultee Aircraft Corporation
Export	P-66 · ▄A-35B · V-11 · V-12D

France bombers
Farman	F.222.2 · N.C.223.3
Latécoère	Late 298D
Potez	Potez 633
Liore et Olivier	LeO 451 early · LeO 451 late
Bloch	M.B.174A-3 · M.B.162 · M.B.175T
American	V-156-F · Martin 167-A3 · ▄A-35B · ▄SB2C-5 · B-26C · ▄PBY-5A Late · ▄PB4Y-2
British	Lancaster MR.7