F-6C-10-NA

F-6C-10-NA

F-6C-10-NA

France

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.7	4.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

MARKET

Description

The P-51C/F-6C was a giant improvement over previous Mustangs. It had finally begun a new era of Mustangs that would be powered by the Merlin engine. The idea was spurred on in 1942, and P-51 Mustang airframes were shortly redesigned to fit the new engine. The airframe was strengthened, and certain control surfaces were changed. Merlin-powered P-51Cs would be one of the best-performing aircraft of their time, rivaling German aircraft like the Fw 190 and Bf 109. It was also a big improvement over the Allison-powered Mustangs, which lacked significant high-altitude performance. Due to the power increase, the P-51Cs also had their suspended armament weight limit increased, and more fuel tanks were added. A big 246-litre (65-gal) tank sat behind the pilot to increase the range. The F-6C was essentially a P-51C with two cameras for reconnaissance duties. The aircraft was quite popular and soon saw service with France, who conducted recon missions over Germany late in the war.    

The F-6C-10-NA was introduced during Update "Wind of Change" as a vehicle reward for Battle Pass: Season VII, "Armoured Elephant". The main difference between the F-6C and previous Mustangs is its performance. The Packard-Merlin engine breathed new life into the Mustang due to its superior power at many altitudes. It was much faster and could climb far better. However, it retains the same armament as previous Mustangs, with four 12.7 mm machine guns mounted in the wings. Since the F-6 was intended for photo-reconnaissance duties, it lacks any provisions for suspended armament. The redesigned canopy also provides more visibility and more room. Much like many other P-51s, the F-6C excels in boom and zoom tactics, and players should not engage in dogfights unless it is absolutely necessary. 

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 7 300 m708 km/h

Turn time21 s

Max altitude12 800 m

EnginePackard V-1650-7

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight5 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,300 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	684	665	12800	22.0	22.7	12.9	12.9	300
Upgraded	734	708		20.5	21.0	20.2	16.2

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	+	-
853	287	676	676	433	~11	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 500	< 300	< 550	> 400

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear287 km/h

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
• 11.11 mm Steel - Behind pilot's seat
• 6.35 mm Steel - Behind engine, in front of oil cooling system and pilot
• 6.35 mm Steel - In front of upper engine
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 in each wing, 1 behind pilot)

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB792

RB2 195

SB2 134

Crew training10 000

Experts67 000

Aces400

Research Aces570 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 60 / 150 / 350 %

2 × 136 / 136 / 136 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection	Airframe Cover	bmg50_belt_pack bmg50_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 14 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition1 260 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

The F-6C-10-NA is armed with:

• 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (280 rpg outer + 350 rpg inner = 1,260 total)

Usage in battles

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).

Manual Engine Control

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

The overheating issue of the plane can be completely negated with use of manual engine controls. Note that due to its use of the Meredith effect, the radiator of the F-6C-10-NA produces almost no drag regardless of how wide it is opened.

• Set the propeller pitch to 90-95%
• Set the water radiator to 100% and oil cooler to 80%. Both can be reduced as you climb to higher altitudes

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent top speed and acceleration
• Excellent dive speed and acceleration
• Excellent boom and zoom capability
• Great high altitude performance
• Great climb rate
• Good turning ability at high speeds

Cons:

• 4x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns with late war belts, while generally adequate, may sometimes be lacking, especially against armored or large aircraft
• Below average roll rate
• High stall speed
• Mediocre manoeuvrability at medium to low speeds
• Wing mounted guns, therefore convergence is a small issue
• No payloads at all (therefore no bombs or rockets for ground attack)

History

F-6C-10-NA reconnaissance fighters were converted from serial P-51C-10-NT Mustangs by installing photographic equipment. The F-6 series is a Photo Reconnaissance modification of the P-51A, P-51B, P-51C, P-51D & P-51K. The exact number of P-51s converted to F-6s is not known, but it is believed to be around 500 units.

Other Members of this Family Include the F-6B-NA (35 Converted P-51A), F-6C-NT (Unknown Number of Converted P-51C), F-6D-NA/NT (283 Converted P-51D), and the F-6K-NT (163 Converted P-51K)

In-Game, the F-6C-NA is a P-51B-10-NA modified with a Malcolm Hood, which balloons outwards and increases both headroom & side visibility. The Malcolm hood was used mostly by the RAF and their Mustang III's, though American use of the Malcolm hood did occur, the majority remained with the original Canopy design.

Devblog

The first field modifications of the P-51 Mustang series for tactical photo reconnaissance appeared in the UK in 1941. In 1942, the United States began their conversion of P-51 Mustang fighters of various series into a reconnaissance fighter by equipping them with one or two bulky K-24 cameras manufactured by Kodak. These aircraft were used by the US Air Force, Britain, Australia, and were also delivered abroad under the Lend-Lease program. The reconnaissance Mustang was actively used during the Allied offensive in Europe, as well as in Tunisia and in the Pacifics.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the F-6C-10-NA from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Battle Pass: Armoured Elephant discusses the F-6C-10-NA at 01:52 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Related development

• P-51 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] Battle Pass vehicles: F-6C-10-NT

References

North American Aviation
Fighters
P-51A	P-51 · P-51A
P-51C	P-51C-10
P-51D	P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30
P-51H	P-51H-5-NA
Twin-engine fighters	F-82E
Jet fighters	F-86A-5 · F-86F-2 · F-86F-25 · F-86F-35 · F-100D
Strike aircraft	A-36 · PBJ-1H · PBJ-1J
	FJ-4B · FJ-4B VMF-232
Bombers	B-25J-1 · B-25J-20
Export/Licence	▂B-25J-30 · ␗B-25J-30
	▄Mustang Mk IA · F-6C-10-NA · ␗P-51C-11-NT · ␗P-51D-20 · J26 David · J26 · P-51D-20-NA · ␗P-51K
	F-86F-30 ▅ · ␗F-86F-30 · F-86F-40 ▅ · F-86F-40 JASDF▅ · ␗F-86F-40
	◄F-86K · ▄F-86K (Italy) · ▄F-86K (France)
	␗F-100A · ▄F-100D · ␗F-100F
Captured	▅P-51C-11-NT
	Canadair Limited license-built the F-86 as the CL-13 for use in Canada and export to Europe.
	Fiat license-built the F-86K for the Italian Air Force though another 120 NAA built F-86Ks were also sold to the Italians.
See Also	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries · Canadair Limited · Fiat Aviation