Falcon

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Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
uk_falcon.png
GarageImage Falcon.jpg
Falcon
AB RB SB
8.0 8.3 8.3
Class:
Research:105 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:300 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Falcon is a rank V British self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB) and 8.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March". While being an anti-aircraft vehicle, the Falcon has optimal performance against everything, assuming you have enough modifications. Some self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles have a high fire rate, which allows them to destroy planes instantly or harass them from great distances, although they may have problems with standard ground vehicles due to armour. There are others which can destroy tanks by using high penetration ammunition but have difficulty taking down aircraft due to a lack of explosive filler. The Falcon has the ability to perform both of these roles with a high degree of efficiency.

The Falcon has the appearance of a light tank with a slightly sloped round turret on the back. It is easy to recognize the Falcon due to its unique features as there are not many vehicles like it on a field at its battle rating.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull12 / 12 / 10
Turret10 / 10 / 10
Crew3 people
Visibility89 %

The armour on the Falcon is not very effective, as it can only reliably protect against rifle-calibre machine guns. Aircraft that are armed with heavy machine guns and cannons are able to destroy it, but the Falcon is quick and highly manoeuvrable compared to most other vehicles which can allow it to escape into cover.

Important to note that some full calibre AP shells do not detonate upon impacting the Falcon's armour, granting it some chances to make narrow escapes. However, is is also possible for these shells to hull-break the Falcon as long as they are of 120+ mm calibre and hit a critical module of the tank. One of the confirmed critical modules is the autocannon breech. Many of the tanks at the Battle Rating of the Falcon also carry 12.7 mm or 14.5 mm heavy machine guns and will fire them at the Falcon, which are easily capable of defeating the armour and will devastate the interior of the vehicle, so as long as the mobility of the vehicle is not hampered it is advisable to keep moving and find cover.

Chemical rounds, such as HEAT-FS and HESH, will also obliterate the Falcon, and artillery can also quickly bring a swift end to the Falcon.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 10 mm (80°), 12.7 mm (2-19°) Front glacis
12.7 mm (37°) Lower glacis
12.7 mm Top
12.7 mm (13°) Bottom
10 mm (2°) 10 mm
Turret 10 mm (4-64°) 10 mm (14-26°) 10 mm (2°) 6 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • The general armour on the Falcon is extremely thin, which allows some full calibre APHE shells to pass through without detonating.
  • Heavy machine guns are able to defeat the armour protection of the Falcon.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB52 / 9 km/h
RB and SB48 / 8 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
2 back
Weight15.9 t
Engine power
AB406 hp
RB and SB213 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB25.5 hp/t
RB and SB13.4 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 52 9 15.9 303 406 19.06 25.53
Realistic 48 8 188 213 11.82 13.4

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 367 → 6 026 Sl icon.png
RB3 728 → 5 144 Sl icon.png
SB4 702 → 6 488 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications88 200 Rp icon.png
146 100 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training86 000 Sl icon.png
Experts300 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 200 Ge icon.png
Research Aces720 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
140 / 180 / 220 % Sl icon.png
196 / 196 / 196 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
30mm_hs_831_HE_ammo_pack
Research:
4 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 400 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
30mm_hs_831_APHEI_ammo_pack
Research:
4 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
7 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
12 000 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
30mm_hs_831_APDS_ammo_pack
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 500 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition620 rounds
Belt capacity310 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
65.0 → 50.0 s
Fire rate651 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 85°
Main article: HSS 831L (30 mm)

The Falcon carries two 30 mm autocannons with a high rate of fire. Together, they can shred tanks and planes apart in mere seconds.

Autocannons can overheat if continuously fired, so short bursts work best. Firing for more than 6 seconds can cause overheating and jamming and it is advised to refrain from extended firing unless absolutely necessary. The recoil from guns slows you down and pushes you back. If attempting a flanking attack, try to fire over the the side of the vehicle, as otherwise, the opponent's turret might catch up.

Ammunition is stored in one belt, which ensures uniformity of ammunition but does have several disadvantages Rearming the belt is only possible when all ammunition is expended. This takes an extended period of time (around a full minute), so running out of ammunition is very detrimental, especially if the team lacks map control which prevents rearming at a capture point. Lacking ammunition allows aircraft to easily make attack runs.

30 mm HSS 831L (x2) Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 620 (310) 600 -10°/+85° ±180° Two-plane 70.4 97.5 118.4 130.9 139.3 65.00 57.50 53.00 50.00
Realistic 47.6 56.0 68.0 75.2 80.0

Ammunition

  • Default: AP-I · HEI-T* - General combat. Avoid heavily armoured vehicles at all costs, but can punish other SPAA and light tanks.
  • 30x170 HE-I-T: HEI-T* · HEI* · HEI* · AP-I - Belt adapted to hunt down planes. Damage to SPAA and light tanks is reduced severely.
  • 30x170 APHE-I: AP-I · AP-I · AP-I · HEI-T* - Belt adapted to hunt down light tanks. Damage to planes is reduced, but still adequate.
  • 30x170 APDS-T: APDS · AP-I · AP-I · HEI-T* - Anti-tank belt. Flank and destroy careless MBT's, damage heavy tanks, while doing AA duty.
Penetration statistics
Belt Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Default 53 50 39 29 21 16
30x170 HE-I-T 53 50 39 29 21 16
30x170 APHE-I 53 50 39 29 21 16
30x170 APDS-T 110 101 95 69 52 41

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Falcon
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
620 310 (+310) (+620) No

Optics and night vision

Falcon Optics
Type of optic Magnification Night Vision Devices
Image Intensifier Thermal Imager
Resolution
Notes
Resolution Light Mult Noise Level
Gunner's Sight X1.8 - X3.5 N/A N/A N/A Not Fitted
Commander's View X6 N/A N/A N/A Not Fitted
Driver's View X1 / 3PV 800X600  ? high Not Fitted Only useable with tier 4 upgrade

Use night vision to avoid hostile tanks or to fight them at close range at night. The image intensifier is not installed for gunner or commander, so be cautious when shifting between third person and other views during night.

Usage in battles

Combat tactics

Generally, Falcon drives around the battlefield, trying to hide in hard to notice flank positions or behind houses and shoots at planes. In case if someone drives by - flanks them and destroys them, if has AP belt.

It's generally better to stay out of sight, using terrain elevation or houses. You only can choose one belt, AP belt is adequate for any work. If you want to shoot just planes you can take explosive ammo, but then you are completely useless against armour. APDS belt allows harassing even heavily armoured vehicles from sides. You won't need to reload until you are done.

In case if some tank noticed you and wants to destroy you, you can use the fact, that tanks turrets are usually far from the front of the tank. Bait enemy towards your cover, stand far enough away from the corner to see enemy tracks, but not to see an enemy turret, and shoot cannons at the track that is further away from you. That will force the moving tank to topple over and mess with the enemy aim. Before enemy realized what has just happened shred their side armour and destroy them. If that failed - run, they won't be able to get you anyway. You can do that in duels as well, however, just destroying them is better at that point.

In RB, it's possible to hide in forests, waiting for relatively poorly armoured German medium tanks, light tanks and alike, however, if they notice your vehicle first you probably won't do enough damage to stop them from firing again.

In AB, it's possible to just drive around and shoot at everyone, since it's even faster there, however, people dislike being shot at by autocannons, and someone will certainly notice the noise and kill-feed, so don't expect to live long, especially against Soviets, who have lots of frontal armouring and BMPs, which are superior to you in every way.

Some enemies to be concerned about:

  • ATGM: These are worse than any tanks because they won't accidentally hit your loader with AP shell, they will just explode you. Attack only when having the upper hand, be that long range, cover, or surprise.
  • Maus: It's invulnerable to you and has 2 cannons. Even IS-7 can technically be defeated in point blank duel with APDS from the rear, but not The Maus. In AB this means, that you can't drive anywhere it can look and fire at.
  • Soviet tanks and heavy tanks: A lot of them sport 120 mm cannons, which means, if they fire back at your guns, the shell may just break the hull. They also have superior frontal armour, so try to be careful around them.
Counter-tactics

Ground:
AP and APDS belts are most effective when fired at your side armour or back of the turret. If you are attacked by a Falcon, just turn both hull and turret to take better angle against them.

It's best to not let them get a jump on you at all, since it may be able to destroy 2 tanks before anyone even realizes what's going on. Just don't stand with your sides open towards flank directions, instead, turn your hull's front and back there, if the enemy you are currently fighting cannot fire at your hull anyway.

On rare occasions, ramming the Falcon damages it's guns. Ramming at full speed often damages tracks or at least temporarily stops it.

Air:
The Falcon has questionable accuracy at 2 km range, but it still can force you to disengage just by firing in your general direction. It's still better to not mess with falcon and avoid flying too much near to buildings if you know it's there.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • High penetrating APDS rounds can actually do some major damage at the tier
  • Very high one-second burst mass
  • Only has one ammo belt per gun so no need to reload
  • Has a 2 plane stabilizer for both cannons, meaning you can shoot accurately on the move
  • All belts contain APHE Shells with 53mm of Pen
  • Commanders View Night Vision

Cons:

  • Weak armour
  • Shotgun effect when fired continuously for more than 10 seconds. Will most likely overheat at that point, too
  • Approximately 30 seconds worth of ammo before needing to rearm at a capture circle, which takes a long time
  • High repair cost in arcade battles of 15k + about 2k for APDS ammunition when spaded
  • Average speed without an experienced driver is 30-35km/h

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle 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: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

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 vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Britain anti-aircraft vehicles
Crusader AA  Crusader AA Mk I · Crusader AA Mk II
Wheeled  Staghound AA · AEC AA
Radar SPAAG  Chieftain Marksman
Missile SPAA  Stormer AD · Stormer HVM
Other  Light AA Mk I · Falcon
Canada  Skink · ADATS (M113)
South Africa  Ystervark · Bosvark · ZA-35