Kurnass
| This page is about the jet fighter Kurnass. For other versions, see F-4 Phantom II (Family). |
Contents
Description
The F-4E Kurnass is a rank VII Israeli jet fighter with a battle rating of 11.3 (AB/RB) and 10.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Winged Lions".
This aircraft is almost identical to the American F-4E Phantom II with little changes like Israeli weapons.
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 12,192 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 2,097 | 2,074 | 16000 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 160.8 | 151.2 | 850 |
| Upgraded | 2,202 | 2,140 | 25.5 | 26.0 | 221.6 | 190.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1458 | 463 | 607 | 584 | 463 | ~11 | ~4 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 810 | < 750 | < 700 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| General Electric J79-GE-17 | 2 | 14,205 kg | 408 kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 9m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | ||
| 1,750 kg | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet | 15,964 kg | 18,027 kg | 20,069 kg | 24,000 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 9m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | MTOW |
| Stationary | 5,200 kgf | 8,010 kgf | 1.00 | 0.89 | 0.80 | 0.67 |
| Optimal | 5,200 kgf (0 km/h) |
10,170 kgf (1,400 km/h) |
1.27 | 1.13 | 1.01 | 0.85 |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) |
 |
|
|
|
Offensive armament
The Kurnass is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (640 rpg)
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 90 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The Kurnass can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:
- Without load
- 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
- 6 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
- 6 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles
- 3 x 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1,200 rpg = 3,600 total)
- 24 x 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs (6,000 lb total)
- 24 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (12,000 lb total)
- 17 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (12,750 lb total)
- 4 x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs
- 13 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (13,000 lb total)
- 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total)
- 285 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
- 60 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 4 x AIM-7E Sparrow missiles
- 4 x AIM-7E-2 Sparrow missiles
- 6 x AGM-65B missiles
- 4 x 505 kg AGM-62A Walleye I bombs (2,020 kg total)
- 4 x 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs (8,000 lb total)
Custom loadout options
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm GAU-4 cannons (1200 rpg) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 250 lb LDGP Mk 81 bombs | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | |||||||
| 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | |||||||
| 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||||||
| 505 kg AGM-62A Walleye I bombs | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1 | ||||||||
| 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1 | ||||||||
| 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| BLU-27/B incendiary bombs | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | |||||||
| Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |||||||
| AGM-65B missiles | 3* | 3* | ||||||||||
| AIM-7E Sparrow missiles | 1† | 1 | 1 | 1† | ||||||||
| AIM-7E-2 Sparrow missiles | 1† | 1 | 1 | 1† | ||||||||
| AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles | 2* | 1† | 1† | 2* | ||||||||
| AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles | 2* | 1† | 1† | 2* | ||||||||
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg | ||||||||||||
| * Marked options on hardpoints 2/10 cannot be carried in conjunction with air-to-air missiles on hardpoints 3/9 respectively † Sparrows on hardpoints 4/8 cannot be carried in conjunction with Sidewinders on hardpoints 5/7 respectively | ||||||||||||
Usage in battles
The F-4E Phantom II is well-suited for most in-game situations. For attacking ground targets, the plane is armed with an assortment of bombs, rockets, and missiles. Against air targets, players may employ the vehicle's deadly air-to-air missiles and frontal cannons. Three externally-mounted gunpods may be equipped. Although they will undoubtedly increase the vehicle's destructive capabilities, they also appreciably hinder flight performance through induced drag. In many situations, one front-facing cannon is all that is required to dispatch an opponent aircraft. As for the missiles, the ones used by this plane are average at its rank, comparable to the R-60 missiles equipped by the MiG-21MF (Germany) and the MiG-21SMT (albeit with worse manoeuvrability). The AIM-9G missiles are most effective when fired from between 2 to 4 km away from the target. Any closer will make it harder for the missile to hit the target and the end result could be a miss. At higher altitudes the AIM7E-2 missiles can ensure better results when shot from 4 - 6 km range as they are almost impossible to dodge at these heights.
The F-4E has a high rate of climb. This is however where most of its performance advantages end. Due to its weight, the Phantom has rather mediocre acceleration, and not a very high top speed. It is not advised to dogfight anything other than Starfighters and other Phantom variants, as the F-4E has a very poor turn rate. Although the aircraft has better energy retention than most of its opponents, it still bleeds considerable amounts of speed while turning, which can't be regained very quickly due to the aircraft's heavy weight. It also performs quite poorly at low speeds, which is also caused by its weight.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Vast variety of air and ground ordnance
- Good top speed
- Equipped with RWR and countermeasures
- Can carry up to 8 potent AAMs
- 20 mm M61 cannon has great ballistics, high damage and high rate of fire
- Good acceleration
Cons:
- Relatively large aircraft is a big, easy to hit target
- Carrying payloads reduces flight performance
- Limited ammo for the internal 20 mm cannon which can be depleted in just a few bursts
- Wings can be ripped off easily during high speed manoeuvres
- Radar is not look-down capable
History
Israel was a prominent user of the F-4 Phantom II, having acquired its Phantoms starting in 1968. At first, the USA was unwilling to offer Israel the F-4, but developments in 1967-1968 led the USA to reconsider its position. Notably, a French embargo of Israeli aircraft and the defection of a Soviet MiG-21 convinced the USA to sell its F-4Es to Israel. The first of these aircraft arrived in January of 1968, nicknamed Kurnass (Heavy Hammer) in service.
Israeli Phantoms saw their first combat action in the War of Attrition (1967-1970) against Egypt, where they were used against Egyptian ground and air targets. During this time, more Phantoms continued to be delivered including six RF-4E reconnaissance Phantoms. During the Yom Kippur war, Israeli Phantoms were once again used against air and ground targets. This conflict also marked the debut of the AGM-65 Maverick in Israeli service shortly after the missile entered service with the USAF.
In total, Israeli Phantoms scored ~116 aerial kills against Arab aircraft between 1969-1982 compared to ~55 combat losses (total number disputed). The last Phantom was delivered in 1976, with a total of 204 aircraft delivered, including some as replacements for aircraft lost during the Yom Kippur war. In the last decades of the 20th century, the Phantom was complemented with newer aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16; the last Israeli Phantom was retired in 2004.
Media
- Skins
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
References
- Aloni, S. (n.d.). Israeli Kurnass Aces – Part 1. F4Phantom.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from http://www.f4phantom.com/SmokeTrails/ST1503_1.pdf
- Jewish Virtual Library. (1998). IAF Aircraft Inventory. McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mcdonnell-douglas-f-4-phantom-ii
| McDonnell Aircraft Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Jet Fighters | F2H-2 · F3H-2 |
| F-4C Phantom II · F-4E Phantom II · F-4J Phantom II · F-4S Phantom II | |
| F-15A · F-15C MSIP II · F-15E | |
| Strike Aircraft | AV-8B Plus · AV-8B (NA) |
| Helicopters | AH-6M |
| Export/Licensed | |
| Aircraft | ◄F-4F Early · ◄F-4F · ◄F-4F KWS LV · Phantom FG.1 · Phantom FGR.2 · F-4J(UK) Phantom II · F-4EJ Phantom II · F-4EJ ADTW · Kurnass · Kurnass 2000 |
| F-15J · F-15J(M) · Baz · Baz Meshupar · F-15I Ra’am | |
| ▄AV-8B Plus | |
| Helicopters | Lahatut |
| The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation merged with Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Later it was merged with The Boeing Company in 1997. | |
| See Also | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Israel jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Kfir Canard · Kfir C.2 · Kfir C.7 · Nesher | |
| Britain | |
| Meteor | Meteor NF.13 · Meteor F.8 |
| France | |
| Vautour | Vautour IIA · Vautour IIN |
| Super Mystere | Sambad · Sa'ar |
| Mirage III | Shahak |
| Other | M.D.450B Ouragan · Mystere IVA |
| USA | |
| F-84 | F-84F |
| A-4 | A-4H · A-4E Early (M) · A-4E · Ayit |
| F-4 | Kurnass · Kurnass 2000 |
| F-15 | Baz · Baz Meshupar · F-15I Ra’am |
| F-16 | Netz · F-16C Barak II · F-16D Barak II |
