Bf 109 F-4/trop

Bf 109 F-4/trop

Bf 109 F-4

Bf 109 G-2/trop

Bf 109 F-4/trop

Bf 109 F-4

Bf 109 G-2/trop

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.3	4.0	4.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

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Description

The Bf 109 F-4/trop is a Rank III German fighter with a battle rating of 4.0. It was in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29.

A very good energy fighter for its tier, the Bf 109 F-4 can out climb most opponents due to its high power to weight ratio. However, WEP must be limited or else the engine would overheat, although manual engine control can remedy this. Despite that, it can Boom & Zoom and Rope-a-Dope well although one must watch out for severe control stiffening around 650 km/h.

Unfortunately, the F-4s 15 mm additional gondolas do not increase the damage output much at all, while reducing flight performance. However, it is recommended you at least use it once to see how effective it is, because depending on how you play it can really boost your kill abilities. For example, if you prefer to get into a dogfight, the additional weaponry will not be noticeably effective. However, if you fight in the vertical, where level speed and agility is not necessarily the most important, the additional MG 151s can mean the difference between a kill or nothing at all.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 5,8000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
627	619	11,6000	20.3	20.7	14.2	16.4	363
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 5,800 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
688	658	11,600	17.9	19.0	28	20.0	363

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
790	450	???	~17	~10

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 390	< 390	< 450	> 250

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,950 m	1,175 hp	1,322 hp

Survivability and armour

• 8 mm Steel - Pilot's seat
• 10 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest
• 6 mm Steel - behind fuel tank
• 60 mm Bulletproof glass

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Bf 109 F-4/trop is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon (200 rpg)
• 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

The two machine guns are mounted in the upper fuselage just in front of the pilot and fire through the propeller arc. Each are armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that both guns will fire with each other until empty. The 20 mm cannon is mounted in the propeller shaft and fires through the propeller hub.

Suspended armament

The Bf 109 F-4/trop can be outfitted with the following external ordinance:

• 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
• 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
• 2 x 15 mm MG 151 cannon, wing-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)

Usage in the battles

The tropical version is much like the standard F-4 variant. New features are: engine intake dust filter, a socket for sun-umbrellas and several other accommodations versus particulate matter. While these modification allowed for prolonged service life in harsh environments like the Russian veld and Libya's desert, it also (marginally) cost top speed and engine performance due increased air resistance and power diversion for the filtered aspirator. Although these are in combat hardly noticeable.

The BF-109 F-4 is not a great plane when you compare it to the other Tier 3 planes, but it is effective nonetheless. Do not try to kill a plane by coming behind it and giving them all you got- you don't got much (bad grammar, good lesson). Instead, try to scare your prey into a turn by peppering it with your 7.92 mm MG-17s, and then blow its wing off with the cannon. The cannon is, unfortunately, fires relatively fast and runs out of ammo pretty quick, so that's why tail-end kills are hard to achieve.

Word to the wise: the F-4 is a fairly good turner for its class; if you are chased by a F4U, P-51, |P-47D, or Typhoon, turn and destroy. The forward wing slats give the F-4 an exceptionally short turning radius. However, to survive a tangle with a Spitfire is an ordeal. The best strategy would be to scissor until the Spit either runs out of ammo or overshoots you, and then try to dive and outrun the Spit. Then, repeat. Do not try to out-climb the Spitfire (community nickname is a `Spacefire´ for a reason), but try to outrun it in a dive. The Spitfire Mk-Vc are superior to the F-4, avoid them.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair, Radiator		Offensive 7 mm, ETC 50/VIIId
II	Compressor	Air Frame	New 7 mm MGs, ETC 500/IXb I, R1 Modification
III	Wing Repair, Engine		Offensive 20 mm, Offensive 15 mm
IV	Engine	Cover	New 20 mm Cannon, New 15 mm Cannons

Energy fighters require acceleration, they live and die by it. Therefore most of "flight performance" upgrades are advised: Compressor, Engine and Engine injection. Meanwhile the upgrades for the hub-firing 20mm MG 151 should not be forgotten. Upgraded belts (air-target) ASAP!

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Nimble- compared to Russian and American counterparts
• Relatively good armament
• Relatively good climb rate, though not as good as a Spitfire or a maxed out P39 Airacobra
• Good sustained turn
• Faster than most opponents, such as the Spitfire mk.V, Yak-3, and La-5, especially at altitude
• Additional armament is good for destroying medium and light tanks with armored targets belt

Cons:

• Controls stiffen easily
• Overheats quickly
• Additional armament can reduce performance critically
• Poor cockpit visibility
• Prone to catching fire in a chase with a bomber
• Cannon is not at all effective against bombers
• Gunpods can't load stealth belts, thus giving the user away in a surprise attack.

History

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Media

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Read 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.

Sources

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• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
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