F-1
Contents
Description
The Mitsubishi F-1 is a rank VI Japanese jet fighter
with a battle rating of 10.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "New Power".
General info
Flight performance
The sleekness of the aircraft lends itself to flying fast and speed should be maintained when flying especially during air-to-air combat as a slow-flying F-1 is a relatively easy target due to poor manoeuvrability at slow speeds. To help in instances where the aircraft must fly at slower speeds (landing, bombing and ground rocket attack) slats and spoilers help to create a higher lift capacity and roll rate which prevent the aircraft from stalling and plummeting.
Air-to-air combat should be avoided when carrying bomb loads as this will significantly decrease manoeuvrability. During ground attack, all efforts should be made to get to the target as soon as possible and release the heavy ordnance and then proceed to any aerial combat in the near vicinity.
Damage to the aircraft, especially to the wings will typically result in the destruction of the aircraft. Due to their relatively small size, any loss in surface area will cause the fighter to over-lift on the good side sending the aircraft into a roll and then potentially into a flat-spin.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 10,975 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 1,679 | 1,664 | 15200 | 33.6 | 35.0 | 117.5 | 107.5 | 900 |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
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 | + | - | ||
| 0 | 577 | 735 | 525 | 450 | ~10 | ~4 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 650 | < 580 | < 650 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Empty mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | ||||
| Ishikawa-Harima TF40-801A | 2 | 6,540 kg | 451 kg/m2 | ||||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff
Weight | |||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 45m fuel | ||
| 810 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 7,425 kg | 7,889 kg | 8,552 kg | 9,546 kg | 13,500 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | ||||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 45m fuel | MTOW |
| Stationary | 1,930 kgf | 2,924 kgf | 0.79 | 0.74 | 0.68 | 0.61 | 0.43 |
| Optimal | 2,020 kgf
(600 km/h) |
3,106 kgf
(0 km/h) |
0.84 | 0.79 | 0.73 | 0.65 | 0.46 |
Survivability and armour
- 38 mm bulletproof glass - situated between the fore and aft cockpits
The F-1 fighter like many of the newer aircraft have shed most of its armour in lieu more speed and agility. The only armour outfitted on this aircraft is the 38 mm bulletproof glass situated between the fore and aft cockpit, giving the rear pilot a pretty good chance of surviving an impact or bullet strike which might take out the front pilot. Beyond that, the survivability of the aircraft is a mix of engineering and skill of the pilot. Damage sustained to the wings will not affect fuel loss as no tanks are mounted here; they are only mounted within the fuselage of the aircraft. While many aircraft can absorb a huge amount of ammunition rounds in the fuselage before losing something important, when it comes to the F-1 fuselage hits typically result in a hit to the engines, oil coolers, fuel, pilots or the radar. This is where pilot skill and manoeuvring come into play to make it very difficult for an enemy pilot to get a firing solution. High-G manoeuvres within this aircraft may hurt the speed and manoeuvrability; however, it may save the pilot's lives by causing many of the missiles such as the AIM Sidewinders to miss due to their lower g-turn threshold.
Armaments
Offensive armament
The F-1 is armed with:
- 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)
The JM61A1 20 mm Vulcan cannon is a monster and at the same time a headache for new pilots not used to it. Unlike a majority of the other machine guns and cannons in the game (or in real-life for that matter), trigger depression here does not immediately produce flying bullets. Due to the characteristics of the JM61A1 cannon, it requires an initial spool-up time or spin of the cannon barrels before ammunition can be fired. The high rate of fire can easily melt the barrel, however with the rotating barrels, each barrel can cool off enough before it is its turn again to prevent damage. To initiate this, trigger depression will result in a .25 second delay before the ammunition begins to fire to allow for the barrels to get to proper rotating speed. Once it gets going, 750 rounds of ammunition do not last very long.
When targeting an aircraft, for example, the pilot must remember this formula to be successful, while leading an aircraft or before an aircraft passes through the crosshairs, start squeezing the trigger about .5 to .25 seconds before that event and the cannon rounds should land on target. Waiting until a target passes through the crosshairs (unless tailing them) will result in a miss as they will be out of the sights before the cannon starts firing.
Trigger discipline is necessary when using this cannon as due to its rate of fire (about 6,000 RPM, ~100 RPS or 7.5 seconds of ammunition) will easily blow through the 750 rounds carried by the F-1.
Suspended armament
The F-1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 4 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,000 lb total)
- 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
- 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
- 16 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
- 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles
- 4 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles
- 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
- 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
- 2 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
- 2 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
- 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 16 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
- 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 5 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,500 lb total)
- 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
- 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 4 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles + 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
- 2 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 16 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 2 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
- 4 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 5 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (2,500 lb total)
- 4 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 3 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total)
- 4 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
- 4 x AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles + 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
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).
Radars
The Mitsubishi F-1 is equipped with an AN/APS-21 search radar, as well as an AN/APG-26 target tracking radar. Both radars are located in the nose of the aircraft.| AN/APS-21 - Target Detection Radar | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Detection Range |
Guaranteed Detection Range |
Max Azimuth Scan Angle |
Max Elevation Scan Angle |
| 45,000 m | 28,000 m | ±85° | ±16° |
| AN/APG-26 - Target Tracking Radar | |||
| Maximum Tracking Range |
Minimum Tracking Range |
Azimuth Tracking Angle |
Elevation Tracking Angle |
| 4,000 m | 150 m | ±60° | ±60° |
Modules
| Tier | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Fuselage repair | Compressor | Offensive 20 mm | RL-4 | ||
| II | New boosters | Airframe | M82 | JLAU-3/A | ||
| III | Wings repair | Engine | New 20 mm cannons | AIM-9E | ||
| IV | G-suit | Cover | JM117 | AIM-9P | ||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Has a radar and radar gun sight, allowing you to better plan your "boom"s and get your rounds on target more reliably
- Extremely fast
- Devastating armament
- High climb rate
- High acceleration
- Manoeuvrable enough to get onto the target with relative ease.
- Has a tail hook for landing on carriers
- Has a braking chute, making landings on short airstrips or carriers possible
- Strong ordinance options
- Can equip 4 AIM-9E/AIM-9P missiles
Cons:
- Burns through fuel at an astronomical rate in arcade battles
- JM61A1 electric-powered cannon takes getting used to because of 0.25 second spool time to get the barrel spinning before firing commences
- Poor energy retention
- Extremely poor low-speed manoeuvrability and the low speed of the plane mean lower than 500 kph
- Requires good trigger discipline and aim as the gun burns through ammunition
- Cannon tends to "spark"
- Larger turning radius compared to most other jet fighters it can face
- Cannon belts have no tracer shells, making it harder to aim
- Targeting radar is often unreliable
History
Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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 aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Japan jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| IJNAS | |
| Experimental | Kikka |
| Reconnaissance | R2Y2 Kai V1 · R2Y2 Kai V2 · R2Y2 Kai V3 |
| IJAAS | |
| Fighters | Ki-200 |
| JASDF | |
| Fighters | F-86F-30 ▅ · F-86F-40 ▅ · F-86F-40 JASDF▅ |
| F-104J | |
| F-4EJ Phantom II · F-4EJ ADTW · F-4EJ Kai Phantom II | |
| F-15J | |
| F-16AJ | |
| F-1 | |
| Trainers | T-2 Early · T-2 |
| Foreign | |
| Thailand | ▄F-5E FCU |
