Ka-50

Ka-50

Ka-50

USSR

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	11.0	10.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Attack helicopter

Utility helicopter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

STORE

Description

The Ka-50 is a gift rank VI Soviet helicopter with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB), 11.0 (RB), and 10.3 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack".

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the helicopter behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)
AB	RB
???	???	5400
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)
AB	RB
???	310	5100

Survivability and armour

Due to the low weight, this helicopter is fast and agile, and so it is easy to dodge even the missiles from ADATS or incoming fighters on head-on. Even in the case of damages, the twin rotor design can help keep control the damage even in cases where the tail is destroyed.

Lots of sensors on the Ka-50 help establish situational awareness to keep an eye for threats. A passive radar will keep the Ka-50 informed of the presence (distance and direction) of active radars (enemies AA, jets with radar), also with sounds (beeping). A Missile Approach Warning system (MAW) will automatically deploy false targets - flares (128 pcs) and inform the Ka-50 pilots of incoming missiles (even in SB). In other environmental conditions, the Ka-50 also has a night vision device (only image intensifiers without thermal sight) to keep some form of visibility.

Distance is also the Ka-50's best friend, with an ATGM with active radius of 10km that will help keep the helicopter out of range of most AA, except ADATS and 2K22 Tunguska.

In terms of armour, the fuselage is covered in various pieces of 20mm plates of aluminium alloy, and a 22 mm bullet proof glass in front of the cockpit (See photo for armour profile).

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Ka-50 is armed with:

• 1 x 30 mm 2A42 cannon, right fuselage-mounted (460 RPG)

The 30mm 2A42 cannon can be equipped with mixed belt, belt for air targets or ground targets

• Default belt: AP-T/HEF-I/HEF-I/AP-T/AP-T; max penetration: 62 mm at 100 metres
• Ground targets belt: AP-T/APDS/APDS/APDS/APDS; max penetration: 81 mm at 100 metres
• Air targets belt: HEF-T/HEF-I/HEF-I/HEF-I/HEF-I; max penetration: 3 mm at any distance

Due to the risk of flying directly over a battlefield, and that the Ka-50's optimal firing distance is from a long way from the enemy ground targets, the Ground target belt for the 30 mm is not useful. As such, being equipped against air targets would be better; so pick default or Air targets belt from personal preferences, but the default belt will have some AP shells in case the opposing enemy aircraft is armoured.

Suspended armament

The Ka-50 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 80 x S-8KO rockets
• 4 x 23 mm GSh-23-2 cannons
• 2 x 23 mm GSh-23-2 cannons + 40 x S-8KO rockets
• 12 x 9K127 Vikhr
• 2 x 23 mm GSh-23-2 cannons + 12 x 9K127 Vikhr
• 12 x 9K127 Vikhr + 40 x S-8KO rockets
• 4 x 250 kg OFAB-250-270 bombs
• 2 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs
• 2 x 23 mm GSh-23-2 cannons + 2 x 9M39 Igla + 6 x 9K127 Vikhr
• 2 x 9M39 Igla + 6 x 9K127 Vikhr + 40 x S-8KO rockets

The Ka-50 equip these weapons by means of pylons, with 4 pylons total on the helicopter (2 on each wing). Each pylon holds one of the following:

• 6 x 9K127 Vikhr ATGM (Range: 10 km; TNT equivalent: 5.16 kg; Max speed: 600 m/s) - A tandem warhead with 1000 mm penetration of armour after ERA with proximity fuse. Could only be mounted on the outer pylons for 12 missiles maximum
• 2 x 9M39 Igla A2A missile (IR guiding; Lock-on range: 6 km in rear aspect/4 km in all aspect; Max speed: 1,000 m/s; Max overload: 18 G; Has ECCM) - Mounted on outer pylons with 2 missiles each. Can currently only be equipped on 1 outer pylon, with the other having 6x Vikhr ATGM.
• 20 x S-8KO unguided rockets (Speed: 610 m/s; TNT equivalent: 1.32 kg; Max armour penetration: 400 mm) - All four pylons can be equipped with rocket pod for a maximum of 80 rockets total.
• 1 x 23mm Gsh-23-2 cannon with 250 ammo each, could be equipped all 4 pylons (1000 ammo with 4 cannons in total)

Usage in battles

The most preferable play style for this helicopter should be firing ATGM from long range since Vikhr has the longest range in the game (10 km).

The only other 2 vehicles that has the shooting range of 10 km is the ADATS and 2K22 Tunguska. Since Tunguska in usually in your team (if not in a mixed battle), your only enemy is ADATS and/ or enemy planes.

Versus ADATS - From the beginning, try to keep the ADATS more than 10 km away from the Ka-50's position and focus on closer targets. For this, reach the battlefield at the middle (usually some point to capture is around 9.5 km from you). If the Ka-50 has already detected some ADATS within 10 km, be prepared with the fact that the ADATS also may know that the Ka-50 is there and may already be firing missiles. If an incoming missile is spotted, begin evasive maneuvers. To do this, turn-off hover mode and sharply turn the Ka-50 to one side (left or right) or do the barrel-roll. Never fire for at the ADATS after he fired first, his missiles are twice as fast as yours (1200 m/s vs 600 m/s). To eliminate the ADATS, lock-on target in gunner sight and fire. If you see incoming fire, switch to 3rd view/ pilot view and begin evasive maneuvers as mentioned above, but keep in mind that the target have to stay in your targeting view so your ATGM could hit the target while maneuvering.

Versus planes (jets) - On a head on, you can lock them and try to fire the Vikhr ATGM (it has proximity fuse) or lock them with Igla A2A (and fire only if distance is at least greater than 1 km). If they survived and approached their firing range, begin evasive maneuvers. Simply turn on one side (left or right) or do the barrel-roll. This is the only time you could use your right side mounted 30mm cannon, so use it and fire for enemy while maneuvering. If enemy passed you (and is still alive) turn around ASAP and lock him with your Igla A2A missiles and fire. In 99% of the cases, this should be enough to send any plane down.

If the is Ka-50 is not equipped with Igla missiles, just wait for the enemy pilot and repeat the process mentioned above until someone is shot down or have had the engagement broken off.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has one of the best ATGM in the game (10 km range with 1000 mm penetration after ERA), able to fire after air targets with its proximity fuse
• Fast and agile, maximum reached speed is around 330 km/h in level flight (with minimum fuel, payload of 6x Vikhr, 2x Igla and 2x Gsh-23-2 cannons in RB)
• The Ka-50's twin rotor concept can allow the helicopter to survive even after the tail is destroyed

Cons:

• Poor choices of payload, compromises have to be made in Vikhr ATGM numbers to equip some Igla A2A missiles
• Absence of thermal sight can make enemy detection more difficult

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter 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

Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

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

External links

• [Development] Ka-50 "Black Shark"

Kamov Design Bureau
Attack	Ka-29 · Ka-50 · Ka-52

USSR helicopters
Attack
Hound	Mi-4AV
Hip	Mi-8AMTSh · Mi-8TV
Hind	Mi-24A · ▂Mi-24D · Mi-24P · Mi-24V · Mi-35M
Havoc	Mi-28N · Mi-28NM
Helix	Ka-29
Hokum	Ka-50 · Ka-52