Difference between revisions of "T-2"

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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.
 
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.
 
[[File:T-2 duckmcmallardson 001.png|500px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' on coastal patrol.]]
 
[[File:T-2 duckmcmallardson 001.png|500px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' on coastal patrol.]]
 
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.
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
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! RB
 
! RB
 
|-
 
|-
| ??? || ??? || {{Specs|ceiling}} || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || ??.? || 900
+
| 1,758 || 1,710 || {{Specs|ceiling}} || 35.4 || 36.0 || 133.8 || 120 || 900
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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* 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)
 
* 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)
 +
 
[[File:T-2 der thunderer 001.jpg|450px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' sporting a user-created skin.]]
 
[[File:T-2 der thunderer 001.jpg|450px|thumb|right|'''{{PAGENAME}}''' sporting a user-created skin.]]
 
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.  
 
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.  
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
 
[[File:T-2 jonigustavo 001.png|450px|thumb|right|The dart-shaped '''{{PAGENAME}}''' hugging the terrain in attempt to catch enemy fighters unaware.]]
 
[[File:T-2 jonigustavo 001.png|450px|thumb|right|The dart-shaped '''{{PAGENAME}}''' hugging the terrain in attempt to catch enemy fighters unaware.]]
 +
 
* Has a radar and radar gun sight, allowing you to better plan your "boom"s and get your rounds on target more reliably
 
* 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
 
* Extremely fast
Line 292: Line 292:
 
* Requires good trigger discipline and aim as the gun burns through ammunition
 
* Requires good trigger discipline and aim as the gun burns through ammunition
 
* Cannon tends to "spark"
 
* Cannon tends to "spark"
 +
* High repair cost
 +
* Larger turning radius compared to most other jet fighters it can face
  
 
== History ==
 
== 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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
+
<!--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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
 +
 
 +
Soon after WW2, Japan was mostly offered jet fighter aircraft from the USAAF / USAF, such as the later versions of the [[F-86F-40_(Japan)|F-86 Sabre]], in order to protect itself from threats such as North Korea, who was at the time in conflict with the United States (in the 1950s). In the late 50's and 60's, Japan had already developed its first modern jet-aircraft, the Fuji T-1, which was mainly used as a trainer aircraft. But by the 70's, it was obsolete; Japan needed a new trainer aircraft, which could be used to train pilots for near Mach 2 speeds.
 +
 
 +
During the time between 1964-1965, engineers at Mitsubishi began working on a project called "T-X", which would be either a 1 or 2 seater aircraft, that would later be developed into another project for a ground-attack aircraft called the "SF-X".
 +
 
 +
At the time, the United States offered Japan the T-38 and Britain/France offered the SEPECAT Jaguar for investigation. Japan thought of a project of license-building these aircraft, which has later failed due to issues between SEPECAT and the Japanese Imperial Family.
 +
 
 +
In 1967, Japanese aircraft manufacturers Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi proposed their designs for the XT-2, of which Mitsubishi's design was accepted. The prototype (pre-production model) would be built in 1971, seeing its maiden flight on July 20 1971, flown by Dr. Kenji Ikeda.
 +
 
 +
The XT-2 became the first Japanese-built aircraft to break the sound barrier in level-flight. It was put into final production later that year.
 +
 
 +
The variants of the final model, the T-2 were: T-2Z (early model that later ended up being modified for the SF-X program), T-2A and T-2B (trainer models) and the T-2K, the armed model, carrying an M-61 Vulcan 20mm fast-firing autocannon. The aircraft was produced until 1988, and was retired in 2006, when it was replaced by its successor, the Mitsubishi F1.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==

Revision as of 06:25, 12 November 2019

Rank VI Israel | Premium | Golden Eagles
Merkava Mk.2D Pack
T-2
t2.png
T-2
AB RB SB
9.7 9.7 9.7
Research:160 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage T-2.jpg


The Mitsubishi T-2 is a rank VI Japanese jet fighter with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On".

After World War II, Japan was left without any modern jet fighters for defensive purposes and around 1955 the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) put into motion development of a supersonic jet aircraft due to the Fuji T-1 trainer’s lack of proper training in supersonic flight. Japan had purchased front-line Mach 2 fighters such as the F-104 Starfighter and the F-4EJ Phantom, however, their pilots had difficulty in handling these fighters and a new trainer aircraft was needed.

Built as a trainer aircraft, the trainee pilot and instructor sat in tandem with the instructor in the rear-raised seat. With an instructor pilot in the aircraft, Japan was now ready to properly train their pilots in high-speed fighter usage. The T-2 paved the way to Japan’s development and production of their first supersonic military fighter, the Mitsubishi F-1.

The T-2 features dual Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries TF40-IHI-801A engines which are license-built Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofans, the same utilised in the Jaguar fighters. The T-2 for the most part was manufactured with aircraft aluminium alloys, however, it did selectively use titanium for extra strength in certain areas. Shaped more like a dart than the stout Jaguar, the T-2 was built for speed, though to help with maneuverability the wings do not house fuel tanks and feature leading-edge root extensions (LERX) and full-span leading-edge slats on the wings to aid in creating a higher angle of attack or higher lift capacity, especially helpful during slow flight. The T-2 opted to eliminate ailerons and instead utilise twin spoilers for roll control. The tail portion of the aircraft like many modern fighters featured an all-moving tailplane and airbrakes were outfitted to allow for slowing the aircraft down either in manoeuvres or when preparing for landing.

T-2 fighter on the hunt in air-to-air attack configuration.

The T-2 is an aggressive fighter aircraft and features a single 20 mm Vulcan cannon which requires a brief spin-up before ammunition begins to fire, thus does not have an instantaneous fire with trigger depress which will take a pilot time to get used to and preplan shots to allow for the gun to spool-up in time to get shots off at a high-speed target. AIM-9E Sidewinder air-to-air missiles round out the air attack arsenal and are highly effective missiles, however, a clever (and lucky) pilot can outmanoeuvre the Sidewinders, though, typically the enemy fighter is then left in a compromising situation and can be easily dispatched with the cannon.

Rockets mounted on the T-2 bridge the gap between air-attack and ground-attack, allowing the fighter to either hammer bombers with the rockets or ground targets such as trucks, anti-aircraft batteries and ships. For dedicated ground attack, the T-2 can be outfitted with two different bombs, namely the 500 and 750 lb bombs of which are the aerodynamic LDGP form type bombs. Though not built to be a fighter-bomber like the F-4C, the Japanese fighter loses some of its hard-earned manoeuvrability while carrying bombs (hence the fuel tanks not being in the wings), however once released, the T-2 can be back in the aerial mix as long as it has the speed to do so.

Though developed as a training aircraft, the T-2 is a formidable foe which is fast, sleek and can carry a one-two punch which can easily knock-out enemy aircraft unfortunate enough to race through the Japanese fighters crosshairs.

General info

Flight Performance

The T-2 was designed and built for one main purpose and that was to train pilots in flight at around Mach 1.4 in preparation for flying faster Mach +2 fighters such as the F-4EJ, F-104 and the Mitsubishi F-1. With a long narrow body, short main wings without fuel tanks and an all-moving tailplane, this aircraft was built streamlined like the F-104, to get you from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time possible and not spend too much time manoeuvring. While excelling as an interceptor, this fighter will still hold its own in a manoeuvring fight, granted as long as under-wing armaments are limited to the Sidewinder missiles and not the heavy bombs.

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 T-2 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.

T-2 on coastal patrol.
Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed
(km/h at 10,975 m)
Max altitude
(meters)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run
(meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
1,675 1,657 15200 36.6 38.1 103.6 93.5 900
Upgraded
Max Speed
(km/h at 10,975 m)
Max altitude
(meters)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(meters/second)
Take-off run
(meters)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
1,758 1,710 15200 35.4 36.0 133.8 120 900
T-2 in a power-climb on an intercept path.

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
Limits
Wing-break speed
(km/h)
Gear limit
(km/h)
Combat flaps
(km/h)
Max Static G
+ -
700 ~10 ~4
Optimal velocities
Ailerons
(km/h)
Rudder
(km/h)
Elevators
(km/h)
Radiator
(km/h)
< 540 < 580 < 590 > 300
Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
0 m 1,990 kgf 3,015

Survivability and armour

  • 38 mm bulletproof glass - situated between the fore and aft cockpits

The T-2 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 T-2 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

Main article: JM61A1 (20 mm)

The T-2 is armed with:

  • 1 x 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)
T-2 sporting a user-created skin.

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 T-2.

Suspended armament

T-2 outfitted with FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets, Sidewinders and the obligatory 20 mm Vulcan cannon.

The T-2 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total)
  • 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs (3,750 lb total)
  • 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
  • 2 x AIM-9B missiles
  • 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x AIM-9B missiles (3,500 lb total)
  • 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x AIM-9B missiles (3,750 lb total)
  • 2 x AIM-9B missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
  • 2 x AIM-9E missiles
  • 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x AIM-9E missiles (3,500 lb total)
  • 5 x 750 lb JM117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x AIM-9E missiles (3,750 lb total)
  • 2 x AIM-9E missiles + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles 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).

Modules

Tier Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
I Fuselage repair Compressor Offensive 20 mm M82
II New boosters Airframe JLAU-3/A
III Wings repair Engine New 20 mm cannons JM117 AIM-9B
IV G-suit Cover AIM-9E

Radars

Main articles: AN/APS-21, AN/APG-26

The Mitsubishi T-2 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.

T-2 taxiing for take-off.
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°

Pros and cons

Pros:

The dart-shaped T-2 hugging the terrain in attempt to catch enemy fighters unaware.
  • 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
  • 2 pilots (Not vulnerable to pilot snipes)
  • 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 2 AIM-9B/AIM-9E 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"
  • High repair cost
  • Larger turning radius compared to most other jet fighters it can face

History

Soon after WW2, Japan was mostly offered jet fighter aircraft from the USAAF / USAF, such as the later versions of the F-86 Sabre, in order to protect itself from threats such as North Korea, who was at the time in conflict with the United States (in the 1950s). In the late 50's and 60's, Japan had already developed its first modern jet-aircraft, the Fuji T-1, which was mainly used as a trainer aircraft. But by the 70's, it was obsolete; Japan needed a new trainer aircraft, which could be used to train pilots for near Mach 2 speeds.

During the time between 1964-1965, engineers at Mitsubishi began working on a project called "T-X", which would be either a 1 or 2 seater aircraft, that would later be developed into another project for a ground-attack aircraft called the "SF-X".

At the time, the United States offered Japan the T-38 and Britain/France offered the SEPECAT Jaguar for investigation. Japan thought of a project of license-building these aircraft, which has later failed due to issues between SEPECAT and the Japanese Imperial Family.

In 1967, Japanese aircraft manufacturers Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi proposed their designs for the XT-2, of which Mitsubishi's design was accepted. The prototype (pre-production model) would be built in 1971, seeing its maiden flight on July 20 1971, flown by Dr. Kenji Ikeda.

The XT-2 became the first Japanese-built aircraft to break the sound barrier in level-flight. It was put into final production later that year.

The variants of the final model, the T-2 were: T-2Z (early model that later ended up being modified for the SF-X program), T-2A and T-2B (trainer models) and the T-2K, the armed model, carrying an M-61 Vulcan 20mm fast-firing autocannon. The aircraft was produced until 1988, and was retired in 2006, when it was replaced by its successor, the Mitsubishi F1.

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;
  • encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
  • 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