Su-8

Su-8

Su-8

USSR

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	4.7	4.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Strike aircraft

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

MARKET

Description

The Su-8 is a premium gift rank IV Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Winged Lions" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season VI, "Firepower".

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 7 150 m550 km/h

Turn time25 s

Max altitude9 000 m

Engine2 х Shvetsov M-71

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight13 t

The flight performance of this plane is extremely sluggish, despite having a combined total of 4,000 horsepower, the plane still struggles to perform most manoeuvres. It has a poor turn radius, low lock-up speeds, and has a subpar climb rate compared to other aircraft at this BR. In mixed battles, the performance is made even worse with suspended ordnance options, which can up to 1,500 kg of additional weight. The plane does however have a silver lining, at low speeds, landing flaps can provide a very high amount of lift, which allows the plane to turn on a dime. The flaps can withstand speeds no more than 280 km/h (155 mph), but they can allow for the plane to make sharp turns to get into position to use the 45 mm cannons or establish a bomb line.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,150 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	527	511	9000	25.9	26.7	6.6	6.6	400
Upgraded	574	550		24.1	25.0	12.3	9.3

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
720	390	437	380	310	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 360	< 360	< 380	> ___

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear390 km/h

The Su-8 has copious amounts of armour, similar to other Russian strike aircraft such as the IL-2. This means the Su-8 can withstand incredible amounts of punishment, especially from machine gun fire. Dual engines allow the plane to return home if one is taken out, and pilot armour protects the pilot in any head-on engagement. The Su-8 should take every head-on engagement possible for this reason. In addition to pilot armour, the rear gunner also has good protection from the front and back of the aircraft.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB1 415

RB2 568

SB4 772

Crew training10 000

Experts290 000

Aces940

Research Aces960 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 100 / 160 / 540 %

2 × 166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection	Airframe Cover	shkas_belt_pack FAB-100 shkas_new_gun ub_turret_belt_pack FAB-250 RO-82 ns45_belt_pack FAB-500 ns45_new_gun ub_turret_new_gun RO-132

This is a premium aircraft, which means all modifications will be unlocked when this plane is obtained.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Su-8 is armed with:

• 4 x 45 mm NS-45 cannons, belly-mounted (50 rpg = 200 total)
• 8 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, wing-mounted (600 rpg = 4,800 total)

The incredible NS-45 cannon seen on the Yak-9K is mounted on the Su-8. However instead of one cannon, the Su-8 wields four of these monstrous cannons. The armoured targets belt can penetrate the roof of every tank at the Su-8's BR, as well as the sides of many lightly-armoured vehicles. There is a price to pay for having such incredible armament. The recoil on these guns is extremely significant, it is recommended to fire in very short, controlled bursts. The recoil on this gun is effectively a stopping mechanism, as it can bleed so much speed when attacking a target, that you'll need to continuously adjust lead for every shot you fire. The gun velocity is pretty good, however it does not compare to the German MK 103 tank busting cannon, which has a much higher velocity. You'll need to calculate for gun drop when shooting at ground targets from a distance of more than a kilometre.

The smaller calibre ShKAS machine guns are also an important asset to this aircraft's success. They have an incredibly high rate of fire, and the Su-8 has eight of them. This is an incredible amount of bullets, and any soft AI target in Air Battles will be completely obliterated by a short burst. Once again, this incredible feature has a price to pay. The guns have a tendency to jam rather quickly, so short bursts are the key to success. The guns are also mounted very far away from the nose. Gun targeting needs to be set correctly in order for maximum effect, 500 m or so will be good for attacking ground units and spraying at pesky fighters.

Suspended armament

The Su-8 can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

• Without load
• 10 x M-8 rockets
• 10 x RBS-82 rockets
• 10 x M-13UK rockets
• 10 x RBS-132 rockets
• 9 x 100 kg FAB-100sv bombs (900 kg total)
• 3 x 250 kg FAB-250sv bombs (750 kg total)
• 2 x 500 kg FAB-500sv bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 10 x RBS-82 rockets + 3 x 250 kg FAB-250sv bombs (750 kg total)
• 10 x M-13UK rockets + 2 x 500 kg FAB-500sv bombs (1,000 kg total)

Custom loadout options

	1	2	3	4	5
100 kg FAB-100sv bombs		3	3	3
250 kg FAB-250sv bombs			3
500 kg FAB-500sv bombs			2
M-8 rockets	5				5
M-13UK rockets	5				5
RBS-82 rockets	5				5
RBS-132 rockets	5				5
Maximum permissible loadout weight: 1,450 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 500 kg

Defensive armament

The Su-8 is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, dorsal turret (200 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, ventral turret (200 rpg)

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).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 8 x 7 mm machine guns with an high rate of fire
• 4 x 45 mm cannons absolutely annihilate aircraft on any hit, and have no trouble penetrating the roof of any tank at its BR
• Wide range of payload options, can carry up to 1,430 kg of bombs and rockets in total. 2 x 500 kg bombs are perfect for mixed battles
• Lots of pilot armour, engine armour, and gunner armour to protect from most weapons it faces
• Rear gunner has good coverage, allowing you to deter any fighter that gets close
• Gets an attacker airspawn. Coupled with a steady climb, it's a good choice for intercepting bombers
• Landing flaps can significantly increase turn time

Cons:

• Turn time is not on par with other aircraft at its BR. Feels sluggish and will lose energy fast
• Compression issues at high speeds. It's best not to dive in this plane
• Significant recoil when firing the NS-45, will cause a bleed in speed.
• Guns mounted in the wings, necessary to set a convergence, but not all shells will hit
• Guns jam incredibly fast, so short bursts are recommended
• Very large target that is easy to hit
• Gunner provides little protection against heavy fighters and other strike aircraft
• No bombsight for mixed battles, a bombing run requires a skilled pilot

History

Devblog

The team at the Sukhoi Design Bureau submitted to the 1940 competition for for the Red Army Air Force a project of a single-seat twin-engine aircraft with the promising M-71 engines, which were supposed to provide good flight characteristics even when using a large payload weight. After the initial approval of the idea and the first recommendations received from military authorities, the production facilities of aviation plant No. 289 were hastily evacuated to the city of Molotov, since the German army was approaching Moscow. Despite the turmoil and confusion associated with the relocation of production facilities,work on the aircraft's design continued and went on until the end of the war.

While development was in progress, the aircraft became a two-seater, the engines received an afterburner mode, armor was significantly increased, and firepower increased drastically. The final factory tests on the Su-8 took place only in the spring of 1945, when the attack aviation niche was occupied by Ilyushin aircraft and the latest IL-10 was already in service, the components and assembly of which had been mastered in production. The Su-8 attack aircraft was not submitted for state testing and the project was closed in 1945.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Su-8 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Battle Pass: Firepower discusses the Su-8 at 03:26 - War Thunder Official Channel

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

• [Devblog] Battle Pass vehicles: Su-8