Venom FB.4

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
This page is about the British jet fighter Venom FB.4. For the naval variant, see Sea Venom FAW 20.
venom_fb4.png
GarageImage Venom FB.4.jpg
Venom FB.4
AB RB SB
8.7 8.7 9.0
Research:120 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:340 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

In 1948, de Havilland began working on an improved development of their first jet aircraft, the Vampire. While initially envisioned as the Vampire FB.8, a new Air Ministry specification was issued calling for an interim fast, manoeuvrable fighter-bomber that could bridge the gap between the Vampires and Meteors in RAF service and pioneering new designs such as the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift; thus, while visually similar to the preceding Vampire, an entirely new design was created and designated the Venom, notably featuring the significantly more powerful de Havilland Ghost engine. The prototype took its first flight in September 1949, and the type entered operational service in 1952. The FB.4 variant was the last operated by the RAF, modified from the FB.1 to fit ejector seats, surface modifications, and hydraulically powered ailerons.

Introduced in Update 1.43, the Venom retains the great manoeuvrability of the Vampire, while also being equipped with a significantly more powerful engine, allowing it to fight more equally against common opponents in both energy and manoeuvrability-dependent situations. However, with the emergence of increasingly powerful opponents, some even equipped with afterburning engines, the Venom will tend to fall back on the same playstyle as the Vampire, maintaining its speed by default, but baiting, turning with, and gunning down lone enemies when the opportunity arises.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes
Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps
Max speed
at 0 m1 027 km/h
Turn time22 s
Max altitude12 192 m
Enginede Havilland Ghost-103
TypeJet
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight7 t
Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 0 m - sea level)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 1,013 998 12192 22.2 23.5 28.2 26.0 850
Upgraded 1,038 1,027 21.8 22.0 41.1 34.2

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear Drogue chute
X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
1,045 420 498 469 320 ~10 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 650 < 640 < 640 N/A

Engine performance

Engine Aircraft mass
Engine name Number Basic mass Wing loading (full fuel)
de Havilland Ghost-103 1 4,157 kg 230 kg/m2
Engine characteristics Mass with fuel (no weapons load) Max Takeoff
Weight
Weight (each) Type 10m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 35m fuel
1,000 kg Centrifugal-flow turbojet 4,700 kg 5,175 kg 5,683 kg 5,966 kg 7,080 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition 100% WEP 10m fuel 20m fuel 30m fuel 35m fuel MTOW
Stationary 2,120 kgf N/A 0.45 0.41 0.37 0.36 0.30
Optimal 2,120 kgf
(0 km/h)
N/A 0.45 0.41 0.37 0.36 0.30

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear420 km/h
  • 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Armoured plate behind the pilot
  • 3 mm Steel - Armoured plate under the engine

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 962 → 4 271 Sl icon.png
RB8 464 → 12 205 Sl icon.png
SB9 151 → 13 195 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications101 500 Rp icon.png
162 400 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training98 000 Sl icon.png
Experts340 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 800 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
120 / 380 / 600 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mods jet compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods booster.png
New boosters
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
380 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine.png
Engine
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
380 Ge icon.png
Mods g suit.png
G-suit
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods jet engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
hispano_belt_pack
Research:
10 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
16 000 Sl icon.png
440 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
GLBC mk.3
Research:
5 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 100 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods weapon.png
hispano_mk5_new_gun
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
380 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon rocket.png
GRC mk.8
Research:
8 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
370 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Ammunition600 rounds
Fire rate750 shots/min
Main article: Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)

The Venom FB.4 is armed with:

  • 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, chin-mounted (150 rpg = 600 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (4)
Setup 12 x 1000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bomb
Setup 22 x G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bomb
Setup 34 x RP-3 rockets
4 x RP-3 rockets
Setup 42 x G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bomb
4 x RP-3 rockets
4 x RP-3 rockets

The Venom FB.4 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 2 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (2,000 lb total)
  • 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
  • 8 x RP-3 rockets
  • 8 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

The Venom's play style should be a healthy mix of the two dominating ways of flying jet fighters. The Venom is a fast aircraft, and keeping it fast is important in order to keep up with enemies and to have enough energy to sustain manoeuvres - so the Venom is indeed a good high-speed performer. However, it does not best either the MiG-15bis or the F-86F-2 in level flight. Therefore, speed alone cannot be relied on for fighting jets.

On the other hand, the impressive thrust-to-weight ratio of the Venom's engine means that pilots should use its sustained rate of climb as an advantage. When fighting Soviet opposition - mostly MiG-15s, the advantage in rate of climb falls in relevance, since that is one of the MiG's great trump cards. However, Venom pilots should always climb a bit instead of "mowing the lawn". 600 to 800 km/h is a good range of speed to climb into the battlefield, maintaining airspeed, yet gaining altitude and opening the range of opportunities to engage.

Venom pilots should avoid being alone - in fact, the Venom can excel at baiting enemies and/or making them lose energy, leaving them vulnerable to engagement by allied fighters. The fact that the Venom is not the fastest jet means that being alone vs two or more enemies requires a multitude of defensive manoeuvres (the Venom excels at lag displacement rolls aka. barrel rolls) to come out alive. Sometimes, all it takes is a barrel roll to get behind an enemy and shoot it down, but against multiple opponents that think before manoeuvring, being alone can spell disaster.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very manoeuvrable for a jet, comparable to the Meteor Mk 8 with a better roll rate
  • Good sustained climb rate, capable of catching up to Me 163s in a sustained climb
  • Stable gun platform
  • Better cockpit visibility than the Vampire by a bit, depending on your preference it may be the second best to the Hawker Hunter

Cons:

  • Inefficient air brakes
  • Tail strikes on take-off and landings may be devastating
  • Reaches wing-ripping G-forces easily (+12 G)
  • Reaches G-LOC easily thanks to manoeuvrability

History


Archive of the in-game description

The de Havilland DH112 Venom was a single engine jet fighter which entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1952. Initially developed as a private venture with plans for the export market, the Venom was a direct successor to the de Havilland Vampire and shared the earlier fighter's twin tail boom design and composite structure. However, the Venom was fitted with a more powerful de Havilland Ghost jet engine which had begun testing as early as 1944 and had a new, thinner wing. The aircraft was armed with four 20mm Hispano cannon and provisions for up to 2000 lbs of bombs or eight 60 lb rockets.

A prototype first flew on September 2nd 1949 and after a successful period of testing, the first production model Venoms to enter service were the FB1, equipping No.11 Squadron based in Germany in August 1952. A two-seat night fighter variant equipped with radar - the NF2 - entered service with No.23 Squadron at Coltishall in November 1953. After a maiden test flight on 29th December 1953, the Venom FB4 variant entered service with the RAF in 1955. Featuring a modified tailplane, an improved de Havilland Ghost 105 jet engine rated at 5150 lbf and an ejector seat, some 250 were manufactured. This was the final land based version of the aircraft to see service in Britain, although variants of the Sea Venom continued to serve in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

RAF Venom FB4s of Nos 6, 8 and 249 Squadrons operating out of Akrotiri in Cyprus flew alongside Royal Navy Sea Venoms in the Suez Crisis of 1956. Venoms were mainly used in the strike role, attacking Egyptian airfields and shipping. Further conflicts where the Venom saw operational use included Malaya, Aden, Oman and Kenya, as well as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force based in Germany.

Although the Venom's performance built considerably on that of the Vampire it was still, in effect, a first generation jet fighter and was largely outperformed by contemporaries such as the F86 Sabre or MiG 15. The last RAF Venoms were retired in 1962, although export variants were also used by Sweden, Venezuela, Iraq, Australia and Switzerland – the final Swiss Venoms were not retired until 1983.


Media

Skins

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


De Havilland Aircraft Company Limited
Fighters  Hornet Mk.I · Hornet Mk.III · Mosquito FB Mk VI · Mosquito FB Mk XVIII
Jet fighters  Vampire F.B.5 · Venom FB.4 · Sea Venom FAW 20 · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2
Export  Mosquito FB.Mk.26 ·Vampire FB 52A(Italy) · ▄Vampire FB 52A(Finland) · A28B

Britain jet aircraft
Blackburn  Buccaneer S.1 · Buccaneer S.2 · Buccaneer S.2B
British Aerospace  Harrier GR.7 · Sea Harrier FRS.1 (e) · Sea Harrier FRS.1
British Aircraft Corporation  Strikemaster Mk.88
English Electric  Canberra B Mk 2 · Canberra B (I) Mk 6 · Lightning F.6 · Lightning F.53
Gloster  Meteor F Mk 3 · Sea Meteor F Mk 3 · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41F · Meteor F Mk 4 G.41G · Meteor F Mk 8 G.41K · Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper
  Javelin F.(A.W.) Mk.9
de Havilland  Vampire F.B.5 · Venom FB.4 · Sea Venom FAW 20 · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2
Hawker  Sea Hawk FGA.6 · Hunter F.1 · Hunter F.6 · Hunter FGA.9 · Harrier GR.1 · Harrier GR.3
Panavia  Tornado GR.1 · Tornado F.3
SEPECAT  Jaguar GR.1 · Jaguar GR.1A · Jaguar IS
Supermarine  Attacker FB 1 · Attacker FB.2 · Scimitar F Mk.1 · Swift F.1 · Swift F.7
Foreign  Phantom FG.1 (USA) · Phantom FGR.2 (USA) · F-4J(UK) Phantom II (USA)
  JAS39C (Sweden)