Aviation

In the history of military aviation, it is rare to find instances of enemy air forces battling each other using the same aircraft. The British withdrawal from Palestine in 1948 is an example of such a rarity: Mustangs, Spitfires and Mosquitoes alike all took part in this conflict, as well as other R.A.F. and I.A.F. aircraft, which will be discussed here as well.

Some vehicles in War Thunder are especially long-awaited by players. A perfect example is this experimental General Dynamics project, which has finally made its way into the game as the main reward of the Space Program event. We’re talking, of course, about the F-16XL. Be honest, were you waiting for this one? Then welcome aboard!

The F-102A was set to become the U.S. Air Force’s ultimate interceptor. However, the first prototypes could not even reach supersonic speeds, so the aircraft was redesigned. The production models also failed to meet expectations, which is why the more advanced F-106, based on the F-102A, was developed. In War Thunder, the aircraft can carry up to six AIM-4 missiles, including radar-guided variants, in its bomb bay. However, it can only accelerate to Mach 1 at sea level and it lacks a cannon. So how does one play it?

The Soko J-22 Orao (Yugoslavia) and the IAR-93 Vultur (Romania) were twin-engine, subsonic ground-attack and reconnaissance aircraft. Jointly developed in the 1970s, they represented the industrial and military independence of both nations from the Soviet bloc; Yugoslavia and Romania signed an agreement to share costs and engineering under the codename “Project YuRom” (Yugoslavia-Romania) with the shared objective of creating a light tactical fighter capable of replacing Soviet ground-attack aircraft and operating from short or improvised dirt runways.

While we wait for the vehicles of the next update, this is a perfect time to dig into the far corners of the hangar and take out an old War Thunder veteran that recently got a reason to make a comeback. Today we’re looking at a fairly rare and often overlooked American carrier-based fighter, the F9F-8, better known by its rather fitting name, Cougar. Let’s take off!

War Thunder has plenty of strike aircraft that rely on forward-firing guns to attack ground targets. But one of them is truly special. It is, perhaps, the most legendary aircraft ever built around a large-caliber cannon. We are talking, of course, about the German Duck, the Hs 129 B-3.

By the mid-2000s, Venezuela was looking for a new multirole platform to modernize its Fighter Air Groups. It was at this time that the Sukhoi Su-30MK2 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-G) was acquired, an aircraft that would make the Caribbean nation the sole Latin American operator of the legendary Flanker fighter family and which, for nearly two decades, has remained the country’s primary frontline air combat asset.

The Thunderbolt Mk.1 was the first variant of the P‑47D supplied to the Royal Air Force under Lend‑Lease. As one of the heaviest single‑engine fighters of the war, it introduced RAF pilots to an American design philosophy built around structural strength, high‑altitude performance, and exceptional dive capability. Its large radial engine, robust airframe, and eight .50‑calibre Browning machine guns made it a formidable fighter‑bomber capable of absorbing significant damage while delivering powerful strikes against both air and ground targets.

The French F4U-7 is hardly a new arrival, but it still deserves some attention. Its suspended armament was recently expanded, and this veteran piston fighter can now make a serious claim to being the most versatile Corsair in the game. Why this one in particular? Let’s compare.

The Yak-130 is a modern two seat Russian trainer with powerful engines and an ordnance loadout that packs a punch. Made to prepare future pilots for the complexity and maneuverability of 4th, and even 5th generation fighters, it is a real force to be reckoned with due to its high tech and supermaneuverable nature. Not only is the Yak-130 a menace in War Thunder, but this powerful trainer also has a unique history full of complications and many interesting partnerships.