Aviation
The jet age did not arrive overnight. In the first half of the 1940s, aircraft designers were eagerly exploring new technologies, trying to put them into practice as quickly as possible. It was during this period that many unusual aircraft appeared. In Swedish aviation, one of the clearest examples of this spirit of innovation was the Saab 21: first, a piston-engined fighter, and later, a jet-powered one.
Today we’re flying two aircraft that look very similar... and yet could hardly be more different. Their story is almost a family one: in the 1990s, Russia and Italy worked together on a next-generation combat trainer. Near the finish line, their paths split, and instead of one aircraft, two were born. Their names are the Yak-130 and the M-346.
During World War II, the United States and Britain churned out heavy bombers on an industrial scale. The Soviet Union, by contrast, focused on the fast-track production of smaller aircraft. During that era, this policy produced plenty of legendary Soviet warplanes. But in their shadow, one actual production heavy bomber often goes unnoticed. We’re talking about the Pe‑8.
The P-51B Mustang was one of the first true long range fighters developed by the U.S. during World War 2. The following is a guide using official USAAF documentation. In order to simplify gameplay, many of these steps are currently impossible to be completed in game and the startup procedure is fully automated by the instructor.
By the 1960s, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces had recovered from the aftermath of the war and developed into an effective military force. The eras before and after that transformation differed in almost every respect, from ideology and strategy to the weapons themselves.
Over the history of aviation, engineers have tried just about every possible twin-engine layout. Engines in the wings, under the wings, on top of the wings, in the nose, in the tail, tractor, pusher... Imagination went all out. And among the French combat aircraft in War Thunder, you’ll find some of the strangest twin-engined machines of all: the VB.10 C-1 and the VB.10-02.
The MiG-25PD “Foxbat-E” was the Soviet Union’s brute-force answer to the blistering pace of technological advances in speed as the United States worked to produce Mach 3-capable aircraft. While the threat of Mach 3-capable nuclear bombers never came to fruition with the advent of ICBMs, the Lockheed A-12 and later SR-71 Blackbird presented a threat to the USSR’s national security sufficient to justify the production of a unique, record-breaking Mach 3-capable interceptor. In War Thunder, the MiG-25PD presents itself as a very unique aircraft that doesn’t fit the playstyle many players at Rank VII are accustomed to, but when played to its strengths, it becomes one of the most fun and enjoyable aircraft to fly in all of War Thunder.
The development of jet aviation brought the world such famous deltas as the MiG-21 and the Mirage. However, their American counterparts did not enjoy similar success. The Air Force was left with only a failure of F-102 and an attempt to improve it, the F-106. This attempt was successful, and after the aircraft entered service in 1959, pilots deeply loved it for its excellent performance. In the game, the Delta Dart lives up to that love. It's a fast aircraft with powerful air-to-air weapons and an unusual missile layout in the bomb bay. So, what's the catch?
The Tu-95 (NATO reporting name: “Bear”) is a renowned Soviet turboprop strategic bomber. Originally developed as a replacement for the Tu-4, the Bear served as a heavy bomber, capable of carrying various bombs and missiles and even as a carrier for the “Tsar Bomba” — the most powerful nuclear bomb in the world. But how does the Tupolev perform in the game? What is the history of the world’s loudest turboprop bomber? Read the article to find the answers!
