Aviation
Almost everyone with even a passing interest in jet aviation has heard of the MiG-21. It’s one of the most mass-produced and recognizable fighters in history. The MiG 21 2000, however, is far less widely known. And that’s no surprise: it was a fairly rare Israeli deep modernization program, created for countries that wanted to keep a time-tested aircraft in service while bringing its capabilities closer to modern standards. In War Thunder, we can finally see how well that idea worked.
Hungary was one of the first countries in the world to create its own air force. Austro-Hungarian aces — József Kiss, István Féjes, and others — were fighting in the skies over Europe as far back as World War I. But after Austria-Hungary's defeat, the state was forbidden from even having military aviation. Despite this, Hungary began secretly rebuilding its air force under the cover of organizing aviation clubs. By 1938, when the ban was lifted, the forces had long since been formed and consisted of around seventy Italian CR.32 biplane fighters, plus a few German Junkers Ju 86 bombers.
The F-14 Tomcat, an American carrier-based fighter, was rightly considered one of the most advanced aircraft of the Cold War. Even its early variants boasted a powerful radar and long-range Phoenix missiles. At high speeds, the Tomcat’s engines retained tremendous thrust, and combined with its variable-sweep wing, this gave the aircraft outstanding flight performance by the standards of carrier aviation.
The Albatros combat trainer is already familiar to War Thunder players thanks to its premium Czech version. But the summer update adds another modification: the Thai L-39ZA/ART, available to research in the Japanese tech tree. At first glance, it barely differs from the basic L-39. But in reality, the Thai modernization received several very welcome upgrades that make it noticeably more interesting to play.
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.
