Heavy bombers are probably one of the most neglected vehicle classes in War Thunder, especially late/post-war heavy bombers of rank IV/V. So here’s a place to talk about what bombers you’d like to see in game! I’ll start-
USA
B-17F: main early B-17 model, similar to late B-17Es
B-24H: later B-24 with nose turret
B-24J:
Most-produced B-24 model, similar to the H but with different nose turret
B-24M: last B-24 variant with weight reductions
B-50D: evolution of the B-29 Superfortress with improved engines
YB-35: Flying wing, need I say more?
B-36B: the Peacemaker. Designed to bomb Berlin from the US, used as a big stick against the Soviets. The ultimate prop bomber, first of the B-36 family, culmination of WWII-style bombers. Bristling with 16 20mm cannons and with an insane 36 tonnes of ordinance
B-36D: now with the iconic 6 turning, 4 burning piston+jet combo propulsion
B-36H: with uprated piston engines. The pinnacle of the wartime style of strategic bombers
Germany
Ju-86E: early-war heavy bomber, in-game as the Swedish B3C
Ju-290: intercontinental heavy bomber. Limited in payload and performance but very well-protected
Ju-390: 6-engined variant of the Ju-290, with accordingly improved performance, one of the most nearly successful Amerikabombers
He-177A-1: early He-177 with less powerful engines
He-177B: prototype 4-engine development of the He-177 with improved performance and armament
Ta-400: the most capable Amerikabomber project, maybe one incomplete prototype. 6 piston engines and 2 jets, equipped with 10-14 20mm cannon
USSR
TB-1: predecessor of the famous TB-3, heavy payload but poor performance
Tu-85: prototype based on the Tu-4 with more powerful engines and superior flight performance
Tu-95M: Soviet answer to the B-36, powered by turboprops making it the fastest multi-engined propeller-driven aircraft ever built. Equipped with 6 23mm cannon
Tu-16: Soviet subsonic jet bomber- unlike most western designs, early Soviet jet bombers retained substantial defensive armaments. In this case 7 23mm cannon
M-4 Molot: another Soviet jet bomber, 6 23mm cannon
3MD: version of the M-4, with downgraded but still more powerful VD-7B engines
3M: original upgrade of the M-4 with full-powered VD-7s
Britain
Halifax B.V: Merlin-powered Halifax B.III
Manchester B.II: twin-engine predecessor to the Lancaster
Shackleton Mk 3: similar to the Shackleton Mk 2, but with a pair of Viper jet engines crammed behind the outboard piston engines
Vickers Windsor: prototype bomber to replace the Wellington. Fast and with a heavy payload but limited protection- it is British after all
Washington B.I: British B-29As
Japan
Ki-91: partial prototype competitor to the B-29
G10N: late-war super bomber, paper design, but with engines built
Italy
Ju-86K-2: Hungarian export model of the Ju-86E
P.133: unfinished prototype bomber based on P.108
B-24D: one aircraft captured in 1943, later handed off to the Luftwaffe. But Italy needs it more
France
Br.482: prototype pre-war bomber
He-274: prototype high-altitude version of the He-177B, unfinished by the end of the war and completed by the French and used for high-altitude research. Essentially identical to the 177B except with twin-tail and pressurized cockpit
(I’ve got nothing for Sweden or Israel)
Final notes:
Sooner or later, countries realized the futility of defensive guns in the missile age and bombers were reduced to typically a single turret at best. These vehicles instead relied on speed, altitude, or allies for protection. Such aircraft would either be free kills or untouchable in War Thunder. So sorry to the many B-52 and V-bomber fans out there, but War Thunder just isn’t an environment for these vehicles - hence why I’ve only brought up bombers with at least decent defensive armaments.
