- Yes
- No
Japanese Brewster B-339E/Buffalo Mk.I
The Japanese captured a small number of Brewster B-339E/Buffalo MK.I fighters in British Malaya and Singapore. These planes were tested and then sent to the Akeno Military Flight School (明野陸軍飛行学校).
History
At the beginning of 1941, British-purchased Brewster B-339E fighters, which had been purchased by the British to protect Singapore, Malaya and Burma, began to be delivered to Singapore. The British purchased 170 Brewster B-339E fighters, which they designated as Brewster Buffalo Mk.I. These planes, compared to the B-339D or F2A-2, were quite heavily modified (more on that later). Even before the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, the British lost 20 B-339E fighters in accidents. These planes were also very overloaded and faulty and struggled with a lot of technical problems until the end of the shutdown. When the war in the Pacific broke out on December 8, 1941, the B-339E fighters initially proved themselves in their task. However, Japanese dominance was becoming more and more visible. By February 10, when the last B-339E withdrew from Singapore, the British had lost 60 fighters in combat, another 40 on the ground and another 20 in accidents. Only about 20 B-339E fighters survived, which evacuated either to British India or to the Dutch East Indies. The British shot down about 20 Japanese planes, mainly bombers. After the end of the battles for Malaye and Singapore, several B-339E aircraft (at least 1 fully operational) fell into Japanese hands, which, like all captured aircraft from Southeast Asia, went to the Technical Research of Military Aviation, which opened a test center in Singapore. There, the B-339Es were tested and found to be of no useful technology. The Japanese did not like the B-339E fighters very much because of their poor performance and terrible maneuverability. Then, in 1942, all B-339 fighters (Dutch B-339C/D and British B-339E were sent to the Akeno Military Flight School (明野陸軍飛行学校) where they were used for simulated combat training with Allied fighters, for this purpose they were deposited almost until the end of the war.
Japanese Brewster B-339E/Buffalo Mk.I
Brewster B-339E shortly after captured by the Japanese^
Fully operational Brewster B-339E captured by the Japanese^
Art about the Japanese Brewster B-339E ^
Construction description
The Brewster B-339E/Buffalo Mk.I is similar to the Brewster F2A-1 from the game, but there are big differences between them, which I will describe here.
- Changed the Wright R-1820-34 engine with a takeoff power of 950 hp (708 kW) to the Wright GR-1820-G105 engine with a takeoff power of 1,100 hp (746 kW)
- Two M2 12.7mm machine guns (250 rounds per rifle) were installed in the nose of the aircraft
- Increased the supply of rounds for rifles in the wings from 400 to 500 rounds for the M2 machine gun
- Added armor for the pilot’s seat (unfortunately I don’t know how thick) and bulletproof glass (also of unknown thickness)
- British equipment has been installed, such as the MK.III collimator sight.
- Replaced the semi-retractable rear wheel of the landing gear with a larger fixed wheel
- The aircraft was equipped with fire extinguishers
- Modified engine cover
- The plane was 813 kg heavier
Technical sketches
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 7,92 m
- Wingspan: 10,66 m
- Height: 3,68 m
- Wing area: 19,42 m2
- Empty weight: 2430 kg
- Take-off Weight: 3106 kg
- Powerplant: 1 x Wright GR-1820-G105 air-cooled nine-cylinder radial engine with 1,100 hp (746 kW) take-off power
- Propellers: Three-bladed metal propeller with a diameter of 3,072.5 mm with variable pitch.
Performance
- Maximum speed: 504 km/h
- Cruise Speed: 259 km/h
- Range: 1,553 km
- Maximum Range: 2688 km
- Service ceiling: 10363 m
- Time to Climb to: 6,3 min to 4572 m
- Climb Rate: 11.7 m/s
Armament
- 2 x 12,7 mm Browning M2 machine gun in the wings (500 rounds per guns)
- 2 x 12,7 mm Browning M2 machine gun in the nose (250 rounds per guns)
Armour
- Bulletproof Windshield ( ? mm)
- The armored pilot seat ( ? mm)
Special thanks
Summary
The Brewster B-339E/Buffalo Mk.I is an interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. This fighter will provide great firepower for Japan at the cost of low maneuverability. This aircraft would be an ideal premium or event aircraft. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and to share your own knowledge on this subject.
Finally, I apologize for the linguistic and logical errors because unfortunately English is not my main language and I had to use google translator.
Internet sources
F2A (航空機) - Wikipedia
Brewster F2A Buffalo - Wikipedia
FOR OFFICIAL USE 0NLY
Brewster Buffalo: differences from F2A to 339E
Brewster Buffalo Mk I “Horrible Heffalumps” - Suggestions / Aircraft - War Thunder — official forum
Brewster Buffalo Mk.I : Brewster
Captured Buffalo
Brewster F2A (Buffalo): Photos, History, Specification
Уголок неба ¦ Brewster F2A Buffalo
Brewster F2A Buffalo (1937)
United States Naval Aviation Resource Center - A Warbirds Resource Group Site
Brewster Buffalo Mk I
Book sources
- 日本軍鹵獲機秘録 (Secret records of captured aircraft of the Japan army) page 46-47
- 敵機解剖 : 大東亜戦・鹵獲・撃墜撃破飛行機写真集 - NDL Digital Collections
Thank you for reading the suggestion, see you in the next one. Good luck pilots
