- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle
- Yes, as a rank 1 premium
- No
- German Tech Tree
- Sweden Tech Tree
- British Tech Tree
- Future Polish Air Tree
Introduction:
The PZL.38 Wilk (“Wolf”) was a Polish prototype heavy fighter and multi role aircraft developed in the late 1930s. Designed as a fighter bomber(similar to the Bf110), it was to perform various tasks including reconnaissance, bomber escort, and dive bombing. Only two prototypes were built before the outbreak of World War II.
In War Thunder, the Wilk would be an excellent heavy fighter/dive bomber at BR 1.3–1.7 . Since there is currently no independent Polish tech tree, I suggest adding it to the German Tech Tree (as they captured the prototypes and already have the Leo 2PL). Alternatively, it could fit into the Swedish Tech Tree (perhaps in the Finnish line or between the T 2 and B3C) or the British Tech Tree.
History:
Spoiler
Development of the PZL.38 began in 1934 in response to a Polish Air Force requirement for a new multi role heavy fighter. PZL held an internal design competition and selected a design by Jerzy Dąbrowski and Franciszek Misztal. The airframe was aerodynamically advanced, heavily influenced by the P.37 Łoś bomber, but scaled down significantly.
The project relied on the development of a new domestic engine, the PZL Foka II (Seal), a lightweight, inverted V8 air-cooled engine. However, the engine development faced severe delays and technical hurdles, worsened by the tragic death of its lead designer, Stanisław Nowkuński, in 1936.
In 1937, two prototypes were constructed:
PZL.38/I: This airframe was equipped with the experimental Foka engines. It was displayed statically at the 1938 Paris Air Show. During flight testing, the engines overheated and only produced about 330 hp, which fell short of the expected performance.
PZL.38/II : To get the plane in the air, this prototype was fitted with American Ranger SGV-770B engines as a stopgap measure. It first flew in the spring of 1938. While it flew better than the first prototype, it still failed to meet the speed and payload requirements of the Air Force.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, development ceased. The PZL.38/I was captured by the Germans and famously displayed at the Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung in Berlin, where it remained until it was destroyed by Allied bombing later in the war.
Specifications:
Spoiler
Armaments:
Spoiler
- 1 x 20 mm FK-A cannon fixed in nose.
- 2 x 7.92 mm PWU wz.36 machine guns fixed in nose.
- 2 x 7.92 mm PWU wz.37 on a retractable turret mounting in the back.
- A single 300kg bomb.
More pictures:
Sources:
Afternote:
Spoiler
This is my first time making a post to request an aircraft, any feedbacks or suggestions are welcomed :)
Edit 1: Fix some grammartical error and sources link
Edit 2: Added tech tree poll
