Strategy involves the weapons it carries and those effect br so its fine where it is
It’s a pimped version of a jet trainer which in turn is a pimped version of a PISTON trainer…
= )
6 Likes
Sk60 is also a trainer
strategy is the same with unguided rockets mostly talking about ground pounding in mixed battles and surely you can get few kills with gunpods in air RB
I’m not focusing on the fact that it’s a trainer, but that it was developed from a piston aircraft transformed into a jet, transformed some more into a light attack aircraft.
Compared to that the 105 which was a jet from the beginning.
Same time roughly, yes, but vastly different performances, with the 105 being 200km/h faster…
i’m not compering it to the 105G which is 200km/h faster but to Sk60 which has less powerful engines and it’s about the same in speed
1 Like
The armament is the single biggest problem with it. It is by far the most weakly armed aircraft anywhere near that tier. There are several reserve tier biplanes with better firepower. It’s not just the caliber and the number of guns, the only belt you get is T/AP/AP. That’s all you get. Every try killing something with the Japanese 7.7s? Now imagine you’re up against super props and early jets with that weapon load.
You will require so much trigger time on someone to actually get a kill, which is a big issue with this plane due to it’s poor acceleration and speed bleed in turns. Sticking to someone to get the kill (Assuming you even can stick with them in turns) is going to bleed so much speed you’re going to be a sitting duck for the next few players. Using your one big advantage and keeping your speed in BnZ attacks isn’t going to get you enough trigger time to actually hurt anything.
Even bringing the gunpods gets you less firepower than the Typhoon Mk Ia at 3.0. Substantially worse, because even that thing’s tickle guns actually have API ammo in their belts for a small chance of causing a fire.
This isn’t going to be an He-100 level problem, where the bad armament allows a plane with completely ridiculous performance to be placed way too low. The performance is already pretty mid for 6.3, most super props are going to roll over it, and the first gen jets will absolutely destroy it. It might be problematic to catch for planes in downtiers, but that’s not going to let it do a whole lot. Even for CAS in GRB, I’d take an Arado or Bearcat over it any day of the week.
3 Likes
There is a relatively easy solution to the lack of armament options: late service RNZAF weapons.
Simply put, the Strikemaster also carried 6-shot CRV7 pods once they replaced the Mighty Mouse in RNZAF service (around the early-mid 1980s), and was also capable of carrying the 19-shot versions of both the Mighty Mouse and CRV7 pods.
Add the two types of CRV7 pod, the 19-shot Mighty Mouse pod, and the Mk 81 in both LDGP and Snakeeye configuration (the Mk 88 carried both as well), and that would solve at least some issues.
At first I thought you were going to say give it the AIM-9Gs lmao.
TBH I dont think the lighter bombs would really help it, 500s are rough to use a lot of the time on tier, higher up with faster targets and a smaller bomb will not be that much a change.
CRV7 might be good, though it already has snebs and T-80s.
Schindibee:
It’s a pimped version of a jet trainer which in turn is a pimped version of a PISTON trainer…
:D
2 Likes
Well, after a day of using the strikemaster, I have to return and say, I think its pretty fine as it is. At least in GRB as I have not been brave enough to use it in Air RB.
On to the main things for it, when ground pounding it can be a lovely dream of a plane or a nightmare, it massively depends on 1, key issue. Do the enemy have a single plane in the air?
If no, you can bomb and rocket away, if they do… you have a few options.
- die
- dump all your weapons and try to fight them to the death. If theres 2 of them GL with that.
- fly around the edge of your airfield and hope SPAA drop them.
I have never felt this issue so strongly as I do with the strikemaster, even with completely unarmed planes like a full ground attack 105G or buccaneer, I still feel safe enough to go in for a bomb strike. I do not feel such for the strikemaster. You simply do not have the speed or energy retention to be able to think about ground attack while an enemy plane can potentially intercept you (note: POTENTIALLY, if you ignore them, they will get a massive advantage on you).
If its BR goes up, you will make it see superior planes at a higher rate and of course, the dreaded 7.7 uptiers over and over facing significantly better SPAA and enemy jets.
Sure, I have had some good rounds with it
this is more so due to the luck of not having an enemy attempting to interdict me, if there are enemies doing that, my ground attack drops massively, in a conventional plane for the BR I would go for a fight with them first and only drop if I need to, but you cant in the strikemaster.
https://warthunder.com/en/tournament/replay/140352242676067327
Replay for the latter game btw. Its pretty obvious to me everything I did I could do in another plane, but would have to get more bombs a lot sooner, the only real advantage is having 4 bomb drops over 3 of the Wyvern or 1-2 for other planes in the Tree.
In summery, the Kiwi is just a fun plane, its good if there isnt a predator and lives up to the national animal on the emblem, and in closing;
6 Likes
I mean, the RNZAF could have told you that as well, seeing as they literally used them as AA bait on exercises due to their speed, or rather lack thereof:
August included a simulated strike against the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Texas, some 300nm north of Whenuapai. On the first strike the Skyhawks went undetected until they were within nine miles of the ship. A second strike some days later was even more successful. 14 Squadron’s Strikemasters were sent in first to almost certain extinction, courtesy of the warship’s anti-aircraft defences. Thus, when the Skyhawks ran in two minutes later, having been guided to their target by a shadowing P-3, the hapless sailors were still in the process of reloading!
From Skyhawks: the history of the RNZAF Skyhawk (WillsonScott, 2011) p.112.
1 Like
And I thought the RAFs suicide swarm of hawks directed by tornados in the cold war was a grim plan xD
1 Like
Ok so after taking the Strikemaster for a couple of fly’s i conclude with:
Oh boi it will get increased in BR in no time plz no
Ground Realistic Battles:
Air Realistic Battles:
Or maybe i just got lucky with the few games i had…
But do you think it’s legitimately overpowered at 6.3 or is this a case of the enemy not knowing how to deal with it?
I uploaded my replay to youtube to show for people
Honestly, I dont think theres really much I am doing here other planes cant do, the main thing is I have to RTB less then other UK planes, though IIRC there are other planes with similar levels of boom, be they bomber or strike planes. (like, if it was a Wyvern, how much different would that be?)
I wouldnt say its OP, its relatively slow and struggles to flee and when outnumbered it has issues, but of course, this requires your opponents to challenge you. If they dont, well… yeah.
Theres also a huge uptick in attackers and stuff right now due to the BP missions, it makes it hard to judge for GRB because you end up in a team of 5-6 planes all protecting each other.
1 Like
AIR RB speaking:
So far i’ve had no problem dogfighting props, haven’t fought any japanese plane (aside J7W1) nor spitfires yet.
P51H, P47s, F8Fs, F7Fs, AD4s, are quite easily killable if they don’t go in with multiple people.
1 v 1, you are gold.
1 v 2?, doable but good luck mate.
1 v 4?, (just had one till lag spike rammed me in to the ground), IT CAN SURVIVE as long you have teammates around.
It can climb, legit can climb like a prop.
The guns still mediocre (7.62mm) but can get the job done if you pilot snipe.
So far haven’t ripped my wings nor in a dive neither in a turn (even though it says OverG)
Right now people are just going for me like if there wasn’t anyone else on my team, they just want me.
I wouldn’t say it’s “OP” but is quite an easy jet to fly, (hence a trainer), if it had cannons i would definitely scream OP, but that’s my opinion.
2 Likes
Impression after flying some ARB:
- Very pleasant and fun jet to fly. Handles nicely, overall good flight performance.
- The guns are the equalizer. 10 7.62s dump a lot of lead but they are still 7.62s, very limited stopping power…though they did manage to set quite a few fires.
- Air spawn is a plus.
- More durable than expected for something that light. Structurally strong, no wing rips.
- Did get dogpiled by the enemy team a few times and that was not great.
I don’t think the BR is too low at the moment, but we’ll see when more of them are in a battle.
Which, speaking to historical accuracy, is somewhat interesting given the represented aircraft configuration.
The Strikemaster Mk.88 in-game is one from the mid-1980s - the MDC in the canopy is an in-service refit from about then - and by that time, structural fatigue was a serious issue with the Strikemaster fleet, to the point where six aircraft got their wings completely replaced with new ones.
Due to levels of cracking - mainly caused by the level of turbulence encountered during the low-level sorties the aircraft flew over NZ terrain - some ended up with reduced G limits to keep them in-service just that little bit longer. The RNZAF even got to the point of drilling holes in the wings to keep track of the cracks, as can be seen by the circular patches on the wing of the Strikemaster here:
4 Likes
Very interesting indeed. I know Gaijin does not model reliability concerns but I wonder if they would model G limitations for older airframes if there is documentation in a flight manual.