Hi everyone,
I’ve been thinking about a core mechanic in War Thunder and wanted to open a discussion about the physics behind it. We all know that penetration values are listed in the stat cards, but those values are almost always calculated based on a static firing platform (i.e., the vehicle is stationary).
My question is: Shouldn’t the velocity of the vehicle itself (the “shooter”) be directly added to the muzzle velocity of the shell, thereby increasing its penetration?
Here is the logic broken down:
- The Physics of Relative Velocity
In reality, if a plane is flying at 1,000 km/h and fires its gun forward, the shell’s speed relative to the ground is the Muzzle Velocity + Aircraft Speed.
· Muzzle Velocity: ~900 m/s
· Aircraft Speed: 1,000 km/h (≈ 278 m/s)
· Resulting Impact Velocity: 1,178 m/s
The same principle applies to tanks. If an MBT is driving forward at 70 km/h (≈ 19.4 m/s) and fires a 1,650 m/s APFSDS round, the round leaves the barrel at roughly 1,669 m/s relative to a stationary target.
- The Math: How Penetration Scales
The penetrating power of a kinetic round is tied to its Kinetic Energy: E_k = \frac{1}{2} mv^2.
Since Energy scales with the square of the velocity, even a small increase in speed results in a significant increase in penetration.
Let’s do the math for the aircraft example above:
· Static Platform: 900 m/s
· Moving Platform (1,000 km/h): 1,178 m/s
First, find the velocity ratio (k):
k = 1189 / 900 \approx 1.31 (A 31% increase in speed).
Because energy scales with the square of velocity (k^2):
E_k = 1.31^2 \approx \mathbf{1.72}
The Result:
If a shell penetrates 40mm of armor when fired from a stationary gun, firing it from a plane flying at 1,000 km/h would yield approximately 68mm to 70mm of penetration against a stationary target.
- Why This Applies to All Vehicles
This isn’t just a “plane thing.” It applies to the entire combined arms nature of War Thunder:
· Aircraft vs. Aircraft:
· Head-on Attacks: If two planes approach each other at 500 km/h each, the closing speed is 1,000 km/h. The shells meet with immense energy.
· High-Speed Dive: Diving at top speed increases the velocity of your rounds significantly, making deflection shots more deadly.
· Running Target: If you are chasing an enemy (flying the same direction), your speed subtracts from the impact velocity, reducing penetration.
· Helicopters: A helicopter moving forward at top speed (~300 km/h) firing its cannon should see a noticeable boost in the effectiveness of its rounds compared to hovering.
· Tanks:
· A Leopard 2, Abrams, or T-80 moving downhill at high speed (60-70 km/h) should technically have a slight, but calculable, advantage in first-shot penetration.
· Conversely, firing while reversing or moving slowly away from a threat would slightly reduce the shell’s energy.
The Catch: Does War Thunder Model This?
I know War Thunder simulates drag, gravity, and shell drop over distance. But does the engine fully account for the vector addition of the shooter’s velocity to the muzzle velocity when calculating the shell’s kinetic energy upon impact?
If it doesn’t, it means a jet firing a gun at 1,100 km/h has the same effective penetration as a test firing range on the ground. That seems like a missed detail in an otherwise highly realistic game.
What do you all think?
