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BUY
Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
 Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles INFO

Chinese A-5C Pack

This page is about the premium American fighter Thach's F2A-1. For other variants, see F2A (Family).

Thach's F2A-1
LOADING...
USA I Rank

Battle rating: Class:

PREMIUM Fighter
AB RB SB
Naval aircraft
2.0 2.3 2.3
Description
Purchase:
John Thach's F2A-1 Buffalo is a
premium rank I American fighter with a
400
battle rating of 2.0 (AB) and 2.3 (RB/SB).
It was introduced in Update 1.31 as a Show in game
premium vehicle purchasable in-game with
Golden Eagles .

The plane is painted after the camouflage scheme of

American pilot John Thach in the U.S. Navy, who was Contents
famous for the "Thach Weave" manoeuvre.

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was the first carrier based 1 Description
monoplane of the US fleet, made to replace the outdated 2 General info
biplanes in service with the US Navy. It had a 950 2.1 Flight performance
horsepower engine and two machine guns on the nose of 2.1.1 Details
different calibre. Many Countries, including the Finnish Air 2.2 Survivability and armour
Force which was highly successful with the buffalo, 2.3 Modifications and economy
ordered the Buffalo. By the time WWII started and the 3 Armaments
attack of pearl harbor, the F2A was outclassed by the 3.1 Offensive armament
Japanese A6M2 and Ki-43s. 4 Usage in battles
4.1 Manual Engine Control
The F2A-1 is a competitive machine, if using the proper
4.2 Pros and cons
tactic versus the proper enemy. The "Buffalo", as it is
5 History
sometimes referred to as, can outrun biplanes and can out-
5.1 In-game description
turn most monoplanes. Its only draw back is low ammo
count and unreliable armament, however its performance 6 Media
easily makes up for the lack in armament. As said before 7 See also
this plane will get a pilot used to the American style of 8 External links
aircraft of Boom & Zoom along with the particulars of .50
calibre machine guns usage.

General info
Flight performance

Arrestor gear
Accelerates braking by grabbing the
brake cable on the deck of the aircraft
carrier

Max speed
at 4 600 m 504 km/h

Turn time 18 s

Max altitude 8 000 m

Engine Wright Cyclone R-1820-34

Type Radial
Cooling system Air

Take-off weight 4t

Max
Speed Max Turn time Rate of climb Take-
Characteristics (km/h at altitude (seconds) (metres/second) off run
4,600 m) (metres) (metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB

Stock 479 468 19.1 19.4 7.4 7.4

8000 250
Upgraded 527 504 17.4 18.2 14.8 10.9

Details

Features

Combat Take-off Landing Air Arrestor

flaps flaps flaps brakes gear

✓ ✓ ✓ X ✓
 Limits

Max
Flaps (km/h)
Wings Gear Static G
(km/h) (km/h) Take-
Combat Landing + -
off

761 720 437 408 260 ~12 ~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)

Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator

< 405 < 400 < 380 > 306

Compressor (RB/SB)

Setting 1

Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power

1,800 m 860 hp 963 hp

Setting 2

Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power

4,650 m 760 hp 851 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew 1 person

Speed of destruction
Structural 761 km/h
Gear 720 km/h

No armour
Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 in each wing)

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB 670
RB 1 100
SB 520

Crew training 450

 Crew training 450
Experts 3 000
Aces 40
Research Aces 220 000

Reward for battle AB / RB / SB

2 × 20 / 30 / 80 %
2 × 100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Armaments
Offensive armament

Weapon 1 3 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition 1 050 rounds
Fire rate 750 shots/min

Weapon 2 7.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition 450 rounds
Fire rate 1 000 shots/min

Thach's F2A-1 is armed with:

1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (250 rpg)

2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)
1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (450 rpg)

Usage in battles
The best way to fly this aircraft would be as a Boom & Zoom or energy fighter; it can outrun most aircraft it
faces, unless it is uptiered and faces something like the Bf 109 F-1. In such a scenario the best way to
destroy more advanced vehicles is through boom and zoom tactics.

In Arcade, there is no need to worry about ammo count as much as in Realistic Battles (RB) and Simulator
(SB) since the planes can reload in the air. The target-lead indicator, which shows approximately where there
enemy plane will when when the bullets reach the target, also eases with aiming. For arcade, the ammo belts
are really useful, it is suggested to use Omni purpose ammo for the .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun and
stealth for the .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine gun, however another option is to try going all stealth so the F2A
can surprise the enemy with bullets they can't see. There are a variety of enemy planes that the F2A-1 faces,
ranging from biplanes to low rank monoplanes. In the common low rank arcade battle we get fur-balls going
on at low altitude with planes trying to get on each other's tail, a perfect set up for a Boom & Zoomer like
the Buffalo, first set the attack angle, which could be from directly above the enemy that is targeted, or from
behind (it should be priority to target enemy planes that are chasing friendly planes or for a dangerous threat
like, MiG-3s, LaGG-3s, Hurricane, Bf 109s or another Buffalo). Once the F2A is nearing towards the enemy
plane, know what type of enemy they are, depending on what plane they are flying, is what determines what
to do after an attack run. Lets say with a dive on an enemy, but the attack didn't destroy them on the first
pass, if the enemy was a biplane, then keep up the speed and vacant the area, and set up another pass. If the
enemy was a monoplane in the same situation, the F2A can choose to either clear the area, or turn onto their
tail, but it is advisable to leave the area and look and see if the enemy noticed the attacking F2A, if he didn't
and he is chasing a friendly or going for ground targets then latch on to his tail and shoot him down!

In Realistic Battles & Simulator Battles, most of the tactics against fighters would be the same as in
arcade, only with a few restrictions.

1. Do not dive too fast, or the F2A wont be able to pull up or the plane's wings will break.
2. No Enemy-Lead indicator, pilot skill and intuition will have to guess where the enemy plane
will be when the bullets reach the targets.
3. Very limited ammo, on top of that the armament isn't reliable outside of 400 meters.

So how does one play this in RB with all these drawbacks? A few very simple things will help with those
problems, at the beginning of the match in RB, climb at about a 15 degree angle until about 3,000-4,000 m
in altitude. When an enemy is spotted, if a biplane the F2A will have to take up a Boom & Zoom tactic, do
not attempt to turn fight. If the enemy is a monoplane, turnfighting can be a valid tactic; unless they are the
British Hurricane or Japanese A5M (not to confuse with A6M much superior to the Buffalo) or Ki-43, then
do not turn fight these monoplanes. For the most part, Soviet monoplanes are safe to turn fight (I-16s, late I-
16s, MiG-3 and LaGG-3s). When diving on an enemy, put the throttle to 0% so the F2A does not accelerate
too fast. If a shot can't be gained on the enemy, pull out by putting throttle at 100% and point the nose up to
gain altitude. Once on the tail of an enemy, no matter the plane, open fire only at close ranges, firing at 300
meters or less would help conserve the ammo and there won't have to lead as much, therefore easier to aim
and make each shot more effective.

This can apply to all three game-modes: When someone is on the F2A tail and bullets fly past the plane, with
the right altitude, make a short steep dive. With that little dive, it can dodge enemies bullets and it gives an
opportunity to take a look back at the offending enemy. If the aircraft is a biplane, continue the dive and get
out of range of their guns. If it is a monoplane, attempt to turn fight, but the F2A is still effective in diving
away from even faster monoplanes, which will be effective against manoeuvrable monoplanes like the
Hurricane and A5M4. Learning the gun sounds also helps, sometimes the sound will help identify the enemy
plane so as to make a move more instinctively.

Manual Engine Control

 MEC elements

Radiator
Mixer Pitch Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type

Controllable Not controllable Controllable

Controllable Not
Controllable Not auto Not auto Not auto Combined
2 gears controllable
controlled controlled controlled

Pros and cons

Pros:

Great dive speed

Great vertical and horizontal energy retention
Good armament for its rank
Good top speed
Good turning circle and speed not a turn-fighter though
Can land on a carriers
Powerful .50 calibre machine guns
Great acceleration (at take-off and on the deck up to ~250 mph)

Cons:

Low ammo count (can be conserved by firing at close range)

The telescopic sight is a bit of an annoyance in Simulator battles, as these have to be used when
zoomed in

History
F2A-1 Buffalo

The Brewster F2A-1 buffalo was designed to replace the Grumman F3F biplane fighter. In a competition
between the Grumman XF4F1 and the XF2A-1(the P-35 lost early on), the XF2A-1 won as it was more
advanced than the Grumman aircraft, so it went into production as F2A-1.

Although the F2A buffalo fought only a few battles with the US Military, it fought important ones. In the
battle of Midway, it was one of the main fighter planes of the US fleet (the other being the F4F Wildcat), it
played an important role(along with the other planes)in the battle of Midway, and showed that the F2A and
F4F were no match to the A6M, which were soon replaced by the more advanced F6F and F4U Corsair.

Many nations acquired the F2A in their air forces, the most successful country with the type was Finland.
From January to February 1940, the Finns received their F2A-1s (Designated B239), in total they received
44 Buffalos. During the Continuation War the Finnish Air Force was highly successful with the type, they
developed tactics that the Soviets couldn't counter. One tactic they used was baiting, where 2 Buffalos are
low and act as bait, as 2 others dive on attacking enemy planes. In the Continuation War, Squadron 24 of
Finland, some sources state, had a victory ratio of 26. Buffalos of 24 squadron claimed 477 confirmed kills
to 15 Buffalos destroyed.

John S. Thach
John Smith Thach was born on April 19, 1905, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He attended the United States Naval
Academy, and graduated in 1927; he then went on to serve aboard battleships for 2 years. He became a
Naval Aviator in 1930, and served as a test pilot and instructor until 1940, and he was known to be an expert
in aerial gunnery.

Thach was assigned as the commander of Fighter Squadron Three (VF-3) in early 1940. Thach met Ensign
Edward O'Hair (who would later earn the Medal of Honor) at that time, and he made O'Hair his wingman,
teaching him everything he knew. At the end of 1940, eight out of the sixteen members of VF-3 earned the
gunnery "E" ("excellence") award at the US Navy fleet gunnery competition.

Thach went on to develop a tactic known as the Thach Weave, which allowed American pilots to face the
more agile Japanese A6M Zero aircraft. Two fighters would fly on intersecting flight paths, in order to lure a
Japanese fighter to move to attack one of them. The other pilot would then shoot down the Japanese fighter
from behind at the intersection of the flight paths.

Early on after the US entered World War 2, Thach remained assigned to VF-3; VF-3 was flying from the
USS Lexington at the time. At the time of the Battle of Midway, VF-3 was assigned to the USS Yorktown,
and Thach lead a sortie of six F4F Wildcats while escorting twelve TBD Devastators lead by Lance Massey.
Upon finding the Japanese fleet, fifteen to twenty Japanese fighters attacked the group. The Americans used
the Thach Weave, and despite being outnumbered, Thach scored three A6M Zero kills and one more was
shot down by another member of VF-3; one F4F Wildcat was shot down.

Thach was assigned as a flight training instructor after the Battle of Midway; this was in contrast to the
Japanese strategy. The Imperial Japanese Navy kept its pilots on the front line, fighting in combat, while the
US Navy assigned its best pilots to training roles. This ensured that the US Navy had a steady stream of well
trained pilots, while the Japanese Navy had a lack thereof. The Imperial Japanese Navy eventually resorted
to using Kamikaze attacks to destroy American fighting vessels, so Thach developed a strategy to combat
the Kamikaze threat. The strategy was called the big blue blanket. It entailed radar picket ships stationed in a
radius miles away from the main fleet, 24 hour combat air patrol (CAP), and continuous flybys of the
Japanese airfields.

Thach, who had been promoted to Commander, became the operations officer to Vice Admiral John S.
McCain Sr. - who was then serving as the commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF-38), part of the
Third Fleet under Admiral Halsey. On September 2, 1945, Thach was present at the formal Japanese
surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Throughout World War 2 John Thach was credited with six aerial victories, making him an ace.

During the Korean War, Thach commanded the escort carrier USS Sicily (CVE-118), and in 1953-1954
commanded the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). In 1955, Thach was promoted to Rear
Admiral.

Thach was placed in command of "Task Group Alpha", an anti-submarine development unit, in 1958-1959.
His flagship during this period was the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CVS-45). On 1 September 1958,
Thach was featured on the cover of Time magazine for his contributions to anti-submarine warfare. An
award was later named in his honor to be awarded to the top anti-submarine warfare squadrons of the Navy.

In 1960, Thach was promoted to Vice Admiral and served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air
in the Pentagon. In this position, he played a role in the development of the LTV A-7 Corsair II and other
naval aviation programs. In 1965, Thach was promoted to Admiral, serving as the Commander in Chief,
United States Naval Forces Europe. He retired from the Navy in May 1967.
Thach was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1981. Thach died on April 15, 1981, in
Coronado, California; he was buried at buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. USS
Thach (FFG-43), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, was named after him.

In-game description

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was the first carrier-based monoplane fighter in service with the American Navy.
The aircraft had an all-metal construction, with the exception of its control surfaces, which were covered
with cloth.

This aircraft has 1393 as its serial number, and 3-F-13 as its tail number. The fuselage shows Felix the Cat
with a bomb, the symbol of the VF-3 (Fighter Squadron 3) of the US Navy, which was based on the aircraft
carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3).

It was flown by John Smith Thach, an American ace who scored six air victories. However, his most
significant achievement was to develop the aerial combat tactic known as the Thach Weave, in which two
planes (or two pairs of them) flying in one line acted as the "bait" and the "hook": as soon as an enemy
attacked the bait, the pairs turned in towards each other, and after crossing paths, and once the distance
between them was great enough, they would again turn in towards each other, and the enemy plane,
following on the bait's tail, would end up right in front of the hook's nose.

Thach's tactic was first tested in combat during the Battle of Midway, where it proved to be quite effective.
Soon enough, it was being used everywhere.

By the end of the war, Thach was appointed Operations Officer to Vice Admiral John McCain, and he was
also present on board the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was
signed.

John Thach was awarded with the Navy Cross (US) with a gold star, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
(US) with a gold star, the Silver Star (US), and the Legion of Merit with a Combat "V" and a gold star. He
retired from the US Navy as an Admiral.

Media
Skins

Skins and camouflages for the Thach's F2A-1 from live.warthunder.com. (https://live.warthunde
r.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=f2a-1_thach)

Images
Videos

War Thunder: The Shooting R…

The Shooting Range #3 - Pages of History section at

04:06 discusses Thach's F2A-1.

See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

reference to the series of the aircraft;

links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

topic on the official game forum;

other literature.

Brewster Aeronautical Corporation [Expand]

USA fighters [Expand]

 USA premium aircraft [Expand]

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