The Mustang is a legendary American propeller fighter aircraft, and the one we’re presenting today was in service with the Chinese Air Force. It’s going to be the aircraft reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season!


Features:

• High speed!
  
• Good rate of climb.
  
• Possibility of using bombs.
  
• Mediocre weaponry.

Vehicle History
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American Mustang fighters began appearing in China in 1944, flown by pilots of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW), which was under the direction of the ROC Air Force. The first P-51s that China received were the B and C modifications, and towards the end of the war more modern modifications appeared. Later on, American Mustangs became part of the PLA Air Force, but in 1953 they were finally written off due to wear and tear of parts and for being obsolete. P-51s remained in service the longest at Flight School No.7, where future pilots practiced taxiing them off of takeoff airfields.
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When it arrives to the game, the P-51C-11-NT Mustang is going to be a fighter for China and the aircraft reward for the new Battle Pass season that’s starting on April 24th. All-in-all this premium World War II propeller-driven aircraft will be a great addition to the early ranks of the Chinese aircraft tree when it arrives. Let’s take a look!

In-game, the Chinese P-51C-11-NT Mustang is a transitional modification from earlier variants to the more advanced ones. Let’s take a look at the details. This variant has received a high-altitude Packard V-1650-7 Merlin engine, which significantly exceeds the earlier variants of the Mustang that had Alison engines in almost all aspects; most importantly it increases the altitude ceiling that this plane can fly. In battles at its rank, the P-51C-11-NT will be one of the fastest aircraft thanks to its high rate of climb and ability to conserve energy, perfect to attack from higher altitudes and then fly back up using the boom-and-zoom tactic. This new fighter differs from the Japanese P-51C-11-NT premium by its dorsal fin design, which helps solve the problem of insufficient stability of the aircraft in full control mode.

In terms of weapons, unlike later variants of the P-51, the armament of the P-51C-11-NT is only 4 x 12.7 mm machine guns. While these weapons are good enough in air duels, destroying bombers and even attack aircraft will most likely require multiple attacks and extra precision while shooting. Regardless, despite taking a bit to destroy, enemy tail gunners won’t be happy to see you — be sure to aim well against them to show who’s boss! Additionally, there’s good news if you enjoy ground battles, as this aircraft can separately carry either 2 x 100, 250 or 500 lb bombs!

At the time of release, the P-51C-11-NT will be the second premium aircraft at rank III in the Chinese aviation tree. With this reward, you’re going to have an excellent plane to learn the ropes of aircraft and of course research the lower and mid-ranks of the Chinese aviation tree faster.

That’s today’s blog done! Keep an eye out tomorrow, as we’re planning to tell you about the tank reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season. Until then, have fun flying!

Welcome to the naval reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season: USS Flagstaff. This is an amazing hydrofoil with a turret from the M551 Sheridan tank!


Features:

• Hydrofoil!
  
• Very high top speed.
  
• Good maneuverability.
  
• 152 mm gun!

Vehicle History
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USS Flagstaff was one of two experimental hydrofoils that the US Navy ordered to study the design’s feasibility in the late 60’s. These boats received the PGH name — Patrol Gunboat Hydrofoil. Both boats were designed by aeronautical engineering companies: the PGH-1 Flagstaff by Grumman and the PGH-2 Tucumcari by Boeing. Soon after they were put into service, both went to South Vietnam, however not for long as the repair and maintenance of them in the field turned out to be too difficult. After a period of service in the Pacific Fleet, USS Flagstaff was leased to the US Coast Guard as there was a request for a speedboat to combat maritime drug trafficking. Here the boat did not take root for similar reasons, as maintaining a hydrofoil boat turned out to be too expensive and technically difficult. In 1978, USS Flagstaff returned to the fleet and was soon dismantled for metal, and the idea of mass construction of hydrofoil boats was recognized as untenable.
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Aircraft designers are joining the navy! That’s because USS Flagstaff was developed by engineers from the aircraft manufacturer Grumman... it too has wings: underwater wings! This one’s fast and agile, comes with premium bonuses and a turret from the M551 tank. It’s the naval reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season starting on April 24th, so let’s take a further look!

USS Flagstaff is both a competitor and close relative of the USS Tucumcari motor gun boat, which you may already be familiar with. Both of these boats were developed within the same program and served side by side during the Vietnam War. USS Flagstaff has the same blistering speed and excellent maneuverability, being able to quickly accelerate to 94 km/h in Realistic Battles, and more than 120 km/h in Arcade Battles. USS Flagstaff is heavier than USS Tucumcari, but is only slightly inferior to it in terms of maneuverability. It’ll still be easy to pass between trickier areas such as small islands and rocks, and at speed it can even jump small shoals. Perfect for getting to capture points in shallow water!

The main feature of the USS Flagstaff is its interchangeable main gun. You’re able to pick between the M551 Sheridan tank’s turret with a 152 mm gun, or a 40 mm Bofors automatic cannon to be mounted at the front. Both guns are very well positioned and allow for targeted fire at full speed during maneuvers. The short 152 mm cannon fires high-explosive rounds, where the first hit will likely be fatal to a boat or cause serious damage to a destroyer. The 40 mm Bofors does less damage, but fires automatically and is good at aiming at ranges. It’s worth noting that USS Flagstaff is slightly larger than USS Tucumcari: it’s longer and higher above the water when maneuvering forward, making it more stable when firing. The main gun is complemented by 4 x 12.7 mm Browning machine guns in two twin mounts, and an 81 mm mortar at the stern. This can be useful in attacks on stationary or slow targets, however you’ll need to stop the boat to fire, otherwise it becomes almost impossible to hit anything.

In terms of protection, USS Flagstaff’s armor is slightly similar to that of the USS Tucumcari and in practice can be penetrated by any caliber, including rifle calibers. Because of this, definitely try to avoid enemy fire as the USS Flagstaff will only survive when maneuvering around.

That’s today’s blog done! Tomorrow, we’ll continue talking about another vehicle reward that’s coming to the new Battle Pass season in War Thunder, starting on April 24th. See you soon!