What Are the Best Aircraft for Tank Hunting?

[percydanvers]

I know there are a couple that irl were purpose built for the role, but I know things shake out a bit differently in-game, so I was wondering if there are any aircraft in particular you recommend in an anti-tank role. 

[jollyjack]

Rocket Shooters?

[CAFulcrum]

PO2

[=621=Samikatz]

The Tsetse's 57mm gun is like the finger of god against tanks, even if the airplane was only used against ships historically

[percydanvers]

49 minutes ago, =621=Samikatz said:

The Tsetse's 57mm gun is like the finger of god against tanks, even if the airplane was only used against ships historically

 

Yes! That thing is what has given me the itch to go tank hunting. 

 

2 hours ago, jollyjack said:

Rocket Shooters?

 

Any in particular? 

[CAG_Muse]

Main ones would be P-47, BF110, Stuka, HS-129 that come to mind

[Sobilak]

Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II/Warthog ?

[Dragon1-1]

Wrong sim.  Here it's probably the first T-bolt, you can also hang rockets from off the P-51. 

[EAF19_Marsh]

Typhoon?

[Sobilak]

4 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

Wrong sim.  Here it's probably the first T-bolt, you can also hang rockets from off the P-51. 

I know ?

He asked about bast aircraft, not best aircraft in Il2GB ?

[Avimimus]

I'd favour the Hs-129, the Il-2 or the Hurricane IId if I were focussing on tanks. The earliest Il-2 variant has higher performance (less weight creep) the 1943 version has 37mm cannon and PTAB shaped charge bombs.

 

I suspect that the volume of fire from the Me-410 might be able to cause a mission kill (e.g. damage optics, firing systems, jam turrets) or at least strip the tracks off tanks. I'm not sure about it and the Mosquito though - both represent pretty large targets for anti-aircraft gunners, and have limited armour.

[percydanvers]

59 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

I'd favour the Hs-129, the Il-2 or the Hurricane IId if I were focussing on tanks. The earliest Il-2 variant has higher performance (less weight creep) the 1943 version has 37mm cannon and PTAB shaped charge bombs.

 

I suspect that the volume of fire from the Me-410 might be able to cause a mission kill (e.g. damage optics, firing systems, jam turrets) or at least strip the tracks off tanks. I'm not sure about it and the Mosquito though - both represent pretty large targets for anti-aircraft gunners, and have limited armour.

 

So far my experience with the ME-410 has been that it is nearly useless for killing tanks. The HE rounds, as one might expect, don't really do anything to tanks. I was thinking they might start fires or break tracks but if they can you have to dump so many rounds into the target that it's not worth the effort. You can use the SD 70s, but if you're going to go that route you might as well just take a FW-190 which will give just as many with a plane that's less unforgiving to fly. 

 

I need to try the Hurricane! I forgot about the tank hunting mod on that thing! 

[ACG_Bob122]

The best plane to kill tanks is the IL-2 1941 and it ain't even close. The best loadout is to take the 23mm with AP/HE, 8 132mm rockets and 6 50kg bombs. If you are not fighting heavy tanks, the 23mm can kill Pz3s and 4s from the side or rear. A single 132mm rocket or 50kg bomb can destroy them. If you get the feel down for the rockets, you can hit a tank 3/4 times.

 

Fighting heavy tanks is harder, but you can still kill them. You will need to hit them with multiple rockets from the rear and on the top. You will also need to drop 2 50kg bombs to kill them.

 

If you catch a tank just driving, you can either try to shoot his commander to blind him, or just go for a rocket attack hoping to either track them or blow them up outright. Once he is tracked, they are kind of a sitting target.

 

Here is a video of me fighting 3 Pz4s.

 

[percydanvers]

23 hours ago, King_Bob said:

The best plane to kill tanks is the IL-2 1941 and it ain't even close. The best loadout is to take the 23mm with AP/HE, 8 132mm rockets and 6 50kg bombs. If you are not fighting heavy tanks, the 23mm can kill Pz3s and 4s from the side or rear. A single 132mm rocket or 50kg bomb can destroy them. If you get the feel down for the rockets, you can hit a tank 3/4 times.

 

Fighting heavy tanks is harder, but you can still kill them. You will need to hit them with multiple rockets from the rear and on the top. You will also need to drop 2 50kg bombs to kill them.

 

If you catch a tank just driving, you can either try to shoot his commander to blind him, or just go for a rocket attack hoping to either track them or blow them up outright. Once he is tracked, they are kind of a sitting target.

 

Here is a video of me fighting 3 Pz4s.

 

 

That is a beautifully executed ground attack run there!