War Thunder background
Update 1.39

Major additions

  • New aircraft and missions
  • Squadron battles in Events mode, squadron duel rating
  • Players’ rating (“ladder”)
  • User generated content support
  • Progression system has been adjusted: new aircraft of the same rank take less time to unlock
  • “Schräge Musik” available
  • Separate fire control for the weapons of different calibres
  • Significant improvements for AI behaviour

Player stats and leaderboards will be reset to zero when the update comes out, but your stats will be restored in the next few days.Ground Forces events for the CBT players will become available shortly after the update is released.
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New planes

Great Britain
  • Spitfire F Mk 24 (flight model not finished yet);
  • Spitfire F Mk.22 (flight model not finished yet);
  • Mosquito Mk.XVII;
  • Avenger Mk.I
USSR
  • La-15;
  • I-16 type 24;
  • I-16 type 27;
  • La-174 (special, available for a limited time);
  • Spitfire Mk. IX (special, premium, available for a limited time)
USA
  • Lockheed F-80A Shooting Star;
  • North American F-82 Twin Mustang
  • Republic F-84 Thunderjet;
  • F4U-1A USMC;
Germany
  • Fw.190A-1;
  • MiG-15bis of GDR;
  • Canadair CL-13A Sabre Mk.5 of Luftwaffe;
  • Me.262C-1a
  • Do.217N-2;
Japan
  • F-86 F-30 of the Japanese Self-Defence forces;
  • A6M2 mod.11

Gameplay

  • Squadron events and duel rating of the squadrons (calculated by the ELO system in the squadron battles in the Events mode) - preliminary version for the future Squadron Battles
  • Separate fire control for different calibres on the planes. From now on a player can adjust separate controls for MGs and cannons with different calibres, as well as for gun pods on German fighters
  • PvP player rating added (“ladder”) based on Silver Lions earned in battles.
  • Dynamic campaign available for a squad (temporarily not limited to premium account)
  • Record tables significantly reworked - the data should be the same as in profile (leader boards will be updated every day)
Many of AI improvements
  • Bots use FM similar to one of the player - both on undamaged and damaged aircraft
  • After attacking ground targets bots can switch to players
  • Bots do not go to the end of the map while chasing one another
  • Bots use more correct torpedo attacks
  • Bots evade air collisions more correctly
  • Modifications’ effect on aircraft performance in Arcade Battles is fixed.
  • F4F-3 and F4F-4 moved to rank 2

Economics and progression system

  • Research system and speed to unlock new planes has been changed: to unlock ranks 2, 3, 4 and 5 player has to unlock 6 planes, but RP needed to unlock a new aircraft for ranks 2, 3, 4 and first aircraft of rank 5 is decreased by 25% or more. That means that all planes can be unlocked 25% faster.
  • Costs for purchasing all aircraft modifications with Golden Eagles reduced by 5-10%
  • RP conversion costs to research planes and modifications reduced by 12.5%
  • Rewards for hits and kills reworked (in general they became higher); repair costs (in general) became lower.
  • Battle rating adjusted for several planes for better balance (full list of changes)
See details in the Dev blog

Interface

  • Significantly accelerated display of the map and the statistic screen in the battle
  • The vehicle screen is reworked (repair/modifications/crew)
  • Slightly changed the controls options interface (reset of the control theme to default and selection of the control presets now merged with option helper)
  • You now can see player squads during the battle in the statistic screen
  • Fixed the queue display in the events
  • Added graphics options in the in-game options
  • Gained RP display is fixed
  • Performance characteristics displayed in game menu updated for certain planes
  • Internet radio available from game menu
  • Game menu fonts improved

Graphics and models

  • Significantly optimized render on processors with 2 or less cores
  • Improved and accelerated grass rendering
  • Improved and optimized particle rendering
  • Improved and optimized rendering of the landscape on Dx9/Dx11
  • Improved OPENGL render
  • Accelerated water rendering
  • Accelerated cloud rendering in Dx11 (now not slower than in Dx9)
  • New images for loading screens added

Sound

  • Several errors fixed:
  • Multichannel mode fixed;
  • Sound when engine stops for Messerschmitt aircraft is synchronized with animation
  • Sound added for Mollins M 57mm cannon
  • New engine sound for Lancaster Mk.III

DM changes

  • Engine DM fixed for A5M4, F1M2, Fiat Cr.42, Gladiator Mk.II, He.51 (all modifications), I-15 (all modifications), Nimrod Mk.I, Fury (all modifications), P-26 Peashooter (all modifications);
  • Several fire outbreaks that would not go out at high speed fixed
  • Correct DM for all new aircraft of the update
  • Using flaps at high speed will tear them off
  • DM fixed for Ki-102 and Ki-96;
  • DM fixed for La-7 and La-7B-20;
  • DM fixed for Hs.129B-2, Hs.129B-3;
  • DM fixed for He.162A-2 flaps;
  • Change in ammo rack or controlling wing guns when wing is torn off depends on where the ammo rack is situated, where guns are situated and where the wing was cut off.

FM changes

  • Error with incorrect trimmer position at respawn fixed
  • Control stiffening with mouse aim control fixed
  • Control stiffening with joystick control changed - effective joystick movement range when controls are stiffened is increased
USA
  • F8F-1 - completely corrected according to datasheets
  • F8F-1b - completely corrected according to datasheets
  • TBF-1C - adjusted according to data sheet
  • Aircraft of F-86, F-80, P-63 series have preliminary adjusted FM. F9F-2 and F9F-5 have preliminary adjusted FM.
  • Aerodynamic characteristics and overall controls improved for BTD-1, XP-50, P-38G, B-25
  • F4U-1a has correct horizontal speed according to datasheet
Japan
  • A6M2-N – completely corrected according to datasheets
  • A6M2 — completely corrected according to datasheets
  • A6M2 mod.22 — corrected according to datasheets
  • A6M5 (all modifications) — adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-61 (all modifications) — adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-84 (all modifications) — aircraft power plant errors fixed, FM adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-43 II Hayabusa - completely corrected according to datasheets
  • F1M2 - adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-45 - adjusted according to datasheets
  • N1K2 -adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-96 - adjusted according to datasheets
  • Ki-102 otsu - adjusted according to datasheets
USSR
  • Yak-1b — preliminary corrected according to datasheets
  • Yak-9K — preliminary corrected according to datasheets
  • Yak-9T — preliminary corrected according to datasheets
  • Yak-7b – completely corrected according to datasheets
  • MiG-15, MiG-15 bis, Po-2 have preliminary adjusted FM
  • I-185 FM for corrected
  • IL-2 adjusted according to datasheets
  • IL-2M adjusted according to datasheets
  • IL-10 adjusted according to datasheets
  • LaGG-3-8 i 11 adjusted according to datasheets
  • MiG-9 (all modifications) have been preliminary adjusted
  • Thermodynamics and roll rate fixed for La-5 and La-7 series
UK
  • Hurricane Mk.I — completely corrected according to datasheets
  • Fury Mk.I – turn time and engine overheat corrected
  • All Gloster Meteor aircraft have preliminary adjusted FM
  • Polar curve for Tempest Mk. V has been corrected
  • Mosquito Fb. Mk 6/18 - adjusted according to datasheets
Germany
  • FM of Bf.109 of the F- series fixed
  • Bf. 110 C-4, Fiat Cr. 42, Me. 262 have preliminary adjusted FM
  • FW-190 D overheat fixed

Modifications and armament

  • Schräge Musik available for aircraft that actually used it (Do.217N-2, Ki-45 tei)
  • Anti-g suits added for following fighters:: F9F, F-80, F-84, F-86, Meteor, Vampire, F8F-1, F8F-1b, P-51D-5, P-51D-20NA, P-51D-30
Weapon reload time for MGs and cannons now depends on calibre, the higher the calibre the longer the reload:
  • 7.62 mm - 15 seconds
  • 12.7 mm - 20 seconds
  • 20 & 23 mm - 40 seconds
  • 30 mm - 60 seconds
  • 37 mm - 60 seconds
  • 45 mm - 60 seconds
  • 47 mm - 60 seconds
  • 57 mm - 60 seconds
  • 75 mm - 60 seconds
(* given reload time is true for new untrained crews) All torpedoes have been tuned according to maximum speed of drop:
  • Mk.13 early modifications- 204 km/h
  • Mk.13 late modifications - 519 km/h
  • Type 9 mod. 2 - 481 km/h
  • Type 9 mod. 3 - 648 km/h
  • LT F5w - 300 km/h
  • 45-36 AH - 250 km/h
  • Mk.XII early modifications - 280 km/h
Torpedo reload speed in arcade lowered from 80 seconds to 60 seconds
  • A6M3 mod22 ko - pylon available for research added
  • Ki-49 - navy bombs Type 97 replaced with Type 94 army bombs
  • Meteor F.8 - 8x RP-3 rockets armament added
  • Ki-45 - turret changed from Mg.15 to Type 98, cannon Type 97 replaced with Ho-3
  • A6M5 otsu - correct 7.7 MG implemented - Type 97
  • Rockets added for Bf.109F-2
  • F-86 - MG ammo capacity is fixed - from 425 to 300
  • F2A-1 - ammo capacity adjusted. Now it’s 600 rounds for 7.62 mm machine guns and 200 rounds for 12.7 mm machine guns
  • BTD-1 - Mk.13 early mod. Is replaced with late mod.
  • SM.79 mod. 1936 - side turrets changed: instead of Breda Safat 12.7 to Lewis 7.7
  • SM.79 mod. 1943 - ammo capacity for rear turret MGs Breda Safat 12.7 changed from 500 to 350
  • F6F-3 - Tiny Tim rockets added
  • Do.217 series E, K, M - external pylons and respective bomb load added
  • B-17G -external pylons and respective bomb load added
  • Armament modifications fixed for DB-7
  • Fire rate for MGs fixed for P-47D and P-51D
  • Torpedo drop order changed for BTD-1, H6K4, PBY-5 - torpedo drop is separate for both Realistic and Simulator Battle modes
  • Modifications’ durability fixed for P-63A-5 (USSR)
  • La-9 - has option of separate cannon controls for wing mounted and nose mounted cannon ?
  • Rocket armament added for Me.262A-1a
  • Cannon pods’ positioning influence on the gun spread fixed
  • Ammo fixed for Ki-96’s 37 mm cannon

Missions and maps

  • New location “Kursk” added:
  • 4 single missions for “Kursk”
  • Dynamic campaign for “Kursk”
  • RB and SB mission [Operation] Kursk added
Bugs and balance fixes for existing missions New missions added for low ranked aircraft in RB and SB with light vehicles and shorter distances:
  • Latish Convoy
  • Bastogne
  • Honolulu
  • Last Battle of Khalkin Gol
  • Counteroffensive
  • Mozdok
  • Yoo Passage
  • Port Moresby
  • Essen
  • Consolidation of positions on Sicily
  • Wake Island
  • Henan Province
Single Mission “Misty Coast”

Misc

  • Support for user generated content
  • Support for the user generated skins (only stored and seen on client computer, should be available for all aircraft)
  • Support for user created single player missions
  • Support for user created locations
  • Support for the user created planes
  • Support for user localization of the in-game texts

New decals

  • National flags decals added (194 decals)
  • Number decals added (unique for each country)
  • "Hell's Belle" pin-up, 401st Bombing Squadron, 91st Bombing Group, 8th Air Force
  • "Bomb Babe" pin-up, 866th Bombing Squadron, 494th Bomb Group, 7th Air Force
  • "Wolfess" pin-up, 364th Bombing Squadron, 305th Bombing Group, 8th Air Force
  • "Blue Sakura" personal victory marking of Saburo Sakai
  • Blue-white roundel used by British and Commonwealth aircraft in the Far East
  • Squadron Leader Pennant, No.242 Squadron RAF
  • Wing Commander Pennant, Royal Air Force
  • Personal motif of Pilot Officer 'Willie' McKnight, No.242 Squadron RAF
  • "ROYAL NAVY" text applied to the rear fuselage of aircraft from the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm
  • Flt Lt 'Johnnie' Johnson, No.616 Sqn RAF: "Bader's Bus Company Still Running" in honour of the recently shot down and captured Douglas Bader, summer 1941
  • 'Swallow' victory markings of the 12th Kokutai 5, 15, 30 pcs.
  • Roundel of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force. 1929-1941

Historical Board Decal Competition winner decals

  • "Hell's Angel" pin-up by Jej 'CharlieFoxtrot' Ortiz
  • "Flying Tiger Gal" pin-up by Colin 'Fenris' Muir
  • "Werner Molders' 100th Victory" marking by Mathieu 'Iznogoud' Clairoux
  • "Samurai Spirit" pin-up by Colin 'Fenris' Muir
  • "The Regal Seagull" pin-up by J. L. 'ColorCopycat' Yeh
  • "The Red Banner of Victory" pin-up by J. L. 'ColorCopycat' Yeh
Updated:
  • The Spitfire Mk IX (USA) price has changed to 6900 Golden Eagles
  • Battle rating adjusted for several planes for better balance (full list of changes)