Developed in the early 1940s to serve as a long range fighter in the Pacific, the de Havilland Hornet was not only one of Britain’s fastest twin-engine heavy fighter ever built, but was also the last aircraft of its kind in service with the RAF, before new state-of-the-art jet-powered aircraft would take its place. Meet the new Hornet F.3 with War Thunder’s upcoming 1.71 update!

In War Thunder, the sought-after Hornet F.3 will offer fans of British aviation a true speed demon on the high ranks of their aviation research tree. Although the Hornet F.3 will continue the British heavy fighter line, it will offer a distinct change in playstyle compared to some previous models. While the Mosquitos and Brigands focus on ground attack, offering their pilots a wide range of secondary armaments, the Hornet is tailored more for pilots that prefer intense dogfighting at breakneck speeds. Speaking of breakneck speeds - the two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines are capable of propelling the Hornet up to a maximum speed of 472 mph (760 km/h) at high altitudes, making it one of the fastest twin-engine heavy fighters in the game. Although the Hornet has no trouble getting up to altitude, fighting on lower heights doesn’t put aspiring Hornet pilots at a disadvantage either, as the aircraft doesn’t suffer from a notable drop in performance there. The lightweight plywood airframe and streamlined design give the Hornet superb handling characteristics, similar to that of the Mosquito, allowing it to participate in short turning engagements even against some single-engine fighters.

Armed with four 20mm cannons, the Hornet is able to quickly disassemble an enemy aircraft, thanks to the high one-second burst mass of the well-known Hispano Mk. V cannon. However, the Hispanos are not just good for blasting hostile aircraft out of the sky, but can also be used to lethal effectiveness against soft and lightly-armoured ground units. In combined battles, the Hornet can also support allied ground units by providing some close air support with its secondary weapons array. Though not as good as that of the Mosquito or Brigand, the Hornet still possesses a decent secondary weapons loadout consisting of bombs and rockets, which fans of precise close air support strikes will surely appreciate.

The Hornet F.3 has received green light to join the ranks of the Royal Air Force with War Thunder’s upcoming 1.71 update.

See you there!

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The War Thunder Team