The XA-38 Grizzly was an experimental late-war American ground attacker design, that was intended to replace the aging A-20 Havoc. Although it was a promising design, a shift in priorities in the later stages of the war caused the project to ultimately be cancelled. Though the Grizzly never got the chance to show his sharp claws to the enemy in real combat, he will get a second chance to prove himself with War Thunder pilots in the upcoming 1.71 update!

In War Thunder, the XA-38 Grizzly will find itself destroying ground targets on the battlefields from the intermediate ranks of the US air forces research trees. Its nose-mounted 75mm T15E1 cannon features comparable ballistic properties to the 75mm cannon mounted on the PBJ-1H, that some pilots may already have flown out into combat. Its armour piercing shells have a good penetrating power, capable to slice through the armour of most medium and some heavy tanks at its rank. Unlike the PBJ-1H, the Grizzly is faster, smaller and far less cumbersome, making it an excellent choice for close air support in combined battles. However, as the 75mm cannon is limited to just 20 rounds, the Grizzly can also be equipped with additional bombs of various sizes, thanks to the external wing pylons.

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If four Wright R-3350 2,300 horsepower engine are able to power a shining aluminum giant, flying high above the clouds, then what could just two achieve on an aircraft half the size of the legendary B-29? As you could guess, quite a lot! Being equipped with a pair of one of the most powerful late war radial engines American engineers could get their hands on, the XA-38 Grizzly is able to achieve a maximum speed of just under 600 km/h (373 mph) on low to medium altitudes. Such high speeds allow the Grizzly to not only perform lightning fast strike runs on enemy targets, but to also quickly fall back to friendly lines, should the airspace above the combat zone become too crowded. Should an enemy fighter manage to catch up or surprise the Grizzly, players will have access to its second line of defence - the dorsal and ventral remote-controlled twin 12.7mm turret, operated by the gunner. The turrets feature excellent controllability and cover the most common angles of attack, leaving the aircraft’s rear hemisphere well protected.

The XA-38 Grizzly eagerly awaits the release of the upcoming 1.71 update as a Premium Aircraft available for Golden Eagles, so it can finally receive the chance to show what it is truly capable of.  What about you? Excited for the Grizzly to join the fight or are you looking forward to other additions coming with the next major update for War Thunder? Share it with us in the comments below!

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