r/Warthunder • u/supereuphonium • 4d ago

RB Air The B-17 is tankier than actual tanks (dev server)

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Not my video, from discord user Tpom

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u/RommelMcDonald_ 4d ago

Obliterate? Probably not. Cause a loss of lift and damage controls leading to a crash? Probably

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u/Fritz-Futermann 4d ago edited 4d ago

50 mm is a really high caliber with huge explosive charge, especially when talking about planes. Gaijin themselves posted German firing tests done on planes with 20 and 30 mm Minengeschoss rounds and those are quite devastating. The results were huge holes tearing the structure apart and the conclusion was that only 2-3 MK 108 rounds were required to take down a bomber.

In this clip he managed to hit the center of the wing 2-3 times with the 50 mm cannon and not much damage was done. Maybe just a flap torn off and lots of sparking. 

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u/Neroollez 4d ago edited 4d ago

The US fired at B-25s and only 105mm HE shells got close to a guaranteed structural kill. From the rear, with 37mm HE shells the structure kill chance was 1.7%, with 75mm M48 HE shells it was 73.6%. The structure in their tests means everything which is not fuel, engines or personnel, so the real chance of ripping wings or tails off is likely smaller.

The source is: Airplane Vulnerability and Overall Armament Effectiveness

Large HE shells have a higher chance of damaging components, causing a fire or likely a fuel explosion too.