Battlestations: Pacific/Allied Aircraft

The following information is from a video game, and may or may not be historically accurate. The Allies' aircraft have a reputation for being tougher than their Japanese equivalents. Although some Allied equivalents, like the PBY Catalina, are considered inferior to the Japanese, they remain quite balanced in respect to each other.

Several British aircraft make an appearance here, most notably the Hawker Hurricane, formerly a non-playable aircraft.

Unlike the Japanese, who can equip proximity-detonating air-to-air rockets, the Americans sport a more powerful ground-attack rocket on the F4U Corsair and the P-51 Mustang. These rockets are extremely powerful against both air and ground targets, but only direct hits will count against either. This makes them considerably harder to aim against Japanese aircraft. Still, a direct hit will cause considerable damage to aircraft.

P-40 Warhawk
The P-40 Warhawk is a land-based fighter that has been virtually unchanged from Midway. It still packs a formidable punch against most targets and is a trusty and reliable fighter. It flies at about 324 km/h in level flight and 458 km/h with its boost engaged. It has superb turning compared to the Wildcat, but is inferior to the Hellcat. Players will mostly find these in the single player campaign, most notably during the 2nd Battle of Guadalcanal, where they are heavily relied on as ground-attack aircraft.

Official Description: ''Coming into full production in 1940, the P-40 represents the latest installment in the Curtiss' "Hawk" line of aircraft. Commissioned by the US Army Air Corps, it is a land-based fighter that has already served with distinction against the Japanese in China as part of General Claire Chenault's volunteer group "The Flying Tigers".''

F2A Buffalo
The Buffalo received a considerable firepower increase, doubling its overall firepower. It leaves something to be desired, however, in terms of how well the plane handles. At an average level speed of 321 km/h, and 456 km/h with boost, it is acceptable but not the best. Although its extra guns allow it to shred bombers easily and its small profile makes it hard to hit, the plane is easily outmatched by very common planes like the A6M Zero. Fortunately, it is never seen in any single player mission and rarely in multiplayer missions.

Official Description: ''The Brewster F2A Buffalo has been in service aboard US Navy carriers since 1939. It has, however, turned out to be largely unsatisfactory, being too unstable and under-armed, as well as overweight for carrier operations. It has now largely been phased out of operation, and been replaced by the Wildcat on all carriers.''

F4F Wildcat
The F4F Wildcat is now more on par with the A6M Zero as the most common fighter in the game. The Wildcat and the Zero now turn and climb at roughly the same rates, although the Zero is slightly faster, has more armament, and has better convergence of its weapons. Its top speed in level flight is 328 km/h, or 455 km/h with its boost engaged.

Official Description: ''The F4F is the Navy's main carrier-based fighter, and has been in full service since August 1940. Initially designed as a biplane, it was redesigned as a monoplane and given a larger engine to make it competitive with other designs such as the F2A Buffalo. The Wildcat is slower than the Japanese Zero, but can absorb far more damage thanks to its armour plating and self-sealing fuel tanks.''

P-38 Lightning
Formerly a DLC unit, the P-38 is now a mainstream fighter found mostly in siege and escort maps. Thanks to its powerful dual engines, it flies at a general speed of 346 km/h, or 490 km/h with its boost. Its manoeuvrability has sharply decreased, but instead can now carry a larger bomb than usual, making the Lightning a fighter-bomber unit. As a hybrid unit, however, it is unable to execute either task as well as a dedicated unit. The Lightning is very fast for a bombing unit and can be used to make quick strikes against undefended targets. That said it is as fragile as any plane and falls quickly to AA.

Official Description: ''The P-38 Lightning was designed as a high-altitude fighter, and after numerous problems with the prototypes the plane finally entered service in late 1941. It's a land-based fighter with twin engines, heavy armour and superior weaponry, ideally suited for the Pacific theatre, with long range and excellent performance. Its speed and climb combined with the focused firepower made it a fearsome opponent of the Japanese planes.''

F6F Hellcat
One of the best planes in the game, the Hellcat handles like a P-38 from the previous game and has extremely good firepower. It travels at 324 km/h in level flight, and 458 km/h with its boost. The only plane that comes close to matching its aerial prowess is likely the Shinden. Just like in real life, the Hellcat can easily outmanoeuvre the Zero, making it the preferred plane for any fighter ace. Just be sure to keep the plane light and avoid loading the plane with bombs.

Official Description: ''The F6F Hellcat, first flown in October of 1942, was the 'big brother' to the F4F Wildcat. As a completely new design, this fighter was designed primarily for air-to-air work. Having the same R-2800 engine as the Corsair the plane was very heavy and had huge wings, especially if compared to the Japanese Zero. Thanks to the self-sealing fuel tanks and rugged construction the Hellcat is able to withstand heavy battle damage and is able to return to the carrier even when damaged. Armed with six .50cal machine guns the Hellcat was responsible for destroying the most Japanese planes in the Pacific War. It earned a total of 75% of the aerial victories, and at the end, the Hellcats had a surprisingly good 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft.''

F4U Corsair
The F4U Corsair is the premier American fighter/bomber unit. Although it isn't as fast as the Lightning with its payload, it carries a devastating volley of rockets that can take down light surface targets like destroyers from range. It may not pack enough firepower to neutralize a shipyard or airfield in island capture, but rockets are the ideal way to eliminate targets in the campaign.

Once the Corsair has expended its rockets, it turns into a capable fighter that can hold its own against Zeros, Oscars, and other Japanese aircraft. That said, however, it does not boast the same performance as the Hellcat or its other contemporaries. Also, since rockets tend to reload most of the time, this can cause an unnecessary loss of performance in the middle of a dogfight. Corsairs are best used, therefore, as strike aircraft to be supplemented by a smattering of fighter escort.

Official Description: ''One of the best planes of the war is the F4U Corsair. The Corsair has the standard US fighter armament of six .50 cal machine guns, and can also carry eight 5" HVAR rockets for air-to-ground missions. With exceptional performance and top speed, the Corsair was faster than almost every plane in the Pacific. It could easily outperform the opposing Japanese airplanes in terms of speed, but not in manoeuvrability.''

P-51 Mustang
The P-51, added at the community's request, gives the name of the Mustang unit pack, downloadable on Xbox Marketplace or Games for Windows Live as of July 2, 2009. The Mustang is essentially a hybrid of a Corsair and a Hellcat, sporting the powerful rockets of the former and the easy handling of the latter. This, coupled with the Mustang's reputation, make it the unlock of choice for many players.

The Mustang is a very capable fighter, on par with the Hellcat. Its six powerful rockets allow it to eliminate smaller enemy ships like destroyers with ease, although it shares the weakness to AA fire all aircraft have. Although the plane can be equipped with bombs, many players favour the rockets, as they are far easier to use and allow for precision strikes against particular ship components.

Official Description: ''The P-51 Mustang, a long range fighter aircraft built by North American Aviation, is considered to be one of the finest and best fighter aircraft of the Second World War. The plane was fast, powered by the excellent Packard V-1650 supercharged engine and had superior handling compared to most contemporary fighters. The bubble canopy provided excellent visual awareness and the plane was well-made and durable, capable of sustaining numerous hits. Mustang pilots loved this plane, saying the plane is a joy to fly. Armed with the standard six .50 calibre M2 Browning machine guns, it also has hard points for two bombs or six high-velocity rockets, making this plane an excellent choice for any commander in the Pacific.''

Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane, formerly a non-playable unit, is now made fully playable as fighter in Duel mode. Limited now only by the lack of maps it appears in, the Hurricane is more than a match for its contemporaries. The Hurricane sports four powerful guns that can shred fighters and bombers alike in an instant. Combined with its relatively small profile, this makes for an highly effective dogfighter - Hurricanes and Hellcats usually dominate the game's Duel mode.

Unfortunately the Hurricane has yet to appear anywhere in Island Capture, and the option to load the plane down with a pair of bombs is utterly useless. It is best to keep the plane light so that it can dogfight with maximum effectiveness. It appears primarily as a unit in Status Quo Siege and Escort, where its manoeuvrability gives it a definite edge against equivalent Japanese planes.

Official Description: ''The Hawker Hurricane has been the Royal Air Force's main single-engined fighter since 1937, and has been produced in huge numbers. It proved its merit as a fighter plane in the Battle of Britain, where it accounted for more enemy kills than all other ground and air defences combined. It is a simple design, consisting of a welded metal frame with fabric stretched over it, but its six wing-mounted machine guns give it excellent firepower. A version known as the Sea Hurricane operates on the Royal Navy's fleet carriers.''

P-80 Shooting Star
The P-80 is the Allied jet aircraft. It is extremely fast, surpassed only by the MXY-7 Ohka. Its usual cruising speed is approximately 350-400 km/h, about 100 km/h faster than propeller aircraft. It is also extremely manoeuvrable at these high speeds, able to out-turn practically every Japanese aircraft in the skies. When boosting it travels at a top speed of 600 km/h, allowing it to zip across a map in a hurry. It carries the same guns as every other Allied aircraft, but its speed allows it to intercept Ohka Carriers far outside their normal range. Costing a mere 100 command points, P-80s are the perfect umbrella against Ohka Carriers, and can dogfight respectfully as well.

P-80s are unable to equip any bombs or rockets, so avoid selecting them in sea-centric battles. In fighter duels, the P-80 is the unlock of choice. Despite its metallic framework, note that the plane is just as fragile as any other fighter, and can easily be shot down by planes that manage to get in behind it. It is by no means a game-breaking aircraft, and is in the game more for prestige. Many players favour the versatility of the P-51 Mustang.

The P-80 can easily be observed as an opponent in Competitive Clash.

The Shooting Star is an unlockable unit, but unlike all others it cannot be unlocked by playing the campaign. It is unlocked by obtaining the multiplayer rank of Fleet Admiral.

Official Description: ''The P-80 was the first operational US jet fighter in the war; though it never saw use, a few were sent to Europe before the war ended. The P-80 was a revolutionary new turbojet design, first flown in 1944, the excellent characteristics and the very high speed were considered sensational by officials. Equipped with the standard fighter armament of six .50 calibre machine guns, the Shooting Star was also able to carry non-guided rockets and bombs to the battlefield. This is the fastest plane in the Pacific period, beating out the Japanese Kikka.''

SBD Dauntless
The favourite dive bomber of many Midway players, the Dauntless now must share the limelight with its bigger brother, the SB2C. The armament of the Dauntless has been somewhat reduced, as it is no longer able to perform anti-submarine attacks with twin depth charges. Instead, the plane has the option to load a single large bomb or two smaller ones. Although choosing two smaller bombs seems to make the plane slightly lighter, the choice is ultimately irrelevant: the SB2C carries a larger payload and can also equip depth charges. The Dauntless is a fine dive bomber, but unfortunately it lacks power and is highly specialized.

The Dauntless remains quite manoeuvrable, moreso than a bomb-laden Helldiver, but it can no longer out-turn dedicated fighters like the A6M Zero.

Official Description: ''Commissioned as a combination scout/bomber aircraft, the Dauntless entered service with the Marines in late 1940, and with the US Navy in early 1941. It is now the Navy's foremost carrier-based bomber. Although it is slower and less manoeuvrable than its Japanese equivalent, the Aichi 'Val', it is an excellent dive bomber thanks to its very good flight characteristics, and is also able to absorb heavy amounts of damage.''

SB2C Helldiver
An upgrade to the Dauntless, the Helldiver is now far more common than the Dauntless and has replaced it as the premier dive bomber of the American arsenal. The SB2C takes the spot of the Dauntless not only as dive bomber but also as sub-hunter, as the Dauntless is unable to equip depth charges. The Helldiver has but a single shortcoming - its bomb, while heavier than the Dauntless, weighs the plane down more and as such is not as manoeuvrable as a Dauntless when equipped with a bomb. As dive bombers should be escorted by fighters anyway, however, this is not a major concern.

SB2Cs are perfect for drawing fire away from torpedo bombers - their bombs cause mediocre damage to battleships, and as such should not be ignored. Torpedo bombers, however, still cause more damage than the 1600 lb bomb equipped by the Helldiver.

Official Description: ''The SB2C Helldiver, sometimes called 'Big-Tailed Beast' by its crew came into service in 1943, replacing the aging SBD Dauntless dive bombers. Dive bomber pilots disliked the handling characteristics of the bigger and heavier Helldiver, and wanted to stay with the Dauntless, but the extra striking power of the Helldiver was required by the US Navy. The Helldiver carries twice the amount of bombs as the Dauntless, is much faster and better armoured, and also has heavier armament; two 20mm cannons in the wings and a .50 cal for the tailgunner.''

TBD Devastator
This Battlestations: Midway veteran has since removed its old colourful paint job in favour of a more practical navy blue. The Devastator is very much a dedicated torpedo bomber and cannot carry anything else. That said the Devastator is a fine torpedo bomber, even if it is a sub-par fighter.

Unfortunately you'll be hard pressed to use the Devastator. It makes a few appearances in a few Island Capture maps, but is replaced with the TBF Avenger on nearly all the others.

Official Description: ''The Devastator has been in service with the US Navy sas a carrier-based torpedo bomber since 1937. When it entered service, it was the most advanced plane of its type in the world; however, the rapid advancement in aviation technology means that the Devastator is now considered obsolescent and is due to be replaced in early 1942 by the TBF Avenger.''

TBF Avenger
Not to be confused with the TBM Avenger, the TBF is far more common than its rocket-slinging twin. The American premiere torpedo bomber, the Avenger sports average speeds and durability with no major weaknesses. Its primary role is to sink enemy ships with torpedoes, although it can also be equipped with a single 1000 lb bomb to attack land targets with. This role is generally best left to dedicated dive bombers, however.

Avengers have received very few changes from Midway, sporting similar handling characteristics. Most of the changes are in their torpedoes, which are faster and more powerful. Avengers can no longer equip depth charges, but since they always appear alongside dive bombers and floatplanes (which can even be launched from cruisers) its inability to strike submarines is irrelevant for its role.

New players are often confused between the difference between the TBM and the TBF. Observe the icon next to the name of the plane; TBMs are completely incapable of carrying torpedoes (aside from the FIDO, whose icon differs from regular torpedoes). Tiny Tims are far more devastating than torpedoes, so focus on TBM Avengers before tackling TBFs.

Official Description: ''The TBF Avenger is a three-seater aircraft that entered service in early 1942, replacing the TBD Devastator as the Navy's main carrier-based torpedo bomber. Simple in construction, on entering service it became the largest single-engine aircraft to serve anywhere in the world. The Avenger's main weakness is its slow speed, which makes it vulnerable to both fighter attack and AA fire.''

TBM Avenger
Generally considered to be the American version of the Ohka, the TBM Avenger functions primarily as a long-range unit capable of slinging rockets into battle. Although it can equip eight rockets that cause considerable damage, the reason to choose this plane is the devastating Tiny Tim rocket. This huge rocket causes equally huge damage to whatever it hits - be it a land base or a ship. It is often used as a counter to large forces of battleships or heavy cruisers - just a few hits with the Tiny Tim can sink a Yamato-class. Unlike the Ohka, however, the Tiny Tim is completely unguided, requiring a lot of concentration to get your rocket on target.

In the event of a submarine attack, this upgraded Avenger packs the only homing "missile" of the game - the FIDO homing torpedo. After locking onto a submarine as a target, perform a standard aerial torpedo attack. The torpedo will actively home in on the target submarine and hit it for huge damage. Even if the submarine somehow evades the torpedo, it will loop around and reacquire its target. A single FIDO is often enough to sink a submarine, and three is typically overkill. FIDOs can home in on surfaced submarines as well as submerged ones.

This plane flies at a relatively sluggish 246 km/h, or 348 km/h with its boost, making it easy prey for defending fighters. Interestingly, the TBF Avenger's guns are in front of the cockpit, whilst the TBM Avenger's are located on the wings. This makes aiming a little more difficult, but otherwise does not affect performance.

Obtain the gold medal on Mission 14 - Battle of Okinawa to unlock this deadly aircraft.

Official Description: ''The TBM Avenger was the latest production variant of the Avengers, manufactured by General Motors, as Grumman shifted their production lines to build more Hellcat Fighters. This variant has two .50 cal machine guns fixed in the wings, improved engine and reinforced wings to carry 8 HVAR Rockets. They are also capable of carrying one huge Tiny Tim Rocket in there internal bay, or a Fido self-guided anti-submarine torpedo. These excellent planes with their advanced equipment are the finest examples of late war American air power.''

Fairey Swordfish
Apparently often misidentified as the Gloster Gladiator, the Fairey Swordfish is the only biplane the Allies have to offer. The Swordfish has received a far more versatile weapons load this time around - it is capable of sporting both depth charges and the same 200 lb bombs found on fighters.

The Swordfish appears as a unit in Escort Status Quo. Its primary strength is its versatility, which allows it to be a torpedo bomber to attack enemy ships with or with bombs to help bomb the enemy port facilities which are the objective. It is best used as a torpedo bomber, however, as its 200 lb bombs are no more effective against land installations or ships than ordinary fighter bombs.

Official Description: ''The Fairey Swordfish is the Royal Navy's foremost carrier-based torpedo bomber, and has been in service since 1936. It is horribly obsolescent compared to other nations' torpedo bombers, being a biplane of metal and fabric construction with a low speed compared to other aircraft. Nevertheless, it has already achieved legendary status, thanks to its decisive attack on the German battleship Bismarck, as well as the groundbreaking strike on the Italian Navy's port at Taranto, where numerous warships were sunk at anchor in a surprise torpedo attack. Many nations paid great interest to this achievement, particularly the Japanese.''

B-17 Flying Fortress
The Americans' trademark bomber, the B-17 is a powerful and sturdy bomber, one of the best in the game. Far outclassing the Nell and the Betty for firepower and durability, the B-17 also sports a heavier bomb load and multiple machine guns for defence. Although these machine guns help it little against the cannon-equipped Zero and Raiden, the machine guns can at least keep nearly any CAP preoccupied long enough for the bomber to drop its payload.

The B-17, as with all carpet bombers in this game, suffers from extreme accuracy problems. The B-17 will have difficulty causing considerable damage to small land installations, like the Headquarters on islands. This makes the B-17 mostly useful against large ships, where its accuracy isn't that big of an issue.

Some players enjoy making use of the B-17s many machine guns against machine gun-vulnerable cargo ships in the campaign. By flying at low altitude in a circle, the AI will automatically shoot the target, turning the B-17 into a gunship.

Official Description: ''The B-17 is the USAAF's main heavy bomber, and has been so since 1938. Capable of carrying a 8000 lb paylod of bombs nearly 2000 miles, it is ideally suited to service in the Pacific. The B-17 is a very robust aircraft, capable of sustaining vast damage and still remaining airborne. It has received the name "Flying Fortress" thanks to the 13 turreted 50 calibre machine guns it carries for defence, and a formation of B-17s is a formidable prospect for an attacking fighter pilot.''

B-25 Mitchell
The only bomber in the game with forward firing, fighter-like machine guns, this medium bomber has changed a little bit from Midway. Firstly, it is far more manoeuvrable, but still not as manoeuvrable as a fighter. Secondly, it can now carry a single torpedo. Unfortunately you won't see much of this medium bomber - it makes very sporadic appearances in-game, but it is known to appear in Aleutians Island Capture. The Mitchell's forward firing machine guns can be used to protect bombers in front of it when enemy fighters try to intercept.

Much like the Japanese bombers, the Mitchell can equip a torpedo that isn't much more powerful than that dropped by the Avenger or the Devastator. However, the Mitchell can protect itself easier and has a lot more armour at the expense of speed. This can let it act as a meat shield for the more delicate bombers to strike.

Official Description: ''The B-25 is a medium bomber which is in service with the USAAF, and has been since early 1941. It has already gone through several redesigns, and the latest version, the B-25D, has been given three forward firing 50 calibre machine guns which, alongside its 3000 lb bomb payload, make it an excellent plane for attacking enemy shipping.''

B-29 Superfortress
This high-altitude bomber is renowned for its toughness and high altitude operations, making it a difficult target for fighters to attack. As with all carpet bombers, however, the B-29 suffers from accuracy problems, making it extremely difficult for it to damage smaller units. It is best, as such, deployed against battleships.

The B-29 is by far the toughest bomber in the game and can take insane amounts of damage before going down. This, coupled with its massive armament of machine guns, make it difficult to shoot down. However, some aircraft - most notably the J2M Raiden - are designed specifically for taking down American heavy bombers like this one. Fighter escort is generally necessary to protect the bombers, but they can hold their own against all but the most concerted air defences.

The B-29 does not carry nuclear weaponry.

Complete Mission 12 - Air Raid against Indochina to unlock this massive carpet bomber.

Official Description: ''The B-29 was a four-engined, strategic bomber built as a direct successor to the B-17 Flying Fortress. As one of the largest airplanes of the war the Superfortress was able to carry almost four times more bombs than the average load of the B-17, making it a very deadly bomber. With its high speed and high service altitude, only a few aircraft could engage the Superfortress, and those who did engage would only go on to face the eight .50 cal machine guns, controlled by a central fire control system. The B-29, with its excellent performance, poses a real threat to the Japanese homeland.''

PBY Catalina
The premier flying boat for the Allies, the Catalina is unfortunately sub-par compared to its Japanese counterparts. Although the Mavis is fragile and much larger than the Catalina, both the Mavis and the Emily sport four hardpoints for bombs and torpedoes, while the Catalina only sports two. This cuts it back on usefulness considerably. The addition of the OS2U Kingfisher, which also carries depth charges and its own sonar, renders the Catalina unfavourable on almost all terms.

The Catalina and the Kingfisher both have extremely far vision. Players often use Kingfishers to observe what the enemy is doing so they may perform accurate countermeasures.

Official Description: ''The Catalina is a venerable aircraft, having been in service since 1936. It is an excellent design, and has been produced in greater numbers than any other flying boat. It is used in many roles, such as reconnaissance, transport, search and rescue and convoy escort. It is also particularly valuable in an anti-submarine role, especially since the introduction of sonobuoys, which allow the Catalina to detect submerged submarines and attack them with depth charges.''

OS2U Kingfisher
The OS2U is the scout plane of choice for many American players. This floatplane is equally at home scouting the enemy as it is hunting for submarines. The Kingfisher, compared to the Catalina, is far cheaper, far more fragile, but has the same twin depth charges. This makes the Kingfisher superior to the Catalina when attacking enemy subs. Although the plane can equip bombs, the bombs are utterly useless as even transport ships can shoot down this tiny fragile aircraft. Costing only a mere 50 points in island capture, the Kingfisher is perfect for scout and anti-submarine duty.

Official Description: ''The Kingfisher is the Navy's standard floatplane, serving on all battleships and cruisers. First flown in 1938, this reliable, compact seaplane performs a wide variety of tasks such as reconnaissance, observation, anti-submarine and sea rescue missions. They are launched from ships by steam catapults. Without any armour or real firepower, it's not a combat machine.''

C-47 Skytrain
The C-47 deploys paratroopers to capture islands quickly and is ideally deployed to remote island bases that would take ships too long to reach. Skytrains, unlike landing ships, are very vulnerable to machine gun fire, and therefore should constantly be escorted by fighters.

Official Description: ''Known as 'The Plane with a Thousand Names', this transport plane has been in service with civil airlines since 1936, and is given credit for the 600% increase in airline passenger traffic since that time. Seeing its potential as a military transport, the US Army commissioned a military version, designated the C-47.''