C.R.714

Description

The C.R.714 is a rank French fighter with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.73 "Vive la France".

The C.R.714 is a good transition for new pilots going from biplanes to mono-wing aircraft. Like many aircraft which are mono-wing (light Japanese aircraft excepted), they are heavier than biplanes leading to a poorer turning radius in comparison. Alternatively, newer mono-wing aircraft tended to utilize larger engines and were capable of more power. The C.R.714 initially was developed as a race plane and excels when it is allowed to remain at speed, however if forced into a turning battle, it will lose speed rapidly.

General info

Flight performance

The C.R. 714's flight characteristics are relatively unsurprising given its racing heritage. The plane has good acceleration and a mediocre climb rate. Its manoeuvrability is quite bad, which is to be expected from an early monoplane fighters. The plane has a decent roll rate, but a rather lacklustre turn time when compared to the aircraft it commonly faces in battle. However, this can be remedied through effective use of the rudder, as the aircraft's control surfaces are quite effective.

The plane's engine is quite reliable, and can handle WEP for almost infinitely at higher altitudes. As well, note that the engine will experience fuel starvation when flown upside-down. However, the main limiting factor of the aircraft's performance is its top speed - the aircraft can only attain ~375 km/h at low altitudes and ~450 at higher altitudes. This means that it will barely be able to outspeed some faster biplanes at its tier. This can be remedied as the aircraft is quite structurally sound, and can manage dives of 650 km/h without issue. However, not that the ailerons tend to lock up past 500 km/h so the aircraft has very limited roll ability in dives.

Details

Survivability and armour

• No armour plating on aircraft
• Self-sealing fuel tank located between engine and pilot

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The C.R.714 is armed with:

• 4 x 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)

The four machine guns are arranged in bundles of two mounted in the wing. Each are armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire together until empty.

Usage in battles

The C.R.714's racing heritage heavily influences the playstyle for this aircraft: Boom and Zoom. Spend the first portion of the match climbing to altitude, then locate a suitable target and dive on them. However, it would be a wise choice to prioritize slower, bulkier targets as the plane's ailerons will make it impossible to change course at high speeds. Simply dive in, fire a burst, then climb out. If the enemy manoeuvres to prevent you from shooting them, simply pull up and disengage back to a higher altitude. Don't over-engage as it will mean that you will lose your speed advantage, and potentially force you into a turn fight. Do not engage in a turn fight. Most of all of other fighters you will face will have a tighter turning radius and will easily find themselves right behind you.

The C.R.714 is a fairly responsive aircraft and while it may not be the best turn fighter, if you are caught in a turn/looping fight, utilize the strong rudder to aid in making sharper turns. Many times, utilizing the rudder will throw off the trajectory of your aircraft making it more difficult for a pursuing aircraft to get accurate gun fire on you. However, the best defence to this is to simply not get caught in a turn fight - most of the time, the aircraft will not fare well in extended turns, and will quickly be sent back to the hangar.

Specific enemies worth noting:

• I-15 M-22 and I-153 M-62: The Chaika family of biplanes are a destructive set of enemies often encountered at your BR. The earlier models possess an extreme level of manoeuvrability, while later models have a strong top speed almost as good as yours. The best strategy to resort to is to simply Boom & Zoom on them while they're occupied or in a dogfight. Their airframes are fragile and won't take many hits from your 7.5 mm MGs.
• Bf 109 B-1 / Re.2000 serie 1: These two aircraft have been lumped together due to their similar characteristics. Both are faster than you, and will beat you in a speed battle. The best way to engage these aircraft is to have an altitude advantage and B & Z them when they're not paying attention or occupied. If one tries to dive on you, turn outwards and force them to disengage.
• Other reserve aircraft / early biplanes: This category includes the P-26, He 51, Fury and other low-tier aircraft. They all have lower top speeds than you, meaning that you can B & Z them without much issue. As well, their airframes are practically made of paper, so a few shots will be enough to send them back to the hangar.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great roll rate
• Decent level acceleration; faster than most aircraft at its BR, even when stock
• Machine guns are quite powerful and have a high rate of fire
• Small target
• One of the best Boom and Zoom/energy fighters at its rank
• Excellent cockpit visibility
• Tracer ammunition is made up entirely of armour-piercing incendiary rounds, making it very deadly, especially at its BR

Cons:

• Machine guns jam after 6 to 10 seconds of continuous fire
• Average turn radius (almost catches smoke trail in turn)
• Low ammunition count combined with high rate of fire means that trigger discipline is needed
• Can be difficult to master for early players still learning the game

History

The C.R.714 "Cyclone" was the final variant of the C.R.710 aircraft family developed by Caudron-Renault aircraft, designed as a wooden light fighter capable of boosting the inventory of the French Air Force. The aircraft was improved over the original C.R.710 through a strengthened airframe, redesigned wing, and new engine that is able to handle negative G loads. The aircraft also had its armament changed from twin 20 mm Hispano 404 cannons to four 7.5 mm machine guns. The Air Ministry ordered 20 C.R.714 aircraft in November of 1938, along with options for 180 more aircraft.

Deliveries of the aircraft began in January of 1940. By that time, it was very apparent that the aircraft had serious design flaws: importantly, the wooden airframe prevented the installation of a more powerful engine. The insufficient engine power of the C.R.714 limited its performance so much that it was withdrawn from active duty. Subsequently, the order total was reduced to 90 aircraft, 80 of them intended to be diverted to Finland to fight in the Winter War.

However, a series of events resulted in only six aircraft being delivered to Finland, and they didn't see active service as the Finnish personnel deemed the aircraft too dangerous to operate in winter conditions. Thus, 35 Cyclones ended up being delivered to the Polish "Warsaw" squadron, based in Lyon. Soon after, pilot opinion confirmed that the underpowered aircraft was no match for the Bf-109Es they commonly encountered over French airspace.

As there were no other options, the Polish pilots flew the C.R.714 for the remainder of the Battle of France. Despite the obsolescence of their aircraft, they still managed to shoot down 12 German aircraft, with losses of 9 in the air and 9 on the ground. By the end of June, when France fell, only 53 C.R.714s had been completed, and the remaining airframes were quickly retired.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the C.R.714 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Development] Caudron CR.714: Racing Breed
• Official data sheet - more details about the performance