Tu-2S-59 (Italy)

Description

The ◔Tu-2S-59 is a rank Italian bomber with a battle rating of (AB), (RB), and (SB). It was introduced in Update "Alpha Strike".

Originally developed by the Soviet Union during WWII, several Tu-2s were supplied to the Hungarian Air Force in 1951. There they were nicknamed "Túzok", the Hungarian name for the Great Bussard bird, playing off of the 'Tu' for Tupolev designation. The type would see little operational service with Hungary, staying mostly grounded during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 and being effectively abandoned soon after.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

• 15 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
• 6 mm Steel plate to the left of cockpit dorsal gunner.
• 8, 15 mm Steel plates in front of the cockpit dorsal gunner.
• 12, 15 mm Steel plates in front of the rear dorsal gunner.
• 8 mm Steel plate under the ventral gunner.
• 12 mm Steel plate in front of the ventral gunner.

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Tu-2S-59 (Italy) is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)

Suspended armament

The Tu-2S-59 (Italy) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3
100 kg FAB-100M-43 bombs		9
250 kg FAB-250M-44 bombs	1	2, 4	1
250 kg BRAB-250 bombs	1	2, 4	1
500 kg FAB-500M-44 bombs	1	1	1
500 kg BRAB-500 bombs	1	1	1
1,000 kg FAB-1000M-44 bombs	1	1	1
1,000 kg BRAB-1000 bombs	1	1	1

Defensive armament

The Tu-2S-59 (Italy) is defended by:

• 1 x 20 mm B-20E cannon, rear dorsal turret (120 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, front dorsal turret (190 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm Berezin UB machine gun, rear ventral turret (350 rpg)

Usage in battles

Once spawned (~3,500 m), locate ground targets to engage. It is suggested to engage the targets farthest from the enemy's airfield in order to avoid detection. Attack pillboxes (light or heavy, it doesn't matter with 500 kg bombs) as these don't move. Only engage the AI tanks if there are no pillboxes, and if engaging the tanks, judge the speed of the tank column, and release the bombs, making sure to lead where the tanks will be as the bombs fall, not where they are in that moment.

When bombing anything, note that the center of the reticle should be aimed below the target by about a centimetre (looking at the screen). This will allow the bombs maximum precision. When releasing the two bombs from the bomb bay, hold the flight pattern for about 1/2 a second longer than normal to compensate for the opening of the bomb bay doors. Once the payload has dropped, begin attacking artillery and AAA guns with the 20 mm cannons. Fire in short bursts to conserve ammo, as the more of these light targets are destroyed, the better. Never attack light pillboxes with the frontal cannons! The ammo spent attempting to destroy these (~200 rounds) isn't worth it! Always attack lighter targets, or if the situation presents itself, enemy aircraft. Once the bombs and cannon ammo are/is exhausted, then high-tail it back to the airfield. Fully upgraded, the Tu-2S-59 can maintain ~450 km/h on the deck, no problem. Be careful upon landing, as the plane tends to stall at ~175 km/h. Rearm, and repeat!

Specific enemies worth noting

The Tu-2S-59 has a battle rating of 5.7. Should the Tu-2S-59 be engaged, here are some suggestions per plane.

Do not engage a fighter on purpose, the following is only for defensive and survival reference.

Horten 229 - This plane is agile, fast, and dangerous, possessing a pair of Mk 103 cannons. When engaged with one of these planes, force a head-on pass if he is either below or on equal altitude as the Tu-2S-59. Once the pass has concluded, and if neither of the two are down, push the throttle to WEP and run. When the 229 turns to pursue, it will catch up. Use the defensive turrets at this point, as these are the Tu-2S-59's only hope for making it out alive. Aim for the pilot.

Me 262 A-1 and A-1/U4 Pulkzerstorer - These planes are a tough opponent. They are fast and possess better armour than the 229, so the turrets are not going to be as effective in destroying these enemies. Again, if the enemy is below or on equal altitude as the Tu-2S-59, force a head on pass and run after it ends (if able). Use the turrets, but know that these planes are designed to be bomber-hunters, and are ruthlessly efficient in their task.

F-80A, F-80C & F-84B-26 - Although most matches with the Tu-2S-59 will be on the Berlin map, mixed battles and alternate history is always a possibility. For these planes, use the same tactics. Force a head on, and then run after. Use the turrets to attack them while withdrawing.

Late War Props (Spitfire 24, Fw 190 D-13, F8F-1B, etc.) - These should never be ignored. If possible, run back to base and don't commit to a head on with props, as they have a little more time to aim their shots and steady their plane. Rely mostly on the defensive turrets if needed.

Player-Controlled Flak (Kugelblitz, Crusader AA, etc.)
These are the bane of bombers (especially medium-sized ones such as the Tu-2S-59). When the tracers fly, don't risk a dive. Circle around or find some unsuspecting flanker that is outside the cover of these AAA guns.

Counter-tactics

If confronted with an enemy Tu-2S-59, initiate a head on pass but then pitch up and stall their plane out. Additionally, maintain a safe altitude and utilize Boom & Zoom tactics, but it is worth noting that the Tu-2 is able to turn adequately.

Manual Engine Control

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast, for a medium bomber
• High wing rip speed (over 700 km/h)
• Air spawn in RB
• Very easy to land and take off
• Decent payload
• Forward-firing ShVAK cannons, can be useful in a head-on engagement
• Not as vulnerable as other 4-engine bombers
• Twin tail design leaves little restriction on back gunners
• Decently agile for its size
• Can often put out fires in fuel tanks due to pressurized gas system
• Individual bomb drops, very effective in tank battles
• Engines can cool down even with a 100% throttle
• Can pretty much WEP indefinitely
• Just need to research one modification for all payload options

Cons:

• Only two bombs when stock
• Relatively small defensive armament
• Only one pilot and is not protected by armour from the front
• High-ish stall speed (175 km/h, more of a pain when taking off/landing)
• Although it is fast, everything else is faster
• Performance starts to degrade with altitude
• Low amount of cannon ammo (150 rounds per gun)

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Tu-2S-59 (Italy) from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Tu-2 (Family)
  • Tu-2S-59

External links

• [Devblog] The Hungarian Aircraft Line is Coming to the Italian Tree!
• [wwiiafterwwii] Tu-2 “Bat”: post-WWII service