[Top 5] War Thunder Best Dogfight Planes That Wreck Hard!

Updated:

05 Apr 2022

What's more fun than shooting down planes?

Fighter planes usually get built for one specific purpose: bringing down other planes, through whatever means necessary: rockets, cannons, machine guns. Sometimes though, they have to bring down another fighter, which may lead to two foes trying to outmaneuver and destroy each other: this is dogfighting.

Dogfighting also happens to be one of the most fun and interesting mechanics to master in War Thunder, since it requires quick reflexes, a steady aim, and nerves of steel. In this guide, we’ll look at the best 5 aircraft for this type of air engagement.

#5 Ki-61-I hei (Best for versatility)

An above-average fighter from the land of the rising sun.

The Ki-61-I hei is a Japanese fighter plane, with outstanding maneuverability and good enough firepower, this aircraft lends itself well not only to simple turn fighting but also “Boom and Zoom” tactics.

Although its top speed isn’t much of an improvement over the previous and more popular “Zero” fighters, the Ki-61-I hei still aligned itself with its counterparts in the Japanese air tech tree when it comes to agility and speed, becoming one of the best fighters in War Thunder.

What the Ki-61 excels in:

being a Jack-of-all-trades aircraft
Good top speed
Maneuverability and Climb rate are solid.

#4 Spitfire F Mk. 24 (Best for high altitude dogfights)

Its Griffon engine gives it immense power.

The Spitfire F Mk. 24 is one of the last iterations of the famous Spitfire family and is the outcome of many years of experience and improvement for the British aircraft industry. It is fitted with a top-performance Griffon engine, allowing the plane to climb at very high rates.

While it may be a very good energy fighter, the Spitfire F Mk. 24 lends itself very well to turn fights, especially at high altitudes like 5000 or 6000 meters. Try and fight there for the best results!

What the Spitfire Mk.24 excels in:

High-altitude dogfights
Excellent climb rate
Powerful engine

#3 A21A-3 (Best for fun matches)

Don’t forget the Swedish!

This Swedish fighter plane is pretty good at turn fighting, and by pretty good I mean that if you see it flying around you generally don’t want to approach it ever. If you’re flying it though, you’ll experience pinnacle performance in turning and even bombing.

This aircraft can fight extremely well, thanks to its fantastic agility and powerful enough armaments. What’s better, it can also carry a small payload to deal with ground targets as well! It’s genuinely one of the most fun aircraft to use in the game, so I suggest picking it up and having a couple of matches with it.

What the A21A-3 excels in:

Turning and agility
Ground attack duties
low-altitude fighting

#2 Ho 229 V3 (Best looks)

Looks apart, and tears apart.

This German World War 2 fighter plane surely has an unorthodox design, more so if you take into consideration when it was designed. Apart from looks, the Ho 229 V3 distinguishes itself in maneuverability and mobility, while also being able of shooting down enemy planes efficiently.

Also, this is the first jet plane for the Germans, so you’ll be able to get one quite early if you know what you’re doing. Make sure to play evasively and shoot straight, and you’ll rack up some very nice kills!

What the Ho 229 V3 excels in:

Maneuverability
Looks
Speed

#1 F-86 F-2 (Best armaments)

You’ll melt planes with this beast!

If you’re looking for the perfect jet to bring down all your enemies with, start grinding for this bad boy! This improvement over the F-86F-25 will surely impress you, with its mighty guns and breakneck speeds that will help you win every fight you partake in.

The only thing you have to look out for is your gun’s temperature: shot bursts will do the trick and anything longer than necessary risks overheating your gun and making it jam. Learn how to use this plane effectively and you’ll destroy the enemy team!