Top 5 Rank III Fighters [War Thunder]

Each of the fighters featured on this list are the best of the best of Rank III in War Thunder, at least in my opinion. I've even included a few honorable mentions that were very good, but just below being the cream of the crop. Let me know your thoughts on this list in the comments below!

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Video Title: War Thunder's Top 5 Rank III Fighters

#warthunder #warthundergameplay #warthunderlist

[Tankenstein]

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned that I excluded premium vehicles from the list. Otherwise, I would have put other vehicles on. Further, I went for rank III vehicles, and then based the list on how good they are for their BR. Otherwise, only the top BR aircraft probably would have made the list.

[ycpcfpp]

And tankenstein, the fact that you didn't mention premiums like xp-50 is why gaijin won't give you a discount link😂

[brunobegic]

My top 5:
5. F4U-4 (Insane engine power for 4.3, with competent armament)
4. Ki-100 (a hidden gem no one plays and therefore doesn't know how to fight, excellent dogfighter)
3. La-7 (a jack of all trades with good climb, turn, firepower and speed)
2. Ki-44 II Hei (P-51H climb rate at 3.7, featuring 4 .50 cals that hit harder than some cannons, has no major weaknesses)
1. VL Pyorremyrsky (doesn't lose speed, has crazy effective flaps, bonkers climb rate and is unbeatable in the hands of a good pilot)

[SaperPl]

minimum rank limitation for tasks is so annoying. I would pick some rank II planes like A-36 or P-40 over some slightly higher ranked rank III planes to complete tasks, but the game makes this so you either go higher up or go to another nation...

[KorporalNoobs]

Tier 3 is when War Thunder starts to recognize u as a player. Shout-out to low BR Tier 3s for allowing me to play something pre-43.

[ashman]

Good list except that I would've chosen the Spitfire F Mk IX instead of the V trop. Yak-3 should get a mention too

[DoctorBruKhar]

The Bearcat is a monster, I use a custom loadout with only 1 gunpod to give me firepower on par with a mustang and still be able to out climb almost everyone in the match

[rproxide]

My favorite rank 3 fighter is the BV 155. Great guns, excellent turn time. The main downside is its low top speed. But once you get used to baiting people to dive on you, by the time they are halfway around you, you already take a few pop shots on them. And in sim it’s limited view in the cockpit can be annoying but if you have vr, it’s a very fun aircraft that refuses to lose control in a hard pull. I have a 3kd on it and it’s my best aircraft. If you want some easy money hop in sim with its 800 sl repair cost with 700% sl reward you’ll easily make 500k a full match

[anthony]

As far as your top 5 - F8F is at best an honorable mention. I will gladly trade the bit of speed and turning for the extra 2 .50's and my wings not constantly snapping off from hits that the F4U-4 brings, I mean, I get that was a feature for the F8F to have the ends snap off and still work but it gets annoying in game.

If we limit the list to current Rank 3 planes (because there's a couple on the list historically that were moved to Rank 2 for BS reasons in the condensing) and purely fighters, and in my case excluding Russian Bias planes:

1: P-47 - I'm not a fan of flying this plane, it's not generally my style where as the F6F-5 (moved to rank 2) is what I'd want from this perfected. But when this plane works for me - it really freaking works. Speed and firepower are great, I do just wish it was a bit better at turning.
2: A6M - Planes that are often really underestimated, especially the ones that have lower BR's that climb way better than people think by comparison, the ability to turn is amazing, and there is nothing like the tears and chat rage of 109/190/RU players who thought they had the jump on me low and slow only for them to miss and get back on and climb after them long enough to score hits and knock them out or at least send them limping back to the airfield.
3: Spitfire - Basically, it beats the 109 cause it carries more firepower without the need for pods that wreck it's mobility.
4: 109 - the reasons you list other than it's firepower, the point where you put the gondola's on, is the point your asking for anything not in front of you to shoot you down.
5: 190 - honestly, if the damn cannons and guns on these things would be more consistent for me - I'd rate them higher than the 109, but for some reason I can not score the kinda hits with them I can with other planes, to say nothing of really working on the German tech tree now that I have all the US researchable US planes I can not understand why they feel like their made of balsawood with how easily their taking 1-2 hits and the wing falls off even in arcade battles.

If I included Russian planes - basically the Yak's, 185's, and La's would take the 1-3 spots and kick the 109, 190, and spitfires off the list. Straight up these planes should be at higher BR's than they are, maybe even ranks, but when I started playing some more of them to get rank 1-3 camo's I didn't have (to limit what I get from Warbond crates and all) - playing Russian planes was like I turned on easy mode, especially after so long with American planes and right before it a stint in German ones.

[Overloaded]

As a turn fighter lover, i gotta go with the spitties. specially the ones with hispano cannons that keep top tier turn rate it just feels soo good when slower planes take the bait of a turn battle they're gonna lose.

[paladinfx]

That's not a bad list but the Yak-3 not even making the honorable mentions list seems like a total oversight, that plane is insanely good. The La-7 and the Spitfire F Mk IX are also excellent. And I would've chosen the P-47D-28 over the 25 variant.

[Mackerel]

you forgot the most OP twin engine T18B 57. Insanely easy to play, and spawns higher than anyone else.

[General_kenobi]

Are you gonna do this for every rank tankenstein?

[America_Thunder]

Can you do a video on how to range your guns properly?

[christopherfallout]

i personally love the f4u-4b or just the -4 variant, i love energy traping spitfires and baiting bf-109s

[NHDbrouf]

Very nice !
My top 5 :
-yak-3
-yak-9U
-bf-109 F4
-p38L-5-LO
-j2m2

[leg]

Love this list and the comments as my favourite Tier 3 not even mentioned and i don't want too many people playing it as its the toughest opponent. Enjoy ya US planes!!

[PorkNBeans]

No yak3, p47 D-28/30, or P38L? Gotta be baiting us and it’s working.

[MemekingJag]

The only one I'd outright disagree about is the P-47D. It's a boom n zoom fighter that shines at an altitude you'll only reach once the game is nearly over (5-6km+), and with awful energy retention. the firepower is nothing out of the ordinary for the US, and most of its sister fighters at the same rank have the same bucketload of .50cals able to fire late war APIT rounds. The P-51 is just better, and honestly far more versatile despite you saying otherwise.

One exception would be using it in Ground RB. Speed doesn't matter as much, extensive, energy intensive dogfights are less common, and the durability especially from the front really shines when strafing targets that can return fire with commanders cupola rifle-calibre MGs.

While the other planes on the list are *good*, I think that other fighters like the fw190 a4/5/d9, F4U corsair, F6F hellcat, and typhoon 1b/l deserve the spot more than some of these examples.

[Nate__]

The j2m2 goes crazy at 5.0. I’d say it’s easily one of the best rank 3.