Today well be taking a look at the main aircraft reward for the Guided Fury Battle Pass, a long-range German bomber featuring the brand-new Hs 293 guided bomb, which is not currently in the game!

He 177 A-3/R3: A Premium Bomber for Germany at Rank IV

At a glance:

• Hs 293 and Fritz X guided bombs!
• Decent defensive weapons.
• High top speed.

Vehicle History [expand type=details] Development of the He 177 bomber began in Germany in 1936, with engineers tasked with creating a high-speed aircraft capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg of bombs. Heinkel engineers presented a test model in late 1937, and by early 1939, a test batch of 12 aircraft had been ordered. The creation and testing of the He 177 was fraught with difficulties, some of which were never overcome. By the end of 1944, development was completed, but by that time the military situation had changed and the need for the He 177 had significantly decreased. In total, more than 1,000 aircraft of various modifications were produced, some of which took part in battles on the Eastern Front. Despite this, the protracted development process did not allow the He 177 to significantly influence the course of the war. The He 177A-3/R3 modification was the first carrier of the Henschel Hs 293 gliding guided bomb. To accommodate this bomb, three external racks were installed on the aircraft with the under fuselage rack blocking the opening of the front bomb bay. He 177 A-3/R3 Greif aircraft were produced in small numbers and were used to train crews in using the Hs 293 guided bomb. [/expand]

Meet the He 177 A-3/R3!

The main reward for the upcoming Guided Fury Battle Pass season is the German He 177 A-3/R3 Greif bomber, featuring the new Hs 293 guided bomb. This aircraft is not only a rare collectible, but also embodies the fantastic technology at the time. Its also a fun and profitable aircraft thatll be good in air, ground and naval battles. Lets have a look! If youre a veteran of War Thunder air battles, youre probably familiar with the He 177 A-5. This is a very large, but quite fast long-range German bomber with a large payload, also capable of using the first ever guided bomb used in combat, the Fritz X. The new He 177 A-3/R3 retains the main advantages of the A-5, but brings with it premium status and the new Hs 293 guided bomb. This bomb is inferior to the Fritz X in terms of warhead mass, but to launch it you dont need to go to high altitudes and aim through a bomb sight, as the Hs 293 is essentially a guided air-to-surface missile!

How on earth does it work? The cruise engine accelerates it on the starting segment of its trajectory, and then the bomb goes into guided gliding mode. Youll need some training with it, but after using it for bit, youll be able to master the guidance of this bomb and be able to accurately destroy tanks and ships with it. Oh yeah, you can also learn the basics of using these types of weapons in tutorials from the hangar, by going to Battles > Tutorial > AGM with manual guidance. In addition to being able to launch both the Fritz X and new Hs 293, the He 177 A-3/R3 remains an impressive bomber in terms of payload. Youll have access to regular 48 x 50 kg to 4 x 1800 kg bombs, as well as incendiary and armor-piercing bombs for destroying ships. In minimum weight configurations, this aircraft can accelerate to speeds in excess of 500 km/h (or 310~ mph for our American and British readers). To protect it from fighter aircraft or to take potshots at enemy bombers when passing by them in Air Battles, the He 177 A-3/R3 has turrets with conventional and heavy machine guns, as well as 20 mm autocannons in the tail and lower nose turrets.

As always, theres a couple of shortcomings with the He 177 A-3/R3. Thats its large dimensions and the presence of only a pair of engines, meaning when one of them is damaged and leaking, landing this huge bomber becomes a truly difficult job.

This epic and technically stunning marvel can be yours by completing challenges in the upcoming Guided Fury Battle Pass season, starting on October 23rd. Warm up your fingers, sip some tea and play some War Thunder to level up your Battle Pass this aircraft is worth it! Please note that this vehicles characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.