5 best British planes in War Thunder

The British air tech tree in War Thunder has many well-known planes. Great Britain is one of the four major nations in the game. Its planes range from iconic World War II designs like the Hurricanes and the Spitfires to the modern Harriers and Tornadoes.

This article lists the five best planes you can get in the British tech tree in this free-to-play vehicle combat MMO.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer. We have not taken into account premium or event vehicles.

Also check out: 5 best Russian planes in War Thunder

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What are the five best British planes in War Thunder?

1) Spitfire (Griffon)

The Spitfire F Mk 22 in War Thunder (Image via Gaijin Entertainment)

There are two variants of the Griffon Spitfires in War Thunder's British tech tree: the Spitfire F Mk 22 and the Spitfire F Mk 24. Both are Rank IV, Battle Rating 6.7 aircraft and are very powerful.

The Rolls Royce Griffon engine in the Spitfire greatly increases its acceleration. The plane has excellent high-altitude performance and can outturn virtually every other aircraft. Its four 20 mm Hispano cannons are more than enough to take down almost every plane that you will face.

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2) Meteor F Mk 3

The Meteor is extremely maneuverable (Image via gaijin Entertainment)

The Meteor F Mk 3 and its naval counterpart, the Sea Meteor F Mk 3, are both early jets in the British tech tree. They sit at Rank V, BR 7.3, and are some of the best jets in their BR.

The Meteor is highly maneuverable, making it effective at turnfighting almost all early jets it faces. It is maneuverable enough to even fight many propellor-driven fighters.

Like the Spitfire, the Meteor also has four Hispanos, making it extremely lethal to any plane it might face.

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3) Hunter F.6

The Hunter F.6 can carry four SRAAMs (image via Gaijin Entertainment)

The Hunter F.6 is a Rank VI, BR 9.7 jet fighter in the British tree. Its flight performance and weapon set make it a worthwhile vehicle to research in War Thunder.

Even though the Hunter is subsonic, it is fast enough and has decent acceleration to cut off other planes, and its good nose authority makes it easy to aim. Its four 30 mm ADEN cannons, although not the best, can dish out enough damage to at least cripple an enemy.

However, the main highlight of the Hunter is its SRAAMs. The SRAAMs, or Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles, are extremely lethal when fired from within one kilometer of an enemy. At a BR where a lot of other jets lack countermeasures, the SRAAMs can bag you confirmed kills if used correctly. The aircraft also has a good loadout for ground strikes.

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4) Tornado F.3 Late

The Tornado F.3 Late in War Thunder (Image via Gaijin Entertainment)

The Tornado F.3 Late sits at Rank VIII, BR 13.3. Although its airframe is not the best, its weapon systems are extremely potent.

This variant of the Tornado is made completely for aerial combat. It can carry four AIM-9Ms and four AIM-120Bs, making it one of the best equipped aircraft at its BR. Additionally, it comes equipped with a 27 mm Mauser BK27 cannon.

Being a 13.3 plane, the Tornado F.3 Late is decent at fighting 13.7 enemies, but if it gets downtiered to 12.3, it can take out a big chunk of the opposing team on its own.

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5) JAS39C

The South African JAS39C in the British tree (Image via Gaijin Entertainment)

The JAS39C Gripen sits at Rank VIII, BR 13.7. The aircraft is nimble, highly maneuverable, and has good acceleration. It can effectively dogfight every top-tier plane, be it the American F-16 or the Russian Su-27.

For aerial combat, the JAS39C Gripen can carry two AIM-9Ms and four R-Darter Fox 3 missiles. Although the R-Darter is not the best Fox 3 missile in the game, it is still very powerful. It is equipped with a 27 mm Akan m/85 cannon for dogfights and can carry a lot of countermeasures.

For ground strikes, the JAS39C Gripen has a plethora of weapons to choose from. It can carry unguided bombs, as well as guided ordinance like the GBU series of laser-guided bombs, the GPS-guided JDAMS, and guided air-to-ground missiles like the AGM-65G and AGM-65B.

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Check out more on War Thunder:

• Best beginner nation, explored
• Endgame nations tier list
• Crossplay features explored