Air RB / Aircraft Database / Profile
BI
USSR · Rank V · Fighter
- Acquisition Type
- Event
- Air RB battle rating
- 7.0Observed October 8, 2026
Weapons & equipment checked October 14, 2026.
Aircraft overview
BI needs a short, deliberate interception. Pick the target before spending fuel, make the gun opportunity count, and keep a reachable runway in mind. A long chase can lose the aircraft even when nobody lands a shot.
How to fly it
Set up the first engagement
Choose the interception before spending the climb. Keep track of fuel and where you can land throughout the sortie.
Make the attack count
Use the powered attack to create a clean opportunity, then decide early whether another pass is affordable. Do not drift far from a reachable runway chasing one aircraft.
Know when to break off
Leave when more enemies arrive, the target draws you away from support, or another turn costs the speed you need to escape. A teammate nearby is more useful than a duel you cannot finish.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the original plan. Using the remaining fuel on a chase that ends too far from a safe landing.
- Ignoring the next attacker. Look outside the target chase between attacks. The enemy arriving from behind is often the one who decides whether you get home.
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
Make the first burst count
With 2 × 20 mm ShVAK cannon, line up the shot before you close. Fire a short burst as the target crosses the sight, then look outside the gunsight before deciding to follow.
Choose the engagement
An enemy already committed to a teammate gives you time to set up. Enter from a crossing angle and avoid announcing the attack with a long straight chase.
Limitations
A missed shot can cost the next fight
If the first attack becomes a slow chase, another enemy gets time to line up. Check above and behind before spending more speed on the original target.
You must close for a gun shot
Do not spend the whole opening tail-chasing an opponent you cannot reach. Gain a crossing angle or attack someone who is already turning toward the fight.
Recommended Air RB loadouts
Leave the strike load behind
Take the air-combat fit when you are hunting aircraft. Bombs and rockets add weight; carry them for a planned ground attack rather than on every sortie.
Radar & defenses
Keep a visual threat scan
Look behind and above between attacks. Do not wait for a warning sound before checking whether someone has begun an interception.
Ground attack & CAS
Keep the sortie focused on air cover
Use the forward guns against aircraft first. A ground strafing pass is worth considering only when the target suits the gun and you can leave without offering a fighter an easy interception.
Handling & fuel
Budget the powered flight
Watch fuel during the climb, attack and return. Turn back while a landing is still reachable rather than using the last of the fuel to prolong a chase.
Plan the return
Check fuel, ammunition and damage before starting another chase. Turn toward a reachable friendly airfield while the aircraft can still make the return safely.
Battle Rating History
| Observation | Battle rating |
|---|---|
| October 8, 2026 · Archive | 7.0 |
Unchanged on . Profile rating observed October 8, 2026: 7.0.