World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Chkalov

Also called: 契卡洛夫 · Чкалов · Tschkalow Beta
Skip-bomber carrierSkip HE bombs along the waterline; hunt distracted targets and dodge AA bubbles.
Playstyle
  • Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull
  • Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella
  • Avoid: Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Key characteristics
Fire bombsHeavy bomb penHeavy bombsHeavy-pen bombsLong air-torp rangeEasily spotted
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Community Data

Chkalov Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Chkalov is the Tier VII Soviet skip-bomber carrier. Her HE skip bombs ricochet across the water into hulls for up to 10,500 per drop, best against lightly-armored or distracted ships and the tall superstructure of battleships. The air torpedoes are slow and light on damage, so the bombs carry the kit, and thin-skinned planes mean she keeps clear of AA-heavy ships. Standout traits: best AA reach in T7 CVs (5.2 km).

Positioning

Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull. Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella, not over open water where intercepting fighters can finish off limping squadrons. Longer trip back, fewer waves per match. You are spotted at 14.8 km and run at 32.3 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out.

Potato Avoidance

Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill

Match impact comes from cycling waves across multiple targets, not committing a dive into layered AA for one battleship. When a target's AA is heavy, route around and find a softer pick rather than burning planes through the wall. Replacing a lost aircraft takes 120 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,700 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

ELITE AIRCRAFT
  • Heavy bombs · 10500 damage
  • Heavy-pen bombs · 68.7 mm
  • Long air-torp range · 6 km
Long-reach AA

5.2 km AA reach, best of T7 CVs.

Easily spotted

14.8 km surface detect, worst of T7 CVs. Visible before you can react; position early.

Light air torpedoes

3600 damage per air-dropped torpedo, bottom decile of T7 CVs. Need multiple drops to threaten BBs.

Acquisition

How to get Chkalov

Chkalov is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Global XP.

Official WG availability sources

Builds

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Cohort position

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Where Chkalov sits among Tier VII CVs (10 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestAA range5.2 km (1/11) BestBomb damage10,500 (1/11) BestBomb penetration68.7 mm (1/8) BestAir torpedo range6 km (1 of 3 tied) Top 25%Secondary DPM (per side)182,400 (3/10) Top 25%Secondary HE alpha1,900 (3/10) Top 25%Secondary HE pen22 mm (3/10) Top 25%Secondary range5 km (3/10) Top 25%Flak per wave (expected)2,070 (3/10) Top 25%Bomb fire chance45% (2/8) WorstStealth profile14.75 km / 11.91 km (11/11 / 11/11) WorstMax armor100 mm (1 of 3 tied) WorstCitadel belt100 mm (1 of 3 tied) WorstStern armor19 mm (1 of 5 tied) WorstAir torpedo damage3,600 (10/10) WorstSquadron size12 (1 of 3 tied)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Chkalov -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort. Stats tagged NORM are tied across more than half the cohort, so the value is the cohort default rather than a standout.

Hit points51,700 HP(6/11) Max speed32.3 kt(6/11) Rudder shift13.2 s(5/11) Turning circle1,040 m(4/11) Secondary fire chance8%(5/10) Acceleration33.4 s(5/11) Engine power154,000 hp(5/11) Turn-speed retention148.1 hp/m(5/11) Displacement30,600 t(6/11) Power-to-weight5.03 hp/t(6/11) AA DPS536(6/11) AA threat2,078(5/11) Deck armor50 mm(7/10) Air torpedo speed41 kn(8/10) Air torpedo stealth1.3 km(5/10) Squadron restore time120 s(8/11) Deck HP26,300 HP(5/11) Plane HP1,700 HP(9/11) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(6 of 10 tied at this value) NormBow armor19 mm(6 of 10 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points51,700
Displacement30,600 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, with the hull's draft where the client carries one. Ships whose client entry holds only the 260 x 20 m placeholder use a curated real-world figure instead, and any ship we have no trustworthy size for omits this row rather than print the placeholder. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
251.7 x 37 m
Armor range13–100 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25, 30, 40, 50, 58, 100 mm
Armor material/layer entries54
Fire resistance
ƒDoes not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second: replay-measured burn ticks run at the full rate on every ship. By elimination it lowers how often hits set you on fire; ignition-rate replay data is consistent with that but too confounded by attacker mix to measure the reduction directly.
36.6%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒEach fire ticks 0.4% of max HP per second for the full 60 s, so one unattended fire burns 24% of the pool (12,408 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.
0.4% of HP per second
Flood duration30 s
Flood damage
ƒA flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 30 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 7.5% of the pool (3,878 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒReduces torpedo hit damage. Replay data shows no effect on floods: flood ticks run at the full rate and flood frequency does not decline with protection.
25%
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
15,500
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Squadrons
Total plane capacity72
Flight deck HP26,300
Hangar HP26,300
Skip bomber
Plane HP1,700
Cruising speed145 kt
OrdnanceHE skip bomb, 10,500 dmg
Fire chance45%
Bomb penetration68.7 mm
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+3 every 120 s, start 12
Recovery time120 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,800
Cruising speed140 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 3,600 dmg
Flooding chance40%
Torpedo arming time7.5 s
Torpedo arming distance158 m
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+3 every 120 s, start 12
Recovery time120 s
Squadron consumables
Patrol Fighters
Charges3
Duration60 s
Reload10 s
Evasive Maneuver
Charges2
Duration10 s
Reload150 s
Damage reduction-50%
Return to Carrier
EffectAll aircraft return to carrier.
AA Defense
AA mount points24
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5.2 km
37 mm V-1116×2 37mm
37 mm 46-K8×4 37mm
130 mm/55 B-2-U (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 130mm
Far aura
Guns130 mm/55 B-2-U (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 119 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
119
Range5.2 km
Medium aura
Guns37 mm 46-K + 37 mm V-11
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 119 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 416 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
416
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 119 + Medium 416 = 535
535
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 9 clouds per wave × 230 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next wave lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the salvo repeats within each wave.
2 salvos × 4 clouds + 1 outer
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
230
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEvery potential cloud spawns - the full pattern, every wave. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
100%
Wave rate
ƒA flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every other AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so bursts can land short of 2.5 km or past 5.2 km - once planes get inside the band, new waves stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-5.2 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts8
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
130 mm/55 B-2-U (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 130mm
Caliber130 mm
Reload time5 s
HE Damage1,900
Muzzle Velocity900 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Armor Pen22 mm
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
Maneuverability
Engine power154,000 hp
Maximum speed32.3 kt
Turning circle radius1040 m
Rudder shift time13.2 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32.3 / 4 + 4.9 = 13 kt. The community reverse-speed model from the WoWs ShipBuilder project, the same source as the acceleration model on this card. Base value; speed modifiers scale it. Not shown on the in-game card.
13 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking. Same community-model simulation as the acceleration times, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio from in-game data. The full curve is on the acceleration chart.
37.9 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse. Matches the in-game maneuverability card's reverse threshold (Vampire II reads 10.5 here and the card shows 11; the card rounds half up).
9.8 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (29.1 kt of 32.3 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
33.4 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (32.0 kt of 32.3 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
52.6 s
Concealment
Detectability by sea14.75 km
Detectability by air11.91 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (0 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
11.91 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒBase sea detectability + 2.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Sea' value on every captured ship.
16.75 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒBase air detectability + 3.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Air' value on every captured ship.
14.91 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 40 s reload · 90 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 4 squadron size

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All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range119
Only families that reach 5.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 37mm 67 V21 16x2 -> 278 DPS @ 3.5 km; 37mm 46k 8x4 -> 139 DPS @ 3.5 km; 130mm B2U 8x2 -> 119 DPS @ 5.2 km.
Maximum AA range5.2 km
Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
AA DPS layered by range119 DPS @ 5.2 km, 536 DPS @ 3.5 km
Cumulative AA DPS at each family range threshold. Inner ranges stack the outer families, so a target closing the distance hits stronger AA bubbles as it crosses each band.
AA DPS at point-blank536
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index2078
SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion typeStandard
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km315 m
5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)182,400
Sum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 8×2 130 mm (8/side) × 60/5 × 1900 = 182,400. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1900
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1900 from the 130 mm family.
Max HE fire chance8%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 130 mm family.
Max HE pen22 mm
Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 22 mm from the 130 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 51,700, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.

Bow & stern19 mm

Overmatched by 136+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel100 mm

Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.

Farming13 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow19 mm primary (range 19–40 mm)1,600 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst, Scharnhorst '43)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)30 mm primary (range 15–50 mm)38,800 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm30 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern19 mm primary (range 19–50 mm)2,200 (4% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst, Scharnhorst '43)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel100 mm primary (range 25–100 mm)≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)
Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure13 mm primary (range 13–50 mm)200 (0% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).
Secondary mount (130 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (37 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP15,500 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

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Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Chkalov can equip, from in-game data.

  • Chkalov default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.