Hearts of Iron IV Best Plane Designs

Dominating the air is vital to winning the war on land in Hearts of Iron IV. Air superiority and close air support provide numerous direct benefits to troops on the ground, while strategic bombers can cripple enemy industry. By Blood Alone drastically reshaped the old air meta with the addition of the plane designer, introducing more complexity than ever to air combat.

Should you produce 1936 Airframes?

Although it might sound strange, there’s a real case for skipping producing 1936 planes and instead rushing 1940 technology. The 1940 improved airframe possesses stats that are substantially better while only being slightly more expensive to produce. With the help of focus tree bonuses, you should be able to reach 1940 air technology and start production well before 1940, giving you a major advantage once you start going to war.

Compared to a basic airframe, improved airframes benefit from two additional module slots, as well as 30 percent better agility, 38 percent more range, and 22 percent more air defense. All of this comes at a whopping one extra production cost.

The only scenarios where it makes sense to produce basic airframes from 1936 are if you are planning to go to war early and often. Otherwise, stay patient and wait for improved airframes.

Best Fighter Design

If you just need planes to improve your air superiority in a region, you’ll want to use normal planes. While heavy fighters have a higher multiplier for air superiority of 1.25, normal fighters are substantially cheaper while having a multiplier of 1. This means you get substantially more air superiority per production cost by using small fighters.

Additionally, they are superior at air to air combat compared to heavy fighters. Depending on your range needs, feel free to remove the extra range modules to add armor plates instead.

Note – The self-sealing fuel tanks on these designs are entirely optional and can be removed/replaced depending on your preferences.

Best 1936 Fighter Design

Best 1940 Fighter Design

Best Advanced Air Superiority Plane Design

Best CAS Plane Design

Close Air Support is vital to ensure your invasion plans on the ground proceed as planned. CAS planes are vulnerable to interception by fighters, so be sure to defend them when they are deployed on missions. That said, each of the designs below have defensive turrets to increase their effectiveness, but if you are adequately protecting them these can be removed.

Best Basic Close Air Support Plane Design

Best Improved Close Air Support Plane Design

Best Advanced Close Air Support Plane Design

Heavy Fighter Designs

Heavy fighters excel at travelling long distances and defeating enemy bombers. They are expensive and not very agile, so they aren’t a great choice for air superiority missions. A niche use for these is to protect far-away strategic bombers or paratroopers whenever your normal fighters don’t have enough range.

Best Basic Heavy Fighter

Best Improved Heavy Fighter

Best Advanced Heavy Fighter

Best Strategic Bomber Plane Design

Strategic bombers are designed to devastate your opponents infrastructure, but they require protection from fighters to succeed.

Best Basic Strategic Bomber Plane Design

Best Improved Strategic Bomber Plane Design

Best Advanced Strategic Bomber Plane Design

Keep in mind that these designs can still be modified to suit your individual needs, like adding more range or reducing fuel costs. These plane designs should help you control the skies from the beginning of your campaign to the end.