Nice analysis, UR. I'm going to add to it with a small analysis of our Air Force and Production capabilities.
Air Force:
20 recon balloons
729 Feather biplanes
372 Wolverine biplanes - 100 produced per year
40 zephyr
1 prototype airship
We do not currently produce anything. Designs are below in the spoiler:
Feather
Biplane fighter
Wingspan: 11m
Weight: 1200kg
Armament: 2 air cooled Patriotism 8mm machine guns with interrupter gears.
Crew: 1
Speed: 230 km/h
The frame consists of lightweight aluminum struts with an aluminum skin on the body with fabric over wooden frame wings that are staggered for reduced drag and flexibility, an enclosed cockpit provides for even less drag. This aircraft uses the 170kw gas engine developed the previous year. It was created by a crash engineering and production effort, and it saw service by the end if the year. It was critical in the final battle that pushed the Morovians from our shores by lifting the enemies air superiority long enough to allow the Badger armored division of aproximately 200 tanks to capture the enemy battle field.
YR-1 Zephyr
Compared to your most recent bomber, this plane sacrifices armor and lift in exchange for greatly reduced drag, fewer fabric surfaces and a punishing set of guns attached to an interupter gear with 2 bomb points under its wings.
Wingspan: 10m
Weight 1300kg
Engine: 260kw
Armament: 1 14mm HMG, 2 Patriot Mk3, up to 2 bombs
Crew: 1
Speed:
unburdened 400km/h
125kg of ordinance 331km/h
250kg of ordinance 282km/h
500kg of ordinance 218km/h
Wolverine
Biplane Bomber
Wingspan: 11m
Weight: 1400kg
Armament: none
Engine: 260kw gas
Crew: 1
Speed:
unburdened: 300 km/h
125kg of ordinance 255km/h
250kg of ordinance 222km/h
375kg of ordinance 196km/h
Facing a threat from the sea the Feather fighter was modified to improve its engine to the 260kw inline engine, remove the machine guns, add a 200lb 4mm hemicylinder of armor protecting the pilot and engine from shrapnel coming from below and added 3 bomb mounts.
Things I like: The Zephyr design, though upgrades would be pretty nice, the huge number of fighters.
What I dislike: We don't have nearly enough Zephyrs, and we do have many, many outdated fighters.
Things we can do for the next turn:
- Switch wolverine production to the Zephyr. While not armored, it can carry more ordinance and is faster than the wolverine bomber. In fact, proposing that right now.
- Redesign the zephyr to use the better engine
- Maybe design a Zephyr with the Wolverine's armor. Still faster, it would also allow the then fighter-bomber to attack using its MG and act in a fighter role if necessary.