Thanik's expansive summarization and plan for action this turn, in addition to his UNWCC Defense entry.Currently we've afforded ourselves to sit at a stalemate with the enemy and have maximized our roll pool from last turn, and should continue to do so this turn, as the rolls are - near the end of the deck - something we can anticipate at least to a limited degree. For this purpose, I list the respective roll pools for our design and revision phase:
Design pool: [1, 2, 3]
Revision pool: [1, 4, 6]
For this very reason I believe it is necessary to go through with a
Easy - to preferably - Normal difficulty design and a
Hard - to - Very Hard revision, with an emphasis on the former in the latter case. Furthermore, I believe we should further capitalize on our turboshaft research so as to reduce the cost of all our war gear, from the Qi-Chu to our navy. A list of costs for the gear another engine design would encompass:
Xi-51b Qi-Chu - [4 Ore, 5 Oil, 1 Cobalt]
- Currently uses two Type 51 Turboshaft engines (Burns fuel at a staggering rate, Unreliable in wet weather)
+ Quite fast. Skirt has been made resilient to enemy fire, and further improving thrust and therefore lift will make it virtually unkillable via direct fire, as the lift generated by the direct thrust from the engines would be enough to carry the vehicle even without a plenium chamber.
More importantly, the new engines could reduce the oil cost considerably -
by as much as 2 Oil, or more depending on eS's ruling, though 3 Oil seems reasonable for the Qi-Chu given an improved version due to it's size and given all the aspects the new engines have compared to the old ones. The list of said aspects includes:
-> Threefold increase in fuel efficiency, given minor improvements, and twofold without them.
-> Capability of using different fuels, vastly easing logistical acquisition of fuel and thus reducing the effort needed to keep the vehicle supplied with chemicals.
-> Much higher reliability of the engines
-> Faster due to less weight in the engines, where-in the engines can become even more powerful than the current ones given a fraction of the size. Expected scenario, which should be fulfilled even in the worst case outcome, we get the same power from a much smaller engine, making the whole thing faster and allowing it's platform to rotate as originally planned, while also needing MUCH less fuel.
This would allow all variants of the Qi-Chu to become Expensive, or potentially lower their cost to Cheap in the case of the bog-standard, and Expensive in the case of the rocket artillery version. This would also lower the hovercraft's profile and allow the central platform to rotate like it was originally meant to, as well as house the larger rocket brackets - leading to a massive increase in efficiency.
Piāoqiè guānsī Hexapod Tank-Walker – [7 Ore, 3 Oil]
- Can't turn and move at the same time. Very vulnerable to damage, mostly due to the Light armor on the body and the Thin armor on the legs.
+ Reasonably fast.
Engine improvement is set to reduce the oil cost by 1 or remain stationary and boost the speed of the machine considerably. An effort can be made to armor it in the design as a minor action encompassed within the Hexapod portion of the design, and we could try working out simultaneous turning and movement as a 3rd class priority. This could result in either a much faster hexapod, or in a cheaper (Expensive), faster and better armored hexapod (with cases in between, of course).
Xi-52-02 Xīwàng Kèzhì Xuá-Zhí – [4 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Cobalt, 1 Aluminum]
+ Powerful Xìnlài de-series Turbine Engine; good view of the ground below; thin armored all around; remarkably fast.
- Limited ammo supply, requires a very skilled pilot due to bad directional stability.
Design is expected to drop 1 Oil in cost given the engine revision due to the massive efficiency increase brought about by incorporating all three aspects of the revision, as mentioned before. Another attempt at a muffler is made, which should be incorporated in all designs and isn't localized to this design (just so there's no confusion). As a minor action I'd assume we could improve it's controllability.
Yāngē-class Citadel Destroyer – [8 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Cobalt]
+ Great survivability; decent number of armaments; off-shore bombardment capability; fast
- Poor armament size.
Expected to drop 1 or 2 Oil from it's cost due to the increase in performance given by the Xinlai series over the Type-51b series turboshaft and the difference that brings when big engines are concerned - especially because of the ability to use different fuels. Expected to become more mobile because of increased power output at the very least.
Dogbite is slated to remain at the same cost but retain an insane speed boost given the fitting of Xinlai series turboshafts. It's also most likely going to weight less, due to the removed smoke stacks and large boilers, and thus would present a smaller target.
Results:
Xi-51b Qi-Chu: [4 Ore, 5 Oil, 1 Cobalt] -> [4 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Cobalt] (2 Oil Drop Scenario) [Expensive - all variants]
Piāoqiè guānsī Hexapod Tank-Walker: [7 Ore, 3 Oil] -> [7 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Cobalt] [Very Expensive] (Thrust increase, uparmoring, no drop Scenario - with drop becomes Expensive, which seems likely given the high efficiency increase and the varied fuel usage capability)
Xi-52-02 Xīwàng Kèzhì Xuá-Zhí: [4 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Cobalt, 1 Aluminum] -> [4 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Cobalt, 1 Aluminum] (1 Oil Drop Scenario) [Expensive]
Yāngē-class Citadel Destroyer: [8 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Cobalt] -> [8 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Cobalt] (1 Oil Drop, faster Scenario) [Very Expensive]
Therefore, I propose the following design for this turn - with a difficulty slated at Normal (which seems reasonable given the revision's difficulty designation).
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Xi-53b Xìnlài de-series Turbine EnginesThe successful Xinlai de series turbine engine is further worked on to increase it's fuel efficiency by as much as originally planned. By incorporating reheating, the simple-cycle efficiencies of our gas turbine is expected to increase further by another 50-60%, which in conjunction with the combined-cycle engine already uses, the intercooler and the heat exchanger, should lead to an engine at least 300% more powerful than the Type-52b from which it originated originally (compared to the 160% increase the intercooler and regenerator bring on their own). A simple tuned pipe-type muffler (tuned pipe exhaust - also basically an aero turbine muffler) is also added to reduce noise levels, where-in the pipe has a resonant frequency of operation, and when the engine is operating at that speed, the muffler causes a timed partial vacuum at the engine's exhaust port, helping the engine vent exhaust gasses. The net result is a boost of power at that operating speed due to the engine breathing better, a couple of percent worth of fuel efficiency, as well as producing less overall noise.
The net result is cheaper, more powerful engines for all our military vehicles, with the work going to the Xīwàng Kèzhì, Piāoqiè guānsī, Qi-Chu, Dogbite and Yāngē. Priorities for each vehicle:
1. Qi-Chu -> Replace the Type-52b engines with a Xi-53b Xinlai de-series engine.
2. Piāoqiè guānsī -> Replace the current powerplant with a Xi-53b Xinlai de-series engine.
2.1(!) Armor is to be increased to Medium on the hull and Light on the legs.
2.1.1 Work is to be done on making the vehicle capable of omnidirectional traversal (meaning it can turn and move at the same time)
3. Xīwàng Kèzhì -> Upgrade to the Xi-53b Xinlai de-series engine.
4. Yange -> Improve current turboshafts via experience from Xi-53b Xinlai de-series engines.
5. Dogbite -> Replace the current powerplant with a Xi-53b Xinlai de-series engine.
The more indented the priority, the lower it is (as it is with a lower number). Engines are to be listed as X53XLAII-A / L / N. Naming convention retained from Xi-53. A set of popular joke phrases is to be spray painted onto the hull of various vehicles, including the following from the wildly popular Tondeshe Mūbingusutōrī, Fist of the Red Star:
Zhǔnbèi nǐ de pìgu - Prepare your ass
> Said in a dramatic manner as the protagonist prepares his eye lasers and fires, blasting the antagonist into the ground in a devastating fashion.
Nǐ yǐjīng xiāoshīle - You are already obliterated
> Said as the protagonist finishes bitch slapping one of his comrades so as to break them of thoughts of failure and get their head back in the game.
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For our revision, I propose working on our cannons so as to develop an autoloader, a 75mm high velocity cannon and HEAT shells. Alternatively, a rarefaction wave gun could be developed in conjunction with the autoloader at the same size, retaining the high velocity nature of the above, but without the HEAT payload to avoid introducing too many new concepts in a revision meant to stay Hard.
The revision is as follows:
Xi-53 Qīngsuàn 75 mm L/60 Duìzhì gunFollowing the broad usage of the outdated Sunrise artillery piece for both indirect and direct fire roles, a more fitting high velocity cannon was required for anti-armor, artillery and naval roles. The Qingsuan is the design teams answer - incorporating with it several improvements to the Sunrise so as to make it the bane of the Nogranian military complex.
The barrel's diameter is increased from 50mm to 75mm. Small improvements include guns fitted with a thermal sleeve made out of concentric inner and outer insulating sleeves with a gap in between so as to provide a decent improvement in accuracy, a bore evacuator fitted to tank-mounted versions and other modernization. Where it really shines, though, is the development of a reliable, fast carousel-style autoloader for the Piāoqiè guānsī walker tank and for naval mounts and the development of modern single-part HEATFS cartridges for the main gun, where-in the cartridge is long enough to attain respectable velocities and the long barrel made so as to augment it's muzzle velocity further. Due to the size reduction this will enable to the Hexapod's turret, as one crew member will no longer be needed, it is expected the end-result will be cheaper and that naval mounts will pack a bigger punch.
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UNWCC Defense EntryOn the Nature of Fin-Stabilized Rocket-Propelled Ordinance
- Yuēhàn Zhēnshí
V. Fixed-Wing Aircraft:
Protocol V on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Fixed-Wing Aircraft prohibits the use of air-borne vehicles which use stationary wing planes as their primary method of generating lift for offensive military purposes. Such vehicles may not be fitted with offensive or defensive armaments, including but not limited to: bombs, guns, rockets, or flechettes. Additionally, the use of fixed-wing aircraft itself as a weapon against enemy targets is prohibited. The reason is that the imprecise nature of bombing results in unacceptable amounts of collateral damage against civilian objects, and such vehicles do not permit chance for military personnel to surrender during combat. This protocol does not recognize the pilots signal flare as an armament, nor does it prohibit the use of unarmed fixed-wing aircraft for observational purposes.
Upon greeting the men and women of the council, Yuēhàn cut straight to the chase: "I have come here today so as to present my case on behalf of the nation of Tondeshe. The opposition will have the UNWCC believe the weapon brought before them is violation of Protocol V, which when dissected, shows a few key concepts inherent to an instance of a breach. An article in breach of Protocol V must be an air-borne vehicle used in military action, firstly possessing the quality of being an aircraft - that is, a machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air and countering the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil. It must then further accomplish this via the usage of a stationary wing plane as it's primary source of lift. Singling out this section of Protocol V alone adequately describes what a breach would consist of. Let's now look at the Xi-52 Yīfānfēngshùn and the "Jin Na" SMRL X-52b. Both weapons are nearly identical in operational procedure, where-in they counteract the force of gravity with thrust from a solid-fuel propelled rocket engine and deliver a payload to a distant location, as does a gun of any type in general. The weapons are activated, upon which the engine is ignited and the rocket is launched through the tube, which imparts spin to the device, and upon exiting the nose of the barrel, concealed fins are activated and sprung into place, forming vortex instabilities in the airflow around the rocket body to produce a force opposing changes to the weapon's ballistic trajectory upon the exhaustion of it's rocket fuel, so as to reduce the inaccuracy of the device upon firing, to limit collateral damage and to stabilize the weapon in the air so as to deliver the ordinance to the designated target. Looking at even the spirit of this protocol - to reduce the collateral damage induced by imprecise nature of bombing in conflict - we see the accused items are no more dangerous than direct, conventional artillery, while the opposition would have the council believe it to be a suicide unmanned aircraft such as that used by the Japanese in the Second Great War. As an addition, the Tondeshe military complex would like to recommend the usage of fins to all Great Powers in the event of conflict, so as to minimize collateral damage in the event of necessary rocket artillery, so as to avoid the tragic amount of losses seen in the Korean War."
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Topic: Arms Race: Iron Behemoths - Toskesh - GAME OVER (Read 47882 times)