Kolechia Design Phase, Early Autumn 1915Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane
It turns out that our former general's business deals to buy crappy planes GLORIOUS STRONK FEATHERS had the sellers also including some notes on monoplane construction. We found this out in a perfectly innocent way, and not through raiding the general's confiscated cigar cache.
So, with some basic application of our maneuverability tech (ailerons, elevators, etc.), the good parts of the Feather, like its stability, we can make a functioning monoplane without much of a struggle. It won't be as stable as the Feather, sure, but we're still fairly confident it'll be more than stable enough. Just not extremely stable. Pure stability isn't our goal here anyways.
The engine has a small-ish upgrade from a 5-cylinder to a 7-cylinder rotary engine. This, combined with the slightly decreased weight, should contribute to a reasonable increase in speed.
The real innovation is at the front of the cockpit. A Type-11 is put at the hands of the pilot mounted on the front of the cockpit. This was at first dismissed due to the obvious flaw of the bullets hitting the propeller and breaking the plane's only source of propulsion. However, with some clever synchronization gearing, we can largely dismiss this problem by "simply" modifying the LMG to fire in such a pattern that the bullets will nearly always pass through gaps in the running propellers; allowing for effective front-firing LMGs through the propeller!
The applications are obvious, and are put to work in the Equilibrium. But, uh, we should probably reinforce the propeller just a tad so that the occasional misfire isn't an automatic death guarantee for the promise of flight.
TL;DR: Make a basic 1-seater monoplane using everything good(/that we know) from the Feather, then add a LMG with basic synchronization gears to the front for a fighter. Will be less (not necessarily un)stable, but should be faster and more agile and with the ability to shoot down enemy planes and balloons. And maybe strafing runs, if our pilots are feeling particularly bold.
Time: 5, 2 | Progress: 3 | Expense: 4
The first thing done once the design of the new Equilibrium Fighter is agreed upon is the drawing up of a complex, rigorous schedule, detailing every stage in the ambitious design, building and production process with milestones set to the day. After this timetable is done up, the remaining time is spent working on the design, with moderate progress.
Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane | 3/19 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Effectiveness: 4 | Cost: 5 | Bugs: 2
The new Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane (or Monoplane Fighter to some designers) is a monoplane about the size of a Feather-1914 biplane, with larger wings. It’s got the control improvements of the Feather (namely ailerons) built in, instead of revised in. The rotary engine has been upgraded to have 7 cylinders, which together with the slightly lower weight and greatly decreased drag of a monoplane, give the Equilibrium a top speed higher than that of the Feather in level flight.
The real innovation of the Equilibrium lies in the single Type 11 LMG mounted ahead of the cockpit, with both trigger and sights in easy reach of the pilot. This LMG fires straight ahead into the propeller arc, without destroying the propeller by the introduction of a simple synchronisation gear that times each bullet to pass through the space where the propeller isn’t.
Or so it is in theory. In practice, the synchronisation gear is complex and unreliable, relying on a convoluted mechanical linkage between a cam wheel on the rotating propeller shaft to the sliding breech, blocking its movement whenever the propeller is in position to obstruct the barrel. The gear is prone to jamming the gun badly at times, necessitating a tedious operation to fix it. Due to its nature, the firing rate of the gun is also decreased drastically, to about 150 rounds/min. Overall, while it does seem to direct more rounds toward the spaces where the propeller isn’t, enough rounds still hit the blades that pilots refuse to fire the machinegun while in the air. Reinforcement of the blades doesn’t progress beyond a few half-hearted suggestions to use a denser wood.
Finally, a test flight of the Equilibrium reveals that its roll characteristics aren’t as good as hoped for. In an extreme case, applying full aileron causes the wings to bend and snap right off, sending the prototype model plunging uncontrollably into the ground.
Perhaps the only bright spot in the whole mess is that of cost: the Equilibrium is projected to not be that much more expensive than a Feather, with most of the extra cost coming from the complexity of the synchronisation gear. Integration of the Type 11 LMG into the design removes the costs of having to buy them separately.
Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane: A single-seater monoplane with a 7-cylinder rotary engine and correspondingly good speed. It’s armed with a Type 11 LMG firing forward through the propeller arc with the aid of a rudimentary synchronisation gear, which reduces the fire rate and occasionally jams the gun. The synchronisation gear prevents the blades from being shot off immediately, instead delaying it to ‘about one-third of a belt later’. Has the nasty tendency to rip its own wings off if thrown into a sharp roll. Cost 5/2.
Requisition: “Artillery Spotter Equipment”Contacts with the artillery officers have resulted in a forward artillery observer’s kit being sent over for inspection. It consists of a set of good binoculars with adjustable range markings on an add on lens, several field manuals on correcting for windage, battery pitch, elevation and drunk gunners, an extremely thick and heavy steel helmet, and a uniquely Kolechian ‘comtant’, a device that purports to be a combination of compass and sextant, allowing one to measure precise bearings to a target. Of these, only the binoculars and ‘comtant’ are of use to our balloon observers, who don’t have the same responsibility of issuing orders to the artillery battery as the army’s observer-officers, and are also far less likely to be hit by a mis-aimed artillery shell.
Artillery Spotter Equipment: A set of good binoculars with range markings and a Kolechian ‘comtant’, a combination of compass and sextant for taking precise bearings. Questions of whether a sextant is really necessary for doing so are met with offended looks. Cost 1 PP for 2 squadrons.
It is now the Revision Phase, Early Autumn 1915. You have 2 dice remaining to spend on Revisions or bank for the next turn.
Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane | 3/19 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Planes:
-Feather-1914 Scout Plane: A unarmed, single seater biplane. High stability makes it easy to fly, but also woefully inadequate for anything other than scouting. Lightweight wooden fuselage combined with a five-cylinder rotary engine gives it good speed in the air. Now comes with ailerons for improved roll capability. Cost 3/1
-Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane: A single-seater monoplane with a 7-cylinder rotary engine and correspondingly good speed. It’s armed with a Type 11 LMG firing forward through the propeller arc with the aid of a rudimentary synchronisation gear, which reduces the fire rate and occasionally jams the gun. The synchronisation gear prevents the blades from being shot off immediately, instead delaying it to ‘about one-third of a belt later’. Has the nasty tendency to rip its own wings off if thrown into a sharp roll. Cost 5/2.
Balloons
-Hykib Observation Balloon: A single-pilot hydrogen balloon designed for aerial observation. Its elongated and finned shape helps it remain stable even in high winds. The basket has an inbuilt telephone to relay messages from the pilot to the ground, and what can charitably be described as a very rudimentary parachute. Painted a glorious red throughout. Cost 2/1
Equipment
Lvoc Camera: A glass plate medium camera with a 150mm focal length, coincidentally about the size and shape of a 150mm artillery shell. Requires manual changing of the plate for each photograph taken and is moderately durable. Cost 1
Type 11 machinegun: An air-cooled light machine gun firing 7.65x53 mm Argentine rounds at 600 RPM. Sometimes overheats after prolonged use. Cost 1
Artillery Spotter Equipment: A set of good binoculars with range markings and a Kolechian ‘comtant’, a combination of compass and sextant for taking precise bearings. Questions of whether a sextant is really necessary for doing so are met with offended looks. Cost 1 PP for 2 squadrons.
Pilots:
-Coordinated: Strength in numbers! Kolechian pilots work well together and are better coordinated in combat.
-Uniforms: Red with silver accents. Pilots are issued a thick, flowing red cape which flutters gloriously in the wind, inspiring the men on the ground.
Technology:
-Basic biplane design
-Basic/Intermediate monoplane design
-Basic/Intermediate balloon design
-Wooden frame construction
-Basic control surfaces: wing warping, elevator and rudder and ailerons.
-Foster mount technology
-Very rudimentary synchronisation gear
Resources:
-1 Pilot Training Institute: Teaches new pilots what each lever does. When to pull each lever is up to the student.
-1 Developmental Airfield: Designs new planes and other air-related equipment. Produces five dice worth of progress every turn.
-14 production points base
Squadron 1 | Feather-1914-NA Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera | Aerial Reconnaissance | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to photograph enemy defenses around Derboise
Squadron 2 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Derboise
Squadron 3 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Aerial Reconnaissance/Anti-Balloon | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to photograph enemy frontline and shoot down enemy balloons along the Dreidansk-Demisonne Road
Observer 1 | Hykib Observation Balloon | No Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting outside Derboise
Observer 2 | Hykib Observation Balloon | No Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting outside Derboise
Prestige: Very Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Lukewarm
Navy Relations: Neutral
Production Points: 12
Total Maintenance: 5
Author
Topic: Knights of the Skies: Kolechia Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase (Read 55565 times)