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[Kashyyk]

You're right there is. I believe they're in the gap between the forest and that neutral nation.

[Cnidaros]

Design Phase, Early Winter 1915

Squadron 3 of Feather-1914s and Observer 1 of Hykib balloons at the Derboise-Demisonne front are now at Rookie experience level.

At the Derboise-Demisonne front, most army leaders are satisfied with the current performance of the KPAF. Outside Dreidansk however, the generals insist that more forces should have been devoted to the defense of Dreidansk instead of to the north. In particular, the inability to effectively intercept the Verusan bombers had a marked effect on the morale of defenders. More squadrons of aircraft might have been able to stop the bombs, allowing the army to effectively defend the city. After the Fall of Dreidansk, strategic planners estimate the Verusans will follow up with a push on Estwice owing to its close proximity.

In the south, the navy officially requests you send planes to counter the Verusan Sky Crusader squadrons there. The army and marines here are still aiming to encircle or capture Basselton, with the defence of Mizogorod a lower priority as Verusan troops there are at the end of a long logistical chain.

The naval officers have completed their trials of sending Hykib balloons aloft from balloon tender ships. A converted trawler was used for these trials, which show that the balloons inflate and ascend quickly enough to be of use in a combat situation. The balloons slow down whatever ships they are tethered to, but the balloon tenders can still keep up with regular convoys.

Possible use cases for these naval balloons include convoy overwatch and spotting for bombardment of hostile shores. The navy admirals are still not convinced of their use though, and the junior officers approach you with another petition – continuing the loan of the Hykib balloons for a raid on the Verusan city of Risleis next turn.

An attempt by a pilot in the Crimson Knights to take photos while doing stunts fails, as the heavy camera slips out of his hands in a sharp turn. Airshow attendances do seem to be on the uptick, though.

High command has increased your budget by 3 PP, as the country devotes more factories to war.

Spoiler: Projects (click to show/hide)

Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane | 10/19 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 6 PP invested

Spoiler: Designs and Technology (click to show/hide)

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, but pilots are reminded not to shoot more than two belts of rounds anyway. 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 PP.
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 PP.
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.
K-09 “Dogbite” Mortar Round: A 155mm high explosive mortar shell, carrying 45kg of high explosive. Is very temperamental when roughly handled. Cost: 1 PP.
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
-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.
-19 production points base

Spoiler: Squadrons (click to show/hide)

Squadron 1 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority along Derboise-Demisonne Road

Squadron 2 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority outside Dreidansk

Squadron 3 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial photoreconnaissance along Derboise-Demisonne Road

Squadron 4 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Aerial Reconnaissance | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial photoreconnaissance outside Dreidansk

Observer 1 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Derboise-Demisonne frontlines

Observer 2 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting outside Dreidansk

Observer 3 | Hykib Observation Balloon | No Equipment | Naval Testing | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to naval testing

Crimson Eagles | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera | Performance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned as the KPAF's Official Acrobatics Squadron

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

None

Spoiler: Statistics (click to show/hide)

Prestige: Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Lukewarm
Navy Relations: Neutral

Production Points: 19
Total Maintenance: 8

[NUKE9.13]

Can we point out to the army officials that we just don't have the budget to do everything at once? I mean, jeez, guys, we're running on fumes here. You could've maybe put in a good word with High Command and upped our PP if you wanted us to dedicate significant numbers to the defence of Dreidansk.

Anyway, screw Estwice- if we capture Demisonne, that front will be cut off. So we should continue to focus on the north (maybe send token forces to defend Estwice).

For now, then, we have 11 points to spend. How many dice should we put into the EFM? 3 will likely finish it, but then we wouldn't be able to buy anything other than a single squad of EFMs.

[Taricus]

We only have the PP to get a squadron of EFMs. And we'll need three dice if we want to complete that project. Not a lot of wiggle room, but the EFMs should be a very, NASTY surprise to the enemy.

[Rockeater]

I'm in favor of investing 3 dice now as we will be stuck in similar probelom next round if we invest 2 now and 1 then

[NUKE9.13]

I mean, I doubt it'll be a surprise. I wouldn't be shocked if they unveiled their own sync gear fighter this turn, frankly.

[Rockeater]

Probobly didn't unviled it before for similar reason.
Edit: they could unvail a bomber instead, but not likely.

[Taricus]

I doubt it, given the revisions they seem to be pumping out. If not outright designs (Since I'm not sure where that bomb came from.)

[Rockeater]

They do have 5 dice a turn and they didn't got enough new squads to explain where all the PP goes.
And the bomb could be adding those fins to a morter round

[Taricus]

I think it takes more than just fins to make a proper air-dropped bomb

[Rockeater]

Yes, but they have a bomb with fins, not air-dropped bomb.

[Nirur Torir]

Can we make the prototype now, or is that choice only allowed on the one turn we get 50% progress?

[Taricus]

Not really a point in the prototype now that we have the resources to actually complete it.

[Cnidaros]

Can we make the prototype now, or is that choice only allowed on the one turn we get 50% progress?

You can make the prototype squadron at any point past 50% progress.

[Nirur Torir]

Not really a point in the prototype now that we have the resources to actually complete it.

If we only spend 2 dice, we'll have enough to buy bombs.

I envision a 1/3/1 split on front distribution, with air superiority/recon assignments for the north and islands.
If we can revise integrated cameras that only cost 1, we should be able to do light recon without hurting other jobs. It might be enough to just wipe them out of the sky over Dreidansk, while throwing in a makeshift bomber squadron and light reconnaissance. EFM squadron gets full AA, A feather with integrated cameras escorts the bombers and takes pictures during quiet points, and another gets bomber duty.