Kolechia Revision Phase, Early Spring 1915Engine Optimization
The Levib shows great promise as a bomber, but it could use some reliability improvements. First on the list is the engines. The spread out placement of the engines has resulted in poor fuel line performance. We will implement an improvement on the current fuel pump to the two engines, ensuring that the pilot can control the flow to each engine efficiently (can increase, decrease, cut off flow as needed) and that the pumps themselves can operate independently of the engines. The fuel line routing is the second part of this: the lines themselves are to be encased in rubber, and run tightly right through the wings into the motors.
Efficacy: 2
Kolechian engineers go through the fuel line layout with a fine-toothed comb, identifying where the bottlenecks are and generally straightening out the lines. This solves the Levib’s recurring issues with engines cutting out. However, separating the pumps from the engine’s power proves more difficult than expected, and eventually a compromise is installed in the form of a hand crank that can be operated manually by the pilot to pump fuel should the engines fail in mid-flight. The fuel pumps don’t yet have the capability to control flow, apart from shutting it off completely, which is highly inadvisable in the air.
Equilibrium Manuverability Upgrade
We underpowered the Equilibrium, plain and simple. This is shown by the Emu showing comparable flight characteristics, while being a much heavier plane. So, let's fix the issue. By moving to a 9-cylinder rotary engine with hardened pistons and a strengthened camshaft, an increase in not only straight horsepower but also in compression ratio can be achieved. The engine block will likely have to be reinforced, but we will monitor the design to ensure we don't go over weight - the improved cylinder count takes precedence over the the improved compression ratio.
Efficacy: 6
Spurred by the unexpectedly good performance of the Emu in comparison to the Equilibrium, the design team agrees on upgrading the EFM’s engine to match. A 9-cylinder rotary engine is designed, produced and refitted to the Equilibrium, in a remarkable display reflecting the urgency of improving its performance. The new engine gives the Equilibrium a good increase in top speed, but little in the way of better manoeuvrability. Thanks to conscious monitoring of the weight during the design process, the Equilibrium doesn’t suffer noticeably from its heavier engine, but the engine itself doesn’t have much of an improvement in compression ratios, since the pistons and camshaft weren’t as reinforced as they could be.
Thanks to the new engine not being much more complex than the old one, new Equilibrium squadrons retain the same production and maintenance cost. However, refitting existing squadrons with the new engines will cost 1 PP per squadron.
It is now the Production & Deployment Phase, Early Spring 1915. You have 24 production points remaining.Levib Bomber Biplane | 2/14 progress | 3 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 3 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 9-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 but allows easier aiming. 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.
-Levib Bomber Biplane: The KPAF’s first bomber, it’s a twin-engine biplane with a crew of three: pilot, bombardier and rear gunner. The Levib can carry up to 420 kg of bombs mounted under the fuselage and wings, dropping them with the aid of a bomb sight that accounts for altitude and airspeed. It’s powered by two RE-18L-V8 engines between the wings on either side but is rather slow. To defend itself, the Levib is equipped with two Type 11 LMGs on a swivel mount operated by the rear gunner, covering the aircraft to the rear and a little above. Cost: 7/3 (In Development)
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.
-Oracle Camera: A new camera based off the existing Lvoc Camera, and possibly made of three of them merged together. It takes separate photographs from three lenses offset at a 35-degree angle, producing a wide-angle view of the ground. Is mounted under the cockpit and accessible through a hole in the cockpit floor, while being remotely triggered. The glass plate magazine doesn’t work, and pilots must still change the plates manually. Cost 2 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.
-KF-15 Signal-Illumination Flare Pistol: The K-15 fires up to eight Rainbow flares in colours from red to purple for signalling, and a bright white for illumination, allowing planes to signal to the ground. Each pistol is single-shot only but are cheap enough to be issued in bulk.
-KTW-15: A trench radio set with a spark-gap transmitter and crystal receiver, which sends and receives Morse code. Weighs 60kg, with a 60m aerial assembly and has a range of up to 4km. Suffers from bad interference if operated too close to another set on the same frequency. Cost 2 PP.
-Tactical Escape Parachute: A backpack parachute deployed by a ripcord system, which slows the rate of fall enough for a pilot to survive bailing out from a plane, at reasonable altitudes. Is somewhat heavy and too bulky to be worn in flight, instead being stored under the seat. Cost 1 PP for 2 squadrons.
-K-4524 Torpedo: A 700kg deck-launched torpedo with 2 kilometres of range at 33 knots, the K-4524 is a reliable design already in use by the Kolechian Navy on its destroyers and torpedo boats. The torpedo is powered by a kerosene wet-heater engine, with a 200kg explosive charge. Cost 2 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/Intermediate 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
-Pyrotechnics
-Basic spark-gap radio, crystal receivers
-Tracer rounds
-Basic/Intermediate rotary engine design
-V8 engine design
-Two-engine layout
-Basic bombsight
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.
-25 production points base
-2 production points from the Ottoman sale (3 turns remaining)
Squadron 1 | Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane (R7 model) | TEP | Air Superiority | Rookie | Piotr | Maintenance Cost 2
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Basselton
Squadron 2 | Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane (R7 model) | TEP | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 2
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Derboise-Demisonne Road
Squadron 3 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG, Oracle Camera | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial photoreconnaissance along the Derboise-Demisonne Road
Squadron 4 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG, Oracle Camera | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial photoreconnaissance at Basselton
Squadron 5 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Basselton
Squadron 6 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority along the Derboise-Demisonne Road
Crimson Eagles | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | No Equipment | Performance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned as the KPAF's Official Acrobatics Squadron
Observer 1 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting along the Derboise-Demisonne Road
Observer 2 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Basselton
Observer 3 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Naval Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to naval raiding
Observer 4 | Hykib Observation Balloon | Artillery Spotter Equipment | Naval Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to naval raiding
Prestige: Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Lukewarm
Navy Relations: Lukewarm
Production Points: 24
Total Maintenance: 13
Author
Topic: Knights of the Skies: Kolechia Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase (Read 55563 times)