Last turn:
North: 1 Rhino
Central: 1 Emu, 3 Rhinos, 2 balloons
South: (2?) Emus, 1 Rhino, 2 balloons
5 Rhinos(1P), (3?) Emus, 4 balloons
Now:
North: 1 Rhino-F, 1 balloon
Central: 1 Rhino-F, 1 balloon
South: 2 Rhinos-(F+P), 2 Emus, 1 Great Emu, 2 balloon
PR: 1 Rhino
5 Rhinos(3F, 1P), 2 Emu fighters, 1 Emu bomber, 4 balloons
Changes: 3 Rhinos upgraded to -F, 1 Emu upgraded with better engines.
-F costs 2-3 (MG is 1, our synch gear is 1.5), costing 6 or 9. Likely 6; spending 9 on 3x Rhino upgrades would be insane. Emu engine upgrade cost probably 1-2.
With 5 rhinos(5 maint), 4 balloons(4 maint), 3 emus (2-3 maint, most likely 2. Engine++ might up that to 3), costing 15-16.
We had 25 base, and they're probably not much better on prestige, giving them 9-10 to spend. They may have spent 1 on a design, but otherwise spent everything on upgrades. They're not rushing through a design, but may have had one almost finished from a previous turn.
We have 5 feathers, 4 EFMs, 4 balloons, giving us a faint numbers advantage. However, they have 3 Rhino-Fs, equivalent to 6 armed Feathers. We have 4 (but need them for recon). It's currently balanced out by +2 EFMs-1 bomber EMU.
We have a minor air superiority advantage, giving us more XP in the long run, but their ground support is superior unless we guess correctly in plane assignments. We can no longer safely send out lone feathers to contest an area.
They appear to tend to heavily commit to fewer fronts.
Strategic analysis: We've made significant gains in the center, and they're forced to either majorly invest there or lose all their gains for the war so far, and have their central generals gunning for their demotion. They know we're better at dogfighting, and thus will have to make some new trick (tracer round stealing is almost certain), while probably also focusing production more on air superiority. I'd like to match this, with a heavy focus on central air superiority - Another EFM, TEPs, and revise something for even better dogfighting. Trying again for IN tracer rounds and upping the EFM ROF? Or just a second MG, to match their double MGs on everything? I also propose swapping the Crimson Eagle pilots out to the front, for a middling-experienced squadron. I don't want to upgrade their planes this turn.
We know where they need to send a major force. They are likely to include their ace, and his plane has special paint. We have a rare opportunity to order our own ace to try to shoot him down. Red Baron hunting was a favorite past-time in WW1, after-all.
Other Things of note:
Recon planes give a synergy bonus to bombers (Stated in previous turn).
Wingman assignment is useful, and as more than just a numbers preservation order.
We may fairly safely assign planes generally to the center, rather than divide them between the two threatened central towns.
And a revision proposal, for later:
While the EFM performs quite admirably, the Verusians have upgunned all of their planes. We must do the same to stay competitive. We will add a second type-11 machine gun to our EFMs, linked into the synchronization gear. As this will halve their safe combat time, this will also include simple wedge-shaped propeller reinforcements.