We should make a fighter this turn, if for no other reason than to ensure we get the first air-to-air kill that isn't also a murder-suicide.
Imagine the prestige!
I really like the idea of doing zeppelins, but if we want that to actually work well we need to get ahead and stay ahead in that field. We already have a tethered balloon, next I propose we make a mobile baloon. It could carry a machine gun (not SMG, just a regular air cooled machine gun) turret or a radio. With the radio we can have mobile artillery spotting/scouting. With the gun we can defend ourselves, but not chase down enemies (I'm hopeful the slow-moving nature of a balloon would make it a good place to aim from). The biggest trouble is we can only do one requisition.
I propose we go for the radio. It could backfire hard if Kolechia does get good weapons this turn, but we should be able to even out the field as soon as we get weapons of our own, so it's a risk I am willing to take.
Plus the balloon isn't the most steady of platforms - it sways quite a lot.
I say we rush jet engines. I'm sure if we focus hard, we'll be able to get a working prototype by the time the war is over.
Rush jet engines? I mean we could make a pulse jet but that's kind of a dead end. Actual turbine jets are probably way, way, way over our heads. We'd be better off with conventional engines.
Sky Fish: This is a mobile baloon, with a rigid wooden gondola. The gondola is attached to the football-shaped balloon, which consists of three sections, by a wooden frame so it doesn't swing around. On either side of the gondola is a Rhino engine with a propeller, and each engine has its own throttle and a gearing system which can allow it to turn the propeller in reverse, and there is a rudder behind the balloon as well. This should make the balloon capable of traveling against the wind and turning easily. The center section of the balloon is hot-air fired just like the Sky Eye and the fore and aft sections of the balloon are helium or hydrogen filled, providing additional lift, they should be balanced so the balloon slowly descends when the center section is cold.
If we don't do this, I think a recon plane with two seats (one pilot and one radio operator/gunner) would be prudent, but someone else can write that up.
-Spend 3 dice on Sky Fish design.
-Spend 1 die on Sky Eye
-Attempt to requisition a radio from the army
Design Plan Alpha: (1) Sensei
Regardless of the success of this new design I think we'll we sending a few Sky Eye squads out, their immobility isn't a problem for artillery spotting. I'd like to try tethering some to navy vessels so they can spot for the ship's cannons no matter where the ship moves.