Verusa Revision Phase, Late Autumn 1915Verusan Knight of Flight Badge
Verusan are well-reknown for their daring and brave acts, and such feats of heroism should be accurately rewarded in the skies.
The Verusan "Knight of Flight" Badge (aside from rolling nicely off the tongue) is awarded to pilots who have demonstrated considerable heroism in combat rising above and beyond the call of duty. The badge is ranked according to the pilots contribution to the war effort and the nature of the selfless act of heroism.
KoF 3rd Class is awarded to pilots who have prevailed against uneven odds, demonstrated brave or daring feats, or otherwise acted in a manner which deserves recognition. This can include rescuing a besieged wingman, defending troops on the ground from attack, or any other inspiring deed which accurately reflects Verusan values.
KoF 2nd Class is awarded to those who have overcome poor odds, performed remarkable feats of heroism, or otherwise contributed to the war effort in ways that exceed what is normally expected of Verusan airmen. This award is given to those who represent what all Verusan soldiers strive to be, and would be an award befitting an Ace pilot.
KoF 1st Class is the highest honor attainable by Verusan airmen. It is to be awarded to those who have overcome impossible odds, performed unbelievable feats of heroism, or otherwise contributed to the war effort in ways that have changed the course of the war.
While our pilots are distracted, we quietly make the Emu cheap.
Efficacy: 1
A series of “Knight of Flight” badges are designed to reward pilots for feats of heroic airmanship, which are actually a cover for the engineers to work on the Emu cheapening unimpeded. It works well for a while, as the pilots are occupied discussing what exactly should constitute sufficient bravery for each class of award and boasting about how much shiner their dress uniforms are about to become.
Although the pilots may be placated for now, a new source of opposition to the Emu being cheaper has arisen. It seems that contracts for the carved Emu heads were sent out as part of the shift toward mass production. When letters are sent out to cancel these contracts, the Verusan Association of Artisanal Woodcarvers (VAAW) immediately creates an uproar, hiring lawyers to delay the cancellation in a mess of legal red tape.
Amidst this mess, a small team of engineers announced they’ve managed to integrate the Bolt Machine Gun into the Emu design natively and struck a deal to have these machineguns purchased in bulk for this purpose. Future squadrons of the Emu will not need machineguns purchased separately.
Mk.1 "Bottled Fury" Bomb:
Based on the knowledge for creating our artillery shells, the Bottled Fury uses the same explosive and impact fuze but with a much thinner shell. Since we won't be firing them out of a cannon, they don't need a thick shell like artillery shells do, and it also doesn't have a brass casing or propellant powder. Instead it has a metal bomb casing just thick enough to handle safely and create metal fragments on detonation. As a consequence there's a lot more room for explosives. We will aim for a weight of 75lbs, which should be much deadlier than an 85 pound artillery shell. An "X"-shaped set of fins help the bomb fall more aerodynamically.
The bomb comes with a mounting bracket - essentially four padded arms and two hooks that will hold the bomb securely and steadily during flight. The hooks deactivate through the flip of a lever in the cockpit. This mounting can be attached under the fuselage of any of our aircraft, with the cost of the mounting figured into the cost of the bomb.
Efficacy: 4
The “Bottled Fury” is Verusa’s first purpose designed air-dropped bomb. Revised from the earlier M1905-5.2 Shell, it forgoes a thick casing, primer and propellant powder in favour of more high explosive. A set of fins helps to orient and stabilise the bomb in freefall. In preliminary tests, the “Bottled Fury” is noted to “make a hell of a bigger boom” in the words of Verusan engineers, as compared to the earlier Beehive grenades, and its impact fuse instead of timed one removes the need for bombing planes to fly at extremely low altitude. There is a slight fragmentation effect generated from the metal casing, but the bomb is not really optimised for this purpose.
A Rhino might be able to carry two of these, while an Emu could carry up to four in its current configuration, with corresponding losses in performance due to the added weight. Specialised bomb mounts were not developed for lack of time, and pilots will carry these bombs along in their (rather cramped) cockpits for now.
Mk.1 “Bottled Fury” Bomb: Verusa’s first purpose-designed bomb! A 75-pound high explosive bomb, which is equipped with fins to stabilise it when dropped. Creates a slight fragmentation effect when it explodes. Cost 1 PP.
Hawk Eye Camera
Apparently our instructions to our engineers weren't specific enough. They are to return the purchased cameras to the shop, and to exchange the camera citing "national security reasons." They are to instead obtain a large lens, short exposure time, fast shutter camera. The focal length should be fixed at infinite. As the final intent is to mount the camera on/in an aircraft, the camera and film platen can weigh up to 30 pounds. Having purchased the appropriate commercial system, develop a crude means to stabilize the system inside the cockpit by bolting it steady to the pilot seat and floor plate. Cut an appropriate sized aperture in the cockpit floor, allowing for overhead photography for mapping purposes. Sturdily affix a pipe along camera to act as a crude viewfinder at altitude. Include a padded satchel capable of holding several film platen.
Efficacy: 6
The storeowners point out their ‘no-return’ policy but are quick to change their tune once the prospect of a new camera contract is raised. After intense but short negotiations, the specifications of the Hawk Eye Camera are agreed upon, being much more amenable to aerial photography. The Hawk Eye is a glass plate camera fixed at infinity focus with a rapid shutter speed, able to resolve much smaller objects on the ground than the previous Vodak cameras. It comes with a nice knitted bag for the pilots to hold the glass plates.
Effort is also put in to develop a fixed mounting for the Hawk Eye, rather than having the pilot lean out of the plane to take pictures by hand as the Kolechians do. The final mounting system is located right between the pilot’s legs in the cockpit, with the camera taking photographs directly downward from a hole cut in the bottom of the aircraft. A crude viewfinder, which is essentially a pipe for the pilot to see what’s directly below him, is also included. A few engineers passive-aggressively leave pictures of rhinos and hawks around the offices to protest this further naming inconsistency.
Hawk Eye Camera: A fast shutter glass-plate camera, set at infinity focus for aerial photoreconnaissance. Requires the pilot to change the plates after every shot and is mounted to take photographs through a hole in the bottom of the cockpit. Cost 1 PP.
Aircraft equipped with this system will be designated with a ‘-P’ suffix (you can change this to something else if you like). Due to the fixed mounting system modification, you will have to pay an additional 1 PP if you want to shift this camera from one squadron to another.
It is now the Production & Deployment Phase, Late Autumn 1915. You have 12 production points remaining and 1 die banked to the next turn.Planes:
-‘Rhino’ Biplane: A unarmed, single-seater reconnaissance plane. Very misleadingly named, as its fragile wood-and-canvas frame can’t withstand the slightest collision. On the other hand, it’s about as easy to turn as a charging rhino. At least it gets up to a good speed, powered by a five-cylinder rotary engine. Now comes with 'feet' on the wings. Cost: 3/1
-VRAC A.1 “Emu”: A two-seater biplane with a water-cooled engine in the pusher configuration. The Emu mounts two Bolt machineguns, in front and rear-facing swivel mounts, operated by the observer sitting forward of the pilot. Is reasonably fast and maneuverable for its size. Comes with shiny gemstone sheaths for the pilots to store their swords in flight. Cost 6/3.
Balloons:
-Sky Eye Observation Balloon: A three-man hot air balloon for aerial observation. Two observers sketch out enemy dispositions, while a phone operator relays information to the ground and controls the balloons’ altitude. Comes with spiffy gold-rimmed monocles to help the observers see ‘further’. Cost 1/1
Equipment:
-“Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials”: A set of gear for aerial observers. Currently consists of a set of high-quality binoculars, sketchpad and drafting pencils. Cost 1 PP for 2 squadrons.
-Bolt Machine Gun: A belt-fed machinegun capable of accurate firing out to 2000m. It is air-cooled and operates on a closed-bolt firing cycle. Cost 1 PP.
-Vodak Camera: A film camera the size of a large purse, taking pictures on 120 film to be later developed. A focal length of 3 inches means it’s good for taking cool pictures of aviators posing in their planes, but pilots must fly low to get pictures with sufficient resolution to be of use. Cost 1 PP
-M1905-5.2 Shell: This isn’t a 5.2-inch shell as one might expect, it’s actually a 5.17-inch shell. Questionable calibre decisions aside, the M1905-5.2 is a high-explosive shell with a direct-action fuse, weighing in at 85 pounds. Cost: 1 PP.
-Mk.1 “Bottled Fury” Bomb: Verusa’s first purpose-designed bomb! A 75-pound high explosive bomb, which is equipped with fins to stabilise it when dropped. Creates a slight fragmentation effect when it explodes. Cost 1 PP.
-Hawk Eye Camera: A fast shutter glass-plate camera, set at infinity focus for aerial photoreconnaissance. Requires the pilot to change the plates after every shot and is mounted to take photographs through a hole in the bottom of the cockpit. Cost 1 PP.
Pilots:
-Daring: For King and Country! Verusan pilots are more aggressive and willing to take risks in combat.
-Uniforms: Blue with purple accents. Pilots are commissioned with a ceremonial sabre, which they bring along for every mission, stored in a sheath in the cockpit.
-Knight of Flight Badges: A badge awarded to pilots who demonstrate heroism and bravery in combat above and beyond the call of duty. Comes in three different classes and is extremely shiny.
Technology:
-Basic/Intermediate biplane design
-Basic monoplane design
-Basic pusher configuration design
-Basic balloon design
-Wooden frame construction
-Basic control surfaces: ailerons, elevator and rudder
-Rhino Horn mount technology
-Shiny badges
-Camera mounting
Resources:
-1 Air Academy: Trains new pilots how to take off. Landing is left as an exercise for the student.
-1 Experimental Aerodrome: Designs new planes and other air-related equipment. Produces five dice worth of progress every turn.
-16 production points base.
Squire 1 | Rhino-NA Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun, Beehive Grenades | Extremely Low-level Bombing | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to bomb enemy artillery positions near Derboise
Squire 2 | Rhino Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun | Escort | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to escort Squire 1
Squire 3 | Rhino Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun | Air Superiority | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority near Derboise
Squire 4 | Rhino Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun | Air Superiority | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Dreidansk
Rook 1 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting outside Derboise
Rook 2 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting in Basselton
Rook 3 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at the Demisonne-Dreidansk frontline
Rook 4 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | No Equipment | No Role | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 0
Currently mothballed
Rook 5 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | No Equipment | No Role | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 0
Currently mothballed
1 x Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials
Prestige: Extremely Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Lukewarm
Navy Relations: On Talking Terms
Production Points: 12
Total Maintenance: 7
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Topic: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase (Read 60074 times)