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[evictedSaint]

The Emu is absurdly expensive, yes.  Even if we drop maintenance cost down to 2, it has to be good enough that it can survive when outnumbered 2:1 against Feathers.  Or at the very least, carry twice as many bombs as a Rhino.
 Otherwise, it's not even worth the cost of fielding it.

It is entirely possible we may end up marking down the Emu as a "learning experience" if that's the case.

[piratejoe]

Erm, its already been stated it can carry twice as many bombs as a Rhino, though one of my revisions hopes to up that to maybe 5 or 6 instead of just 4. Anyway, considering it has just as good maneuverability, is faster, and can shoot behind itself to an extent, it probably would be able to at least take a few more Feathers down than a Rhino would in the same situation...Unless the observer falls out...but thats besides the point. I also feel like mentioning it might be possible for it to go into a shallow dive and outrun current enemy aircraft if it needs to.

Have some quotes too just to confirm such things

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.

In terms of performance, the sole test pilot who’s flown it describes the plane as wonderful. Although bigger than the Rhino, it achieves a slightly higher top speed thanks to a more powerful engine. Maneuverability is also improved thanks to the introduction of ailerons, and the test pilot estimates it is the equal of the retrofitted enemy Feather-1914 planes in this regard.

One of the revisions I proposed directly helps with both these things by addressing the main thing holding it back from being even better, its engine. If we go with the VRAC A.1b and roll well we will get an even faster aircraft that can carry more explosive ordinance.

[Cnidaros]

Verusa Design Phase, Early Winter 1915

Project: Meet the Fokkers

Reports of the so called Fokker Scourge are dominated by tales of Germans firing machine guns safely *through* their own propellers.  A so-called synchronization gear only permits the machine gun to fire semi-automatically the exact moment the propeller is in a safe position.  We believe we can replicate this with our current Bolt machine guns.  A large cam wheel will be placed along the propeller shaft with a irregular bump or tooth on its circumference.  This tooth is manually calibrated under regular maintenance schedules to trigger when the propeller is in the safe horizontal position.  This engages a cam follower leading back to the breach, which pushes the trigger of the gun.  Contrary to popular imagination, the pilot's manual trigger merely unsafeties the breach mechanism, and its actually the cam tooth firing the gun.  The rapidly spinning propeller triggers the semi-auto machine gun fast enough to simulate automatic fire.  The mechanism features an additional manual safety to prevent an aviator from machine-gunning his own airfield on take-off and landing with his fat fingers.

Time: 4 | Progress: 5 | Expense: 3

The engineers can’t find any reports of a ‘Fokker Scourge’ anywhere, but the prospect of firing a machinegun through a propeller does inspire them to work hard on the design for a synchronisation gear. Several rude names are bandied about in preliminary discussions, but eventually the whole project is named “Crossguard” after someone points out that the Fokker company might sue for unauthorised usage of their name. With the current lawsuits pending against the VAAW, the Sky Crusaders can’t afford another legal quagmire.

Project Crossguard | 5/11 progress | 1 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 1 PP invested


Effectiveness: 4 | Cost: 3 | Bugs: 5

The Crossguard is a synchronisation gear that works by firing the gun whenever the propeller blades are in a favourable position. This necessitates taking apart the Bolt machine gun, separating the trigger mechanism from the rest of the gun and linking it to the propeller shaft instead. The pilot’s trigger is instead changed to be a button located on the control column, with a manual safety switch elsewhere on the controls to prevent accidental activation of the gun.

The first prototypes of the Crossguard work mostly as advertised. The gear has a high success rate in firing rounds through the propeller: although a few rounds still strike the blades and ricochet, these are not enough to break the blades in the projected course of a combat mission. Likewise, pilots also comment that the new positioning of the gun is preferable to a Rhino Horn mount, as it allows them to use the Bolt’s iron sights. Of course, the Crossguard does reduce the Bolt’s rate of fire to about 300 rounds per minute as compared to a Horn-mounted Bolt.

However, as the Crossguard requires significant revisions to both the engine and machinegun, unlike the Rhino Horn mounts, it cannot be implemented immediately to existing fighters in the field. Once the project is complete, it will cost an additional 1PP to retrofit the existing ‘fighter’ Rhino squadrons with the Crossguard system. Future sets of Bolt Machine Guns will have the Crossguard cost figured into the cost of manufacture.

Crossguard Gearing: A synchronisation gear that allows machine-guns to fire through a spinning propeller using mechanical impulses from a cam wheel, while reducing the rate of fire. The trigger is reconfigured to be a button on the control column, which actually serves to disengage the safety sear instead of firing the gun. A manual safety switch is also included in the cockpit.


Requisition: Signal Flare “Very” Pistol

Army Requisition: Signal Flare "Very" Pistol

Other than incredibly tight formations and erratic manuevers, our aviators current have no means to communicate mid-air.  To solve this shortcoming, we will requisition signal flare pistols from the army.  The flare pistol should be a single shot device, easily fired with one hand.  The flares should come in a wide variety of colors, to enable a wide variety of single shot signals.  Flares should be available in two brightness's: standard for air-to-air signalling, and ultra-bright for air-to-ground signalling.

After a series of increasingly heated and hilarious exchanges which can be summarised as “Very what?”, the army quartermasters eventually send over the plans for the Firefly Flaregun, currently in use by Verusan infantry. It’s a single-shot gun that fires red, green, blue and white flares into the air for signalling. The flares are intended for signalling rather than illumination, coming only in a single brightness, but when fired from an aircraft they are visible from miles around. Firefly flares are cheap and reliable - they can be fired even in heavy rain.

Firefly Flaregun: A single-shot flare pistol firing red, green, blue and white flares into the air for long-distance signalling. They are cheap and can be issued to every airman.


It is now the Revision Phase, Early Winter 1915. You have 3 dice remaining to spend on Revisions or bank for the next turn.

Spoiler: Projects (click to show/hide)

Project Crossguard | 5/11 progress | 1 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 1 PP invested

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

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.
-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.
-Crossguard Gearing: A synchronisation gear that allows machine-guns to fire through a spinning propeller using mechanical impulses from a cam wheel, while reducing the rate of fire. The trigger is reconfigured to be a button on the control column, which actually serves to disengage the safety sear instead of firing the gun. A manual safety switch is also included in the cockpit. (In Development)
-Firefly Flaregun: A single-shot flare pistol firing red, green, blue and white flares into the air for long-distance signalling. They are cheap and can be issued to every airman.
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
-Basic Synchronisation Gearing
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.
-19 production points base.

Spoiler: Squadrons (click to show/hide)

Squire 1 | Rhino-NA Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun, Beehive Grenades | Balloon Defense | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to defend Rook 1 and 3 at Dreidansk

Squire 2 | Rhino Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun | Bomber Escort | Rookie | Alderic | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to escort Squire 5 at Dreidansk

Squire 3 | Rhino Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial reconnaissance near Basselton

Squire 4 | Rhino-P Biplane | Bolt Machine Gun, Hawk Eye Cameras | Aerial Reconnaissance/Anti-Balloon | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to perform aerial photoreconnaissance and shoot down enemy ballons at Dreidansk

Squire 5 | Rhino Biplane | Mk.1 "Bottled Fury" Bombs | Level Bombing | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to bomb enemy defenses near Dreidansk

Rook 1 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials | Artillery Spotting | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Dreidansk

Rook 2 | Sky Eye Observation Balloon | Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials | Artillery Spotting | Rookie | 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 | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Dreidansk

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

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

1 x Barnson’s Bird-Watching Essentials

Spoiler: Statistics (click to show/hide)

Prestige: Extremely Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Warm
Navy Relations: Lukewarm

Production Points: 18
Total Maintenance: 8

[piratejoe]

That went fairly well I would say.

VRAC A.1b Variant
VRAC Manufacturing Plan
Bar's Shelf Bomb Rack

Plan Hammer (1): Piratejoe

[NAV]

Sky Crusader Armour
Winter is coming. Our current lack of specialized aeronaut outfit will give our pilots frostbite. We shall issue them a new uniform, specialized for the often harsh conditions of the sky.

It consists of: A sheepskin jacket with inward facing wool, high collar, snug cuffs and waist, and buttoned pockets. Leather pants, leather boots, leather gloves, and a leather helmet with flaps to protect the ears. Glass goggles to protect their eyes from wind, oil, rain, and other hazards. Finally a white silk scarf to protect the neck from chafing and to clean goggles with.

Reposting flight suit revision. Now is good time. Winter is coming.

[evictedSaint]

Paintjobs and Uniforms
VRAC Manufacturing Plan
Bar's Shelf Bomb Rack

(1) Plan Hammer : Piratejoe
(1) Plan Slightly Better Hammer : eS

[Jerick]

(1) Plan Hammer : Piratejoe
(2) Plan Slightly Better Hammer : eS, Jerick

[piratejoe]

I get the feeling that outfit won't do much. In other news if your revision set wins we should get the b variant next turn.

[Happerry]

(1) Plan Hammer : Piratejoe
(3) Plan Slightly Better Hammer : eS, Jerick, Happerry

[evictedSaint]

If arms races have taught me anything, it's that a stylish uniform is 110% critical to any military's operational capacity.

Edit: if anything, the revision should include paintjobs for squadrons too.

[NAV]

(1) Plan Hammer : Piratejoe
(4) Plan Slightly Better Hammer : eS, Jerick, Happerry, NAV

[ConscriptFive]

My problem with the B variant of the Emu is that it's literally backwards.

We rolled a "Effectiveness: 6 | Cost: 1 | Bugs: 6" on the Project.  The GM interpreted that as a sweet bug-free "straight-eight engine" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight-eight_engine on a nice but absurdly pimptastic fuselage that made the aircraft unaffordable.  All the narrative focuses on the decorative elements of the fuselage, not that the engine is something ridiculous like full chrome or needs a high octane custom fuel mix.  So the problem with the Emu is literally everything except the engine.

So the plan with the B variant, is to ditch that sweet bug-free engine, and replace it with an unknown supposedly better engine that assuredly won't be more expensive?  ...and to pull it off with just a revision roll?  I don't see it working out at all.  (I'll throw you a bone though.  You might be able to bore out the cylinders for slightly larger displacement.)

The GM may have to check me on this, but fundamentally I feel that swapping engines is kinda a big deal for just a revision.  Especially a completely unknown engine.

(1) Plan Hammer : Piratejoe
(2) Plan Slightly Better Hammer : eS, Jerick, ConscriptFive, Happery, NAV

[piratejoe]

Yeah the only real issue is the cost. But I was kinda hoping for a better engine to go faster and carry more bombs with the VRAC Production Plan dealing with that main issue, but I guess it's fine as it is. As for the uniform revision, if you merge it with my squadron organization revision it would be fine, and it might be better as they'll know that the flight leader is giving the orders and not some cocky rookie who really wants to attack.

[piratejoe]

In combat where multiple squadrons of aircraft are flying, pilots can possibly be detached from their squadrons and fly home with the wrong squadron of aircraft. Along with this squadron leaders are quite hard to identify once flying in formation ceases. It also turns out when going at high speeds far above the ground, it gets quite cold, especially as winter starts to set in. As such we have devised a way to solve these issues.

Firstly, in order to know who's apart of what squadron easier, aircraft are to be given paint jobs to look not only a bit more distinct from other squadrons but to strike fear into our enemies for squadrons which are more skilled. Squadrons will also be given emblems and said emblems will be painted on either the body next to the cockpit and or on the tail depending on the aircraft. Additionally as a bit of a moral booster, pilots who have become aces can paint their plane any way they like, though it's advised to paint something that wont get them confused with another squadron and should be distinct, although they can just stick with the paint job they and their fellows have if they wish.

Secondly, flight leaders will be given streamers to be attached to the wing to identify who is leading the flight and said streamers come in a few different colors and checkered versions of white and the other colors available as well so pilots can pick their favorite streamer to use.

Thirdly, to protect our pilots from frostbite and being uncomfortably cold, we shall issue them a new uniform. The new uniform has been nicknamed Sky Crusader Armour after an engineer mentioned it could protect from wind burn, anything getting into the eyes, neck chafing and even claimed that it could protect the wearer from fire to a minor extent, at least more than our current uniforms. It consists of a sheepskin jacket with inward facing wool, high collar, snug cuffs and waist, and buttoned pockets. Leather pants, leather boots, leather gloves, and a leather helmet with flaps to protect the ears. Glass goggles to protect their eyes from wind, oil, rain, and other hazards. And lastly a colorful variety of silk scarves to protect the neck from chafing and to clean goggles with, though white ones are recommended for pilots to use so they can see anything soaked on it easier if they need to use it to wipe something off their goggles.

I merged the two revisions into one, now we can have uniforms and paint jobs, as eS desired.

[NAV]

Minor point: uniform isn't just to protect them from frostbite and cold. It should also provide a significant protection from fire, wind burn, splatter in eyes, and neck chafing. White scarf is ideal because you can instantly tell which parts are clean to wipe off goggles with.

Anyways I am fine with combining the uniform and airplane paint revisions. I would really prefer if they were separate paragraphs, and if the name sky crusader armour was kept somewhere.