Aircraft, and the Carriers that carry them....

[Daddy Dragon]

My son and I have slogged through a punishing first turn in our Pacific War campaign, and as we prepare to spend our RR points to replenish our battered and bloody fleets/airwings, the following question arises....

What aircraft can you assign to your aircraft carriers? Are you limited strictly to the air wings listed in the carrier's descriptions, or can you replace your weak Wildcats with Hellcats (or USMC Corsair or even Mustangs)?

I can infer from the text a limit on the number of flights that a carrier CAN carry, but there is nothing I can find in the rules (yet) to specify what aircraft can and cannot be used with a carrier.

Regards,
Larry

 

[gbierl]

In the description for the various aircraft an "In Service" date is listed for each. As time progresses in the campaign I would replace older models with newer. To keep things at least semi-historical I would make sure that I was not assigning land based aircraft to carriers. ie, There was never a "carrier version" of the P-51 Mustang, so I would not allow it to be purchased to replace carrier aircraft.

Just my $0.02.

Greg

 

[gbierl]

In the description for the various aircraft an "In Service" date is listed for each. As time progresses in the campaign I would replace older models with newer. To keep things at least semi-historical I would make sure that I was not assigning land based aircraft to carriers. ie, There was never a "carrier version" of the P-51 Mustang, so I would not allow it to be purchased to replace carrier aircraft.

Just my $0.02.

Greg

 

[Daddy Dragon]

To keep things at least semi-historical I would make sure that I was not assigning land based aircraft to carriers. ie, There was never a "carrier version" of the P-51 Mustang, so I would not allow it to be purchased to replace carrier aircraft.

Not entirely true. There were in fact several successful tests (of the ETF-51D) at least as early as November, 1944, implying that a carrier based version did indeed exist. While it historically may never have become a carrier-based aircraft (due to the successful capture of both Iwo Jima and Okinawa), it is logical to assume that it could easily have been.
Mustangs aside, Corsairs certainly operated from carriers, but nothing in any of the fighter's description designate them as being land-based or carrier-based (using the Corsair as a reference point, even the fluff text lacks any reference to their use as carrier based aircraft).

Thus the question remains, while some scenario rules designate limitations on the use of land-based or carrier-based aircraft, aside from the obvious implications of launching fighters from carriers in play, which, if any, of them be operated from carriers?

I appreciate your insights. Anyone else have any thoughts?

Regards,
Larry

 

[DM]

For tournament games I guess you'd have to stick to the aircraft types listed. For historically based games some research would be required to determine which aircraft were carried. For the RN the Fleet Air Arm archive is a great help!

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/Index.html

I have also heard that there is a US website that has similar listings but I haven't tracked it down yet.

 

[captainsmirk]

I hope its obvious that no multi-engined bombers should be flying off carriers... (Doolittle raid not withstanding...)

Otherwise it probably depends on what type of game your playing, if you want to be historically accurate then your probably going to have to determine what planes had carrier versions (or were just carrier aircraft from the get go) and only those can use. If your not so bothered by this then any single engined plane could probably have a carrier version which could be used.


Nick

 

[Lord David the Denied]

I'm pretty sure there were twin-engine carrier planes back then...

 

[Oly]

I'm pretty sure there were twin-engine carrier planes back then...

I know there was a Sea Mosquito but I don't believe it saw service until just after WW2.

It was a multi-engined carrier based bomber though.....

 

[captainsmirk]

Does it appear in the VaS rules though?

I was assuming that all the twin engined planes in there were land-based bombers (some with three engines if their Italian)...

Of course there may be some what if aircraft that were two engined. I can't think of any twin engined plane that actually saw service off the top of my head. The Tigercat was too late, the Sea Hornet too late...

Overall British carriers were too small to be taking up valuble space with twin engined planes anyway, they carrier so few to begin with...


Nick

 

[Reaverman]

I'm pretty sure there were twin-engine carrier planes back then...

Not on carrier decks, the only twin engine plane that got close was the Grumman Tigercat in '44. Even so, the carrier bound version was only available from 1947. The Brits had the Hornet, but that too saw service after the war.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Fair enough. Army is my area, not the fly-boys or sailors... 8)

 

[Oly]

Had a look into the Sea Mosquito, it entered service in August 1946 so if you're running a "What if" scenario with the war running longer (invasion of Japan?) then it could be an option.

 

[Daddy Dragon]

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/Index.html

An excellent resource! Thank you!

Regards,
Larry

 

[gbierl]

I see your point. While many aircraft were prototyped for carrier use they never actually saw service as the Navy already had aircraft that it though sufficient for the job at hand. The planned deployment of the Grumman Bearcat, while not the equal of the Mustang, would have given the Navy an aircraft that was competitive with the Mustang and designed specifically for carrier operations.

In my campaigns I will probably suggest that we limit ourselves to replacing carrier aircraft with historically compatable aircraft. Just to keep things from getting too crazy.

Greg

 

[DM]

Thanks for reminding me about the Sea Mosquito. Reminds me of the "Highball" Mossie (carrying two "mini" bouncing bombs for anti shipping missions - this one is a "must do" for S&P or the supplement )

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/attachment.php?s=0f6159e64ca65dad4559bab202702d99&attachmentid=29427

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/attachment.php?s=0f6159e64ca65dad4559bab202702d99&attachmentid=29428

IIRC the Sea Mosquito was the first twin engined aircrfat to make a landing on a carrier.

 

[Daddy Dragon]

In my campaigns I will probably suggest that we limit ourselves to replacing carrier aircraft with historically compatable aircraft. Just to keep things from getting too crazy.

Greg

That's about the point I am at myself. That said, there is something waayyyy down deep, that gives me a big evil grin at the thought of my son's eyes when a carrier full of Mustangs is sited across the table. :shock:

Thank you again for your insight.

Regards,
Larry