Some scenarios may call for aircraft to be started on the ground and to take-off or land. The following rules provide for these requirements. A. Engine Starts It takes an aircraft five game turns to start each jet engine. Engine starts are automatic once the proper time has elapsed. Only one jet engine may be started at a time. B. Aircraft Taxi It takes an aircraft five game turns to taxi one hex on the ground, or to move out of a revetment onto a runway, or to shift positions on a carrier deck. When aircraft taxi, they may change facing to any heading in any hex they enter. Up to four aircraft may taxi together in a stack. C. Runway Take-Off Take-offs must be accomplished at Military or greater power. Each game turn, advance the aircraft one hex down the runway. The aircraft gains speed via normal acceleration plus 0.5 speed for each runway hex en- tered. No decel points occur during take-off. On the first game tam that the aircraft's speed is at its minimum speed for its configuration, it is considered airborne and may commence flying normally. Its start altitude may be chosen to be -17'or 1 level above the ground. D. Vertical Take-0ff VTOL-capable jets must use maximum power for take off. They stay in their current hex and gain speed via normal acceleration. They may not change facing or move until a minimum speed of 1.0 is reached; at this time they are airborne ("T" level or I level AGL as desired) and may move one hex or change facing up to 60', but not both. They may only fly normally once minimum speed for their configuration is reached. No decel is incurred until normal flight begins. E. Carrier Take-Off It takes five game turns to hook an aircraft up to a catapault after it taxis into position on the carrier. On the sixth turn or later, the aircraft may be launched. The aircraft must be at maximum power. On the turn of launch, place the aircraft in the hex or hexiine directly in front of the carrier at "T"' level, or altitude 1. Its start speed for the following game turn is its minimum for its configuration plus any gained through acceleration and it may fly normally. No decel is incurred on the turn of launch. F. Regular Landing Approaches Aircraft simulate landings by entering a runway hex or aircraft carrier marker at "approach speed" and at "T" level while being aligned with the runway or deck. Approach Speed. Any time an aircraft is at or below speed 2.0, it may configure for landing (lower gear and flaps). When in landing configuration, its minimum speed is reduced by 0.5, but never less than 1.0. The new minimum speed is the approach speed. Alignment. To be properly aligned, the last two BFPs expended to reach the runway must be wings level (no turns or maneuvers) and with the same facing as the runway or carrier deck. G. VTOL Landings VTOL-capable aircraft land by slowing to a speed of 2.0 or less and configuring for landing, then reducing speed at Idle power to 0.0 while at or entering - T level in the landing hex. The aircraft may not turn or maneuver during this deceleration. This use Idle actually represents the aircraft moving its vectored thrust nozzles to the vertical position. The actual engine power, and therefore fuel use, is as for Military. VTOL Hover. While at an altitude of I above the ground, or at "T" level, and at a speed of 0.0, the aircraft is considered to be hovering and may change facing by 90 degrees per game turn prior to landing. Note Aircraft doing any kind of take-off, or in landing configuration, or in hover, may not perform visual sighting, radar work, or make attacks of any kind. Back to Table of Contents -- Air Power # 9 Back to Air Power List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1990 by J.D. Webster This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com