Air wargaming gets sort of tangled up with model airplane building. Model builders who are "not wargamers" have devised some air combat games. Maybe we solo wargamers can learn from this.
Some years ago there was a model airplane exposition held near Ankeny, Iowa. The feature attraction was a "Striking Back" show. This involved 1/5 scale radio control model aircraft reenacting Pearl harbor or some other World war II air battle. The show had recorded sound effects for machine gun fire and dramatic explosions for bombs. There was a remote control model aircraft carrier and some model tanks. The high point of the show came when an American P-51 chased a Japanese Zero down the field and – just in front of the bleachers – shot the Zero down. The Zero exploded and pieces fluttered to the ground. Talk about realistic air wargaming. Before you rush out to buy a couple of radio-controlled planes, be aware the 1/5 scale models cost $1200 apiece – a bit too much for blowing up every day.
A somewhat cheaper version of flying model air combat uses U-control models. These models have prop or jet propulsion and fly in circles tethered to a wire that is used to control the planes. The pilot holds a U shaped handle to control the plane. The dogfight is done by having each plane trail a streamer behind it. The game assumes propeller-driven planes. The object is to cut off the streamer from the other pilot's plane before he cuts yours. Aside from getting dizzy spinning in circles, the major problem with this game is cost and time. The planes take a lot of time to build and they are fragile. A crackup on the first flight ends your day. Space to fly can also be a problem because of noise. These planes sound like large angry hornets (the bug, not the FA-18).
If funds were not a problem we wouldn't even have to limit ourselves to models. There are companies in the US advertising that they will let you fly a dogfight in their planes. The planes are trainer aircraft. There is an instructor in the cockpit too with dual controls. I understand Russians offer a similar experience with a MIG. Those of us who cannot pay the $10,000 need not apply.
On a more down to earth and lower income level, I have been experimenting with an outdoor air combat game using gliding models. The models are interesting, but the rules are still in process of development. The models I am using are made of thin sheets of Styrofoam.
The pieces are colored to represent WW II fighters. There is one more assembly; a plastic propeller and a plastic clip to hold it on the nose of the plane. This serves to balance the plane so it glides. I bought these models for $ .50 each. They are made in China. Presumably the labor is the cheapest available. Quality control is not good. My "North American Mustang" model has RAF markings and round wing tips. It is identical to the "Spitfire" model. While modeling detail is poor, the models glide pretty well and the material stands up to abuse well. I have flown flights of over 30 feet and the altitude record is 12 feet. I gave each of my four grand children (ages 3-7) a model and at least one is still flyable.
This type of silhouette model is also available in balsa wood and can be made using cardboard. Look in toy stores and model shops. You can make your own model by using the patterns in my article on MIG Alley. Make the wing, fuselage, and tail out of card board. Balance the model with a paper clip on its nose. These models fly best inside, or on calm days outside.
I fly my dogfights outside on calm days. The first problem was shooting. I decided to use my usual shooting rule – dice for hits using 1D6. When is there a shot? I tried using a plane gets a shot when it is pointing toward another plane after landing, but the planes tumble on landing. Then I tried, if it was headed toward the other plane before landing, it gets a shot, but they rarely were pointed in the right direction. I now use, if the planes land near each other they both get a shot. I considered and rejected having a shot if one plane flew across the other's line of flight. It's too hard to tell. I fly each plane in turn with one plane "tailing" the other. Dicing for shots is a little different. No smooth table is handy. I carry the die in a large plastic cup and shake the cup.
In a recent session the fights ran like this. The Zero flew first and did a long smooth glide straight before a tail wind. The Mustang followed but did not go as far. The Mustang was in a position on the Zero's tail. A shake of my cup produced a 2. The Zero was shot down. Winner flies first, so the Mustang flew cross wind, a smooth flight curving right. The Zero started after but zoomed up in the wind and hit a tree branch. Mustang wins again! Once they landed facing each other about ten feet apart; both planes rolled hits. My rules say the Zero is shot down after one hit. The Mustang is tougher, so it takes two hits to shoot it down. Do you suppose I'm biased?
This is a neat little game. It does not need movement tables or chance cards. It's quick and easy to play solo or with an opponent. Some might argue it's a bit on the fringes of wargaming. But, I remember that our founder, John Bennet, used to write a regular feature about "fring campaigning". And H.G. Wells' Little Wars, a wargame classic, includes battles fought outdoors. Think of this game as reviving or revising some lost traditions.
Museum Alert
I bought the models for this game at the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas. This is an excellent and little known museum. They have over 90 different airplanes on display. They include anything that flies, including a hot air balloon, hang gliders, and home built planes. Liberal, Kansas was a US Army aviation training center in World War II. They have an excellent exhibit on pilot training including a Link trainer and an exhibit of a pilot's quarters. There is an excellent display on the Korean War. Their latest plane was an F-14 that flew in desert Storm. The guide is a master storyteller. The model store is one of the best I have seen. Liberal is located in the southwest corner of Kansas, a long way from urban centers. But if you are interested in aviation, it's worth a special trip. If your family is not aviation minded, there is a museum about "The Land of Oz" that fascinated my wife.
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