Introduction
The wargamers in the Rochester, New York, area where I currently live have used 1/72 plastic model planes and Orv Banasik's Fly or Die Rules for WW I air wargames. According to a ad in MWAN #100, these rules are apparently still available from Orv Banasik.
One of the rules' distinctive features involves Aircraft Status charts, one for each type of plane. These charts are used to provide specific flying and fighting game statistics for each plane. Following are some statistics for some more plane types than those found in the original Fly or Die rules. These statistics lack the graphics of the original rules, but include, for each additional plane, armament (in machine guns), damage boxes (damage-taking ability from front, side, and rear), maximum and minimum speed, turn schedule (from A, the best in the rules to D), climb rate, and dive rate. Some of these statistics were developed by me, others by other Rochester-area wargamers such as Dave Ottney. I have added some capsule plane descriptions and occasional suggestions for variants. Sources for the statistics include (1) Kenneth Munson, Fighters 1914-19 and Bombers 1914-19 (2) the J. M. Bruce multivolume series on War Planes of the First World War, (3) The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft and (4) the text on the boxes and in the instructions of various model kits.
The development of these statistics may not be an exact science even when the authorities agree. About the only more-or-less fixed ones involve the maximum speed (miles per hour divided by 10 and rounded off) and machine guns. Other statistics (at least, those which I developed) have been more or less worked into the Fly or Die system and the existing Aircraft Status examples in the original rules. However, unless otherwise noted below, I believe that I have seen these statistics used in Rochester area Fly or Die games, so that there has been some game testing.
Central Powers
Albatross D-II
Armament: 2 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 12, Side 24, Rear 30 Speed: Maximum 10, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: D Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 4 This and the D-I were the first great Albatross fighters. The biplane D- II served from about late 1916 until early 1917, when it was succeeded by the improved D-11I (in the original rules).
Fokker D-II and D-III
Armament: 1 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 10, Side 18, Rear 23 Speed: Maximum 9, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: D Climb rate: 1, Dive Rate 3 These were two of the early Fokker biplane fighters, after the Eindecker (below) and before the Triplane and the D-VII (both original rules). The D-II and D-III served about the middle to the end of 1916
Albatross D-V
Armament: 2 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 14, Side 24, Rear 32 Speed: Maximum 11, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 5 This was a slightly improved model over the D- III, which the D-V resembled. The D-V served at the front from about the middle of 1917 through the end of the war.
Fokker D-VIII (earlier, E-V)
Armament: 2 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 13, Side 29, Rear 27 Speed: Maximum 12, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: A Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 6 This monoplane fighter first appeared as the E- V about the middle of 1918, but was found to have a wing defect (said to be due to construction errors). The plane was redesignated the D-VIII and reappeared at the front with the defect (supposedly) cured, about September 1918.
Fokker E-III
Armament: 1 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 13, Side 29, Rear 27 Speed: Maximum 9, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: D Climb rate: 1, Dive Rate 2 The E-III was the best and most famous of the Eindecker (monoplane) Fokker fighters that produced the "Fokker scourge "from about the middle of 1915 until late 1916 The "D" turn schedule provides for play balance with the opposing Allied DH-2 (original rules), but arguably the E-III should have "C" instead.
Pfatz D-III
Armament: 2 forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 16, Side 26, Rear 32 Speed: Maximum 10, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 6 The D-III (and a later type D-IIIa) biplane fighter served from about the late middle of 1917 through (or possibly almost through) the end of the war. The D-III had some good points, but was overshadowed by otherfighters.
Hanover CLH1a
Armament: 1 forward & 1 rear firing MG Damage boxes: Front 15, Side 28, Rear 36 Speed: Maximum 10, Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C Climb rate: 1, Dive Rate 3 This biplane was used as an observer, ground- attack plane, and escort fighter from about the beginning of 1918 through the end of the war. The CLIIIa was noted for its biplane tail.
Allies
Armament: 1 forward & 1 rear firing
MG Damage boxes: Front 11, Side 21, Rear
26 Speed: Maximum 9, Minimum 5 Turn
Schedule: D Climb rate: 3, Dive Rate 2
This was a Russian-designed biplane observer
which served on the Eastern Front from about
the middle of 1917 onwards.
Hanriot HD-1
Armament: 1 forward firing
MG Damage boxes: Front 12, Side
24, Rear 30 Speed: Maximum 11,
Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: A
Climb rate: 3, Dive Rate 5 or 6
This French-designed biplane fighter was not
accepted by French military aviation
authorities, but served with others, notably
Belgium and Italy, with a beginning time about
which the authorities seem to vary more than
usual (very late 1916 to late-middle 1917)
through the end of the war.
Bleriot XI Armament: no MG
Damage boxes: Front 8, Side 16, Rear 20 Speed:
Maximum 7, Minimum 3 Turn Schedule: D
Climb rate: 1, Dive Rate 2
This monoplane served as an observer from the
start of the war until about the late middle of
1915. Some could apparently carry up to about
55 pounds of bombs. (I have included it for
early Fly or Die observer related scenarios)
Morane-Saulnier N
Armament: 1 forward firing
MG Damage boxes: Front 10, Side
18, Rear 21 Speed: Maximum 9,
Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C
Climb rate: 1, Dive Rate 3
This monoplane fighter served from the end of
1914 to the middle of 1916 The French pioneer
fighter pilot Garros flew another type of
Morane-Saulnier in 1915, but some N's may
have been fitted with Garros-style deflector
plates and others apparently later received
interruptor gear.
Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter
Armament: 1 forward & 1 rear firing MG
Damage boxes: Front 12, Side 27, Rear 32
Speed: Maximum 10, Minimum 6 Turn
Schedule: C Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 2
There were 2-seat and 1-seat versions. These
statistics are for the 2-seat version of this
biplane, which served as a fighter, light bomber
(in this version, only about 100 pounds), and
observer from about early in 1916 to late in
1917 (longer on the Eastern Front). I have not
seen these statistics tested and arguably the turn
schedule could be "D".
Spad 7
Armament: 1 forward firing
MG Damage boxes: Front 13, Side
29, Rear 32 Speed: Maximum 12,
Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C
Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 7
The first great Spad fighter, this biplane served
at the front from middle 1916 to middle 1917.
Like the Pup, the Spad 7 was hampered by
having only one machine gun.
Sopwith Pup Armament: 1
forward firing MG Damage boxes: Front 11,
Side 22, Rear 27 Speed: Maximum 11,
Minimum 5 Turn Schedule: C Climb rate: 2,
Dive Rate 6
This biplane fighter served from about the late
middle of 1916 through the beginning of 1918.
The Pup was very highly rated as a flying
machine, but was hampered by having only one
machine gun.
Vickers FB-5 Gun Bus
Armament: 1 forward firing MG Damage
boxes: Front 8, Side 16, Rear 20 Speed:
Maximum 8, Minimum 4 Turn Schedule: D Climb
rate: 1, Dive Rate 2
The Gun Bus was a 2-seat pusher biplane
fighter with the pilot in the rear and the gunner
in front. The authorities seem to vary more than
usual concerning the starting time at thefront,
from late 1914 to middle 1915. It served until
the middle of 1916
and finally, an experimental:
Sikorsky Ilya Muromets Type
V
Armament: 1 forward & 2 rear firing MG
Damage boxes: Front 32, Side 64, Rear 80
Speed: Maximum 8, Minimum 4 Turn
Schedule: C Climb rate: 2, Dive Rate 2
The Ilya Muromets had several types and
varied within types. In one form or another,
these large Russian 4-engine biplane bombers
appeared about late 1914 or early 1915. Very
few (perhaps only 1) were lost to enemy air
combat, although some apparently crashed in
accidents and about 30 are said to have been
destroyed on the ground in early 1918 to avoid
capture by the Germans. The statistics here are
for the Type V model which I build (from a kit
by Maquette, a Russian company' that I
purchased from a dealer at Historicon several
years ago). On this model, the 3 MG appear to
have an extended field of fire, and one of the
rearfiring guns is mounted higher so that its fire
would seem to clear both the other gun and the
tail. However, none of the 3 appear able directly
to reach beneath the plane (the number and
mounting of Ilya Muromets MG apparently
varied, along with the crew). One variant might
be to allow one jammed or destroyed MG to be
replaced, as it appears that the model might
carry an unmounted spare inside. Another
suggestion comes from the circumstance that
such Ilya Muromets features as its 4 engines
and interior cabin meant that killing the pilot or
knocking out I engine might not necessarily
bring down the plane. Accordingly , it is
suggested that a somewhat modified Fly or Die
Critical Hits table might be used, such as the
following:
Modified Fly or Die Critical Hits table for Sikorsky Ilya Muromets Type V
(Rolling two 6-sided dice):
Related
2: Crewman killed. 4 crew kills equals plane crashes.
3: Engine hit. Each 2 engine hits reduce speed by 1 (10 mph).
4: Rudder cables hit. Lower turn rate by I (unmodified).
5: Aileron cables hit. Lower climb rate by 1 (unmodified).
6: Gun hit. Lose 1 gun (unmodified but see suggestions
above).
7: Strut hit. Cut dive rate by 1 (unmodified).
8: Wing structure hit. Cut dive rate by 1 (unmodified).
9: Engine hit. Reduce speed by 1 (10 mph).
10-11: 2 Engine hits. No stunt flying (unmodified).
12: Fuel Tank hit. Plane crashes (unmodified).
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© Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum
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