A CaS player in Poland wrote in with the several questions, all of them pointing out holes or inconsistencies in the rules. Here are Klak's questions and the changes:
"... [An] F4F-3 takes off and climbs to medium altitude. Its range is 735 nm, its range cruise at medium alt. is 160. So time aloft is 735/160 = 4.59 hours. But after climbing to medium alt it's slowing down, its maximum speed at medium altitude is 285, so its minimum speed is 20% of 285 = 57 knots. So if time aloft will change and range stays the same, new time aloft will be 160/57 * 4.59 = 12.88 hours. Ok, I have missed time to climb to medium altitude in this calculation, but anyhow we have CAP capable of staying entire day on patrol over task force. "I have to admit I have no source of maximum possible time aloft for F4F-3, nor fuel consumption tables on different speed for this plane, but over 12 hours for single seated fighter is strange (at least due to pilot fatigue). Am I making some kind of mistake, or this fighter is really capable of full day of flight?"
Absolutely not, Hubert. The 20% figure represents Stalling speed, the slowest the airplane can go and remain in controlled flight. Combat aircraft rarely operate at these speeds during normal operations. In fact, since players are usually interested in going as fast as possible, we designed the model with that in mind. But aircraft can't go much slower than range cruise and maintain altitude. But planes do want to extend their time aloft, or loiter. And now I see your problem. While there is a slot on the Mission Planning Form for recording a plane's loiter time, we don't tell you how to figure it.
New Rule: Add to the end of section 4.2 Speeds.
If a plane wants to fly slower than its range cruise speed, it must descend. Range cruise represents the minimum efficient speed for the plane, and traveling slower than range cruise means the plane isn't generating enough lift to maintain altitude. If the plane slows to 99% - 80% of Range Cruise speed, it must descend 100 m per three-minute Tactical Turn. If it slows to 79% - 50% of Range Cruise, it must descent 300 m per Tactical Turn. If it slows to 49% to 20% of Range Cruise , it must descend 900 m per Tactical Turn. If is slows to 19% or less of Range Cruise speed, it stalls and crashes.
If the required descent causes it to reach the surface, it crashes.
New rule:
4.11.5 Loitering If a plane wants to remain aloft for an extended time loitering in a single spot, the player has to turn range into time. Take the plane's cruise range and divide it by the range cruise speed. That will tell you how many turns the plane can loiter. Or, for each turn the plane loiters, cross off one turns' worth of distance at its range cruise speed. "...in 7.4.1.2 there are unchanged modifiers from second edition, Modifiers in Low Altitude Level Bomber Attack Table are most probably incorrect (it is rather hard to apply +.01 in this table)."
Correction:
On page 7-13, The Low Altitude Bomber attack table modifiers for Ballistic Bombsight and Non-Maneuvering targets should be changed from +.01 and +.02 to +1 and +2 "...Another interesting point is 7.4.2 Air-Launched Torpedoes. As far as I understand there is assumption that attacked ship is doing the best to evade. Shouldn't a random course change applied to this ship after attack (something like for sub under ASW attack)? This can model the mess that can happen in a formation during attack. Assumption of maneuvering if also used in other air attack tables (there are positive modifiers for attacker for target not maneuvering). Maybe also for this tables random target course change should be applied?"
New Rule: Add this to the end of section 7.4.2:
After an aerial torpedo attack, unless a ship has chosen not to maneuver (or cannot maneuver, e.g., a rudder casualty), it will not be on the same heading it was when the attack started. Roll randomly to see what its new course will be. Roll D6 to see if it is to port (1-3) or starboard (4-6) of the previous course, and D10 times 10° to see how far it has turned. Also, the ship is off station by D6/2 thousand yards.
Thanks very much, Hubert.
BT
Back to The Naval Sitrep #19 Table of Contents
Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2000 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com