Back to the Front

The Western Front that is for some dog fighting shenanigans.  I haven't dragged out my air combat rules for a while and still had some rule additions to play test to cover out of plane maneuvers (which is not where a pilot falls out of his aircraft).  No, what they are manoeuvres where the aircraft climbs or dives as part of it's movement.  Last time out was a 1916 scenario with Eindeckers v a DH2 and a Sopwith Strutter.  I'm more than happy with the basic movement and combat rules so no changes are needed there.  It was the use of aerobatics that had been causing the problems.  Having had time for my ideas to simmer I think I have a workable solution but need to test it with aircraft whose wings won't fall off at the mere hint of a hammerhead turn!  So it's off to 1918 for this one for some SE5A v Fokker DVII/Albatros DVa action (well I need at least one 'plane where the wings may fall off I suppose).

The assembled cast - no signs of any wings coming off yet!

Most WW1 dogfights had very little in the way of out of plane elements to them and especially in the early part of the war, were mostly rate of turn contests.  Hence the term dogfights as apparently this is what dogs actually do while trying to get to the back of the other dog to bite without being bitten.  Snoopy aside most dogs are not really up for boom and zoom tactics. Max Immelmann started to change that with his use of the famous turn named after him which was more of a 'wingover' in today's terminology than the half loop and roll out that is called an Immelmann today.

The out of plane rules create a maneuver move which requires a number of movement points to execute and finishes with the 'plane in a different position, height and facing than a normal move using the in plane rules would be able to do.  They can allow a 'plane to cover less horizontal distance without shedding speed (or at least not too much speed) to prevent overshoots or to turn into an opponent to obtain a firing position quickly.  Some are high stress moves which will need a check on the damage table. Fortunately I only need a limited number of these maneuvers as WW1 aeroplanes didn't have the power for many of the basic combat maneuvers we see in WW2 and later air combat.  These will include:

• Hammerhead turn (High Stress)
• Left and right side slips
• High and low Yo Yo
• Displacement rolls and Barrel rolls (High Stress)
• Half loop and roll out (modern Immelmann turn) (High Stress)
• Full Loop

Scouts will have a some or all of these special moves available to them.  I don't envisage any high stress maneuvers being available for two seaters or multi engine craft with a couple of exceptions such as the Bristol Fighter.  So for example early war scouts will have side slips and possibly Yo Yos available while a late war type like a Fokker DVII will have all of them.

As a bonus a fellow member of the Sealed Knot has some WW1 Heroics and Ros Aircraft he doesn't want and is letting me have them.  From what he has said there are about 25 of them in reasonable condition although one or two will need a bit of TLC.   Nothing some plasticard and superglue can't fix.

So onto the scenario.  Nothing too complicated just straight air supremacy for this one.  Two flights of scouts contesting the airspace.  Last man standing wins.   One the British side a pair of SE5a Scouts and for the Germans a Fokker DVII and an Albatros DVa.  Both enter the table at 6.000 feet plus 1D6 x 1,000 feet flying towards each other neither side has spotted the other at the start of turn one.

The aircraft models are from Heroics and Ros (the Albatros) and Irregular (the others).  As always the Irregular castings look a lot better when painted and are easy to assemble.  The H&R are trickier to build as they have more parts (seven in total for the Albatros) but they are stunning little castings.  There are some other 6mm manufacturers out there but I haven't had any samples of their wares cross my painting desk yet

Chocks away chaps.