Carrier/Aircraft Rework Proposal
Sept 4, 2020 16:01:23 GMT -6
generalvikus, flemingc, and 3 more like this
Post by noshurviverse on Sept 4, 2020 16:01:23 GMT -6
The following is a proposal of mine to increase the complexity of carrier design, as well as abstracting many issues that real life carriers dealt with as they aged.
Carrier/aircraft rework
• Aircraft receive a new value: size
◘ Aircraft size is partially year/tech based, increasing steadily
◘ Aircraft size is partially unique to each plane design
◘ Aircraft size will be the primary limitation on how many aircraft a ship can carry
• Carrier air capacity is based off of tonnage, minus certain design aspects (armor, engines, ect)
◘ However, air capacity is not based of off weight, nor does addition of these element decrease air capacity to the same extent as they would based on weight
◘ Carrier air capacity is a measure of internal volume, not aircraft number
○ Example: CVL Example has a “aircraft volume” of 100 units. With a squadron of aircraft of size 5, the carrier can embark 20 aircraft. If a new model of aircraft is size 6, the carrier will be restricted to 17 aircraft (rounding up from 16.6).
• New component added: flight deck elevators
◘ Elevators are centerline (or wing once deck edge lifts are researched) components that are placed similarly to turrets or torpedo tubes
◘ At least one elevator must be on a carrier for it to be legal
◘ At least one elevator must be functional on a carrier for it to conduct air operations
◘ Additional elevators increase speed of spotting air groups
◘ Additional elevators reduce air capacity (deck edge lifts less so)
◘ Elevators may be damaged, destroyed and jammed
◘ Elevators will represent "weak spots" in armored carriers
◘ Elevators have different sizes (small, medium, large, heavy)
○ The larger an elevator is, the larger an aircraft it can accept
◘ Larger elevators are restricted by tech
○ If an aircraft is adopted that is larger than the current level of elevator tech allows for, it will be automatically researched
•New carrier option: Open hanger vs. Closed Hanger
◘At carrier construction it must be specified whether the carrier has an open or closed hanger
(At the moment I am still determining what advantages and disadvantages each option would entail. As American, British and Japanese carriers incorporated different elements into their designs it is in some cases difficult to directly attribute traits to the nature of an open/closed hanger, as opposed to other design elements.)
○Currently considered open hanger characteristics: improved spotting time (eventually partially negated by oil immersion heaters), possible bonuses to firefighting if other ships are nearby?
○Currently considered closed hanger characteristics: improved aircraft capacity for tonnage(?), possible resilience to fires spreading/being started, separated hangers(?)
• Updated spotting mechanic:
◘ A carriers spot value will be determined by a combination of it's tonnage, as well as it's max speed. A higher max speed will allow a carrier to create a greater headwind over it's flight deck, permitting the spotting of a larger airgroup
○ALTERNATIVELY or IN ADDITION: Spot value will become a more abstract number, rather than a specific number of planes. Larger and heavier aircraft will take up a larger spot value.
The end goal of this is to make carriers “age” more than in the current state of the game, as well as increasing the attractiveness of armored carriers. Currently, purpose built CVs are a 1926 tech. By that time the following techs will also be available:
• All “HP reduction” hull techs (minus one in “ship design”)
• Torpedo protection IV
• All “weight savings on armor” techs (armor tree)
A result of this is that a carrier built in 1926 is largely as capable as a carrier built in 1945. By causing aircraft to increase in size, as well as requiring larger elevators, older carriers will become gradually less effective, encouraging their replacement or at least major refits. The addition of "size" to aircraft stats will also increase the options to be weighed when considering which aircraft to accept from manufacturers. If an aircraft has superior stats but a larger size, the decision must be made whether air group size or aircraft effectiveness will be prioritized. Of course, a player may select "size" as a design focus request.
Notes
From Shattered Sword (pg 46): "Junyō was larger and had better aircraft handling facilities, but she was hampered by her low speed of twenty-five knots. This meant that she was not considered capable of operating torpedo aircraft, because in light wind conditions she wasn’t fast enough to create the relative wind over her bow necessary to launch them. Kakuta’s flagship, Ryūjō, was faster, but she was plagued by small elevators, meaning that she could not operate the burly Type 99 dive-bomber."
Hōshō (commisioned 1922) participated in the Battle of Midway, but only provided auxiliary duties such as scouting and ASW patrols as she was only equipped with a small number of biplane torpedo bombers.
From Wikipedia article on HMS Argus (I49): Argus was the only British carrier serving in the Second World War capable of striking down (stowing away) aircraft with non-folding wings because of her wide lifts and tall hangar ceiling.
Armoredcarriers.com has a pair of documents from the British Navy, 1943 discussing the merits of open and closed hangers
www.armouredcarriers.com/opensided-versus-closed-hangars-in-aircraft-carriers
www.armouredcarriers.com/-document-2-opensided-versus-closed-hangars
Carrier/aircraft rework
• Aircraft receive a new value: size
◘ Aircraft size is partially year/tech based, increasing steadily
◘ Aircraft size is partially unique to each plane design
◘ Aircraft size will be the primary limitation on how many aircraft a ship can carry
• Carrier air capacity is based off of tonnage, minus certain design aspects (armor, engines, ect)
◘ However, air capacity is not based of off weight, nor does addition of these element decrease air capacity to the same extent as they would based on weight
◘ Carrier air capacity is a measure of internal volume, not aircraft number
○ Example: CVL Example has a “aircraft volume” of 100 units. With a squadron of aircraft of size 5, the carrier can embark 20 aircraft. If a new model of aircraft is size 6, the carrier will be restricted to 17 aircraft (rounding up from 16.6).
• New component added: flight deck elevators
◘ Elevators are centerline (or wing once deck edge lifts are researched) components that are placed similarly to turrets or torpedo tubes
◘ At least one elevator must be on a carrier for it to be legal
◘ At least one elevator must be functional on a carrier for it to conduct air operations
◘ Additional elevators increase speed of spotting air groups
◘ Additional elevators reduce air capacity (deck edge lifts less so)
◘ Elevators may be damaged, destroyed and jammed
◘ Elevators will represent "weak spots" in armored carriers
◘ Elevators have different sizes (small, medium, large, heavy)
○ The larger an elevator is, the larger an aircraft it can accept
◘ Larger elevators are restricted by tech
○ If an aircraft is adopted that is larger than the current level of elevator tech allows for, it will be automatically researched
•New carrier option: Open hanger vs. Closed Hanger
◘At carrier construction it must be specified whether the carrier has an open or closed hanger
(At the moment I am still determining what advantages and disadvantages each option would entail. As American, British and Japanese carriers incorporated different elements into their designs it is in some cases difficult to directly attribute traits to the nature of an open/closed hanger, as opposed to other design elements.)
○Currently considered open hanger characteristics: improved spotting time (eventually partially negated by oil immersion heaters), possible bonuses to firefighting if other ships are nearby?
○Currently considered closed hanger characteristics: improved aircraft capacity for tonnage(?), possible resilience to fires spreading/being started, separated hangers(?)
• Updated spotting mechanic:
◘ A carriers spot value will be determined by a combination of it's tonnage, as well as it's max speed. A higher max speed will allow a carrier to create a greater headwind over it's flight deck, permitting the spotting of a larger airgroup
○ALTERNATIVELY or IN ADDITION: Spot value will become a more abstract number, rather than a specific number of planes. Larger and heavier aircraft will take up a larger spot value.
The end goal of this is to make carriers “age” more than in the current state of the game, as well as increasing the attractiveness of armored carriers. Currently, purpose built CVs are a 1926 tech. By that time the following techs will also be available:
• All “HP reduction” hull techs (minus one in “ship design”)
• Torpedo protection IV
• All “weight savings on armor” techs (armor tree)
A result of this is that a carrier built in 1926 is largely as capable as a carrier built in 1945. By causing aircraft to increase in size, as well as requiring larger elevators, older carriers will become gradually less effective, encouraging their replacement or at least major refits. The addition of "size" to aircraft stats will also increase the options to be weighed when considering which aircraft to accept from manufacturers. If an aircraft has superior stats but a larger size, the decision must be made whether air group size or aircraft effectiveness will be prioritized. Of course, a player may select "size" as a design focus request.
Notes
From Shattered Sword (pg 46): "Junyō was larger and had better aircraft handling facilities, but she was hampered by her low speed of twenty-five knots. This meant that she was not considered capable of operating torpedo aircraft, because in light wind conditions she wasn’t fast enough to create the relative wind over her bow necessary to launch them. Kakuta’s flagship, Ryūjō, was faster, but she was plagued by small elevators, meaning that she could not operate the burly Type 99 dive-bomber."
Hōshō (commisioned 1922) participated in the Battle of Midway, but only provided auxiliary duties such as scouting and ASW patrols as she was only equipped with a small number of biplane torpedo bombers.
From Wikipedia article on HMS Argus (I49): Argus was the only British carrier serving in the Second World War capable of striking down (stowing away) aircraft with non-folding wings because of her wide lifts and tall hangar ceiling.
Armoredcarriers.com has a pair of documents from the British Navy, 1943 discussing the merits of open and closed hangers
www.armouredcarriers.com/opensided-versus-closed-hangars-in-aircraft-carriers
www.armouredcarriers.com/-document-2-opensided-versus-closed-hangars