Post by osirisraptor on Nov 13, 2020 1:43:54 GMT -6
New to the forums, becoming a fast fan of this project.
I would like to propose adding Customization, CAP, Recon, and Strike missions to the Airships in RTW2.
I think this game, with its emphasis on customizability, would benefit greatly from having limited customization to airships (weather survivability and aircraft numbers increasing incrementally from 2 to 10) as well as the ability to control those aircraft as carriers do.
My argument is based on historical analysis:
While the airships in the US Navy were short lived there was at the time concerted effort by the navy to make them a stronger part of the fleet. During USS Akron and USS Macon's lives there were regular exercises involving attaching bombs and extended fuel tanks to the parasite aircraft. The extended fuel tanks were to provide increased recon range to the F9C Sparrow, at least 50 miles.
Additionally prior to their demise a follow on design called the ZRCV was under consideration. The ZRCV would feature twin trapeze and 10 monowing bombers, an airwing comparable to the USS Langley. Based on this it is easy to imagine what 10 Fairey Swordfish hunting the Bismarck from an Airship would look like.
A more rigid structure was also being tested on the ZMC-2 prototype but was never incorporated into larger airships. This design was an all metal skin and frame and may have proven much more survivable to weather and perhaps even small arms fire from 1920s-1930s fighters.
Unlike blimps the Navy generally considered the airships to be more ships than aircraft. They were still refining how these ships were to be incorporated into the fleet before the weather killed them all. In the fleet problems they are referred to by name rather than type. It is reasonable to assume that advances in stronger hull designs could have solved this and allowed, up until WWII and the introduction of larger caliber air to air guns, for Airships to be a key component of a naval scouting force.
I can provide sources if needed. I understand this is a tall request. My apologies for the long post.
OsirisRaptor
I would like to propose adding Customization, CAP, Recon, and Strike missions to the Airships in RTW2.
I think this game, with its emphasis on customizability, would benefit greatly from having limited customization to airships (weather survivability and aircraft numbers increasing incrementally from 2 to 10) as well as the ability to control those aircraft as carriers do.
My argument is based on historical analysis:
While the airships in the US Navy were short lived there was at the time concerted effort by the navy to make them a stronger part of the fleet. During USS Akron and USS Macon's lives there were regular exercises involving attaching bombs and extended fuel tanks to the parasite aircraft. The extended fuel tanks were to provide increased recon range to the F9C Sparrow, at least 50 miles.
Additionally prior to their demise a follow on design called the ZRCV was under consideration. The ZRCV would feature twin trapeze and 10 monowing bombers, an airwing comparable to the USS Langley. Based on this it is easy to imagine what 10 Fairey Swordfish hunting the Bismarck from an Airship would look like.
A more rigid structure was also being tested on the ZMC-2 prototype but was never incorporated into larger airships. This design was an all metal skin and frame and may have proven much more survivable to weather and perhaps even small arms fire from 1920s-1930s fighters.
Unlike blimps the Navy generally considered the airships to be more ships than aircraft. They were still refining how these ships were to be incorporated into the fleet before the weather killed them all. In the fleet problems they are referred to by name rather than type. It is reasonable to assume that advances in stronger hull designs could have solved this and allowed, up until WWII and the introduction of larger caliber air to air guns, for Airships to be a key component of a naval scouting force.
I can provide sources if needed. I understand this is a tall request. My apologies for the long post.
OsirisRaptor