Air Operations
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:21 am
I was surprised to see the short movement and long endurance (fuel) of aircraft in the game. Especially when a B-10 Russian Recon unit out ran my Stuka after being bombed by it. In WWII virtually all tactical bombers were capable of providing "close air support" to within ~30 minutes to any ground unit in an Army
(100x100 km) Area of Operations (AO) if they were on alert at an airbase in the Army AO. Fast moving mechanized formations repeatedly out ran their supporting artillery not so much that they were faster, but because indirect fire support required artillery units to stop, deploy, register their position on a grid map, then adjust their fire onto the target area. This whole process takes at least an hour with even the best trained/experienced unit (prior to GPS). Also,tactical/attack/strike aircraft made single bomb salvo attacks on their target PER SORTIE- not multiple strikes (until AT cannons and rockets became available).
BOTTOM LINE: Aircraft should have a fuel/endurance level that more accurately corresponds to their sortie rate per day. Historically, most single engine A/C
could turn 4 sorties per day. (A UK pilot set the record with 7 take-offs in one day during the London Blitz). Twin and triple engine A/C three sorties; and 4 or more engine A/C two sorties. The combat radius (movement allowance) for A/C was typically 1/3 their range. Single engine tactical A/C (with bomb/torpedo load) was 1/4 their range.
(100x100 km) Area of Operations (AO) if they were on alert at an airbase in the Army AO. Fast moving mechanized formations repeatedly out ran their supporting artillery not so much that they were faster, but because indirect fire support required artillery units to stop, deploy, register their position on a grid map, then adjust their fire onto the target area. This whole process takes at least an hour with even the best trained/experienced unit (prior to GPS). Also,tactical/attack/strike aircraft made single bomb salvo attacks on their target PER SORTIE- not multiple strikes (until AT cannons and rockets became available).
BOTTOM LINE: Aircraft should have a fuel/endurance level that more accurately corresponds to their sortie rate per day. Historically, most single engine A/C
could turn 4 sorties per day. (A UK pilot set the record with 7 take-offs in one day during the London Blitz). Twin and triple engine A/C three sorties; and 4 or more engine A/C two sorties. The combat radius (movement allowance) for A/C was typically 1/3 their range. Single engine tactical A/C (with bomb/torpedo load) was 1/4 their range.