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Post by mikedski on Feb 12, 2018 13:45:55 GMT
Perhaps more like aerial cavalry?
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Post by terrance on Feb 12, 2018 17:42:37 GMT
Scott, thanks. I meant to ask you about the wing insignia. Was this an early US Army Signal Corp identification marking? I just made them up. I didn't want to use the traditional circular insignia, so i used square Also there would be the issue of distinguishing them from the rondel of other countries. In WWII the US aircraft insignia was a white star with a red circle inside. My dad was in the army air corp during WWII and once told me the red circle was soon dropped because it was easily confused with he Japanese insignia in combat. Not much of a chance for friendly fire incidents in AQ, but an interesting trivia bit none the less.
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Post by terrance on Feb 12, 2018 17:43:32 GMT
Also, I just bought some of Scott's airplanes. Haven't built them yet but will soon to get them in the Timeline Campaign.
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Post by boxholder on Feb 12, 2018 21:53:32 GMT
Roundels were used by several countries. Britain used blue outer ring-white middle ring-red center. France used red outer ring-white mid-blue center.
There were others, but I don't have a reference handy.
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Post by hardlec on Feb 18, 2018 16:11:32 GMT
There are a couple ways to go with this. The pilots can adopt the fatalistic attitude of the kamikaze or a different manner altogether.
Dozens of planes against several tripods is going to be a slaughter.
A vic of three or four making attack runs against a single tripod is going to be a different thing altogether.
The primary function of the aero-craft is reconnaissance. They may see themselves as dragon-hunters.
The bomber crews will be a different matter.
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Post by hardlec on Feb 19, 2018 13:17:09 GMT
One of the problems with the rondels was the US, UK, France and Russia all had red, white and blue flags. It was hard to tell who was who.
Recognition insignia for aerocraft will only be needed to tell one unit from another.
In WWI pilots had their own color schemes. Only Von Richtophen had a red plane. There was this other hotshot named Goering who had his own special pattern.
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Post by mikedski on Feb 20, 2018 12:47:05 GMT
I suppose in this War color schemes and markings are more for morale and battlefield recognition than friend or foe identification. Given the atrocious casualty rates perhaps why bother?
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Post by David N.Tanner 07011959 on Feb 21, 2018 2:23:29 GMT
I suppose in this War color schemes and markings are more for morale and battlefield recognition than friend or foe identification. Given the atrocious casualty rates perhaps why bother? Given the atrocious casualty rates any little morale boost couldn't possible hurt. Actually I can see both sides of the argument., but I will make my planes very gaudy.
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Post by boxholder on Feb 23, 2018 22:28:31 GMT
Well, there can be significant psych value in a color scheme. A known ace, such as Red Baron, can scare the crap out of an opponent. He may be beaten before the first shot is fired.
Color schemes seem to change as the fortunes of war change. If you are losing, there seems to be a tendency to drab camo to hide things. When you are winning, the tendency seems to be bright. vivid color schemes. WW2 early, Allied aircraft were pretty drab when Germans sported bright colors. Late WW2, Allied were bright and Axis were pretty drab.
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Post by hardlec on Feb 24, 2018 17:10:27 GMT
From the Martian point of view, a sky full of brightly colored aerocraft will be a sky full of difficult targets. I think there would be some value to individual paint jobs using the dazzle pattern logic.
A wing of attack planes against a group of tripods might be a disaster, but a vic against a single tripod or a wing against a subgroup of tripods would be a different matter. Soldiers will attack against bad odds. It's what we do.
Vic: 3 aerocraft Flight: 4 Vics, 12 aerocraft a Flight might have its own airstrip or airfield. Wing: 4 flights. 48 aerocraft. A Wing will have an aerodrome: airstrips, handers, maintenance sheds, barracks etc.
a Vic will do recon work, function as Jabos (Jabos is a WWII term for escort fighters returning to base and looking for targets. It is an anachronism and needs replacement) and will do limited attack missions.
A Flight will conduct attack missions.
A wing is usually an administrative unit but may be called on for attack missions.
Bombers will be used in Flights or Wings. Bombers are the hammer of god. Effective, but not for delicate work.
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Post by boxholder on Feb 25, 2018 16:41:43 GMT
RIght, brother Tanner. Color schemes will not mean much to the Martians. Looking up at the sky makes most colors just be dark shapes against a bright background.
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