New planes requests (from other threads/please pin it)

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Janosch

With 389 flyable planes, perhaps aesthetics should be the one and only deciding factor. And by golly, does the Fairy Fox look cute or what! Another beautiful plane I didn't know that existed.

The Fairey Fox is one of the prettiest biplanes out there. The Hawker Hart and its derivatives are also very nice looking. Some saw limited action in WW2.

If you can stand to use hacks, the Avia B.534 is a reasonable stand-in for both the Fox and the Hawker Fury (fighter version of the Hart).

An utterly obscure Belgian plane which also looks very sweet is the Renard R.31. 20 were built and it was used in limited numbers during the invasion of Belgium, although most were destroyed on the ground. I forgot to include it in the list of Belgian recon aircraft.

But, if you're just going by esthetics rather than criteria like "actually entered production" or "actually used in combat", that opens hundreds of possibilities. Too many to possibly be added to the game.

[Pursuivant]

Continuing my posts on early war RAF aircraft which are appropriate for the new English Channel map.

This is a very stripped down listing of RAF aircraft in service on "Eagle Day" (August 18, 1940). Starred aircraft are those which played a particularly important role in the Battle of Britain.

Heavy Bomber: Stirling I

Medium Bomber: Blenheim IV, Hampden I, Whitley I

Light Bomber/Patrol: Anson I, Beaufort I, Battle I, Hudson I

Flying Boat/Heavy Patrol: Lerwick, Stanraer, Sunderland I

Fighter: Hawker Hurricane I (mid)*, I (late)*, IIA, Supermarine Spitfire I, IA*, II*, IIA*

Night Fighter: Blenheim IF, IVF

Turret Fighter: Defiant I

Coop/Liaison: Lysander I, Anson I.

To have a decent "Battle of Britain" order of battle for the RAF, at minimum the early marks of Hurricane and Spitfire are needed for the UK (Say Hurricane I (late), Spitfire IA and IIA). "Nice to have" aircraft for the RAF would be a flyable Blenheim IV and the Defiant (AI).

There's a good enough selection of early war Luftwaffe aircraft that no additions are needed. But, "nice to have" Luftwaffe aircraft which were commonly used during the battle are the Bf 109E-1, Bf 109E-1/B, Bf 109E-3, Do 17Z-2, He 111A-1 (flyable), and He 115B-1.

Aircraft which weren't that important to the actual battle, but which became more important later on, are the Anson, Beaufighter IIF, Hampden, Hudson, Stirling, and Sunderland.

[Pursuivant]

This is a listing of RAF aircraft in service as of June 1942 serving in the UK. Many were used over the English Channel.

Heavy Bomber: Halifax I, II, Lancaster I, Stirling I, III

Medium Bomber: Blenheim IV, V, Hampden I, Manchester I, Mosquito IV, Wellington IA, IC, II, III, IV, Whitley V

Flying Boat/Patrol: Catalina IB, IIIA, Sunderland I, II, III

Light Bomber/Patrol: Boston III, IIIA, Hudson I, II, III, V, VI

Heavy Bomber/Patrol: Fortress I, II, IIA, Liberator I, II, III

Fighter/Attack: Hurricane IIA, IIB, IIC, Mustang I, IA, II, Spitfire IIA, IIB, IV, VA, VB, VC, Tomahawk I, IIA, IIB, Typhoon IA, IB

Night Fighter/Intruder: Beaufighter IIF, Defiant II, Havoc I, Mosquito II

Heavy/Strike Fighter: Beaufighter I, II, VI, VIC, Mosquito II, IV, Whirlwind I

Coop/Liaison: Lysander II, III, IIIA, Dominie, Hudson IV

Note that many of these aircraft are already in the game, although some aren't flyable.

To my mind, the most iconic mid-war RAF planes are probably the early Beaufighter and Typhoon variants, as well as the Stirling and Sunderland.

For early Lend-Lease aircraft the big omission is the Boston III (and possibly the easiest to add since it possibly could be converted from the A-20C), although the Hudson would be almost as useful to have.

Note that this list just covers RAF aircraft and omits useful FAA aircraft types like the Fairey Albacore and Supermarine Walrus.

[Verdun1916]

A nice list, Pursuivant!

To bad we can't hope for the Catalina in the stock game though!

[Pursuivant]

This is a simplified listing of aircraft which were used operationally by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1939 to 1942.

In the first part of World War II, the Royal Navy had three major goals: Keep the German fleet "bottled up," protect convoys from patrol bombers and U-boats, and maintain control of the Suez Canal by controlling the Mediterranean. It was also called upon to protect evacuation operations as British and allied forces were evacuated from the continent in Norway, France, and Greece.

Due to pre-war treaty and budget constraints there were relatively few FAA aircraft and just a few large aircraft carriers. Rapid changes in aircraft technology, as well as some faulty assumptions about carrier aircraft performance, meant that many FAA aircraft were obsolete before they entered service.

Starred aircraft are those which played particularly important roles that year. Depending on which element of the FAA's history you are studying certain aircraft become more or less important.

1939
Carrier Fighter: Sea Gladiator I, II
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II*
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Swordfish I*
Carrier Turret Fighter: Blackburn Roc
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boat: Seagull V, Walrus I
Liaison & Transport: Dominie II, Flamingo

1940
Carrier Fighter: Martlet I*, Sea Gladiator I, II*, Field Mod (extra guns)
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I*
Carrier Turret Fighter: Blackburn Roc
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I, Swordfish I*
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA*
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boats: Seagull V, Walrus I*
Land-based Fighter: Buffalo I.
Land-Based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo.

1941
Carrier Fighter: Martlet II*, III*, IV*, Sea Gladiator II*, Field Mod (extra guns), Sea Hurricane IB, IC*
Carrier Fighter/Dive Bomber: Skua II
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I, II*
Carrier Night Fighter: Fulmar NF II
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I, Swordfish I*
Carrier Torpedo/Dive Bomber: Barracuda II*
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boat: Seagull V, Walrus I, II
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA*
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Land-based Fighter: Buffalo I
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Avro 652, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, Lysander IIIA

1942
Carrier Fighter: Sea Hurricane IB, IC, IIC*, XIIA, Seafire IB, F.IIc*, L(F).IIc*
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Fulmar I, II*
Carrier Night Fighter: Fulmar NF II
Carrier Recon Fighter: Seafire FR.IIc
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I*, Swordfish I*
Catapult ASR/ Recon Flying Boat: Sea Otter I, II, Walrus I, II
Catapult Fighter: Sea Hurricane IA
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Kingfisher I, Seafox, Swordfish I (float)
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Avro 652, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, JRF Goose I, Lysander IIIA.

[Pursuivant]

This is a simplified listing of aircraft used operationally by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1943-45, with a few aircraft which were introduced just too late to see service in World War II but which were important in Britain's post-WW II conflicts.

This period of the war sees the UK gradually winning its battles in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and then going on the offensive, with strikes against the remaining German capital ships in Norway and support of allied invasions of North Africa and Europe. 1943 saw the culmination of the "Battle of the Atlantic," where combined US and UK forces were finally able to destroy U-Boats in large numbers.

Starting in late 1941, the Royal Navy also had to divert some of its forces to protect its remaining territories in the Far East from Japanese invasion, and to keep supply lines open to India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Australia, and New Zealand. With the rapid pace of Japanese expansion, and with the battles for the Atlantic at the Mediterranean becoming more intense, there was little the RN could do in 1942. But, starting in 1943 the Royal Navy began to stage offensive operations in the South Pacific, preventing the Japanese fleet from attacking Ceylon and India, and supporting US and Commonwealth forces as they pushed north and east from New Guinea.

In part due to lavish US military aid, as well as an economy fully-converted to war production, the late war Royal Navy had more ships than it ever had before, with numerous aircraft carriers. Smaller carriers were used to escort convoys and used older aircraft types such as the Martlet and Swordfish, while the big fleet carriers were equipped with newer and more powerful aircraft - both British and US.

Starred aircraft are those which were particularly important that year, although importance might vary depending on your area of interest.

1943
Carrier ASW Patrol: Swordfish III*
Carrier Dive/Torpedo Bomber: Barracuda I, II*
Carrier Fighter: Corsair I*, II*, Gannet (Hellcat) I*, Martlet (Wildcat) IV*, Sea Hurricane IIC, XIIA, Seafire F.IIc*, L.IIc, III (hybrid), F.III*, L(F).III
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Firefly F.I*, F.IA, Fulmar II
Carrier Night Fighter: Fulmar NF II
Carrier Recon Fighter: Firefly FR.IV, Seafire FR.IIc, FR.III
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Albacore I*, Tarpon/Avenger I*, II, Swordfish II
Catapult ASR/Recon Flying Boat: Sea Otter I, II, Walrus I, II
Catapult Recon Seaplane: Kingfisher I, Swordfish I (float)
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I
Liaison & Transport: Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, Harrow, JRF Goose I, Lysander IIIA.

1944
Carrier ASW Patrol: Firefly AS.5, AS.6, Swordfish III
Carrier Dive/Torpedo Bomber: Barracuda II, III*
Carrier Fighter: Corsair I, II*, Hellcat I, II*, Seafire F.III*, L.III, F.XV*, F.XV (late), Wildcat VI*
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Firefly F.I, F.IA, F.IV*, Fulmar II
Carrier Night Fighter: Firefly NF.I, NF.II, Fulmar NF II, Hellcat NF.II
Carrier Recon Fighter: Firefly FR.I, FR.I (late), FR.IV, Seafire FR.III
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Avenger II, III*, Swordfish II
Catapult ASR/ Recon Flying Boat: Sea Otter I, II, Walrus I, II
Helicopter: R-4B Hoverfly
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I, Baltimore IV, Va, V
Liaison & Transport: C-45 Expeditor, Dakota IV, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, Hudson III, IV, V, VI, JRF Goose, Lysander IIIA, UC-81 Reliant I

1945
Carrier ASW Patrol: Firefly AS.5, AS.6, Swordfish III
Carrier Dive/Torpedo Bomber: Barracuda II, III, IV*
Carrier Fighter: Corsair II, IV*, Hellcat I, II*, Seafire F.III, L.III, F.XV, F.XV (late)*, F.XVII (early)*, F.XVII
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Firefly F.I, F.IA, F.IV*, Fulmar II
Carrier Night Fighter: Firefly NF Mk.II, Fulmar NF II, Hellcat NF.II
Carrier Recon Fighter: Firefly FR.I, FR.I (late), FR.IV, Seafire FR.III
Carrier Torpedo Bomber: Avenger II, III, Swordfish II
Catapult ASR/ Recon Flying Boat: Sea Otter I, II
Helicopter: R-4B Hoverfly
Land-based Recon/Light Patrol Bomber: Maryland I, Baltimore IV, Va, V
Liaison & Transport: C-45 Expeditor, Dakota IV, Dominie II, D.H. 86 Express, Flamingo, Hudson III, IV, V, VI JRF Goose, Lysander IIIA, UC-81 Reliant I

1946
Carrier Fighter: Sea Fury, Seafire XV, XVIII
Carrier Heavy Fighter: Firebrand F.I
Carrier Fighter/Torpedo Bomber: Firebrand TF.II

[Spudkopf]

46' ...............

What about the Sea Hornet F.20, NF.21 and PR.22?

Not to mention a Sea Vampire FB.5, seeing that on the 4th December, 1945 Eric "Winkle" Brown made the first jet landing on the aircraft carrier HMS Ocean with a modified prototype Vampire.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Spudkopf

What about the Sea Hornet F.20, NF.21 and PR.22? Not to mention a Sea Vampire FB.5 . . .

Very good calls for a Korean War plane set, or for a hypothetical "Cold War Goes Hot" campaign ca. 1946-48.

But, I had to draw the line somewhere, so I limited my "1946" selection to just planes which were in testing (and went into service after the war in 1945-46) or were "working up" for the Invasion of Japan when the war ended in August 1945.

IMO, the regular D.H. 103 Hornet Mk. I (not the Sea Hornet) and the D.H. 100 Vampire Mk. I would count as a "1946" aircraft for the RAF, since they were in production in early 1945.

[JacksonsGhost]

Heinkel He 115 please (non-flyable is fine by me )

[Verdun1916]

Originally Posted by JacksonsGhost

Heinkel He 115 please (non-flyable is fine by me )

I second that! The He 115 would be a great addition! A big plus if flyable off course.