A "Tour of Duty" Spits needed thread.

[Squire]

Its true the Seafire IIc did see ops during Torch, but to keep it as the dominant mark because of that doesnt make sense to me when it was supplanted fully by the Seafire III in ops againts the Japanese in larger #s.

The two big fighters for the Fleet Air Arm in 1941-2 were the F4F (Martlet) and the Sea Hurricane (read up on PEDESTAL).  After that the F4U-1, F6F  and Seafire became the dominant types, 43-45.

The Seafire III was also used at Normandy (land based), and the Invasion of S. France in Aug 44 (CV based), also the attacks on the Tirpitz and axis shipping in 1944.

Anything involving the British Pacific Fleet in 1945 vs the IJN (Okinawa, Home Islands), would be Seafire III not Seafire II.

So thats my take on the Seafire III. Its somewhat complicated because the history of the Fleet Air Arm, was.

*Boost on Malta Spitfires. Well, they would have been at +16 in 1942 at some point, but I have no exact data on that. Malta recieved both Spit Vb and Spit Vc types, 1942-43, both from CVs and later, long range flights from Gibraltar.

[gatso]

Sooo..

Really if we are to be sensible, the Seafire III and a Spitfire Vb at 12lb could cover four models of Sea/Spitfire which could be used in events whereas giving us a Vc and a Seafire III would struggle to give us three over a limited 1943+ timeframe?

It really seems like the Seaf III gives us more options than the Vc and looking at these threads that there really doesn't seem to be a better way to cover such a broad variety of time/model than the Spit Vb at 12 and the Seaf III at 18 given that we're only going to get 2 models to cover this whole time period.

It's a shame, but one that I don't see getting a solution to, that we can't modle subtle changes like adding a Volkes trop filter or slipper tanks and clipped wings as and when required.  It would also be useful to disable certain ammo loadouts from certain events.  You mentioned the F4-F above which if I've read correctly only had 4 50cal guns initially.  The LA-7 (2-3 gun), and some spits which were or were not able to take bombs on certain hardpoints may also benefit from being able to limit loadouts.

Btw I'm really looking forward to the Hurri's getting updated    It can't be that hard to add a hook to the IIc can it?

Gatso

[Wotan]

From what I read about the Seafires II in Op Torch is that they were at more of a hazard to themselves just taking-off and landing...

You could just leave them out completely and it wouldn't make that much difference in terms of 'real life' impact.

Of course that won't happen and just because of the 'realities' of real life doesn't mean they need to be repeated in game...

I don't think it should be much of an issue at least not in ToD near term. This may give the CT and other event s a chance to evaluate how it plays...

[Kev367th]

I would hope that TOD would grow into more than just an 8th AF v LW.
Would like to see the whole war from BoB up to 1945 included, and not just Germany but the Med/Russia etc also.
I know it's a long way off, but would really hope it's not gonna be stuck in one small timeframe of WWII or area. (future development maybe)

CV based Hurri 2c, , hurry up and add that hook!

I think near term Spits are fairly well covered, long term depends on what direction TOD takes. eg tropicalised versions.

[Wotan]

I would hope that TOD would grow into more than just an 8th AF v LW.

There's isn't the plane set to do much else in the near term...

Even BoB has problems. There's only the Ju88A-4 for a LW bomber. There is no early Stuka. The 110C-4/b with a DB601N is rare variety and not representative of BoB period 110s...

Other theaters are even worse off...

There are no VVS aircraft. While Pac set ups maybe the stuff of dreams for AMI superheros there's no real 'community' of Japanese fans like there is with Ami, RAF and LW planes.

HT has indicated some time ago that the first theater would be WETO 8th AF themed. It stands to reason that if this is still the case then they would be planning new aircraft around this premise.

The METO has issues as well, at least the early period, but this is the only other reasonable theater that could be run as it stands now...

[Kev367th]

Originally posted by Wotan
From what I read about the Seafires II in Op Torch is that they were at more of a hazard to themselves just taking-off and landing...

Yup, the narrow U/C was a problem.

Looking back over the whole thread, starting to agree it may be best to have the Vb @ 16lbs just from a TOD point of view.
Although if it came in @ 12lbs and it was realised the 16lbs was really needed its easy enough to do.

Main thing is we have the range of basic models (i.e. airframe types/wing types) that enable stuff like that to happen.

For example if he decided to include a XII in the future, all that needs doing is to mate the Mk VIII with a 'c' wing (late XII) or a Mk V airframe with a 'c' wing (early XII)

Proposed models assuming the VIII is added gives us
Wings - a,b,c and e : the full range
Fuselage - V, VIII, XVI, XIV

From those basics almost all others can be produced (apart from tropicalised versions).

I would suggest when the Hurris are re-done we approach the suggested list in a similar fashion.