Hopefully the Fw 189 will be the next observation plane since it could defend itslef and drop tiny bombs.
Fw 189 A-1: Initial production version, armed with two flexible 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns in the dorsal and rear positions, one 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun in each wing root, plus four 50 kg (110 lb) bombs.
Called the "Flying Eye" of the German army, the Fw 189 was used extensively on the Eastern Front with great success. Its Russian nickname was "Rama" (Frame), referring to its distinctive tailboom shape. Despite its slow speed and fragile looks, the Fw 189's maneuverability made it a difficult target for attacking Russian fighters. When attacked, the Fw 189 was often able to out-turn attacking fighters by simply flying in a tight circle into which enemy fighters could not follow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_189Forward airfeilds in the east were very often dirt strips/hay feilds with a tent as the command center or tower. Proximity to the front or the closest enemy was very short. A whole new class of feild could be implimented in the LW similare in structure to the WW1 arena.
Forward Feild Dirt strip with one tent as the tower and a single bigger tent as the hanger. Fuel and ord would be two trucks and maybe some manned ack/88 and M16/M3 75mm to defend. No Troops or supplys. Once fuel/ord are destroyed you only have guns and 50-75% fuel for your aircraft. Tie the radar and ownership to a nearby GV base/port so it changes hands when the GV base/port is captured. Launch observation planes and hanger queen fighters/fighter bombers to defend the GV base/port or fly sorties against nearby enemy feilds or attacking CV.
Not every player in a Hurri1/2C/D, spit1/5/IIc, SBD5, F4F-4, P40C-N, P39D/Q, TBM3, I16, IL2, Yak9T, Bf109E/F, Fw190-F8, Me110C, A6M, D3A1, is a pushover. But, defending against late war monsters, Ostwind, and Wirbelwind with these is a tad tricky for some players. The mania towards late war monsters as a security blanket for many players might make this kind of airfeild a last minute game changer against attackers due to the general disdane for the collection of aircraft suggested.
Once your rifle is out of bullets you can use it as a spear or a club. You either have to be very clever and skilled or lucky in not getting shot while getting close enough to use it that way. There are always a handful of individuals who love this kind of scenario and odds.
We play this game mostly like the air war was fought in WWI, POST Normandy, North Africa, on the russian front, China/Burma and the PTO. Not 1943 8th AF versus the Luftwaffa. But, with air feilds & (GV/port) setup like primary bases(Ft. Apache death traps) in england and germany separated by time and distance constraints to support them. We don't want to climb too high or fly too far to play. As our GV game matures and looks more like the eastern front and the break out from Normandy, they will need spotters and close air support. So why not a new class of airfield to support "them"? The GV game in Aces High is not going away.
