After the visit to the Czech air museum I started mulling over the possibility of a solo air war game. This is an idea I’ve tried before but never really got beyond the prototype stage but the more I looked at this the more it seemed like the previous stumbling blocks weren’t present.
Firstly it’s a simple set-up: high altitude combat between single types (FW 190 and B-17) so there’s no map.
Secondly there’s no real agency required from one of the sides, the B-17s fly straight and level in formation firing at any target in range. That leaves the solo player in the FW 190s to close in and attempt to damage them enough to fall out of formation.
Finally, Two Fat Lardies Bag The Hun WWII aerial combat rule set works on a card draw system for turn sequence so it’s not going to be a deterministic, chess like, I-go U-go procession.
Without wanting to put the cart before the horse (something that has scuppered previous attempts) there are good options for an MVP and iterations up to a full campaign scenario covering the whole battle with the fighter escorts.
I’ve chosen “Pauke! Pauke!” as the working title, it was one of the attack code words used by the Stürmbocks and is the title of a painting of the battle by Martin Novotny on display at the museum.
Nothing too aggressive but whilst I had the heads off I got the Dremel out and softened the hard edges in the inlet and exhaust ports.
These edges seem to be where the cast inlet meets the machined area in the valve bowls.. With a finger it was possible to feel the lip but with a small amount of grinding and polishing it now feels smooth to the touch.
Other than removing a few minor casting marks I didn’t do much as the ports were already reasonably smooth.
I doubt it’s actually going to improve matters measurably but this was the only opportunity I’m likely to have to do it, it didn’t take long, and I can now say it’s been done.
1st January 2017 18:10
On clear, bright New Year’s Day, Luftwaffe launch Operation Baseplate, raids aimed to cripple Allied planes & control skies over Belgium.
