Lords of Ether (20th Anniversary Edition) Air Forces

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6. Air Forces

Air forces are a useful component of any modern military. They are equally handy for providing close air support for ground forces, defending and attacking naval forces, as well as performing long range strategic strikes and defending the homeland against enemy attack. With proper substitutes (such as a healthy focus on anti-aircraft weapons) a Nation can survive without an air force, but it will find many operations very problematic without the aid of aircraft.

Many Complex Air Force units can break free of the gravity of a planet on their own, and there is fundamentally little difference between flying in the sky over a planet or flying through space or the “Deep Sky” - save that puttering about the Deep Sky takes longer. For that reason, unless limited by Reduced Capabilities such as “Space Only”, the concept of a “starfighter” has little meaning in Lords of Ether.

Air Force Types

The forces that make up an Air Force are divided based on role and function, and grouped into the categories of Tactical Air, Strategic Air, Airlift, Army Aviation, and Airships. Each of these categories has additional subtypes. Within each subtype a set number of craft are gathered together as a Batch and given a Base Batch Cost. For example; in the Type “Fighter” there are 25 Fighters in a Batch, for a Base Batch Cost of 1 point. This is used in determining Upkeep costs and also in determining the Production Point cost and Production Time for building those units (see Section 13: Production for more details).

More so than Army or Navy Types, Air Force Types vary widely in capabilities. Each Type has varying capabilities concerning things like defensive firepower, agility, durability and so on. However, two of the most important capabilities are speed and range. As a result, each aircraft in its description has a rating for its speed relative to other aircraft at its tech level - that is; Very Slow, Slow, Average, Fast and Very Fast. Each also has a range listing: Short, Mid, Long and Very Long.

Aviation aircraft are, without exception, Very Slow and Short ranged. As they are intended for tactical support of troops on the battlefield (their name is drawn from the term Army Aviation) this is rarely a serious problem for them, as they are still faster than the troops and tanks who are their chosen prey (even those with Boosters). They make up for any lack of speed or range in agility, armour and firepower. While able to carry less than their Airlift compatriots, Aviation is extremely useful for transporting troops into and out of very hot combat zones that would be suicide for Airlift to venture into.

Rather than an actual Aircraft, Booster packs are a special Type of device that can be added to any tactical, Strategic, Aviation or Airlift Types (as well as Battlesuits and Hyper Advanced Armour) to increase their speed, give them the ability to break orbit, and sometimes also carry extra weapons and combat systems. While not actually aircraft themselves, they are a distinct system and may also mount their own Added Capabilities. Their power and capability is related to the Type they are mounted on.

Airships act more like ships that other Aircraft and so have their own speed and range ratings. For details on what these ratings actually translate into, see Travel at the bottom of this Section

Tactical Aircraft Types

Prop Scouts: 1 for 500 Cheap, low performance aircraft that are all but unable to defend themselves normally, prop scouts represent things like low end drones, tactical air-launched decoys, loiter munitions and world war one scout planes. They can make excellent observation platforms and house kamikaze warheads, but are all but useless in the context of actual air to air combat.

Jet Scout: 1 point per 100 These are unarmed scouts. These aircraft have Average speed and are Short ranged. They take up ¼ of a Deck Point when calculating how many can fit on an aircraft carrier or Deck Capacity capable vessel.

Fighter: 1 point per 25 The main purpose of Fighter aircraft is to shoot down other aircraft, though when multi-rolled with the Ground Attack Added Capability they can become very credible strike aircraft as well. Even without that modification a fighter has some ground attack ability. However, its main role is air to air and to that end a Fighter usually employs a combination of speed and agility, backed by guns and/or missiles. Most jet engine air-to-air craft fall into this category, such as A MiG-29s and F-15s. These aircraft are Fast and Mid ranged, and take up a standard 1 Deck Point on carriers.

Interceptor: 1 point per 25 Interceptors are a sub-category of Fighter that trade manoeuvrability for speed. They are designed to race out quickly and intercept bombers. They are not designed for fighter engagements and so lack the ability to dogfight, preferring to engage at longer ranges. They also have a no real ability to perform strike missions. Aircraft like the MiG-25 or F-104 “Starfighter” fall into this category. These aircraft are Very Fast and Mid ranged take up a standard 1 Deck Point on carriers.

Strike Fighter: 1 point per 25 A Strike Fighter, sometimes called a Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft or fighter-bomber (a moniker it often shares with multi-role fighters), is an aircraft optimized for delivering ordnance against ground or naval targets. It is most often used for close support of other forces (tank busting is a speciality of some) and while slower than most fighters tends to be fairly nimble and so can serve as a second line fighter in a pinch. An A-10 “Warthog” or A-6 “Intruder” would fall into this category. These aircraft are of Average speed, and Mid ranged. Being not much larger than a Fighter they take up a similar 1 Deck Point.

Interdictor Aircraft: 1 point per 25 An Interdictor Aircraft is a faster fighter-bomber designed for penetration missions into the teeth of heavy defences. They often operate deep over the lines and are often tasked to hit tactical targets in the enemy’s rear areas, such as airbases, railheads, and supply depots. Due to their requirements to penetrate through enemy defenses they are quite fast, and possess a limited ability to defend themselves. In a low threat environment they can even function as backup Interceptors. However they carry less ordnance than Strike Fighters. These aircraft are Fast and Mid ranged, and take up 1 Deck Point.

Super Fighter: 1 point per 5 A Super Fighter is a fighter aircraft of near unbelievable abilities, greatly outperforming lesser aircraft in all areas. Hideously expensive modern planes like the F-22, and Macross Veritechs fall into this category. At 2 Deck Points a pop Super Fighters take up a bit more space than normal fighters, sometimes from size, but mostly from additional support equipment. They are considered Very Fast and are Mid ranged.

Strategic Aircraft Types

Heavy Strategic Bomber: 1 point per 10 These planes are designed for striking strategic targets at range and usually deep in enemy territory. While relatively slow, and certainly not fighters by any stretch they are not defenseless, often packing guns and powerful countermeasures, and usually capable of taking serious punishment. B-52s fall into this category. They are Average speed and Long ranged, and if put on a carrier (quite a feat) take up 8 Deck Points. For this reason they are more commonly flown from planetary bases.

Fast Strategic Bombers: 1 point per 10 The primary difference between heavy Strategic Bombers and Fast Strategic Bombers is that the latter trades some defensive armament and half the payload for speed and a level of manoeuvrability, making it as fast as a fighter, and agile enough for demanding manoeuvres like nap-of-the earth flight at high speed. Aircraft like the B1-B “Lancer” and Tu-160 “Blackjack” are examples of this type. These aircraft are Fast and Long ranged. Like Heavy Strategic Bombers they take up a whopping 8 Deck Points, usually relegating them to planetary bases as well.

Super Bombers: 1 point per 1 The biggest kid on the bomber-block, the Super Strategic Bomber is for if you find that 'normal' bombers don't cut it. They possess both powerful anti-ship and anti-ground capabilities as well as lethal anti-air weapons. For their size they can also be surprisingly agile, though mostly they rely on speed and power. Good examples of these are the enormous aircraft seen as end bosses in top-scrolling shooters - they have no real life counterpart. These aircraft are Fast and Very Long ranged. If by some miracle they are crammed onto a carrier, they take up 20 Deck Points.

Airlift Types

Light Airlift Transports: 1 point per 50 These are small aircraft, capable of carrying a couple platoons of men or a single vehicle. Large executive and biz jets fall into this category. Like all Airlift Types they are naturally unarmed, and are not combat aircraft. They are of Average speed and Mid ranged, and if put on a carrier take up 2 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 25.

Medium Airlift Transports: 1 point per 25 Larger transport aircraft, these can carry significantly more cargo than their lighter cousins over longer ranges. The C-17 is a good example of this type. They are Slow and Long ranged, and if put on a carrier take up 6 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 50.

Heavy Airlift Transports: 1 point per 10 The biggest airlift transport normally seen, these giant aircraft carry immense amounts of men and materiel across long distances. Aircraft like the C5 Galaxy and the An-140 are examples of this type. They are Slow and Very Long ranged, and if crammed onto a carrier take up 10 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 100.

Super Airlift Transports: 1 point per 1 An immense aircraft, capable of carrying an entire company of tanks, platoons of Mobile Gun Forts or even (with the appropriate combination of Added Capabilities) Land Dreadnoughts. Super Airlift Transports are so massive they do not suffer from the usual double CP values when transporting vehicles. It also means that they can take an incredible amount of punishment and still fly. On the flipside, this massive size means they suffer from the same double Ether fuel costs as Naval Capital Ships. The Garuda class transports from Zeta Gundam are an example of this kind of aircraft. These lumbering planes have all the agility of a brick, and are Slow and Very Long ranged, and if somehow put on a carrier take up 50 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 1,000.

Aviation Types

Aviation Scout: 1 point per 100 Aviation Scouts are small rotary or vertol aircraft. These are the eyes and ears of an army on the move, and often the picket scouts of a fleet on patrol. While slower and shorter ranged than Jet Scouts they are significantly better armed. Kiowas and 'Little Birds' are a good example of this type. If put on a carrier they take up 1/4 of a Deck Point.

Gunship: 1 point per 25 As a pure-combat Aviation Type, Gunships pack a tremendous amount of firepower in the form of guns, AT-rockets and missiles. If given the right Added Capabilities they can even be a match for Fighters. Apaches and Hinds are two good examples of this type. If put on a carrier they take up 1 Deck Point, and if given cargo capacity (as many are), they have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 5.

Light Aviation Transport: 1 point per 50 Compact transport aircraft, Light Aviation can carry a small amount of cargo or troops. Hueys and Blackhawks are of this type. As all Aviation aircraft can carry a significant amount of firepower, Light Aviation can make for serviceable gunships if properly outfitted with weapons. If put on a carrier they take up 1 Deck Point. They have a Cargo Capacity of their Tech Level times 10.

Medium Aviation Transport: 1 point per 25 Larger rotary-wing transports, or vertol or hover aircraft, Medium Aviation Transports can carry several times the cargo of their smaller cousins. The large Mi-26 and Chinook helicopters are good examples of this type, and the Dropship from “Aliens” is an example of Medium Aviation rigged for combat. If put on a carrier they take up 2 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 20.

Heavy Aviation Transport: 1 point per 10 Heavy Aviation is for carrying particularly large loads and has no perfect real-world counterparts aside from modern hovercraft landing vehicles - though even here Heavy Aviation is much faster - which serve as bridge between a fleet and the landing zone for heavy materiel. If given enough weapons they can become veritable hovering firebases, though that is not really their best use. Rather, they are better suited for carrying very heavy loads right to the combat zone, as unlike other Aviation types they do not suffer from the usual double CP values when carrying vehicles. If put on a carrier they take up 6 Deck Points. They have a Cargo Capacity of their tech level times 50.

Booster Pack Types

Booster Pack (Rocket or Fo/Fi): Variable Cost Booster packs are devices that can be added to any Tactical, Strategic, Aviation or Airlift Type to increase their speed or agility, give them the ability to break orbit, and sometimes also carry extra weapons and combat systems. A capless or base booster is equivalent to a +1 booster added cap on the unit in question, and can take additional added caps per TL as normal. Booster Packs come in the same Batch Size as the Type they are made for, so Fighter/Interceptor/STRIKE/Interdictor/Medium Airlift/Medium Aviation/Gunship Booster Packs would all cost 1 point per 25 (And be interchangeable between all seven Types). Booster Packs have no Wealth Upkeep and take up no extra Deck Points, but have base IUU and EU upkeep and gain additional upkeep as normal for added caps.

Sensor Aircraft Types

Sensor Aircraft: Variable Cost – 1/5 x Parent Batch Size Sensor Aircraft are not their own distinct Type, but are rather a modification applied to other Aircraft. Sensor Aircraft are equipped with powerful sensors and command and control systems, and are used to monitor the battlefield. Sensor Aircraft divides the Batch Size of an Aircraft by five, so Fighter Sensor Aircraft would be 1 point per 5, rather than 1 point per 25, while Heavy Airlift Transport Sensor Aircraft would be 1 point per 2 rather than 1 point per 10. The E-3 Sentry AWACS is a perfect example of a Heavy Airlift Transport equipped as a Sensor Aircraft. The larger the Sensor Aircraft, the more sensor and command gear it can contain and the more effective it will be. Apart from modifying the size of the chosen Batch, Sensor Aircraft incurs no other costs.

Airship Types

Small Airship (Patrol): 1 point per 25 This is a small airship or blimp; usually just a gas bag with a gondola slung underneath. Unlike its simple counterparts, complex Small Airships have more powerful jet engines granting them extra speed, as well as more durable skin and less flammable components. These craft are good for loitering patrols, and with a bit of Ether enhancement to its lifting gas, able to zip up into the Deep Sky.

Small Airship (Cargo): 1 point per 25 This is a jet-blimp with its weapons removed and rigged for cargo duties. In this role it can carry 1/25th the amount of an equivalent tech Freighter, so 400 CP at TL3, 600 CP at TL4 and 1,000 CP at TL5. As they are still considered aircraft they suffer from the usual CP doubling effect when carrying Vehicles.

Large Airship (Combat): 1 point per 5 This is your usual Zeppelin, but now with new and improved jet engines. More comparable to a fast ship rather than a slow aircraft, they are roughly equivalent to a Small warship, though like all airships they are significantly more fragile. They have internal hangars for 2 DP worth of shuttles and scouts, though they are not Carriers.

Large Airship (Cargo): 1 point per 5 This is a jet-Zeppelin rigged for transport rather than combat. With the weapons removed these craft can carry 1/5 the amount of an equivalent tech Freighter, so 2,000 CP at TL3, 3000 CP at TL4 and 5,000 CP at TL5. As they are still considered aircraft they suffer from the usual CP doubling effect when carrying Vehicles.

Super Airship (Combat): 1 point per 1 This is the kind of Airship the Count dreamed of, but never got to build. Designed as warships they fall somewhere between a Cruiser and a Battleship in firepower, though they are not as durable. They have internal hangars for 5 DP worth of shuttles and scouts, though they are not Carriers unless given Deck Point Added Capabilities.

Super Airship (Cargo): 1 point per 1 This is a Super-Airship rigged for transport rather than combat. With the weapons removed these craft can carry the same amount as an equivalent tech Freighter, so 10,000 CP at TL3, 15,000 CP at TL4 and 25,000 CP at TL5. As they are still considered aircraft they suffer from the usual CP doubling effect when carrying Vehicles.

Leviathan Airship (Combat): 5 points per 1 This Airship is the kind that lives only in the mad fantasies of the wildest SF writers – an Airship as big as a small town. They are roughly equal to a Super Capital Ship in firepower, though below Battleships in durability. They have internal hangars for 25 DP worth of shuttles and scouts, though they are not true Carriers unless given Deck Point Added Capabilities.

Leviathan Transport (Cargo): 5 points per 1 This is a Leviathan Airship rigged for transport rather than combat. With the weapons removed these craft can carry five times the Cargo Capacity of an equivalent tech Freighter, so 50,000 CP at TL3, 75,000 CP at TL4 and 125,000 CP at TL5. As they are still considered aircraft they suffer from the usual CP doubling effect when carrying Vehicles.

Modifications

Modifications are either positive modifiers called Added Capabilities that increase the power and abilities of a unit, but also increase its cost; or negative modifiers called Reduced Capabilities that reduce the power and abilities of a unit, but also reduce its cost.

Added Capabilities are represented by a “+”, such as “+1 Weapons,” or “+2 Shields.” Some Added Capabilities can be taken multiple times, up to the slot limit of the unit in question, while others can only be taken a limited number of times.

Most technological units, especially at the higher Advancement Levels, already come with a vast array of capabilities. It is not necessary to take “Guided Missiles” as an Added Capability for at TL 4 Fighter, or “Radar” for a TL 5 Super Bomber as such devices are assumed to be standard equipment. Thus Added Capabilities are generally broad and sweeping. Each Added Capability takes up one “slot”. The Tech Level of a unit directly determines how many Added Capabilities it can take and how much extra they will cost. Thus a Tech Level 3 unit has three “slots” for Added Capabilities.

Units can exceed this limit by taking what are called “External Added Capabilities.” These are devices which are not integral to the unit, but instead are attached in some manner, such as hastily bolted on, or stuffed into the rucksack. All units can take one External Added Capability, unless they take Added Capabilities, which increase this.

However External Added Capabilities are not as efficient as normal Added Capabilities and always incur extra upkeep (usually Ether), even if the Added Capability they are based on would not normally incur extra Upkeep. Thus a +1 External would increase Upkeep by one, and a +2 External by two, and so on. Externals are discussed in greater detail in Section 9. Production.

Taking more than a +1 in most Added Capabilities also incurs extra Upkeep. It should be noted that additional Upkeep costs do not cross over or accumulate between differing Added Capabilities. A +1 Armour Added Capability and a +1 Weapons Added Capability do not increase Upkeep for a unit. A unit can have many Added Capabilities without paying any additional Upkeep so long as they are dispersed across many areas. However, this does NOT mean that by being overly specific you can dodge these costs – more accurate missiles and extra missile warhead power are still both Weapons Added Capabilities and will incur extra Upkeep costs if taken as a slot each.

Booster Packs are a special case. Though they may take their own Added Capabilities, they pay +1 Upkeep for each Added Cap they take regardless. It should also be noted that Added Capabilities on Booster Packs are not as capable as those on their Parent Type – fully capped Booster Packs are thus an expensive luxury for many Air Forces.

It is important to realize that an aircraft with +1 Weapons is not as powerful as two units of the same Type, nor one with +1 Shields as tough as two without. Added Capabilities make a unit significantly more capable, but they don’t fully compensate for the increased cost. However, the advantage is that smaller, more capable air forces are easier to deploy and handle on the battlefield as they take up much less space and usually fewer supplies. For this reason a small, high-capped force can still defeat a much larger low-capped one.

Reduced Capabilities are modifiers that lower the capabilities of a unit, but also lower its cost. Each Reduced Capability cancels out the cost increase of one Added Capability. If there are no Added Capabilities left, or none have been taken, a Reduced Capability reduces the Basic Batch Cost of the unit by one half. Reduced capabilities are represented by a “-”. Reduced Capabilities are usually taken either as a -1 or a -2. A -1 is a serious (50% or more) reduction in Capability in the listed area. A -2 is a near total reduction in Capability in the listed area. As many different Reduced Capabilities as desired can be taken, though the Basic Batch Cost can never go below one half.

How Added and Reduced Capabilities affect the cost of units is discussed in detail in Section 9: Production.

Added Capabilities List:

+X Armour: Aircraft do not take well to armour as it weighs them down, greatly increases the strain on their engines and makes them less able to maneuver, and so it is less common on them than on others. While it can be taken multiple times on all air units, each time it is taken increases Ether Upkeep by +1, and reduces the agility of the aircraft. Aviation Types are the exception, and they may take Armour without penalty, and gain +1 Ether Upkeep for every Armour Added Capability after the first.

+X Shields/Point Defenses: Shields become available at TL4 and are energy barriers and fields, however TL3 units can simulate their effects with Point Defenses like the anti-missile missiles, and decoy pods. Shields or Point Defenses can be taken multiple times, but every Added Capability over the first incurs an extra +1 Ether Upkeep due to increased energy drain by the shield generators, or Point Defence power packs.

+X Weapons: This added cap increases the general offensive firepower of a unit, and is one of the more common and widely used Added Capabilties. While it can add a bit of flavor to list such Added Capabilities as “+1 30mm Cannon,” or “+2 Smart Missiles,” the reasons for this increased firepower do not need to be specified. Weapons can be taken multiple times, but every Weapons Added Capability over the first incurs an extra +1 Ether or Industry Upkeep due to increased ammunition demands. It should be specified whether the Upkeep is paid in Ether or IUU, and this cannot be changed – a 30mm cannon cannot suddenly be loaded with fuel cells rather than tungsten cored solid shells.

+X Close Combat Weapons: Close Combat Weapons are added caps that augment the ability of the unit to fight the enemy at point-blank range. For Complex Air Units they are usually powerful but short ranged weapons, such as very high rate of fire scatter guns, or short ranged cluster missiles, but they can also be actual melee weapons too. This Added Capability is used on planes that are pure dogfighters. Close Combat Weapons have the advantage of never adding to the upkeep of a unit, no matter how many times this Added Capability is taken.

+X Extended Range: This Added Capability extends the range of the unit’s weapons and sensors. It can be taken multiple times, but every Extended Range Added Capability over the first incurs an extra +1 Ether or Industry Upkeep. It should be specified whether the Upkeep is paid in Ether or IUU, and this cannot be changed.

+1 Long Range Weapons: Rather than actually extending the range of the unit, these are weapons designed for optimum performance at longer ranges - sniper rifles and antishipping missiles are two examples. Instead of gaining the standard firepower bonus for engaging at Close range, they gain firepower at Long range. This Added Capability may only be taken once, and once taken modifies ALL the weapons on the unit – you may not have a mix of Long Ranged and normal weapons.

+X Long Range Tanks: This Added Capability allows an aircraft to greatly increase its operational range. Each time this Added Capability is taken it increases the basic operational range of the aircraft by 100%. This is not cumulative, so an aircraft with +2 Long Range Tanks will have three times its normal range, not four. Every time this Added Capability is taken it increases the Ether Upkeep of the unit by 1.

+1 Aerial Tanker: This Added Capability allows a plane to refuel others in-flight. If given to a plane that lacks Cargo Capacity, it is assumed to be carrying “buddy stores” and may refuel one plane of the same type as itself (and with the same Ether Upkeep) once. This refuelling tops up the refuelled plane’s tanks to maximum. Aircraft with Cargo Capacity can refuel 1 Ether worth of planes for every 100 CC. Thus a TL4 Medium Airlift plane with 200 CC and refueling a wing of fighters with an Ether Upkeep of 2 per batch could top up the tanks of 25 of the Fighters. It should be noted that this does not mean the tanker is actually carrying 1 Ether for every 100 CC, as planes use far less than one full Upkeep load of fuel, even when on a long mission. This Added Capability raises the Ether Upkeep of a unit by 1, which includes any costs for the extra fuel carried.

+2 Megacannon: This Added Capability is only available for Super Bombers, Super Airships and Leviathan Airships. It adds a BFG to a unit that can only be fired once per day, but provides a massive increase in firepower for that one shot. However, when a unit is using its normal weapons it provides no other bonus. A unit may only have a single Megacannon, and it incurs an extra +2 Upkeep, in either Industry or Ether.

+1 Ordnance: This Added Capability is available to any air unit that would normally have limited attack capabilities, such as Fighters, Interceptors and Super Fighters. It increases their (usually minimal) ability to attack Army and Navy Units. It has no effect on their air-to-air capabilities. This typically involves loading them up with bombs or rockets or other ground attack weapons. While it does not turn them into the equal of STRIKE or Interdictor Aircraft, it does make them handily multi-role. This Added Capability may only be taken once.

+1 Anti-Shipping Weapons: This Added Capability is available to all air units. It optimizes their weapons for use against large vessels, such as all kinds of Naval Ships, Super Vehicles. This Added Capability may only be taken once. If given to an air unit that would normally have limited attack capabilities, that unit must take +1 Ordnance first.

+1 Defensive Weapons: This Added Capability is available to all air units that would normally have limited anti-aircraft abilities, such as Strategic Air, Transport Aircraft and Aviation. It increases the unit’s ability to engage other aerial targets, though it does not always turn them into a match for a purpose-built Fighter. Super-bombers do not need to take this Added Capability as they already have formidable anti-aircraft capabilities. This Added Capability may only be taken once.

+1 Fast Tracking Weapons: This Added Capability modifies the weapons of a unit to allow it to track and engage extremely rapidly. If the unit with fast-tracking wins initiative it can destroy the enemy before its opponent has a chance to return fire. Anti-Radiation missiles like the HARM are a good example of this. Fast Tracking Weapons is best used by formations where it is possessed by all the main combat units. If only a handful of Fast Tracking units are present in a larger formation they will tend to engage with the other units and so the advantage is lost. Fast Tracking Weapons can be taken once and does not add to Upkeep.

+X Sensors: Sensors are very important to all aircraft, and all Complex Air are assumed to have some form of advanced detection gear. Sensor Added Capabilities increase these capabilities. Typical sensor abilities and ranges are described in greater depth in Section 10: Sensors and Communications. A unit does not have to have Sensors itself to take advantage of them, as they can receive targeting data from another unit with Sensors, particularly dedicated Sensor Aircraft. As with other Added Capabilities, for every Sensor Added Capability that is taken after the first a unit gains +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Communications: While all Complex Air Units are assumed to have some form of communications, some units have a need for more specialized and dedicated systems. Communications boosts the command rating of a force, and allows information to be passed faster and in greater detail. Communications is a good Added Capability for sensor aircraft, which can use it to coordinate others. In automated armies it can even allow a command unit to remotely control other forces. Communications can be taken multiple times, but for every Communications Added Capability that is taken after the first a unit gains +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Command Aircraft: Militaries often have battlefield control aircraft from which generals can survey the battlefield, issue orders and make plans. The presence of such units on the battlefield can greatly assist other combat units. All air forces are naturally assumed to have sufficient assets to command their forces, but Command Aircraft turns a unit into a specialized command plane. Sensor Aircraft make the best Command Aircraft, and this Added Capability is best combined with other Added Capabilities such as Sensors and Communications. Command Aircraft can be taken multiple times, but for every Added Capability that is taken after the first a unit gains +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Cargo Capacity: This Added Capability can only be taken by aircraft with integral Cargo Capacity, and by Airships. For aircraft with integral Cargo Capacity each +1 Cargo Capacity increases the total that can be carried by 50% of the base CC amount. That is, the percentage increases are not cumulative, so a TL3 Light Aviation Transport (30 CC) with +2 Cargo Capacity as its Added Capabilities would have a total Cargo Capacity of 60 Cargo Points, not 68. Airships gain CC as if they were a Cargo Airship of equivalent size. These Added Capabilities can be taken multiple times and do not increase Upkeep in any way.

+X Cargo Capacity (specialized): This Added Capability can only be taken by aircraft with integral Cargo Capacity and by Airships. Each +1 Cargo Capacity (specialized) increases the total of one particular item that can be carried by 100% of the base CC amount. The speciality should be noted, such as “Troops”, “Vehicles”, “Ether”, “IUU”, and so on, and only the specialized item can be carried. Normal Cargo Capacity and Specialized Cargo Capacity cannot be mixed on a single unit. These Added Capabilities can be taken multiple times and do not increase Upkeep in any way.

+X Compact: Compact allows for smaller units that take up less space and present smaller targets to enemy fire. Each +1 of Compact reduces the CP a unit takes up by half. Thus a Fighter with +1 Compact would take up 100 CP rather than 200 CP, and with +2 Compact would take up 50 CP, and with +3; 25 CP and so on. Compact aircraft are also more difficult to spot and hit. If a unit with Carrying Capacity takes Compact its Carrying Capacity is similarly reduced. Compact can be taken multiple times and does not incur any additional Upkeep no matter how many times it is taken.

+X ECM: ECM stands for Etheric Countermeasures. It is used to blind sensors, jam or decoy guided weapons and even counter magical effects. All advanced vehicles have some sort of ECM, but this Added Capability expands those capabilities. ECM affects the entire battlefield, and the more units that have ECM, the more effective it becomes, cutting down the ranges at which the enemy can see and engage at, and increasing the chance of spell failure. ECM can be taken multiple times, and for each Added Capability after the first incurs +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Stealth: Stealth can be anything from a radar reflective paint to mirage colloids to a cloaking field. Stealth of any sort is not easy to just slap on an aircraft; the more comprehensive the Stealth package the more design compromises in other areas that are required. +1 Stealth has no detrimental effects on a unit, but at +2 or higher it reduces the speed and firepower of the unit by 25% as engines must be baffled reducing performance and weapons stowed in internal bays reducing payloads. Stealth is never totally absolute, even at the highest levels, and there is always a chance it can be penetrated, particularly after a unit opens fire on the enemy. Stealth can be taken multiple times, and for each Added Capability after the first incurs +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Disguise: Purposeful effort meant not to hide a unit, but to make it look like something else to varying levels of scrutiny. This will not allow a unit to perfectly mirror a unit belonging to another power, only appear to an observer to be a different unit type of roughly the same size. At +1 this can allow for a unit to fool inspection at a distance such as a warship or aircraft spoofing electronic signatures of known freighters or having structures added to match radar returns. At +2 this can allow for a unit to appear convincing at visual range, such as a Q-ship being built specifically to match a certain class and silhouette.

+1 Automation: Automation is the replacing of people with machines. It speeds up routine processes, reduces error, increases efficiency and decreases Upkeep costs. An Automated aircraft will have a higher command rating and be more agile. As well, Wealth Upkeep and crew requirements are both halved (in this case it is usually the ground crew requirements that are being reduced). Automation itself does not incur any additional Upkeep

+1 Mind: Magical powers, or indeed magitech powers, can imbue an Artificed unit with some form of intelligence and awareness to eliminate human attendants or crew. Wealth upkeep and Draft requirements are eliminated entirely. For narrative purposes a unit with +1 Mind is ranges from half cognizant - while able to understand and follow simple instructions it is easily confused - at low MLs to a fully coherent human-level intelligence at higher levels.

+2 AI/Mind: Both magical and technological powers can not only eliminate the human factor entirely but exceed it, whether by binding a spirit to the machine or advanced computing. AI has an even better command rating and agility than +1 Automation. Additionally it reduces Wealth Upkeep and Draft requirements to zero. AI does not itself incur any additional Upkeep. As an aside, a +2 Mind from magic is a human-level intelligence straightaway but a technological AI may not be the best conversation partner until TL5 Psych.

+1 Clones: At a sufficient level of Psychology and Biology, a Power can produce flash Clones with the implanted training to function as soldiers as soon as they are decanted. Draft pool requirements are removed entirely. However, at TL4 Biology, these clones are deeply problematic, as such they both take a full Capability slot and they must take the effect of a Reduced Capability - pick from the list below. At TL5 Biology these flash Clones are fully stable, having no negative effect, and become Slotless.

+1 Low Maintenance: Units with Low Maintenance are either very efficient and reliable, or perhaps just possess crews who are very skilled at doing more with less. Low Maintenance halves the Industry Upkeep of a unit (round up). It may only be taken once and incurs no additional Upkeep.

+X Regenerating: This Added Capability is also called Self Sustaining. Regenerating units will slowly repair themselves after battle, as well as re-arm all their weapons and maintain their systems without Industry resupply. Regenerating converts all Industry Upkeep to Ether, makes repairs faster and cheaper, and increases damage control saves. Taking this Added Capability more than once increases the speed at which self-repair happens, though due to the relatively fragile nature of most aircraft only the larger ones really benefit from this. Regenerating incurs no additional Upkeep no matter how many times it is taken.

+1 Ether Enhanced Lifting Gas: This Added Capability enhances the lifting ability of airships, and allows them to rise up from a planet and into the Deep Sky. It also gives them the ability to navigate against the power of the storms in the Star Ways, and so is necessary for space travel. Ether Enhanced Lifting Gas also increases the weight of equipment an Airship can carry, allowing it to take one Armour Added Capability without Upkeep increase, and doubling the effect of any Cargo Capacity or Deck Capacity Added Capabilities. Ether Enhanced Lifting Gas can only be taken once, and incurs a +1 Ether Upkeep.

+X Speed: As it says, Speed makes aircraft faster. Each Added Capability increases the rate at which aircraft travel from point to point by 50% over their base speed. Speed also allows planes to engage and disengage more easily against slower targets. Speed may be taken multiple times, and does not incur any extra Upkeep no matter how many times it is taken.

+X Agility: Agility makes an aircraft more nimble, allowing it to avoid and dodge incoming fire, and making it more capable in a dogfight. Agility may be taken multiple times and does not incur any extra Upkeep no matter how many times it is taken.

+X Rocket Boosters: Rocket Boosters, also sometimes called “Superburners”, make aircraft even faster than Speed Added Capabilities, but only for short periods. Each Added Capability still only increases the rate at which aircraft travel from point to point by 50% over their base speed, as planes cannot afford the high fuel consumption of Boosters on long journeys. However, in combat Boosters give a much higher speed boost, allowing planes equipped with them to get the jump on slower opponents, or flee if the engagement is going poorly. Boosters of all types allow planes to fly from the planet into space, though they are not required for planes to actually fight in the “Deep Sky.” Rocket Boosters may be taken multiple times, but each Added Capability (including the first) incurs +1 Ether Upkeep, as boosters are real fuel hogs.

+X Force Field Boosters: Force Field or Fo/Fi Boosters make aircraft even more maneuverable than Agility Added Capabilities, using force fields and inertial systems to throw a plane about the sky in ways that would be impossible for more conventional aircraft. Boosters of all types allow planes to fly from the planet into space, though they are not required for planes to actually fight in the “Deep Sky.” Fo/Fi Boosters may be taken multiple times, but each Added Capability (including the first) incurs +1 Ether Upkeep, as boosters are real fuel hogs.

+1 Amphibious: Planes with Amphibious are capable of flying in water as well as through the air. This Added Capability goes far beyond normal seaplanes (which have limited tactical value in Lords of Ether, hence their lack of an actual Added Capability) and can be used by aquatically inclined Powers to create submersible fighter craft. It converts a unit’s equipment, including weapons, shields, boosters and so forth to function properly underwater as well as above. Amphibious can only be taken once, and has no effect outside of the water.

+1 Legs: The Legs Added Capability allows an aircraft to function as a Humanoid Vehicle when necessary, allowing it to move on the ground in places where flying is impossible, and increasing its agility as the legs appendages can also be used as powerful vectored thrust nozzles or the like. Legs also allows a unit to load heavier armour, and an Aircraft with this Added Capability suffers no Agility or Upkeep penalty for its first Armour Added Capability. When applied to aircraft Legs is often thought of as a form of transformation, like the gerwalk ability of Macross Veritechs Legs can be taken only once and incurs no additional Upkeep.

+X Arms: The Arms Added Capability gives a unit extra motivators with which to carry and manipulate things. Each +1 Arms allows a unit to carry one extra External Added Capability. Arms can be considered extra hardpoints for the less Macross-inclined, but it can also be considered a component of transformation, allowing Macross Batteloids and the like. This Added Capability also slightly enhances a unit’s ability in Close Combat. Arms may be taken multiple times, and does not incur any extra Upkeep no matter how many times it is taken.

+1 All Weather Training: Planets are often covered in varying and difficult – even dangerous – environments. These environments can severely limit the ability of planes to operate. While all complex aircraft are assumed to have a standard instrument suite for all-weather flying, this training makes them far more proficient at it, particularly in the more extreme climates, though it does not remove all the minuses of the worst environments. All Weather Training may only be taken once, incurs no extra Upkeep, and is normally a Slot Free Added Capability. If taken as an external this Added Capability is considered All Weather Equipment and is not Slot Free, taking up one external slot, and costing the usual External Upkeep. It otherwise functions exactly the same as All Weather Training.

+1 Loyalty Training: Thanks to a highly selective screening process and a steady diet of propaganda these troops are loyal to death. Units with this cap have a higher resistance to enemy subversion and will be the last troops to rebel, if ever. In addition, whether by suicidal fanaticism or rear of the Commissar’s wrath, these troops will undertake missions that any other sane solider would balk at. Loyalty Training can only be taken once, incurs no extra Upkeep, and counts as a Slot Free added capability. If taken as an external this Added Capability it is considered to be additional equipment (slave collars, or neural whips perhaps?) and is not Slot Free, taking up one external slot, and costing the usual External Upkeep. It otherwise functions exactly the same as Loyalty Training.

+X Casting Chamber: A casting chamber is an area on a large unit purposefully designed to amplify the effects of spellcraft. It can be equipped on any unit with a base batch size of 1/10 or larger, providing a free level of AoE for spells cast by a mage within it and reducing the enchantment cost of the unit in question as if it were one ML lower. Only one mage can be assigned to any particular casting chamber.

+1 Multifusion (Tech/Magic): It is possible to build a military unit with more than one Technomagical or Magitech Fusion. For each Fusion after the first a batch must take a Multifusion Added Capability. Each Multifusion Added Capability applies only to a specific combination of Tech and Magic, so a unit with Engineering/Movement, Engineering/Material, and Engineering/Creation would still need two Multifusion Added Capabilities. Multifusion is Build Free and Slot Free, and does not increase Upkeep.

Reduced Capabilities List:

-1 Reduced Armour: Reduced Armour reduces the physical protection of a unit, and may only be taken once by aircraft. Taking this Reduced Capability makes all but Aviation and the largest aircraft exceedingly fragile.

-1 Reduced Shields: This added capability removes the defensive shields around an aircraft, making them more vulnerable to incoming fire. Obviously aircraft that have yet to receive shields such as TL3 planes cannot take this Reduced Capability.

-1 Reduced Cargo Capacity: In Cargo Capacity capable aircraft this halves the amount that the vehicle can carry. It can only be taken once, since a transport unable to carry anything is a pretty pointless vehicle.

-1 Slow: The unit in question is just slow. Taking this Reduced Capability cuts travel speed in half, and reduces an aircraft's combat speed as well. This is common among cargo aircraft that have no need of rapidly reaching their destination, but also used by fighters that rely on dogfighting rather than high-energy tactics. Aviation Types may not take this Reduced Capability.

-1 Short Range Craft: This Added Capability halves the operational range of the aircraft, and also cuts down on its ammunition load and the time it can spend in combat. This Reduced Capability cannot be taken by Airships.

-1 Agility: The unit in question is less nimble than normal, which reduces its ability to evade and makes it vulnerable in a dogfight. Interceptors sometimes take the Reduced Capability when specialized for shooting down bombers and other planes they have no need to outmanoeuvre. This Reduced Capability cannot be taken by Strategic Aircraft, Airlift or Airships.

-1 Sensors: Aircraft with this Reduced Capability have problems with finding and engaging targets, due to poor detection equipment, reduced cockpit visibility, or some other factor. While some of this problem can be overcome by using other aircraft with powerful Sensors to feed information to those without, this Reduced Capability can be particularly debilitating, since the aircraft that detects its enemy first often has an major advantage, and poor sensors can make long range navigation extremely difficult resulting in lost or badly off course planes.

-1 Tracking: Units with this Reduced Capability have problems with finding and engaging targets, and unless attacking from ambush will generally be engaged before they can shoot back. It is best to group units with this Reduced Capability together since if placed with other units that are faster to engage they will rarely get a chance to shoot before their comrades deal with the enemy, or they are destroyed themselves.

-1 No Externals: Aircraft with this Reduced Capability do not have the ability to mount External Added Capabilities, or to use Booster Packs. Because aircraft can benefit greatly from the ability to switch their capabilities rapidly between missions, this Reduced Capability has more effect than might be first apparent.

-1 Command: Units with this Reduced Capability are uncoordinated and often unreliable. They will be slow to respond to orders, and have trouble reacting to unpredictable situations. Garrison and trench-bound forces can often get away with this Reduced Capability with little detriment (so long as the enemy doesn’t break through!), but it can severely hamper offensive operations.

-1 High Visibility: The units in question are extremely visible on sensors, more so than would be normal for their Type, and sensors and guided weapons have a very easy time locking onto and engaging them. This isn’t just a throwaway Reduced Capability; in an environment of modern war it can be an early death sentence. Even without advanced sensors it often manifests as other telltale giveaways, such as vast clouds of smoke or a noise that can be heard miles away.

-1 Space Only: Aircraft with this Reduced Capability are limited to operating only in Space or the Deep Sky. They do not have the means to handle atmospheric flight and so cannot operate around planets. This can also cause them problems in the Star Ways, particularly in the dense ether clouds along the edges of a Way which form their own atmospheres. Thus will not prevent them from flying in a Star Way, but it can limit their capabilities.

-1 Atmosphere Only: Aircraft with this Reduced Capability are limited to operating only in the atmosphere of a planet, lacking the means to operate in Space. They also have trouble in the rarefied air of higher altitudes, and so are limited to lower altitude flight, suffering serious performance decreases in the upper regions.

-1 Increased Upkeep: The unit in question just is not efficient in one area or another. –1 Increased Upkeep doubles the upkeep costs in the selected area, either Wealth, Industry or Ether. It should be noted that Types with extra Wealth demands must now pay that Wealth Upkeep monthly when under War Upkeep.

-1 Export Model: Export Model units are built with a significantly lower number of Advancement points within an Advancement Level than the Power is capable of. If the unit is 50 Advancement points or more lower than what the Power is capable of building it gains a -1 Reduced Capability to build the unit, allowing cheaper and faster construction. This does not apply to Advancement levels but to Advancement points within those levels. For example: a TL 5 Power building a TL 3 tank is normally assumed to have built one with an Advancement of 3.99. However if such a Power were to build a vehicle at 3.5 Advancement points it would gain a -1 Reduced Capability for building a WWII panzer rather than a post modern MBT. However, if a TL 5 power were to build a TL 3 tank at 3.99, it does not gain this Reduced Capability, as it is building the tank at the maximum level 3 technology. This Reduced Capability only applies within Tech Levels.

-2 Single Use: This negative capability refers to units which are intended to be used exactly once, taking the form of expendable drones, pustulent exploding zombies, arms of very dubious manufacturing quality or in more macabre situations as kamikaze units. Regardless of the outcome, they shall only ever see battle once and be lost afterwards.

Air Force Upkeep

This is the part everyone hates, but like it or not, those massive militaries have to be maintained. Upkeep comes in three separate parts: the money you have to pay for your forces or Wealth; the goods you have to make to keep them going or Industry, and the fuel you have to use to run them or Ether. Upkeep is always based on the Base Batch Cost, and then modified by the effects of any additional Added Capabilities. It is paid once a year, except in specific circumstances detailed later.

Three Types of Upkeep

Wealth:

Your pilots need to be paid (and well!), as do the ground crews who work on their planes, and the service staff at the air bases, and more. This is Wealth Upkeep. All Types have to pay this regardless of tech level, and as with all Upkeep costs it is based on the Base Batch Cost of the Type, so 25 Fighters would have a Wealth Upkeep of 1, as would 1 Super Bomber. A Leviathan Airship on the other hand would have a Wealth Upkeep of 5. Wealth is almost never subject to increased Upkeep (unless you decide to pay the troops more for some reason) but it can be reduced or even removed by automating certain processes. Partially automated systems (a +1 Added Capability) pay half Wealth Upkeep while fully automated systems (a +2 Added Capability; essentially full Artificial Intelligence) pay no Wealth Upkeep at all.

Industry:

Your planes also need to be armed, serviced and repaired. This is Industry Upkeep. Once war reaches the industrial age and becomes an exercise in materiel expenditure Industry becomes a vital necessity for all units. Like Wealth, Industry Upkeep is based on the Base Batch Cost, however it is more commonly subject to increases caused by Added Capabilities such as extra weapons. In such a case, additional Upkeep for the Added Capabilities is simply added to that of the basic Industrial Upkeep for the Type. Industrial Upkeep can be reduced by such Added Capabilities as Low Maintenance, which halves the Necessary Industrial Upkeep. The most advanced military forces can also pay the Industrial Upkeep instead of Ether Upkeep by using regeneration and replication technologies.

Ether:

Planes are particularly dependent on fuel to run, and all aircraft have Ether Upkeep. Ether Upkeep is based on their Base Batch Cost and any Added Capability costs they incur. There are no ways to reduce Ether Upkeep, and it must always be paid in full for a unit to function.

Upkeep in Wartime

Normally Upkeep is paid on a yearly basis, one payment being enough to last a Batch for a 12-month period. However war devours resources at an astonishing rate and the normal yearly payment assumes only peacetime expenditures. Units in combat thus must pay Upkeep on a monthly rather than yearly basis, at least for Industry and Ether. It is a rare army that pays its troops extra simply for doing their jobs, so Wealth Upkeep remains the same.

This war upkeep makes modern combat a very expensive proposition, and difficult to sustain without massive support infrastructure, extensive pre-war stockpiling, or both.

Limiting Upkeep Payments

Apart from buying expensive Added Capabilities to cut down on Upkeep there are a number of strategies a power can use to reduce the drain of its Armies on its economy and infrastructure.

Firstly you don’t have to pay your men. Your soldiers won’t instantly desert if you don’t pay the Wealth Upkeep. However, troops without pay still have to eat. While they may hang around out of patriotism, they may also begin looking for other ways to supplement their non-existent incomes, such as crime. Fail to pay them for long enough in peacetime and morale will plummet, training standards will fall, and effectiveness as a cohesive force drop. However, if you’re in the midst of a desperate war against an enemy who is already kicking your ass, not receiving their paychecks probably won’t affect troop morale much.

Similarly, you also don’t have to pay the Industrial and Ether Upkeep. Doing so however will enforce a level of idleness on the air force that is bad for training standards and tends to lower morale. You can get away with this for a few years, or by only using selected units – a few units detailed to hangar duties each year on a rotating basis won’t harm overall capability much – but if you shut down the entire air arm, and especially if you do it for more than a year, the pilots are going to begin losing their edge. This happens particularly quickly with aircraft, and after two or three years of general inactivity, most of the equipment will be totally unserviceable.

During wartime there is also no requirement to have the entire air force active at once. Indeed in many cases this may not be possible. Units can be rotated onto and off the battlefront, both to rest them up and to conserve supplies. Portions of a force can be placed on reduced activity or held in strategic reserve to concentrate supplies in critical sectors, or save up for general offensives.

Air Force Logistics

Logistics is the science of supply and transport. It’s all very well to have food, parts, ammunition and fuel, but it still has to find its way to the units that need it when they need it. Logistics plays a big part in Lords of Ether, though it is greatly simplified (in real life logistics is a fiendishly complex thing which would take more pages than this entire manual to detail). Nevertheless, the air force that ignores logistics does so at its peril.

Supplies

While aircraft themselves carry very limited supplies – enough for relatively short missions – their bases are well stocked and generally carry one full Upkeep load of Industry and Ether for all aircraft stationed there. This is enough to last them either a year in peacetime, or a month in wartime. Once that runs out they need to restock, with supplies brought in from the factories and refineries. For airbases this is assumed to happen automatically, unless the base is in a very isolated region far from industrial and ether production support.

Airships are the exception, and carry supplies in the same manner as Naval Ships, as detailed in Section 4C. Navies, allowing them to operate for extended periods of time without landing.

In the cases when significant amounts of supplies need to be moved, the Cargo Points they take up must be considered. Industry for military forces takes the form of finished goods, which take up 5,000 Cargo Points per 1 point of Industry.

Ether takes up a multitude of forms depending on the tech level of its storage devices:

Pure Ether/Etherite Coal/Ethernol: 5,000 CP per 1 point of Ether

This is the most common form of Ether, and is used by all Powers prior to the development of more efficient Etheric storage systems.

Ether Cell (Physics/Mathematics 4): 1,000 CP per 1 point of Ether

An Ether Cell is concentrated Ether in a battery-like apparatus. It can be recharged from lesser forms of Ether and is a very stable method of continued power, as well as less bulky.

Etheric Fusion Catalyst (Chemistry 4): 1,000 CP per 1 point of Ether

Etheric Fusion Catalysts store Ether in concentrated forms, and then break it down with various chemical reactions. Where an Ether Cell puts out a steady stream of power, Fusion Catalysts are great for sudden, whopping great expenditures.

ZPE Reactors/Geode Reactors: Most aircraft are too small and lightly constructed to mount such devices as ZPE or Geode Reactors, however the larger craft (Base Batch Cost 1 point per 5 and higher) can squeeze such apparatus in. If they do so, they use the rules for such devices found in Section 7. Navies.

The above numbers should be only used in cases where bulk Ether must be transported to airbases, or stored in ground depots or in aircraft carriers. How many CP Ethernol takes up as opposed to how much CP an Ether Fusion Catalyst uses has no direct effect on the operation of the aircraft themselves. Instead, the effects of higher tech aircraft using more efficient power sources are detailed in the Air Travel section further down.

Cargo Point Values for Transport

Aircraft can’t always fly under their own power. Sometimes they have to be stowed and shipped in other vehicles. In this case, the CP they take as cargo up is calculated from the DP they take up.

For every 1 DP, an aircraft takes up 100 CP. It should be noted that aircraft in this state are in no way ready to fly, often being disassembled and dismantled. They will take at least a week to re-assemble and be ready for operations.

Air Travel

Aircraft have operational ranges that limit how far they can fly from their bases, and travel speeds that determine how fast they can fly. This is governed by the aircraft’s speed and range ratings, as listed in the subtype entries.

Speeds

The indicated speeds reflect only travel or cruising speeds, and are not meant to represent combat speeds, at which time aircraft may accelerate to many times their travel speeds. 1 Cosknot is equivalent to 50 km/h in atmosphere and at that speed a vehicle will cover 1 Great League in one week. Given the speed of aircraft, some helpful conversions are 7 Cosknots = 1 GL per day and 28 Cosknots = 1 GL per 6 hour period (a typical transatlantic flight). Thus aircraft of decent speed can travel between closely-spaced star systems in relatively short spans of time and the equivalent of long-haul flights allows for commercial air travel.

Very Slow

TL3 = 6 Cosknots

TL4 = 8 Cosknots

TL5 = 10 Cosknots

Slow

TL3 = 10 Cosknots

TL4 = 15 Cosknots

TL5 = 20 Cosknots

Average

TL3 = 20 Cosknots

TL4 = 30 Cosknots

TL5 = 40 Cosknots

Fast

TL3 = 30 Cosknots

TL4 = 45 Cosknots

TL5 = 60 Cosknots

Very Fast

TL3 = 40 Cosknots

TL4 = 60 Cosknots

TL5 = 80 Cosknots

Ranges

The ranges listed below are the operational combat radius of the aircraft, so they include both the journey out, a period of combat, and then the journey back. Pilots who have no intention of returning home can thus double these ranges, either on ferry missions. . . or perhaps desperate Kamikaze sorties!

As a note, flying in Space is much less draining on fuel than atmospheric flight, so ranges in the Deep Sky are greatly extended.

Short

TL3 = Within one Terrain Region

TL4 = Out one Terrain Region, or 1 Great League

TL5 = Out one Terrain Region, or 1 Geat League

Mid

TL3 = Out two Terrain Regions, or 2 Great League

TL4 = Out three Terrain Regions or 2 Great League

TL5 = Out four Terrain Regions, or 3 Great League

Long

TL3 = Out six Terrain Regions, or 4 Great Leagues

TL4 = Out eight Terrain Regions, or 5 Great Leagues

TL5 = Out ten Terrain Regions, or 6 Great Leagues

Very Long

TL3 = Anywhere on a planet, or 6 Great Leagues

TL4 = Anywhere on a planet, or 8 Great Leagues

TL5 = Anywhere on a planet, or 10 Great Leagues

Upkeep

It should be noted that aircraft do not pay extra Upkeep for traveling, and the fuel costs of flights are considered part of their normal upkeep, both in war and peace.

Links

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