S3 Series

Orders out early for Thanksgiving! Next S3 Dec 1. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Check with your CO's for specific mission orders!


FRAME 3 - SKYWAY TO HELL
April 1942
While the Burma Road is still open, it has been severely interrupted by IJAAF
Supply flights over ‘the Hump’ start in April 1942
Allies need to ferry supplies in C47’s and C-87 Liberator Express’s (converted B-24) over ‘The Hump’.


Allies Objectives:
Fly Supplies in from Dinjan to Kunming, then from Kunming to both Rangoon and Chunking as per orders.
Defend Supply Aircraft and supply trucks while destroying enemy fighters and bombers for points.

Axis objectives:
Do not allow B-24’s and C-47’s supply aircraft to get through.
Also destroy supply trucks on Burma Road and aircraft for points.


Scoring Frame 3:
• Allies fly all 24 successful supply missions: Allies earn 3 frame points, Axis 0 earn frame points
• Allies fly 17-23 successful supply missions: Allies earn 2 frame points, Axis earn 1 frame points
• Allies fly 9-16 successful supply missions: Allies earn 1 frame points, Axis earn 2 frame points
• Allies fly 0-8 successful supply missions: Allies earn 0 frame points, Axis earn 3 frame points


Supply Mission Rules for the C-47 and B-24D pilots
Regardless whether your supply mission succeeds or fails, supply pilots must always clearly inform the frame CO about the outcome of the mission. This so that he can keep the score.

*SUPPLY PLANES- CHOOSE 0 ai!!!!!
* B-24D pilots MUST choose the "C-87 Liberator Express" loadout option with cargo and no defensive guns. You are not allowed to select another loadout, or to drop the cargo during flight.
* If your B-24D starts shooting back at IJAAF planes, it means you have selected an incorrect loadout and must immediately ditch/crash to avoid cheating. It will count as a failed supply mission.
* If your supply plane gets shot down, it counts as a failed mission.
* If you crash into mountains or terrain, or even crash and die when landing, it counts as a failed mission.
* If you for any reason ditch at another location than the target airfield, either due to flying to low or to avoiding certain death by enemy fighters, it counts as a failed mission, but you might of course deny the enemy some kill points.
* Only landing at the target airfield will count as a succesful mission.
* Always clearly inform the frame CO about the outcome of your mission.
* Squad CO's please inform your pilots about the rules above.


Aircraft:
Allies
2x P-40B
2x Hurricane I (Feb 1942)
1x B-339
3x C-47 Skytrain - Supply Aircraft + penalty plane
3x C-87 Liberator Express (substitute B-24D) Supply Aircraft
(100lb bomb load out..bombs are supply cargo DO NOT DROP)
3x B-25

Axis
2x Ki-43-Ic
1x Ki-27b
2x G4M1 Betty (2x Ai's)
2x D3A Val (2X Ai’s)
Nakajima L2D penalty plane

* historical note. Over 600 aircraft were lost and 1300 men were killed flying “the Hump”. Most were lost to poor weather conditions.

How many wingmen will the supply planes get?
Do the wingmen count for the number of flights or is one human one flight?

Completed missions must be made by a human pilot. So yes, 1 human = 1 flight.

I haven't decided whether to have ai or not, Thoughts?

Nook

I would say no. The B24 will have too much firepower if AI are tucked in with the human. Maybe the B24 needs to have guns on safety or did they shoot as cargo planes in RL?

Also, how many need to get through to be "successful" (i.e. WIN)?

i was initially thinking NO ai.

A pilot must launch the supply plane, fly the mission and successfully land to complete 1 mission. AI's if used do not count.

So 6 pilots flying B-24's and 6 pilots flying C-47s would equal the 12 missions needed to complete Mission 1

Mission 1 must be flown first.

For scoring: see the section SCORING FRAME 3

Nook

I’ll look into ‘ guns on safety’ for B24 I’ll do some research to see if the converted supply B24 (C-87 Liberator) had guns

No Guns. I’ll see if there is a way to turn them off.

C-87
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp radial engines
Power: 1,200hp
Crew: 5
Span: 110ft
Length: 66ft 4in
Height: 18ft
Empty Weight: 31,900b
Gross Weight: 56,000lb
Maximum Speed: 306mph
Cruising Speed: 190mph
Climb rate: 20.9min to 20,000ft
Ceiling: 31,000ft
Range: 2,900 miles
Guns: none
Payload: 12,000lb cargo or 25 passengers

x

I hate to tell you, but the only gun station that was taken off of the B-24 for hauling gas over the Hump was the ball turret. The crews were Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, flight engineer, radio operator and 2 gunners.

From: B-24 Liberator Units of the CBI by Edward M. Young

FWIW

I found a variant of the C-87 that had plans for defensive guns, but none were made.

C-87B
Proposed armed variant, not built.

I think you are reading about the C-109 Liberator which was a fuel-transport.

So does this mean the B24's need guns on safe?
I dont remember the key to put them on safe if someone can post.