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Thread: Rocket equipped planes

  1. #1

    Default Rocket equipped planes

    We are thinking of using balloons and rockets in one of our upcoming games. How common were the rockets? In a three or four plane squad would you have one or two planes equipped with rockets? I'm guessing no more that two since you need an escort.

    Also I have both the N.11 and N.17 with rockets. Which ones were the most common.

    Thank you for your help,

  2. #2

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    I have no gen on how common rockets were but you can bet everyone will want a go with them !
    Depending on table size and how many players you have Ken I would say go for it and field all the allies with rocket firing machines against as many balloon targets you can muster. You can have opposing aircraft or just ground fire from MGs & AA , or, a mixture of both. (recommend the solitaire AAA rules)
    N.11's were about longer than N.16's so maybe more common but no reason not to use both types if you have them.

    "He is wise who watches"

  3. #3

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    If you have not read this Wikipedia article, Ken, you may find it useful but unfortunately it does not answer your questions.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Prieur_rocket

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Naharaht View Post
    If you have not read this Wikipedia article, Ken, you may find it useful but unfortunately it does not answer your questions.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Prieur_rocket
    Thanks for that David, I hadn't realised that Le Prieur rockets were used by other nations. Very useful info!

  5. #5

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    I had the impression that the rockets fell out of use once the Allies developed reliable incendiary ammunition. Haven't investigated it thoroughly, though.

  6. #6

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    My general impression is that rockets seem to disappear (certainly in RFC and RNAS service) towards the end of 1917 but they may have continued longer on other fronts such as Italy or Palestine or in other services.
    This trend is probably due to improved incendiary and tracer machine gun rounds, notably the British .303 Brock and Pomeroy rounds. Brock was a major British producer of peace-time fireworks and pyrotechnics and Frank Arthur Brock was killed (as an RAF Wing Commander!) in a sword fight on the Zeebrugge Mole during the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid.
    Brock was originally supposed to help the chemical smoke screen effort in the raid but he insisted on joining one of the raiding parties.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Arthur_Brock

    The above link mentions his work with incendiary bullets.
    Brock's career suggests that he was one of the few people in WW1 who served in the army, navy and the air force.

    Barry

  7. #7

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    Here is a photograph of an aeroplane attacking a balloon with rockets. Notice how inaccurate they could be.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Naharaht View Post
    Here is a photograph of an aeroplane attacking a balloon with rockets. Notice how inaccurate they could be.
    There is nothing accurate about a stick-type rocket, Captain Cavalie Mercer, Royal Horse Artillery, was chased by a rogue Royal Artillery rocket during the Waterloo campaign in 1815. It apparently doubled back.
    Fin-stablised rockets appear a little more accurate but try looking closely at U.S. Vietnam War footage when choppers fire rocket pods. Nearly always one or two go off course.

    B

  10. #10

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    The big problem with these rockets is usually a lack of a good metal nozzle or venturi to keep the thrust centered. This lack can be exasperated by cracks in the solid fuel (i.e. black powder) causing odd shifts in the vector of thrust, as well as
    changing the center of gravity unevenly.
    This can still happen with modern model rockets. Or just see how accurate you can be with bottle rockets
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus



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