Rules for WWII Air Combat

These rules have been designed for small models and hex sheets.

Scales

1 hex= 100 yards 1 Move = 5 secs

1. Movement

The aircraft tables at the back ( and on the play sheets) details the performance of planes.

Stall is the number of hexes the plane must move in a turn not to stall.

Speed is the maximum number of hexes a plane can move in a turn.

Dive speed the plane can reach it it dives in a turn.

Turn is the number of hexes a plane must fly in a straight line before turning one hex side. The plane must fly the same again before turning again. A slip takes the same number of hexes as a turn. When a plane slips it ends up the an adjacent hex line either left or right.

Roll is the number of hexes a plane must fly straight before rolling on its back.

Loop is the number of hexes a plane must fly straight before looping up an over onto its back. The plane will gain up to the maximum climb( it must gain at least 200) and end up facing the opposite way in the same hex. It must Roll to get over right way up.

It is possible to roll first onto the planes back then loop downwards and end up facing backwards facing the opposite direction in the same hex. In this case the plane will loose upto the maximum dive altitude. It must loose at least 300.

Climb is the maximum altitude a plane may gain in a turn.If a plane climbs is looses a hex of speed. This may be compensated using power.

Dive is the maximum altitude a plane may loose in a turn If a plane dives it gains 1 or 2 hexes of speed . This may be compensated using break.

Power is the number of hexes speed gain in a turn .

Break is the number of hexes speed that can be lost in a turn.

The sheet at the end of these rules shows some of these moves.

2.Orders

Each turn each plane must be given an order. Bomber formations may be given a group order.

Orders consist of 2 parts

  1. Altitude . A record of the altitude at the end of the move must be made.
  2. The move . Abbreviations may be used L= left , R =right , F =forward, L =loop, Rl =Roll, S = slip.
  3. E.G. F3LF3L = Forward 3 Turn left , Forward 3 turn left.

3.Firing

Firing is done at the end of the turn. Players decide how many seconds of the turn their plane could fire at another one for. Generally this is taken as 1 second for each hexes movement with the target in the firing arc of the plane.

The plane gets 1 roll per second . This is upto a maximum of 5 .

A fixed forward firing plane can fire only straight forward. Other weapons are turret armed or on flexible mounts.

Consult the following chart:

Roll a d100 . Roll under the figure in the chart to score a hit. Players with cannon and machine guns must decide before firing if to use cannon or only MG.

A.Fighter vs Fighter

Range in hexes

Aspect 1 2 3 4 5 6

Behind 60 50 40 30 20 10

Head On 30 25 20 15 10 5

Rear Deflection 20 15 10 5 2 1

Head on Deflection 10 5 2 1 - -


  1. Fighter vs Bomber

Range in hexes

Aspect 1 2 3 4 5 6

Behind 85 80 70 60 50 40

Head On - - - 40 30 20

Rear Deflection 30 20 15 10 5 2

Head on Deflection 15 10 5 2 1 -

Note that a fighter cannot fire head on at a bomber closer than 3 hexes as it must veer out of the way or collide with it.This is because of closing velocity being high.

  1. Bomber Defensive Fire

Range in hexes

Aspect 1 2 3 4 5 6

Behind 30 20 15 10 5 2

Head On 15 10 5 2 1 -

Deflection 4 3 2 1 - -

Modifiers

Benefit of previous turn firing at same target +5% (not bomber defensive fire)

Firing into the sun half chance.

Ace + 5% (5 kills) Double Ace +10% (10 kills) Ace of Aces +20% (100 Kills)

Firing inverted Half chance

Any pilot hits half chance.









Where do you hit

Once you have hit a plane consult this chart to decide where you have hit.

This depends on wether firing from head on or from behind.

Fighter Bomber

Head on Behind Head on Behind

Engine 01-18 01-09 01-18 01-09

Oil 19-20 10-11 19-20 10-11

Pilot/cockpit 21-40 12-20 21-40 12-20

Fuel 41-50 21-35 41-60 21-40

Wing 51-70 36-55 61-80 41-60

Fuselage 71-85 56-80 81-90 61-75

Tail 86-100 81-100 91-100 76-100

How much damage do you do

Fire factors:

Rifle calibre MG =1

Heavy MG ( browning 0.5" or MG 17)= 2

Light 20mm Cannon( German MG FF) = 4

Heavy 20mm cannon( Hispano and MG 151 ) = 8

30mm Cannon = 20

Examples

1.Spitfire and Hurricane have 8 Rifle calibre Mg = FF of 8.

2.Me109E (battle of Britain) has 2 MG17 and 2 MG FF 20mm Cannons . This = FF of 4 + 8 =12.

3.Me 109G (Battle of Germany)

Standard 2 MG17 and 1 30mm Cannon This = FF of 4 + 20 =24.

Optional under wing Ruestsatz pods

Can be 20mm MG 151

or 30mm

Thus a Me109G with Ruestsatz can have FF of 40 (20mm Ruestsatz) or 64 (30mm Ruestsatz)

20mm Ruestsatz add +1 to all maneuvers due to drag.

  1. Mustang has 6 Browning 0.5" = FF of 12.
  1. Me 262 has 4 30mm cannons = FF of 80.

So how much damage do you do. ?

Well take FF divide by 10 and multiply by a d10 .

A spitfire FF of 8 roll a 5 = 8/10 x 5 =4 damage points

A Me262 FF of 80 rolls a 8 = 80/10 x 8 =64 damage points

So what damage can areas take ?

Defensive factors

Spitfire Hurricane Me109 Me110/Stuka Dornier/Ju88 B17

Engine * 5 5 5 5 5 7

Oil 1 1 1 1 1 1

Pilot/Cockpit 3 3 3 5 5 5

Fuel 5 5 5 8 10 10

Wing 10 12 8 15 20 25

Fuselage 10 12 8 15 20 30

Tail 5 6 4 8 10 15

*On multi engine planes this indicates defence factors per engine. When hitting such planes roll again to decide which engine is hit and record damage separately.

Effects of hits

When reduced to numbers below there are effects.

Engine 3= No power , climb, loop 0= on fire explodes in 2 turns can shut down on 50%.

If muli engined loose 1 hex speed per engine lost . -2 explode.

Oil Any loss no power manoeuvres. 0 = explodes.

Pilot any loss take morale check roll under 50% or break off.If stays manoeuvres +1 0=dead.

Fuel 0 Explodes

Wing Reduced to less than ½ strength no rolls or loops. 0 Disintegrates.

Fuselage Reduced to less than ½ strength no rolls or loops. 0 Disintegrates

Tail Reduced to less than ½ strength no rolls or loops. 0 Disintegrates

Critical hits

If any damage roll was a 9 or 10 re roll 8+ Plane from Disintegrates critical hit.

  1. Bailing out

When a plane is shot down there is a chance the pilot bails out safely .

Consult these figures:

On fire 40%

Explosion 5%

Plane Disintegrates 75%

Under control 95%

Whether the pilot can fight again depends on if he is over friendly territory.







  1. Bombing

These rules give crude rules to decide whether a bombing mission has been successful.

Level Bombing

Altitude

Roll 5000 10000 20000

Miss 01-50 01-60 01-70

25% Bombload damage 51-63 61-70 71-78

50% Bombload damage 64-75 71-80 79-86

75% Bombload damage 76-86 81-90 87-93

100% Bombload damage 87-100 91-100 94-100


Dive bombing

Shallow dive bombing (e.g. Fighter) Dive bombing

Roll Roll

Miss 01-50 01-20

25% Bombload damage 51-63 21-40

50% Bombload damage 64-75 41-60

75% Bombload damage 76-86 61-80

100% Bombload damage 87-100 81-100



E.G. a He111H at 10000 feet rolls a 87 = 75% damage = 1500 pts damage.


Each target can have defense factors . E.G. A factory may have 8000 pts damage.







  1. Details of planes

This section details some of the planes of WWII including armament , ammunition , performance and defence factors.

Armament and ammunition

Plane Weapons Fire Factor Ammunition MG Cannon

Spitfire I 8 Rifle calibre 8 15

Hurricane I 8 Rifle calibre 8 15

Me109 E 2 MG17 2 MGFF 4+8=12 50 9

Mustang 6 Browning 0.5" 12 26

Me109G MG 17 1 30mm Cannon 4+20 33 5

20mm Ruestatz 8(each)=16 10

30mm Ruestatz 20(each)=40 5






Performance

Plane Stall Speed Dive Turn Roll Loop Climb Dive P B

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Spitfire1 3 7 9 3 6 7 200 800 2 1

Hurricane 1 3 6 8 3 5 6 200 700 1 1

Me109E 3 7 9 4 6 7 300 1000 2 1

Ju88 3 5 6 5 - - 100 300 1 1

Do17/HeIII 3 5 5 6 - - 100 300 1 1

Ju87 3 5 7 6 100 500 1 1

BATTLE OF GERMANY

P51 Mustang 3 9 11 4 6 7 400 1000 2 1

B17 3 5 5 6 - - 200 500 1 1

Me109G 3 9 11 4 6 7 400 1200 2 1

Defence Factor

Plane Engine Oil Pilot Fuel Fuselage Wings Tail

Spitfire 5 1 3 5 10 10 5

Hurricane 5 1 3 5 12 12 6

Me109 5 1 3 5 8 8 4

Stuka/Me110 5 1 5 8 15 15 8

Light Bomber 5 1 5 10 20 20 10

B17 5 1 9 12 30 25 15