- Yes
- No
Introduction
Welcome to my suggestion for an aviation sub-tree for Australia and New Zealand. My dream is to have Australian/New Zealand tech trees implemented in War Thunder. Obviously not as standalone tech trees, especially since our ground content would not cover a standalone tech tree, but with a partner nation/region (Canada makes a lot of sense and would be perfect) we still could offer a lot.
I must also thank ADF Serials for their website and helping compile records and history of aircraft all in one place. They were a great help in constructing this suggestion.
The Australian Air Force is one of the oldest in the world, it can trace its roots to the Australian Flying Corps formed in 1912, before eventually transforming in to the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) in 1921. By WW2 Australia had a blossoming aircraft industry of its own producing a number of indigenous designs and modifying foreign designs (sometimes quite heavily) to meet local requirements. Sadly this industry would be heavily curtailed later on by politics and money, but Australia would continue to field aircraft that were often modified to suit local requirements.
New Zealand, for reasons I will mention further down, are intrinsically linked to Australia, and Australia to New Zealand. The RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) have also served in many major conflicts, have a couple unique variants of aircraft to offer, but are mostly fielding foreign aircraft, often types that are already in game. This is primarily an Australian tree by nature, New Zealand could be handled in such a way their aircraft are premiums or tech tree depending on requirement.
Ultimately Gaijin may/will implement trees as they see fit, my goal here is simply to suggest these nations as a tree, wherever they end up.
I’m not particularly hung up on the BRs, they are mostly indicative of their general position and Gaijin will place them as they see fit regardless. I am totally open to suggestions for BR and name changes though.
The Vehicles
As it stands (including the premiums), this tree has 13 indigenous aircraft, 31 locally modified and/or built or specific variants of aircraft, and 39 aircraft that as far as I can tell are basically the same as their origin country’s model.
The below linked post includes all of the aircraft specs, photos, brief descriptions etc. I had to make the separate post as I was at the character limit for a post and still wanted to make additions.
That’s Not All! And Honourable Mentions
Spoiler
I have not included every possible variant I could find, some were simply additional similar variants of aircraft I have already included (eg. P-40 variants in between the E and N models) while others felt surplus to aircraft already in the tree while arguably being less significant. I tried to keep the tree healthy so people wouldn’t be researching the same thing over and over. However if you find a variant or aircraft type you feel would be worth adding, let me know and we’ll consider adding it.
Additionally, I wanted to mention the below types that don’t currently fit the mold in War Thunder. Some are WW1 and inter-war period that the game doesn’t presently cover in BRs. In short, they would be bad even at BR 1.0. Others are design projects/contract orders that never reached a functional prototype stage. Even if they had unfinished prototypes, they probably don’t fit the game as the performance would be purely theoretical/based on projections.
If the game ever decides to expand in to these type’s areas, they could make an appearance one day. Personally I’d love to see some of them.
Going Back In Time
Spoiler
As one of the oldest air forces in the world, Australia can offer expansion back to WW1 if the game ever heads in this direction. While it is true that Australia was more an extension of British forces during this time period, and basically all their aircraft would be copy paste RAF planes, the option to have it in the tree exists none the less. There is one indigenous design from this period however.
Wackett Warrigal I & II
Brief: A late 1920s design from Sir Lawrence Wackett (who would later head up CAC) while working in the RAAF Experimental Section. Not intended to be a frontline fighter, it was more for use as a trainer and for knowledge development of fighter production.
Top Speed: 156km/hr at sea level (Warrigal I), 193km/hr at sea level (Warrigal II)
Engine: 1x 200hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx (Warrigal I), 1x 450hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar (Warrigal II)
Main Armament: 1x 0.303 Vickers machine gun firing through propeller arc and provision for 1x 0.303 Lewis machine gun for the rear
Secondary Armament: 4x 20lb bombs or 1x 112lb bomb
Crew: 2
Useful Links: https://aeropedia.com.au/content/wackett-warrigal-ii/
CAC CA-23
Spoiler
Brief: Possibly the greatest “what if” aircraft in Australian history, the CA-23 project undertook considerable design work including wind tunnel testing before politics and money cancelled the project with no prototypes ever made. It is said that data developed from the CA-23 with relation to delta wing design was used to help UK make some of their early delta wing designs, and that it was also stolen from UK by the Russians that assisted their designs as well, though this has never been proven. As an early 1950s design, it had the potential to be one of the best fighter jets in the world at the time.
Top Speed: Mach 1.5
Main Armament: 4x 0.50in machine guns (likely M3 Brownings) planned, 250 rounds per gun
Secondary Armament: Pure speculation, as an all-weather interceptor it likely would have had options for dumb bombs and rockets. It may have also acquired Aim-9Bs just like the CAC Sabres did.
Engines: 2x Afterburning Rolls Royce Avons
Crew: 2
Radar: Yes (lol), a radar of sorts was planned but we don’t know exactly what it might have gotten
Weight: ~11,000kg
Service Ceiling: 47,500feet, 14,500m
Useful Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjiqdSwMxT8
CAC/BAC AA-107
Spoiler
Brief: The AA-107 (Anglo-Australian 107) was a 1968 design for a two seat supersonic jet trainer/strike aircraft. Another project in which extensive design work was undertaken, full scale mockups produced, but no prototype ever actually made. It was to be a swing wing, but ultimately it was considered too expensive and unnecessary to produce.
Top Speed: Mach 1.25
Main Armament: 2x20mm cannon
Secondary Armament: Two underwing pylons with gun pods, bombs, guided missiles or fuel tanks
Engine: Rolls Royce/Turbomeca Adour
Crew: 2
Useful Links: https://aeropedia.com.au/content/cac-aa-107/
CAC Aermacchi MB-326H (CAC CA-30)
Spoiler
Brief: Australian production version of Aermacchi MB-326 jet trainer was not overly unique, most of the modifications centred around improved reliability/durability and useability. I did not include it in the tech tree because it would have to be so high in BR due to flight performance, while only having 2x7.62mm machine guns for armament. The only secondary armament it could carry were little practice bombs.
Top Speed: 814km/hr
Initial Rate of Climb: 22.5m/s
Engine: Bristol Siddeley Viper 11, 2500lb thrust
Main Armament: 2x7.62mm machine guns
Secondary Armament: Practice bombs
Useful Links: https://seapower.navy.gov.au/aircraft/cac-aermacchi-mb-326h-macchi
CAC CA-31
Spoiler
Brief: The CAC CA-31 was a 1960s competing design for a new jet trainer for the RAAF for pilots to transition from the MB-326H to the Mirage, similar to the AA-107. Designs were made, mockups were built, but again no prototype was made.
Top Speed: Mach 1.5
Engine: Rolls Royce/Turbomeca Adour
Main Armament: Proposals included 1x20mm, 2x20mm and 1x30mm
Secondary Armament: 4 underwing hardpoints and 2 fuselage hardpoints for 500lb bombs, and typical of other similar types of the era, potentially gun pods and rockets
Useful Links: https://aeropedia.com.au/content/cac-ca-31/
AP-3C Orion
Spoiler
Brief: Australia’s version of the P-3 Orion, the AP-3C has no ordinance that I can find that would be useful in air or ground battles, so it probably doesn’t currently fit in any tech trees (feel free to prove me wrong here). However, we do see mechanics in game such as the strike drones of high tier ground battles, and the “random bomber” in naval battles. A simple development could see the AP-3C be used as something you can spawn in high tier naval battles.
Top Speed: 750km/hr at 8000m
Rate of Climb: 16.0m/s
Engines: 4x Allison T56-A-14 turboshaft, 4600hp each
Crew: 13
Armament: AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Mk 46 anti-submarine torpedoes, mines
Useful Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AP-3C_Orion#
https://hars.org.au/lockheed-ap-3c-orion/
P-8A Poseidon
Spoiler
Brief: Much like the Orion, the RAAF’s Poseidon only has anti-shipping and submarine weaponry. It could therefore be an even higher tier option for something that can be spawned in naval battles. RNZAF also operates the P-8A.
Top Speed: 907km/hr
Engines: 2x CFM56-7 BE(27) engines each with 27000 lb thrust
Armament: Lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes and AGM-84 anti-ship missiles
Useful Links: https://www.airforce.gov.au/aircraft/p-8a-poseidon
The Tree Is Too Large To Be A Sub-Tree?
Spoiler
I have suggested this sub-tree in a 4 line format, by the way the game is currently laid out this is too large to be a sub-tree. There are a few possible solutions to this. One is, and I feel this is the best way for numerous trees and nations for the game, is to give nations multiple trees of a particular forces type. What I mean by this is, one nation could have two aviation trees if required. The second aviation tree, the “sub-tree” would not be unlocked until reaching a certain rank in the prime tree. At which point you would just choose which vehicle you are researching. All the mechanics for this are already present in the game, like how ground and helicopters are split in to two trees but helicopters can be researched by ground vehicles and are all applied to the same crews.
Another solution would be to try and condense this 4 line tree down to 1 or 2. This seems almost impossible and would involve cutting a LOT of aircraft from the final product, but may be possible through heavy use of foldering.
A third solution could simply be that which ever partner nation Australia/New Zealand is introduced to/with is integrated in amongst the 4 lines (plus a 5th line if required). If the example was Canada, their bombers would also be integrated in the bomber line, their strike aircraft in to that line, and their fighters would be mixed in to the first two lines and/or a 5th line.
Why is Australia and New Zealand Together?
Spoiler
Australia and New Zealand are so geographically and geopolitically intertwined that historically when it comes to military matters, we are basically one. Both countries were founded by the English Empire, and were Empire states prior to the forming of the Commonwealth, and both are still members of the Commonwealth today. It is not commonly known, but during the Federation of Australia, New Zealand was offered to become a state of the country of Australia (along with Fiji) and while they declined, it is still written within the Australian Constitution that they can join any time if they changed their mind.
ANZAC stands for Australian & New Zealand Army Corps, and was a joint army corps between the two nations during WW1. The term was also used for joint cooperation between Australia and New Zealand during WW2 and Vietnam. ANZAC Day (an event suggestion I have posted here and has been passed to developers) is a nationally observed public holiday in both nations in remembrance of all Australians and New Zealanders that have served.
Article XV Squadrons and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, also known as Empire Air Training Scheme
Spoiler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_XV_squadrons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_and_the_Empire_Air_Training_Scheme
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan
Article XV squadrons were squadrons of graduates from the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan serving in the British RAF. The BCATP was a program designed by UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to train aircrews en mass to serve the British Empire in wartime. The Article XV squadrons of Australian and New Zealand personnel were serving in British aircraft under British command, so I have tried to limit my use of these aircraft types in the suggested tree as they are essentially taken straight from the UK tech tree.
But I also didn’t want to entirely discount them and the service of these people. In my current suggestion I have 4 of these aircraft.
The Gladiator II as a premium, because I realize the Australian Demon would not quite be on par with other nations’ biplane fighters, so it’s an option to purchase and bi-pass that grind that may be unpleasant to some. Rank 1 fighter options were also in short supply.
The Sunderland Mk V, because its development was as a direct result of input from Australian aircrews, who also served admirably in the aircraft type.
The Hurricane Mk I/L, it helped to shore up that section of rank 2 and helps acknowledge the service of Australians in the African campaign of WW2.
The Lancaster B Mk III as a premium. Australians made significant contributions in the bombing campaign, just take a read about No. 460 Squadron, and a couple Lancasters were even transferred back to Australia for one reason or another and allotted ADF serial numbers even though they weren’t being used in combat by the RAAF. G for George is a famous Lancaster currently on display in Australia, this premium could even be made specifically G for George, although that is a Mk I not a Mk III, and a selfish thought I had to is get the Mk III and have a premium with the 12,000lb bomb.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading this suggestion as much as I enjoyed making it. I am more than happy to take suggestions for anything I may have left out or forgotten, for name changes or BR changes. I feel Australia in particular can offer the game a lot, with indigenous designs across air, naval, and ground, and locally modified/built unique variants across air, ground, naval and heli. Any Australian inclusion simply must include New Zealand for the reasons mentioned above. But I’m not saying this is what the game “needs”, this is definitely what I want though lol.
