- Yes
- No
I would like to suggest the Hansa-Brandenburg W.19 which was a WW1 Fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the single engine, two seater float biplane.
It would be both interesting for in game for it beeing another usable Anti Ground plane, as well as beeing a Floatplane, which are rather rare in game anyway.
The 20mm Becker M.II was inteded as Ground and Air armarment of AT and AA type. With its great HEI and I rounds it also came with API-T rounds, which were (while in general rather weak AP performance) more than enove to penetrate the light roof armor of the tanks in WW1, which was for the British Mark tanks only around 5,5 mm.
Especially with a WW1 mode, this aircraft could be both effectively used in Boat matches, as well as a ground attacker and air supiority fighter in Combined Ground matches, as it has 2x Fixed synconized frontal Mg 08/15, as well as 1 of the 55 produced planes was equipped with the mentioned 20mm Becker M.II in the back ringmount, which was both effective for defence with great aiming angles (see picture) as well as could easily shoot straight downwards on both sides to attack enemy tanks, while slowly flying over them.
The W.19 Was a improved development on the W.12 and served mainly the Kriegsmarine during 1918.
While the Operational experience of the W.12 showed that it was an extremly good designe and extremly successfull. It showed excellent performance and manoeuvrability, however there was a requirement for greater endurace. To meet the requirement Ernst Heinel, (the chief designer) designed the W.19.
The W.19 entered in the service of t he Kriegsmarine in January of 1918, by that quite late in the war, as such it didnt see much service, however some operations were flown from the basis at Borkum and Zeebrugge over the North Sea.
It was every time used as a support plane for smaller fighters along W.29.
Its roll was then to scout ahead for targets, while the smaller aircrafts waited on the sea. Combat often started between the Crews of the W.19 (and W.29s) and the large british flying boats such as Felixstowe F.2s and Curtiss Americas, in form of a classic (for the time) air fight, less of a dog fight, but shooting with the defencive armarment as well as personal arms.
Japan also took a look at the W.19 and W.29, and even copied it as Hanza-shiki suijou teisatsuki, with a 200 hp license build Hispano Suiza 8B and a 7,7 mm flexible MG. And build around 180.
While it was of a similar layout, it was considderably larger (2,6m longer wingspan and 1m longer).
It was a similar looking aircraft of single engine, tractor biplane, inverted tailplane designe, to give a good allround view. To compensate for the greater size and by that weight, it was equipped with the more powerfull Maybach Mb.IV enigne.
While the main production aircraft were armed with 1-2 fixed and synchronised 7,92mm Mg 08/15 forward fireing Mgs, and a single 7,92mm LMG 08/15 in the ring mount, i suggest the 1 upgunnned version with a 20mm Becker M.II in the Ring mount.
Armarment:
2x Fixed frontal fireing Mg 08/15 Synchronised (With K-Geschoss ~16mm/10m
1x Flexible 20mm Becker M.II
2 cm Becker M.II
Pictures:(Click to show)
One of the first modern type 20mm Cannon and served as the basis for the later Oerlikon 20mm FF guns. Using the API Blowback action. It was Intended as a AA and AT gun, on ground, vehicles and planes/airships. Later M3 variant was heavyer, reducing the fire rate to 250 rpm but velocity to 700m/s.
It was intended as 20mm, to not be a warcrime to have an explosive filling, overall the ammo layout was also quite modern, with multiple AP rounds, HE rounds as well as incendary rounds.
Caliber: 20mm
Ammo: 20x70mmRB Becker
Fire Rate: 325 rpm
Single Shot, Full auto, 15 rounds Magazin
Muzzle velocity: 490-500m/s
Weight: 30kg
Mounting: Main Tank gun, Fixed and flexible
Ammo Types: Ap-T, I-T, I, HEI, HE
Summary Of ammo Drawings:(Click to show)
(The drawing isnt fully correct, as the nose is too thinn drawn.)
AP:
Panzergeschoß L'Spur Modell 1 (ApI-T) 145g 490m/s 18mm/10m
(Can be conciddered ApI-T, duo to huge tracer filling, made of Barium Nitrate, Magnesium and Shellac of 7g.)
Panzergeschoß L’Spur Modell 2 (ApI-T) (Identical to first one, different head form, see in above summary.)
HE:
Sprenggeschoß Modell 1 (He High capcity, Fuzeless) 137 g
5,5g TNT + 0,5g Pieic acid 495m/s (See ammo Summary)
Incendary:
Brandgeschoß (I) 137g 12g Incendary 495m/s some penetration
Leuchtspurgeschoß (I-T) 144g Barium Nitrate, Magnesium, Shellac filler 11g 490m/s some penetration
(A bit incorrect here)
The Plane: W.19
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 10.65 m (34 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)
- Height: 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
- Wing area: 57.8 m2 (622 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,435 kg (3,164 lb)
- Gross weight: 2,005 kg (4,420 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Maybach Mb.IV 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 190 kW (250 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 151 km/h (94 mph, 82 kn)
- Endurance: 5 hours
- Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) 6 minutes 24 seconds
- Wing loading: 34.7 kg/m2 (7.1 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.097 kW/kg (0.059 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: :* 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns
- 1 × flexible 20mm Becker M.II in rear cockpit
Source:
German Aircraft of the first World War (Peter Gray)
The Complete book of Fighters (William Green)
Hansa-Brandenburg Airfract of WW1 (Collin A. Owers)
Notes on German Shells 1918 (2nd edition)