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2.3. Carrier-based Fighters

2.3.1. CSCA 1S Condar (Condor) – 1934

As soon as Thiaria was officially allowed to establish military aviation in 1931, one of the first specifications for a domestic military airplane asked for a carrierborne twin-seat long-range fighter, escort and scouting airplane with secondary light attack capability. The Condar, a very conventional and old-fashioned biplane powered by a 680hp Hispano-Suiza 12X, was the winner of a prolonged evaluation between several designs and was introduced into military service late in 1934, one year before the completion of the former battlecruiser hull LT Antartach as a heavy fleet aircraft carrier. Production ran for three years and yielded 110 airframes. Although the Condar was invaluable as a training and experimental aircraft that allowed the Thiarians to catch up with the major sea powers in carrier training and doctrine prior to WW2, it never saw operational service and was never flown from any of the other Thiarian carriers. It was retired from the front line in 1939 and from training units in 1943.

2.3.2. CSCA 3S Foiche (Wasp) – 1938

The Foiche was developed to the same specs as the Condar, although at a generally higher performance level. The Thiarian Naval Aviation needed till 1942 to realize that carrierborne fighters did not really need the second crewmember, but rather better agility; by 1938, the Foiche, whose performance is best compared to the Skua’s, was considered the pinnacle of carrierborne fighter design. With its 900hp Gnome-Rhone 14K engine, it was good for 420kph, although not very maneuverable due to its bulky size and prone to engine failure as the 14K was ill-adapted to naval service. They were issued to the new light fleet carrier LT Realtbhuion in 1940 and replaced the Condar on the LT Antartach in 1939, and by 1941, they also equipped two land-based flotillas. The 14K engine was replaced by a more powerful and much more reliable license-produced Trenhaile (Gnome-Rhone) 14N of 1.150hp in 1940, and in this configuration, the Foiche could manage 450kph – more than a contemporary Fulmar – and gave a good account of itself in the first major engagements between Thiarian and British carrier planes during 1940 and 1941 despite the rather weak armament of six 8mm machineguns. Due to problems with the underpowered initial versions of the proposed replacement Cearnabhan, the Foiche remained in production till mid-1942 and in service till mid-1943, considerably longer than planned; 304 were produced in total. The last ones operated from the escort carriers LT Ghrianghaoth and LT Coimead in 1943. By that time, they were no longer fit to fight contemporary allied shipborne fighters, and only very few remained when the type was finally retired.

2.3.3. Caproni Atlantach 10C Cearnabhan (Hornet) - 1941

The Cearnabhan is a Thiarian version of the Italian Caproni Ca.335, also produced in Belgium as the SABCA S.49. Unlike the Italian and Belgian versions, who were reasonably sporty performers despite their rather weak 930hp engines, the Cearnabhan featured enhanced wing and fuselage structure, strengthened undercarriage, arrestor hook, heavier radio gear and additional fuel for almost twice the range, thus becoming much heavier than the original. Despite having a stronger 1.100hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 engine, the Cearnabhan was only good for 425 kph due to excessive weight, considerably slower than a Fairey Fulmar, its most closely comparable contemporary contender. The first 110 machines were judged unsuitable for front-line service after a short but disastrous deployment to the new light carrier LT Stoidiaca in 1941 and only used for training; the predecessor model Foiche was kept in service for much longer than planned for that reason. As the Cearnabhan had some considerable advantages over the Foiche, however – longer range, an armament of one 20mm cannon and six 13mm machineguns, better maneuverability due to superior aerodynamics and a much more robust construction capable of taking enormous punishment – the design was kept in production after the new Hispano-Suiza 12Z-1 engine of 1.450hp had been fitted, which finally gave the T10C-2 adequate speed and climb characteristics (top speed 500 kph) and a useful payload of 1.000 kg. In this configuration, the Cearnabhan was issued to the fleet carriers LT Antartach and LT Realtbhuion (LT Stoidiaca was lost early in 1942 with a full complement of T10C-1s on board) as well as the escort carriers LT Uisceadoir, LT Ceintear and LT Abhainn. The type was continuously fitted with ever stronger engines, first the 1.600hp 12Z-17 in late 1942 (T10C-3, the most numerous version, top speed 540kph) and finally the 1.750hp 12Z-34 (T10C-4, top speed 560 kph) in early 1944. The Cearnabhan remained in service throughout the war, although it was only flown from escort carriers from mid-1944, and delivered sterling and useful service as escort and patrol fighter, long-range recce aircraft and auxiliary ASW platform. It was about equal to the Fairey Firefly as a fighter and stood a fighting chance against a Hellcat on a sunny day, but was lost against a Corsair or Seafire. 573 were produced in total, 463 of which had HS 12Z engines.

2.3.4. MCE 4M Griofa (Griffon) - 1943

The story behind the adoption of a Fiat G.55 clone as Thiaria’s last standard carrierborne fighter is a little confused. The type was selected by Argentina for license production as early as October 1942, a few months after the prototype’s first flight; plans were conveyed to Argentina by Submarine in December 1942. Since the Argentinians had justified doubts about their ability to license-produce DB605 engines too, they asked the Thiarians to deliver Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17s, which could be delivered from Thiaria by freighter with reasonable reliability at that time had the added advantage of being more powerful. As open war between Argentina and Brazil was looming at that time, the Thiarians were happy to oblige and received the plans of the G.55 in January 1943 to make the necessary adaptions. Less than six weeks later, they had reverse-engineered a G.55 with a 1.600 hp 12Z-17, which surpassed the performance of the original in every respect (top speed 665kph). Just about at that time, they had come to realize that their Cearnabhans had found their undisputable masters in the Seafire and – grudgingly – decided to adopt a single-seat fighter for the carrier fleet. Aerelar received the contract to develop a Corsair-analogue with a 2.150hp engine early in 1943, but that project was unlikely to yield any results prior to mid-1944. As the two standard single-seat fighters of the Thiarian Air Force were both unsuitable for navalization (the Cobra due to its weak undercarriage and its wooden construction which could not be made saltwater-proof, the Iolar due to its incorrigibly short range), so the G.55, which had a robust structure, a strong undercarriage and a longer range even than the Cobra (1.200km without and 1.600km with droptanks), was chosen. The plane received a strengthened undercarriage, folding wings, anticorrosive coating, arrestor hook and other navy-specific equipment to test the feasibility of adopting her as a stop-gap solution. Despite the added weight, the plane was still good for 630 kph (about as fast as the Italian land version, and almost 100kph faster as the then-current T10C-3 version of the Cearnabhan). With its very good maneuverability and an armament of one 20mm cannon and four 13mm machineguns, the Thiarian G.55 was easily equal to the Hellcat and not much worse than the contemporary versions of the Seafire, and in May 1943, series production at Thiaria’s Naval Aircraft Factory MCE was approved. Of the initial series of 160 machines, 80 were land versions for export to Argentina (as agreed upon before the Argentinians had delivered the plans); Fiat was never asked for a license. The first fighter flotilla with the Griofa, as the type was called by the Thiarians, became operational in October 1943, less than nine months after the first flight of the prototype. In February 1944, the Thiarians introduced the 1.750hp 12Z-34 engine and immediately installed it into the second series of the Griofa; that version (T4M-4) reached a top speed of 670 kph and could engage every Merlin-powered version of the Seafire or an early Corsair with at least equal chances of success. Apart from the uprated engine, that version also introduced a bubble canopy. A land version with a top speed of 690kph was delivered to Argentina in 40 copies; the Argentinians license-produced a total of 301 Griofas at FMA from December 1943, 188 of which were T4M-4s. The final Thiarian version T4M-5 was powered by a 1.900hp 12Z-43 and commissioned in March 1945; only the last 135 of the series were T4M-5s, which did not see much service. With a top speed of 695kph, they were almost as fast as a Bearcat and easily the best carrierborne fighter of the Axis. Of the 618 units produced, 350 served on board of Thiarian aircraft carriers at some point of their respective careers.

2.3.5. Aerelar 5L Siolpaire (Vampire) - 1944

Thiaria’s equivalent to the Corsair and the Mitsubishi A7M was a most impressive airplane with a wing-mounted armament of two 20mm cannon and four 13mm machineguns, a very rugged structure capable of taking enormous punishment and a very long range (radius of action 1.300km, as long as the Griofa’s ferry range). Unfortunately, the whole package was so heavy that the original Trenhaile 18T-1 engine of 2.150hp was incapable of providing the specified speed of 650 kph when the Siolpaire had its first flight in October 1944. Development of a 2.500hp version of the 18T dragged on with no tangible results throughout the war; as the Griofa, originally thought as a stop-gap solution till the Siolpaire was ready, was performing exceedingly well, series production of the Siolpaire was postponed again and again and finally cancelled in March 1945 after a dozen prototypes and trials aircraft had been built.


Next: Bombers

Greetings
GD

2.4. Land-based Bombers

2.4.1. Caproni Atlantach 3C Stail (Stallion) – 1935

The first standard-issue medium bomber of the newly formed Thiarian Air Force was a variant of the Italian Ca.133. It was a robust, reliable and easily maintained plane of limited payload, even more limited performance and pathetically short range, so it was practically useless for an island nation a thousand kilometers away from the nearest enemy. It was nevertheless built in 345 copies due to an embarassing lack of alternatives. During the war, the Stail was only used for training and as an auxiliary transport; none were deployed abroad. A few lasted throughout the war in supporting roles, often as squadron hacks for various bomber formations; most were retired during 1942.

2.4.2. Aeraon 5A Saighead (Arrow) – 1938

The first modern tactical bomber of the Thiarian Air force was developed from 1936 to 1938 as a torpedo-bomber floatplane. With two Hispano-Suiza 14AA engines of 1.100hp each, they were well-powered and showed convincing performance, although the engines were unreliable and needed a lot of maintenance. The type was nevertheless produced in considerable quantity both as a land airplane (418) and as a floatplane (165) and used in an anti-shipping role by both the Air Force and the Navy from the beginning of the war until well into 1944, when enough CSCA Tornadoes in the torpedo bomber version were available. Due to the inherent design faults of the Aigeanta Ollpheist and the pressing need of the expeditionary forces operating on the South American continent for more tactical strike aircraft, the last 208 of the land-based version were finished without anti-shipping equipment and with Hispano-Suiza 12Y-89 engines of 1.200hp; they were popular and successful in their role and served in diminishing numbers throughout the war, because the delivery of more modern replacements was delayed by the growing need for night-fighters. A total of 583 of the bomber version were produced.

2.4.3. Caproni Atlantach 7C Cloiteoir (Conqueror) – 1939

The Thiarian version of the Italian Caproni Ca.135. Although looking promising on paper, they fell short of advertised performance in every respect. They were intended to replace the Stail as standard medium bomber, but drawn out of active units quickly. Most were used in auxiliary roles throughout the war, and 40 of the 115 Thiarian-built machines were exported to Peru, where they saw a much more active service period. The Peruvians even built the type in license; although their version was as troublesome as the Thiarian or Italian incarnations, they eventually purchased 154 of them and used them for many years as their standard multirole bomber. The Peruvians also were the only ones who employed the Cloiteoir as torpedo bomber.

2.4.4. Nairn 2N Scriostoir (Devastator) – 1940

These medium bombers of rather uninspired outer lines were Thiaria’s first answer to the problem that all their enemies were half a hemisphere away and could not easily be reached and bombed. In a fashion similar to the Japanese Mitsubishi G4M (Betty), the 2N sacrificed everything for range, being relatively lightly built, having no self-sealing fuel tanks and mounting only few defensive weapons; bomb load was limited to 1.200 kilograms. With two 1.100 hp Hispano-Suiza 14AA engines, the Scriostoir had however the specified range of 2.500 kilometers and could reach most of the Brazilian coast from bases on New Portugal. After a prolonged development and testing phase, the Scriostoir was placed in series-production in mid-1940 and quickly replaced the Stail as Thiaria’s standard strategic bomber. During most of the time the Scriostoir was the mainstay of the heavy bomber wings, Brazil was not yet in the war, so the planes were mostly used not in the strategic role, but in long-range patrol, recce and anti-shipping missions; during 1941 and 1942, there also were some remarkable raids on Capetown, where the Scriostoirs used a makeshift airfield on the island of Craigmiadh and achieved a range of nearly 4.000 kilometers at maximum overload; these missions however proved a heavy burden for the flimsily built hulls, and attrition was very high. The poor reliability of the 14AA engines also led to many losses due to engine failure over open water. The Scriostoirs were considerably improved early in 1942 by replacing the 14AA with the Trenhaile (Gnome-Rhone) 14R-4/5 of 1.600hp; the additional power allowed the installation of better defensive armament (twin dorsal turret rather than single MG stand), increase payload to 1.600kilograms and make the fuel tanks self-sealing without compromising range and speed (which was however rather low to begin with at 420kph; the up-engined version was only good for 440kph). The last 389 Scriostoirs were built to this B2N-3 standard and remained Thiaria’s most important strategic bomber till early 1943. They finally were used for night missions against Brazil from mid-1942 and wreaked considerable destruction in that year, before night fighter resistance stiffended by early 1943 and the low speed, poor maneuverability and still not very robust construction turned the Scriostoir into a deathtrap for its own crews. Although in production till May 1943 to a total of 736 copies, the type was all but retired by year’s end.

2.4.5. Aigeanta 4T Ollpheist (Wyvern) – 1940

The Ollpheist was originally designed as a fast, unarmed bomber for precision strike missions from all altitudes. It was designed as an all-wood construction with a glued monococque hull very similar to the Mosquito, but at a much lower performance level, powered by two 930hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines. Maneuverability on the other hand was quite good for a plane of this size and weight. The basic version F4T-1 carried no defensive armament whatsoever, could pack 2.000 kilograms of ordnance and had a speed of 540kph with full load. Unfortunately, by the time the Ollpheist entered production in September 1940, this performance was already no longer sufficient to make it intercept-proof. As if this was not bad enough, the plane also proved incapable of attaining the specified ceiling at maximum load and – worst of all – was structurally unsound, with a tendency to lose the trailing wing and stabilizer during fast rolls. Unfortunately, the latter problem became only known when series production was already well underway, and the first 100 machines were wholesale declared not airworthy after an accident series in the winter (southern hemisphere) of 1941. Due to the perceived advantages of the Ollpheist, particularly its versatility, maneuverability and ease of production (minimal use of strategic materials, especially aluminium), it was decided to save the design by adding structural elements to stiffen the wing joints and a defensive armament of a bow mounted 13mm machinegun and a twin dorsal 13mm machinegun turret; the additional weight was addressed by installing two Hispano-Suiza 12Z-1s of 1.450hp each in the F4T-2 version. Although aerodynamics slightly suffered compared with the basic version, the added engine power still provided a speed of 585 kph at full load. This F4T-4 version replaced the F4T-1 bomber on the production lines in November 1941 and entered service in January 1942, just in time for the beginning of Thiaria’s South American land campaign in April. They were quite successful initially, as long as allied fighter resistance was feeble, but their structure was still basically – and, defying all attempts to strengthen it, irredeemably – faulty, and attrition and accident rates were high. An attempt to turn the Ollpheist into an effective tank hunter by installing a semi-automatic 47mm cannon failed miserably due to the stress damage this weapon did when fired; only two prototypes were built in 1943. By late 1943, though engine power had been further increased by installing the 1.600hp 12Z-17 in the F4T-5 for a speed of 625kph, Thiarian pilots were becoming quite uneasy flying low-level bombing missions in a plane which was strictly forbidden to enter any abrupt maneuvers to prevent it from breaking apart. The proposed replacement, the Aeraon Bultur, was not introduced before November 1944, and many Ollpheist squadrons converted to Cobra fighters modified for light strike missions in that year. Only a single light bomber wing operated the Ollpheist to the bitter end; its CO stated that a well-trained pilot could take the Ollpheist to the limit of its performance and all talk about structural deficiencies was only a half-assed excuse for not being able to fly the plane properly. He crashed to death without enemy interference in April 1945. By that time, only 70 of 557 produced Ollpheist bombers were still in service.

2.4.6. Caproni Atlantach 11C Bladhmiaire (Marauder) – 1941

Based upon the Italian Caproni Ca.204, which was rejected by the Regia Aeronautica in favour of the Piaggio P.108, this aerodynamically very clean plane eventually became the most successful, most feared and most produced heavy bomber of the entire Axis. The plans for the basic Caproni design were sent to Thiaria early in 1940 by submarine, and Caproni-Atlantach had a prototype ready by October 1940. They had deleted the lateral Me210-style remote-controlled machinegun mounts in favour of manned positions and installed a 20mm cannon in the tail for a total defensive armament of four 13mm machineguns and one cannon. The Alfa Romeo 135 engines proposed for the Ca.204 were replaced with Trenhaile (Gnome-Rhone) 14R-1/2s of 1.400hp, providing the designed speed of 500kph (less than the 515kph of the Ca.204 due to the higher weight of the Thiarian plane compared with the Italian version), and a maximum range of 3.600 kilometers (also less than the Italian version’s 4.500 kilometers). The bomb bay, which could only take 100kg bombs in the Italian original, was completely reworked to allow loading bombs of 170kg (20), 340kg (10) or 680kg (4) or any combination thereof. Designed bomb load was set at 3.500 kilograms internally, which was a great improvement over the 2.000 kilograms of the Ca.204. The Bladhmiaire could carry its full bombload at a combat radius of 600km and could still carry 1.600kg of bombs over her maximum combat radius of 1.400km plus reserves, plenty enough to hit half the population of Brazil from New Portugal. Series production commenced in May 1941, and the first squadron reported operational in November. These large aircraft were enthusiastically expected by the frontline units, who direly wanted a replacement for the flimsy Scriostoir, and over the next 12 months, four full wings converted to the Bladhmiaire. They operated practically with impunity during the first year of their service, both against Brazil and – occasionally – on raids against Capetown. As fighter resistance gradually stiffened, the Bladhmiaire was constantly upgraded. The B11C-3 of mid-1942 replaced the lateral MG positions with a twin dorsal turret, improving arcs of fire, and introduced the 1.600hp 14R-4/5, increasing speed to 520kph at the cost of cutting range to 3.200 kilometers (combat radius 1.200 kilometers); this was not considered a crucial drawback, because the Thiarians were operating from airfields on the South American continent at that time. The B11C-4 of mid-1943 utilized the additional engine power to mount a new bomb bay allowing for a payload of 4.000 kilograms, including the ability to carry the new rocket-assisted bombs internally (either four of 850kg or two of 1.700kg), and the ventral single MG position was replaced by a remote-controlled twin turret, increasing the number of MGs to 5 and again improving arcs of fire. Range remained the same due to an increase in size of the wing tanks; speed dropped slightly to 515kph. The final operational version B11C-5 introduced a bow-mounted twin MG turret to replace the single 13mm weapon, bringing the armament to six 13mm machineguns and one 20mm cannon. Otherwise, the B11C-5 resembled the -4 and had also the same speed; maximum payload was cut to 3.800 kilograms to compensate for the added weight and the additional crewmember. All versions except the -5 carried a crew of 7, which had one of 8 (the forward MG had been operated by the bombardier in previous versions, but the turret that replaced it had its own gunner). Due to the complicated operation of this semi-remote controlled turret (the gunner sat immediately abaft the turret in the nose and aimed through a system of mirrors), which considerably limited its usefulness, the B11C-5 never entirely replaced the -4, and the latter was generally considered the most satisfying variant. With 514 machines produced, it also was the most numerous. With 1.139 airframes delivered, the Bladhmiaire was the single most important aviation project in Thiaria’s war effort; roughly 15% of all manpower and resources devoted to military aircraft production were absorbed by this type. With its combination of speed and armament, it was hard to intercept throughout the war, although its service ceiling of 7.500 meters was not impressive; the Bladhmiaire was however capable of attaining 620kph in a shallow dive, which was a frequently employed tactic during night attacks late in the war, resulting in most enemy night fighters being left behind. By early 1944, the Bladhmiaire equipped all six heavy bomb wings of the Thiarian Air force. Combat losses were relatively low; most Bladhmiaires that were lost were destroyed on the ground in the final year of the war. They operated mostly during the day till mid-1943; then the Thiarianas switched to night missions for strategic bombing. Operational strength peaked at 310 planes in early 1944 and never dropped below 250 till early 1945. When the war ended, some 150 were still operational, and many more were in a damaged state which still allowed for repair. The Bladhmiaire was used in a multitude of missions, from strategic carpet bombing to tactical ground support to antiship missions (they could carry two torpedoes internally) and minelaying, and excelled in every role. Rejecting this plane could be considered a huge lost opportunity for Italy, because the Thiarian machines were superior in every respect to the P.108 and would probably not have fallen far behind their performance if fitted with Italian Piaggio P.XII engines of 1.500hp.

2.4.7. CSCA 5S Tornado (Tornado) – 1943

As the fighter versions of the Tornado had proven a huge success, the plane was a natural choice when the navy looked for a replacement for their ageing Saighead torpedo bombers. By 1943, it had become evident that the fleet’s carrierborne strike assets would never match those of the enemy numerically, and long-range land-based torpedo bombing acquired higher priority. The conversion of the Tornado to torpedo bomber was quickly done; it could either carry a standard 450mm aerial torpedo or a shortened version of the heavy 559mm torpedo, which however became available only in late 1944. As could be expected, the Tornado adapted very well to the torpedo bomber role and was used by one Air Force wing and four Naval Aviation flotillas till the end of the war; average operational strength was 170 planes, with 110 still operational when the war ended. They were particularly useful during the heavy fighting around New Portugal, where they were not only employed against ships, but also flew ground strike missions. Although they could not prevent the eventual loss of that archiple, they extracted a heavy blood toll from the British and Brazilians till the bitter end. 517 of the torpedo-bomber version were produced between 1943 and 1945.

2.4.8. Aeraon 7A Bultur (Vulture) – 1944

The main reason for designing a wholly new piston-engined plane like the Bultur during the war and devoting valuable resources to an intense testing programme, which otherwise could have been spent on additional production of already existing designs, was the urgent need to replace the Ollpheist as standard light bomber. The Tornado could fill the Ollpheist’s place as a fighter, but lacking an internal bomb bay, it was ill-suited for the light bomber role. Thus, the bomber version of the Bultur enjoyed maximum priority till mid-1944. Unfortunately, the Trenhaile 18T engine of 2.150hp took some time developing, and by the time the Bultur was finally ready for series production, priorities had shifted and night fighters were much more urgently needed than light bombers. Only slightly more than a third of the Bultur’s production were completed as light bombers and equipped one understrength wing by early 1945. Performance-wise, the Bultur was equal to such planes as the A26 Invader, the Tu-2 or the latest and most powerful Mosquito versions. They carried two 20mm cannon and four 13mm machineguns forward for strafing and one dorsal and one ventral twin 13mm turret for self-defence; bomb load was 1.800 kilograms, 1.200 of which could be carried internally. They were good for 600kph with full internal bomb load and had a range of 1.600km (combat radius 600km); the latter was not impressive, but for a purely tactical bomber not really necessary. Two dozens were fitted for torpedo-bombing in 1945 by adding one torpedo rack under each inner wing and replacing the ventral MG turret with a surface-search radar. They were commissioned with a single Naval Aviation flotilla in March 1945, but did not see combat any more.

2.4.9. Nairn 7N Teascadar (Executioner) – 1944

Although the Thiarians had an excellent heavy bomber in the shape of the Bladhmiaire, it was obvious by early 1943 that foreign developments would soon leave it obsolescent. A specification for a new heavy bomber capable of evading all existing and planned night-fighters (the Thiarians had always good intelligence about US developments provided by Irish-Americans and knew most details about the Northrop P61 Black Widow well before its maiden flight, and they had already collected some first-hand experience about what the Mosquito could do) was issued in January 1943. It called for a speed of 600kph at 10.000 meters, a range of 4.000 kilometers and a payload of five tons; a combat radius of 1.600 kilometers with half-load was also specified. Only Nairn, the Thiarian manufacturer with the most experience with very large planes, rose up to the challenge and presented a prototype in November 1943. The plane, which looked strikingly similar to the contemporary Heinkel He277, but had – German claims notwithstanding – no structural commonality with the German design, featured four 2.150hp Trenhaile 18T engines with turbosuperchargers, which were just sufficient for the specified top speed of 600kph at 10.000 meters. Range was 4.800km, for a combat radius of 2.000km with half load. The defensive armament consisted of six 20mm cannon in three well-placed twin turrets (one dorsal amidships, one in a chin position and one in the stern). The bomb bay could accept 6.000 kilograms of ordnance, and the Teascadar, as the plane was named after its first flight, was the only Thiarian airplane with the ability to carry Thiaria’s largest bomb, a monster of 3.400kg. A load of 2.800 kilograms – usually two 680kg bombs and eight 170kg bombs – could be carried to the maximum combat radius; at full load, combat radius decreased to 800km. The Teascadar had a crew of 7 and carried a ventral radar set which was primarily used to acquire threats approaching from below and direct the defensive armament. Another warning radar was installed on the inside of the vertical stabilizers; this one was used to aim the aft 20mm turret, which was fired by a gunner sitting in the hull directly forward of the turret. This system worked reliably, and the turret - although otherwise similar to the frontal turret of the latest Bladhmiaire - was considered much more satisfactory than the Bladhmiaire's frontal turret. The project was given top priority by mid-1943, and in December 1944, the first squadron reported operational. When the war was over, a full wing had been converted, and a few missions were already flown; with a bomb load of 2.000 kilograms and additional fuel tanks, a few specially converted, heavily overloaded planes managed to reach Capetown from Tir Parthas and return to Thiaria. Several such raids were flown until April 1945. Losses were very light; at the time of its introduction, the speed and ceiling of the Teascadar made it practically intercept-proof except by jets, and jet night fighters did not become available to the allies until after the war. All 50 planes still operational at the end of the war had to be scrapped forthwith under armistice conditions. All things considered, the Teascadar has to be rated the best heavy bomber of the axis (including the He277 and the Nakajima G8N), and among allied bombers was second only to the B29 in performance; its late arrival in limited numbers (total production 73 units) however denied this excellent design the chance to leave any discernible impact on Thiaria’s war effort.

Next: carrierborne bombers

Greetings
GD

Wow! Great work!
Two thoughts, though - one is that tail turret on Teascadar looks awfully small - it could be operated by gunner practically lying on his belly, but since it looks similar to turrets used on British bombers (so able to turn to sides), it looks doubtful to me.
Another thought is that while it seems to be a land war on South American continent at some point, Your export figures, esp. for pre-war sales look rather optimistic. In 1941 Brazil had 430 military aircraft of 35 types - none of them with more than 40 aircraft. And other air forces looked much worse - not least for the financial reasons.

Excellent work, this is a stunning collection of AU aircraft!

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Hello again!

Thanks for the praise everyone. Nothing brings structure to your life as well as drawing one plane every other day for the best part of a year.

@eswube:
Thanks for the input. I edited the backstory for both the Bladhmiaire and the Teascadar, making the turrets remote-controlled. Lovely thing about AU, you can adjust 'reality' to the drawing rather than the other way around.

About the numbers of planes: Again, it's AU. Everyone has more of everything than in reality. Particularly Brazil, which collected $ 7 billion in reparations from Thiaria between 1919 and 1930, did not need to loan anywhere as much money as in reality and sailed through the world economic crisis virtually unscathed; in my preliminary draft of the second part of Thiarian history, the Brazilians have four battleships, one aircraft carrier, four heavy cruisers and three light cruisers in 1939, plus a thousand airplanes and a quarter million soldiers under arms. With this kind of dominance, other south american countries were also bolstered by their allies (Argentina by Thiaria, Chile by Britain and Peru by Japan) to create a counterweight against Brazil; there's a lot of ships to be drawn into that bargain. Well, more about that to come later.

Now, more Thiarian airplanes:

2.5. Carrier-based Bombers

2.5.1. MCE 2M Sleibhin (Seagull) – 1936

Thiaria’s first operational carrierborne torpedo bomber was obsolescent even before its first flight in 1936. Lacking alternatives, the Sleibhin was produced in sufficient quantities (total 85 machines) to equip not only LT Antartach’s air Group, but also a land-based flotilla and a training unit. Poor performance set aside, the Sleibhin was a rugged, reliable and docile airplane which played an indispensable part in training Thiarian carrierborne aircrews to the high level of proficiency they displayed during the war.

2.5.2. Caproni Atlantach 6C Anfa (Storm) – 1938

The Thiarian version of the Caproni Ca.301 (A.P.1) was originally designed as a land-based light bomber and ground support aircraft. Its Italian equivalent was used in these roles with limited success in the Spanish civil war; the Regia Aeronautica never purchased the type. The Thiarian branch of Caproni fitted the airframe, which was rugged enough for that purpose, with diving brakes and a Gnome-Rhone 14K engine of 900hp in order to turn it into a carrierborne dive bomber. Lacking viable alternatives, the Thiarian Navy introduced the type in 1938 and eventually equipped three carrierborne flotillas with them, embarked upon LT Antartach, LT Realtbhuion and LT Stoidiaca. Although the Anfa was slow (340kph), heavy on the controls and had a very limited payload (only carry a single 340kg bomb), it remained Thiaria’s standard carrierborne dive bomber till early 1944. Production had ceased for a while in 1941, but was restarted in February 1942 due to the lack of an useful replacement. The improved version mounted a Gnome-Rhone 14N engine of 1.150hp; payload remained unchanged, but this version was much faster (425kph) and a little less sluggish, although flight characteristics were still somewhat erratic. Its use was mostly limited to the big fleet carriers (the escort carriers embarked only patrol fighters and torpedo bombers) and generally considered ineffective; unlike the relatively successful torpedo aircraft, the dive bombers failed to score in a significant way. Many of the 404 delivered planes were later converted to target tugs, where they were more useful. The dive bomber was eventually retired in May 1944 in favour of the much more capable CSCA Caor.

2.5.3. Nairn 3N Gainead (Gannet) – 1940

The replacement for the Sleibhin was still a biplane, but of much more modern design. As biplanes came, the Gainead was one of the aerodynamically cleanest of the lot, and displayed excellent maneuverability and low-speed flight characteristics. It was also very robust and could stand a lot of damage. Unfortunately, its powerplant was relatively weak in the beginning (a 930hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y), resulting in a low speed of only 305kph; subsequent versions were however fitted with 1.100 and 1.200hp versions of that engine, increasing speed to 345 and 360kph, respectively. The Gainead was unique in being the only single-engined biplane in service during the second world war with a twin tail, giving its rear-firing 13mm machineguns an excellent field of fire and providing sufficiently large control surfaces for this type’s good maneuverability. The Gainead was commissioned late in 1940 and remained standard issue for Thiaria’s shipborne torpedo bomber flotillas till mid-1943. In that timeframe, the Thiarian Navy achieved its greatest successes, battered the Brazilian fleet to bloody pieces, battled the RN to a bloody stalemate and annoyed the USN with impertinent raids deep into the northern Hemisphere on both sides of the American continent. The fast fleet carriers LT Antartach, LT Realtbhuion and LT Stoidiaca were always in the center of action during these eventful years, and the Gaineads were their spearhead, given the poor performance of the Anfa dive bombers. They were also deployed on the escort carriers LT Ghrianghaoth and LT Coimead. Although only 340 were delivered between 1940 and 1942, these planes were responsible for the destruction of three enemy carriers (HMS Victorious, HMS Archer and the Brazilian Uniao), one battleship (HMS Ramillies), three cruisers (HMS Dehli, HMS Durban and the Brazilian Almirante Barrozo), nine destroyers (five British, two Brazilian, one each US and Free Dutch) and 21 submarines, plus damaging numerous other allied ships. Their success against enemy surface warships surpasses the net effectiveness of all other Thiarian naval strike aircraft added up. Attrition and losses were high, as could be expected given this kind of activity, and when they were finally replaced by the Dragun during 1943, only few were left.

2.5.4. Nairn 5N Dragun (Dragon) – 1942

Development of this torpedo-bomber commenced as soon as the predecessor Gainead had entered service in 1940, and Nairn’s designers used as many of the successful features of the Gainead as could be transplanted into its much more modern monoplane successor, particularly the sturdy all-metal hull construction and the twin tail with very good command for the rear-firing 13mm machinegun. The new torpedo bomber was fitted with a 1.450hp Hispano-Suiza 12Z-1 engine and a powerful forward-firing armament of one 20mm cannon and two 13mm machineguns for strafing and self-defence. The excellent aerodynamic shape of the plane gave it the same good maneuverability as the biplane Gainead and a top speed of 485kph; even with a 450mm torpedo slung underneath, they were still good for 440kph. Later versions mounted a 1.600hp 12Z-17, boasting speed to 530kph, with otherwise identical performance. The Dragun was deployed on every Thiarian fleet and escort carrier available in early 1943 till the end of the war; only LT Stoidiaca and LT Coimead, both early war losses, were never equipped with Draguns. The fleet carriers LT Andraimeide and LT Chros Deisceart and the escort carriers LT Uisceadoir, LT Ceintear and LT Abhainn were never equipped with any other torpedo bomber. Although the Dragun was considerably superior to both its predecessor and its allied counterparts Fairey Barracuda and Grumman TBF in flight performance, its exploits fall markedly short of the Gainead’s, because the Draguns had to operate against an increasingly overwhelming numerical superiority. Planes of this type destroyed the carrier HMS Pretoria Castle, the cruiser HMS Gambia and three British destroyers, plus 11 submarines; of the carriers equipped with them, five were lost (LT Antartach, LT Ghrianghaoth, LT Chros Deisceart, LT Uisceadoir and LT Abhainn). Despite not being involved in the kind of success the Gaineads enjoyed, the Draguns were popular and reliable planes with excellent flight characteristics, which scored an annoying number of victorious dogfights with allied carrierborne fighters. 695 were produced.

2.5.5. CSCA 7S Caor (Thunderbolt) – 1943

The last Thiarian carrierborne bomber to become operational was the first aircraft designed around the Trenhaile 18T engine of 2.150hp that entered series production. The engine was still somewhat beta in late 1943 and far from working reliably, but the Navy’s fleet of Anfa dive bombers had become hopelessly obsolete and the successor project was awarded top priority. Between mid-1943 and mid-1944, the entire production of 18T-engines was diverted to the Caor; these early engines were more or less hand-manufactured because they were to be produced in a new plant at An Trionaid which only became fully operational in April 1944. The airframe itself resembled the contemporary Japanese Aichi B7A, but with straight wings and a very long and sturdy undercarriage due to the mid-wing configuration. Ordnance was to be carried in a spacious bomb bay which was large enough to hold a streamlined, rocket-assisted 850kg bomb. The powerful engine provided a speed of 580kph, and the plane proved relatively nimble and easy to fly despite its bulk. Most of the production belonged to the F7S-2 version with two 20mm cannon replacing the wing-mounted machineguns. They started to replace the Anfas on the fleet carriers LT Antartach and LT Realtbhuion in February 1944 and equipped the new LT Andraimeide which commissioned in December 1943 from the start; no Caors were ever deployed to escort carriers. The fleet carrier LT Chros Deisceart was also slated to receive a flotilla of Caors, but was lost before the replacement could take place. The Thiarian carriers were constantly in harm’s way during the second half of 1944, trying to keep the Allies from taking New Portugal and closing the supply route for the Thiarian forces fighting in South America, and the Caor flotillas took heavy losses, but also dealt out some damage: The light carrier HMS Powerful was hit by three 850kg bombs, broke in two parts and sank; two direct hits with 850kg bombs on HMS King George V took the battleship out of action for the rest of the war; one hit the Carrier HMS Indefatigable started a devastating fire and almost resulted in her loss, and the Cruiser HMS Nigeria was blown up with all hands. Despite these successes, the LT Antartach was lost during the fighting anround New Portugal, LT Andraimeide received crippling damage and the archiple was finally conquered by the Allies in April 1944, resulting in Thiaria’s surrender. By that time, only 50 of the 216 Caors were operational.

Next: Photo-recon aircraft!

GD

Hello everyone!

2.6. Photo-Reconaissance Aircraft

2.6.1. Caproni Atlantach 2C Capall (Destrier) – 1936

Thiaria’s standard long-range recce asset at the start of the war was a locally built version of the Caproni Ca.111, which was only useful as long as there was no fighter resistance at all. Since they could not be based near enough to anything worthwile to take its picture prior to 1942, the 122 planes delivered between 1936 and 1939 saw no active service. They were replaced by Tornadoes during 1941 and relegated to auxiliary duties, especially liaison, medevac and parachute training. Some 50 were still available when the war was over, but they were completely worn out.

2.6.2. CSCA 5S Tornado (Tornado) – 1940

The G5S-2 recce version of the underpowered Tornado with Gnome-Rhone 14N engines was more successful than the heavier and less streamlined fighter variant and replaced the obsolete Capall planes between October 1940 and December 1941 with two recce wings. Many Tornado recce planes deployed to the South American continent from April 1942, where they operated reliably, but proved rather easy to intercept by Brazilian P40 fighters due to their low speed of 495kph. As the delivery of Trenhaile (Gnome-Rhone) 14R engines was primarily diverted to the fighter version of the Tornado, which needed the stronger engine much more direly, the G5S-2 remained in production till November 1942. Then the 14R-4/5-powered G5S-6 was introduced, which boasted a speed of 635kph and much improved flight characteristics at all altitudes. This version remained in production till early 1944 and at times equipped three full recce wings, until the Tornado was replaced in production by the recce versions of the Nairn Pioraid and the Aeraon Bultur. Due to the diminutive number of recce Pioraids built, the Tornado remained in front-line service throughout the war and still equipped a full long-range recce wing in April 1945. The 14R-powered version was widely regarded as a very capable piece of equipment and enjoyed great popularity with its crews. Of all recon versions, 510 were built.

2.6.3. Aeraon 6A Cobra (Cobra) – 1941

Thiaria’s most numerous recce aircraft (although by a very narrow margin) was based upon the ubiquitous Cobra fighter and eventually equipped two full frontal photo recce wings. The recce version was developed relatively late, because there was no requirement for a short-range photo-recon aircraft prior to 1941; all recce Cobras were powered by Hispano-Suiza 12Z engines (-1 with 1.450hp and 640kph speed for the G6A-4, -17 with 1.600hp and 685kph speed for the G6A-6 and -34 with 1.750hp and 710kph speed for the G6A-9). These planes retained four wing-mounted 13mm MGs for basic self-defence, but carried no 20mm cannon. Like the fighter versions, they operated very successful, and due to their defensive armament, several Thiarian recon pilots made ace during the war. 513 recon planes were built.

2.6.4. Nairn 8N Pioraid (Pirate) – 1944

The Pioraid’s recce version ranks among the fastest piston-engine powered aircraft ever; it was certainly the fastest Thiarian service aircraft. With two 1.900hp Hispano-Suiza 12Z-43 engines, the unarmed G8N-2 was good for 760kph and could only be intercepted by jets; the plane also had the same long range as the Tornado. Unfortunately, it came too late to make much of an impact; only 129 were delivered. When the war was over, a single recce wing had converted to the Pioraid. Although only very few were lost while flying, many were destroyed on the ground in the final weeks of the war.

2.6.5. Aeraon 7A Bultur (Vulture) – 1944

The G7A-2 recce version of the Bultur multirole aircraft was the last subtype of this design to be series produced. Compared with the Nairn Pioraid, the recce Bultur was less satisfying, being fully 100kph slower at 660kph and having less range; this actually was not much of an improvement over the Tornado which the Bultur was designed to replace. The lack of speed was however partly compensated by the availability of a dorsal twin 13mm MG turret for self-defence, while the recce Pioraid was unarmed, and the better suitability of the Bultur basic design for mass-production, which allowed for building roughly the same amount of recce Bulturs (131 in total) than Pioraids although series production started several months later. When the war ended, a single recce wing had just converted to the Bultur.

Next: MPAs

GD

Hello again the last time today!

2.7. Maritime Patrol Aircraft

2.7.1. MCE 1M Broigheall (Cormorant) – 1934

Thiaria’s first MPA floatplane was a license-produced development of the American Consolidated P2Y. Two flotillas operated the type between 1936 and 1941, when they were replaced by the Nairn Oireal; the 60 delivered Broighealls saw little service and mostly operated as long-range SAR aircraft.

2.7.2. Nairn 1N Oireal (Oriole) – 1939

After small numbers of several different American and French flying boats had been purchased, tested and retired again between 1935 and 1939, the newly established airplane manufacturer Nairn presented the first Thiarian domestically designed patrol flying boat in 1939 and was immediately granted a production contract. The Oireal was a parasol-type flying boat with three Hispano-Suiza 12X engines of 680hp each and a speed of 300kph; range was 3.000km. The hull construction was sturdy, and the plane proved very seaworthy, able to take off and land in waves of 1.5 meters. It served with four maritime patrol flotillas throughout the war; three of them converted to the Nairn Tririnn in 1944/5, but one flotilla operated the Oireal till the end of the war, making this unit one of the very few Thiarian formations to fly the same airplane design throughout the entire war. The Oireal was not only the most numerous Thiarian flying boat with 297 produced, but also the most successful; planes of this type destroyed 23 enemy submarines (11 British, 6 Brazilian, 3 US, 2 Free French and 1 co-belligerent Italian) and several small surface craft and rescued several hundred sailors and airmen of all belligerent nations from drowning. The Oireal also was one of the few types allowed to be retained in service by the Thiarian coast guard after the war in order to retain a working SAR network; of the 80 planes of this type still available in April 1945, some 50 were disarmed and re-commissioned, and a few continued to operate in the SAR role till the mid-sixties.

2.7.3. Caproni Atlantach 7C Cloiteoir (Conqueror) – 1940

47 Cloiteoirs which were originally built as bombers were fitted with floats during production after it had been decided to discontinue production and phase out the type with the bomber wings. They were destined for export to Turkey and Spain, but only the Spanish order of 15 machines could be delivered in 1940 and were used as torpedo bombers till 1949. The 32 ex-Turkish machines were taken over by the Thiarian Navy and briefly used as antisubmarine airplanes; due to their very short range, they were rather useless in this role and were soon phased out and replaced by Nairn Tirghrateoir land-based long range MPAs.

2.7.4. Aeraon 5A Saighead (Arrow) – 1940

After Thiaria had blundered into the second world war in December 1939, its shipping was soon severely hit by British submarines, who initially encountered a target-rich environment and little in the way of organized resistance in the South Atlantic. One of the first Thiarian measures to counter this threat was the formation of two new Naval Aviation ASW flotillas, which were followed by two more late in 1941. These were equipped with a variant of the successful floatplane torpedo bomber Aeraon Saighead; performance of the ASW version was largely identical to the torpedo-bomber version. Unlike the torpedo bomber, which was replaced by Tornadoes during 1943 and 1944, the Saighead ASW variant remained in service throughout the war. Production ceased early in 1944 after the 254th airframe, when it had become clear that the Saighead was easy meat for any enemy fighter, and two of the ASW wings converted to Tornado torpedo-bombers, which also had a secondary ASW capability. The other two Saighead wings flew this plane till the end of the war, mostly covering the Bauaine, where enemy carrierborne fighters – the Hellcat and the Firefly had enough range to operate there – could be engaged by land-based Cobras and Iolars.

2.7.5. Caproni Atlantach 8C Ulchabhan (Owl) – 1940

A significant part of the production of this design (348 airframes) was completed with floats and used by the Navy in an ASW and SAR role, operating close to the coast and – if possible – under land-based air cover. Many float Ulchabhans were used for liaison, medevac and light transport missions by the Navy, too; these are included in the ASW total below. They were supplemented by Preachans from 1943, but a few soldiered on throughout the war. Some newer ones were sold off to foreign private interests or assigned to the coast guard after the war, and the last machines of this type were retired in the late fifties.

2.7.6. CSCA 4S Albatras (Albatros) – 1941

These planes were flat copies of the never built military version of the American Sikorsky VS-44 Excalibur flying boat. They were designed for the same type of mission as the Oireal, but further offshore; with their range of 6.000 kilometers, they could patrol somewhere near the equator, in the Southern Pacific or off Capetown if necessary. Of its crew of 9, four were required to be flight-qualified so pilots could be replaced in mid-air during long patrol missions. With four 1.150hp Gnome-Rhone 14N engines, the Albatras had an economic cruise speed of 240kph and a top speed of 305kph and could carry 2.400 kilograms of ordnance, half of it in two bomb bays in the wings behind the inner engine nacelles. Defensive armament consisted of one 20mm cannon in the stern and five 13mm machineguns: two in a dorsal twin turret, one each in lateral blisters and one in the bow. The later version P4S-4 of early 1943 replaced the 14N engines with four 1.400hp Trenhaile (Gnome-Rhone) 14R-1/2s, boosting top speed to 360kph and allowing for an increased payload of 3.000 kilograms; the bomb bays were larger, and most of the P4S-4s were equipped with radar and a tenth crewman. The Albatras equipped two MPA flotillas from 1942 onwards, but suffered heavy losses after 1943 when more and more allied escort carriers operated in their patrol areas. Production ceased early in 1944 after 116 machines. They were replaced by the smaller, better armed Nairn Tririnn from 1944, and when the war was over, only few of these majestic aircraft, which between them destroyed ten enemy submarines and several dozen freighters, were left.

2.7.7. Nairn 4N Tirghratheoir (Patriot) – 1942

Developed from a transoceanic range airliner, these very large aircraft performed the same role for the Thiarian Navy as the Focke-Wulf Fw200 and Junkers Ju290 for the Germans, flying extended patrols over the South Atlantic and radioing the position of anything they found openly to every interested party. It had less range than the contemporary Albatras flying boat (4.800 versus 6.000 kilometers), but was considerably faster and could fly at higher altitudes, thus making it less vulnerable to fighter attack; armament was similar with six 13mm machineguns, which were however better arranged to provide all-round cover (the Albatras had no weapons covering its belly). The Tirghrateoir’s basic version with 4 1.150hp Gnome-Rhone 14N engines had a top speed of 410kph, but only the first 35 machines were built to this standard. The vast majority were P4N-5s with Trenhaile 14R-4/5s of 1.600hp each and three 20mm cannon replacing three of the machineguns (both in the dorsal turret and the one in the bow). Nearly all Tirghrateoirs had surface search radars; the P4N-5 was however fitted with a more modern set mounted below the plane’s belly which had better performance and less drag. The P4N-5 was good for 465kph with the old and 480kph with the new radar, and with a payload of 3.200 kilograms in a roomy bomb bay in the hull, it could double as an effective naval strike aircraft (carrying three 450mm aerial torpedoes or three 850kg rocket-assisted bombs) or even a makeshift heavy bomber (some of them were used for long-range raids against Capetown). From mid-1944, the Tirghrateoirs were mostly used for direct-attack missions against enemy shipping of all kinds. For all their quality, the Tirghrateoirs usually had to operate outside friendly fighter cover and were considered premium targets by the allies, resulting in high losses; the Thiarians nevertheless operated the type with two MPA flotillas throughout the war, and their crews were rated as particularly plucky and the elite of the land-based naval aviation. 164 were produced between 1942 and 1945.

2.7.8. Caproni Atlantach 12C Preachan (Crow) – 1943

Of similar performance as the earlier Ulchabhans, the Preachans were better armed, better suited for mass production and easier to maintain. They supplemented the Ulchabhan from 1943 in all their roles. As they were pressed into auxiliary ASW service from mid-1944 and had to operate against increasing enemy fighter presence, losses were rather higher than the Ulchabhan’s. When the war ended, less than 100 of 359 produced machines were still available. Half of them joined the Thiarian coast guard afterwards, but did not last long there, because the late-war Preachans frequently suffered from a shabby finish and were structurally deficient; over 40 Ulchabhans were still flying when the last Preachan was phased out in 1952.

2.7.9. Nairn 6N Tririnn (Trident) – 1944

Thiaria’s final flying boat commissioned during the war was one of a half-dozen designs built around the new 2.150hp Trenhaile 18T radial engines which became available from mid-1943. The Tririnn was built to a specification that called for the same performance as the Albatras – except speed, which was to be higher, and armament, which was to consist of six 20mm cannon – at no more than 60% of Albatras’ weight. The final design observed the weight limitation and exceeded the Albatras’ speed at 380kph, but failed to attain the range, which was even less than that of the Tirghrateoir at 4.000 kilometers. Since the kind of far-ranging operations performed by the Albatras early in the war were not really possible anymore in 1943 against ever-increasing enemy fighter cover, the lack of range was not seen as a major problem, while the more compact size, higher speed, better armament and much sturdier construction were definite advantages. The forward and aft turrets never worked very reliably and had too little traverse, due to their semi-remote controlled operation, but otherwiese the Tririnn was considered a tough fighter. Series production commenced in July 1944, and due to the high priority for an effective antisubmarine platform (the Tririnn carried the most capable aerial radar used by Thiaria during the war, mounted on top of the hull between the engines, and also had a primitive form of MAD detectors), a very respectable number of 123 of these floatplanes was built in the final ten months of the war. By that time, the Thiarians were busy defending their home islands and their lines of communication to Argentina, Uruguay and New Portugal, so the Tririnns had plenty to do from the outset; they usually could be provided with land-based fighter cover, which kept losses down, although many were sunk during allied air raids against their bases. By April 1945, 50 airworthy units were available, and two full Naval Aviation flotillas employed them. They also were the last Thiarian aircraft to be exported; 18 were delivered to Argentina as late as January 1945, where they flew until well into the 1970s.

Tomorrow: Army co-operation and transport aircraft

Greetings
GD

Amazing work!

And am looking forward to read (in due time) the summary of war in South America and it's surroundings.

I don't even know what to say, flippen awesome work!

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very niceeeee,i'm just curious about the Thiarian Carriers in SB scale

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