Cascadian Air Force
The Cascadian air force is the pride of the military, boasting planes home built by a strong domestic aerospace industry with companies such as Boeing and Hope Co. It's known for being an innovator on the world stage.
The BTM-1 Chickadee is Hope's successor to the aging biplane Curtiss B-2 Condor, beating out a Boeing design in 1939. Strong engines alongside an attempted light weight gave it a much higher speed, at 280 miles per hour. A low cost, and decent bomb loads made it a useful aircraft for the CAF. However, weak defensive armament and a lack of upgrade potential led to it being largely phased out in favor of the much, much larger Boeing BTH-43 Orca in 1943. The Orca itself was mostly shelved in the late 1950s, as the fleet proved too expensive to maintain. However, large numbers still exist in storage in case of a war with the Soviet Union as of the 60's.
The PF-1 Panther, another Hope design, was created in the mid 1930s to fulfill the need for a more modern, single wing fighter plane with retractable gears and an enclosed cockpit to replace the P-6 Hawk. The Panther proved to be very heavy, however it was well armed for it's time. Slow speed and an outdated design led it to being phased out in the early 40s, but it found a good use in the form of the AF-43 Panther, an attack variant with increased armor, more mounts, rear gunner, upgraded avionics, and a more powerful engine to compensate.
In the late forties, Cascadia began to experiment with jet designs, with Hope flying the JB-1 jet prototype from the company airfield in 1946. Just a year later, Hope rolled out the nation's first jet fighter, the Burning Arrow (Usually just referred to as the Arrow). Faster than the P-51s the nation had switched over after getting their designs in victory in a war against a Californian communist state, The JF-2 was quick to enter service. It proved a rugged, dependable, and upgradable design, using local parts.
Following this war with California, Cascadian officials were quick to nab up Californian companies, performing a sort of miniature Operation Paperclip on designers and engineers from companies such as Lockheed. Much of these companies were left intact after the rise of a friendly Californian government in the form of a junta headed by a Texan Army officer (an ally of Cascadia). However, what was gained was formed into Sequoia Aviation and Propulsion Corp, which became the main producer of jet engines for Cascadia after it was taken over by the engineer who originally developed jet engines for use in Cascadia. Sequoia contributed significantly to the development of the JF-2 and it's engines, and has done so ever since.
JF-2 Variants
The JF-2A saw the plane incorporate a slightly more powerful engine, bumping the speed up about 15 MPH or so. The A also saw upgraded avionics and a third mount on each wing, allowing the plane to mount more ordnance. Armament was changed from 4 .50 caliber BMGs and 2 20mm autocannons to 4 20mm autocannons.
The JF-2B was a night fighter version: the addition of the recently developed Buckhorn radar system allowed the plane to catch enemy bombers at night, though it created significant drag. Additionally, to continue in the anti-bomber role, the armament was upgraded to 2 40mm autocannons and 2 20mm autocannons.
The JF-2R Arrow Eye was a recon/observation version, featuring armament reduction to 4 50 cal BMGs. Several cameras were mounted in the aircraft.
The JF-2C "Super Arrow" arose from a need for a cheaper design than the modern JF-3 Poorwills in service that had superseded the Arrow in the early fifties, and as a plane that could be sold to Cascadia's American Commonwealth allies, namely the Souther Confederation, California, and the Republic of Texas. An upgraded engine again saw a speed increase, and the addition of a nose cone allowed the plane to mount a radar without risking drag. Among other changes was armament again being brought back down to quad 20mms, and a changed canopy and fuselage. It was about this time when the standard green and white scheme on CAF aircraft was replaced by a sleek, simple grey.
The JF-3 Poorwill is an interceptor jet fighter introduced in the early fifties as a replacement for the Arrow. A twin engine design, the Poorwill has proven to be an adaptable design capable of fitting into a multitude of roles. The Poorwill is a sleek and fast design, but has proved to be fairly pricy, leading to the development of the JF-2C. Armed with 2 20mms and 4 40mms, the Poorwill packs a serious punch.
Camo schemes following the standardization of aircraft camo in 1958
JF-3 Armaments diagram
The F-L63 Rattler is another jet by Hope Aircraft designed in the mid 1950s. The increasing cost and complexity of fighter jet aircraft with the somewhat mediocre air force budgets gave rise to a light and compact design similar in function to the legendary Northrop F-5.
The F-N80 is a Boeing design, following the purchase of North American Aviation from the State of California several years earlier. The company decided to revisit the F-100 Super Fury project in order to arm the recently purchased Cascadian flagship light carrier FCR Rainier due to increased tensions with Japan. It also represents an attempt by Boeing to get back into the fighter game after being beaten with several past contracts by Hope.