Bad Weather and Night Rules

Bad Weather and Night

            Aircraft visual combat may not occur in clouds, or fog.  Aircraft that are not rated as all weather capable take one hit die every turn that they fly in a storm.  Combat may take place at night only if the target has been illuminated by flares, searchlights or radar.  Aircraft can take off or land at night only if they are night fighter, transports, or level bombers.  The runway must be lighted. 

            Radar combat may be conducted if bad weather prohibits visual combat.  Early radar allows combat to take place at a +10% bonus.  Improved radar allows combat to occur with a +20% bonus.  Modern radar allows combat with a +35% bonus.

Bombing Attacks at Night

            For level bombers to be able to conduct attacks at night, pathfinders are needed to illuminate the target.  Bombing is done on the B chart, if illuminated, on the D chart if it is not.  Transports may drop parachutes if the drop zone is lighted.  Night fighters, level bombers, and modern day/night capable aircraft do combat at night

Attack out of the Sun

            At 0500 the sun is directly east, at 1200 hours the sun is directly south and at 2000 hours it is directly west.  To simulate this, make a model of the sun and move it along the wall.

            Aircraft that attack from out of the sun make the attack as an ambush.  To attack from out of the sun, the firer must be higher than the target, and must be between the target and the sun.  The sun covers a 90-degree arc measured off the centerline of the aircraft.  The exception to "Ambush Fire" is that air superiority fighters equipped with modern radar will always be allowed return fire.

Kamikaze

            From 1944 to 1945 Japanese aircraft may be designated as a Kamikaze mission prior to take off.  An air superiority aircraft must accompany each Kamikaze plane.  A Kamikaze aircraft will do four times the normal damage.

Shot Down Aircraft

            Aircrews bail out like pathfinders.  A card is made for every crewmember.  These cards are then dropped as if they were pathfinders.  The drop zone point is where the plane was when it was hit.  Aircrew adjusts down one percent bracket for casualties on rough terrain landings.  Aircrews are armed with a pistol, colored smoke, and signal flares.

            Any aircraft that are shot down will impact at a location straight ahead from the direction of travel, at a distance equal to the speed in one phase.  Damage on the ground will be equal to a 500-pound bomb for every piston engine, 1000-pound bomb for every jet engine, and 2000-pound bomb for every rocket engine.

Over Water Missions

            Over water missions will have crews with life vests.  Single seat navy aircraft have a one man rubber rafts that drop with the crewman.  Aircraft that carry crews of up to three men will drop a one may raft with each crewman.  Larger aircraft will have one raft for every 10 crewmen or passengers.  Rafts larger than one man will drop as if they are another crewmember.