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Author Topic: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft  (Read 2750 times)

Offline Emir of Askaristan

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Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« on: March 11, 2023, 06:49:10 PM »
Having a bit of an 80's nostalgia kick at the moment and dived into Team Yankee (long story...don't ask!!).

Anyway I decided I wanted a slightly earlier feel than the 1985 setting in the books, with some units having earlier kit, so rather than Tornado I thought Alpha Jets and Starfighters for my West Germans.  Now there isn't huge amounts of difference between planes in TY so I based these on the Skyhawk stats and tweaked slighter for the Starfighters smaller gun.

Cards are done. Just need to get the kits now.

Offline AdamPHayes

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2023, 07:44:51 PM »
Two aircraft to put the fear of God into their pilots... :)

Offline ErikB

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2023, 05:54:40 AM »
Two aircraft to put the fear of God into their pilots... :)
Well said. Didn't the F-104 kill more of it's pilots than enemies?

Offline DivisMal

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2023, 07:04:39 AM »
Well said. Didn't the F-104 kill more of it's pilots than enemies?

That seems to have been the case, but to be fair: it was mostly used by America‘s allies and didn’t seeebmuch action in real conflicts.

Offline Storm Wolf

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2023, 08:31:08 AM »
That seems to have been the case, but to be fair: it was mostly used by America‘s allies and didn’t seeebmuch action in real conflicts.

Indeed, not one of Kelly Johnstons best aircraft I`m afraid, unlike the SR-71 Blackbird, the Starfighter also served as the basis for the U2 spyplane of Gary Powers fame. Known as the Widowmaker in the west German and US air forces  :-[
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Offline Westfalia Chris

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2023, 08:48:27 AM »
Indeed, not one of Kelly Johnstons best aircraft I`m afraid, unlike the SR-71 Blackbird, the Starfighter also served as the basis for the U2 spyplane of Gary Powers fame. Known as the Widowmaker in the west German and US air forces  :-[

But trying to use an aircraft designed for a rather specific role (high-altitude air superiority and bomber interception) for a significantly different purpose (nuclear weapons delivery and, later, fighter-bomber ground support) was fraught with problems in the first place. Lockheed's sales policies and German political corruption didn't help, either.

Looking forward to some model pics, too. Always had a soft spot in my heart for the Alpha Jet and wished Revell and/or Heller would re-release their 1/72 kits.

Offline Jemima Fawr

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2023, 09:01:30 AM »
The Alpha-Jet is the correct aircraft for West German Close Air Support squadrons anyway, right through the 1980s.  The G-91 'Pigs' were just going out of service in that role and were being replaced by the Alpha-Jet, which only started coming into Luftwaffe service from 1979.  So you could also have G-91s right up to the mid-1980s.
 Tornado was for deep interdiction-strike (and maritime-strike for the Navy); not really a CAS beast at all, so I've no idea why Team Yankee chose it as their 'standard' German CAS aircraft.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2023, 09:06:03 AM by Jemima Fawr »
Suffering from insomnia?  Too much excitement in your life?  Jemima Fawr's Miniature Wargames Blog might be just the solution you've been looking for: www.jemimafawr.co.uk

Offline Jemima Fawr

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2023, 09:04:02 AM »
One interesting role the Germans trialled with Alpha-Jets during the 1980s was to have some as dedicated helicopter-killers, loaded to the eyeballs with Sidewinder.

Offline DivisMal

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2023, 09:12:01 AM »
One interesting role the Germans trialled with Alpha-Jets during the 1980s was to have some as dedicated helicopter-killers, loaded to the eyeballs with Sidewinder.

The Alpha Jet is a really interesting beast and great for what if scenarios.

Concerning Team Yankee: I think they chose the Tornado just because it’s the best known and sexiest West German plane from that time. But it’s choice is kinda strange. Maybe they’ll release a Tomcat for the Americans next? ;)

Offline Storm Wolf

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2023, 09:58:26 AM »
But trying to use an aircraft designed for a rather specific role (high-altitude air superiority and bomber interception) for a significantly different purpose (nuclear weapons delivery and, later, fighter-bomber ground support) was fraught with problems in the first place. Lockheed's sales policies and German political corruption didn't help, either.

Looking forward to some model pics, too. Always had a soft spot in my heart for the Alpha Jet and wished Revell and/or Heller would re-release their 1/72 kits.

Agreed about the sales and political problems, the Jaguar would have been a far, far better choice, or even the good old Buccaneer, but its all history now  ;).

Offline Freddy

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2023, 02:15:51 PM »
Nice, I am pretty sure that if this version sticks, there will be Team Yankees of other eras too- 1975 or 1965 would feature a lot of different hardware, but easily coverable with the same basic ruleset, and also the 1985 collection would be a good starting point.

Offline Emir of Askaristan

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2023, 05:03:29 PM »
If you look through the other supplements then the other, earlier equipment is there. Using bits of info from other vehicles and aircraft is fairly easy. Smaller calibre gun for the Starfighter for example. Centurions and M60's from the Fate of a Nation book too and there are lots of stat cards online if you don't have a copy.

Some of the equipment listed in the current books is a little too new for '85. It was either only just being introduced or in some cases hadn't entered manufacture. Marder 2 being an example,

The card was fun to do...fiddly but now I've got a template.

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2023, 07:26:51 PM »
Great stuff, liking those cards

Cheers
Matt

Online carlos marighela

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2023, 01:11:50 AM »
If you don't fancy a kit, there are  1/100 diecast Alpha JetsandF-104s kicking around out there and of course there's the old 1/100 Tamiya Starfighter. Those can usually be picked up fairly cheaply second hand.
Em dezembro de '81
Botou os ingleses na roda
3 a 0 no Liverpool
Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio não tem outro igual
Só o Flamengo é campeão mundial
E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

Offline Jemima Fawr

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Re: Team Yankee - West German Aircraft
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2023, 06:57:53 AM »
If you don't fancy a kit, there are  1/100 diecast Alpha JetsandF-104s kicking around out there and of course there's the old 1/100 Tamiya Starfighter. Those can usually be picked up fairly cheaply second hand.
Yes indeed, the range of die-cast models is phenomenal.  I was picking the 1/100th Fabri/Italeri die-cast models for £3-£5 at the shows a few years back and they still appear cheaply on eBay.  I found a load of Italian F-104s and repainted some as German.  Also Belgian and French Alpha-Jets; again, some repainted as German.  I've also got US F-18A repainted as Canadian CF-18, Mirages with remodelled nose-cones turned into Belgian Mirage V, a Sea Harrier, half a dozen Apaches, Italian Mangusta, Mi-24 Hind D & E, German police Bo-105 repainted as military and quite a few other bits and pieces.

 

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