Aviation Ship Design

[Kaiser Kirk]

0.  What kind of ship is it?

"Carriers" include seaplane carriers, seaplane/flight deck "cruisers", and flight deck carriers.
Carrier : Has a flight deck. Deck at least extends from Stern to Foredeck -forward.

Seaplane Carrier : No flight deck, 7+ armed/unarmed aircraft on board, length irrelevant. Airgroup launched by catapult or from water, recovery on water.

Flight Deck/ Seaplane "Cruiser" : Partial length Hanger/Flight Deck.

-If it has 6 or less armed aircraft on board:  It's a warship or possibly aux (2% rule) but not a carrier.
-If it has 6 or less unarmed aircraft on board: It may be a warship or aux, but is not a carrier.
-If it qualifies as auxiliary, and has 6400t for for flying boat/seaplane tendering: Seaplane tender.

1.  Determine Maximum Air Group by Area

Using the "Waterplane area" in "Square meters" of the Hull Tab.

=waterplane /120 (seaplane carrier)

=waterplane/65 (1 hanger)

=waterplane/55 (2 hanger)

For a Seaplane/Flight Deck Cruiser, use ½ the Maximum air group determined.

Note: When tech level allows "Deck park", iterations of deck parking will gradually increase maximum air group by up to 1/2 for single hanger, and 1/3 for double hanger.

2.  Miscellaneous Weight for Air Group:

- For planes prior to 1933 Airplane Tech : 80 tons/wheeled plane up to Air group maximum.
- For planes after 1933 Airplane Tech : 95 tons/wheeled plane up to Air group maximum.

- For single engine Seaplanes: 90 tons/plane up to Air group maximum.
- For multi-engine Seaplanes/flying boats : 110 tons/plane up to Air group maximum.

- Example : A carrier built in 1927 with 90 biplane aircraft (7200 tons) will, after 1933 tech, field (7200/95) = 76 monoplane aircraft.

The 1946 aircraft tech will include the introduction of carrier jets.

Location : Miscellaneous Weight for the Air Group should be split between "Hull-Below Water" and "Hull-Above Water",
representing the aircraft, spares, crew, fuel and munitions.

-Nations can allocate more miscellaneous weight if you want to allow for eventual deck parking/heavier aircraft/whatever.
Additional weight dedicated to Fuel / Munitions should be "Hull-Below Water".

Conversions
Conversions are inherently inefficient. Multiply required weights by 1.5.

3.  Determine minimum freeboard

Use the default "Length % of Lwl" setting.
The minimum freeboard depends on the type of vessel.

"Carriers"
This represents the Flight Deck and applies from "Quarter deck Freeboard-aft" to "Fore deck Freeboard-forward".   

This may be extended to cover the forecastle OR the forecastle may be left 5m (15ft) lower and serve as a "flying off deck", increasing take off rate.

As planes grow, they need more deck length to take off and land.

-Single, unarmored hangar :  9.0 m (30ft)

-Double, unarmored hangar OR single armored box hangar:  12.0 m (40ft)

-Double armored box hangar:  15.0 m (50ft)

Mod Clarification : For the Unarmored freeboards, it is assumed the structures are 1/2 weight and each 3m represent 6m high hangers.

Seaplane Carriers

-Seaplane Carrier : minimum of 9m (30ft) on just "Aft Deck and Foredeck"


  Flight Deck/Seaplane 'Cruisers'
These vessels are not restricted to the 'cruiser' architecture.

Flight deck/Seaplane cruiser (flight deck section only):
Conceptually, one end of the vessel has "Gun Battery Section" the other aviation facilities.
These vessels use "Aft Deck" or "Fore deck" area to represent the hanger.
The flight deck must be elevated to allow planes to clear the weapons

Designate the "Aft deck+Quarterdeck" or "Foredeck+Forecastle" as the "Hanger + Flight deck" area. Gun batteries may be placed on section not used as hanger.

A) Set Freeboard as desired.
B) For the chosen  "Hanger + Flight deck"
Add freeboard relative to the Gun battery section.

Example : IF Gun batteries on foredeck, freeboard 6m, then add the following heights for aft deck+quarter deck : 

-----minimum of +5.5m (18ft) As Single unarmored carrier (no superfiring main battery)
-----minimum of 11m (36ft)As Double unarmored carrier (superfiring main battery allowed)


4. Plane Operability and Sorties.
Historically, during WW2, torpedo bombers could not operate effectively on shorter flight decks, and escort carriers often had to catapult launch heavier aircraft, but were otherwise effective platforms.

Be advised the tonnage dedicated to aircraft fuel and munitions on interwar carriers, and such the wieght model here,  will be judged suffifient for 8 fully armed sorties. Fleet Train ships, or onboard "Extra" Misc. weight specified for Av-Gas or munitions can expand this.


5.  Armament:

Carrier / Seaplane carriers may not have centerline guns. The exception is a deck mount (or m&h) may be sited on centerline "fore deck forward" and/or "aft deck-aft".

-Hull casemates:  "Below deck"

-Sponson/side/casemate:  "On deck on sides"

-Guns on deck (e.g. Essex A/Y 5"):  "Superfiring on sides"

-Superfiring guns on deck (e.g. Essex B/X 5"):  "Double superfiring on sides"

-Flight deck/Seaplane cruisers: "Gun battery section" :  Up to three main battery turrets on centreline, no double-superfiring. Note that superfiring mounts affect flight deck freeboard, above.

6.  Armored Box Carrier:

-Use (actual thickness * 1.5) for ABC carrier decks

-Use upper belts (65% of hull length, 5.5m height per hangar deck) for hangar sides

-Make notes accordingly.

Make a note directly under the SS report's "Armour deck" line that the ship is an armored box carrier, and note the actual average thickness of the flight deck and hangar floor.
Note also the number of hangars.

7a. Non-Aircraft Carriers
For vessels embarking Six or fewer reconnaissance Floatplane Aircraft. :
Set aside 20 tons per reconnaissance  Floatplane "On Deck".  Add 5 tons per catapult if desired. As lightweight reconnaissance  assets, These are effectively unarmed. 

If  armed float planes / single use catapult fighters : 25 tons per aircraft. Add 5 tons per catapult desired. These are considered "armanent".

7b. For Seaplane Tenders  :
Seaplane tenders are not assumed to have dedicated aircraft carried on board.  Rather they serve in a sheltered anchorage as a maritime basing and support for a "Air Point" and "deployment point" representing Flying Boats and or Maritime reconnaissance bombers, along with associated Floatplane fighters.

Assign as miscellaneous weight 6400t.  This covers crew quarters, spare parts, spare engines, weapons and fuel.