Expanded crew management rules for F2.A / H.16 flying boats

[Spoonfrog]

After reading the excellent book about flying boats in the channel during the Great War "The Spider Web", I propose the following house rules for flying boats:

 

The following optional rules enhance the realism of crew management for Felixstowe F2.A and Curtiss H.16 flying boats and allow for more complex water-based scenarios. They can all be used together or individually as you prefer.

CHANGES TO EXISTING RULES
Since the Curtiss H.16 did not have dual controls, the second pilot (crew position #1) was not actively in control of the aircraft. If the first pilot (crew position #4) is incapacitated, the second pilot must move the first pilot and take the controls. During this process the aircraft is not being flown. The 3 manoeuvres following pilot incapacitation are to be drawn randomly from the (shuffled) deck. The manoeuvres must be played, even if illegal. Following the swap (if the aircraft has not left the table or crashed due to altitude = 0), move the wounded crewman token to crew position #1.

Most Felixstowe F2.A aircraft carried 5 crewmen. The rear side guns were both manned by one crewman. According to the expanded rules crewman #6 is deleted and either gun may be fired (but not both) during each firing phase, provided the gunner is in position (see mechanic rules below).

WIRELESS OPERATOR
The wireless operator was responsible for sending reports of U-Boat sightings or other information back to receiving stations on shore. The wireless operator also manned the nose gun (his default position when not operating the wireless set).

If the scenario requires the wireless operator to make a transmission, he may do so during any firing phase, provided he is at the wireless set and able to use it. To attempt a wireless transmission, draw a B damage card. If the card has a gun jam symbol, the transmission was a failure and must be re-attempted. For any other result the wireless transmission was successful. Optional rule: if the explosion card is drawn, the transmission is not successful and the wireless set is now permanently out of operation (see aldis lamp and carrier pigeon rules for alternatives).

In the Felixstowe F2.A, to allow the wireless operator to move between the nose gun position and his wireless set behind the pilots, the second pilot (crew position #1) had to fold down his control column and fold up his seat. The rules for this crew movement are as follows:
Start of crew movement - At the end of a movement phase, before firing, the owner of the F2.A may decide to move the wireless operator/nose gunner. Crew movement tokens must be placed for both the wireless operator/nose gunner AND the second pilot. Neither crewman can fire during this phase.*
End of crew movement - During the next phase, before firing, the wireless operator/nose gunner reaches his destination, but may not fire or use the wireless set. The second pilot also returns to his seat, but may not fire his gun.*

* If the first pilot becomes incapacitated during either of these firing phases, apply the rules above for Curtiss H.16 pilot incapacitation.

The Curtiss flying boats were not equipped with dual control, so the normal crew movement rules apply for the nose gunner/wireless operator (no impact on the second pilot or his ability to fire).

ALDIS LAMP
The nose gun position was equipped with an aldis lamp for signalling to friendly ships. The aldis lamp uses the same arc as the firing arc of the nose gun with a range of 2 rulers. The wireless operator may use the aldis lamp during any firing phase provided he is in the nose gun position. He may not fire the nose gun at the same time as using the aldis lamp. He may not remove gun jam tokens at the same time as using the aldis lamp. Two successive "hits" must be scored on the "target" friendly ship in order to successfully transmit the message. If the wireless operator is incapacitated, the aldis lamp cannot be used.

CARRIER PIGEONS
The Felixstowe F2.A and Curtiss H.16 normally carried 4 pigeons, which could be used to send messages back to the shore in the event of a wireless failure. Carrier pigeons could be released in flight so long as care was taken to avoid the bird hitting the aircraft structure or propellers. A carrier pigeon may be released when the aircraft has landed or in flight during a stall manoeuvre only. Any crewman may release the pigeon, but that crewman may not perform other actions (piloting the aircraft / firing a gun / using a wireless set / carrying out engine repair) for the phase of pigeon release AND one phase before AND one phase after. If one pilot is incapacitated, the remaining pilot may not release a carrier pigeon.

On pigeon release when in flight, draw a B damage card. If the result has any special damage, the carrier pigeon message was not successful and must be re-attempted (up to 4 carrier pigeon messages may be attempted). Carrier pigeon messages sent when landed are automatically successful.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Large flying boats carried fire extinguishers which could be used to fight an onboard fire. If the flying boat draws a damage card with fire special damage, take three flame counters as usual. Treat the first flame counter as usual (draw an A damage card at the end of the turn). For the two remaining flame counters the following rule applies: A flame counter may be discarded if all the surviving crewmen not piloting the aircraft perform no actions (firing, clearing a gun jam, operating the wireless set, moving position, etc.) for two consecutive phases. If all the crewmen apart from the pilot have been incapacitated, the fire extinguishers cannot be used.

FLIGHT ENGINEER
The Felixstowe F2.A and Curtiss H.16 carried an engineer, whose role was to oversee the engines and manage the distribution of fuel between the different fuel tanks. He was also able to make minor repairs. On the F2.A the flight engineer also mans the side guns at the rear of the fuselage. On the H.16 the flight engineer also mans the rear gun.

If the wind-driven fuel pump failed, the mechanic could manually pump fuel to the engines. To simulate this, if the mechanic remains in his station beneath the engines for all three phases of a turn, any engine damage can be ignored for that turn (no requirement to play a stall card). If he moves to man the rear gun, to release a carrier pigeon or to extinguish a fire, the engine damage effects are re-applied.

[flash]

Some interesting ideas to expand the gameplay there, Dom, not sure about putting a range on the aldis lamp, it likely could be seen much further than the game's effective MG range.