Ah, that explains it. More mobile than I thought, but not so much high-altitude/high-speed B-mode as you'll see later. The knee jets don't really show up well, and weren't listed in the features, so I wasn't quite aware they existed. I've only skimmed the last page or two of the other thread, so d'oh, my bad.
As far as the B-mode 'jump' is concerned, I was considering that more in the sense of increased ground mobility- getting from Point A to Point B quicker, dodging obstacles located at Point C midway between, and so on, without spending too much time as a midair target or cranking up to full F-mode speeds. Might be something the Germans would have more use for than the Americans, anyway.
That really brings up an interesting point. Early WW2 air doctrine was focused on bombing- fighters basically existed (when they did- the Americans thought they could send out armed/armored heavy bombers unescorted) to clear the path for bombers. The RAF and USAAF were focused on strategic bombing, while Nazi Germany and the USSR focused more on tactical support bombing. How does the existence of variable fighter technology change this? (Obviously, it makes fighters more important, but to whom, how much, and in which roles?) Would the German VF ('fliegenpanzer?') be an air superiority/infantry support bomber? Would the VP-38 be used for long-range escort and, say, mobile ground AA?
Most of this isn't so important for the game (where all you need is game balance, model plausibility, and OMGVARIABLEWW2), but it's such an interesting question, I can't help but ask.
...also, now I can't help imagining the variable equivalent of some of the OTL Nazi wunderwaffen. fP.VIII Maus super-heavy variable tank, anyone? Destroid-equivalents, instead?
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
As far as the B-mode 'jump' is concerned, I was considering that more in the sense of increased ground mobility- getting from Point A to Point B quicker, dodging obstacles located at Point C midway between, and so on, without spending too much time as a midair target or cranking up to full F-mode speeds. Might be something the Germans would have more use for than the Americans, anyway.
That really brings up an interesting point. Early WW2 air doctrine was focused on bombing- fighters basically existed (when they did- the Americans thought they could send out armed/armored heavy bombers unescorted) to clear the path for bombers. The RAF and USAAF were focused on strategic bombing, while Nazi Germany and the USSR focused more on tactical support bombing. How does the existence of variable fighter technology change this? (Obviously, it makes fighters more important, but to whom, how much, and in which roles?) Would the German VF ('fliegenpanzer?') be an air superiority/infantry support bomber? Would the VP-38 be used for long-range escort and, say, mobile ground AA?
Most of this isn't so important for the game (where all you need is game balance, model plausibility, and OMGVARIABLEWW2), but it's such an interesting question, I can't help but ask.
...also, now I can't help imagining the variable equivalent of some of the OTL Nazi wunderwaffen. fP.VIII Maus super-heavy variable tank, anyone? Destroid-equivalents, instead?
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.