I never can decide what kind of loadout the Flagg should carry. Do you ignore it's scale problems? If so do, do you cram it impossibly or try to maintain some space on deck to land and take off craft? If you like the Flagg to be realistically scaled, ie a micro carrier, what is the most useful purpose to for it to have? I took some (bad) photos of possible Flagg set ups. But I have a startling conclusion. Well, not so startling, if you bother to read the article's title!
Option 1- Amphibious Mission.
The deck has an Osprey, two Seahawks and a Skystorm. I imagine this would make the make the most sense for a Marine-style assault force. I would laden the interior with a W.H.A.L.E and a pair of Warthogs. Everything fits, everything can be expanded for launch, contracted for storage and rough weather. Minimum suspension of disbelief.
Option 2- Air Superiority
With only three Navy aircraft on the deck, she's crowded. One of the three must always be on the launch strip, and in preparation for a landing plane, another (the F-18's, in the picture) must be moved into its place. But it works. Assuming the pilot doesn't overshoot, the arrestor cable will snag the tail of a landing plane before it hits the the rest of the planes. Hard to get your head around. But so much fun.
Option 3- 1986
This setup has one rationale - it's G.I. Joe's 1986 air force. I would perch another Tomahawk on there somewhere, but I do wish the rotor blades would fold like the real thing. The chopper can't be positioned flush against the tower. It's a pain. But the Conquest is a very compact aircraft and works well on the deck of the Flagg. A lot better than the Skystriker, for whom the Flagg was intented. For instance, the wings of a landing Striker just avoid clipping the tower. The Conquest lands more comfortably than anything with a wingspan. I just don't really love the Conquest... never have.
Option 4- Mixed Bag
Here we have a compromise - an Osprey for ferrying personnel, a Conquest and Skystriker for air superiority and my favourite, a Skystorm for close air support. I choose the Skystorm over the Dragonfly because it's faster, able to keep up with the Osprey easily and... well the Dragonfly is green and wouldn't look as good! The Osprey is by far the bulkiest craft, but as you can see, it stores nicely like a carrier-based craft should, with folding wings and blades.
Option 5- Purist Air Superiority
Joe jets only. The pic isn't well enough lit, but the Phantom is on the launch strip. With this line up, the Flagg can carry out air support, bombing missions, surveillance and air superiority. And it's all Joe. Feel the love. And you can land a Tomahawk could land forward of the Skystriker, or aft of the Conquest, but how you would be able to shuffle the craft in order to launch and land the jets? The Tomahawk would have to take off, and then the jets would be jostled for position.
Option 6- COBRAAA!
Cobra's craft are well suited to operating in tight spaces. Everything on the deck is VTOL - the Firebat, Rattler, Hurricane, Mamba all take-off and land vertically. I included a black Chinook to demonstrate its space effectiveness as it crams in there nicely. There is an abundance of remaining space, you could easily throw a handful of Fangs or Fang II's onto the deck. Or a swarm of Firebats. And the cool thing about the Firebats is how you can fit two on the deck elevator. And not many aircraft can succeed in that. I wouldn't land a Night Raven on the deck- it would be difficult to move into position around all the smaller craft. And don't get me started on how nicely BUGGs, Hammerheads and Sea Ray's fit into the bowels of the ship. Morays look pretty terrific too.
So in conclusion: Joe needs to appropriate some Cobra craft. Or Cobra should capture the Flagg.
COBRAAAAAA!
Option 1- Amphibious Mission.
The deck has an Osprey, two Seahawks and a Skystorm. I imagine this would make the make the most sense for a Marine-style assault force. I would laden the interior with a W.H.A.L.E and a pair of Warthogs. Everything fits, everything can be expanded for launch, contracted for storage and rough weather. Minimum suspension of disbelief.
Option 2- Air Superiority
With only three Navy aircraft on the deck, she's crowded. One of the three must always be on the launch strip, and in preparation for a landing plane, another (the F-18's, in the picture) must be moved into its place. But it works. Assuming the pilot doesn't overshoot, the arrestor cable will snag the tail of a landing plane before it hits the the rest of the planes. Hard to get your head around. But so much fun.
Option 3- 1986
This setup has one rationale - it's G.I. Joe's 1986 air force. I would perch another Tomahawk on there somewhere, but I do wish the rotor blades would fold like the real thing. The chopper can't be positioned flush against the tower. It's a pain. But the Conquest is a very compact aircraft and works well on the deck of the Flagg. A lot better than the Skystriker, for whom the Flagg was intented. For instance, the wings of a landing Striker just avoid clipping the tower. The Conquest lands more comfortably than anything with a wingspan. I just don't really love the Conquest... never have.
Option 4- Mixed Bag
Here we have a compromise - an Osprey for ferrying personnel, a Conquest and Skystriker for air superiority and my favourite, a Skystorm for close air support. I choose the Skystorm over the Dragonfly because it's faster, able to keep up with the Osprey easily and... well the Dragonfly is green and wouldn't look as good! The Osprey is by far the bulkiest craft, but as you can see, it stores nicely like a carrier-based craft should, with folding wings and blades.
Option 5- Purist Air Superiority
Joe jets only. The pic isn't well enough lit, but the Phantom is on the launch strip. With this line up, the Flagg can carry out air support, bombing missions, surveillance and air superiority. And it's all Joe. Feel the love. And you can land a Tomahawk could land forward of the Skystriker, or aft of the Conquest, but how you would be able to shuffle the craft in order to launch and land the jets? The Tomahawk would have to take off, and then the jets would be jostled for position.
Option 6- COBRAAA!
Cobra's craft are well suited to operating in tight spaces. Everything on the deck is VTOL - the Firebat, Rattler, Hurricane, Mamba all take-off and land vertically. I included a black Chinook to demonstrate its space effectiveness as it crams in there nicely. There is an abundance of remaining space, you could easily throw a handful of Fangs or Fang II's onto the deck. Or a swarm of Firebats. And the cool thing about the Firebats is how you can fit two on the deck elevator. And not many aircraft can succeed in that. I wouldn't land a Night Raven on the deck- it would be difficult to move into position around all the smaller craft. And don't get me started on how nicely BUGGs, Hammerheads and Sea Ray's fit into the bowels of the ship. Morays look pretty terrific too.
So in conclusion: Joe needs to appropriate some Cobra craft. Or Cobra should capture the Flagg.
COBRAAAAAA!
Thanks for the article, its cool seeing all types of Joe aircraft and had not thought about COBRA's VTOL capabilities. All in a all, a good article. You should do one on the FLAGG herself, you say you put rollers on her after elevating her up, Im very impressed. I had the exact same idea except Im using large, diy, rubbermaid shelves to act as a base for the hull, I have a wood plank as a base and rollers ready to be inserted. Well done sir, please do a blog on the FLAGG herself.
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