Author Notes:
Ah, yes. This new OBOM chapter is basically reserved to those who know your stuff. Hopefully, you all can spot the little bit of works that the crew on my Discord server and I spent our brain cells on hahaha.
Special respect to Nicolae and Uni, the very two who helped me cook the most recent chapters!
And on that high note, do tune into my Patreon for the 40% discount on your first subscription, this applies to either monthly or yearly support! Additionally, you can enjoy a lot of chapters across all three of my stories if you support my family on Patreon!
Now, without further ado, enjoy the chapter and the visual guide below!
https://www.patre-on.com/Heartbreak117
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Heartbreak117
https://discord.gg/cVZxJ29ruh
https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://www.webnovel.com/book/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system_31596105108346205
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-soul.-occupied-body---please-the-other-me...!_35377211308783905
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2271569/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9
OBOM Visual Guide:
https://postimg.cc/gallery/5fQs4Fv
C-1 Starlifter: https://postimg.cc/zbCn9HG4
C-2 Aslan: https://postimg.cc/0MYpLKy4
CAV-1 Viking: https://postimg.cc/Vrqj30kT
CEV-1 Gokstad:
https://postimg.cc/zbCn9HGc
https://postimg.cc/1nGpLV3W
PBY-1 Catalina: https://postimg.cc/K15hvJsg
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Designing the fixed-wing backbones for our Syncra Ascendancy is surprisingly more interesting and funnier than expected, mostly because we are allowed to truly run wild this time when it comes to the larger airframes. Unlike before, we go from bigger to smaller, hashing out the truly heavyweight aircraft first as a change of pace. And because of this...
"I've seen truly big aircraft before, both atmospheric and exoatmospheric." Iris says, arms crossed as she looks at the lazily spinning holographic representation of a cargo freight aircraft that is hilariously bigger than her own avatar. "But frankly, this is the first time I've seen something so large being seriously considered flight-worthy before we even touch the Space Age. The wingspan alone is slated to be 100 meters. Do you have any idea how limited it will be, infrastructure-wise, to try and accommodate this thing?"
I grin before winking in our Chief of Logistics' direction. "That's for Vi and you to worry about."
The cyberpunk Doll rolls her eyes, her hand supporting her chin, and replies. "Oh, great, task delegation is a thing."
Vi takes a breath before adding. "Even if we can accrue enough resources to produce a superheavy freight, Everlight can only accommodate a maximum of four airframes in its current state. Unless we expand Everlight further, we won't have these... Jumbo-sized hotdogs flying around in abundance."
"But strategically speaking," Reizen interjects this time, her expression as if she's coming up with ways to use an aircraft weighing in excess of 300 tons on empty. "A single logistics run with this massive freight aircraft is more than capable of fueling a small-to-medium-scale skirmish. With its expansive cargo hold, airborne operations will also be made simpler. When we can get Knights up and running, I imagine that a few of the smaller Knights can be made air-droppable into a hot zone as well... At least, that's the plan. Vi should have a clearer idea of the usage of this design."
"I imagine this thing, if it has a name, will be more useful for rear-line operations and vehicular transportation." Vi sighs. "Each one of them is too valuable, and restrictive in deployment base, to throw in something as mundane as an airborne invasion. And frankly speaking, do we really need something like that when we literally have nothing for it to airlift?"
I nod.
"Fair point. Besides the novelty, this design- let's tentatively give it the moniker Aslan for naming's sake- is only a worthwhile investment when we have multiple strategic bases that require supplies that are too slow to be delivered by sea."
Iris hums, crossing her arms. "So, we're shelving this thing then?"
Reizen replies.
"For practicality's sake, yes. Short-term operations will be circling around Everlight anyway; I reckon a small utility and a tactical airlifter design will do the job just fine. There's also the fact that if we are to develop our own Knight mechas, the aircraft that will carry them will need to be made accordingly. We can't jump the gun and have our future mechas constrained by the size limit imposed by this rushed Aslan design."
Iris shrugs before removing the projections of the Aslan superheavy airlifter. "Well, was fun working on this big chongus. Next~!"
"I presume this will be our primary workhorse, at least until the need for the bigger Aslan or something along that line arises." Iris says after showing us the initial holographic representation of a C-17 Globemaster III look-alike.
Now, I only gave Iris a set of requirements to work with; I didn't give her any design details. The fact that Iris teamed up with Vi to work out an airframe damn near similar to a Globemaster is a pleasant surprise. But other than the shared physical appearance, our version is much different than what the USAF fielded in the first half of the 21st century. Bigger, stronger, more enduring, more versatile... As expected of Iris and Vi.
"Starlifter," Iris suddenly suggests. "Let's call it that. Quite fitting for something capable of carrying two of our MBT-1s with room to spare. Obviously, other than carrying, the C-1 Starlifter can do much more, like being an Airborne Warning and Control System, AWACS for short, or a stand-off airborne arsenal ship. You can get away with a lot of things when you have a sizeable cargo hold inside a more manageable airframe. Better yet, the Starlifter is built to rough it out on unpaved and unimproved runways, so we can use it to lift building materials to deserted islands that we seek to claim."
Iris then shows us the different variants, one of which is fitted with what seems to be a version of the Rapid Dragon system, which is a palletized and disposable module used for deploying flying munitions. Of course, we have yet to develop the specific guided weapons and whatever else, but it's expected by Iris that the Starlifter can carry two boxes of thirty cruise missiles each, which is a lot of ordnance for a cargo aircraft to carry. My attention is then grabbed by one variant in particular.
"You want to make that thing into a gunship?"
"Why the hell not?" That is Iris' answer. "Nothing makes things go boom as pretty as a gunship circling over the AO, no?"
All of us nod in agreement with Iris' words. "Hard to argue with facts, yeah."
When Iris knows that we are all in agreement with the C-1 Starlifter's design, she introduces something much smaller to continue our meeting."
"Since we're done with the big girls, here's the little gal that is more or less a mix between a light attack aircraft and a utility transport for Carrier Onboard Delivery."
It is practically an enlarged OV-10 Bronco of the old Vietnam War era. It's somewhat bigger than the US military's V-22 Osprey because of its longer wingspan and the new engines Iris designed. A notable difference from the original Bronco is its side-by-side seating arrangement for the pilot and co-pilot, alongside the presence of a rear ramp now that the rear cargo hold is broadened as well. The two underpowered engines on the Bronco were removed in favor of Iris' specially designed family of aviation powerplants.
"The CAV-1 Viking is an affordable airframe that can do many things." Iris says. "It's basically the younger sister to the airframe I will be showing after this one. Powered by two 12-bladed CRP-TB-2500, 2500 horsepower contra-rotating turboprops, the Viking is more than capable of achieving good subsonic speed and maneuverability even when carrying a small clinic in its cargo hold. Better yet, in its light attack configuration, it has eight pylons that can carry a total of four tons of ordnance and is still able to take off from a flattop. Additionally, a small but usable AESA radar is installed in the nose alongside an Electro-Optical Targeting System, allowing the Viking the ability to use precision-guided munitions. Around the Viking, Infrared Search and Track sensors are used to provide overall situational awareness. Neat for something of this size, right?"
"Yeah, but contra-rotating turboprops? A surprising choice, all things considered." I interject. "I thought you would go for something simpler."
Iris explains.
"Given the vast distance we need to cover on this water ball, contra-rotating turboprops are more fuel-efficient, thus giving us longer loiter time. The cons are that maintenance and pricing are a bit more of a pain than a traditional turboprop. Still, it's a fair trade-off, in my opinion, and I do make an effort to make things easily replaceable and maintainable. To lessen the logistical constraint, the Viking will share a lot of its parts with its bigger sister, the Gokstad."
"Gokstad?" I raise an eyebrow. "Really play into that Norse heritage, huh?"
Both Iris and Reizen smile. The Smart AI then goes on to say. "It's my way of keeping our roots alive. But anyway..."
"The Gokstad is basically a Viking but made bigger with more powerful engines. While nowhere near the size of the C-1 Starlifter, the CEV-1 Gokstad is still big enough to accommodate a Multi-role Active Electronically Scanned Array on the dorsal fuselage, making it into a capable carrier-based AWACS. Now, if it's not made into an AWACS, the CEV is more than capable of performing COD for aircraft carriers and forward bases when we do get there."
"Is it just me, or the Gokstad is basically a budget-cut version of the C-1 Starlifter?" Kokona interjects after a while of just mindlessly listening.
"You're not wrong about that." Iris admits. "Procuring both the Viking and Gokstad in numbers shall be much cheaper and faster than getting a single Starlifter. And while the Gokstad offers no weapon pylon, being a support aircraft first and foremost, it's still capable of carrying palletized munitions like the Starlifter. The Gokstad uses two 16-bladed CRP-TB-5500 engines, hailing from the same family of engines as the ones on the Viking, albeit bigger and more powerful. Each engine of the Gokstad is rated at 5500 horsepower, giving the Gokstad the ability to carry heavier equipment and supplies. Obviously, with the Viking around, there's little need to turn the bulkier Gokstad into an attacker."
Iris goes on to say.
"For the AWACS Gokstad, in particular, the big MESA radar it has on top is capable of covering 300 degrees, the front and the sides of the aircraft. The rear is watched over by the IRST sensors that are placed around the Gokstad, similar to what is used on the smaller Viking. This intentional design is made because it will simplify maintenance and procurement for the AWACS Gokstad. The rear is not really mission-critical for an AWACS. If this AWACS has someone coming up its rear blind spot, then they fuck up big time, is what I'm saying."
"Sounds about right." I nod, thinking about how the Gokstad is looking like a sleeker E-2 Hawkeye.
"And that's basically it for conventional aircraft that prefer to stay dry." Iris claps her hands together. "Next will be something that Vi has been requesting: seaplanes. And honestly, of the designs we have all come up with, there is only one airframe that fits what we need, at least for the short-term future."
"And that thing is the Catalina flying boat." I interject, naming the thing that Iris and I personally worked on earlier. "Well, our take on the Catalina that was a ubiquitous plane in both of our worlds."
"Yes." Iris nods as she gives us a good view of our Catalina rework. "The PBY-1 Catalina, the nickname remains the same because we like it so much, is our premier, high-endurance seaplane design. It uses two 8-bladed CRP-TB-2000 engines and a very low-stall wing design, granting it a cruising speed of more than 200 knots, as well as low-speed entries as slow as 62 knots. Our version of the Catalina is well-suited to be operated from runways, grass, dirt, sand, lakes, rivers, bays, and blue water... Pretty much any austere location you can think of, making it perfect for even Special Operations deployment. And because it's designed to be a maritime patrol bomber and search-and-rescue seaplane first and foremost, it has ultra-endurance and shares the same sensor technology with the CAV-1 Viking. Fully loaded for maritime patrol, the Catalina can fly continuously for 24 hours at cruising speed."
"That's practically unheard of, if you ask me." Vi comments simply.
"Uhm. And because it's classified as a bomber, you can expect it to carry missiles and torpedoes. Hell, you can modify it to be a gunship by giving it a 27 mm or 35 mm side-mounted autocannon." Iris giggles. "Pretty sure no boat out there can withstand something like that. In a pinch, you can even use it for humanitarian operations. Garner some hearts and minds from future allies, I suppose."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." I smile. "Frankly speaking, we're still a long way from even thinking about playing nice."
"Given that we're getting more and more into the armed aircraft territory, isn't it about time that we talk about actual fighter craft?" Reizen asks, seeking to continue with the long talk.
"No joke, but I think the fighter craft thingy will be much faster to finalize." I smile wryly. "After all, there's only like one general airframe that is needed, unlike the whole logistics and multi-mission stuff we just tackled. It's the subsequent naval stuff that I am more worried about, however. That may take another long while to finish."