The Custom Tech Committee

Greetings,

This is the thread of the Custom Tech Committee. The Custom Tech Committee is comprised of individuals appointed by the Core Council for reviewing custom tech submitted by you, the players. The purpose of the Committee and indeed of all custom tech is supposed to be to enrich the experience of the roleplay, by providing an opportunity for people to create, adapt and modify technology in a realistic manner for purposes of flavour, accounting for specific circumstances and/or pursuing priorities differing from those followed by RL nations.

This is no carte blanche for creating unrealistic and unreasonable designs that have no basis in reality and it is the Committee's purpose to also prevent custom technology from running wild. In general, the further detached from any RL design your submission is, the more you can expect it to be questioned and the more it will be important for you to be able to provide an adequate argument and if necessary sources to support the feasability of your design.

The Custom Tech Committee will keep a list of approved requests in the OP. Players are required to also list approved requests in their own factbooks for purposes of transparency.

The current Custom Tech Committee consists out of Owl and Kasumi (that's me).

If you have a request, please fill out the following form:

Name: The name of your submitted equipment
Short Description: What kind of description is it and general outline of characteristics.
Technical Description: What are the technical details of your design. If there are any parts not explained in any source material, you may explain it here.
Source Material: Any source material you want to attach. The Committee will conduct its own investigations if necessary and may return with questions, but to save us all the time, you can prevent unnecessary questions by adding source material to support your case and its arguments.

Example:

Name: Type 4 self-loading rifle
Short Description: The Type 4 Self-loading rifle is a Japanese semi-automatic rifle, developed in 1944. It is derrived functionally from reverse-engineering a M1 Garand. It never saw mass production IRL, due to the end of the war, but would serve as main service rifle of Japan in the RP.
Technical Description: While mostly a copy of the M1, the Type 4 does use 7.7 mm Arisaka rounds, fed with two 5-round stripper clips and has Japanese-style sights, similar to the Arisaka bolt-action rifles. It can be fitted with a Type 30 bayonet.
Source Material:
Wikipedia
YT video (Forgotten Weapons)

Note: The exact format of the request form is up to the Committee's discretion and may be changed if such is viewed as necessary by the Committee.

List of approved equipment:

Spoiler:

First!

Name: Type 4 self-loading rifle
Short Description: The Type 4 Self-loading rifle is a Japanese semi-automatic rifle, developed in 1944. It is derrived functionally from reverse-engineering a M1 Garand. It never saw mass production IRL, due to the end of the war, but would serve as main service rifle of Japan in the RP.
Technical Description: While mostly a copy of the M1, the Type 4 does use 7.7 mm Arisaka rounds, fed with two 5-round stripper clips and has Japanese-style sights, similar to the Arisaka bolt-action rifles. It can be fitted with a Type 30 bayonet.
Source Material:
Wikipedia
YT video (Forgotten Weapons)

Name: Type 4 Chi-To
Short Description: The Chi-To is one of Japan's late wartime tank designs. It is a medium tank with a somewhat competitive Type 5 tank gun. IRL, it was only prototyped, as the war ended before production started.
Technical Description: Technically, the Chi-To has little that is really outstanding. Pretty much everything this tank can is not just feasable, there exist tanks that can do it better. And not just as specialised vehicles, beating it in one area, but pretty much as vehicles beating it in most areas.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_4_Chi-To

Name: Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai
Short Description: An upgraded Chi-Nu, which has a Chi-To turret fitted, with the Chi-To's gun. Because the Chi-Nu's own Type 3 75 mm tank gun was utter garbage. It was tested and one Chi-Nu got successfully modified this way, but it never made it into mass production.
Technical Description: Nothing fancy again. Just a Chi-Nu with a slightly heavier Chi-To turret. So it has an actual fighting chance against a Sherman.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_3_Chi-Nu#Variants

Name: Type 5 Chi-Ri
Short Description: The Chi-Ri is pretty much the pinnacle of Japanese WWII tank design. It is a medium tank developed from the Chi-Nu and Chi-To, just being slightly larger, so that the turret can fit a single-tray autoloader for the Type 5 gun. An earlier 3-round belt-fed autoloader was experimented with, but never adopted, as it was too mechanically complex and would have required an even larger turret.
Technical Description: For being the pinnacle of IJA tank design, the tank chassis is thoroughly mediocre again, having a whole 75 mm of armour and a rather unimpressive top speed of 40-45 km/h. It is also pretty large, but thanks to the lack of armour, it isn't heavy (mostly so the not-so-great engine can actually get up to the not-so-great speed). The autoloader gives it a slightly faster reload, but it is pretty much its only redeeming feature, as the penetration, again, is mediocre. The 37 mm hull-mounted gun gets deleted from the design, because it is not exactly useful.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_5_Chi-Ri

Name: Type 5 Ho-Ri
Short Description: A tank destroyer, fitting a 105 mm main gun in a casemate. Ignoring the original design, it would adopt the later design for the Ho-Ri, with a central casemate, reminiscient of the Jagdtiger.
Technical Description: Mechanically similar to the Chi-Ri, it has a fixed casemate turret instead, to fit a 105 mm tank gun. The chassis is even worse protected than the Chi-Ri, with 30 mm of armour at its best. The gun has a penetration of 150 mm at 1,000 metres, which is good, but pretty comparable for the caliber of the gun.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_5_Chi-Ri#Variants

Overall, a series of vehicles that is somewhat competitive and not utter garbage.

Name - Type 12 Kitteh
Short description - Attack Helicopter; first of it's kind!
Long description

It's a Flettner Fl 282 with some small improvements. Firstly, there will be two light machine guns (one on each side) designed for infantry support. There will also be two missile tubes on each side, around 1 m.

Also, I want to attack a searchlight on it if it's possible.

This causes some size adjustments, but I think this is reasonable.

Crew: 1
Length: 7.30 m
Height: 2.5 m
Empty weight: 790 kg (1,676 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)

Sources - I cannot post links right now, br essentially I just googled "Flettner FI 282."

Name: Lion-class Fast Battleship
Short Description: A battleships designed with firepower in mind and as such has 16 inch guns.
Technical Description: Has the same radar systems as the Vanguard.
Source Material:
Lion-class (1944 version)

Name: Fox-class Fast Battleship
Short Description: A battleship designed with a balance of speed and firepower in mind.
Technical Description: Has the same radar systems as the Vanguard. The 4 pom-poms are replaced with 4 quadruple 40mm Bofors, due to the ineffectiveness of the pom-pom and the fact the the Bofor is larger than the pom-pom.
Source Material:
G3 Battlecruiser

Greatkitteh wrote:Name - Type 12 Kitteh
Short description - Attack Helicopter; first of it's kind!
Long description

It's a Flettner Fl 282 with some small improvements. Firstly, there will be two light machine guns (one on each side) designed for infantry support. There will also be two missile tubes on each side, around 1 m.

Also, I want to attack a searchlight on it if it's possible.

This causes some size adjustments, but I think this is reasonable.

Crew: 1
Length: 7.30 m
Height: 2.5 m
Empty weight: 790 kg (1,676 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)

Sources - I cannot post links right now, br essentially I just googled "Flettner FI 282."

The 790 kg empty and 1,000 kg max takeoff indicate a pretty narrow window for useful load, given this will need a pilot and fuel. The original actually had a weapons load, which was 2 5kg bombs and/or a few smoke grenades. Mounting two light machine guns on it may be possible, if one takes away the other armament, but I do not think it is particularly useful, especially as the latter variants had an open cockpit and even the enclosed cockpit version only had plexiglas, which means if you are hoovering to fire at ground targets, you most likely will have your pilot shot in return. The aircraft was quite hard to kill with aircraft actually, but most got wrecked by AA guns. Also, worth noting, the only attack capacity was developed for navy units, which were tasked with killing subs with those 5 kg bombs. Targets which usually don't shoot back.

Luxa wrote:Name: Lion-class Fast Battleship
Short Description: A battleships designed with firepower in mind and as such has 16 inch guns.
Technical Description:  Has the same radar systems as the Vanguard.
Source Material:
Lion-class (1944 version)

Name: Fox-class Fast Battleship
Short Description: A battleship designed with a balance of speed and firepower in mind.
Technical Description:  Has the same radar systems as the Vanguard.  The 4 pom-poms are replaced with 4 quadruple 40mm Bofors, due to the ineffectiveness of the pom-pom and the fact the the Bofor is larger than the pom-pom.
Source Material:
G3 Battlecruiser

Approved.

Kasumi wrote:First!

Name: Type 4 self-loading rifle
Short Description: The Type 4 Self-loading rifle is a Japanese semi-automatic rifle, developed in 1944. It is derrived functionally from reverse-engineering a M1 Garand. It never saw mass production IRL, due to the end of the war, but would serve as main service rifle of Japan in the RP.
Technical Description: While mostly a copy of the M1, the Type 4 does use 7.7 mm Arisaka rounds, fed with two 5-round stripper clips and has Japanese-style sights, similar to the Arisaka bolt-action rifles. It can be fitted with a Type 30 bayonet.
Source Material:
Wikipedia
YT video (Forgotten Weapons)

Kasumi wrote:Name: Type 4 Chi-To
Short Description: The Chi-To is one of Japan's late wartime tank designs. It is a medium tank with a somewhat competitive Type 5 tank gun. IRL, it was only prototyped, as the war ended before production started.
Technical Description: Technically, the Chi-To has little that is really outstanding. Pretty much everything this tank can is not just feasable, there exist tanks that can do it better. And not just as specialised vehicles, beating it in one area, but pretty much as vehicles beating it in most areas.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_4_Chi-To

Name: Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai
Short Description: An upgraded Chi-Nu, which has a Chi-To turret fitted, with the Chi-To's gun. Because the Chi-Nu's own Type 3 75 mm tank gun was utter garbage. It was tested and one Chi-Nu got successfully modified this way, but it never made it into mass production.
Technical Description: Nothing fancy again. Just a Chi-Nu with a slightly heavier Chi-To turret. So it has an actual fighting chance against a Sherman.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_3_Chi-Nu#Variants

Name: Type 5 Chi-Ri
Short Description: The Chi-Ri is pretty much the pinnacle of Japanese WWII tank design. It is a medium tank developed from the Chi-Nu and Chi-To, just being slightly larger, so that the turret can fit a single-tray autoloader for the Type 5 gun. An earlier 3-round belt-fed autoloader was experimented with, but never adopted, as it was too mechanically complex and would have required an even larger turret.
Technical Description: For being the pinnacle of IJA tank design, the tank chassis is thoroughly mediocre again, having a whole 75 mm of armour and a rather unimpressive top speed of 40-45 km/h. It is also pretty large, but thanks to the lack of armour, it isn't heavy (mostly so the not-so-great engine can actually get up to the not-so-great speed). The autoloader gives it a slightly faster reload, but it is pretty much its only redeeming feature, as the penetration, again, is mediocre. The 37 mm hull-mounted gun gets deleted from the design, because it is not exactly useful.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_5_Chi-Ri

Name: Type 5 Ho-Ri
Short Description: A tank destroyer, fitting a 105 mm main gun in a casemate. Ignoring the original design, it would adopt the later design for the Ho-Ri, with a central casemate, reminiscient of the Jagdtiger.
Technical Description: Mechanically similar to the Chi-Ri, it has a fixed casemate turret instead, to fit a 105 mm tank gun. The chassis is even worse protected than the Chi-Ri, with 30 mm of armour at its best. The gun has a penetration of 150 mm at 1,000 metres, which is good, but pretty comparable for the caliber of the gun.
Source Material:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_5_Chi-Ri#Variants

Overall, a series of vehicles that is somewhat competitive and not utter garbage.

All approved

Very well, found something more useful

Name -Type 11 Kitteh.
Short description - Attack helicopter
Long description -

Converted version of the Fa 223 , it will have two heavy machine guns on each side, and change the gun in it'a nose to a light machine gun.

To make room, the "passengers seat" (3 people; not including pilot) of the helictoper will be wiped in favor of a third operator and bullets.

*****

Notes -
I would also like to request a Variant for this that makes the armament two light machine guns on each side, one in the nose, and as much tubes as possible for missiles.

Capacity: 4 passengers
Length: 12.25 m (40 ft 2 in) (fuselage length)
Wingspan: 24.50 m (80 ft 5 in) (span over rotors)
Height: 4.36 m (14 ft 4 in)
Max takeoff weight: 4,315 kg (9,513 lb)
Fuel capacity: 490 L (108 Imp Gal) internal + 300 L (66 Imp gal) external tank
Powerplant: 1 × BMW Bramo 323D-2 nine-cylinder radial, 750 kW (1,000 hp) (take-off)
Main rotor diameter: 2× 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
Main rotor area: 226.00 m2 (2,432.6 sq ft)


*****
Sources - wikipedia Focke Achgelis Fa 223

Just copy that on your search engine, then click the first link.

Greatkitteh wrote:Very well, found something more useful

Name -Type 11 Kitteh.
Short description - Attack helicopter
Long description -

Converted version of the Fa 223 , it will have two heavy machine guns on each side, and change the gun in it'a nose to a light machine gun.

To make room, the "passengers seat" (3 people; not including pilot) of the helictoper will be wiped in favor of a third operator and bullets.

*****

Notes -
I would also like to request a Variant for this that makes the armament two light machine guns on each side, one in the nose, and as much tubes as possible for missiles.

Capacity: 4 passengers
Length: 12.25 m (40 ft 2 in) (fuselage length)
Wingspan: 24.50 m (80 ft 5 in) (span over rotors)
Height: 4.36 m (14 ft 4 in)
Max takeoff weight: 4,315 kg (9,513 lb)
Fuel capacity: 490 L (108 Imp Gal) internal + 300 L (66 Imp gal) external tank
Powerplant: 1 × BMW Bramo 323D-2 nine-cylinder radial, 750 kW (1,000 hp) (take-off)
Main rotor diameter: 2× 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
Main rotor area: 226.00 m2 (2,432.6 sq ft)


*****
Sources - wikipedia Focke Achgelis Fa 223

Just copy that on your search engine, then click the first link.

Approved. But no missiles.

Name: Uranami-class destroyer
Short Description: A destroyer based on the late-war Yuugumo-class.
Technical Description: Basically, the Uranami-class is a repeat of the Yuugumo-class (itself heavily based on the Kagerou-class, which traces its lineage back to the Fubuki-class), though unlike the Yuugumo-class which received these upgrades during the war, the Uranami-class is fitted with a Type 13 air search radar, Type 22 surface search radar and a Type 3 sonar from the start.

They also are planned to be upgraded at some point with a decent high-angle fire-director for the main battery and their AA armament returns to the 2x2 Type 96 25 mm AA guns the Yuugumo's had at the start, with plans to upgrade them to a better AA gun later on.
Source Material:
Yuugumo-class

Name: Kuma-class cruiser
Short Description: This basically is the realisation of the Design C44 cruiser (or Kai-Agano), to produce a light cruiser that can lead torpedo squadrons.
Technical Description: Kai-Agano was a modest improvement over the Agano-class, with the same guns, just instead of 6 this class would have had 8 of them, two forward and two aft. They also received an upgraded machinery about as strong as the typical heavy cruiser for a speed of 37.5 knots.


They did however gain some weight and were thus just shy of 10,000 tons at full load. Overall, this ship is not exactly a massive step-up.
Source Material:
Kai-Agano (in Japanese)
[url=http://shipbucket.com/images.php?dir=Never Built Designs/Japan/CL C44 Kai Agano 1942.png]More detailed sketch[/url]

Both approved

Name: Peter Strasser-class Light Aircraft Carrier

Short Description: Light carrier, based on the design on the Kriegsmarine Graf Zeppelin.

Technical Description: CVL based on the design on KMS Graf Zeppelin. Utilizes two flush-deck steam catapults (instead of compressed-air) and removes the 15cm SK C/28 guns as superfluous. Smokestack given a cap to deflect exhaust gasses aft. Small air-control tower installed on the top of the island.

Complement is 42 aircraft at standard load. Due to design alterations, displacement insreases to 33,750 tons standard.

Source Material: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graf_Zeppelin-class_aircraft_carrier

Gray_Area wrote:Name: Peter Strasser-class Light Aircraft Carrier

Short Description: Light carrier, based on the design on the Kriegsmarine Graf Zeppelin.

Technical Description: CVL based on the design on KMS Graf Zeppelin. Utilizes two flush-deck steam catapults (instead of compressed-air) and removes the 15cm SK C/28 guns as superfluous. Smokestack given a cap to deflect exhaust gasses aft. Small air-control tower installed on the top of the island.

Complement is 42 aircraft at standard load. Due to design alterations, displacement insreases to 33,750 tons standard.

Source Material: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graf_Zeppelin-class_aircraft_carrier

I'm in a hurry, but I can tell you already now, the design will not be passed in this exact form. I will draw up at least two options of modifications for you to choose from later, including the reasons why this is necessary. Nothing you need to fear though, none of these changes make it any worse a ship.

Dankeshoen.

Alright, here's the thing. The Graf Zeppelin, as you propose it is, frankly, just a worse design than what the Germans built. And it was not a good design when the Germans built it. For starters, at the proposed tonnage, it is a full carrier and it will cost 6 points, regardless of its designation as a light carrier. The proposed tonnage however should be rectified regardless, for Graf Zeppelin had about 23,000 tons standard displacement and 33,500 tons was her full load. This does however not change her status as fleet carrier. Despite being a fleet carrier, it carries 42 aircraft, which is a joke. By contrast, Unryuu-class at around 17k tons had over 60 aircraft and even plans to equip them with the most powerful (and largest) IJN carrier planes, they'd carry 51 aircraft. This makes the Graf Zeppelin just overpriced as a carrier.

Of course, the Graf Zeppelin wasn't that heavy for that bad a loadout without a reason. And this reason were the 16 15 cm guns. Located in 8 armoured casemates, four on each side. These guns were there to protect the ship if any enemy came up close, a decision that was made because Germany even with the Graf Zeppelin would have more relied on surface action, not on carrier aviation and the prospect of enemy ships getting up close was deemed a greater threat than the lack of aircraft. Thus the ship got secondaries to rival the Bismarck. Also, the Germans got a good bit of their carrier expertise from Japan's Akagi in 1935, three years before Akagi was modernised to lose most of her own 20 cm gun armament.

You however took those guns off, so, well, it now is just overpriced for no reason. Thus, here's the options I give you:

1. Take the Graf Zeppelin with guns. I'm putting this option first, as it is the simplest. Not because I think it should have guns. The Germans were late on this one, not the pioneers of a new highly successful hybrid style. Akagi lost her guns, because it was discovered that a carrier has far too many vulnerable areas to be a viable gunboat. And while the Graf Zeppelin was built in a more solid manner than the IJN carriers pre-Shokaku, it still is not great for gunfights. In fact, while the Akagi has a crappier superstructure, it has 50% more belt armour (one reason why it weighs a lot more). But, if you feel like going for it, that would be an option.

2. The second option is the second easiest and is pretty much to modify the ship so it trades the guns for aircraft. The Graf Zeppelin would lose all its 15 cm guns, would lose the associated magazines and crew and instead would get an enlarged upper hangar deck. Weight would increase a bit, to maybe 25,000 tons standard. Aircraft loadout would depend on the aircraft you want to store, but you'd end up inbetween 70 to 80 for prop-planes. Unless you want to try operate jets from this carrier, get rid of the catapults though, they are not needed and not worth bothering with. Operation of jets would need an ambitious rebuild, similar to that of the Essex-class, as the carrier would need not just catapults to make up for the short length, but also better elevators and an angled flight deck.

3. The most radical solution, and mostly if you don't want to actually invest the full price into this carrier is to get a lighter carrier with sub-15,000 tons of standard displacement. Those usually carry 30 or so aircraft though and naturally their viability long-term is limited.

I hope this makes sense. If you go for option 1, you can consider that approved, options 2 or 3 will need a new more detailed plan, especially in regards to what aircraft you want to operate from this carrier.

I'd say 2; I do plan to adopt Banshees and possibly more Meteor variants, so catapults will be staying. The guns are the epitome of pointless, though (and were really what killed it RL).

The angled-deck refits will need to be done one way or the other, really, so that's not too much of a worry. I'd guesstimate capacity at 60ish for propeller craft, personally (Seafires, Fireflies, SBDs, and some Wyverns, maybe). Jets, maybe 50ish (they're not that much bigger, for early stuff).

I figured the name ("light" carrier) was more or less irrelevwnt given that tonnage is how things are point'ed out.

TL;DR option 2 with catapults.

Approved. You will however need to present a seperate request once you remodel the ship for jet aircraft, including number of jet aircraft used.

Also, mind you, that the carrier carries all its aircraft in two hangar decks, similar to British and Japanese designs, not in a single hangar deck like the US. These hangar decks are 6 m (upper) and 5.7 m (lower) clearance, so quite generous. There are three elevators capable of lifting 5.5 tons. These things might be useful to know for using the carrier.

I'm sorry for the amount of details, but I hope you understand why I modified your original request. Also, the guns weren't what killed it, it was the outbreak of WWII, which meant that Germany lacked the ressources to ever commission the carrier prior to the decision to just ignore surface ships. Had it been commissioned, it most likely would have either been decommed fast or remodelled like you are doing now, depending on ressources at Germany's disposal.