IPA 35 Lakshmibai Ground Support Aircraft
The Bharatiya Commune's air force is above all else focused on tactical air support, since it does not, unlike certain other air forces, believe that air power on its own will be strategic in any war. It will be impossible to break the will of the workers and peasants from the air alone, and strategic airpower may prove useful, but the distributed nature of the Commune's industry and the sheer extent of its population means that it is to some extent secure against strategic air strikes, especially when taking into account its fighter units and the valiant efforts of the workers and peasants to provide for their own civil defense against imperialist air attack. Only the imperialists would be willing to wage such an unconscionable and barbaric air war directed to the extermination of the workers and peasants in the obliteration of their cities - and while the Commune must be prepared to stand against this, we shall not be the ones to unleash this fire across the world. It shall be the flame of the revolution which shall ignite the old world and burn it to the ground, not the bombers of the People's air force.
This focus on a tactical air force provides for a necessity for tactical air support, intended to strike enemy troop concentrations, positions, attacks, provide support for our attacking troop units, lines of communication attacks, and other operations. Theorists in the Commune divide operations into the direct battle zone, and the rear area zone. Our troops require support by not only our artillery, but also by our bombers. The appropriate role for tactical air support aircraft would be to provide moral support for attacking units with their presence, to strafe and harass moving enemy units, bomb positions, and conduct reconnaissance. Their support would be crucial in a war of movement, where they would be able to strafe advancing enemy columns without dug in positions and probably with insufficient anti-aircraft firepower, and particularly during an enemy breakthrough, where they would be able to impede disorganized forces through strafing and attack. Although as mentioned above, direct tactical bombing was perceived as part of their role, it was not believed that they would be able to lift enough bombs to make a difference, and that for attacks directly on fortified enemy positions, it would be larger tactical bombers who would provide the real punch. They would be able to carry bombs, but their role would be above all else in the war of movement. Here, they would require the protection of friendly fighters if they wished to survive, but that was viewed as being inevitable anyway.
This left the task of designing the aircraft, and once more a painful problem reared its unwelcome head - it was hard enough to get sufficient horsepower for a fighter, and a fighter is small, light, and doesn't carry much in the way of armament. How could you manage to produce an aircraft capable of carrying substantial offensive armament, be of hefty construction - since it would have to be rugged and durable to withstand enemy ground fire - lifting bombs, and with greater range to provide for more loiter time.... and do it with the only engines available being 500 horsepower engines, long surpassed by European designs? A single engined design would be hopelessly outdated, slow, and incapable of carrying sufficient armament on such a size. A dual-engined? The addition of drag would mean that the additional power would not go as far as one might wish, and a measly 1,000 horsepower was not sufficient, as basic calculations showed - the resulting airspeed and performance would be dismal. It was a conundrum which seemed to indicate that it would be necessary to rely on imported French aircraft, which the Commune wasn't adverse to, but which might be cut off in time of war.
That was, until a young designer suggested the idea of a tri-motor, which would be able to increase power to the bare necessity of 1,500 horsepower, without requiring additional drag-inducing surfaces. The problem however, was that a conventional tri-motor arrangement would cut into the aircraft's forward facing armament, and would hurt the view of the pilot - utterly vital on an attack aircraft which already had some vision restrictions to the side. But the advantage of the light 500 horsepower engines that the Commune possesses was that cooling was not a great problem - instead of having a puller arrangement, it would be possible to mount the engine behind the pilot. There would be a mild efficiency penalty to be paid, but it would also result in increased air flower over the rear control surfaces. More worrisome was that this might result in the pilot being guillotined if he had to eject from the aircraft, but it was proposed that explosive charges could be used to clear him free from the propeller if need be. It would not be possible to mount a rear gunner, but this would enable speed and armament to be increased, and the rear engine would provide some protection to the pilot from returning ground fire. It matched what was needed for the aircraft, and it was approved.
The IPA 35 Lakshmiba is a three-engined aircraft, with two engines mounted on the wings, and the third engine behind the pilot. It is a twin-boom aircraft, with twin tails behind it, and a horizontal stabilizer linking the two. Each of these engines is a Kumar 12k, producing 500 horsepower, without a supercharger, and drawing three-bladed variable pitch propellers. There is a single pilot, and no other crew, who is enclosed with 75mm bullet proof glass and there is armor around the cockpit and the engines, while the aircraft is built quite ruggedly. The cockpit is located close to the front, to maximize visibility, and this enables the wings to be set somewhat behind it, helping to improve visibility. It has landing gear with a wheel in the nose, and the other ones being found in the engine nacelles, all retracting. Like the IPA 34 Chakram fighter, the design is built of wood, in a monocoque design, to attempt to reduce aluminum usage, the Commune as of yet having minimal ability to produce aluminium and whatever that is produced going directly to engines. All of them were to be equipped with a radio from the start, in contrast to the IPA 34 Chakram which sometimes had fighters without them.
The armament is entirely forward firing, and entirely in the nose, and consists of a combination of 20mm cannons and 7.7mm machine guns. There are 2 20mm cannons, and 4 7.7 machine guns. The 20mm guns are based on the French Hispano-Suiza design, with a rate of fire of some 700 rounds per minutes, and can be equipped with either high explosive or armor piercing ammunition. With their large caliber and high velocity, they care capable of defeating light enemy armor and each one has 90 rounds per gun. The 7.7mm machine guns have 800 rounds per gun, with a rate of fire of up to 1,200 rounds per minute. There was consideration about an internal bomb bay, but ultimately this was rejected - it would cause size to increase, and weight too, when ultimately bombing would be secondary to its role. Instead, despite the larger penalty while it had bombs, they would be stored externally. It would have hard-points for up to x10 50 kilogram bombs, or a single 500 kilogram unitary bomb could be mounted under the central fuselage. These would be used in either shallow low level attacks, or descending bombardments from higher up, depending on how much enemy anti-aircraft artillery was concentrated.
The introduction of the aircraft led to interest by the air force for a long range torpedo bomber, reconnaissance, and naval attack aircraft. This resulted in several different variants, which are listed below.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB
Most simple in regards to transformation from the basic design, the IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB removed much of the armor on the aircraft to lighten weight, as well as removing all of the armament save x2 forward machine guns, but otherwise kept it the same. These weight reductions enabled it to to carry an 800 kilogram torpedo slung under the aircraft, or bombs for level flight. The lightened aircraft also has greater range. Although it is noted as a decent torpedo bomber, the lack of essentially any defense for longer distance operations and no observer meant that there was a desire for something more capable.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB-2
In contrast to the previous design, the TB-2 variant is really essentially a new aircraft, and responded to the problems existing in the previous aircraft. Extensive engineering and design tests were required, but it moved the pusher engine forward to be in the cockpit, instead of in the rear. Interrupter gear was fitted, and there still remain 2 forward machine guns, but the principal modification was a rear crew member with his own machine gun for self defense, who also functions as a radio operator and observer. A slightly lengthened fuselage enables additional fuel to be carried, which helped keep range at 1,200 kilometers. Although speed and handling dropped with the design, it was still judged sufficient and was judged a much more effective naval bomber.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai DB
The IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB-2 design also gave birth to a dive bomber version, supposedly for the navy, although rapidly adopted by the ground forces as well. Conserving the basic air frame, this introduced automatic dive brakes, it is capable of carrying similar bomb loads to the basic IPA 35 Lakshmibai alongside the rear machine gunner. It maintains much of the handling performance of the original plane too, although it sacrifices the armor and much of its forward armament, conserving the x2 forward firing machine guns in addition to the rear machine gun.
Some consideration has been placed to building a night fighter version of this aircraft, using the observer for trying to find enemy aircraft, with modifications to improve speed and handling at the expense of its ground attack role. So far this has not come of age. However, there does exist a fighter direction version of IPA 35 Lakshmibai DB.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai
Crew: 1
Length: 10.3 meters
Wingspan: 14.8 meters
Height: 3.3 meters
Wing area: 31 meters squared
Empty weight: 2,764 kilograms
Max take-off weight: 4,582 kilograms
Powerplant: x3 Kumar 12k air-cooled inverted v-12 piston engine, 500hp for 1,500hp total, wing engines contra-rotating
Propeller: 3-bladed variable pitch
Maximum speed: 385 kilometers per hour top speed at 4,000 meters, which it can reach in 9 minutes
Service ceiling: 6,800 meters
Guns:
x2 20mm hispano-suiza cannons, 90 rounds per gun, 700rpm
x4 M1933 7.7mm machine guns, 800 rounds per gun, 1,200 rpm.
Bombs:
up to x10 50 kilogram bombs
OR
x1 500 kilogram bomb
Range: 1,000 kilometers
This focus on a tactical air force provides for a necessity for tactical air support, intended to strike enemy troop concentrations, positions, attacks, provide support for our attacking troop units, lines of communication attacks, and other operations. Theorists in the Commune divide operations into the direct battle zone, and the rear area zone. Our troops require support by not only our artillery, but also by our bombers. The appropriate role for tactical air support aircraft would be to provide moral support for attacking units with their presence, to strafe and harass moving enemy units, bomb positions, and conduct reconnaissance. Their support would be crucial in a war of movement, where they would be able to strafe advancing enemy columns without dug in positions and probably with insufficient anti-aircraft firepower, and particularly during an enemy breakthrough, where they would be able to impede disorganized forces through strafing and attack. Although as mentioned above, direct tactical bombing was perceived as part of their role, it was not believed that they would be able to lift enough bombs to make a difference, and that for attacks directly on fortified enemy positions, it would be larger tactical bombers who would provide the real punch. They would be able to carry bombs, but their role would be above all else in the war of movement. Here, they would require the protection of friendly fighters if they wished to survive, but that was viewed as being inevitable anyway.
This left the task of designing the aircraft, and once more a painful problem reared its unwelcome head - it was hard enough to get sufficient horsepower for a fighter, and a fighter is small, light, and doesn't carry much in the way of armament. How could you manage to produce an aircraft capable of carrying substantial offensive armament, be of hefty construction - since it would have to be rugged and durable to withstand enemy ground fire - lifting bombs, and with greater range to provide for more loiter time.... and do it with the only engines available being 500 horsepower engines, long surpassed by European designs? A single engined design would be hopelessly outdated, slow, and incapable of carrying sufficient armament on such a size. A dual-engined? The addition of drag would mean that the additional power would not go as far as one might wish, and a measly 1,000 horsepower was not sufficient, as basic calculations showed - the resulting airspeed and performance would be dismal. It was a conundrum which seemed to indicate that it would be necessary to rely on imported French aircraft, which the Commune wasn't adverse to, but which might be cut off in time of war.
That was, until a young designer suggested the idea of a tri-motor, which would be able to increase power to the bare necessity of 1,500 horsepower, without requiring additional drag-inducing surfaces. The problem however, was that a conventional tri-motor arrangement would cut into the aircraft's forward facing armament, and would hurt the view of the pilot - utterly vital on an attack aircraft which already had some vision restrictions to the side. But the advantage of the light 500 horsepower engines that the Commune possesses was that cooling was not a great problem - instead of having a puller arrangement, it would be possible to mount the engine behind the pilot. There would be a mild efficiency penalty to be paid, but it would also result in increased air flower over the rear control surfaces. More worrisome was that this might result in the pilot being guillotined if he had to eject from the aircraft, but it was proposed that explosive charges could be used to clear him free from the propeller if need be. It would not be possible to mount a rear gunner, but this would enable speed and armament to be increased, and the rear engine would provide some protection to the pilot from returning ground fire. It matched what was needed for the aircraft, and it was approved.
The IPA 35 Lakshmiba is a three-engined aircraft, with two engines mounted on the wings, and the third engine behind the pilot. It is a twin-boom aircraft, with twin tails behind it, and a horizontal stabilizer linking the two. Each of these engines is a Kumar 12k, producing 500 horsepower, without a supercharger, and drawing three-bladed variable pitch propellers. There is a single pilot, and no other crew, who is enclosed with 75mm bullet proof glass and there is armor around the cockpit and the engines, while the aircraft is built quite ruggedly. The cockpit is located close to the front, to maximize visibility, and this enables the wings to be set somewhat behind it, helping to improve visibility. It has landing gear with a wheel in the nose, and the other ones being found in the engine nacelles, all retracting. Like the IPA 34 Chakram fighter, the design is built of wood, in a monocoque design, to attempt to reduce aluminum usage, the Commune as of yet having minimal ability to produce aluminium and whatever that is produced going directly to engines. All of them were to be equipped with a radio from the start, in contrast to the IPA 34 Chakram which sometimes had fighters without them.
The armament is entirely forward firing, and entirely in the nose, and consists of a combination of 20mm cannons and 7.7mm machine guns. There are 2 20mm cannons, and 4 7.7 machine guns. The 20mm guns are based on the French Hispano-Suiza design, with a rate of fire of some 700 rounds per minutes, and can be equipped with either high explosive or armor piercing ammunition. With their large caliber and high velocity, they care capable of defeating light enemy armor and each one has 90 rounds per gun. The 7.7mm machine guns have 800 rounds per gun, with a rate of fire of up to 1,200 rounds per minute. There was consideration about an internal bomb bay, but ultimately this was rejected - it would cause size to increase, and weight too, when ultimately bombing would be secondary to its role. Instead, despite the larger penalty while it had bombs, they would be stored externally. It would have hard-points for up to x10 50 kilogram bombs, or a single 500 kilogram unitary bomb could be mounted under the central fuselage. These would be used in either shallow low level attacks, or descending bombardments from higher up, depending on how much enemy anti-aircraft artillery was concentrated.
The introduction of the aircraft led to interest by the air force for a long range torpedo bomber, reconnaissance, and naval attack aircraft. This resulted in several different variants, which are listed below.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB
Most simple in regards to transformation from the basic design, the IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB removed much of the armor on the aircraft to lighten weight, as well as removing all of the armament save x2 forward machine guns, but otherwise kept it the same. These weight reductions enabled it to to carry an 800 kilogram torpedo slung under the aircraft, or bombs for level flight. The lightened aircraft also has greater range. Although it is noted as a decent torpedo bomber, the lack of essentially any defense for longer distance operations and no observer meant that there was a desire for something more capable.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB-2
In contrast to the previous design, the TB-2 variant is really essentially a new aircraft, and responded to the problems existing in the previous aircraft. Extensive engineering and design tests were required, but it moved the pusher engine forward to be in the cockpit, instead of in the rear. Interrupter gear was fitted, and there still remain 2 forward machine guns, but the principal modification was a rear crew member with his own machine gun for self defense, who also functions as a radio operator and observer. A slightly lengthened fuselage enables additional fuel to be carried, which helped keep range at 1,200 kilometers. Although speed and handling dropped with the design, it was still judged sufficient and was judged a much more effective naval bomber.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai DB
The IPA 35 Lakshmibai TB-2 design also gave birth to a dive bomber version, supposedly for the navy, although rapidly adopted by the ground forces as well. Conserving the basic air frame, this introduced automatic dive brakes, it is capable of carrying similar bomb loads to the basic IPA 35 Lakshmibai alongside the rear machine gunner. It maintains much of the handling performance of the original plane too, although it sacrifices the armor and much of its forward armament, conserving the x2 forward firing machine guns in addition to the rear machine gun.
Some consideration has been placed to building a night fighter version of this aircraft, using the observer for trying to find enemy aircraft, with modifications to improve speed and handling at the expense of its ground attack role. So far this has not come of age. However, there does exist a fighter direction version of IPA 35 Lakshmibai DB.
IPA 35 Lakshmibai
Crew: 1
Length: 10.3 meters
Wingspan: 14.8 meters
Height: 3.3 meters
Wing area: 31 meters squared
Empty weight: 2,764 kilograms
Max take-off weight: 4,582 kilograms
Powerplant: x3 Kumar 12k air-cooled inverted v-12 piston engine, 500hp for 1,500hp total, wing engines contra-rotating
Propeller: 3-bladed variable pitch
Maximum speed: 385 kilometers per hour top speed at 4,000 meters, which it can reach in 9 minutes
Service ceiling: 6,800 meters
Guns:
x2 20mm hispano-suiza cannons, 90 rounds per gun, 700rpm
x4 M1933 7.7mm machine guns, 800 rounds per gun, 1,200 rpm.
Bombs:
up to x10 50 kilogram bombs
OR
x1 500 kilogram bomb
Range: 1,000 kilometers
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