Polish OOB 5.5

[Pibwl]

Time for the aircraft

127 Yak-3 - should be removed IMO. Yak-3 were pure fighters, very scarce in Poland (no more than 20), and all withdrawn by the end of 1946. It should carry no bombs - now it has 24

It can be changed to anti-tank Jak-9T with 1x 37 mm N-37 gun (#184) and 1x 12.7mm UBS (#175), no bombs, used until 1951 (Polish - also Czech, German, Hungarian spelling is Jak).

128 Yak-9M - it was armed in fact with 1x 20 mm and 1x 12.7mm UBS, not 2 x 20mm.

Despite Russian sources on Yak-9 don't say explicitly, that it couldn't carry bombs, but they describe gun armament only and don't suggest any possibility, that it could carry bombs (apart from very rare Yak-9B fighter-bomber variant, which was unique in that way, that it carried bombs vertically in a bomb bay). There are also no photos of Yak-9 with bombs. Certainly it was not common use. So it seems, that they shouldn't have bombs at all in the game, unless there is a source, that some user modified them this way. In Russia, it was Il-2/Il-10 aircraft to carry out ground attack, not fighters (not counting strafing - including 37 mm gun-armed fighters)

129 Yak-9W - in fact, Jak-9W (Yak-9V) was a two-seater trainer with reduced armament (1x20mm), no bombs and speed 5-6.
It might be changed to Jak-9P with 1x 20 mm Shvak #180 and 2x 12.7mm UBS, no bombs, speed=7 (8), available from 11/47 to 1954, drawing 29118. Anyway, this would be strafing aircraft only, little useful.

130 Yak-23 - Polish spelling: Jak-23. They carried 2x 60 kg bombs, not 25 kg.
Weapon #193 should be changed to 60 kg (it's the only user) - or #194 50kg bomb could be just renamed or slightly upgraded (it shouldn't be used by propeller Yaks, mentioned above)
In fact, operationally used from mid-51 (1/51)

131 MiG-15 - MiG-15s didn't carry obsolete RS-82 rockets, nor any other rockets in the Polish service. Could be armed with two bombs 100 kg - otherwise a new bomb-armed unit should be created. Used from mid-51 (1/50)

132 MiG-17 - MiG-17s didn't carry obsolete RS-82 rockets. Could be armed with two bombs 250 kg. It should be in fact named Lim-5 - Polish licensed MiG-17F (Poland probably didn't use original Soviet-built MiG-17s, or they were a small number). Produced in Poland from 11/1956 (realistic date: 1/57) (now: 1/55).

133 MiG-17F - same as above as for RS-82, name and date. This unit is therefore IMO redundant. (BTW, not used with camouflage, and used not later, than unit above - now 12/98)

134 MiG-17bis - there didn't exist MiG-17bis variant at all. Judging from 3x23mm guns, it is radar-equipped MiG-17PF. But standard MiG-17 fighters didn't use rockets in Polish service. IMO redundant unit.

135 MiG-17PF - bombs could be changed to 250 kg, but this unit is redundant, if we change standard MiG-17F (eg. #132) to bomb-armed variant (MiG-17F has stronger gun armament and is available earlier).
If we keep it, in fact, it should be named Lim-5P, available from 1959 (1/71) and end in 1970s (now 12/88). Later most fighters were converted to ground attack Lim-6bis/6M.

To end a subject of MiG-15/17:
685 Lim-1 - license produced MiG-15, strafing unit only. IMO redundant as a strafer.

IMO it should be armed with 2x100 kg bombs, and be available alongside #131 MiG-15 - Lim name is more strongly associated with the Polish airforce of the 1950s. But it should be in fact available from 1/53 (now 1/50)

686 Lim-1A - sources don't mention "A" variant (I don't know why it's supposed to have better vision). RS-82 rockets weren't used. To be removed IMO.

687 Lim-2 - licensed MiG-15bis. RS-82 rockets weren't used. Could be armed with 2x100kg bombs, to keep Lim-2 name in the game, but it's in fact redundant (should be used from 10/54 - now 1/54)

688 Lim-2A - sources don't mention "A" variant (I don't know why it's supposed to have better vision). RS-82 rockets weren't used. To be removed IMO.

689 Lim-5 - RS-82 rockets weren't used, only 2x250kg bombs. It is redundant, if we rename #132 MiG-17 this way.

690 Lim-5M - first trial of creating a ground attack variant, but used from 1/61 (1/60) until around end of 60s (now 12/84) - later converted to Lim-6bis. Better picture is 29113 - without camo.

691 Lim-6bis - basic light attack plane of that time - radio should be 90 (91). A number of rockets should be doubled - it carried 2x16 rockets S-5 plus 2x250kg bombs (8-rocket launchers weren't even used). Better picture is 29112 and icon 2809 - camouflaged ones.

692 Lim-6M - in fact, Lim-6M should be armed with 3x23mm guns, so it's better IMO to keep its gun armament (1x37, 2x23) and rename it to Lim-6bis (Lim-6M, differing in weaker gun armament only, appeared several years after Lim-6bis - 1971/72). Picture and icon - as above.
However, variant differing only with lighter bombs from the above one doesn't make much sense. It could be armed with 2x250kg and 2x100kg bombs instead.
There was probably a possibility of arming it with 64 rockets (4x16), but it's unseen on photos.

We could also add a cheap variant of Lim-6bis, with 32 rockets only (and drop tanks), without bombs.

End of part 1

Michal