4Q Air Warrior

Name of an Air Warrior Squadron founded in 1987. Say it aloud and you'll understand.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Ackstar WarBirds

An A/B17 used as a combination ground-attack gunship and escort gunship. The 'Otto' gunners allowed the A/B-17 to wade into enemy fighters and engage multiple targets.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Attacking A B17 Group Over Sicily Air Warrior

by Johannes Steinhoff, "Messershmitts Over Sicily"

"... Electrified, I looked down at the grey sea below. And then I saw them too: the surface had suddenly become speckled with a curious pattern of light brown smudges. With their upper parts painted desert yellow the Flying Fortresses stood out clearly against the silver grey of the sea They were flying very low and fast, racing over the waves almost wing tip to wing tip. ..."

"6000 feet. The Messerschmitt 109's speed had built up tremendously. The more height I lost, the faster the bombers seemed to be moving. Straden, Bachmann and Bernhard followed me down, keeping correct station. 3000 feet!"

"Suddenly a gap appeared between the enemy squadrons. I had to get low enough to be at the same height as the bombers when I met them. The rolling waves were now a few feet below me and the extended line of huge aircraft was appraoching at an incredible speed. I fixed my gaze through the front windscreen, keeping the illuminated reflector sight on the aircraft at the centre of the formation. 'You have to aim at the Fortress's glass cockpit...' Exactly when I opened fire I do not know - the moment to do so must have been conveyed automatically to my thumb on the stick. In that last brief phase of the attack it was all suddenly like the sequence of a familiar exercise. I pulled my Messerschmitt up to the same height as the bombers as though I had done it a hundred times before. My task was to spray the gleaming cockpit with a hail of shot. In a curving trajectory the incendiary tracer streaked away from the machine towards the giant bomber, crossing the blue smears of smoke tracer. The luminous cross-wires of my sights shook to the 'pop-pop-pop' of the cannons. The flashing panels of glass were plainly visible, and then I had to wrench the machine upwards, the 'g' force pressing me hard down into my seat. The impetus from the burst of speed took me high above the bombers. My mouth felt as though it had dried up and my saliva tasted bitter. The cockpit was full of the smell of cordite. As I banked I noticed that I was on my own; ..."

(This was posted back when I was running AW scenarios to help capture the mood of the battles we were trying to recreate.)

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Blood Dragon Air Warrior

An A/B17 used as a ground-attack gunship.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Blood Pig Air Warrior

The F/A-26 used as an instrument of torture on an enema field.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

burp Air Warrior

Victory call of Vermin 4Q.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Enema Air Warrior

A foe, term first used by DoKtor GonZo in the old GEnie forums.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

First Encounter Air Warrior

by C. H. "Link" Laughlin, an American Volunteer Group pilot

"My first encounter with the opposition was totally unexplected. One minute I was tooling along after my flight leader attending to my wingman duties - and the next minute my flight leader disappears in some oddball maneuver I've yet to figure out. The neighborhood proliferates Zeros like flies in a garbage dump."

"I sense a problem. My cerebral apparatus goes into high gear and develops a number of short circuits. One set of neurons signals, "Go RIGHT!" Another group hollers, "LEFT ... left ... le ...!" And still others scream, "ACTION ... ANYTHING!" So what happens? I breeze through the swarm with cross controls. The Japanese have never seen a P-40 flying sideways. A helluva tough target to lead. I credit survival to this innovative maneuver heretofore never recommended by the experts."

(This was posted back when I was running AW scenarios to help capture the mood of the battles we were trying to recreate.)

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

GO! GO! GO! Air Warrior

Before there were advanced chat/conference room controls, there was still a need to get missions launched. With all the chatter on the main channel, it was necessary to resort to a highly recognizable string - repeated several times - to get people into the air.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

HAR! Air Warrior

Victory call of Flush Garden 4Q. Called out when a kill is made. Also used in the phrase: 'Har, Maties, bash thar skulls with a belaying pin...'

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Just Shit Airfields Air Warrior

What one does when they can't takeoff in a scenario

From Dead Duck during takeoffs in Operation Longbow

Submitted by: 3rdUp

OiNk! Air Warrior

Victory call of Vermin 4Q and Tango Circus 4Q. 'OiNk!' is a reference to the Great Piggles Hunt of 1989.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

The B-17 Caravan Bug Air Warrior

Once upon a time, in a game not so far away, you could sign up as a gunner on a B17 and the pilot could get out of the plane. Through the power of AW magic, you would remain in the B17 at your gunner position. The pilot could do this several times, for he was a jolly fellow who thoroughly enjoyed confusing the CRAP out of his enemies. Each new gunner would sit parked merily on the tarmac, with magic intercomms between each subsequent ship. But then, when the pilot felt all was in order, he would climb into his trusty Me109K-4 - for it was truely the fastest ship in the land - and greet his bombers on their special intercomm. The gunners would begin to laugh beyond control for they knew of the sport to come.

The pilot would start his engine and the Me109 would start to taxi and build speed. The little fighter would pull straight vertical and climb and climb for in the days of old there was no such thing as gravity or drag. When the pilot looked back, there were the B17's about 400yds off his stern. The gunners were impressed indeed by the way this little fighter could pull so many heavy planes with their engines off. Soon the little Me109 was cruising at 450kts, and so were the B17's. It was a most curios sight indeed, but the amount of firepower was most impressive. The little fighter and his flock would make amazing firing passes on the enemy fields. The shocked enemy pilots could never hit the little Me109 for there were 3 B17's blocking their view. And, since the B17s were magic, they could absorb infinate damage.

Just when all seemed most glorious and fun filled, the little Me109 made a sharp turn too close to a brother fighter plane. Lo and behold, one of his B17's was now magically attached to this OTHER fighter. The intercomm still worked to the little Me109, and this new plane had little idea that he now had his own private gunner.

These days of magic were shortlived, for the thoroughly evil Lord Kelton put a stop to such things. "This isn't realistic - it simply won't do", he bellowed. And so he turned off the magic B17's. But the cheerful pilots were undaunted for they soon began to enjoy the sport of Bloodpigging - but that's a story for another day.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Vultch WarBirds

The act of suppressing a field with low-level attacks taken to the most extreme lengths.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo

Westy Must Die Air Warrior

Started as trash talk between Westy and Pasha/3rdUp ("StukaBros"). 3rdUp shot Westy down by pure chance in one of the frames.

The next scenario again pitted Westy and 3rdUp on separate sides, so the taunt was continued. Again, 3rdUp's aircraft caught Westy re-upping off the CV during a torpedo run and just as the fish found it's target 3rd turned under Westy and his rear gunner shot him down..

The following scenario their paths never crossed in the air. Someone else had shot Westy down and 3rdUp expressed great displeasure over the radio. While returning from a patrol sweep, 3rdUp spotted a Jeep on the ground traversing a hillside and made a strafing pass: "Westy has been killed by 3rdUp"

Submitted by: 3rdUp

Why the Betties Died Air Warrior

The loss of all IJN Betty formations to one or two US fighters in a single pass.

See 0:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7XzWfwicKY

Submitted by: 3rdUp

Yoooooo Hoooooo Air Warrior

TC's announcement on channel one that he was out looking for someone ... or some country.

Submitted by: DoKtor GonZo