PB-1 "Nancy"

After the loss of the PBY Catalina at the Battle of Baalkpann Bay, the Alliance desperately needed an aircraft to replace this vital asset. Out of this necessity came the PB-1 Nancy.

PB-1
The original PB-1 Nancy consisted of a single engine mounted atop the center wing much like the more well known PB-1B, however the original PB-1 has a forward facing engine in which the prop was directly behind the pilots head, the original also lacked a sufficiently sealed fuel tank which would cause a massive amount of fuel loss if the plane preformed any maneuvers in negitive G or if it flew inverted. Only one copy of the PB-1 was made before the modifications were used to create the now known PB-1B.

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PB-1B
The PB-1B Nancy is the mainstay of the Alliance's fleet air arm. Roughly comparable to World War 1 fighters, and originally unarmed, the planes are propelled by a single engine and can land only on water. Small numbers are armed with a single 50. caliber machine gun mounted in the nose. Later variants include a .30 caliber machine gun mounted in the nose as well as the back-seater supporting a Blitzer Bug sub machine gun.

Manned by a crew of two, with a pilot in the front and an observer/weapon systems officer in the rear, the small planes fulfill the tactical air support of spotting, bombing, and observation roles for the Grand Alliance.

With the re-construction of the Lemurian Homes to Aircraft carriers these capable planes became the backbone of the fleet air arm. By there very nature as Sea planes a complex recovery system was created to allow these aircraft to land at sea and thus be recovered on the inner hangars on 'Big-Sal' and the other Aircraft Carriers.

In the beginning they were fully capable aircraft invulnerable to the majority of weaponry by the Grik Empire and the Holy Dominion however as the war progressed the PB-1B gained many adversaries. The Grik incorporated their use of Dirigible airships and canister shot mortars for their ground troops. The Holy Dominion domesticated a large number of Lizard Birds who were trained to carry netting to incapacitate the PB-1B.

PB-1F
The PB-1F is introduced in Pass of Fire. There are enough of them that Orrin Reddy is given one.

The specifications of the PB-1F Nancy:

Engine: 10 cylinder radial, 410hp, faired into wing (same engine as P-1C Mosquito Hawk)

Max speed: 160 mph

Max weight: 2,600 lbs.

Crew 2.

Armament: 2x 600-lb. bombs, 2 x .30 cal. Browning MG in fuselage, 1x .45 cal. Blitzerbug SMG in observer's cockpit

This is the first time that the Eastern Front got the newest equipment before the West. The PB-1Fs were carried out aboard the new Baalkpan Bay-class carriers USS New Dublin (CV-6) and USS Raan-Goon (CV-7).

Performance questions:
The prototype had "Too much Ass in her Britches," and perhaps sill does. See Discussion on this art: The PB-1F likely suffers from the same "Too much Ass in her Britches."

Other allied aircraft

 * P-1 Mosquito Hawk
 * PB-2 Buzzard
 * PB-5 Clipper

Enemy aircraft

 * Grik Dirigible
 * DP1M1-Grik/Japanese torpedo bomber
 * AJ1M1C 'Muriname' fighter-Grik/Japanese fighter