Birds of Prey (BoP)
Encyclopedia
Birds of Prey is a wargame
currently published by Ad Astra Games
that focuses on dogfight
ing in the jet age.
The game simulates combat using aircraft from the Korean War
era to the early 90's. The game spans several generations of Fighter aircraft and features an extremely accurate flight model. BoP attempts to model true three dimensional movement using Tilt blocks and stacking tiles to orient box miniatures for the on-map display of aircraft.
BoP handles three dimensional gameplay with several play aids, such as the Pitch, Heading, and Attitude Display, or PHAD. The PHAD is a color coded polar projection of a sphere fixed relative to the map, and is used to handle sighting angles and aircraft orientation for flight, maneuvering, and targeting.
BoP uses a series of nomographs
to quickly and easily calculate aircraft flight parameters based on speed, altitude, and mach
regime. In addition to these constants each aircraft has its own unique drag profile, engine output, and lift profile.
Included aircraft are shown below:
Early jets
These early aircraft were basically extensions of late WWII aircraft design, with a Jet engine rather than a piston engine. Some innovations were introduced in this first generation of fighter such as swept wings, ejector seats, and flying tails.
Early Supersonic
The second generation of jet fighter introduced innovations such as the delta wing, variable inlets, and area ruled fuselages. These were the first production aircraft to break the sound barrier.
Upgraded Supersonic
The third generation of jet fighters show a maturing of earlier design innovations. In addition the weapons of this era show much improvement.
Early Modern
The fourth generation of fighters represents the start of a shift in design emphasis from speed and payload to maneuverability.
Modern
The modern fighters show much more refinement of earlier advances, particularly the swing wing. Design focus shifted much more towards energy and maneuverability.
Wargame (video games)
Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map, as well as historical accuracy.-History:The genre of wargame video games is derived from earlier forms of wargames...
currently published by Ad Astra Games
Ad Astra Games
Ad Astra Games is a company that produces boardgames, miniatures wargames and role-playing games. It was founded in 2004 by Ken Burnside. The chief operating officer is former West End Games founder Daniel Scott Palter, and the office manager is Sam Pray, husband of horror and gothic romance...
that focuses on dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
ing in the jet age.
The game simulates combat using aircraft from the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
era to the early 90's. The game spans several generations of Fighter aircraft and features an extremely accurate flight model. BoP attempts to model true three dimensional movement using Tilt blocks and stacking tiles to orient box miniatures for the on-map display of aircraft.
BoP handles three dimensional gameplay with several play aids, such as the Pitch, Heading, and Attitude Display, or PHAD. The PHAD is a color coded polar projection of a sphere fixed relative to the map, and is used to handle sighting angles and aircraft orientation for flight, maneuvering, and targeting.
BoP uses a series of nomographs
Nomogram
A nomogram, nomograph, or abac is a graphical calculating device developed by P.E. Elyasberg, a two-dimensional diagram designed to allow the approximate graphical computation of a function: it uses a coordinate system other than Cartesian coordinates...
to quickly and easily calculate aircraft flight parameters based on speed, altitude, and mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
regime. In addition to these constants each aircraft has its own unique drag profile, engine output, and lift profile.
Included aircraft are shown below:
Early jets
These early aircraft were basically extensions of late WWII aircraft design, with a Jet engine rather than a piston engine. Some innovations were introduced in this first generation of fighter such as swept wings, ejector seats, and flying tails.
- Mig-15
- F-86
- Hawker Hunter
- Mig-17
Early Supersonic
The second generation of jet fighter introduced innovations such as the delta wing, variable inlets, and area ruled fuselages. These were the first production aircraft to break the sound barrier.
- Mig-19
- F-104
- F-8E
- Mirage IIIC
- Mig-21
Upgraded Supersonic
The third generation of jet fighters show a maturing of earlier design innovations. In addition the weapons of this era show much improvement.
- F-4 Phantom E
- Mig-21-J
- F-4 Phantom J
- English Electric/BAC Electric Lightning
Early Modern
The fourth generation of fighters represents the start of a shift in design emphasis from speed and payload to maneuverability.
- Mig-23
- F-5E
- F-14
- Mirage F1
- JA 37 Jaktviggen
Modern
The modern fighters show much more refinement of earlier advances, particularly the swing wing. Design focus shifted much more towards energy and maneuverability.
- F-15
- F-16
- F/A-18
- Mig-29
- Su-27
- Mirage 2000