Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Swan Amphibious Plane

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The Swan Amphibious Plane is an aircraft/vessel hybrid formerly used by Aquila, now under Andoran Republic. This unit will set to be voiced by Mae Whitman

Tactical analysis

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History
"Incoming from above!"

-Swan Seaplane Artillery Pilot when attacking

One of the most important aircraft that never served on the front lines of the GVAW and Elysea Conflict was a doughty flying boat from the Aquilan known as the PBY Catalina, the most prolific and successful flying boat design ever to see service. The Catalina was an extraordinarily versatile aircraft that filled almost every role aircraft were capable of, from transport to search-and-rescue to anti-submarine warfare to the actual naval interdiction and bombing the Catalina had been designed to do. By Elysea Conflict, the Catalina had become outdated in the modern world and was relegated to back-rank service before it was replaced by modern P-3C Orion and P-8 Poseidons.

However, Consolidated Aircraft was not prepared to let the Catalina retire gracefully and embarked on a program to dramatically revise the iconic flying boat. Integrating the most modern materials for the airframe and control systems for the pilot was only the start. One of the most important additions to the PBY design was a universal adapter system based on the modular weapon system of the Multigunner, added directly above and behind the cockpit. Versatility had been an unintended but defining attribute of the original Catalina, and the new design would be designed with adaptability in mind.

The rear bay remains as spacious as the original, with plenty of room to adapt the plane to search-and-rescue, light transport, or any other role the Andoran might conceive of. Unfortunately, to keep the new design relatively affordable, some sacrifices had to be made and the engines were placed on the altar of affordability. The new aircraft would be highly fuel-efficient, but slow and ungainly.

The dramatically updated Catalina was swiftly accepted by the Andoran, but advancements in naval construction for seaborne airfields and the already established Vindicator and Century bombers initially limited the new aircraft, designated the Swan Amphibious Plane by the Andoran Republic, to the same non-combatant roles its predecessor fulfilled. In these assignments, the Swan has excelled with its enormous endurance and unique ability to directly land on the water to rescue downed aviators and the survivors of ships lost at sea. In a more militant employment, Swans have also demonstrated great ability for anti-submarine warfare thanks to the outfitting of depth charge launchers, making them ideal for anti-submarine patrols.

Although the circumstances surrounding the development of the newest role of the Swan are unclear, the Swan has begun to see service against the Minutemen insurgency and other low-intensity warzones; for such duties, it has been refitted with the new Mk. 15 Cryostrike bombs, liquid helium-filled canisters that burst apart upon reaching a preset height, releasing liquid helium and water over the battlefield. In addition, it has also been outfitted with a Calliope Mk. 2 rocket launcher, capable of launching barrages of 70mm fragmentation rockets that are effective against infantry and light vehicles, if not much else.

A capable enough anti-submarine aircraft as it is, the Swan's size makes for a remarkably stable and mobile firing platform when resting on water--often a river or lake rather than the ocean in modern times, thrusting these aircraft into the role of light artillery. It is a testament to the Swan's intentionally versatile design that these graceful seaplanes can perform the role admirably.