War Balloons are Dwarf airships that consist of a small, armoured hull or gondola suspended below a huge gasbag filled with hydrogen. Unfortunately, hydrogen is highly flammable, so -- like the Nautilus and the Gyrocopter -- War Balloons tend to be crewed by reckless volunteers.[1a]
The War Balloon is powered by a steam-driven propeller mounted on the gondola. Smoke is emitted from an exhaust funnel, leaving a smudgy trail behind it. The War Balloon can ascend or descend by altering the amount of gas in the gasbag, and steers by means of rudder flaps. It can even move against the winds, albeit very slowly.[1a][2a]
Armament is of two types: offensive armament consists of racks of specially crafted bombs hung under the gondola which are tear-shaped, do not bounce, and have fins at the narrow end. These can be dropped from a greater height than the bombs dropped by Gyrocopters, although their accuracy is lower. Defensive armament consists of turret-mounted gatling cannons.[1a][2a]
War Balloons have a greater range than Gyrocopters, given favourable winds.[2a]
Miniatures[]
