J-1 Lärm

The J-1 Lärm, with Lärm meaning noise in South-Cibolan Saxon, is a fighter plane that was developed by the Kriegskorps Ludwigshafen in 1704 to be used during the Ludwiggian-Monovian War. The J-1 is the first air plane produced by the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen. The wooden aircraft is powered by two small, but noisy hence the name, propellers that are able to keep it in the air, but are not powerful enough to take off. Like some gliders, the planes get off the ground by use of a launch winch. After launch, the plane can fly on the engines, or by taking advantage of thermal columns on sunny days. On cloudy days the plane can remain in the air for 90 to 120 minutes with an airspeed of 120 km/h. The J-1 Lärm is armed with dual machine guns, and 22 pound unguided bombs. When the plane flies with unguided bombs these can collide with the plane's landing gear and the aircraft has to drop them before landing.

An order for six evaluation types, along with a production licence, was received from the Benacian Union Defence Force which wished to examine the potential of the type to serve as a cadet training aircraft. Negotiations for the acquisition of the aircraft proceeded smoothly but encountered some difficulty when it came to requesting a transcription of the pilot's manual from the Ludwiggian script into something readable by the Praeta-speaking translators.

During the Lanzerwaldian-Whaler War it was discovered that the relative low-airspeed and wooden construction of the J-1 Lärm made it exceptionally difficult to identify or track on the air traffic and air defence radars operated by the Raspur Pact, if flown at low altitudes and over terrain cluttered with ground features. As such the Natopian Defense Force, during the initial stages of the conflict, was obliged to rely primarily upon ground-based observers to monitor for incursions such as the damaging attack on Zaddi's Bay where the warnings came too late for an effective defence to be organised.