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I've got a squadron of the AVG in Bombay with 11 of its original a/c type remaining. All replacement a/c of that type are used up. The upgrade button is lit with 50 odd P-40e's available. The squadron is assigned to SE Asia Command and Bombay has half a million supply or so. The "Upgrade Now" button is grayed out. That has been the case through a couple of moves from base to base.

Is the AVG able to upgrade at all?

Yes they are. Boyington's squadron is always my first P40E upgrade.

Not sure why your upgrade is blocked.

I have found it is necessary to move them around till you find a base they can upgrade at, but they do upgrade.

If you hover your mouse over the "Upgrade unavailable", it will tell you. 

First guess would be AF size

Is there a detachment or fragment of the squadron somewhere else on the map? 

On a more foundational note.... why would one want to upgrade? Their original A/C have better flight characteristics than the P40e. Yes the e has better ground attack capability and can use drop tanks, but isn't the idea of the AVG to win air superiority? wouldn't that mean the best fighter first? What am I missing (beside a brain)???

ORIGINAL: michaelm

First guess would be AF size

Mine too. You need a size 7 airfield with 20k+ supplies. Sounds like you have the supplies, but if memory serves, Bombay starts as a level 4 airfield, no?

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

On a more foundational note.... why would one want to upgrade? Their original A/C have better flight characteristics than the P40e. Yes the e has better ground attack capability and can use drop tanks, but isn't the idea of the AVG to win air superiority? wouldn't that mean the best fighter first? What am I missing (beside a brain)???

The Chinese can take the original A/C when the AVG upgrades: one of those weird special inter-air force transfer cases. And the Chinese replacement pool is pathetic at best. This allows you to put more fighters in the air, at least till those original aircraft are all gone.

Never thought of that Henrico, thanks....

To CV2's point, do air HQs at a base impact the need for a size 7 field????

ORIGINAL: USS Henrico

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

On a more foundational note.... why would one want to upgrade? Their original A/C have better flight characteristics than the P40e. Yes the e has better ground attack capability and can use drop tanks, but isn't the idea of the AVG to win air superiority? wouldn't that mean the best fighter first? What am I missing (beside a brain)???

The Chinese can take the original A/C when the AVG upgrades: one of those weird special inter-air force transfer cases. And the Chinese replacement pool is pathetic at best. This allows you to put more fighters in the air, at least till those original aircraft are all gone.

Exactly. The Chinese have really bad replacement rates and unless you want to send Chinese pilots in Russian deathtraps, its better to reserve as much as possible of the Hawks available. These planes have the same performance profiles of P-40B and since the AVG's squadrons are twice the size of Chinese, it means that they will equip at least a Chinese fighter group, with some spares on the side. Besides in China, they will be facing the dregs of the Japanese airforce (Nates mostly) and so a semi decently trained Chinese squadron will get a chance to gan experience. Even in early '43 I'm finding them useful against the Japanese and am only upgrading to P-40E's slowly (replacements are a trickle)

In essence these aircraft + the Vanguards will form the bulk of your fighter force for the first half of the war. Lancers are numerous but if they fly against Oscars, they are normally outmatched because of pilot experiene. Hawks and Vanguards survive much better (coz of their armour) and allow pilots to survive as well.