Matrix Games Forums

1. Can Army fighters fly OFF a CVE to a land base?, and

2. Is it 150% of capacity that a CVE can be overloaded at and still have the aircraft be able to fly off to a base?

Thanks

1 Yes, but I am not sure if they can have drop tanks so normal transfer range would be appropriate.
2 CVEs can take up to 200% capacity and still fly off aircraft. You will see that when the CVEs with squadrons of replacement aircraft (with an R designation) arrive. They come with double their capacity.

BBfanboy wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 4:54 pm 1 Yes, but I am not sure if they can have drop tanks so normal transfer range would be appropriate.
2 CVEs can take up to 200% capacity and still fly off aircraft. You will see that when the CVEs with squadrons of replacement aircraft (with an R designation) arrive. They come with double their capacity.

I'm using the CVE Long Island which has a capacity of 21 but I'm only able to load one squadron of a total of 29 planes on it. How would I get more planes on it if the option doesn't even come up?

Here is what the Long Island screen looks like. When I try to load another squadron the Long Island doesn't come up as an option:

Dereck wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:45 pm

BBfanboy wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 4:54 pm 1 Yes, but I am not sure if they can have drop tanks so normal transfer range would be appropriate.
2 CVEs can take up to 200% capacity and still fly off aircraft. You will see that when the CVEs with squadrons of replacement aircraft (with an R designation) arrive. They come with double their capacity.

I'm using the CVE Long Island which has a capacity of 21 but I'm only able to load one squadron of a total of 29 planes on it. How would I get more planes on it if the option doesn't even come up?

It needs to be docked at a port or disbanded in a port if it will load any more aircraft. Once the aircraft carrier exceeds 115% of capacity, it can not land aircraft.

RangerJoe wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:49 pm

Dereck wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:45 pm

BBfanboy wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 4:54 pm 1 Yes, but I am not sure if they can have drop tanks so normal transfer range would be appropriate.
2 CVEs can take up to 200% capacity and still fly off aircraft. You will see that when the CVEs with squadrons of replacement aircraft (with an R designation) arrive. They come with double their capacity.

I'm using the CVE Long Island which has a capacity of 21 but I'm only able to load one squadron of a total of 29 planes on it. How would I get more planes on it if the option doesn't even come up?

It needs to be docked at a port or disbanded in a port if it will load any more aircraft. Once the aircraft carrier exceeds 115% of capacity, it can not land aircraft.

See above. It is in a TF that is docked. Does it have to be docked by itself?

I tried docked by itself and even disbanded and the Long Island doesn't come up on the screen as an option unless I'm going about it the wrong way

You're going over the 200% capacity....GP

Dereck wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:51 pm

RangerJoe wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:49 pm

Dereck wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 5:45 pm

I'm using the CVE Long Island which has a capacity of 21 but I'm only able to load one squadron of a total of 29 planes on it. How would I get more planes on it if the option doesn't even come up?

It needs to be docked at a port or disbanded in a port if it will load any more aircraft. Once the aircraft carrier exceeds 115% of capacity, it can not land aircraft.

See above. It is in a TF that is docked. Does it have to be docked by itself?

I tried docked by itself and even disbanded and the Long Island doesn't come up on the screen as an option unless I'm going about it the wrong way

Look at the picture that you posted. It does not count 29 aircraft, it counts 116 aircraft and the number is red so you should know that it is overloaded. Non-carrier capable aircraft loaded on an aircraft carrier count as 4 aircraft each for aircraft load purposes. Some people have the same issue with the first Corsairs since they are not carrier capable.

Dereck wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 4:01 pm 1. Can Army fighters fly OFF a CVE to a land base?, and

2. Is it 150% of capacity that a CVE can be overloaded at and still have the aircraft be able to fly off to a base?

Thanks

If you can put them on they can fly off. What they can't do is land, only carrier capable ac can land.
To operate from a CV the ac needs to be able to land with the exception of air transfer.
How many ac there are on the carrier governs the type of mission that group can carry out. The max a CV can have is 200% air capacity but numbers over 115% prevent all air operations except for air transfer.
Drop tanks can be used if available.

It's all covered the Air War Guide starting page 13.

Another CVE question:

I recently sent a CVE with a transport fleet to Darwin. After severing the CVE from the transport TF and making it an Air Combat TF just north of Darwin, it immediately attacked a Japanese tanker fleet on the island just north of Darwin with it's 18 SBDs. But, after leaving the CVE to be based at Darwin with high hopes and part of an Air Combat TF, and sending it north multiple times, it simply won't attack enemy TFs that are plainly visible and lifting cargo and well within range. No Japanese fighter presence. Did I just roll the digital dice well that time, that there is a low probability a CVE will strike anything? Planes on my CVE are 18 Dauntless, and 4 Scout F4Fs, well within 115% of its capacity.

(Ranger Joe will rail at me and tell me to include screenshots, but I'm not competent enough to do that.)

Bella

Bella wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 11:29 pm I recently sent a CVE with a transport fleet to Darwin. After severing the CVE from the transport TF and making it an Air Combat TF just north of Darwin, it immediately attacked a Japanese tanker fleet on the island just north of Darwin with it's 18 SBDs. But, after leaving the CVE to be based at Darwin with high hopes and part of an Air Combat TF, and sending it north multiple times, it simply won't attack enemy TFs that are plainly visible and lifting cargo and well within range. No Japanese fighter presence. Did I just roll the digital dice well that time, that there is a low probability a CVE will strike anything? Planes on my CVE are 18 Dauntless, and 4 Scout F4Fs, well within 115% of its capacity.

Well, without pictures we'll try questions to narrow things down. Are any of the aircraft aboard your CVE task force set to naval search? Any float patrols searching from surface ships in that task force? Just because land-based patrol planes are spotting Japanese ships in the area doesn't always mean your ships are getting the message.

Bella wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 11:29 pm Another CVE question:

I recently sent a CVE with a transport fleet to Darwin. After severing the CVE from the transport TF and making it an Air Combat TF just north of Darwin, it immediately attacked a Japanese tanker fleet on the island just north of Darwin with it's 18 SBDs. But, after leaving the CVE to be based at Darwin with high hopes and part of an Air Combat TF, and sending it north multiple times, it simply won't attack enemy TFs that are plainly visible and lifting cargo and well within range. No Japanese fighter presence. Did I just roll the digital dice well that time, that there is a low probability a CVE will strike anything? Planes on my CVE are 18 Dauntless, and 4 Scout F4Fs, well within 115% of its capacity.

(Ranger Joe will rail at me and tell me to include screenshots, but I'm not competent enough to do that.)

Bella

Without a screenshot I can't tell if the CVE has any sorties left so the SBDs can carry and drop bombs on a target. So I won't be able to tell you that the problem is that the CVE is out of sorties . . .

Learn to do screenshots, it will help you.

Are the aircraft carrier capable ?....GP

Bella wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 11:29 pm Another CVE question:

I recently sent a CVE with a transport fleet to Darwin. After severing the CVE from the transport TF and making it an Air Combat TF just north of Darwin, it immediately attacked a Japanese tanker fleet on the island just north of Darwin with it's 18 SBDs. But, after leaving the CVE to be based at Darwin with high hopes and part of an Air Combat TF, and sending it north multiple times, it simply won't attack enemy TFs that are plainly visible and lifting cargo and well within range. No Japanese fighter presence. Did I just roll the digital dice well that time, that there is a low probability a CVE will strike anything? Planes on my CVE are 18 Dauntless, and 4 Scout F4Fs, well within 115% of its capacity.

(Ranger Joe will rail at me and tell me to include screenshots, but I'm not competent enough to do that.)

Bella

A picture speaks a thousand words so you really need to spend some effort here.

It's just a quess but three things spring to mind.

1. Aircraft not capable of operating from a CV but the SBD and F4F are plus they already attack, assuming the same groups.
2. As has already been suggested. Your TF can't find the targets. F4F have no search ability, even if they have the term scout in they air group name and you've only got 4 anyway. The SBDs can search but have you set any too?
3. This is the most likely, you have no sorties left. Every ac flying an offensive mission from a CV uses 1 sorty and a sorty represent the ships ability to arm the ac with ordanance. Eventually you run out of sorties (no bombs etc) and have to rearm. Rearming from a port or via AE/AKE or a combination is needed but the ream level for sorties is 500. Darwin at game start is only a level 3 port and level 3 ports only have a rearm level of 40 so on it's own can't rearm you sorties. It needs to be a level 6 port (rearm level 700). This is were AK/AKE come in. Any one with a cargo capacity >500, and most of the US AKE are, will do. Park one in Darwin and keep in supplied and you can rearm the CVE to you hearts content.

There's also luck, leaders, weather and probalbly othe stuff that can prevent attacks but 3 is you probably reason.

Learn to do pics. I use Windows 11 'Snipping tool'. Search fo it, then install.

Yes, as Chris said learn to use the snippet tool. And how to post pictures....GP

Chris21wen wrote: Mon Dec 08, 2025 7:48 am There's also luck, leaders, weather and probalbly othe stuff that can prevent attacks but 3 is you probably reason.

This. Check for who's in command. A lot of CVEs enter the game captained by officers with dismal air rating numbers and probably better suited for service in the merchant marine. Also bear in mind that CVEs were built primarily for ASW work, air cover and ferrying aircraft. On occasion they will attack but they'll never be optimal "attack carriers".