The weaponry carried by airships is of three kinds for most Barsoomian fleets. IN an assault on Gathol ships from Panar even had troops use equilibrimotors to land. Troops can be landed from the large battleships by either lowering them down ropes dropped over the side or by actually landing the ships. It is assumed similar transport vessels were used to carry the Green Martians to Okar and to Manator. Though such units are few in most red Martian armies, the ships were used by John Carter to transport his green Martian allies in the assault on Zodanga. Among the larger class of ships one would also find large transport vessels capable of transporting the thoats used by Martian cavalry units. Most cities of the red Martians are well defended from air attack, so nations wishing to attack such cities use their fleets to blockade the city and land large numbers of troops for a land siege. Commanding officers of such ships also serve on the ground in command of similar numbers of men. The larger ships generally have crews of 100, 1000 or 10,000, following the Martian system of decimalized military forces. The First Born made extensive use of this tactic in their raids on the Therns. In such raids the larger ships operate almost as aircraft carriers and release swarms of smaller ships. Small ships of these types are also carried by the larger warships for use in raids. Jeddaks normally have a number of such ships in their personal hangars and these are usually the fastest ships in their country's fleet. Such ships serve as scouts, messenger ships, patrol craft over a city, pleasure craft and transportation for the wealthier classes, and even for sport. Small airships exist to carry from one ot ten crew members. All Barsoomian airships can stop over a location of target and hover, much in the fashion of a helicopter, because their speed has noting to do with remaining airborne. Such scout ships are generally faster than the larger battleships and those of Helium can reach speeds in excess of 1000 miles per hour. The pilot lies down while in flight and, as on all Barsoomian aircraft, attaches himself to the buckles on the airship with the leather fastenings on his harness. The small one-man scout ships resemble surfboards with propellers at the rear, and with a small wind-screen. Surface area, and other similar earthly problems of aircraft design are not applicable to the Barsoomian air fleets. The eighth ray is contained in buoyancy tanks on the various aircraft so that wings, wing Flight is possible through Barsoomian science and the discovery of the eighth Barsoomian ray, which repels the ship from the gravity of Barsoom. All such ships should be visualized as being similar to earthly naval vessels with turrets and propellers. The size of the air ships range from small, one man, unarmed scout flyers to the huge aerial battleships with crews of ten thousand men. For this reason a large variety of airship types exist on Barsoom with several different basic weapons systems. Air power on Barsoom, as on Earth, is generally the decisive factor in war. The most important segment of a Martian army is its air fleet.
Barsoomian Aircraft Reprinted from Scott Bizar's "The World of Barsoom" the accompanying booklet for the role playing game John Carter: Warlord of Mars (©Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.)
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