Advice Needs on Alternate Time Line

I am working on a game set in an alternate time line, and before I continue, I believe it is here that I should discuss the particulars of this time line. For this, I will need to go prior to 1900, but it is mainly background information, and not at the heart of what I wish to discuss. If the history does not interest you, please skip the next 7 paragraphs.

The main point of deviation happened during the Napoleonic Wars. Before the invasion of Russia, alchemists discovered a mysterious substance, which would later be named Aether. Aether can be used in it's raw form to perform feats that are almost magical (but this takes extensive training and concentration), or it can be used in a device that has been properly modified to use it. The era determines the modifications used, but suffice to say that the device, when finished, looks Steam-Punkie, Desial-Punkie, or Cyber-Punkie.

With this new-found power, Napoleon led his armies to a swift and successful victory in Russia. Without the losses suffered in that campaign, and with Aether as a potent weapon, Napoleon never was weakened, and never suffered a defeat at Waterloo.

In America, the Republic of Texas gained it's independence, but did not join the United States. The Civil War lasted only a number of weeks, due to the North's industrial capacities and it's stockpiles of Aether weapons. This was too soon for General Lee to join the CSA, and thus he lived out his days as a respected General.

Mexico, in this time line, is very different from the real-world Mexico. After the Pastry War, Santa Anna was fitted with an article, Aether-powered led (instead of the cork one that was later captured), and as a result of a complication during the procedure, he was driven insane. He overthrew the government, and declare himself Emporer. Through his iron rule, corruption was wiped out. Not hindered by rampant corruption, the Mexican economy and infrastructure flourished, becoming the rival of America. Thankfully, Texas had an abundance of Aether, which helped it's economy grow, but it lacked, and will always lack, Mexico's sheer production capabilities.

Germany, in this time line, was the leading manufacturer in humanoid curiosities called Mechanicans, until an explosion in Berlin ripped a hole between this one and where Aether was leaking from. The beings that emerged from this rip where known as the Krieg, and they took over German and waged war on Europe. In 1850, the Krieg where sealed away, and the world continued. They wake up around 1940 or so and take over just about everything between Germany and China. Russia, luckily, was able to hold the line. France, as well, holds the Krieg back.

Since China is lost to the Krieg, America does not get angry with Japan for waging war against it. Quite the contrary. Japan is seen as a buffer between the Krieg and America, and so the United States actively sends aid to Japan. This means that Japan does not suffer from material shortages.

Mexico and Texas (and to some extent, a US/Texas backed Republic of Yucatan) war with one another, though Mexico has extended it's borders south to Panama.


What I would like to ask for help on it for ideas for aircraft for the Republic of Texas, the Republic of Yucatan, Mexico, and to some extent France, since they lack late-war airplanes.

Texas, lacking the raw resources of the US or Mexico, is more focused on Quality, rather than Quantity. Therefore, it has a standing requirement that all aircraft must have 2 or more engines, and at least 1 engine more than is required to sustain flight. This is so that a lose of an engine does not mean the loss of the aircraft.

However, if this does not seem feasible, I do think that Texas would look towards unusual designs, in hopes of finding designs that more traditional militaries would overlook. The XF5U-1 Flying Flapjack and the L-133 Starlight come to mind.

Mexico is less concerned with quality, and more concerned with numbers. Mexico knows it can put more aircraft in the air than Texas can. So what if the Texians can down 5 or 10 fighters for everyone one of their own that are shot down when there are 20 Mexican aircraft to every Texian?

France, still under the Napoleonic tradition, I am less sure about, and I have not even begun to that of what the Republic of Yucatan would use, if they even produced any native aircraft of their own.
 
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