CCU Chain questions

[Richard Bong]

I’ve never done the CCU chain game. Why does it seem to take so long? Can’t you just do repeated upgrades one immediately after the other during AIE when all ships are purchasable?

Because you have to pick up the right warbond and ship price increase CCU's. I started my Zeus MkII MR chain last IAE. I just finished it. Melt value of my LTI Zeus Mk II MR =$150.
Some times things just drop right and you can get it done in one IAE, but not always. My LTI Retaliator Bomber was (IIRC) over two IAE, and has a melt value of $205. If I had been patient, I could have probably done better with both.