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Rick Sky's Biplane
Credit Dan Green with the term
"Stropwith Dromedary" used in this profile.
Historians will often remark that the Great War was,
in a way, a war between great aircraft. This saying is true
— airplane technology advanced faster and further in the
years during the War than in those before it. Warring factions
would turn out a new fighter or bomber, sending designers on
the other side of the lines scurrying to the drawing boards
to develop a better one. Of course, even the "advanced"
fighters of that era are now bygones outdated by the newer generations
of aircraft.
A legend still remains after all those years: the Stropwith
Dromedary biplane. Produced by the handfuls, this classic
fighter was issued to the best pilots and most elite squadrons
in the war. It was a marvelous plane made famous by the legendary
"Squadron of Seven" — Rick Sky and his mates
refused to fly any other, and their blue-painted biplanes
became the trademark of their squadron.
The Stropwith’s primary asset was its phenomenal agility.
The definition of a maneuverable plane was hazy in those days
— even a simple loop without stalling was deemed impressive
— but here was a fighter that allowed a pilot to soar
and twirl through the clouds with the easy grace of an eagle
on the wing. So captivated were pilots by the nimble biplane
that it became the singular effort of every flyer to earn
his very own Dromedary.
The Stropwith’s simple design made it extremely rugged: most
bullets that struck the hollow airframe simply came out the
other side. Except for control lines and the fuel tanks, there
were very few critical components in the airframe. Stropwith
Dromedaries could be virtually riddled with bullets and still
remain airworthy.
Additionally, the hollow inner construction of the plane
made it possible to transport rather large cargos. Consequently,
many late-war Dromedaries were employed as couriers, shipping
valuable metals to aid the war effort.
Right: The Squadron of Seven take to the
skies in their trusty biplanes.
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| A
side hatch permits access to the plane's storage. |
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The business
end of Rick Sky's biplane. |
An in-line engine gave the Stropwith a decent top speed,
with two nose-mounted machine guns serving as the plane’s
weaponry. For ground strike missions, most Stropwith pilots
also carried a load of grenades. Up to four of these timed
explosives could be stored in racks inside the cockpit. These
grenades were also used as potent air-to-air weapons, although
it usually took skilled piloting to manuever within proper
range of the opponent's aircraft.
Following the Great War, most of the Stropwiths were relegated
to crop dusting or pilot training schools. Today the only
known still-existing Dromedaries can be found on display in
the National Museum of Aviation. Despite the biplane’s obsolecense,
many tacticians believe that the vintage aircraft, in the
hands of a skilled pilot, could hold its own against even
modern warplanes.
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RICK SKY'S BIPLANE
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- Craft: Stropwith Dromedary
Type: Combat fighter
Scale: Aircraft
Length: 24 feet
Skill: Aircraft piloting: Stropwith biplane
Crew: 1
Crew Skill: See Rick Sky
Passengers: None
Cargo Capacity: 500 lbs.
Cost: $5,300 (used)
Top Speed: 150 mph
Maneuverability: 1D+2
Weapons:
- 2 Machine Guns (fire-linked)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Aircraft gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+2
Range: 30-100/300/600 ft.
Damage: 3D+1
- Hull: 3D
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