Salty Salmon Luke
Crestland-Mill Pteranodon Mk6
The "Pteranodon" was one out of a series of sesquiplanes with an unorthodox wing and fuselage layout produced by agricultural and military machinery conglomerate Crestland-Mill.
Mk6, affectionately dubbed 'Pete' by it's operators and given a whole variety of derogatory nicknames by everyone else, was the last iteration that incorporated these distinct elements in a design for the small fighter role.
Unlike it's predecessors it saw deployment in considerable numbers during the Cuerno Isle debacle where it's unusual silhoutte made it infamous among the fighting forces on all three sides of the conflict.
Rumor has it that Crestland-Mill, when tasked to further increase the combat capabilites of their Mk5, decided to cut corners by combining equal thirds of a crop duster, interceptor and heavy bomber to model the new fuselage.
If true, oddly enough, each of the elements add up to a surprisingly capable machine, offering foolproof mechanics, decent flight caracteristics and a sturdy fuselage with a pressurized cockpit.
The airfoils also proved to generate more lift than expected, allowing the engineers to shorten the wingspan noticeably.
Nimble and compact, compared to many other available two seater fighters, it was designated to serve speciality roles by some of it's operating forces.
The Royal-Patagoria airforce for example adopted the Pteranodon for their airship carrier program, fitting it with docking clamps on the upper wing surface.
For the Isleño rebel forces, the powerful engine, short wingspan and maintenance-friendly airframe meant that they could be covertly stationed in most rural towns and directly take off from the narrow streets.
Nontheless, it's awkward appearance and stance earned it numerous unofficial titles, including:
- turbocharged, flying wheelbarrow
- the falling tractor
- El P'Terror
Another runnung joke, althoug proved to be dangerous myth, muses that the Pteranodon could just as well be made a pusher plane, simply by mounting the propeller and pilot seat in reverse.
Crestland-Mill Pteranodon Mk6
The "Pteranodon" was one out of a series of sesquiplanes with an unorthodox wing and fuselage layout produced by agricultural and military machinery conglomerate Crestland-Mill.
Mk6, affectionately dubbed 'Pete' by it's operators and given a whole variety of derogatory nicknames by everyone else, was the last iteration that incorporated these distinct elements in a design for the small fighter role.
Unlike it's predecessors it saw deployment in considerable numbers during the Cuerno Isle debacle where it's unusual silhoutte made it infamous among the fighting forces on all three sides of the conflict.
Rumor has it that Crestland-Mill, when tasked to further increase the combat capabilites of their Mk5, decided to cut corners by combining equal thirds of a crop duster, interceptor and heavy bomber to model the new fuselage.
If true, oddly enough, each of the elements add up to a surprisingly capable machine, offering foolproof mechanics, decent flight caracteristics and a sturdy fuselage with a pressurized cockpit.
The airfoils also proved to generate more lift than expected, allowing the engineers to shorten the wingspan noticeably.
Nimble and compact, compared to many other available two seater fighters, it was designated to serve speciality roles by some of it's operating forces.
The Royal-Patagoria airforce for example adopted the Pteranodon for their airship carrier program, fitting it with docking clamps on the upper wing surface.
For the Isleño rebel forces, the powerful engine, short wingspan and maintenance-friendly airframe meant that they could be covertly stationed in most rural towns and directly take off from the narrow streets.
Nontheless, it's awkward appearance and stance earned it numerous unofficial titles, including:
- turbocharged, flying wheelbarrow
- the falling tractor
- El P'Terror
Another runnung joke, althoug proved to be dangerous myth, muses that the Pteranodon could just as well be made a pusher plane, simply by mounting the propeller and pilot seat in reverse.