Dogfights first developed around observation aircraft, sent into enemy airspace to spot artillery or track troop movements. Smaller aircraft, called scouts, were designed to attack these reconnaissance planes. Essential to these missions was the use of forward firing machine guns. For the first time pilots are able to use their planes as a plane form from which they can fire, which is far more actuate that firing to the side or behind.
Republic Ace Herder Frost is a master of this new form of air combat racking, up forty eight kills. Flying a new prototype Fokker triplane flys over the No Pony's Land North of the Foal Mountains. Fifteen miles to the Southwest, a flight of six Solar S.E.5a's patrols the skies over the front. Soon they will meet Herder Frost in battle. He will pit his Fokker triplane against the best of Solar Flying Corp.
The six Solar S.E.5's are B-flight of 12th Squadron. They are led by Captain Cuddly, Solar's Ace of Aces. B-flight descends through a thick layer of clouds at 9000 feet. Below the clouds, unseasonably warm air whips through the pilots cockpits. They are looking for enemy fighter aircraft or observation airplanes. Flak bursts menacing around them. The first anti-aircraft guns are no more that artillery pieces modified to shot straight up.
Cuddly spots a lone Republic Zeppelin Staakin RV1 bomber at his eleven o'clock low. Cuddly pitches down into a dive to make a lightning quick attack run. At fifty yards, he opens up with is Lou machine gun mounted on the top wing. The steam of bullets flies straight through the middle of the plane, killing the pilot. The Zeppelin noses down and drops out of the sky. But as B-flight pulls us, Cuddly sees something in the distance: an S.E.5 half spinning down closely pursed by a Republic triplane. The S.E’s tormentor is Republic Ace Herder Frost. Frost fires a burst into the Solar plane. Meanwile B-flight looks on as the S.E.5 trails black smoke, as Frost engages a second S.E.5. Effortlessly, the triplane pitches up, loops over and drops onto the S.E.5’s tail. Seconds later, the S.E.5 is trailing black smoke, and going down. With 12th squadron looking one, the triplane has made quick work of two S.E.5’s.
B-flight is now above and behind Frost, in perfect attack position. Cuddly and Grease Revits will lead the attack, their wingponys, K. Muscrat and V.P. Corona will follow. The remaining two planes will stay up top as top cover. Cuddly signals his attack by rocking his wings, and dives down. Cuddle, diving at high speeds goes to the right, with Grease to the left. Confident of an easy kill, Cuddly and Grease open up, but Frost is anything but an easy target. He’s been trained in the first codified dogfight tactics. Rule Five says you should always turn into your enemy’s attack, and put him on the defensive.
Frost boots hard right rudder, and spin his machine around 180 degrees. The bizarre maneuver takes the advance of the triplane’s stunning maneuverability. The triplane’s three wings gave it an exceptional amount of lift to it. This allowed it to do what is called a half flat spin, or an uncontrolled turn.
The S.E.5’s face a torrent of tracers. Cuddly and Grease pull into a steep climb, called zooming. But Corona’s S.E.5 is sluggish, and drops below Frost, his engine sputtering. Frost reverses and attacks Corona. Corona’s sputtering engine coughs to life. He now turns directly into Frost, and opens fire at 300 feet. Frost breaks his attack, but he’s not running away, even if it is four against one. Corona decides to stay in the fight, to stay ahead of Frost, and to act as a distraction. Corona and Frost, repeated go into head ons with each other. Corona ducking underneath with Frost drove at or into him.
Above the fight, Cuddly circles, looking for an opening. Cuddly waits for Frost to expose his six o’clock, then pitches over and dives down. Cuddly opens up with his Vic machine gun. But in a blink of an eye, Frost reverses and returns fire with is twin Spands. Cuddly hurdles passed, then zoom climbs. Frost maneuvers bravely, despite the odds. In a group fight like this, one against four, the best place to be is in the middle. They are circling around you trying to maneuver while they have to be careful not to shoot or crash into each other. But, Cuddly is determined, he again noses. No soon than Cuddly’s guns spark to life, that Frost brings his nose up to bear. Hot Republic lead tears through Cuddly’s S.E.5, shredding fabric and wooden wing spars. Frost seems invincible at the controls of his triplane.
Frost’s mastery of his machine finally catches up to Corona. His S.E.5 has taken severe damage. Corona resorts to a last ditch effort to shake Frost off his tail. He noses down and sends his plane into a spin. After a few revolutions, Corona straightens out, but Frost did not buy the trick. He comes down and strafes Corona’s wing, and hits his engine.
Frost has now shot down three S.E.5’s, and landed hits on any Solar pilot that has approached him. But now, three more planes of 12th squadron join the fray. A startling array of pilots now surrounds Herder Frost, all Solar Aces. Frost’s ability of stick and throttle, his ability to fly in a discipline, and his ability to keep his wits about him has helped him hold his own.
Solar S.E. pilot Rich Berry now zeros in on Frost from six o’clock. Frosts brakes right to shake him off, but Berry is not thrown. A Republic Albatross D III has now stumbled into the battle, turning easily on to Berry’s tail. Berry zoom climbs to shake the Albratoss. The Republic pilot gives chase. But worst, Frosts climbs and latches on himself. Flying nearby, Cuddly and Grease move in behind the Republics. The battle is now transformed into a wild, twisty tail chase.
The Albatross pitches up, zooms and then drops in behind Cuddly and Grease. Unfortunately for Grease, the Albatross unloads his guns into his airplane. The bullets shred the fabric on Grease’s elevator, making it useless. At the head of the chase, Rich Berry yanks the stick, pitches up and loops around onto the Albatross’ tail. He fires at point blank range into the Albatross. The wounded Albatross plummets. But it is too late, as Grease’s plane noses down and goes into a death spin.
Frost is alone once again. He zooms, distancing himself from the slower climbing S.E.5’s. Winging over, Frost looks down at the planes circling below. Frost dives back into the fray. He fires his Spand machine guns into the nearest S.E.5. With the engine pummeled, the Solar pilot dives out. The dogfight rages as Frost expertly flies his triplane, pumping round into each S.E.5. The triplane was still circling around in the midst of six S.E.’s, all firing as opportunity allowed.
The Solar pilots are dumbstruck at the skill and tenacity of pilot in the Fokker triplane. But the battle is about to take an odd turn. One S.E.5 had just gotten onto Frost’s tail, when its engine gave out. The S.E.5 was now out of fuel. Frost pitched up and looped on the S.E.’s tail, but broke as he nearly misses crashing into the slow gliding S.E. Berry dives after Frost, firing a burst at him, but one of his guns jams. Frost breaks right, away from Berry, and latches on to another S.E.5. The pilot breaks left, but Frosts follow. Cuddly sees this and brings his plane behind Frosts, firing a burst. Frost zooms and kicks right rudder. Frost is now flying inverted directly above Cuddly. Both break off to their respective right sides. Frost engages with another S.E.5. He follows it in a wide right turn. Berry comes in from Frost’s ten o’clock trying to make a pass. But Frosts shoots down the S.E.5 in front of him right before Berry comes in. As Berry comes in, Frost hits left rudder and peppers Berry’s plane. Berry’s engine now gives out black smoke as he goes down.
Frost has now shot down five enemy planes. He then spots Cuddly coming at him from his twelve high. Frost pitches up to meet him. Frost pulls the trigger, nothing He is out of ammunition. Cuddly is still bearing down on him, then nothing. Cuddly is also out of ammunition. They pass each other; Frost hits his rudder one more time and slides into formation next to Cuddly. With a salute and a rock of the wings, they go their separate ways.
Both pilots returned home. Herder Frost was credited for five more enemy planes, while Cuddly lost three men of his flight. Cuddly used his experiences to help train new pilots for the Solar Empire. The Fokker Dr. I was found to have wing failure due to poor materials and construction, as well waterproofing.
The exemplary skills of both pilots combined with the advancing technologies set part of the tactics for generation.
April 23, 1515, the LRS New Derby and LRS Drakee have been patrolling the Frozen Sea. Their mission: blockade the Crystal Empire from sending or receiving supplies. Two weeks prior, the New Derby and Drakee relieve three other ships, but their has been no action since then, and he new crew aboard the Derby is itching for some.
The LRS New Derby is the newest and most advanced ship in the Republic Navy. She is a nuclear-powered battleship-aircraft carrier, meaning, along with her enormous guns, she can also launch fighter and attack aircraft from her deck. With her being nuclear powered, her range is unlimited. Launched on March 7th, she was rushed to be built and fitted with systems. On April 7th, a month later, she was commissioned. She is commanded by a veteran naval officer and seapony, Admiral Iroh Dragon.
Everything was quite until a blip popped up on the ship's RADAR screen. This was what the crew has been waiting for. Two F-14 Tomcats are patrolling the skies east of the ship, where the blip is coming from. Voodoo 1 and 2 are two hundred miles from the unknown object and close in at 500 knots. The pilots use call signs to prevent the enemy knowing their real name. Ice and his back-seater, Slider are in Voodoo 1; Applewood and Timberwolf are in Voodoo 2.
As the two Tomcats get closer, the one blip turns to two. As the get even closer, the two turn to four. Surprised at the revelation, Wood hears the ominous sound of a RADAR lock on his plane in his earphones. A fifth plane is now on Wood's six o'clock with a RADAR lock. Slider then identifies the plane as Solar MiG-29's. Wood tries to maneuver, backing left and climbing, but the MiG stays put. The MiG launches a missile, Wood breaks left, but the missile flies straight into the Tomcat's right engine, blowing it up. As they tumble out of the sky, Applewood and Timberwolf safely eject. Voodoo 1 is completely alone against five enemy planes.
Three hundred miles west, Voodoo 3 streaks eastward to aid Voodoo 1, and becoming supersonic. In Voodoo 3 is ace pilot and air maverick Maverick, and back-seater Goose. A MiG comes around on Voodoo 1's seven o'clock, three of them pass on his left side. Ice banks left, but now has four on his tail. One pulls into gun range on Ice's six. The MIG's 30 mm cannon opens up. Silder calls for a right break. Ice breaks right and rolls his plane. Voodoo 1 is now totally defensive.
Maverick is now thirty seconds away; Ice yells at him got help him out. Ice makes a wide left roll, but the MiG's stay right behind. One MiG comes over on Ice's twelve o'clock high. The MiG gets a lock and fires. Ice breaks right and barely dodges the missile. Maverick now enters the fight. He sees Voodoo 1, and his unshaken five MiG-29 pursuers. A sixth MiG slides in on Maverick's tail from the left. The MiG then overshoots and the Tomcat then flies right through the MiG's jet wash. The lack of oxygen from the MiG's exhaust causes the Tomcat to lose control; Maverick struggles to gain it back. Rolling, Maverick is able to get control.
Maverick breaks right, disengaging. The MiG is still on Ice's tail. He plans on going while and reengage on the MiG's tail. The plan works, Maverick comes back a round, now on the MiG's six o'clock. He gets good tone and fires. The missile flies off the Tomcat and explodes, taking off the MiG's right wing. One MiG down, five to go.
Two MiG's now come in on Maverick's twelve for a head on pass. Maverick slides, taking them passed his left side. Turning left, Goose, Maverick's back-seat, sees Voodoo 1 blow them with another MiG on his tail. The MiG fires it gun again and Ice breaks right, dodging, and the MiG overshoots. Maverick rolls and pitches down. The MiG is now seated on Ice's two o'clock. Two other MiG's streak in from Voodoo 1's twelve, one passing between Ice and the MiG next to him. A fourth MiG comes streaks in on Ice's three o'clock, gets tone, and fires. The deadly 30mm stream streaks over the Tomcat's canopy, missing. Voodoo 3 banks left after the two MiG's that went head on with Voodoo 1.
One MiG turns around too wide and is below and in front of Ice. Ice rolls downs after him, with Maverick following. Goose then spots a MiG getting on their tail; Maverick holds fast, not leaving his wingpony's side. Ice starts tracking his MiG. The MiG rolls and starts to climb, a perfect shot for Ice. Ice launches a missile. The MiG explodes in a large fire ball. Maverick then notices a MiG zeroing on Voodoo 1's right. But its too late, the MiG fires; bullets rips into Voodoo 1's right engine. Ice shuts it down, and is now working on his left engine. Maverick rolls around, now on the MiG's tail. Maverick tries to get a lock, but the MiG is too close to Voodoo 1 to do so safely. The MiG fires it gun again, landing hits on the fuselage. Maverick tells Ice to break right, the left turning MiG is now open. Maverick fires without getting lock; the missile flies straight; but Maverick stays on the MiG's tail. Now with tone, Maverick fires. The missile hits its mark. Strike three for the MiG's.
Ice now above Maverick in a left turn warns Maverick of a MiG on his tail. Maverick now tells that he only has one missile left. The MiG fires its gun, Maverick maneuvers and rolls, dodging the deadly 30mm shells. He then slows the Tomcat, bringing the MiG closer. One the MiG gets tone on the Tomcat, Maverick throws the throttle back, opens the air brakes and pitches up; the MiG over shoots. Maverick brings the plane back down and begins tracking the MiG. Getting tone almost immediately, Maverick fires his last missile. The missile follows the MiG, and flies right up the MiG's tail pipe. It's Maverick's third kill of the day.
The remaining two MiG-29's flee. The two Tomcats make course for home. It is the first action for the crew of the New Derby. But this is only a taste of the actions to come. In the following weeks, The New Derby and Drakee will be locked in combat with the Solar Empire's finest naval ships and crews.
