Ford Hoplite http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Apache_10/p_ford_hoplite.gif

One of the dominating security and combat autogyros of North America, the Ford Hoplite was originally designed to protect company properties in the Industrial States of America from the infamous gangs operating in the I.S.A. It was so successful at this that it was welcomed by the markets of Hollywood, the Empire State, and Pacifica, and has found its way onto the used aircraft markets of the world. Heavily armed for a civilian autogyro, the nimble Hoplite is used for dozens of security conscious companies across the continent.

The Ford Corporation is as subject to air piracy as any other large company, but is in a position to do something about it. Designed and prototyped in only 6 months, the Hoplite was Ford's answer to a series of air raids in the summer of 1934. The concept of a combat-capable autogyro was still in infancy, and the nimble Hoplite was a shock to the next batch of air pirates to attack Ford manufacturing plants in the I.S.A. After proving the Hoplite against the immediate problem, Hoplites were used by the Ford Falcons to clear out a few pirate nests in Appalachia, and then released on the private market. Buyers from across the Continent snapped up the scrappy little 'gyro, from as wide a selection as Colossal Studios and Imperial Taxi Service.


type: 1-man security autogyro; Engine:1 ford V6 (750 hp ) ; Max Speed: 250 mph; Ceiling:5,000 ft'; Range: 400 m; Arms: 4 Bruin Armaments .30-caliber machine guns, 4 hardpoints


Marquette PR-1 Defender http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Apache_10/p_defender.gif

The Marquette PR-1 Defender was developed to defend the People’s Collective from Federal troops and raids by the Industrial States of America in the wake of the United States’ collapse. Since the Collective had no native aircraft industries, its governing body fearing attacks from all sides launched an ambitious program to remedy the problem. The PR-1 Defender is the first fruit of that effort.

Early design efforts were reportedly less than successful. (Not surprising given the lack of qualified aircraft engineers and designers in the Collective.) Through a process of trial and error, the first Defender prototype was ready to fly by early 1932.

The results were unspectacular; the PR-1 is small weighing in at just under 6,000 lbs. making it one of the lightest combat aircraft in service today. The designers—inexperienced and attempting to meet government specifications for a fighter to meet an over-ambitious range of mission demands—hoped that the agility of the small plane would offset the clear payload disadvantage. The result? A mediocre aircraft.

type: 1-man light fighter; Engine: 1 Juarez 720-horsepower engine Max Speed: 250 mph; Ceiling: 18,000 ft'; Range: 400 m; Arms: a pair of Czech-made .50-caliber cannons and a single .30-caliber machine gun

Bell Valiant Mark II http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Apache_10/p_valiant.gif

The Valiant originally entered service in 1934, rolling off the Bell assembly line in Marietta, Georgia in November of that year. This small and agile fighter was an ideal dogfighting craft, capable of out-turning almost every opposing craft.

The early models of the Valiant were equipped with a Pratt and Whitney P7 750 horsepower engine; the Mark I version of the aircraft lacked the acceleration and top speeds of many contemporary planes. The inclusion of a Rolls Royce Morgana engine solved that problem, increasing the engine capacity to 950 horsepower and the top speed to more than 300 m.p.h. The Mark II Valiant quickly become the standard configuration, as the Mark Is were upgraded.

type: 1-man fighter; Engine: 1 Rolls Royce Morgana (950 hp) Max Speed: 300 mph; Ceiling: 17,500 ft'; Range: 350 m; Arms: Six Springfield Mark IV .30 cal machine guns


Sanderson FB14 Vampire http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Apache_10/p_vampire.gif

The Sanderson Vampire is easily one of the heaviest fighters in operation, more closely resembling a bomber than a dogfighter. Massing almost 13,250 pounds, the FB14 is cumbersome and slow, but extremely well armed and armored. The Sanderson FB14 has no official name, though the nickname "Vampire" has certainly taken hold. (Maintenance crews gave the FB14 the nickname because of the craft’s high maintenance requirements, particularly its engines and control surfaces. The complex tail and engine assembly requires particularly careful maintenance if the FB14 is to remain airworthy.)

The Vampire is propelled by a pair of tail-mounted Pratt and Whitney P12 engines (which deliver 1,590 horsepower overall). The two massive engines are surprisingly fuel-efficient, giving the craft a 700-mile operational range. In addition, the large-bladed pusher props combined with the plane’s considerable wing surface afford the FB14 an excellent climb rate, up to a staggering 25,000 feet.

type: 1-man heavy fighter; Engine: 2 tail-mounted Pratt and Whitney P12 engines (1,590 total hp) Max Speed: 200 mph; Ceiling: 25,000 ft'; Range: 700 m; Arms: Twin Carver .40-caliber machine guns provide long-range hitting power, while shorter-range .60- and .70-caliber cannons mounted in wing pods inflict tremendous damage on close-range targets. Many pilots choose to augment these guns with armor-piercing and flak rockets or with bombs.

Hughes P21J-Devastator http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/Apache_10/p_devastator.gif

The first commercial design from the then-fledgling Hughes Aviation firm, the Devastator was widely derided as too radical by skeptics; one review called the Devastator "the product of a fevered imagination". The tailless fuselage and pusher prop were considered too experimental, and many predicted that Hughes’ first effort would quite literally crash and burn. To Hughes’ delight (and the pundits’ chagrin) the Devastator outperformed every other combat aircraft in the skies, in speed, armament and maneuverability.

Originally equipped with a 12-cylinder Wright Cyclone engine (under-powered by modern standards, but quite robust for the day) gave the aircraft a top speed of 230 m.p.h. In 1934, Hughes redesigned the Devastator to reflect advancements in aviation technology; a Tornado G450 engine with 1,468 horsepower replaced the Cyclone, increasing the plane’s top speed to 270 m.p.h.

type: 1-2 man fighter; Engine: 1 Tornado G450 engine with 1,468 horsepower Max Speed: 300 mph; Ceiling: 20,000 ft; Range: 400 m; Arms: United Munitions .40-caliber machine guns and features eight external ordnance points for rockets, bombs or external fuel tanks.