With the amount of plane terminology I included in my fic to be as accurate as possible to the sport and plane flying in general, I realized some of it might fly over people's heads. Pun intended. So I wanted to create a sort of appendix to help supplement that, but uploading a chapter consisting of only author's notes goes against FanFiction's rules. But I think I found a loophole. I hope you guys appreciate it.
Disclaimer: Sly Cooper and all other characters in this story belonging to the Sly Cooper franchise belong to Sony and Sucker Punch. The OCs in this story that belong to me are Cobus, Klaus, unnamed woodpecker and unnamed crane.
The smells of musty air and burning metal invaded Murray's nostrils in the abandoned warehouse the gang were using as a makeshift hangar. He rolled under the incomplete frame of what would be the gang's biplane on a mechanic's creeper. Donning a welder's mask and his usual light blue t-shirt, he wielded a hand welder with his ungloved hands to attach a piece of silver sheet metal to the undercarriage of the frame. The warm sparks danced in front of his eyes, dissipating before they could hit the wooden floor.
"How's the fuselage coming, Murray?" Bentley called from across the spacious room. The ZZZZZTTT! of the hand welder stopped as Murray set it down, propping himself on his elbow and lifting his welder's mask.
"Al- Ow!" He cried, underestimating the space he had under the frame and colliding into it with his head, setting the biplane's suspending chains chiming. He mumbled under his breath as he rubbed his head.
"You shou-"
"Don't say it!" Murray interrupted Bentley before he could finish, jabbing an accusatory finger at the turtle dressed in a short sleeve heavy duty shirt, yellow gloves, and a plain baseball hat that he wore backwards.
"Fine, fine." Bentley raised his hands in defense.
"And stop using that technical talk. Just say 'body'."
"'Body' is much too broad a term." Bentley argued. Murray just sighed heavily, knowing the intellectual turtle wouldn't let up. He sure did love his technical terms.
"I'm almost done with the left side." Murray continued, sliding out from under the plane and standing. "I just need to attach one more piece of sheet metal to the front."
"That last piece should be enough for today. I've made some progress with the turrets; I just need to figure out where to mount them."
"What about the wings?" A husky voice from the far end of the room interjected. Bentley turned his wheelchair to face Sly, who was sitting in an uncomfortable looking wooden chair with the Thievius Raccoonus in his lap. His family cane is propped against the right side of the chair, the tip of its crook threatening to fall on Sly's head if the cane were jostled from its lean.
Paper rustled as Bentley unrolled a large parchment that served as the biplane's blueprints. Turret placement? was written near the top right corner of the parchment in red ink. "Hmm…" The turtle furrowed his brows, mulling over Sly's suggestion. "It could work, but the turrets would be really close to the cockpit."
"Not the bottom set of wings, the top ones." Sly corrected him. "There or the biplane's belly are the best bets for this kind of plane, but the belly needs to stay clear so there's room for the smoke tube."
"That's some sound logic, Sly." Bentley nodded his head in agreement, making a note on the biplane's diagram with a carpenter pencil and rolling it back up in a neat tube shape. "Since when do you know so much about building planes?"
"Bentley, I'm hurt." The raccoon smirked, bringing his hand up to his chest to emphasize his faux offense. "A pilot must always know the ins and outs of the machine they're flying."
"Funny, you never bothered to read the owner's manual of that Boeing before you-"
"Ok, point taken! Straight for the throat." Sly remarked, rubbing his neck as if he had just been struck. "I've been reading through Otto's section of the Thievius Raccoonus." Finally giving Bentley the straight answer he wanted, Sly slightly lifted and dropped the open tome in his lap, the weight of it making a PLOP sound as it hit his legs. "He left behind a lot of information about the mechanisms of World War I and II era planes, and even the first models of aerobatic planes. Maybe you should read it, Bentley. It could give you some design ideas."
"Tempting…" Bentley considered, rubbing his chin. "But I believe the marriage of early 1900's design to modern technology is the more advantageous route."
"Suit yourself." Sly shrugged, grasping the book and burying his nose in it.
"But there is something else you should read." Sly adjusted his gaze to Bentley, who wheeled himself over to a nearby aluminum worktable and picked up a book. Sly marked his spot in the Thievius Raccoonus and closed it before Bentley wheeled over to him and lightly tossed a thin, but hardy book in his lap. The book is a hardcover with a glossy but worn finish. A picture of an old WWII fighter plane is bordered by the book's navy-blue color, the title above it reading Basic Aerobatic Terms and Maneuvers. Sly intentionally slumped in his chair heavily and met Bentley's eyes with an insulted expression.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I'm not questioning your piloting skills, but there is proper terminology about planes and tricks that you don't know."
"Being able to pull them off isn't enough?"
"Not with what we're up against in the ACES. We need to arm ourselves with all the knowledge at our disposal. We're going up against veteran pilots that revel in combat and you've never been in a dogfight." Sly conceded, rolling his eyes and shrugging. "So, read up." Bentley tapped the book condescendingly before heading back towards Murray and the plane-in-progress.
Sly grumbled under his breath before setting the Thievius Raccoonus next to him in the chair then reluctantly opening the aviation guide. He turned the page and habitually skimmed over the colophon but stopped when a small detail caught his eye.
"Bentley, this book is outdated." He called. "It was published in 1987."
"That's a revised version that was republished in 2003." The turtle deflected without looking over. "It covers early 1900s model biplanes and monoplanes and their modern counterparts. Nice try." Sly waved his arm in front of him and performed a sarcastic snap with his fingers in an Almost had 'em moment. He returned his attention to the book in his lap and flipped past the preface to get to the section he needed.
Table of Contents
Parts of a Plane Page 3
Standard Maintenance Page 10
Ground Transportation Page 14
Flight and Flight Controls Page 28
Aerobatic Maneuvers Page 43
Additional Diagrams Page 51
Appendix Page 73
Bibliography Page 92
At least its brief. Sly reasoned. But reading something uninteresting takes forever… He begrudgingly flipped to page three to begin skimming over what the parts of the plane are and the importance of them.
Ailerons – A hinged surface in the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control lateral balance. Not to be confused with the wing flaps.
Elevator – The tail flaps hinged to the tailplane. Controls lift and pitch.
Rudder – The tail flap mounted on the vertical piece of the plane tail. Controls rotation of the vertical axis.
Nose – The tip of the front of the plane. Pushes air away from the plane and allows it to glide over the fuselage to minimize air resistance. In smaller one or two passenger planes, the propellers are also attached behind the nose.
Propeller – A revolving shaft with three blades, usually attached to the nose of the plane. Uses linear thrust to propel the plane through the air.
No pun intended, huh? Sly thought with a slight smile.
Cockpit – The compartment of the plane where the pilot sits in and controls the plane.
Engine - The power component of the aircraft propulsion system. Most modern engines use piston engines or gas turbines.
Fuselage – The main body of the airplane.
This is stuff I already know. Sly thought annoyingly, then quickly flipped to the next section of the book. He was greeted with intricate diagrams of a biplane's engine, more diagrams on how to take apart and assemble specific parts of the engine and cockpit console, and a list of proper terms and assembly methods. He took one look at it all, his unattuned mind not being able to comprehend any of it and continued flipping to the next section. That stuff is better left to the professionals. He raised his head to glance over at Bentley and Murray as he thought, the two making pronounced gestures with their arms as they discussed how to mount the turrets on the biplane's wings.
Ground transportation… Cotter pins keep the transport braces in place, transport braces hold the plane's wings in place during transport, blah blah blah… Sly skimmed over the explanations of how to secure a biplane on a trailer, unintelligibly muttering the words he read as he went along. Confident Bentley or Murray would explain the process when the time came anyways, he flipped through that section as well, taking in a little information along the way so he would not be completely clueless later.
Here's something a little more my speed. He thought as he turned to the "Flight and Flight Controls" section of the guide.
There are three axes a plane is flown on. These axes are known as pitch, yaw, and roll. The motions of the axes are controlled by the control surfaces of the elevators, ailerons, and rudder. (See Chapter 1, page 4.) Below is a more detailed explanation of the axes.
Pitch – The motion around the lateral axis of the plane. Moves the plane forwards and backwards.
Yaw – Motion around the vertical axis. Moves the plane left and right at a horizontal level.
Roll – Motion around the longitudinal axis. Moves the plane left and right at a vertical level.
The instruments found in the cockpit are crucial to flight. These flight controls are accessible to the pilot at all times and should be maintained regularly to prevent any potential malfunctions mid-flight. (See Chapter 3, page 11.)
Yoke – A level or pillar, usually fitted with a handwheel, used to steer the plane on the pitch and roll axes. Alternatively known as a control wheel or control column. The name comes from another device of the same name due to the similarity in shape.
EFIS – The Electronic Flight Information System. Displays altitude, airspeed, and airspeed information. In more modern versions of aerobatic planes, it also provides strength of G-forces pulled by the aircraft.
Engine Monitor - Informs the pilot of engine performance during flight. Information provided includes knots, RPM (revenue passenger miles), GPH (gallons per hour), EGT (exhaust gas temperature), etc.
Foot-Pedals – Located in the bottom of the cockpit where the pilot's feet will rest, these pedals operate the control surfaces of the plane to maintain or change the flight direction.
Radio – Allows the pilot the hail outside frequencies or vice versa. Used to talk to flight control.
Mixture Control – Allows the pilot to find the most effective fuel to air mixture for the engine so the optimum power for the engine can be achieved.
Prop Control – Changes the pitch of the propeller by adjusting the RPM of the engine.
Throttle – A lever that allows the pilot to control the amount of fuel intake by the engine. Also known as the thrust lever or the power lever.
I wonder if Bentley's installing a radio or if we'll just use the usual wireless earpieces. Sly pondered in his head after reaching the end of the page. He carefully looked over the accompanying diagrams of the flight controls on the next few pages. It displayed where the pieces are typically located in a cockpit and explained how to use them. Although Sly didn't need the latter.
Sly loosely examined the diagrams until he read "Aerobatic Maneuvers" at the top of a page in large, bold font. Finally, I'm getting to the fun stuff.
From basic to intermediate, this chapter will cover every aerobatic maneuver currently known and documented. If needed, more information can be found in chapters 6 and 7.
Banking Turn – Used to change the aircraft heading; initiated by using the ailerons to slightly roll the plane to one side and turn.
Knife Edge – Also used while turning, a knife edge is performed by snapping the plane completely to one side of the roll axis, turning the wings vertical to the horizon.
Vertical Climb – When the plane is pitched upwards and climbs in altitude.
Chandelle – The combination of a vertical climb and a turn.
Loop – Using the pitch axis, the plane performs a 360-degree circle by pulling backwards until the plane realigns horizontally and the loop is completed.
Spin – A prolonged stall of a single aileron which causes the plane to perform a corkscrew motion at a steep descent angle and low airspeed.
Dive – With the nose of the plane turned straight downward, the plane accelerates towards the ground causing an increase in airspeed and descent rate. Skilled pilots use this simple, but dangerous maneuver to gain increased lift when pulling up at the right moment.
Aileron Roll – Using the roll axis, the plane rotates a full 360 degrees until the nose is realigned with the horizontal plain.
Barrel Roll – A combination of a loop and a roll. The name comes from the way the plane looks like it is rolling around the shape of a barrel. Not to be confused with an aileron roll.
Hammerhead – A vertical climb followed by an abrupt 180-degree turn downwards. Also known as a stall turn and hammerhead stall although the maneuver does not involve stalling.
Wingover – Left or right 180-degree turn using the yaw axis at the top of a ¼ loop.
With the basic maneuvers being covered, it is time to move on to the more advanced techniques in aerobatics. Please note that any and all of these techniques and maneuvers are only to be performed by an experienced pilot and this guide is not a substitute for proper flight instruction or hands-on practice.
Sly took a few minutes to analyze the small diagrams accompanying the maneuvers' explanations, fascinated by the technical dissection of the tricks he already knew how to perform. But before moving onto the next part, he sat up and stretched with his arms in the air, his back protesting from the change in position after being hunched over the book for so long. He let his arms down with a contented grunt and observed Bentley and Murray. The hippo was back under the plane on his mechanic's creeper, the almost electrical sounds of the hand welder reaching Sly's ears as Murray worked on attaching the last piece of sheet metal of the day to the plane's body. Erm, fuselage.
Bentley is hunched over his worktable, wearing protective goggles and using a soldering tool to combine the inner components of the guidance system that would be in the cockpit. Sly raised his hand up to his mouth to cover a yawn, then looked up out of the window above Bentley's worktable. The sky had turned a burnt orange and ocean blue, the sun working its way below the horizon. We'll be heading back to the Safehouse soon. Better finish this so Bentley won't hound me about it later. Sly thought, almost eagerly burying his nose back in the book and continued reading.
Cuban Eight – Two three quarter loops transitioning into a half aileron roll and descending. Seems as though the plane is performing a figure eight maneuver most commonly known from ice skating.
Half-Cuban Eight – One three quarter loop transitioning into a half aileron roll and descending.
Split-S – A half aileron roll followed by a half loop. An aerobatic technique used in dogfighting for hit and run tactics.
Immelmann – A half loop followed by a half aileron roll to level the plane. Allegedly devised by Max Immelmann, an ace German World War I pilot.
Deadstick – Piloting the plane while the engine is off. Uses the remaining momentum and lift prior to the engine shut off to maneuver. Commonly taught to fighter pilots during World War I due to the unreliability of the engines, but is now most commonly used in stunt flying.
That could come in handy. Sly notioned. I wonder if I'll have time to practice it before the qualifiers.
Snap Roll – A roll performed by inputting a rapid pitch followed by a rapid yaw in a quick "snap."
Slow Roll – A slow roll around the roll axis.
Hesitation Roll – A slow roll that stops during certain points during the roll. Variations include the two-point roll, three-point roll, four-point roll, and five-point roll.
Radial-G Turn – A high-G turn which maneuvers the plane almost upside down, but not quite. Used to gain lift and airspeed, usually when passing by an obstacle or opponent.
Slalom – A zig-zag movement usually performed through flags or, in the case of aerobatics, chicane pylons. Known from ski flag races.
Outside Loop – Using the pitch axis, the plane performs 360-degree circle by pushing forwards until the plane realigns horizontally and the loop is completed. More dangerous than the inside loop (a regular loop) because of the extreme negative G's the maneuver pulls. "Jimmy" Doolittle of the United States Army Air Corps was the first pilot to successfully perform an outside loop using a Curtiss P-1B Hawk.
There, next to the breakdown of the elusive technique, was a print of a black and white photograph of the aforementioned pilot mid-loop in his plane. The caption read "'Jimmy' Doolittle in mid-dive of the outside loop."
That's…amazing. Sly thought, his own passion for flying being riveted by the historical figure's feats. He continued to study the diagrams in between each of the maneuvers' brief explanations, paying especial attention to the advanced techniques. All the flying he has done thus far has been for jobs where there was no time, space, or purpose for the undoubtedly eye-catching tricks. These will give me an edge in the ACES, but Bentley said there'll be veteran dogfighters there. I'll have to practice in between bouts.
Sly moved on to the last chapter in the lightly handled book, pouring over all of the diagrams, labels, and brief definitions of said labels. He looked over a diagram for loading a standard biplane onto a ground trailer at least five times despite being completely destitute towards the topic earlier. He hoped he could retain the information for his friends' sake seeing as the only thing he could contribute to the assembly of the plane is…well, nothing. Sly is not technologically inclined like Bentley or a passionate gearhead like Murray, and stealing the piloting license required to enter the competition was all too easy. All he could do now was exercise regularly to ensure his body was in top shape for the ACES so he could withstand the intense G-forces and strenuous steering he would endure in the air.
A diagram of the typical layout of an airport near the end of the chapter caught his eye. He had been on a few airport grounds during the gang's exploits, but had never gotten to take a closer look due to the thieving nature of their visits. The taxiway is the road planes travel on to get to the runway or put on standby while waiting for other planes to take off. The tarmac is where inactive planes are parked. There's also a separate terminal specifically for fueling, and they're all connected. Sly silently read to himself, taking in all the details in case the layout of the qualifiers was anything similar.
Using the pressure of his thumb on the edge of the pages, Sly flipped through and skimmed the appendix of the book. I just read all of these. He thought, letting the remaining pages in his hand flop back into the book before he closed it with a sharp SLAP. He slowly sat up as he placed the book in his lap and sighed, the bright industrial strength lights of the hangar piercing his vision. His hand unconsciously reached to his left and he looked down when it met a hard surface. Sly had almost forgotten the Thievius Raccoonus had been resting next to him the whole time, being so entranced with the information of the book Bentley had given him. He propped his cheek against his balled fist, his elbow leaning on the chair's armrest, and sighed tiredly.
With Murray finishing his quota of sheet metal pieces welded for the day, him and Bentley had begun to pack up their tools. Murray sorted his hand welder, wrenches and what not into tall tool chests that he kept at the hangar so he wouldn't have to lug them there and back to the Safehouse every day the gang worked on the plane. Bentley meticulously sorted his smaller instruments into a compact toolbox that has a ladder tray. A dull CLANG resounded in the now silent hangar when he slammed it shut. The lack of machinery clamor in the hangar seemed unnatural.
"Are ya ready to go?" Murray called over to Sly, walking away from his tool chest to the center of the hangar. Sly flicked his eyes over to the window once more, the pitch black of the night sky a stark contrast to the brightness of the hangar's industrial lights. Sly stood up as a response, placing the aviation guide in the seat before reaching for the ceiling and bending backwards in an exaggerated stretch.
"Yeah, pal." He answered as he finished his stretch, picking up his study materials and cradling them under his left arm. He grabbed his cane with the other and gave it a couple of good twirls around his hand. Bentley wheeled over with his toolbox in his lap and the three of them headed towards the door.
"How did you like the book?" Bentley pried teasingly.
"It was interesting, I'm not gonna lie." Sly answered truthfully, the hint of disdain from his earlier attitude towards the very suggestion of reading the book completely faded. "There are a few tricks in here that would be fun to practice before the ACES."
"At the rate we're getting the plane built, you probably won't have time." Murray chimed in uncertainly.
"Really?" Sly flitted his eyes from Murray to Bentley and back in a worried manner. "Are we on that much of a time crunch?"
"We did enter kinda at the last minute…"
"That's true." The raccoon shrugged as he habitually twirled his cane again.
"For now, all I'm worried about is collapsing on the couch at the Safehouse!"
"I second that! A wooden chair does not a comfy Cooper make." Murray reached over to the wall switches next to the door, the three switches turning off a section of the hangar until it mirrored the bleakness of the outside. He let his friends walk in front of him so he could lock the door behind him, the various keys on his key ring jingling as he did so. The cool night air hit the three of them immediately upon exiting, a relief from the moderate stuffiness and uncomfortable warmth of the hangar.
"What are you talking about?" Bentley interjected, continuing the conversation. "It's your turn to cook dinner."
"Already?" Sly debated. "I cooked dinner, like, three nights ago."
"And now it's your turn again!" Bentley tried to sound serious, but he couldn't keep himself from chuckling in between words at Sly's poor argument.
"It's already past 8! Can't we get takeout?" They began piling into the van, the aged vehicle's door hinges squealing.
"I could go for a burger." Murray admitted. "Or pizza! Or wings! Or-"
"Ok, fine! We'll get takeout." Bentley relented. "The only thing Sly can cook is spaghetti, anyways."
"Hey!" Sly shouted scornfully, looking over his shoulder at Bentley in the back of the van. "It's…great spaghetti! I was inspired to make some after chatting with that guard in Venice."
"It doesn't have a good noodle to sauce balance." Murray added, the van thrumming to life as he twisted the key in the ignition. "And there aren't enough meatballs."
"It's so hard to make them keep their shape!" Sly let his arms fall in his lap with a SLAP, threw his head back on the seat's headrest and sighed. "Fine, I'm going to make something that will make your mouths water when it's my turn to cook again."
"We will hold you to it." Bentley claimed. There was a brief, tranquil silence as Murray pulled out of the hangar's large parking area, then Murray spoke up and asked,
"So… Pizza?"
"Pizza." The other two agreed simultaneously. Murray steered the van in the direction of the gang's favorite local pizza parlor as they argued about which toppings the pizza should have.
I had a lot of fun with the character interaction dialogue in this chapter. We never really get to see the gang relaxed and being bros and the dialogue feels natural. I could totally see them having these sorts of interactions. As for the terminology, here is a short list of the websites I got my information from:
Official Red Bull Air Race website; Rules page, Aerobatics website, Wikipedia; Aerobatic Maneuvers page, and Official Red Bull Air Race YouTube channel.
For some reason, the full links to each website or page were deleted by FanFiction upon saving my document. If anyone wants to view the websites for themselves, you can PM me and I'll hopefully be able to send you the links. My PMs are open.
The Red Bull Air Race was unfortunately discontinued, and last year (2019) was their last run. I would have loved to watch it live because I became interested in it during my research, but they still left behind a lot of great content spread throughout the internet.
I have a lot of plot bunnies stored away, so it's time to spin the wheel and get working on one of them! I will have more writing pieces to come, but the holiday season is just around the corner. It's about to get crazy with work, Christmas shopping, and traveling to see family. But I will try to work on a story a little bit at a time. Any progress is better than no progress.
With that, thank you guys again for reading my fic! I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season.
- Rogue's Rhetoric