Early TL 6 Biplane Fighter (SPAD S.13, GURPSified version 1) Copyright (c) 1996 by Leif Magnar Kj|nn|y This is an attempt to write up the most well-regarded French WWI fighter using GURPS Vehicles, 2nd edition. Although I'd been making heavy use of the first edition of Vehicles ever since it came out, for some reason I'd never actually tried to write up a historical vehicle -- this represents my first entry in that particular sport. Personally, I'm quite well satisfied with it as it is; I took armaments, engine power/endurance and design weight out of a book, fudged the body size based on eyeball measurement of an illustration, and ended up with performance figures almost identical to those given. Subassemblies: Biplane wings, normal wheels (three). Body Features: Fair streamlining. Propulsion: Aerial propeller, 175 kW. 437.5 lbs motive thrust. Weaponry: Two linked .30 caliber machine guns in fixed forward-facing mounts (5 HP each). Some unspecified amount of ammo would naturally be carried; one thousand rounds would weigh 55 lbs. Instruments and Electronics: Limited to the pilot's integral sensor suite. Controls: Mechanical. Crew stations: Pilot runs controls and weaponry from an exposed crew station. Occupancy: Short. Passengers: None. Crew: One. Power: One 175 kW turbo HP gasoline engine (8.75 ghp AvGas; 26 HP) in body, powers airscrew. Fuel: 17.5 gallon light tank (Fire +2, 11 HP) in body, 2 h duration. A tankful of AvGas is 113.8 lbs and $7. Access, Cargo, and Empty Space: 9 cf access space and 50 cf empty/cargo space in body (this would probably be left empty, except for some ammo; a thousand rounds would take up 0.37 cf). 19 cf empty space in wings. Volumes: Body 95.1 cf, left wing 9.5 cf, right wing 9.5 cf, wheels 9.5 cf. Surface area: Body 125 sf, left wing 81 sf, right wing 81 sf, wheels 27 sf. Total/Structural area 314 sf. Structure: Extra-light, expensive. Hit Points: Body 47, each wing 30, each wheel 7. Body/Wings Armour: Nonrigid, DR 2. Wheels Armor: Wood, DR 3. Statistics: Empty weight 1251.5 lbs. Usual payload 368.5 lbs. Loaded weight 1620 lbs (0.81 tons), or up to 1800 lbs (0.9 tons) if more stuff should be installed (such as extra fuel, lots of ammo, or possibly even a bomb). Volume 123.6 cf. Size modifier +3. Price $29,562.25. Structural HT 10 or better; max payload for HT 12 is 195 lbs, max payload for HT 11 is 458 lbs. Ground performance: Top speed 195 mph. gAccel 10. gDecel 10. gMR 0.5. gSr 2. Off-road speed is usually 1/6 of top speed; it can actually land on or take off from "open" off-road terrain. Air performance: Stall speed 19 mph with average load. Aerodynamic Drag 167. Top speed 140 mph. aAccel 5. aMR 6.5 g. aSR 1. aDecel 26. Range 280 miles. Takeoff or landing run is 9 yards (!).