Aëroplane

Monoplane

A type of aëroplane with a single wing, the eindecker, also called a 'monoplane' is a theoretical upgrade from the zweideckeres (biplanes) of the Mage War.

With a single wing instead of the more traditional two or three, eindeckers are easier to build, highly efficient, and offer remarkably low drag when compared to their predecessors. The prototypes are, however, heavier and less manœuvrable than the biplane, needing much larger wings than a biplane of equivalent engine power to create enough lift to get airborne.

The single wing is supported over the cockpit, braced with struts. Pilot visibility is increased and drag greatly reduced when compared with the biplane design.

Without support, the eindecker's large wings have a tendency to bow under their own weight - they have to be braced and trussed, which adds weight and decreases the vehicle's speed and manœverability. The inherent weakness in the wing has been the cause of several fatalities in development - the wing spars of the v2 had a tendency to collapse under their own weight; the v3, consequentially, had over-engineered spars that caused the wing to buckle in flight. The v4 was completely redesigned and there have been no fatalities as a result of structural failure since that generation.

Future development

Despite the limitations, the potential of the eindecker is clear and the engineers working on them are convinced that they will completely replace the biplane as the primary mode of personal aviation within the next twenty to thirty years.

Developed with funding from the Khirric government under the codename "Project Sycamore", there have been six flight-capable prototype eindeckers built.

Project Sycamore’s development is focused in two parallel streams: increasing the engine power and airspeed, which will allow for the eindecker to get the required lift with smaller wings, and improving wing construction, reducing the amount of bracing required and increasing aërodynamic efficiency and speed.