After the "magic bullet" that was the ubiquitous Sidewinder MkI for Faulcon DeLacy, which became the standard issue starter craft for independent pilots across the galaxy for years, the basic frame being in use since 2982, naturally the question arose in the upper echelons of DeLacy's management of how to follow up the success of the ageing design.
The design that had brought them far more commercial success than any of their previous, larger, ship designs (even eclipsing in usage the classic Cobra MkIII!), and turned them from one of many successful and wealthy ship manufacturers around inhabited space, into THE ship builder of the Pilot's Federation - an accolade that cannot be claimed by any other corporation. How could they do it again? What would, could or should they add to the MkII Sidewinder to uphold their reputation?
Well, it turns out that the Sidewinder MkII was a critical and commercial flop, barely selling any units to a handful of testing facilities. It just couldn't match the performance and ease of use for fledgling CMDRs of the MkI, and the Pilot's Federation just continued to order the ancient model, forcing DeLacy to carry on production.
Naturally, this hurt their bottom line. The Python and Anaconda were great ships for sure, but were just not lucrative on the same level as the beloved first generation Sidey. As DeLacy struggled to stay relevant in the ruthless changing climate of the 3300s, sales plummeted and they were forced to explore other options since they were essentially being imprisoned to an old design by the most powerful organisation in the galaxy.
And so the Sidewinder MkIII was born, representing a brand new direction for DeLacy, full of hope that they could sell in bulk to the great galactic warehouses of the core worlds, and in turn reverse their financial dive, dragging them out of the hard times that had befallen them.
Unfortunately it was not to be, and the Sidewinder MkIII sadly came to be the embodiment of all DeLacy's financial woes and its inevitable decline, and the poster child in the corporate world, warning against relationship with the Pilot's Federation.
And so, I give to you, the ill-fated Sidewinder MkIII:
The design that had brought them far more commercial success than any of their previous, larger, ship designs (even eclipsing in usage the classic Cobra MkIII!), and turned them from one of many successful and wealthy ship manufacturers around inhabited space, into THE ship builder of the Pilot's Federation - an accolade that cannot be claimed by any other corporation. How could they do it again? What would, could or should they add to the MkII Sidewinder to uphold their reputation?
Well, it turns out that the Sidewinder MkII was a critical and commercial flop, barely selling any units to a handful of testing facilities. It just couldn't match the performance and ease of use for fledgling CMDRs of the MkI, and the Pilot's Federation just continued to order the ancient model, forcing DeLacy to carry on production.
Naturally, this hurt their bottom line. The Python and Anaconda were great ships for sure, but were just not lucrative on the same level as the beloved first generation Sidey. As DeLacy struggled to stay relevant in the ruthless changing climate of the 3300s, sales plummeted and they were forced to explore other options since they were essentially being imprisoned to an old design by the most powerful organisation in the galaxy.
And so the Sidewinder MkIII was born, representing a brand new direction for DeLacy, full of hope that they could sell in bulk to the great galactic warehouses of the core worlds, and in turn reverse their financial dive, dragging them out of the hard times that had befallen them.
Unfortunately it was not to be, and the Sidewinder MkIII sadly came to be the embodiment of all DeLacy's financial woes and its inevitable decline, and the poster child in the corporate world, warning against relationship with the Pilot's Federation.
And so, I give to you, the ill-fated Sidewinder MkIII:
