HER MAJESTY'S MOBILE AIRSTRIPS

... with some assistance from Francesca “Franky” Cook (Angelina Jolie), commander of a mobile reconnaissance outpost for the Royal Navy.

With insufficient fuel to make it there, they run into a Royal Navy flying aircraft carrier commanded by another of ... ex-flames, Commander Franky Cook.

Franky leads the attack on the island lair ...

•  Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook: She commands a Royal Navy flying aircraft carrier. Jolie had just arrived from the set of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) and agreed to work on the movie for three days. Despite her small role, she reportedly had conducted hours of interviews with fighter pilots in order to absorb their jargon and get a feel for the role.

1. "Finding Frankie" – 5:02

Mobile Airstrip

The Mobile Airstrip was a atmospheric craft designed partly by Dexter Dearborn as an aircraft carrier capable of moving to areas out of reach for sea-faring craft.

A Mobile Airstrip could be used as a mobile command post, a missile launching platform or a mobile aircraft command base. A standard airstrip carried as it's main defense force a large squadron of amphibious fighter craft, making it usable as a way of launching a large amount of craft into enemy territory. These craft proved critically useful in raiding an Island Base, where the amphibious craft escorted an allied vessel through a army of crab robots.

A Mobile Airstrip is known to have at least a large amount of cannon, including small guns around the edge of the flight deck and 4 large turrets at each corner of the craft. It is safe to assume the airstrip has plenty more weapons than are visible, considering the size of the ship. Four rotors provide main thrust. The airstrip has radar and can launch radar imager missiles in addition to it's main radar.

Mobile Airstrip Runway

Rule Britannia

The movie has the following Awesome, but Impractical machines:

• Airborne Aircraft Carrier: Franky's heliocarrier, which serves as mobile recon outpost for the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy has a lot more of them, as seen in the end of the movie.

Action Girl:

• Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook of the Royal Navy, who sports an Eyepatch of Power. She is also part of a Love Triangle in the movie.

• Advertised Extra: Angelina Jolie's Frankie appears for about fifteen minutes despite the very heavy presence of Jolie in the film's marketing. Disappointment over this has been blamed for some of the film's negative audience reaction.
• Alternate History: The entire movie is obviously Alternate History. There were no flying British naval squadrons (in 1939). 

• Never Trust a Trailer: Angelina Jolie is in the movie for all of 15 minutes, but you'd think she was a main character.
• Noodle Incident:  when fellow fliers (and implied ex-lovers) Franky ...  share an incomprehensible nostalgia moment.
  ... and Franky: PROTECT THE RABBITS!!! PROTECT THE RABBITS!!!
• • Redshirt Army: Additionally, Franky's troops.
  • Franky and the Mysterious Woman however are typical modern Action Girls.
  • The rudder has jammed on a submersible plane and now it's heading right at the torpedo-spewing mechanical monstrosity guarding the underwater cave which is the destination. The robot fires a barrage of torpedoes, the amphibious craft seems done for...then Frankie passes her own plane in front of him, drawing the torpedoes off. Then she turns and bears down suicidally on the robot herself — but just before she and the torpedoes hit, she ejects, her ejector seat propelling her up through the water, then after she bursts out of the surface turning into a jetpack and flying her safely to the flying base. Happens in such quick succession it's kind of dizzying.
  • Fake Nationality: (US) Angelina Jolie plays "Franky". Jolie's accent was mocked by some critics, though she's merely riffing on the stiff-upper-lip jargon of British war propaganda.

  
  

Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook

Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook is a Royal Navy officer that runs the Mobile Airstrip.

How will Mobile Airstrips factor into my 'verse?

FYI, I am an absolute sucker for period military uniforms and outpost settings (also, secluded settings in general)...

Maybe the manga/graphic novel adaptation of my Othello opera libretto (the one I translated last year) will take place IN THE SKY in such a Mobile Airstrip, with an equal-opportunity (when it comes to gender and sexual options) cast all in military uniform.

--As I have said before, this is only a possibility--