Art and Rough Stats: Endo/Exo atmospheric 35 ton Strike fighter

[wbyrd]

Yep, another one..sorry working on those skills...


I envisioned it as a fighter carried on docking clamps or external cargo clamps rather than in a docking berth, or in hangers. when it is being serviced or armed it's rotated into a hanger, gassed up and armed then back out to its clamps.

The process burns time but it allows a rapid launch of an entire squadron if needed. The pilot just wriggles into the cockpit, and the carrier jettisons the entire squadron at once. It leaves the fighter exposed to any incoming enemy fire which is a pretty significant balance to the fast deployment...but if a carrier is getting shot at before it launches someone has really messed up.

This is a pic of my 35 ton Drengahrfughl ( valiant Bird) strike fighter.
MgT 2.0 build.

35 tons TL-12 ( Can be Built on lower tech worlds)
crew 1 with virtual crewman software for pilot assist.

Streamlined with aerofins...obviously
Thrust 6 Gravitic,12 with reaction drive engaged.
Armor: 12
Advanced military Sensors
ECM Suite
Weapons
Missile Rack
Pulse laser. High Yield, Focused, (Better damage, and 2 pts armor penetration)

Software: Virtual crew, Advanced fire control, broad Spectrum Electronic warfare.

The small winglets are the ECM/sensor antenna and for additional stability.

Wings and fins rotate back alongside the hull when in storage. or for landing.

It's designed for multi-role, multi-environment combat allowing it to act as a ground attack, anti-shipping,and strike role.

the hull and wings use forced air to alter airflow around the airframe and wings. air is taken in by the oversized intakes and channeled through the wings and hull, by varying the volume and velocity of the airflow it changes how air travels around the craft.

So it can adapt to varying atmospheres without physical changes to its structure.

The secondary wings are fitted with various emitters thermal, EM, and Gravitic to change its sensor profile. allowing it to shift the center of its sensor returns away from the hull. Missiles hate it when you do that.

They do not move in flight, so they only act as a sort of stabilizer to make up for the smaller tailfins...which are fully mobile with the entire body of the tail fins rotating to generate control forces.

The wings are fairly slim, but they are not expected to support the entire mass of the fighter when maneuvering, the gravitic systems do the bulk of the work and the wings and fins only enhance their effectiveness.Fuel is stored in the larger main body of the fighter

It can also carry several tons of anti-personnel/anti-vehicle tactical Missiles on the wings for extra ordnance against soft targets that would be a waste of its limited anti-ship missiles.

While nothing in the rules say you can't reload a missile rack in flight due to the design it doesn't carry reloads, it has four missiles then it has to retreat and rearm.

I could put extra ordnance in underbelly pods with no problem but this is a preliminary build so haven't decided whether to say with the limited ammo supply for flavor/variety, or go with concealed or internal ordnance.

the speed could be enhanced by end users, but it's not a speed demon interceptor/superiority fighter it's a bomber that can dogfight if it has to.

currently, juggling fuel loads trying to decide how long I want it to be abe to run on full burn.

Any Ideas, critiques, rotten fruit and veg???

 

[kilemall]

With that thread in the CT forum, looks like real world TL increases of airbreather thrust to weight ratio is +3 per TL, so gravitic/air thrust looks to be useful past TL9 (have to assume it tops out when materials/fuel/gravitic compression ceases to be improvable).

At that speed, not sure a straight wing is doable in any way.

Above certain speeds I'm thinking my conformal shielding, using and shaping high speed plasma against virtual wings for lift, would be a better price/performance design tradeoff, depends I expect on how much onboard power one has for that system.

Of course, neither is terribly relevant to the MgT design process to my knowledge, just out there kind of thinking.

 

[aramis]

If it's clamp-carried, and the cockpit is entered from above (the quickest method), then the pylons should also be on top, simply to make reloading safer and easier.

 

[wbyrd]

With that thread in the CT forum, looks like real world TL increases of airbreather thrust to weight ratio is +3 per TL, so gravitic/air thrust looks to be useful past TL9 (have to assume it tops out when materials/fuel/gravitic compression ceases to be improvable).

At that speed, not sure a straight wing is doable in any way.

Above certain speeds I'm thinking my conformal shielding, using and shaping high speed plasma against virtual wings for lift, would be a better price/performance design tradeoff, depends I expect on how much onboard power one has for that system.

Of course, neither is terribly relevant to the MgT design process to my knowledge, just out there kind of thinking.

I always like a little out there thinking.

I went with straight wings after trying several looks. it's sad to say a personal taste thing at this point. Of course that forced me to do a little reading to see if were even remotely possible.

I don't mind a little creative licence in my designs but I would like to stay within the realm of possibility. after some reading, I came to the conclusion that for current technology they are absolutely impractical and a bit of fancy. at higher tech levels they are not so inefficient hey can't be used.

high Mach 2-3 speeds would be enough to perform its mission with high altitude, or thin atmosphere hypersonic flight an option when needed.a designs with a more pronounced sweep would be able to cruise at much higher speed for long periods of time, and do it more efficiently. but this design isn't built for that sort of operation.

It's designed to make a high speed tactical entry, then get down to low altitude and ground skim as fast as possible. at low altitude Mach one or two is plenty of speed to close on a target quickly, without reducing maneuverability to the point it can't dodge a mountain.


the technical sets are pretty complex.

Friction slows straight wing aircraft to a point hey become totally inefficient using any conventional power source. but they can achieve supersonic flight by creative cheating.

The design fluff text describes it using a system of forced air channels to redirect airflow. In effect creating a virtual wing, the same way the conformal plasma screening would. Its very narrow cord, with a forced air based system, would be a TL-12 level "low-tech" cheat...at current TL it is a very very high tech cheat.

The downside is that it would create a very powerful bow wave in normal density atmospheres. Creating a sonic boom no contemporary authority would allow outside of combat. It would also have a fuel cost that is unacceptable in combat aircraft.

But since you are using gravitcs powered by a fusion reactor fuel cost is a non factor. And that shockwave becomes a weapon if you want to use it. Using low altitude passes, or diving at sharp angles then pulling out to hurl a sonic boom at ground forces.

 

[wbyrd]

If it's clamp-carried, and the cockpit is entered from above (the quickest method), then the pylons should also be on top, simply to make reloading safer and easier.

I did not think of that

I pictured them docked belly side inward with the pilot entering through the bottom. The underside of the cockpit lowers int a pressure sleeve and the pilot steps out.

I had toyed with the idea of a pilot capsule instead of a standard cockpit configuration. the pilot enters the capsule, then it is inserted into the main body.

 

[flykiller]

I had toyed with the idea of a pilot capsule instead of a standard cockpit configuration.

that really engages the imagination, but not sure how well it would work.

how about configurable fighters. 6 G-mods for 1-6 G, weapons pods, sensor pods, armor sheaths, assembled according to the existing tactical situation in a minute or two before launch.

 

[wbyrd]

that really engages the imagination, but not sure how well it would work.

how about configurable fighters. 6 G-mods for 1-6 G, weapons pods, sensor pods, armor sheaths, assembled according to the existing tactical situation in a minute or two before launch.

I have been playing around with that Idea. So far it consists of fitting a docking clamp to the fighter and adding 5-ton utility pods.

 

[kilemall]

I did not think of that

I pictured them docked belly side inward with the pilot entering through the bottom. The underside of the cockpit lowers int a pressure sleeve and the pilot steps out.

I had toyed with the idea of a pilot capsule instead of a standard cockpit configuration. the pilot enters the capsule, then it is inserted into the main body.

What he has there sounds like the Hammerhead load and launch sequence from Above And Beyond-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3BvVvEo5g8

 

[wbyrd]

What he has there sounds like the Hammerhead load and launch sequence from Above And Beyond-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3BvVvEo5g8

Yeah I may have seen an episode or two of that show

I have seen so many shows, pics, movies I can't keep track of where I get an idea from. a couple of years ago I came across a Pic of a critter Rob Caswell did way back years ago...I had created a critter that was almost identical out of my head...when I saw his pic I immediately remembered seeing it and realized it was his critter i was thinking about wen I drew it up.

He got a laugh out of that.

So It never surprises me when someone goes..hey that's just like that thing from that show...Those ideas are all lurking around in my imagination waiting to be used.

 

[wbyrd]

working on the basic design so I created a more streamlined version. This is basically a much faster more agile interceptor.

and a few of the details

 

[flykiller]

So far it consists of fitting a docking clamp to the fighter and adding 5-ton utility pods.

sounds undramatic visually.

think core cylinder (includes pilot and computer and basic power plant) plus add-ons - maneuver cylinders (6G makes for a nice 6-ring on the back), laser or missile weapons mounts on the bow, wings for atmo in the middle, supplementary power plants between the wings and maneuver cylinders.

 

[wbyrd]

sounds undramatic visually.

think core cylinder (includes pilot and computer and basic power plant) plus add-ons - maneuver cylinders (6G makes for a nice 6-ring on the back), laser or missile weapons mounts on the bow, wings for atmo in the middle, supplementary power plants between the wings and maneuver cylinders.

So far i can get the stats right, and the mechanics work, but so far no inspiration on the visuals....I like the idea yo described may see if I can get an image to form in my head....

 

[HRLMT]

Clarification of name of mentioned TV series

Just a clarification ! The TV Series was called Space - Above and Beyond. The show appeared on the Fox network for one season. The whole series is available on DVD.

 

[wbyrd]

Just a clarification ! The TV Series was called Space - Above and Beyond. The show appeared on the Fox network for one season. The whole series is available on DVD.

Yes, just another one of those shows fox ran for way too short a run, then dumped...Saw the episodes first run

If i ever find out who was calling the shots on their sci-fi line up...I may need Bail money.( Joke )

 

[Meteoric Assault]

Why does this remind of the the light jets from the recent Tron Movie? not that it is bad ... I see a resemblance

 

[Meteoric Assault]

Just a clarification ! The TV Series was called Space - Above and Beyond. The show appeared on the Fox network for one season. The whole series is available on DVD.

Corny as hell, but I enjoyed it when I got past the whole Jarhead silliness.

 

[aramis]

Corny as hell, but I enjoyed it when I got past the whole Jarhead silliness.

Note that that kind of silliness (Aviators on away team missions) IS documented USMC behavior... during WWII.

 

[Meteoric Assault]

Note that that kind of silliness (Aviators on away team missions) IS documented USMC behavior... during WWII.

Oh I understand Anglico and TACP ... In the marine air ground team. Knowing marines, not intimately ( that is a sailor thing), I couldn't help but laugh my ass off.