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Pocket Empires |
Mark Bridgeman
The Imperial Light Fighter was first introduced as a brand new class of interceptor/fighter, the first new military design in decades that not only utilised the 'new' thruster technology but also included the revolutionary fusion+ as part of its specification, its on board water tank providing more than enough resources to provide ample power for all of the crafts needs for 1day 18 hours, far more than needed by most fighters that tend to fly short duration missions (typical duration of 2 to 12 hours).
The fighter only requires a single crewmember, and is not suited for long duration missions, as the cockpit is cramped. Its primary and only armament is a single pulse laser turret mounted into the belly of the craft, to allow strafing runs in support of Imperial ground troops on a worlds surface. It can be set to auto-fire to ward off any pursuers as the pilot executives evasive manoeuvres, though its primary use is offensive.
The Light Fighter is designed primarily for light patrol work and escort duty, and tend to operate in 'wings', dispatched from a parent craft or nearby installation, and are often used as the nuisance vessels in any given fleet or engagement, whilst dangerous they are not really much of a threat to a larger vessel unless overwhelming it with tremendous numbers (death by a thousand flea-bites) though they do have the affect of drawing gunnery fire, as they home in on sensitive or crucial sections of an enemy warship or installation, and as such fighter pilots (many of whom arrogantly think of themselves as the elite) are often little more than cannon fodder against larger enemies. A high risk to some merchants though…
The light fighter is fully air-framed and hence capable of high performance in an atmosphere, not to mention rapid entry and exit, so it is able to compete with and overcome atmospheric fighters, though its lack of missile armament or other secondary weaponry such auto-cannons, air to air missiles, air to surface missiles and MRL's etc not to mention countermeasures such as flares or chaff and the like, means that a typical grav based atmospheric fighter whilst considerably more fragile would still be the platform of choice for combat in the thick of atmo.
Space based fighters are of course useful against other such fighters; hence the stuff of legend is born, of daring dogfights in the upper atmospheres of volatile gas giants, skirmishes around ort objects or asteroid debris, and dangerous engagements against enemy close orbit fighters and patrol craft.
Imperial Light Fighter
Class: Small Craft. Ep Output: 2.0 Tech Level: 12 Agility: 6 Size: (small 10 Tons) Initiative: 6 Streamlining: Airframe. AC: 17 Jump Range: None Repulsors: None Acceleration 6G (Thruster) Nuclear Dampers: None Fuel 0.0607 Tons (Heavy Water) Meson Screens: None Duration: 1 day Black Globes: None Crew: 1 AR: 0 Staterooms: none SI: 75 Small Cabins: none Main Computer: Model 1 bis Bunks: none Sensor Range: Close (model 1) Couches: 1 in cockpit Comm. Range: Close (model 1) Low Berths: none Cargo Space: 0.3368 Tons Cost: Mcr 9.55 (Mcr 7.640 in Quantity) Atmospheric speeds Noe= 1475 kph Cruising = 4425 kph Maximum = 5900 kph Other Equipment: 1 x Single turret (pulse laser) USP=1 Design Worksheet. Installed Component Tonnage MCR Ep Notes. Hull +10 1.2 ---- Wedge Streamlining upgrade 0.5 0.12 ---- Airframe Bridge 4.0 0.1 ---- Crew 1 Computer 0.1 5.8 ---- Model 1 bis Avionics 0.8 (1.8) ---- Model 2 Sensors 0.3 (0.6) ---- Model 1 Commo 0.2 (0.5) ---- Model 1 M-Drive 1.64 0.85 -0.6 6G Thruster Power Plant 1.0625 0.425 +1.7 Tl 12 Fusion+ Fuel 1 day 0.0607 ---- ---- Heavy water Hardpoint ---- 0.1 ---- 1 Hardpoint 1 x Single Turret ---- 0.5 ---- 1 x Pulse Laser 1.0 0.5 -0.5 USP=1 Cargo 0.3368 ---- ---- Totals 10.0 9.55 1.6 Excess Power = 0.6 (+6 Agility)
Original T4 Design: Not Credited.
Design Adapted for T20, by Mark Bridgeman.
Light Missile Fighter
The direct predecessor to the light fighter, freely available from tl-9 and normally fitted with a small fusion reactor for power, missile armament and a 5G m-drive (the common deep space drive C.D.S.D.) as craft's of this size find it difficult to contain all of the components that make a good fighter, normal gravitic fighters/interceptors are preferable, though its deep space drive does allow it to function as an escort or effective patrol craft.
The fighter contains 16 battery rounds of missiles (included in the price), though they can be changed to nuclear ordnance to increase tactical options. Fighter's of this type, (a now declassified Imperial design) are becoming freely available on the arms market and becoming a common acquisition for mercenary units/or client governments of the Imperium and other allied powers.
Comparing this fighter to the new light fighter, it easy to see the benefits that the new fusion: technology can provide, such as more agility and a higher m-drive rating making the fighter harder to hit and faster, coupled with a laser based weapon system that has no re-supply requirements, hence reducing logistical requirements in support of the new fighters.
Light Missile Fighter
Class: Small Craft. Ep Output: 0.5 Tech Level: 9 Agility: 0 Size: (small 10 Tons) Initiative: 0 Streamlining: Airframe. AC: 11 Jump Range: None Repulsors: None Acceleration 5G (Thruster) Nuclear Dampers: None Fuel 0.125 Tons (Liquid Hydrogen) Meson Screens: None Duration: 1 week Black Globes: None Crew: 1 AR: 0 Staterooms: none SI: 75 Small Cabins: none Main Computer: Model 1 bis Bunks: none Sensor Range: Close (model 1) Couches: 1 in cockpit Comm. Range: Close (model 1) Low Berths: none Cargo Space: 0.025 Tons Cost: Mcr 12.875 (Mcr 10.3 in Quantity) Atmospheric speeds Noe= 1475 kph Cruising = 4425 kph Maximum = 5900 kph Other Equipment: 1 x Single Missile Turret USP=1 Design Worksheet. Installed Component Tonnage MCR Ep Notes. Hull +10 1.2 ---- Wedge Streamlining upgrade 0.5 0.12 ---- Airframe Bridge 4.0 0.1 ---- Crew 1 Computer 0.1 5.8 ---- Model 1 bis Avionics 0.8 (1.8) ---- Model 2 Sensors 0.3 (0.6) ---- Model 1 Commo 0.2 (0.5) ---- Model 1 M-Drive 1.4 0.85 -0.5 5G Thruster Power Plant 0.75 3.375 +0.5 Tl 9 Fusion Reactor Fuel 1 week 0.125 ---- ---- Liquid Hydrogen Hardpoint ---- 0.1 ---- 1 Hardpoint 1 x Triple Turret ---- 0.5 ---- 1 x missile rack 1.0 0.75 ---- USP=1 Missiles 0.8 0.08 ---- 16 missiles Cargo 0.025 ---- ---- Totals 10.0 12.875 0.5 Excess Power = None
Designed for T20, by Mark Bridgeman.
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