TW-F-84H “Thunderscreech” Techno-Wizard Fighter:


Leave it to Techno-Wizards to find an unusual design and develop it into a full fledged vehicle. One of these is the Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech." Developed in the 1950, it was an experimental turboprop aircraft derived from the F-84F Thunderstreak jet fighter. What made it so unusual was that the outer limits of the propeller blade actually traveled above the speed of sound. Even though the XF-84H never reached its design top speed of 670 mph, it was able to achieve 520 mph. This was the top speed for any single engine propeller driven aircraft for thirty five years.


Due to problems with the design, the XF-84H was abandoned after only six hours and forty minutes of flight on the two prototypes believed to have been built. It had severe vibrational and stability issues to name just two problems with the aircraft. There is a constant shockwave produced by the propeller traveling above the speed of sound and producing visible sonic booms. These produced huge problems including creating nausea and severe headaches in those around the aircraft and even disrupting the control tower from vibrations. One of the company test pilots refused to fly it again after the first flight and the second pilot had numerous forced landings. It was never know to have been flown by an actual air force pilot.


Finding several history books mentioning the aircraft, a group of techno-wizards decided to research it further. Through a huge amount of effort, they were able to find a third secret prototype that nobody knew had been built. Why it was build and kept secret, nobody knows. It appeared as if the design had been modified to solve some of the handling. Still, it never flew and was stored away in secret.


This third prototype became the basis for the Techno-Wizard version of the "Thunderscreech." With the ability to model many of the problems on computers, several stability and vibrational problems were able to be solved without actual flight testing. In addition, high strength composites and alloys solved many of the material problems with the original design. Only a handful of these fighters have been build. Still, the Techno-Wizards were able to develop an aircraft that actually met the goals of the original XF-84H.


The techno-wizard version was able to actually reach 670 mph although as expected, the aircraft produces a huge amount of noise. Environmental body armor protects from this to a large extent. At first magical propulsion systems were considered but eventually it was decided that a conventional fusion turbine was by far the best choice. It provides both drive from the propeller and thrust. Unlike many techno-wizard aircraft, even with computer assistance, the Techno-Wizard “Thunderscreech” is not an easy aircraft to fly. Because of this and so the aircraft can fly silently, a Ley Line flight system was added. Being able to be heard around twenty-five miles way can hamper one's effectiveness at times.


With modern flight computers come other modern electronics including long range radar, modern ECM, advanced display system, and fly by wire control systems. The display systems are designed to appear to be systems from the 1950's but are actually holographic displays that can be configured. They can be quickly configured for weapon control and guidance as need.. The radar system has the ability to track and target multiple contacts simultaneously. Finally, the cockpit has full life support for the pilot.


The original XF-84H prototype was unarmed. As one might expect, the Techno-Wizard version of the “Thunderscreech” is armed. The F-84F Thunderstreak mounted its guns in the nose but it was decided to move this to the wings. The Techno-Wizard “Thunderscreech” mounts four telekinetic machine guns with two in each wing. All four are usually fired together. These are recharged by magical energy each month. In addition, the fighter has four hard points to carry various ordnance including mini-missile pods, missiles, and bombs. Mini-missile pods are most commonly carried.


In addition to the telekinetic machine guns and the Ley Line flight system, there are a number of other Techno-Wizard additions. The most spectacular is the shockwave weapon. Similar to the wizard spell except longer ranged and more powerful, the magical shockwave emits from the propeller blades. The shockwave can actually knock missiles from the sky. Unfortunately, it requires magical energy from the pilot and can only be activated once per melee round. In addition, there is a magical “Fireworks” chaff and flare system. The optics in the fighter have “See the Invisible” enchantments built into them. Finally, there is several more standard techno-wizard enchantments including "Shadow Meld," "Invisibility: Superior," and “Impervious to Energy.”


Model Number: TW-F84H “Thunderscreech”
Vehicle Type: Single Engine Techno-Wizard Fighter
Crew: One

M.D.C. by Location:
[1] Telekinetic Machine Guns (4, 2 each wing) 20 each
Missile Hard Points (4) 10 ecah
[2] Wings (2): 225 each
[3] Elevators (2): 110 each
[3] Rudders: 110
[1] Landing Gear (3): 30 each
Cockpit: 250
Propeller: 100
Engine: 280
[4] Main Body: 465


Notes:
[1] All indicated hit locations are small and/or difficult targets to hit. An attacker must make a called shot and has a -3 penalty as well.
[2] Destroying a wing will cause the plane to crash.
[3] Destruction of rudders or one elevator will still allow the fighter to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but the fighter has a penalty of -12 to dodge, and a -40% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of both of the elevators will leave the plane uncontrollable and pilot must eject to survive.
[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the aircraft down completely, rendering it useless and causing it to crash if in flight.


Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for conventional take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing.
Flying:
Conventional Propeller / Thrust Propulsion: Engines are purely technological in design. Fighter is not VTOL in design and cannot hover on conventional flight system. Flight system also makes a huge amount of noise while powered. The Techno-Wizard “Thunderscreech” has a top speed of 670 mph (582.2 knots / 1,078.3 kph) with a maximum altitude of about 60,000 feet (18,288 meters). Reduce speed to 650 mph (564.8 knots / 1,046.1 kph) if carrying external ordnance.
Magical Telekinetic Flight System: 200 mph (320 kph) on Telekinetic flight system but aircraft must remain on a ley line for flight system to operate. Telekinetic flight system is virtually silent.
Range: Effectively Unlimited. Thrusters overheat after twenty hours of use below 217.2 knots / 402.3 kph.) without magical flight system, 10 hours of use above 250 mph (217.2 knots / 402.3 kph.) Effective unlimited on Telekinetic flight system.


Statistical Data:
Height 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 meters)
Wingspan: 33 feet 5 inches (10.18 meters)
Length: 51 feet 5 inches (15.67 meters)
Weight: 17,892 pounds (8,132 kilograms) empty and 27,046 pounds (12,293 kilograms) fully loaded.
Power System: Dual Flight System, Fusion Reactor with ten year lifespan and Telekinetic flight system for flight on ley lines.
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment) in cockpit, does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 28.5 million credits


Weapon Systems:

  1. Four (4) Telekinetic Machine-Guns: Fairly lightweight and mounted in the wings of the fighter. All four cannons can fire together and are controlled by the pilot. It is enchanted by a series of spells so the cannon acts as a more powerful version of the TK Machine-gun. This increases the weapon's damage and instead of being reloaded, the cannon must be recharged by the spell Telekinesis and 50 P.P.E. each once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
    Mega Damage: 6D6 each and 2D6x10+12 for all four.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5)
    Payload: Unlimited, although the spells must be renewed every month whether the cannons have been used or not.
  2. Four (4) Wing Hard Points: The “Thunderscreech” can carry a variety of ordnance on its hard points. The fighter has four hard points on each wing for a total of eight hard points. With the addition of modern sensor systems, the fighter can control missiles instead of just bombs and unguided rockets. Mini-Missile pods are very popular. There is no provision for jamming pods or towed decoys.
    1. Bombs and Missiles: The only restriction is that a hard point must carry all the same type of missiles or bombs. Both unguided and guided bombs can be carried.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies by missile type for missile and varies by altitude that bombs are dropped at (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
      Mega Damage: Varies by missile or bomb type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
      Rate of Fire: Missiles can be fired and bombs can be dropped one at a time per hard point. Multiple hard points can be linked as one attack but must be the same size (light, medium, or heavy) and style of ordnance (all missiles or bombs in a volley)
      Payload: four (4) short range missile or light bombs, two (2) medium range missiles or medium bombs, or one (1) long range missile or heavy bomb (all ordnance on a hard point must be the same size and type of ordnance) per hard point.
    2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. The aircraft normally carries missile pods for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missile used are armor piercing, plasma, or fragmentation mini-missiles.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
      Mega Damage: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
      Rate of fire: Each pod can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) and can be linked with other mini missile pods for greater number of missiles (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in volley)
      Payload: Each pod carries sixteen (16) mini-missiles.
  3. Shockwave Defense System: When it is activated, a circular energy wave is emanated from the propeller of the fighter all directions. The blast is semi-spherical and effects travel both upwards and downwards. The blast does not effect targets underwater if the aircraft is close to the water. It is longer ranged version of the eight level spell shockwave. Unfortunately, the spell can only be activated once per melee and requires magical energy every time it is activated. It is mostly used to destroy incoming missiles.
    Maximum Effective Range: 1,000 feet (305 meters) in all directions
    Mega Damage: 1D4x10 to all targets within radius of effect (S.D.C. objects will be completely destroyed). The system also inflicts knock as per the spell “Shockwave” on page 144 of World Book 16: Federation of Magic. (General Guideline: If the shockwave does not destroy the incoming missiles then missiles of medium range and smaller have an 88% of being knocked from the air, long range missiles have a 50% chance of being knocked out of the air, and cruise missiles have a 20% of being knocked out of the air)
    Rate of Fire: Once per melee
    Payload: One, requires 35 P.P.E. to be activated again.
  4. One (1) Magical “Fireworks” Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser: In many ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare system. The anti-missile system works by combining three spells. The three spells are Fire Bolt, Apparition, and Telekinesis. The physical effects of the system are identical to the Triax Anti-Missile chaff but instead of being reloaded, it is recharged by spells.
    Effect: 01-50 Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missiles are all destroyed.
      51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target.)
      76-00 No effect, enemy missile or missile volley is still on target.
      Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half.
      Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
      Payload: 10 Uses before being recharged. The dispenser is recharged by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis (8 P.P.E.).
  5. Techno-Wizard Modifications: The “Thunderscreech” has the following techno-wizard modifications built into the aircraft. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the pilot.
    Special Features:
      Shadow Meld (6th Level) 10 P.P.E. or 20 I.S.P.
      Impervious to Energy (6th level) 20 P.P.E. or 40 I.S.P.
      Invisibility-Superior (6th Level) 20 P.P.E. or 40 I.S.P.


Special Equipment:
The fighter has all the standard features of a standard fighter (same as standard robot minus loudspeaker and microphone) plus these special features listed. The special equipment is a combination of both magic and technology


Combat Bonuses / Penalties:



Effects of Propeller:



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2013, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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