Consortium SF-138 “Tigercat” Medium Fighter:

After the introduction of the SF-135 “Bearcat”, the manufacturers decide to develop a medium fighter design. While the new Black Eagle and Katana fighters are generally considered excellent designs, they are quite expensive. The other option are older Human Alliance Osprey or Wolfen Gladius fighters but they are relatively old fighters. Even though there are a number of excellent upgrades, some militaries want new fighters over reconditioned older fighters.

Outside of Consortium space, the SF-128 Bobcat light fighter design has been copied as the Hyena and an enlarged version known as the “Super Hyena” has been developed as well. Generally however pilots considered the medium fighter to be unsatisfactory in comparison to most modern fighters. They still do sell in some numbers due to a lack of other options with regard to medium fighter designs.

As a result, the manufacturers of the Bobcat and Bearcat decided to go for a different approach. They would use some of the system from the Bobcat design but would instead built a fighter which one might consider virtually a new fighter from the ground up. It was however designed to be a less expensive design to the Black Eagle and Katana designs. This new medium fighter became the SF-138 “Tigercat.”

So far only a handful of prototypes have been produced but every effort is being made to begin full production as soon as possible. There are issues with production due to not wanting to cut into production for the light fighter designs. Even though there has been a fair amount of interest, there is still some question how popular the new medium fighter design will be.

Even though a new fighter design, the Tigercat shares systems wherever possible with the light fighter designs. It mounts a pair of drives from the Bobcat design along with a pair of fusion plants. Dues to the mass of the Tigercat, even with a pair of drives, the medium fighter has slightly slower acceleration. Still, the fighter’s acceleration is the equal of the Bushido Industries Katana design. Does not have true wings but instead the medium fighters is a lifting body design.

The first couple of prototypes of the Tigercat lacked the auxiliary thruster of the Bearcat but later prototypes mount this thruster. While it has limited fuel, the Tigercat actually has equal acceleration to the Scorpion light fighter with it. The thruster carries additional fuel over the Bearcat, allowing the medium fighter thirty minutes of fuel total.

One weakness the Tigercat has is relatively light armor and is only slightly better than the much smaller Scorpion light fighter. It does however mount a force field standard. This too is the force field generator from the Bobcat design to reduce develop costs. Some minor modifications did have to be done to allow it to protect a much larger fighter however.

The Tigercat mounts four 2 cm lasers instead of the two on the Bobcat and Bearcat. This gives the fighter excellent close range firepower however missile engagements are far more common. With regards to hard points, the medium fighter has a total of six. Each hard point is designed around carrying a single capital missile or a mixture of smaller missiles. In addition, the medium fighter can mount mini-missile pods. Mini-missiles will usually be used against surface targets.

As with previous designs, the Tigercat medium fighter uses civilian systems where possible with regard to electronics to reduce costs. Most fire control and tracking systems are military systems while much of the navigational systems are civilian designs. The cockpit is virtually identical to the cockpit of the much smaller fighters although the cockpit is slightly better armored.

This starfighter design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.

(Note: The power system is fusion not anti-matter because the author’s opinion is that anti-matter is too dangerous to be used in vehicles that may be used in an atmosphere. If a starship powered by anti-matter was to detonate in an atmosphere it would cause huge planetary damage. At GM option, this can also be applied to all starfighters or this “fighter” can be changed to anti-matter.)

Model Type: SF-138.

Vehicle Type: Medium Starfighter.

Crew: One.

M.D.C. By Location:

	Nose Mounted 2cm Light Lasers (4):	30 each.
	Missile Hard Points (6, on the Underside):	10 each.
	[1] Main Body:	620.
	Cockpit:	125.
	[2] Optional - Variable Force Field:	200 per side (1,200 total).

Notes:

[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the medium fighter out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.

[2] Shield’s positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (60 M.D.C.) per melee round (Shields are optional.)

Speed:

Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.

Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 40 percent of the speed of light. Fighter can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 1.4 percent of light per melee.

Medium Fighter has auxiliary thrusters which can be used a maximum of 30 minutes before fuel is exhausted. On auxiliary thrusters, the fighter has a maximum acceleration of 1.8 percent of light per melee maximum.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum normal speed is Mach 7.5 (5,709.1 mph / 9,187.9 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav. When loaded down with ordinance, fighter’s top speed in an atmosphere is Mach 2.8 (2,131.4 mph / 3,430.2 kph).

Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for pilot for six days.

Statistical Data:

Length: 41.34 feet (12.6 meters).

Height: 10.50 feet (3.2 meters).

Width: 37.40 feet (11.4 meters).

Mass/Weight: 13.45 tons (12.2 metric tons) empty and 17.20 tons (15.6 metric tons) fully loaded with cruise missiles.

Power System: Advanced Fusion with 6 year life span.

Cargo: Minimal Storage Space, place for a rifle, handgun, small survival kit, signal flares, and food rations.

Market Cost: 36.5 million credits. Without variable shields, reduce medium fighter’s cost by 4 million. Currently only in prototype stage however.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Four (4) Nose Mounted 2 cm Light Laser Cannons: On the nose of the starfighter is a laser cannon mount. The laser cannons are based on those carried on the Osprey class starfighter but are smaller and more efficient. The laser cannons are slightly more powerful and slightly longer ranged than those carried by the CAF Black Eagle. However, they are not as powerful as the rail gun mounted on the Black Eagle. The gun pods are controlled by the fighter’s pilot.

Maximum Effective Range: 6 miles (9.7 km) through atmosphere and 600 miles (966 km) in space.

Mega-Damage: 2D4x10+10 per single blast, 4D4x10+20 per double blast, or 8D4x10+40 for a four gun blast.

Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).

Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Six (6) Hard Points: The fighter has a total of six hard points which can mount missiles or mini-missile pods. Each hard point can carry one cruise missile, two long range missiles, four medium range missiles, or a mini-missile pod with a capacity for sixteen mini-missiles. The pylon must carry all the same type ordnance with generally only the outer hard points carrying mini-missile pods.
1. Missiles: Cruise missile are normally carried when on an anti-capital ship role and long and medium range missiles when fighting other starfighters. Cruise Missiles have a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship.) Long Range Missiles have a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship.) Medium Range Missiles have a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting starships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile, when unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.) Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Missiles can be launched on multiple targets simultaneously.
  
  Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space, Long Range Missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,897,000 km/9.7 light seconds) in space, and Medium Range Missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space.
  
  Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies Missile tables for details (Cruise Anti-Matter warheads inflict 4D6x100 M.D.C. each and Long Range Fusion warheads inflicts 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
  
  Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2) missiles.
  
  Payload: One (1) Cruise Missile, Two (2) Long Range Missiles, or Four (4) Medium Range Missiles per hard point.
2. Mini-Missile Pod: While all hard points can carry mini-missile pods, generally these are only carried on the “wings” of the starfighter that can be used against ground targets, infantry, and against starships. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration). Mini-Missile in the Phase World setting are normally guided.
  
  Maximum Effective Range: Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.
  
  Mega Damage: Varies with mini-missile types (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies 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) and can be linked with other mini missile pods for greater number of missiles (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in a volley).
  
  Payload: Each pod carries sixteen (16) mini-missiles.
Special Bonuses: The medium fighter is both very maneuverable and very forgiving. This gives the following bonuses: add +5% to the pilots piloting skill, +1 to dodge energy and projectile fire, and +2 to dodge missiles, obstacles, and stellar debris. The fighter also has a very advanced terrain following system. All bonuses are in addition to pilots bonuses (Hand to hand and Starfighter Pilot: Basic or Elite).

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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