SF.6 Avispa Light Starfighter (Caramelles Kingdom):

In general the political situation precluded any widespread technological exchange between systems within the Consortium and the Caramelles Kingdom. They have managed to acquire some technology but are still a bit behind the Consortium, Human Alliance, and others. Presently, the Kingdom is attempting to negotiate with the Free Worlds Council for some more advanced technology. The Kingdom has avoided dealing with Naruni Industries due to various concerns.

Prior to designing the Avispa and Torero fighter designs, the Caramelles Kingdom mostly operated ancient Human Alliance Tiger IV fighters. These were mostly acquired when relations were more friendly. Even though considered inferior to most later fighters, even fairly old fighters such as the Vixen and Osprey, the two Caramelles Kingdom designs are greatly superior to the extremely old Tiger IV design. While the Avispa and Torero fighter designs are both available for outside purchases, there is little interest in them.

While the bulk of the fighter forces of the Caramelles Kingdom are the Avispa and Torero fighter designs, about ten percent of their fighter forces are fighters that they have managed to acquire through other means. These include the older Human Alliance Vixen and Osprey designs. In addition, the Kingdom has managed to acquire a number of Scorpion and Katana fighters. A handful of other designs are also operated but not in any significant numbers.

The Avispa was the first fighter design developed by the Caramelles Kingdom and the Torero medium fighter is largely an enlarged and improved version of the light fighter. As such, the two fighters are extremely similar in appearance. Even though still considered inferior to the Osprey, the Torero medium fighter is still much improved over the design of the Avispa. Two very key advantages are that the medium fighter is far better armored and mounts variable force fields.

Future plans are to replace the Avispa with a more advanced design. A number of Ross Aerospace ICE Hyena fighters have been acquired with an eye to copy the design. There is little concern with pirating the design and the engineering of the ICE Hyena is well within the technological limits of the Caramelles Kingdom. It will likely be several years before they ware able to retool to the ICE Hyena however. There are various ideas for replacements for the Torero medium fighter as well. The Caramelles Kingdom is looking towards help from the Free Worlds Council for this.

Originally it was planned that the Avispa would mount a pair of 10 mm electromagnetic rail guns which would be supplemented by a 40 mm heavy rail gun firing the same round as the point defense batteries on most of the Caramelles Kingdom's warships. It was found impossible to shrink the pod enough to be carried, massing about as much as the light fighter itself. The heavy rail gun pod was also tested on the Torero medium fighter and while it could be carried, it reduced performance to unacceptable levels. This left the light fighter with only a single pair of light rail guns.

The fighter does have three hard points to augment the rail guns. Each one can carry a single capital missile, a pair of long range missiles, or four medium range missiles. The Caramelles Kingdom does have access to anti-matter warheads including multi-warhead but does not have access to the super heavy anti-matter warheads of the Consortium or X-Ray laser warheads. Hope is that the Free Worlds Council will be willing to share the technology for X-Ray laser warheads. The fighter can also carry mini-missile pods on the wing hard points.

Missiles reduce the fighter’s performance greatly in an atmosphere. While actually slightly faster in an atmosphere than the Torero when unloaded, speed when fully loaded is virtually identical. The light fighter is designed for atmospheric operations. Acceleration in space for both the Avispa and the Torero are virtually identical. As such, the light fighter is inferior to most light fighters operated in the Three Galaxies and even many medium fighters have greater acceleration. The Avispa is heavy for a light fighter, unloaded massing 7.5 metric tons. It does have folding wings which does aid in the ability to store the light fighter on carriers.

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.8
Vehicle Type: Light Fighter
Crew: One

M.D.C. By Location:

	10 mm Electromagnetic Rail Guns (2, Wing Roots):	30 each
	Fuselage Hard Point (1, Fuselage):	10 each
	Wing Hard Points (2, Under Wings):	10 each
	[1] Wings (2):	150 each
	[2] Main Body:	340
	Cockpit / Reinforced Pilot’s Compartment:	100

Notes:
[1] Destroying a wing will cause the fighter to crash if it is flying within an atmosphere. Destruction of a wing has no effect on flight / propulsion in space. All weapon systems mounted on that wing will also be lost.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the starfighter out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The fighter itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.

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 1.2 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum normal speed is Mach 6.5 (4819.5 mph / 7,756.2 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is by contra grav. When loaded down with ordinance, fighter’s top speed in an atmosphere is Mach 2.0 (1,482.9 mph / 2,386.51 kph)
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for pilot for four days.

Statistical Data:
Length: 37.40 feet (11.4 meters)
Height: 14.44 feet (4.4 meters)
Width: 28.54 feet (8.7 meters) wings folded and 35.43 feet (10.8 meter) wings unfolded
Weight: 8.27 tons (7.5 metric tons) unloaded and 11.68 tons (10.6 metric tons) fully loaded.
Power System: Fusion power supply with a 8 year duration.
Cargo: Tiny storage area with room for a small sidearm, dry rations for 12 days, and a water dispenser.
Market Cost: 16.5 million credits.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Two (2) 10 mm Electromagnetic Nose Mounted Rail Guns: Mounted on the wing roots of the fighter. Unlike rail-guns mounted on most newer Three Galaxies / Phase World star fighters, the rail guns work through the use of electromagnets instead of through gravity. The rail guns still fire projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth and projectiles are fired from rail guns at a significant fraction fraction of the speed of light in space and when used in an atmosphere are fired at a slower but still at hypersonic speeds. It is used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Generally both rail guns fire together but may be fired singularly to conserve ammunition.
Maximum Effective Range: 8 miles (13 km) through atmosphere and 400 miles (640 km) in space.
Mega Damage: Both rails firing together (20 rounds) inflicts 2D4x10+20 M.D.C. Single rail gun (10 rounds) inflicts 1D4x10+10 M.D.C., one round inflicts 2D6+4 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot’s combined hand to hand (usually 4 or 5) - firing both rail guns together costs one attack.
Payload: 1,000 Rounds (100 Bursts) each rail gun (2,000 rounds total.)
Three (3) Hard Points: The light fighter has a total of three hard points. Each wing has a single hard points and there is a single hard point under the fuselage. Each hard point can carry one cruise missile, two long range missiles, four medium range missiles. Only the wing hard points can mount a mini-missile pod with a capacity for sixteen mini-missiles. The pylon must carry all the same type ordnance.
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 multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 M.D.C. each and Long Range Fusion warheads inflict 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 (Wing Hard Points Only): Can only be carried on the "wings" of the starfighter and 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: Mini-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 (32 mini-missiles maximum)

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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