SF-6 Osprey Medium Fighter (Modified - Slayne Bio-Armor):


Even with new fighter designs entering service in the Three Galaxies, the Osprey fighter is expected to serve for centuries to come. Huge numbers were produced although no longer in production. Even though an older fighter design, the Osprey is considered tough and rugged. It is surprisingly capable even today. Several companies also offer various upgrades to the fighter. Even with upgrades, the fighter tends to be far less expensive than new fighters.


The Hypatia is a heavily modified Boadicea class cruiser. She has the engines, the shields, and much of the weaponry replaced / upgraded. Where possible, such as the point defense electromagnetic rail guns, heavy energy weapon battery, and mini-missile launchers, the original systems were retained. These weapon systems were considered adequate and was a way of saving costs in upgrading the ship.


Standard compliment for a Boadicea class cruiser is twelve medium fighters although eighteen light fighters can replace this complement. As a cost saving measure, the cruiser's captain decided to operate the Osprey class fighter instead of newer fighters such as the Black Eagle or Katana. The Scorpion was considered but was discarded due to the light fighter not really filling the role which the fighter was needed to fill. The Hypatia has lost a small number of fighters but have always been replaced by the Osprey.


While these Osprey fighters were reconditioned and upgraded / modified, they were not quite up to the standards of the "Super Osprey"produced by Vector Aerospace. The Hypatia's fighters were a more austere upgrade have modern sensors and modified missile bays. These missile bays enable to fighter to carry a wider variety of missiles and replace the need for both an attack version and an interceptor version. In the main bays, a total of four capital missiles, eight long range missiles, or sixteen medium range missiles. The secondary bays can carry a total of sixteen more medium range missiles. The lasers are generally considered adequate and the shields are the equal of those on the Black Eagle even though the Osprey's generator is larger. The one weakness the upgraded fighter has when compared to the more modern fighters is that it acceleration is comparatively low.


The Hypatia rescued a group of Slayne merchant vessels from an attack. One of the ways that the Slayne seem to be willing to pay others back is their bio-materials. This has only happened a handful of times. These materials are incredibly strong, rivaling the strongest alloys and composites. The material also has the ability to regenerate damage and adapt to attacks. There is another race, known as the Dartrok, who can create similar materials although they have never shared this with others.


The Hypathia herself was fitted with this bio-armor first and then the squadron of fighters were fitted with this armor. The fighters had to be stripped of their composite and alloy armor first. Fitted with the bio-armor, the fighters look quite strange. Each vessel is slightly different in appearance with the bio-armor appearing to have been grown. The material itself is a dull black and the armor also projects spike or thorns depending on how one considers it. These thorns do impact the fighter’s atmospheric performance to some extent although are positioned in a manner to minimize this. Still, it has no effect on space performance. The missile bays also are unprotected so not to prevent them from firing. Since being modified, no Osprey fighters have been lost by the Hypatia although it is likely that they cannot get them replaced with fighters with the bio-armor if they do.


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 to 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-6 (Bio-Armor Upgraded)
Vehicle Type: Multi-Role Fighter
Crew: Two (Pilot and weapons and sensor / electronic warfare officer)


M.D.C. By Location:

Wing Laser Cannons (2):30 each
Heavy Missile Bays (2):75 each
Medium Range Missile Bays (2):50 each
[1] Main Body:880
Cockpit:120
[2] Variable Force Field:200 per side (1,200 total)


Notes:
[1] 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. The hull has the ability to repair itself. These repairs are affected at the rate of 1D6x10 M.D.C. per minute. The ship can only repair up to half the M.D.C. of the main body without needing additional resources.
[2] Shields 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.


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 4.5 (3,336.5 mph /5,369.7 kph), can enter and leave atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav. The spines / thorns reduce the fighter’s atmospheric performance. Because missiles are in a bay, they do not reduce the fighters atmospheric top speed.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for pilot and weapon officer for four weeks.


Statistical Data:
Length: 50 feet (15.24 meters) for hull. Spikes / thorns add an additional 3.2 feet (0.98 meters)
Height: 15.8 feet (4.72 meters)for hull. Spikes / thorns add an additional 3.2 feet (0.98 meters)
Width: 44 feet (13.41 meters) for hull. Spikes / thorns add an additional 3.2 feet (0.98 meters)
Weight: 16.5 tons (14.97 metric tons) empty and 22.5 tons (20.41 metric tons) fully loaded.
Power System: Advanced Fusion with 20 year life span.
Cargo: Minimal Storage Space, place for a rifle, handgun, small survival kit, signal flares, and food rations. Does not include missile bays.
Market Cost: Without Bio-Armor, the upgraded Osprey fighter costs approximately 36 million. With Bio-Armor, the cost of the fighters are virtually impossible to estimate. A total of only twelve fighters are known to have been modified in this manner. While the Hypatia will not sell these fighters, a likely cost would be in the hundreds of millions of credits.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Two (2) Light Laser Cannons: On each wing of the starfighter is a laser cannon mount. They are not as efficient as modern laser cannons beams but are more massive than most modern laser mounts. This means that they are actual 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 fighters 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, or 4D4x10+20 per double blast
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Large Missile Bays (2): The fighter has two heavy missile bays. Each missile bay can carry two cruise missile, four long range missiles, or sixteen medium range missiles. Each bay must carry all the same type ordnance although different bays can carry different ordnance. Cruise missiles are normally carried when on an anti-capital ship role and long 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 has 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 has 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, missiles 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 the target does not move and missile, when unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.) Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but all missiles are all considered smart missiles. These missile launchers are normally controlled by the weapons officer but can be controlled by the pilot in emergencies.
    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 inflicts 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or eight (8) missiles.
    Payload: Two (2) Cruise Missile, Four Long Range Missiles, and Eight Medium Range Missiles per missile bay (Maximum of four cruise missiles, eight long range missiles, or sixteen medium range missiles)
  3. Two (2) Medium Range Missile Bays: On the outside of the heavy missile bays on the Osprey are two medium range missile bays. Weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and long range and cruise missiles. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Weapon system can be used on multiple targets simultaneously.
    Maximum Effective Range: 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: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of Two (2), Four (4), Eight (8), or Sixteen (16) missiles.
    Payload: Eight (8) medium range missiles per bay for a total of Sixteen (16) medium range missiles.


Special Equipment:


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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2010, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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