TL8 light interceptor
This is an early TL 8 design. It is primarily intended to serve as an interceptor, but it could, if required, perform close-air support missions (though cheaper turboprops are preferred for such roles). By mid-TL 8, it would likely only be found in third-world countries.
In the air-to-air role, it normally carries two 135mm AAMs in the bay (750 lbs each) and, if required, one 127mm AAM under each wing. In the CAS role, it normally carries two 127mm AAMs on the hardpoints and three laser-guided 500-lb retarded bombs in the weapon bay (it also requires another vehicle or a forward observer to illuminate the target).
Unless noted otherwise, all components that are "facing specific" are mounted Front (except dischargers and turbofan, which are mounted rear).
Subassemblies: two high agility wings, three small retractable
wheels
Body Features: excellent streamlining
Propulsion: one 18,000 lb thrust afterburing turbofan, consumes
270 gph jet fuel per hour
Weaponry: 20mmC rotary cannon, 750x20mmC SAPHE rounds or 500x20mmC
APEX rounds, one 200-lb hardpoint under each wing, weapon bay with 1500-lb
capacity
Instruments and electronics (body): air-search radar (100 miles,
Scan 23), LLTV x150 (+7/+13), terrain-following radar (min. 15 yards),
two long range (1000 mile) scrambled radios, military GPS, one hardened
minicomputer, two hardened small computers, one terminals, advanced laser/radar
detector, digital camera, HUDWAC, laser spot tracker, navigation instruments
Miscellaneous: 2 Dischargers (1 chaff, 1 flare) with 5 refills
each, fire extinguisher
Controls: Computer
Occupancy: Short
Passengers: None
Crew: Pilot in normal ejectable G-seat
Environmental Systems: 6 man/hours limited life support, environmental
controls for one man
Power: 180 kW drawn from turbojets
Fuel: five light self-sealing fuel tanks (three 50-gallon tanks
body, one 50-gallon each wing), 450 gallons jet fuel
Access, Cargo and Empty Space: body: 41.8 cf access, 6.165 cf
empty; each wing: 32.5 cf empty
Volumes: Body 325 cf, each Wing 40 cf, Wheels 16.25 cf; Surface
Area: Body 284 sf, each wing 140 sf, wheel 38 sf, Total Area 603 sf
Structure: medium frame
Structural Options: sealed, automatic variable sweep wings, basic
stealth, basic IR cloaking
Hit Points: Body 426, each Wing 211, Wheels (each) 38
Armor: PD 4 DR 20 advanced composite (all locations)
Statistics (full payload): Empty Weight 8,508, Loaded Weight
12,183 lbs (6.09 tons), Volume 421.3 cf, Size Modifier +4, Loaded Price
$2,402,314, HT 11 (HT 12 if bay empty)
Air Performance (Hardpoints Loaded/Bay Full): Stall Speed 105
mph, drag 38.2, Top speed 1880 mph, aAccel 30, aDecel 44, aMR 11, aSR 5,
Takeoff run 128 yards, Landing run 278 yards
Air Performance, afterburners lit (Hardpoints Loaded/Bay Full):
Stall Speed 105 mph, drag 38.2, Top speed 2000 mph, aAccel 49, aDecel 44,
aMR 11, aSR 5, Takeoff run 99 yards, Landing run 235 yards
Air Performance (Clean/Bay Empty): Stall Speed 97 mph, drag 28.2,
Top Speed 2000 mph, aAccel 35, aDecel 56, aMR 14, aSR 5, Takeoff run 100
yards, Landing run 278 yards
Air Performance, afterburners lit (Clean/Bay Empty): Stall Speed
97 mph, drag 28.2, Top Speed 2000 mph, aAccel 58, aDecel 56, aMR 14, aSR
5, Takeoff run 77 yards, Landing run 235 yards
[The performance figures above do not account for the variable sweep wings; see p.VE160 for details].
New Weapons
20mmC rotary cannon: six long barrels, electric gatling
SAPHE ammo: Dam 6dx3(0.5) Cr plus 1d+2 Exp, Malf Crit, Type Cr, SS
30, Acc 14, 1/2 Dam 1250 yds, Max 5500 yds, ROF 30; $2.72 and 0.453 lbs
per shell
127mm short-range AAM:
IIRH, normal HEPF warhead, Dam 6dx128 [10d], Type Exp, Skill 19, Max
25,000 yards (14.8 miles), Speed 2000 yds/sec, 195 lbs, $29,800
[This should be fast enough to deal with most TL8 atmospheric fighters,
though range is somewhat short. A PRH version is -1 skill.]
135mm long-range AAM:
PRH, modest HEPF warhead, Dam 6dx77 [10d], Type Exp, Skill 22, Max
171,000 yards (97 miles), Speed 1000 yds/sec, 750 lbs, $121,000
[Since this will be used to intercept incoming aircraft rather than
chase them down, a low speed is acceptable. A IIRH is +1 skill.]
Laser-Guided, Retarded 500-lb bomb:
SALH, 'normal' 273mm HE warhead, Dam 6dx1140 [12d], Skill 13, 492 lbs,
$7,250
[This is a slightly-modified TL7 MK82 bomb; only skill and cost were
derived from VE2]
203mm rockets and missiles
There is also a family of 203mm rockets and missiles in my campaign
(each 200 lbs) which could also be carried if needed (I designed them for
small naval vessels, but their light weight makes them useful on aircraft).
The artillery rocket has 1/2 Dam of 600 yds and Acc 12.
| Type | Guidance | Warhead | Skill | Max Range | Speed | Damage | Cost |
| tac missile | IG | HE | 10 | 56,700 | 300 | 6dx261[12d] | 49,600 |
| anti-ship | BALH | HEC | 15 | 64,800 | 300 | 6dx174 | 138,100 |
| SAM/AAM | IIRH | HEPF/ABF | 21 | 30,600 | 1500 | 6dx131[12d] | 41,900 |
| ATGM | PRH | HEAT | 20 | 15,600 | 1500 | 6dx54(10) | 38,500 |
| artillery | (none) | HE | n/a | 7,000 | 375 | 6dx1046[12d] | 4,000 |