A-51A (TL8 turboprop ground attack plane)
[This really has little place in a generic TL8 setting; however, in some worlds (like Autoduel) it could be a useful and important aircraft.]
This is really more a fighter than a CAS bomber. It is reasonably agile and can operate from moderate-length fields even fully loaded (and the wings could handle bigger hardpoints). It also can use a variety of fuels, possibly of value in some settings.
The underwing hardpoint loads varies considerably (see below). The underbody hardpoint usually either carries a drop tank or a rack with four 500-lb bombs. The plane carries a good gun punch (and can do severe damage to the top of an armored vehicle, penetrating an average of DR 315). The 20mmC cannon is for armored vehicles and other aircraft (if an AAM isn't carried) and the 10mmC is for use against unarmored vehicles, infantry and most buildings.
Unless noted otherwise, all components that are "facing specific" are mounted Front.
[The VE2 rules are broken with respect to aircraft taking off from grass fields; the Sopwith Camel requires a paved runway by VE2 rules! My change is to use rough-field wheels, which have double the volume of small wheels, but allow the plane to take off from a relatively flat grass or dirt runway with a normal takeoff run. Note that a landing gear strut is easy to break in a hidden rut or ridge (and if the strut doesn't break the plane can flip), so I'm pretty restrictive on non-paved landing fields regardless of ground pressure. My rule may not be entirely realistic, but it's better than VE2]
Subassemblies: two STOL wings, three rough-field (normal) retractable
wheels (body and wings)
Body Features: good streamlining
Propulsion: one 1260 kW ducted propeller
Weaponry (each wing): 1x20mmC autocannon, 1x10mmC minigun, 300x20mmC
APDS rounds, 2000x10mmC API rounds, two 200-lb hardpoints
Weaponry (body): one hardpoint with 2000-lb capacity
Instruments and electronics (body): air-search radar (25 miles,
Scan 19), thermograph (10 miles, Scan 17), terrain-following radar (min.
15 yards), two long range (1000 mile) scrambled radios, military GPS, two
small computers, one terminal, advanced laser/radar detector, digital camera,
HUDWAC, laser spot tracker, 2xIFF, optical bombsight, navigation instruments
Miscellaneous: fire extinguisher system
Controls: Computer
Occupancy: Short
Passengers: None
Crew: Pilot in normal crewstation
Environmental Systems: 12 hours limted life-support
Power: 1270 kW gas turbine, uses 76.2 gph, 1 rE-cell
Fuel: three self-sealing fuel tanks (one 150-gallon tank body,
one 25-gallon each wing), 200 gallons diesel fuel, 2.6 hours fuel
Access, Cargo and Empty Space: body: 51.6 cf access, 9.185 cf
empty, 5 cf cargo; each wing: 10.2 cf empty
Volumes: Body 250 cf, each Wing 30.5 cf, Wheels 25 cf; Surface
Area: Body 238 sf, each wing 117 sf, wheels 51 sf, Total Area 523 sf
Structure: medium frame, expensive materials
Structural Options: sealed, basic stealth, basic IR cloaking
Hit Points: Body 357, each Wing 175, Wheels (each) 51
Armor: PD 4 DR 35 expensive composite
Defensive Features: two dischargers (chaff, flare), 5 refills
each
Statistics (full payload): Empty Weight 9,621, Loaded Weight
14,425 lbs (7.21 tons), Volume 336 cf, Size Modifier +4, Loaded Price $1,166,340,
HT 9 (11 if hardpoints unloaded)
Air Performance (Hardpoints Loaded): Stall Speed 94 mph, drag
182.3, Top speed 455 mph, aAccel 7, aDecel 32, aMR 6.5, aSR 5, Takeoff
run 210 yards, Landing run 222 yards
Air Performance (Clean): Stall Speed 85 mph, drag 157.3, Top
Speed 490 mph, aAccel 8, aDecel 32, aMR 8, aSR 5, Takeoff run 152 yards,
Landing run 179 yards
New Weapons
20mmC autocannon: one long barrel, heavy automatic
APDS ammo: Dam 6dx5(2) Cr, Malf Ver, Type Cr, SS 30, Acc 14, 1/2 Dam
1250 yds, Max 5500 yds, ROF 10; $5.10 and 0.34 lbs per shell
10mmC minigun: six long barrels, electric gatling action
API ammo: Dam 9d(2) Cr, Malf Ver, Type Cr, SS 20, Acc 13, 1/2 Dam 900
yds, Max 4500 yds, ROF 60; $0.25 and 0.063 lbs per round
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. This has not
been "fixed" from the TL8 interceptor version]
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. Considering that this is less effective than under VE2
rules, it really isn't abusive]
203mm Missiles and Rockets
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 | Skil | Max Range | Speed | Damage | Cost |
| anti-ship | BALH | HEC | 15 | 64,800 | 300 | 6dx174 | $138,100 |
| SAM/AAM | IIRH | HEPF/ABF | 21 | 30600 | 1500 | 6dx131[12d] | $41,900 |
| ATGM | PRH | HEAT | 20 | 15600 | 1500 | 6dx54(10) | $38,500 |
| artillery | none | HE | n/a | 7000 | 375 | 6dx1046[12d] | $4,000 |
Equipment Pods
Deceptive Jammer Pod: level 5 deceptive jammer, $120,200, 150 lbs,
DR 10, 12 kW
Drop Tank: 260 gallons diesel, $2350 (full), 1845 lbs, DR 5
Discharger Pod: 2 dischargers + 10 refills, $950 (assumes $20/decoy),
190 lbs, DR 5