SR-98C Aurora mk.3 Strategic Reconnaissance

History :

Perhaps one of the most Important aircraft to see service in the Desert Alliance Military, the Aurora Mk.3 is almost 60 years old and is still providing the DA with the much needed Intelligence about the surrounding empires and governments of North America.

Using the proven design of the pre-Rifts Aurora Mk.2 the DA Recreated the Aircraft to survive and operate in the new hostile environment of present day Rifts Earth.

This aircraft has mapped about 60% of the earths surface, centered around North and South America And continues to monitor all possible threats to the DA (most notably the CS).

Still using some pre-rifts technology that has remained lost to most other military powers, the aircraft is beginning to lose ground in its dominance of the sky. The newer aircraft of the CS and other Empires are becoming more and more of a threat each year. The DA is attempting to keep the Aurora in operation until a suitable successor can be found.

The heads-up display is a special holographic projector that displays the area around the aircraft in a 50 km grid with friendly and hostile forces marked and displayed in real-time. The pilot sees a holographic image of the terrain with his aircraft in the center at either 10, 20 or 50 km diameter ranges. Anything at a greater range than 50 km is displayed on the radar screen. The radar on the Aurora is extremely powerful and accurate. this high power and accuracy is needed to see vehicles and objects while flying above the heavy sandstorms that affect the DA's domain on a regular basis.

extra note: 90% of all the pilots in the DA are equipped with a headjack for piloting their vehicles.

Vehicle Information :

Model Type : SR-98C Aurora mk.3
Class : Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft
Crew : Two, Pilot and sensor systems operator

M.D.C. By location :: *Main Body - 250; Reinforced Pilots Compartment - 120; **Main Wings (2) - 125 each; ***Tail Wings (3)- 95 each; ****Landing Gear (3)- 50 each; *****Engines - Jet(2)- 75 each; ******Engines - Scram-Jet(3)- 75 each

*Destroying the main body knocks the plane out of the sky and turns it into smoldering wreckage.
**Destroying one of the main wings will send the aircraft into an spin and rocketing to the earth.
***Destroying one or more of the small wings cuts the speed by -12% and handling by -10% for each of the two wings.
****if the gear is destroyed the plane can no longer perform conventional landings and take-offs and will be forced to make a crash-landing or the crew must eject.
*****if one engine is destroyed the aircraft's speed is reduced by 40% and handling by -30%
******if one of the scram-Jet engines are destroyed the aircraft's Max speed is reduced by 35%. If all three of the engines are destroyed the plane is no longer capable of speeds greater than Mach 2 and is limited to an altitude of 60,000 ft.

Speed :

Driving on the ground :

Only possible when performing conventional take-offs and landings as well as parking/storage and taxing(10 mph / 16 kph)

Flying :

Stall Speed - Standard jet engines only

- 250 mph ( kph).

Sea Level (0-50 feet) - standard engines only

-Mach 1.5 unloaded
Max ceiling Standard Jets (60,000 ft): - Mach 3.5

Max ceiling Scram-jet engines only (150,000 ft) Operational Level

- Mach 8.5

Standard operational cruising speed varies depending on the situation But is generally around Mach 7.0 at 100,000 to 150,000 ft.

Range :

The standard Jet engines are Nuclear powered, giving it continual energy, but the engines begin to over heat after all the liquid fuel for the Scram-Jets is used up (the liquid fuel also serves as the cooling agent for the aircraft's cooling system) or after 20 hours of flying time at cruising speeds. Once the the liquid fuel is spent occasional rest stops or of 4 to 6 hours, giving the engines 1 hour to cool down, will allow the aircraft to travel indefinitely. The scram-Jets use a liquid Hydrogen/Oxygen fuel mix and can run continuously for 10 hours before the fuel level runs out and the plane will need to revert to conventional jet thrust.

Statistical Data :

Height : 38 feet gear extended - 30 feet gear retracted
Width : 110 feet
Length : 170 feet
Weight : 28 tons unfueled - 40 tons fueled
Cargo : none
Power System/s : Nuclear, 20 year life span, Liquid Hydrogen/Oxygen fueled Scram-jets
Features of Note : See Sensors and other specialized systems
Black market cost : Not available, Desert Alliance military only.

Weapon Systems :

NONE - This aircraft has no room for any weapons other than the pilots personal side arm.

Sensors and other Specialized Systems :

1. HDR Radar system

High definition radar used for surface reconnaissance scans. Can identify anything in the data banks of the planes computer with a 85% accuracy

- Range: 200 miles (320 km)

2. Photo-Reconnaissance Equipment

Can gather high definition photographs of a 50 square mile area at altitudes of 80,000 to 100,000 feet (any Altitude above this will reduce the clarity of the photos, thus making them virtually useless)

3. Standard Radar System

Used for monitoring the airspace around the aircraft for airborne threats - Slaved to the Combat computer which assigns a threat level to the target and notifies the pilot of any danger that may be associated with that particular target. Range: 200 Miles

E.g. - Hypersonic SAM missile - threat level 1
- Standard low level SAMAS - threat level 10 (threat levels do adjust for altitude and speed of the aircraft)

4. ECM pod

35% chance to block or distort hostile radar and sensor signals
60% if the aircraft is flying below 50 feet (nape of the earth(25 ft) or contour chasing (50 ft))
75% if the Aircraft is at operational level and speed

5. Advanced High altitude Ejection system (HES)

This system was designed to eject the pilot safely at the aircraft's maximum altitude.

- The entire pilots compartment is ejected upwards from the aircraft.

- Once clear of the aircraft the compartment free-falls to an altitude of 60,000 feet where a small parachute begins to slow the compartments descent

- At 30,000 feet the Secondary chute is released to slow the descent event further.
- At 10,000 feet the main chute deploys. this slows the compartment down to an acceptable speed for landing.
- 1,000 feet the pilots compartment lower section falls off and air-cushions are deployed to soften the impact from a hard landing or act as a flotation device

6. Chaff / Flare Dispenser

Flares - 40
Chaff - 30

Created by the Hellstorm'er