Balto-Columbian Aerotech AF-1 A/G/I Sky Raven

By: Linwood Foster

  

Facing a need to protect her AWACS patrol craft and outlying patrol ships, Baltimore needed to build a fighter that was both reliable and easy to build and maintain. Many Pre-Rifts American designs were considered for the job; but, one after another, they were rejected for various reasons. The F-3x series of aircraft were deemed too high-tech, the F-1x and F-2x series of aircraft were too specialized. Everything before those aircraft was too primitive. Just when the design comittee was going to go ahead and design their own aircraft, one of the designers came upon diagrams and pictures of an aircraft that would seem to fit their needs. This aircraft was not a U.S. aircraft, but one belonging to the old German Empire. This design, the He-162 and its variants, perfectly fit the needs of Baltimore. It was a small aircraft, easy to modify to fit the needs of the City-State.

This new fighter, the AF-1 Sky Raven would become the mainstay of the Baltimore Airforce. Three different models were designed and built, the Attack model, the Ground Support model, and the Intercept model. While all three use essentially the same fuselage and internal systems, the major differences between the models lie in their armaments, armor, and engines. The Intercept and Attack models have essentially the same amount of armor, but the Intercept model sacrifices weight and weapon capacity to get a boost on overall speed and manueverability. The Ground Support model sacrifices speed for increased carrying capacity, armor protection, and system redundancy.

The AF-1 can carry a variety of different ordnance types on hard points located on the body of the aircraft and on its wings. All ordnance mounted on the hardpoints are carried in integrated pods that cut down on drag. Pretty much any pod can be used on any fighter, with the exception of the heavy railgun pod and the rocket pod. Due to the weight and recoil of these two pods, they can only be mounted on the Ground Support model of the AF-1. The only restriction to the use of the pods is that whatever pod is mounted on one side of the aircraft, the same type pod must also be mounted on the other side. This equalizes the weight of the aircraft for both sides, and keeps the aircraft from becoming unbalanced and unstable.

The AF-1 has enjoyed wide popularity in the Baltimore Airforce and is in use all over the Commonwealth.

Model Number: AF-1
Model Types: Attack, Ground Support, Intercept
Vehicle Type: Variable Model Attack Fighter
Crew: One
M.D.C. by Location:
[1] Wings (2): 100 each
[2] Tail Fins (2): 80 each
[3] Canopy: 30
Pilot's Compartment (A/I Models): 60
Pilot's Compartment (G Model): 120
Engine (A/I Models): 100
[4] Engines (G Model) (2): 80 each
Landing Gear (3): 25 each
[5] Main Body (A/I Models): 190
[5] Main Body (G Model): 260

Notes:
[1] Destroying a Wing will cause the plane to crash
[2] Destruction of one tail fin will still allow the fighter to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but the fighter has a penalty of -10 to dodge, and a -30% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of both of the tail fins will leave the plane uncontrollable and pilot must eject to survive.
[3] Destroying the canopy will expose the pilot to harm. Because it is such a hard target to hit, there is a -5 penalty to hit it on a called shot.
[4] The destruction of one engine will reduce the fighter's top speed by half and give the pilot a -2 penalty to dodge as well as giving a 10% penalty to piloting. Destruction of both engines will cause the aircraft to crash. The pilot may attempt an emergency landing or they can choose to eject.
[5] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the aircraft down completely, rendering it useless and causing it to crash if in flight.

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing.
Flight: Statistical Data:
Height: 10.6 feet
Wingspan: 27.8 feet
Length: 32.5 feet
Weight:
[Attack]: 32,750 pounds, fully loaded.
[Ground Support]: 49,840 pounds, fully loaded.
[Intercept]: 29,550 pounds, fully loaded.

Power System: Nuclear Power Generator, 20 years life.
[Attack/Intercept] Single Pratt & Whitney F400-EW-448 afterburning turbofan with 29,100 lbs thrust.
[Ground Support]: Dual Pratt & Whitney F200-EW-227 turbofans with 18,100 lbs thrust.
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment).
Black Market Value: 22.8 million credits (Can occasionally sell for slightly more).

Weapon Systems:
Attack Raven: Railgun, 7 Hardpoints (4 Wing, 3 Body)
Ground Attack Raven: Dual Railguns, 9 Hardpoints (4 Wing, 5 Body)
Intercept Raven: Railgun, 5 Hardpoints (2 Wing, 3 Body)

1. Railgun
 Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
Mega Damage: [A/I] 1D4x10 MD for a burst of 30 rounds.
                     [G] 2D4x10 MD for a dual burst of 60 rounds. 
Rate of Fire: Equal to the hand to hand attacks of the pilot.
Payload: [A/I] 1500 rounds (50 bursts). [G] 3000 rounds (50 bursts).

2. Hardpoint Pods
Central Hard Point: ECM Pod, Heavy Railgun Pod, or Missiles/Bombs (1 Long Range/Heavy, 2 Medium Range/Medium, or 4 Short Range/Light)
Outer Fuselage Hard Points: ECM Pod or Missiles/Bombs (1 Long Range/Heavy, 2 Medium Range/Medium, or 4 Short Range/Light)
Wing Pylon Hard Points: ECM Pod, Rocket Pods, or Missiles/Bombs (1 Long Range/Heavy, 2 Medium Range/Medium, or 4 Short Range/Light)
Rate of Fire: Missiles can be fired and bombs can be dropped one at a time per hard point. Multiple hard points can be linked as one attack but they must be the same size (light, medium, or heavy) and style of ordnance (all missiles or bombs in a volley)

Railgun Pod: This pod carries a large-bore, rapid fire railgun for use against heavily armored targets and ammo for it. Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 MD for a 40 round burst. Range: 3500 feet. Payload: 1000 rounds (25 bursts).

Rocket Pod: A large capacity mini-missile pod. The rocket pods are normally carried for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missiles used are armor piercing or fragmentation mini-missiles.
Rate of fire: Each pod can fire one at a time or in volleys of 4, 8, or 16 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 16 mini-missiles.

ECM Pod: Pod takes place of all ordnance on the Hard Point.  The effects are the same as those on the Wild Weasel SAMAS and listed on my Miscellaneous Items page.

3. Special Equipment:
The AF-1 carries all of the standard equipment that robot vehicles carry (not including loudspeaker and microphone) plus the following extra systems:
APG-99 AESA Radar: Medium range actively scanned array radar capable of tracking both air targets and ground targets. The radar system also has terrain following capacity. The fighter can track up to 24 targets simultaneously and can target and fire on up to 12 targets simultaneously. Range: 138 miles (120 nautical miles/ 222.2 km)
E.S.M.: Radar Detector, Passively detects other radars being operated.
FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Allows pilot to get visuals on targets at night.
Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (1): Use the same effects as the TRIAX model. However, each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares. Rifts Earth decoy systems are assumed to not operate against Phase World missiles due to technological difference. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (Add +20% to rolls for smart missiles.) Effect:
01-50 Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missiles are all destroyed
51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target).
76-00 No effect, missiles are still on target
Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind monsters that fly through the cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half. Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
Payload: 20 chaff, 40 flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares.

4. Combat Bonuses:
[A/I] +1 to Strike with Railgun.
[G] +2 to Strike with Railguns and Rocket Pod.
[I] +6 to dodge/roll.
[A] +4 to dodge/roll.
[G] +2 to dodge/roll.

 

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