XF-14 TEMPEST SHADOWDRONE
AI EQUIPPED AEROSPACE SUPERIORITY FIGHTER
Version 1.93- Saturday, October 4, 2003

Based on an original mecha design by Derran Tyler & Marty Bowles
RPG Stats by Derran Tyler

BACKGROUND

With the end of the Draconian Civil War and the war against the Ayenee Space Coalition won, the Nerimian Defense Initiative found itself at a vital crossroads as it began to transform itself into a military force not only capable of defending the existing territory of the Nerimian Confederation, but projecting military force outward against currently-existing threats and those that had not yet materialized. Supreme Commander Cameron Blackblade's proposed Titan Programs, would effectively double the fighting strength of the NDI every two years for thirty years. A major part of this effort was the complete modernization, and in some cases, replacement of existing military units. As the cost of training skilled aerospace fighter pilots ballooned, the CONSTRACOM quickly realized that in order to fully equip its naval forces with strike craft, hundreds of millions of pilots would be needed.

Advancements in construction technology allowed units such as the SF-25 and SF-26 to be produced in record time, but there simply were not enough pilots to match the construction capabilities. The scientists of CONTRA quickly answered the call with the development of the Hyperion-C Advanced Neural Net CPU, which was every bit the equivalent (in some cases, the superior) of the human brain in terms of raw power. The first generations of the Hyperion-C were no better than Green-level pilots, but as the CPUs began to gain invaluable experience, the CPUs were cloned and new Hyperion-C units began to leave the factory with the equivalent of a Human pilot at the Veteran-level.

The XF-14 series fighters are by far the most superior fighters in space, possessing unparalelled speed, acceleration, and agility in combat conditions. They are exceptionally fast and are capable of reaching velocities that were never possible with Human pilots. They are not only capable of high-speed attacks in flight, but are equipped with anti-grav propulsion systems that allow them to perform as close-air support craft when deployed in an atmosphere. Their weapons systems are considerable, including powerful TRC-20 phased pulse cannons that are exceptionally effective against other strike craft and even heavily armored ground vehicles. Their secondary weapons come in the form of wing-sheath long or medium-range missiles and seventy-two high-maneuverability micro-missiles in a ventral compartment. Its default weapons load-out gives the mecha considerable ability to mix it up against targets of all types at all ranges.

Class: Unmanned Advanced Space Superiority Fighter
Manufacturer: Phoenix Corporation (Aerospace Division)

II. Type:

III. Service History:

Crew: None. The Tempest is controlled via an advanced AI system.

SPEEDS:

Speed(sublight): 0.99c (Can accelerate from motionlessness to this speed in less than five seconds).
Speed (hyperpulse): ~1,750c
Speed(Auxiliary Drives): 0.99c (Can accelerate from motionless to this speed in roughly three minutes).
Space Fold: Range Unlimited. The fold booster can propel the craft through hyperspace at speeds exceeding 30,000,000c.
Maximum Range: 140 LY (the fold booster is designed for relatively short trips and its core must be replaced at set intervals).
 

STATISTICAL DATA:

 
Fighter    
Total Length : 9.76m    
Total Depth : -    
Total Height : 4.32m    
Total Breadth : -    
Total Wingspan : 7.99m    
Total Dry Weight: 16.85 tons (metric) (XF-14A)
17.05 tons (metric) (XF-14B)
16.66 tons (metric) (XF-14C)
16.77 tons (metric) (XF-14D)
 
 
 
POWER PLANT:

 

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. PHOENIX ARMS TRC-20 "BANSHEE" PULSE CANNONS (4): An electromagnetic weapon - sends rapid pulses of exceptionally strong interphased electromagnetic energy resulting in a 80 terrawatt blast that forces its way through all known shield technology and produces a dramatic shearing effect which quickly destroys the target ship's materials - named for the fact that in an atmosphere, the pulse creates an atmospheric disturbance similar to a quasi-human scream at 180 dB.
  2. MM-80C MULTIPLE-MISSILE SYSTEM: The XF-14's primary tactical payload is stored in a ventral compartment that can hold up to 72 56 x 24 cm munitions, primarily the Shito multi-purpose missile for anti-fighter and armor capability and the Black Arrow Type 3G GPAPR-C3PGM (General Purpose Anti-Personnel Round-Carrier for Clustered Cannisterized Precision Guided Submunitions) for anti-personnel roles.
  3. WING-SHEATH MISSILE SYSTEM: Three heavily-shielded medium-range missile launchers are built into each wing. The launchers are flush with each wing, which reduces drag and protects the missiles from attack until launched. Each missile launcher can hold two missiles. The launchers can hold a wide variety of missiles, the most common being the Starscream long-range missile, the Aesir III ground-attack missile, and the Razor anti-ship missile.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE XF-14: