Class/Model/Name: Pleiades Space Fighter Mk5
Tech: Inner Sphere / 2501
Vessel Type: Aerodyne Small Craft
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 175 tons
Length: 29 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 6
Maximum Thrust: 9
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
2 Autocannon/10
1 SRM 6
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Class/Model/Name: Pleiades Space Fighter Mk5
Mass: 175 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 68,50
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 6
Maximum Thrust: 9
Structural Integrity: 9 8,00
Total Heat Sinks: 10 Single 9,00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 13,50
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,50
Fire Control Computers: ,00
Armor Type: Standard (268 total armor pts) 14,50
Standard Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 88
Left/Right Wings: 65/65
Aft: 50
Cargo:
Bay 1: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 6,00
Crew and Passengers:
3 Crew (3 minimum) 15,00
1 Gunners (1 minimum) 7,00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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2 Autocannon/10 Nose 10 10 -- -- 6 24,00
Ammo (AC/10) 40 --- 4,00
1 SRM 6 Nose 8 -- -- -- 4 3,00
Ammo (SRM 6) 15 --- 1,00
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TOTALS: Heat: 10 175,00
Tons Left: ,00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 10.412.559 C-Bills
Battle Value: 980
Cost per BV: 10.625,06
Weapon Value: 1.936 (Ratio = 1,98)
Damage Factors: SRV = 26; MRV = 14; LRV = 0; ERV = 0
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 2.053
(829 Structure, 885 Life Support, 339 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 3.152 (154% of MPV)
BattleForce2: MP: 6, Armor/Structure: 7 / 0
Damage PB/M/L: 3/2/-, Overheat: 0
Class: DS; Point Value: 10
Overview
During the days of the Terran Alliance there were no Aerospace Fighters, the Fighters of that time were either designed for use in space or for use in the atmosphere. The heaviest Space Fighter ever build was the Pleiades Space-Fighter. Versions of it continue to serve among various nations as a heavy combatant for over a millennia. It was first introduced in 2102, where massive numbers of these fighters were needed to provide full coverage to all space assets in the Terran Solar System. During their development, special attention was given to make them easy to maintain and pilot in space, but this came at the cost of atmospheric flight instability.
The Pleiades is easy to recognize, as it has a very particular blocky look, with most of the main systems having clear sections. Another exterior feature are the four wing-like booms, which can be deployed in an X-configuration. Each of these booms have a large number of directional thrusters to make dog fighting in space easy.
Capabilities
The weapons package of the Pleiades has been reasonability consistent for nearly a millennia. The main weapons are always two large direct fire weapons, which are supported by either missile launchers and/or a bomb bay. The earliest version of the Pleiades Space-Fighter used primitive chemical lasers and primitive missile systems. However as jamming technology began to outpace missile guidance systems, these launchers were quickly scrapped in the mark 2 for a larger bomb bay.
These fighters were also instrumental during the McKenna coup. During this event the Pleiades Space-Fighters loyal to McKenna disabled or destroyed all the defense satellites what were able to cross a specific orbit. This left the way clear for the TAS Dreadnought to destroy two uninhabited islands. It was only recently discovered by archaeologists that the site actually contained an actual command complex for the orbital defense network. This has also seemed to explain the disappearance of several of James McKenna's rivals.
The arrival of the far more efficient and flexible Aerospace Fighters quickly relegated the Pleiades Space-Fighter to training units. In this role it fared quite well, earning the respect of many pilots. To this day most surviving Pleiades Space-Fighters are used by military and civilian pilot training institutes.
Much later during the last days of the SLDF. The Royal units of the Star League successfully lobbied for a Royal version of the Pleiades Space-Fighter. This version uses Gauss Rifles, an Artemis-enhanced LRM launcher, Ferro-aluminum armor and double heat sinks. Most officers dismissed this variant as wasteful, but it demonstrated its effectiveness during the Amaris coup. In which Royal unit instructors used a large number of this advanced variant to escort the fleeing Royal Aerospace Cadre out of the Sol system. The experienced instructors were able to destroy many drones or lure them away until the Drones ran out of fuel.
Deployment
The standard Pleiades Space-Fighter is still being produced by the various Belter groups, but it is rumored that some of them are producing the Royal variant for themselves. And there is also some intelligence to suggest that Clan Goliath Scorpion might have refitted a large number of Pleiades Space-Fighters with Clan technology, vastly increasing their capabilities.
Quirks: Easy to Pilot, Internal Bomb Bay, Atmospheric Flight Instability
