Design Challenge: Optimal SL Era Fighter.

[FastConcentrate8]

Alright guys, time for a challenge.

For the purposes of a personal project, I find myself in need of creating a most optimized Aerospace Fighter for a faction with Star League equivalent technology. This fighter needs to be a craft of unparalleled capability within its Tech and Mass Bracket and fall between 50 and 70 tones of mass.

Other than that, feel free to experiment with Speed, Weapons Load, and other factors in its design.

[AlphaMirage]

Optimized for what? Air Superiority, Ground Attack, Fleet Defense and Interception, Capital Strike, ...

[FastConcentrate8]

Optimized for what? Air Superiority, Ground Attack, Fleet Defense and Interception, Capital Strike, ...

Considering that it leads well into a bit of a do it all design, let's say Air Superiority as what makes for a Good Air Superiority Craft in BT tends to lead to it having the best performance in multiple different roles.

[AlphaMirage]

Hmm that's a tricky thing because for Air Superiority a lot of my design ideas are basically Stingrays. The base F-90 or F-94 are really good at thresholding star league era fighters. For Royals you have the F-92. There's a reason they used them as Void seeker base chassis.

The Corsair is also pretty good, unfortunately like you mention a good air superiority fighter is a solid multirole platform for most anything so there is not as much room for specialists.

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Code: [Select]

Araeus Fighter (2750)

Mass: 70 tons
Frame: Unknown
Power Plant: 350 XL
Armor: Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
     1 Large Pulse Laser
     3 Medium Pulse Laser
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 2750
Tech Rating/Availability: E/E-F(F*)-E-D
Cost: 11,800,125 C-bills

Type: Araeus Fighter
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 70
Battle Value: 2,230

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        350 XL                 15
Safe Thrust: 7
Max Thrust: 11
Structural Integrity:         0                       
Heat Sinks:                   11 [22]                 1
Fuel:                         320                   4.0
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          555                    31

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                   191   
     Wings                141/141 
     Aft                     82   


Weapons
and Ammo               Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Large Pulse Laser        NOS       7.0      10     9    9    0    0 
3 Medium Pulse Laser     NOS       6.0      4      6    0    0    0 
Active Probe             FSLG      1.5      -      -    -    -    - 
ECM Suite                FSLG      1.5      -      -    -    -    - 


What about this? It have 14 hardpoints for bombs too, while maintain the thrust of 4/6 so it could take the bombing run mission as well.

[Daryk]

Is 2812 in the "Star League" window for you?  Blazer Cannons have short range but awesome thresholding ability... ;)

[FastConcentrate8]

Is 2812 in the "Star League" window for you?  Blazer Cannons have short range but awesome thresholding ability... ;)

Sure. This is for an Alternate Universe Setting with a bit of an all over the place tech level so go ahead. Military Tech is just mainly in the Star League period.

[Daryk]

Alrighty then!  I could have sworn I posted a Blazer Lucifer before, but I don't see it in my sig block.  I'm interpreting Air Superiority to include Anti-DropShip work here, so it can Threshold anything below 111 points of armor per face, while resisting Gauss Rifle thresholds from the front (and PPCs from behind).  With ammo that lasts as long as the gas (which can be extended with drop tanks), it can afford to take even unfavorable shots.  The Small Lasers augment the AMSs until the XL engine gets the Fighter into Short Range, where they switch to offensive mode to chew through armor even faster...

Code: [Select]

                    Vessel Technical Readout

Class/Model/Name:  LCF-R20BC
Tech:              Inner Sphere / XXXX
Vessel Type:       Aerospace Fighter
Rules:             Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set:         Tech Manual

Mass:              65 tons
Power Plant:       240XL Fusion
Safe Thrust:       6
Maximum Thrust:    9
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    1 Blazer Cannon
    1 Maxell Medium Laser (Rear)
  10 Maxell Small Lasers
    2 SureFire 444 Anti-Missile Systems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
Class/Model/Name:  Lucifer LCF-R21
Mass:              65 tons

Equipment:                                                              Mass
Power Plant:  240XL Fusion                                               6.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 6
      Maximum Thrust: 9
Structural Integrity: 6                                                   .00
Total Heat Sinks:    14 Double                                           4.00
Fuel:                                                                    5.00
Cockpit & Attitude Thrusters:                                            3.00
Armor Type:  Ferro-Aluminum (519 total armor pts)                       29.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Nose:                                146
   Left/Right Wings:                141/141
   Aft:                                  91

Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Blazer Cannon            Nose        12     12     --     --   16      9.00
2 Anti-Missile Systems     Nose        --     --     --     --    2      3.00
2 Small Lasers             Nose         6     --     --     --    2      1.00
4 Small Lasers             RW          12     --     --     --    4      2.00
4 Small Lasers             LW          12     --     --     --    4      2.00
1 Medium Laser             Aft          5     --     --     --    3      1.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                                   Heat:  31     65.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        8,065,474 C-Bills
Battle Value:       ?
Cost per BV:       ??
Damage Factors:    SRV = 42;  MRV = 12;  LRV =  0;  ERV = 0


[FastConcentrate8]

After a long period of testing and trials (me Fing around in MegaMek), the RFP for a Next Generation Multirole Aerospace Fighter has been filled by the Araeus design of the European Federation (PuppyLikesLaserPointers) to fill the role of a modern fighter within the United Nations Fleet Command and Air Command as the F-91 Global Guardian.

The upgraded Binary Laser Lucifer design though has peaked interest and will be subject to continued trials and potential side procurement.

[Daryk]

Nice!  Congrats to PPLP, and the BLucifer looks forward to future service with the UNFCAC! :)

[FastConcentrate8]

Ignore, wrong button

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Yay! Well, that said, this craft lacks sure punch so against dropships and thicker things you gonna need something with bigger gun instead.