10 tons is not large enough for what I was looking for; 15 tons was just small enough to make the cost comparable. Here's my updated Donnerkugel.
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Donnerkugel
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Vessel Type: Conventional Fighter
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 15 tons
Frame: Daimler FzGDk
Power Plant: Maybach 120 Ducted-Fan Aero-Fusion
Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Armor Type: Longanecker PlastiSteel Standard
Armament:
2 Diverse Optics Type 18 Medium Laser
1 Maxell Small Laser
Manufacturer: Daimler FlugzeugWerks
Location: Stampfer
Communications System: Siemens SAComm
Targeting & Tracking System: Siemens SAGTrac
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==Overview:==
As the numbers of serviceable Aerspace assets dwindled, those remaining
were needed more and more to establish space superiority. This left fewer
AeroSpace assets to support ground units. Even as Daimler engineers
worked on a new AeroSpace fighter design, other Daimler engineers were working on a
less-expensive conventional fighter that could perform as a ground-attack
unit, freeing up valuable AeroSpace fighters. In 3004, Daimler
FlugzeugWerks rolled out their first design, the Donnerkugel (Thunderball).
==Capabilities:==
The Donnerkugel is designed to operate from rough airstrips or roads with
little support besides maintenance and fuel. With its all-energy weapon
loadout the fighter does not need ammunition, and its V/STOL capability frees
the fighter from the need for a long runway. The nature of its airframe
and avionics makes the fighter relatively simple to maintain, and the modular
nature of the avionics and powerplants makes it easy to stock spare parts.
The Donnerkugel is powered by the Maybach 120 ducted-fan aero-fusion
turbine, which provides the energy needed for the lasers but lacks the thrust
necessary to reach orbit.. Specially designed outlets on either side of the
bottom of the fighter can be opened downwards to redirect the thrust of the
turbine downwards and achieve vertical take-off, or angled back to provide
STOVL performance or vectoring in forward flight. The Maybach 120 is a
new design, but it is intended to be reliable and fuel-efficient in the crudest
of field conditions. The turbine is placed in the fighter in order to ease the
task of maintaining and removing the powerplant if necessary.
The Donnerkugel is armed with two Diverse Optics Type 18 medium lasers,
and a single Maxell small laser. While the lasers require extra heat-sinks
and complex power amplifiers, the lasers do not require ammunition, freeing a
Donnernkugel pilot from worrying about running dry in combat. The lasers
also make the fighter a highly effective strafer and a decent dogfighter.
The medium laser emitters themselves are placed under the pilot and to either
side of the nose of the fighter, with the power amplifiers back behind the pilot.
This was done to make the job of field maintenance easier, as the laser systems
are easily the most complex part of the fighter. The small laser is more conventional
in design, and is compact enough to be located just ahead of the nose landing
gear and directly under the cockpit.
While the avionics on the Donnerkugel won't win any awards for power or
accuracy, they are simple and rugged. A side-effect of this is that a new
pilot can be trained on a Donnerkugel in a short period of time. The
communications system in particular is serviceable but it was felt that an
atmospheric craft did not need a communications system with near-system
range.
The Siemens SAGTrac targeting system was designed primarily to aid the
pilot in attacking ground targets, though it has tolerable performance in a
dog-fight.
==Variants:==
The very design of the medium lasers and the emitters makes any variation
difficult to implement. One variant involves replacing the medium lasers and
a ton of fuel with a single Daimler Type 5 LRM launcher using a long launcher
setupthat folows the laser emitter channels past the cockpit. While this
gives the little fighter a longer range, it does so at the endurance over the
battlefield. The variant also needs more maintenance than the laser-armed
version due to the launch tubes for the missles.
==Deployment==
The Donnerkugel can be found on most planets that are well away from any
front lines as garrison fighters, and in some smaller merc units that lack any
AeroSpace fighters of their own. Some Davion units in the Chaos March
have purchased Donnerkugels to use as guerrilla fighters.
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Class/Model/Name: Donnerkugel
Mass: 15 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant: 120 Fusion 4.00
Engine Shielding: 2.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity: 8 .00
VSTOL Equipment: 1.00
Total Heat Sinks: 10 Single .00
Fuel: 3.00
Cockpit, Avionics & Attitude Thrusters: 1.50
Armor Type: Standard (15 total armor pts) 1.00
Standard Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Nose: 7
Left/Right Wings: 3/3
Aft: 2
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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2 Medium Laser Nose 5 -- -- -- 6 2.00
1 Small Laser Nose 3 -- -- -- 1 .50
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TOTALS: Heat: 7 15.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 333,250 C-Bills
Battle Value: 276
Cost per BV: 1,207.43
Weapon Value: 362 (Ratio = 1.31)
Damage Factors: SRV = 12; MRV = 0; LRV = 0; ERV = 0
BattleForce2: MP: 8, Armor/Structure: 0 / 0
Damage PB/M/L: 1/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: FL; Point Value: 3
