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The F4U Corsair is a carrier-ready fighter/attack/bomber Warbird based on the Terran American Empire's Marine Corps fighter of WWII; It was also the First of the series accepted into
Sensors And Avionics The sensors and avionics of the prototype F-4U were taken off a retired VAF-6. While these were multiple generations ahead of the original fighters, they weren't far enough for UGC and in production were switched out for standard UGC fighter and attack aerospacecraft sensors and avionics. Cockpit For trainee pilots, the F-4U has an all-digital flight instruments. The canopy itself provides tracking information on surrounding forces, with friendly forces in blue, enemy in red, civilians in green, and unknowns in yellow. Speed, course over history, known or probable condition, etc. are also shown. The primary flight controls are a centerline mounted controller and a pair of throttles. For instructor and combat pilots, the pilots also have thinking caps that can read their thoughts, increasing their combat efficiency. The integrated control panel (ICP) enters communications, navigation, powerplant management, and autopilot data. Powerplant The primary powerplant is a Pratt & Whitney U-1300 Hydrocell turboprop engine (output 3,500 hp at 2,100 KHw). Secondary power is supplied by wing and fuselage mounted solar panels (output 1,500 hp at 1,000 KHw). Flight Systems The F-4U pioneered the use of grav pods in Warbirds and pioneered the use of grav pods as a secondary system. Normal aerofoil wings supply lift, though grav pods can be used when necessry. Operators Currently only the Marine flies the F-4U in actual combat of the REF, though many RDF's do as well for area patrols and law enforcement work; All branches of the REF use the Corsair for training. In addition to ground support for Marine infantry, the Marine also have two plane, Cinderella and Aurora, which is part of the Blue Angels Flight Team as the Honor Guard Sergeant. She is always flown by a female E-5 or above Marine enlisted, and will fly in into an airport or field 5 minutes ahead of the main team's demonstration and escort Fat Albert during take off. The Honor Guard are the only craft in the team with nose art, with Cinderella and Aurora having topless pinup versions of their names and Fat Albert with a cartoon version of the plane with a wrench in it's hand. Many mercenary groups fly them as well, along with various militias and civilian demonstration teams. Weapons Systems The F-4U is unprecedented in it's firepower, at least in terms of Warbirds; There are 08 underwing hardpoints on the outboard wings (past the point of the bend) and 4 more on the over-wing. (The wings must be cleared to fold up.) There is a hardpoint on the inboard underwing and another on the undercarriage of the fuselage itself. The inboard wings and undercarriage hardpoints must be taken special care- They fire right THROUGH the propellers. Though this is an issue with all Warbirds (except the P-38), it's especially dangerous with the F-4U because there are more hardpoints behind the props. Space Operations The F-4U can be launched from orbit, but can not fight in a factory configuration in orbit. It is capable of flying in orbit for about 20 minutes and then entering an atmosphere. To convert them to space combat takes ripping the main powerplant and drive system out. This is cost-prohibitive and fairly ineffectual, especially in a manned variant (though some colonies and private militry contractors are known to sometimes do it). Manufacturing In an unprecedented move, Galactic Defenses, Ltd applied for and received permission to purchase a used Neotech Factory to produce the fighters- To exclusion. (They actually produce all of the Warbirds series, plus anything needed for the planes, including fuel, etc- Even training pilots, including REF Warbird pilots.) Name: F-4U Corsair. Model Type: Warbird Class: Patrol Fighter/Bomber Crew: One; A two seat trainer/special operation variant is available, but not common. Passengers: One on shorter flights. MDC By Location: | |||||||||||||||
| Fuselage- Cockpit- Wings (2)- | 200 90 100 | Taileron (1; Reaches between tails)- Rudder- Props (4)- | 75 75 80 each | ||||||||||||
| Speed and Statistical Data: | |||||||||||||||
| Flying: 600 mph. Range In The Air: 100,000 miles; This is SEVERAL times around the world on most planets. Can be refueled in the air. Service Ceiling: Tranatmospheric. Climb Rate: 4,000 ft./min. Wingspan: Folded Down: 41 ft. Folded Up: 13 ft 6 in. Length: 38 ft 1 in Weight: 24,800 lbs max/12.4 tons. Height: 13 ft 8 in | Cargo: Pilots supplies only. Power Systems: Primary:One Pratt & Whitney U-1300 Hydrocell Turboprop Engine; Output: 3,500 hp at 2,100 KHw. Secondary: Wing and Fuselage Mounted Solar Panels; Output: 1,500 hp at 1,000 KHw. Flight Systems: Primary: Anti-Grav Pods Secondary: Aero-Foil effect in emergency. Cost and Availability: 200,000€ to authorized purchasers; Always available to authorized purchasers. Black Market Cost and Availability: 5 to 50M€- Fluctuates WILDLY; Not very common. | ||||||||||||||
| Weapons Systems: | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Six .50 Caliber M-3 Machineguns (6 between and 2 outboard of the cockpits): The general purpose weapon of the Warbird series; A fully automatic, heavy machine gun has been around since the early 20ᵗʰ Century on Earth, and nearly identical ones have existed just about everywhere. In all mechanical functions, the Regult Series Battle Pods auto-cannon is so similar that some would call them identical; Only the caliber is significantly different (and thus, the engineering is SLIGHTLY different). The addition of Depleted Uranium rounds to the available inventory has added to the lethality of the .50's significantly. Also, during the War with the Regent, Plasma-662 propellant was developed; The charge was reduced to exactly emulate the effect of Cordite propellant, so it does NOT effect the damage. Purpose: Anti-Personnel/Armor Damage: Lead (Ball) shot: 7D6 Per round; Depleted Uranium rounds: 1D6×10 MD per round; Burst fire only. Rate of Fire: Burst fire only; Fires a 10 round burst per pilots attacks per melee. .50's used on the Warbird series were specially modified at the factory to be burst fire only. Range: 600 feet Payload: 50,000 rounds are normally carried- That's 10,000 bursts. Weight: 50 lbs Cost and Availability: 5,000€; Occasionally available. Highly sought after, and made by a wide number of black marketeers. Ammo Cost and Availability: Ball rounds: 800 to 1,000€ for a box of 50; Routinely available. DU rounds: Up to 100K€ for a box of 50; Rare. Highly sought after. | 2. Twin Forward laser Cannons: Basically a cut-down version of the Raidar X Laser Cannon; The damage is the lower (because there's only two cannons), but the range the same; Located in the inboard wing section. MD: Per barrel: Short Blast: 1D10; Long Blast: 2D10; Maximum Blast: 3D10. Range: 10 miles (double in space) Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee. Payload: Effectively Unlimited. 3. Wing Mounted Weapons Systems: The plane can carry up to 27 pods; 8 under each outboard wing, 1 under the inboard wing, 1 undercarriage, and another 4 overwing. The overwing pods are restricted to missiles or gunpods, the undercarriage pod restricted to LRM or fuel and/or air tanks, and the inboard pods restricted by the propellers- The pilot must make sure what he selects will not go through the propellers or it will tear them up and probably bend the shaft, destroying the all-critical primary powerplant. | ||||||||||||||
| A) M-7 Rocket Launcher: 24 2-inch rocket tubes in 12 rows of 4 each. Each rocket tube has 4 rockets. Purpose: Heavy Assault M.D.: Each rocket does 2D6 M.D. Rate of Fire: Volleys of 6 or 12 times pilots attacks per melee. Range: 12,000' Payload: 96 per pod. Up to 6 pods can be carried. B) M-11 Torpedo Pod: An ASW torpedo pod. Carries the Mk-82 Airborne Torpedo essentially a modified version of the Mk-81 Submarine Launched Torpedo. The initial launch is by a nothing so complicated as releasing it from the latches that hold it to the pylon. The on board hydro-cell motor then takes over as soon as the torpedo splashes. Each pod hold 3 Mk-82's. Purpose: Offensive/Anti-Ship M.D.: 4D6×10 per torpedo Blast Radius: 40' Maximum Range: 80 miles Minimum Range: 5 miles Rate of Fire: 1 torpedo per pilots attacks per melee. Payload: Each pod holds 3 Mk-82's. | C) M-12 Fuel Pod: Essentially a modified version of the M-11 Torpedo Pod. In this case, however, it is used as a fuel pod to double the normal range of the craft. D) C-441 Canister Pod: Basically a hollowed out version of the M-7 pod, used to drop highly sensitive and extensive messages. A nose-mounted device using GPS or laser detection guides the pod to within ⅛ᵗʰ of an inch of the intended target. | ||||||||||||||
| Features: | |||||||||||||||
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, missile is still on target. Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind nearby heat sensors (and optically based sensors at night) for 1 melee. They will suffer the following penalties: Reduce melee attacks/actions, and combat bonuses by half. Also, a cloud of smoke approximately 250³ feet wide and high by about 1 half-mile long. Duration: 1D4 melee rounds. Rate of Fire: Once per melee. Payload: 6 chaff/flares. | |||||||||||||||
Kranick-Desel Aero Space | Kranick-Desel Aero Space | ||||||||||||||
The Elita isn't a true Veritech; It only has 2 modes (fighter and Battloid) and doesn't use protoculture (in fact it uses the same U-1300 Hydrocell turboprop engine the Corsair uses. However, the common term is used here to encourage non-UGC aligned systems that are receiving the craft to fully join. Mechanically, the VF-4U is exactly like the standard F-4U except in terms of speed; The VF-4U can run at up to 123 mph. The intra-wing mounted weapons become the gun pods in Battloid mode. The Mecha can also use any other hand-held weapon (shown here using a vibro axe from the canceled Hatchetman program). An early victory for the VF-4U was the Battle Of Riziim, where UGC Marine Lieutenant Colonel "Burn" DANVERS took on 12 'rouge' TIE Interceptors and 6 AAT Troop Transports, forcing half of the TIE's to return to orbit and permanently bringing down 5 of the transports; The last one was brought dowbn later the same day when it was intercepted by Alpha. This was not the only battle on Riziim that day, but Colonel DANVERS took then on all alone, where as the other waves were facing a couple dozen Veritechs. Col. DANVERS' actions that day saved over ten thousand civilians. | |||||||||||||||
