Cerberus Station

A Hangar 19 report

Model: Blade Fighter
Price: 85,500cr
Mass: 7 tons
Cargo Space: 1 unit
Equipment Space: 5 units
Armour: 9 mm
Shields: 12 kilovolts
Top Speed: 435 km/sec
Acceleration: Very High
Turning Ability: Very good
Crew: 1
Standard equipment:
          2 Blaze cannon
          2 Fuel scoops
Maximum weaponry:
          3 guns

At Hangar 19 we aim to provide our loyal customers with nothing but the very best in starflight technology - and here it is: The Blade, from Kaizen Industries.

We believe the Blade is the best light fighter available; that's why Cerberus Station operates a fleet of them as part of the local defence force. Read on and find out why...

A spacecraft without a fuel tank? Are you crazy? That question was first asked at a Kaizen Industries board meeting six years ago... and now it's being asked again at dealerships all over known space.

Yes. A fighter without a fuel tank - and it's not as dumb as it sounds. In fact, it's very smart indeed. Blade features a pair of high-performance fuel scoops, which feed matter into a small containment sump which will hold just enough fuel for a single lightspeed jump.

Blade's landing gear has likewise been done away with, replaced with a simple nullgrav plate and clamping arrangement - suggesting that Blade will be available in a carried fighter variant some time soon.

The mass reduction achieved by deleting fuel tank and landing gear makes the Blade the most agile, fastest fighter we've ever tested. (Note that Kaizen Industries recommends that only pilots with a 9G+ rating should attempt to fly the Blade on full power.) If you want to make enemy fighter pilots feel as if they're in big, slow freighters then this is the ship for you.

The Blade shown here is from the Cerberus Station patrol fleet. The camouflage scheme was employed during a number of anti-smuggling raids in the vicinity of Hades. The one-jump fuel limitation was found to be no problem because the Blade fighters often managed to top up their fuel supplies before the enemy was engaged.

The picture above shows off the clean, knife-like lines which gave the Blade its name. For those who are prepared to forsake beauty for a little more hitting power, a ventral gunpack (blaze cannon) is available as an optional extra. Other options include an external fuel tank (far too conservative for this reviewer's taste) or a Boostex afterburner (insanity squared).