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ES-1¨ª1 Gullwing Surveillance craft


A Gullwing during a training mission.
Powered gliders have been used off and on as platforms for various purposes; Indeed, the first aircraft of any empire have been powered gliders (less the T¡¯sentr©¡di who¡¯s technology was given to them by their Tiresian masters).
Powered gliders have MANY advantages that other craft inherently do not; As they are slower, they can loiter on any one given spot MUCH longer, and observe it much longer; They are more fuel efficient; Simpler to repair under most conditions; And are cheap enough that pilots can actually buy their own, if they so desired. (The first combat powered gliders were in fact privately owned planes.)
Although their direct combat usefulness is perhaps limited, their usefulness in combat support is not; As Forward Air Controller planes, they guide attack aircraft in ¡°Mission Terminus¡± stage; In other words, the bullets coming from attack aircraft go where the FAC wants them.
Name: ES-1¨ª1 Gullwing
Model Type: Surveillance
Crew: One or two.
Passengers: None; The two-seater version still is not used for passengers, though it CAN be used for training.
MDC By Location:
* Fuselage-
** Cockpit-
*** Wings (2)-
*** Tailerons (2)-
*** Tail Rudder-
3¨ª¨ª
15¨ª
2¨ª¨ª each
1¨ª¨ª each
1¨ª¨ª
*** Grav Pods (3)-
Landing Gears (3)-
Auto Cannon-
Engine-

5¨ª each
25 each
1¨ª
1¨ª¨ª

Notes:

* Depleting the MDC of the fuselage of the aircraft will destroy it. Pilot automatically ejects in his Patroller power armor which serves as his parachute.
** Depleting the MDC Cockpit will expose the pilot to high-velocity winds and further direct attacks. However, the pilot remains protected by his power armor. (Winds won¡¯t affect him if the face mask is in place.)-5 to strike.
*** Depleting the MDC of any of these objects will reduce the pilot¡¯s control (-1¨ª% to pilot skill each). The are also small and hard to hit (requires a called shot at-5 to strike). Destroying ALL 3 grav pods will force the pilot to pilot the craft on airfoil effect ONLY (-5% to pilot skill, but does not mean s/he will crash land).

Speed and Statistical Data:
Taxiing on the ground: 1¨ª MPH
Range On Land: About 1 mile normally; 1¨ª miles max.
Flying: 25 mph
Service Ceiling : 2¨ª¨ª feet.
Range in the air: 12,¨ª¨ª¨ª miles. Can not be refueled in the air.
Height: 6 feet
Wingspan: 3¨ª feet
Length: 3¨ª feet
Weight: ¨ª.2 tones
Cargo: Pilot¡¯s emergency gear only. All pilots must wear flight armor when flying.
Power System: A single Hydro-Cell car engine.
Flight Systems:
Primary: Normal Aero-Foil effect and Hydro-Cell Jets.
Secondary: Grav Pods for emergency use ONLY
Cost: 2¨ª,¨ª¨ª¨ª credits each
Availability: 1 to 2 months to build.
Black Market Cost and Availability : Not available; It¡¯s available publicly
and legally, and it¡¯s just not worth it.

Weapons Systems:
1. Smoke Mini-Missiles: Used by the pilots to specifically mark the targets for attack pilots to strike.
Purpose: Marker
MD: None; Marks target only.
Range: 5 miles.
Rate of Fire: Once per pilot¡¯s attacks per melee.
Payload: 2¨ª; Reloading takes 1 melee, and does NOT require tools.

2. .5¨ª Caliber Machine Gun: Used by the pilots to shoot at ground targets; Gullwing pilots usually would walk their fire up to whatever they want to mark with smoke mini-missiles, then, once marked, the Gullwing pilots would use the .5¨ª¡¯s to add harassment fire.
Purpose: Tracking/Harassment Fire.
Damage: Lead (Ball) shot: 7D6 Per round; Depleted Uranium rounds: 1D6¡¿1¨ª MD per round; Burst fire only.
Rate of Fire: Burst fire only; fires i fire round burst per pilots attacks per melee. .5¨ª¡¯s used on the Warbird series were specially modified at the factory to be burst fire only.
Range: 6¨ª¨ª feet
Payload: 5¨ª,¨ª¨ª¨ª rounds are normally carried- That¡¯s 1¨ª,¨ª¨ª¨ª bursts.
Weight: 5¨ª lbs
Cost and Availability: 5,¨ª¨ª¨ª credits; Occasionally available. Highly sought after, and made by a wide number of black marketers.
Ammo Cost and Availability: Ball rounds: 8¨ª¨ª to 1,¨ª¨ª¨ª credits for a box of 5¨ª; Routinely available. DU rounds: Up to 1¨ª¨ª thousand credits for a box of 5¨ª; Rare. Highly sought after.

3. Wing Mounted Weapons Systems: The plane can carry up to 4 pods.
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
MD: Each rocket does 2D6 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 6 or 12 times pilots attacks per melee.
Range: 12,¨ª¨ª¨ª feet
Payload: 96 per pod. Up to 6 pods can be carried.
B) TM-14 Sonar Buoy Pod: An air-droppable sonar buoy used to assist in detecting and tracking incurring submarines for future reference.
C) TM-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 ¨ûst of an inch of the intended target.









Features:
  • Radar: Combat grade radar. Range: 2¨ª¨ª miles, can track up to 25¨ª individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles).
  • ESM: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated.
  • Full Range Sensory Suite: Infrared, ultra violet, Magnification, night sight, color filters, thermal imager. Range is about 2,¨ª¨ª¨ª miles for MOST sensors.
  • Optic Sensors Systems: The craft is equipped with sensors all the normal combat aircraft sensors. NOTE: that the sensors on this craft is nowhere near as extensive as those on spycraft.
    Optic Systems: Infrared: 2¨ª miles, Magnification: 15¡¿ Ultra Violet: 22 miles, Magnification: 25¡¿ Night Vision: 24 miles, Magnification: 8¡¿ Color Filters: 19 miles, Magnification: 2¨ª¨ª¡¿ Thermal Imager: 1¨ª miles, Magnification: 4¨ª¡¿
  • Motion Detector: Activates a loud wailing when an object is coming at the user fast, and a soft ringing if it¡¯s coming slowly. Activation ranges must be specified by the pilot.
  • FLIR/SLIR: Forward and Side Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.
  • Video Recorder: Records from sensors and the cockpit itself. 5¨ª¨ª hours of recording available.
  • HUD: Displays maps, radar, targeting information, and any OTHER information the wearer wants directly in front of the user.
  • AJP: Active Jamming Pod. Causes-25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a-4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
  • Anti-Jamming System: Reduces Electronics Countermeasure by ¨ú (decrease skill level appropriately).
  • Electronic Counter Measures (ECM): These systems disrupt enemy radar and tracking systems, making it difficult for them to lock onto the ship with weapons. The countermeasures give the Mecha a +3 to dodge, +2 to strike and +1 on initiative in combat.
  • AMC/FD (2): Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispensers. Actually launches a glob of burning magnesium/aluminum alloy to confuse both radar AND heat sensory systems. Fires off ¨ª4 chaff/flares each time it is activated. The system is KNOWN to work on all KNOWN radar and infrared systems, but concerns continue that somewhere out there their MIGHT be a system that will be totally unaffected by the system. Reduce effects by 2¨ª% against smart missiles (add +2¨ª% to rolls for smart missiles.)
    Effect:
    ¨ª1-5¨ª: 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-¨ª¨ª: 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.
    Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
    Payload: 6¨ª chaff/flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off ¨ª4 chaff/flares.
  • LDP (4): Launched Decoy Pods. Located on the top of the port and starboard wingtips. The fighter can carry a special pod that carries four advanced decoy drones. These drones are launched to go where ever they want for 3¨ª minutes. Each is a specially designed radar lure that creates a radar image to mimic the fighter. If decoys are not destroyed, they can be recovered and repaired. This system has been successfully deployed against SEVERAL alien radar-type sensors (including one that works off of sound).
    MDC: 5
    Effects: The decoy has a 98% chance of fooling ordinary non military radars and non smart guided missiles, and a 9¨ª% chance of fooling military grade radars and advanced smart missiles.
    Range: Towed to 328 feet (1¨ª¨ª meters) from the Mecha or released to go wherever it wants. Can fly independently for about 3¨ª minutes.
    Rate of fire: One can be tether deployed at a time and requires 15 seconds to deploy another decoy. Any non-loosed decoys can be reeled in again.
    Payload: 16 Decoys total.



  • Smoke dispensers (8): Throws out smoke flares capable of covering a 25¨ª©ø foot area. Special chemicals in the smoke obscures IR and heat sensors, and defeats visual tracking of the vehicle. Note that it DOESN¡¯T make the vehicle invisible, but simply negates ALL bonuses to strike.
  • MRA 6 Radios: Allows real time, continuous radio link up with friendly forces in the area via satellite relay over laser radio signals, preventing jamming, and automatically encrypts/decrypts same to prevent eavesdropping.
  • Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 1¨ª mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies).
  • Combat/Targeting Computer: Records all enemy and friendly activity over the course of time; Can replay that activity for the pilot, assign target designation numbers, and track likely damage based on mathematical formulas (i.e. ¡°Right leg red¡± badly damaged/destroyed, ¡°head green¡± not damaged, etc). Displays this information as a pop up in the HUD on request by the pilot.
  • Blue Force Tracker: Identifies Friend from Foe. Overlays the information on both the radar and HUD, ensuring that friendly forces are not accidentally targeted.
  • CBR Protection: Complete chemical, biohazard, and radiological protection.
  • Vacuum Seal: Permits the fighter to be used in hard vacuum (such as outer space), and other hostile environments.
  • Internal temperature and humidity control: Automatically maintains users desired heat, humidity, and other personal comfort settings.
  • Heat And Radiation Shielding: Special shielding prevents the penetration of life threatening heat and radiation.
  • Variable Tint Cockpit Canopy: Adjusts tinting to light conditions, up to an including a black dot if the sun is directly on the pilots face (only covers eyes).
  • Survival Pack: A pack of simpler emergency survival supplies:
    Pup tent
    Sleeping bag
    Black light
    GPS
    First aid kit (bandages, gauze, bandage tape, pads, antiseptic/analgesic)
    Plasma torch (for small repairs and starting fires)
    Repair kit (with MDC Repair Spray)
    Sewing kit (a small spool of thread and 5 needles)
    7 star flares (25¨ª foot apogee)
    7 white parachute flares (1,5¨ª¨ª foot apogee)
    1¨ª¨ª foot of black or brown parachute cord (15¨ª lbs tensile strength)
    2-5 days rations
    2 gallons water
    Water purification kit (good for about 1¨ª gallons)
    Manual-inflating liferaft (for at-sea abandonment)
    Self-inflating lifevest (15# buoyancy). The liferaft can also double as a Pup Tent if so desired (though most pilots prefer to use a parachute for that, if anything, due to the fact that it is easier to hide).
  • Oxygen Rebreather System: Extends pilots air supply to 1¨ª¨ª hours; Cartridge MUST be replaced after that period of time.
  • GPS: Standard tracking device.
  • Virtual Map: Displays a continuously-updating map of local terrain for the pilot. Effective land navigation of 85% as updates come. Good to 5¨ª miles. Specific range can be adjusted in 1 mile increments.
  • Combat Bonuses from ES-1¨ª1 Gullwing Combat Elite:

  • 1 additional attacks per melee.
  • One additional Attack Per melee at levels 4, 8, 12, and 16 with any additional bonuses for the pilot.
  • +3 Initiative.
  • +3 Strike.
  • +4 Dodge.
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