Gateworld Virtual Fleet 4.0 - Discussion thread

[Princess Awinita]

There's thin and then there's thin. A craft that wide essentially doesn't have any wings and would most likely look nothing like a 302, in fact with the systems you've put in it it would look more like a wraith dart, only thinner, maybe a missile with a person in it. Chopping wings off isn't really going to cut your cost significantly, what it will do is cut 50% of the area normally needed to mount weapons or carry fuel (which is normally stored in the wings). It's your choice though since it's mostly a matter of aesthetics at the end of the day since the canon Stargate tech would still allow such an oddly shaped craft to fly.

I think to that end your design requires a deathglider like inertia-less drive (since an aircraft of the physical dimensions you describe won't actually fly aerodynamically) and probably a low power shield to reduce drag. For these systems you might be able to get away with a liquid naquadah power source to keep your craft light and cheap.

The shape you've chosen would certainly make your craft capable of the fastest roll maneuvering of any fighter on show here and it would be the only one capable of gate travel, though I'd love to meet the pilot brave enough to pull a "threading the needle" maneuver with one of these

The fact these two models use magnets as a powersupply, the need of any kind of liqud feul is removed, thus also providing a smaller target. I have one or two revisions in mind ot the Startail model though, just need ot add them in and also the misson profile specs for both models. And no, nothing like a Dart, (to me a Dart was too small, far too small) this is meters we are measuring in, so a three meter ride craft is what? ten feet, eleven feet wide at best? wherein a 6+ meter wide craft is more or less two dozen or more feet wide, thus a larger target. Oh they fly alright, If only I could get my hands on a scanner I could provide a pair of pictures of both models

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

no aethon means "fiery" it's also the name of bird, and it's common in mythology. so what?

I know what it means, and it is common . . . as the name of a horse.

Now, it's used to describe a bird (specifically, the eagle that ate Prometheus's liver), but it's not actually the bird's name, as far as I am aware.

I'm not suggesting you change it, I just wondered why you chose it.

[Davidtourniquet]

no aethon means "fiery" it's also the name of bird, and it's common in mythology. so what?


money

isn't that standard?


hit means kill more or less. my idea is that this thing kills BVR



not a material expert... yet.

they make cars out of it... also it's not the sole material



nooo, adding twin Mark II railguns is better *sarcasm*

the gun has severely reduced firepower but trades it for more ammo.



removes the usefullness of one sensor....




will make the mods

Killman, the only difference between the Mk I and the Mk II is the speed in which the shell is accelerated (Mk I Mach 10, Mk II Mach 20).

[bradly08]

My final submission, The FS-100 Hawk series:

Spoiler:

Name: Hawk series
Type: Multi-purpose Fighter
Role: Intercept and destroy enemy fighters/Gunships/Ground positions
Classification: FS-100
Manufactures: BAE Systems
Lockheed Martin
Sukhoi
Cost: $239.7 million each
Operators: UNEC Space Forces (USF)
In Commission: 2022-Present
Built: 132
Planned: 1100 (275 squadrons of 4)

•General characteristics
Crew: 1 (Interceptor variant)
2 (Ground attack Variant/Gunship hunter variant)
Length: 22.8m
Wingspan: 18.3m to 17.16m
Height: 6.5m

•Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 5.5 (atmosphere)
Cruise speed: Mach 3.5 (Atmosphere)
Range: 2,380 miles (In atmosphere)

•Propulsion:
2x SABRE derived VTOL Engines. (Allows craft to reach orbit and allows for VTOL. Also incourperates thrust vectoring system from F-22) $46 million
2x VASIMR engines (for use outside of Atmosphere only.) $56 million each
6x manoeuvring thrusters. (These allow the craft to manoeuvre in space. It uses and Inert gas held at very high pressure)

•Power-Plant:
1x Mk. I Naquadah generator (Powers VASIMR engine and various electronics) $7 million
18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally held fuel tank (For use in atmosphere, it is provides the fuel used in the jet engines and it also serves as a back up should something happen to the Naquadah generator)
•Armament:

Interceptor package:
GAU-8 Avenger (Fires Tritium pointed bullets) $4.2 million
4x internally held Vympel R-27P Mrk II (An Anti-radiation missile, it is designed to detect and target and enemies radiation signature such as radar or engines. It doesn’t trigger radar warning receivers, thus conferring a measure of surprise.)
2x internally held AIM-120 AMRAAM Mrk II
2x internally held AIM-9 sidewinder Mrk II

Air to ground package:
GAU-8 Avenger (Fires Tritium pointed bullets) $4.2 million
2x internally held AIM-9 sidewinder Mrk II
4x externally held Hardpoints
4x internally held GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb

Gunship hunter package:
GAU-8 Avenger (Fires Tritium pointed bullets) $4.2 million
2x externally held Mrk I Nuclear missiles.
4x internally held Vympel R-27P Mrk II
4x internally held AIM-120 AMRAAM Mrk II

Note: All missiles are modified with a Naquadah warhead and use of electro-optical imaging targeting system. This allows it to target specific points on the enemy such as cockpits and any weak points.

•Airframe:
1.Forward variable-sweep wings (Enables the fighter to be extremely maneuverable at subsonic speeds, while maintain this at super sonic speeds. Wings sweep forward when fighter enters orbit and at higher speeds, so to lower profile of fighter.)

2.Airframe made out of mixture of Carbon-nanotubes and Trinium covering vital areas. $27 million

3.Body of fighter similar in that of the F-22, thus keeping most of the stealth. Whole airframe coated in classified radar absorbing material. $3 million

4.The Cockpit is covered with a special type of glass that is extremely tough. It also can be polarized allowing a heads up display to be placed around the cockpit. (E.g. if the pilot looks left towards an enemy; Data on the enemy such as kill chance, distance, type of craft, Vector ect. is displayed next to it, allowing the pilot to make quick decisions on whether to engage that enemy. $5.2 Million

•Targeting system:
1x Lockheed martin/Tech con system (Using a combination of radar, heat sensors this system is able to pick out a target at 200 miles. When multiple enemies are detected, the system calculates the highest kill chance of each enemy based on position, type of craft, vector ect. It then informs the pilot via their heads up display of best target.) $11.2 million
1x BAE AN/APG-77 Passive Sensors.

•Other Technology:
1x BAE ejector system (Making use of the Wraith culling beam, this beams and stores the pilot in “black box” and is ejected from the plane in milliseconds. It then transmits a signal for it to be collected by friendly ships in the area. This system is separate from the rest of the fighter and only activates when the computer concludes the pilot is at high risk of death) $5.6 million
1x Lockheed Martin Flight Assistance System (Based of the Eurondan Aero-fighter weapons system, the pilots helmet displays everything the pilot needs to know onto Heads up display on the helmet.) $7.3 million
1x Central Optic Network (This system used optical fibres to transfer data from the sensors and other systems to the pilot. It also allows data to be transferred to other fighters and ships, allowing sensor and targeting data to be sent from ship to fighter and vise versa. When fighters are working in squadrons, it allows each fighter to send each other vital data, thus increasing the team’s effectiveness.) $12 million
1x Inertia dampeners (Based of the drive used in the death gliders, it minimize effects of G-forces on pilot and fighter.) $2 million
1x Anti-missile system (Uses Chaff and flares to confuse and avoid enemy missiles. The chaff also causes plasma blots to detonate prematurely.)
1x Mrk I Life support system (Enables the fighter to operate in space for extended periods of time)

History:
After the disclosure of the stargate, various defence manufactures sought to take advantage of alien tech to vastly improve their own weapons. Lockheed martin was one of those companies who signed a deal with Tech Con for a trade of information and technologies. But unfortunately the aircraft industry fell behind others in that the IOA (Before it disbanded) refused to fund a new fighter, believing that the F302 was more than capable. Various experimental fighters were built during the period and even though it showed new designs could out perform the F302 the IOA refused to fund. It was only with the setting up of the USF that a window of opportunity opened. The USF leadership recognised that the F302 was outdated and opened up the challenge to design a new fighter to replace it. BAE, Lockheed Martin and Sukhoi came to an agreement to work together so to reduce the cost to each of their companies.
The X-100 Hawk series began designing in 2015 and an experimental prototype was built in 2019. This prototype exceeded all expectations but did have some problems with the VTOL SABRE engines. After a further year fixing these problems, the design was shown to the committee overseeing the challenge and was accepted. Because this fighter was so advanced, a treaty was signed at Paris, stating that any country who buys the fighter can only use it for planet defence. If any party broke this then the USF will engage and destroy the fighters.
Construction began in 2020 and the first squadron was set up in 2022 at Tyndall Air force base in Florida. Though low in numbers at the current time, these fighters have taken part in several war games with the Jaffa and have shown to be a very effective weapon against gliders and in numbers have been able to take on Al’kesh. So far 132 have been built with a further 968 planned, with the possibility of an extension of the contract.

[puddlejumperOZ]

Just a couple of comments before I re-post my version. Firstly railguns on fighters, total waste of time, a rail gun has been shown in Naval tests to be only effective in the +80mm ammunition guage, anything below that, if you need a powerful weapon, select the next best, a multi-barrled arrangement like the GU8-Avenger or the smaller Vulcan. The GU8 does require a rather bulky fuselarge, other than that, it is your best choice. And I am seeing the designation changed from F100 to FS100, ? Why is that. If you need to tag it with additional capabilities it would be F/S.

[Davidtourniquet]

Gatling guns?

[puddlejumperOZ]

Gatling guns?

Yes Dave, they are used most effectively

[thekillman]

The ancient Greek word aithôn means "burning", "blazing" or "shining."

i thought it sounded cool and would fit considering it has damn powerful engines.

It is an epithet sometimes applied to animals such as horses at Hom. Il. 2.839 ; oxen at Od.18.372; and an eagle at Il.

The name is twice applied to humans. In Odyssey 19.183, it is the pseudonym a disguised Odysseus assumes during his interview with Penelope upon his return to Ithaca. According to fr. 43a.5 of Hesiod's Catalogue of Women, Erysichthon was also known as Aethon due to the "burning" hunger (aithôn limos) he was made to endure by Demeter (cf. Callimachus' Hymn to Demeter 6.65ff.)[3]

Killman, the only difference between the Mk I and the Mk II is the speed in which the shell is accelerated (Mk I Mach 10, Mk II Mach 20).

and thus the Kinetic energy, unless the shell is lighter?

And I am seeing the designation changed from F100 to FS100, ? Why is that. If you need to tag it with additional capabilities it would be F/S.

S for space

The fact these two models use magnets as a powersupply, the need of any kind of liqud feul is removed, thus also providing a smaller target.

there's a difference in fuel and propellant. an ion engine or plasma engine uses propellant but not fuel.

my ship uses Hydrogen for both fuel and propellant, and Oxygen as an oxidizer. there are seperate oxygen tanks which get refuelled in atmospheric flight, while it is used during rocket flight (the part between high-altitude and actual orbit)


interestingly a fighter doesn't need to achieve escape velocity to escape. i've seen docu's about a fighter from the 80's or 90's which could theoretically reach orbit. the only problem was, that there wasn't enough if any oxygen up there. the Aethon can reach orbit because the engine has rocket components which bypass air intakes and directly inject oxygen.

[puddlejumperOZ]

S for space

Right then it should be as I posted F/S it's just a technical thing but that's how it is. And for all of you on your fighters, drop the rail guns, you don't need them. Velocity of a standard M30 round in space is more than you would need. Just nominate your projectile casing and the charge.

[thekillman]

And for all of you on your fighters, drop the rail guns, you don't need them. Velocity of a standard M30 round in space is more than you would need. Just nominate your projectile casing and the charge.

it helps a lot when your bullets move fast. especially considering SG fighter speeds. i mean, it makes a big difference in space wheter your bullet has a relative velocity of mach 1 or mach 10. it's not really about firepower but about bullet speed.

[Davidtourniquet]

Final modification:
Swapped railguns for gatling guns

Spoiler:

Vortex class- Attack fighter– F-100
-Designation: F-100
-Type: Small attack ship
-Role: Fighter
-Users: Earth and its Colonies
-Builders: Tauri

-Length: 19 metres
-Width: 14 metres
-Height: 8 metres
-Thickness of wing: 1 metre
-Volume: 352 m3
- Material: Trinium/Titanium
- Hull cost: $440,000
-Skeleton Material: Trinium/Carbon Weave
- Skeleton cost: $152,000
-Mass: 29 tonnes

-Capacity:
~Crew: 2
~Maximum Capacity: N/A

-Powerplant: 1x Mk I Naquadah generator - $5 million

-Propulsion:
~ 2x small ion engines - $14 million
~2x scramjets - $10 million
~1x prototype naquadah enhanced chemical rocket - $25 million
~1x small gaould based hyperspace window generator - $250 million*


-Armament:
~2x Mk I gatling guns (limited to 360 rounds per minute) - $4.8 million
~ 8x Naquadah enhanced AIM-120D missiles - $2.8 million

-Additional Technology:
~ Fighter Targeting Systems - $50 million
~ Laser guidance system - $15 million
~CON system - $15 million
~ Inertial Dampeners - $15 million
~ Heads Up Display - $5 million
~Stealth Technlogy - $10 million
~ Sensor Jamming Technology - $10 million

Total cost: $432 million
Total cost without hyperdrive: $182 million

*optional hyperdrive


~Technical and Historical Notes~
The Vortex class fighter is based upon the GR4 Tornado, although the fighter is slightly bigger than its predecessor. The fighter’s main task is as a multi-purpose fighter which is capable of planetary defence and space warfare. The Vortex uses a combination of scramjet engines for atmospheric manoeuvring; a naquadah enhanced chemical rocket engine for boosted space flight and ion engines for takeoff and landing. The top speed of the scramjet is between Mach 20 and Mach 25. So it is possible to achieve orbit speed with the scramjets alone, but it isn’t advisable. To go from atmospheric to space, the ion engines are reactivated. In space, the ion engines can get the ship upto 15kms-1 and with the booster, the speed goes upto 40kms-1. In the atmosphere, the ion engines can achieve Mach 2 in 10 seconds and then the scramjet kicks in, providing 100 MW of power is put through the two ion engines (for the Mach 2 target). The Vortex uses a prototype naquadah enhanced chemical rocket. The rocket is based upon an advanced HM7B rocket engine which was originally used for the upper stage of the Ariane 5 ECA rocket. The naquadah enhanced booster can push the Vortex from escape velocity to its maximum velocity in 6 seconds. There is enough fuel in the tank for an 18 second burn. So in theory, the fighter can get up to speeds in excess of 100kms-1. However, this is not advisable for the hull, the weapons or the pilots onboard. The fighter’s hull is made up of a trinium/titanium alloy and the skeleton is made of a trinium/carbon weave. This is essentially a mix of trinium weaved in with carbon fibre and helps to disperse energy around the fighter. The Vortex has the latest breakthroughs in “misguiding technology” such as sensor jamming and the latest stealth technology. Laser guiding technology is used for the Gatling guns and the modified AIM-120D missiles. The Gatling guns are positioned at the end of the wings. The Gatling guns comprise of 6 barrels that spin upto to a level where a 1.8kg shell is launched at Mach 35. The gun takes 2 minutes to spin to this level.
The optional gaould based hyperdrive, is the same as the human designed hyperdrive for the X-302. So Naquadria is used as the fuel source and so like its predecessor, the Vortex can only make short jumps.

Energy quota:

Defence:
Hull: 800kT
Skeleton: 300kT

Offensive:
AIM-120D missiles: 1.6MT
Railguns: 64.22T

Total number by 2025: 2,000 (600 for Colonies, 300 for Earth, 1,100 for ships)

[thekillman]

Swapped railguns for gatling guns

populist

[Davidtourniquet]

I've actually been thinking about changing that all day, but could find a good enough reason

[puddlejumperOZ]

This is what I believe should be the standard gun for all our fighter types

M138 Gatling gun

Length: 31.5 inches

Width: 12 inches

Weight (without ammo): Steel, 29.1 lbs.,
Titanium, 20.8 lbs.

Range: 3,500 metres (atmo)

Firing rate: Up to 4,000 rounds per minute

12.7 mm x 71 mm "NATO" round

The M138 12.7mm Minigun is a 6 barrel, air-cooled, link-fed, electrically driven Gatling gun, with a 2,500 metre maximum effective range and a tracer burnout at 1100 metres. The weapon has a rate of fire of 2,000 or 4,000 rounds per minute. The ammo can, 2 per aircraft, holds a maximum of 2625 rds of ball, tracer, low light tracer, or Sabot Launched Armor Piercing (SLAP) ammo.

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

Not F/S. S for "space-plane" is a vehicle type, not a mission designator. S as a mission designator means "anti-submarine". F/S would be an anti-submarine fighter (like F/A is an attack fighter); FS is a space-fighter (like FQ would be an unmanned fighter).