Hornet Interceptor mk. II
Name/Type: Hornet Interceptor mk. II
Designer/Manufacturer: Smuggler’s Alliance
Combat Role: Interception
Crew: 1
Length: 9 Meters
Speed: 145 MGLT, 1650 Kph
Acceleration: 25 MGLT/s
Maneuverability: 165 DPF
Hyperdrive: None.
Shield Rating: 25 SBD
Hull Rating: 20 RU
Weapons: 2 Laser Gattlings, 2 Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile Launchers
Countermeasures: Decoy Beam, Miradyne 4x-Phantom Jammer
(Original Hornet’s specs located here: http://www.nifrpg.net/database/criminals_starfighters.shtml)
The original Hornet interceptor was designed not long after the battle of Yavin by scientists of the Tenloss Syndicate. Blazingly fast, blindingly maneuverable, and easily mass produced, the design philosophy was similar to that which the engineers at Sienar fleet systems followed when designing the TIE Fighter though, in many ways, the Hornet was actually a step up. Equipped with shields, heavier guns (even if there is a risk of them blowing up in your face), and far faster and more maneuverable: the Hornet could even give a TIE Defender a run for its money.
Unfortunately for groups (and individuals) looking to acquire these magnificent Starfighters, they were only sold by the Tenloss syndicate to it’s allies. However, it wasn’t unheard of for second hand Hornets to reach the Black Market, though usually they were stripped down ones with components replaced by those from older Starfighters such as Z-95s and Cloakshapes.
The Smuggler’s Alliance managed to collect several dozen of these Starfighters over the years through various means- some were bought on the black market, some bought from defecting pilots after the “Imperializing” of the Syndicate (similar to the Israeli’s and the Mig-21), some captured from the occasional skirmish between the two groups, and the rest just flat out stolen in raids or reassembled from destroyed examples.
While a superb fighter, the ship had been in production for twenty years since parts were standardized and the design finalized. With two decades of technological advancement, there was doubtlessly some room for improvement, and thus Alliance scientists began the upgrading of the Hornet for the Alliance’s own needs.
Systems on this upgraded vessel are hardly revolutionary, but rather new applications of older technology in different areas. The most significant advancements on the Hornet II are in protection. Highly advanced countermeasures, new, more protective armor, and stealthy features have all been brought together with to make this fighter undoubtedly one of the deadliest in the galaxy.
Stealth To save weight and energy, the Hornet II carries minimal stealth features- all systems of this type (including cloaking shields and stealth armor) are heavy and/or used massive quantities of power, reducing the crafts maneuverability, speed, and acceleration. As far as stealth goes, the Hornet II only has an external coating of Reflec. Reflec reflects electromagnetic energy away from it’s source, reducing a Hornet II’s sensor profile considerably.
It is far from undetectable, however. While nearly invisible at long range, at close range the coating doesn’t do much except make it look cool, since the Reflec appears glossy black. This feature is most valuable because it all but prevents visual tracking of the vessel while the Decoy beam (explained later) prevents sensor lock, making any effort to dogfight with it a deathwish.
Defenses The Hornet II’s shields are below average for it’s size. Rated at 25 SBD, they have half the power of the slightly larger X-wing’s shield, and to save weight, the recharge rate of the shield system has been cut in half. This has been deemed acceptable by designers, since the shields are present more to give pilots a few free hits from an unseen foe and allow them to escape than for taking sustained barrages of fire- the Hornet II’s true defenses are in it’s speed and maneuverability.
The fighter’s hull armor is a composite made up of Carbon Nanotube reinforced ceramic, covered by a layer of Hyperbarides. This plating give substantial protection from both physical and energy weapons, and is molecularly bonded together into one giant exoskeleton that provides for far greater resistance from physical threats than traditional hull plating.
Countermeasures The Hornet II’s most important new countermeasure is it’s Decoy Beam. When sensors detect enemy fighters or missiles following a Hornet, the vessel’s Decoy Beam is automatically activated. When activated, a low-power microwave laser mounted on the back of the craft is fired at the pursuer. This beam scrambles sensors and makes you temporarily disappear from enemy scopes, making it impossible to achieve a weapons lock on you. While you can still be visually targeted by lasers, most pilots are dependent on their sophisticated equipment in combat and are inept at unaided dogfighting. In addition, the Decoy Beam can also be used to scramble missile guidance sensors, leaving them unguided and causing them to miss. Since two of the lasers have been mounted facing the craft’s rear, this countermeasure is capable of jamming two pursuing fighters or missiles sensors at once. In addition, one has been mounted facing forwards to keep whatever target the Hornet is targeting unaware about it’s pursuer (since the enemy ship won’t be able to detect the hornet’s targeting lock) until it’s too late.
To circumvent enemy unit tactics, which is where most navies fighter forces greatest strength is, each Hornet II carries a Phantom 4x jamming system, the same high power jamming system as seen on the highly successful A-wing Starfighters. When activated, this device cuts off all fighter and shuttle-strength transmissions in an approximately ten kilometer radius. While this does cut off the Hornets from each other, the ships are designed for and the pilots are trained for independent dogfighting, which most navies’ pilots are unprepared for, giving Smuggler Alliance pilots a huge edge in this situation.
Armament The Hornet II’s armament is hardly exceptional, but it is adequate for it’s role. The primary armament is a pair of Laser Gattlings. While the blasts they fire are weaker than regular laser blasts, they have the advantage of being much more quick firing- a sustained assault can quickly pound an enemy into spacedust. In addition, more Galvanizing circuitry in the barrels makes the beams tighter, making them more effective against shields.
Unlike the original Hornet, the energy armament can not be Turbocharged. The addition of the necessary power generators and additional cooling equipment would have increased weight, reducing maneuverability and speed. In addition, this reduces the ship’s maintenance requirements (on the original, the massive power load and accompanying heat warped parts, making an overhaul of the lasers required after nearly every use, a re-calibrating after every use, and a replacement of the lasers more often than regularly) and eliminates the original laser cannons nasty habit of exploding after just a few rapid shots due to heat buildup.
For assaults against heavier targets such as capital ships, space stations, or bunkers, Hornet IIs carry a pair of Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile launchers, each with a magazine of four missiles.
Avionics The Hornet II’s avionics package is less advanced then top of the line Imperial packages no being brought into service, but is not far behind. HOTAS controls allow a pilot to keep his or her attention on flying, and a voice recognition interface reduces pilot workload considerably. Selecting of targets is done jointly by a targeting computer and the pilot, the targeting computer automatically selecting the highest priority targets, while simultaneously adjusting shields to protect against the greatest threats. The pilot can select targets with buttons on the control column, and the computer also automatically targets whatever he or she is looking at, using sensors imbedded in the cockpit to track eye movements. With the click of a button, this can be made the primary target, and it will stay selected regardless of what they are looking at.
Instead of a conventional Heads Up Display, information about targets, the pilot’s own craft, mission goals, and anything else necessary is projected onto a helmet mounted sight, which also allows for off-boresight firing of the craft’s concussion missiles- a great advantage in a dogfight.
Sensors The Hornet II’s sensor package is rather Spartan- it has all the conventional do-dads that most fighters have, but it has little in the way of specialty equipment. The only unusual piece is an Infrared Search and Tracker (IRST). This sensor picks up heat, such as that radiated by a starship’s drives. Since in a vacuum anything a few degrees warmer than absolute zero sticks out like a sore thumb, this sensor can pick out stealthy or sensor masked ships as easily as you can pick a full moon out of the night sky.
The downside of this sensor system is it’s limited range- just several times that of the average Turbolaser bolt- and it’s inability to detect cloaked hips, due to the nature of cloaking shields (their drive trails, however, can still be detected as it leaves the cloak, since the heat of a million degree drive trail would be impossible to miss for even a blind man running an IRST).
The Hornet II has two IRSTs: one facing forwards and one facing back.
Propulsion For sublight travel, the craft’s propulsion system has been totally revamped. On the original, a fusion drive mounted on the ship’s back was the primary source of thrust, with two maneuvering jets mounted on the sides for (well) maneuvering. In the Hornet II, the ship’s drives have been changed two a pair of Ion Engines, which are upgraded versions of those found on the TIE Defender. Replacing the TIE’s magnetic exhaust manipulation arrays, however, is physical thrust vectoring. The ejection nozzles for the drives are mounted in the same location as the original craft’s maneuvering jets, and can move fifty degrees in any direction except into the fuselage, of course. Their center position gives less leverage than a Defender’s microthruster arrays, giving the Hornet II a slightly larger turn radius, but because they are far more powerful than microthrusters, the Hornet actually has a 30% faster turn rate, which any pilot will tell you is the key in a dogfight.
To save weight, the Hornet II, like it’s predecessor, has no hyperdrive. It relies on carrier starships to move it between systems, and carriers and planetary bases for support since it doesn’t carry an extensive life support system.
Designer/Manufacturer: Smuggler’s Alliance
Combat Role: Interception
Crew: 1
Length: 9 Meters
Speed: 145 MGLT, 1650 Kph
Acceleration: 25 MGLT/s
Maneuverability: 165 DPF
Hyperdrive: None.
Shield Rating: 25 SBD
Hull Rating: 20 RU
Weapons: 2 Laser Gattlings, 2 Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile Launchers
Countermeasures: Decoy Beam, Miradyne 4x-Phantom Jammer
(Original Hornet’s specs located here: http://www.nifrpg.net/database/criminals_starfighters.shtml)
The original Hornet interceptor was designed not long after the battle of Yavin by scientists of the Tenloss Syndicate. Blazingly fast, blindingly maneuverable, and easily mass produced, the design philosophy was similar to that which the engineers at Sienar fleet systems followed when designing the TIE Fighter though, in many ways, the Hornet was actually a step up. Equipped with shields, heavier guns (even if there is a risk of them blowing up in your face), and far faster and more maneuverable: the Hornet could even give a TIE Defender a run for its money.
Unfortunately for groups (and individuals) looking to acquire these magnificent Starfighters, they were only sold by the Tenloss syndicate to it’s allies. However, it wasn’t unheard of for second hand Hornets to reach the Black Market, though usually they were stripped down ones with components replaced by those from older Starfighters such as Z-95s and Cloakshapes.
The Smuggler’s Alliance managed to collect several dozen of these Starfighters over the years through various means- some were bought on the black market, some bought from defecting pilots after the “Imperializing” of the Syndicate (similar to the Israeli’s and the Mig-21), some captured from the occasional skirmish between the two groups, and the rest just flat out stolen in raids or reassembled from destroyed examples.
While a superb fighter, the ship had been in production for twenty years since parts were standardized and the design finalized. With two decades of technological advancement, there was doubtlessly some room for improvement, and thus Alliance scientists began the upgrading of the Hornet for the Alliance’s own needs.
Systems on this upgraded vessel are hardly revolutionary, but rather new applications of older technology in different areas. The most significant advancements on the Hornet II are in protection. Highly advanced countermeasures, new, more protective armor, and stealthy features have all been brought together with to make this fighter undoubtedly one of the deadliest in the galaxy.
Features
Stealth To save weight and energy, the Hornet II carries minimal stealth features- all systems of this type (including cloaking shields and stealth armor) are heavy and/or used massive quantities of power, reducing the crafts maneuverability, speed, and acceleration. As far as stealth goes, the Hornet II only has an external coating of Reflec. Reflec reflects electromagnetic energy away from it’s source, reducing a Hornet II’s sensor profile considerably.
It is far from undetectable, however. While nearly invisible at long range, at close range the coating doesn’t do much except make it look cool, since the Reflec appears glossy black. This feature is most valuable because it all but prevents visual tracking of the vessel while the Decoy beam (explained later) prevents sensor lock, making any effort to dogfight with it a deathwish.
Defenses The Hornet II’s shields are below average for it’s size. Rated at 25 SBD, they have half the power of the slightly larger X-wing’s shield, and to save weight, the recharge rate of the shield system has been cut in half. This has been deemed acceptable by designers, since the shields are present more to give pilots a few free hits from an unseen foe and allow them to escape than for taking sustained barrages of fire- the Hornet II’s true defenses are in it’s speed and maneuverability.
The fighter’s hull armor is a composite made up of Carbon Nanotube reinforced ceramic, covered by a layer of Hyperbarides. This plating give substantial protection from both physical and energy weapons, and is molecularly bonded together into one giant exoskeleton that provides for far greater resistance from physical threats than traditional hull plating.
Countermeasures The Hornet II’s most important new countermeasure is it’s Decoy Beam. When sensors detect enemy fighters or missiles following a Hornet, the vessel’s Decoy Beam is automatically activated. When activated, a low-power microwave laser mounted on the back of the craft is fired at the pursuer. This beam scrambles sensors and makes you temporarily disappear from enemy scopes, making it impossible to achieve a weapons lock on you. While you can still be visually targeted by lasers, most pilots are dependent on their sophisticated equipment in combat and are inept at unaided dogfighting. In addition, the Decoy Beam can also be used to scramble missile guidance sensors, leaving them unguided and causing them to miss. Since two of the lasers have been mounted facing the craft’s rear, this countermeasure is capable of jamming two pursuing fighters or missiles sensors at once. In addition, one has been mounted facing forwards to keep whatever target the Hornet is targeting unaware about it’s pursuer (since the enemy ship won’t be able to detect the hornet’s targeting lock) until it’s too late.
To circumvent enemy unit tactics, which is where most navies fighter forces greatest strength is, each Hornet II carries a Phantom 4x jamming system, the same high power jamming system as seen on the highly successful A-wing Starfighters. When activated, this device cuts off all fighter and shuttle-strength transmissions in an approximately ten kilometer radius. While this does cut off the Hornets from each other, the ships are designed for and the pilots are trained for independent dogfighting, which most navies’ pilots are unprepared for, giving Smuggler Alliance pilots a huge edge in this situation.
Armament The Hornet II’s armament is hardly exceptional, but it is adequate for it’s role. The primary armament is a pair of Laser Gattlings. While the blasts they fire are weaker than regular laser blasts, they have the advantage of being much more quick firing- a sustained assault can quickly pound an enemy into spacedust. In addition, more Galvanizing circuitry in the barrels makes the beams tighter, making them more effective against shields.
Unlike the original Hornet, the energy armament can not be Turbocharged. The addition of the necessary power generators and additional cooling equipment would have increased weight, reducing maneuverability and speed. In addition, this reduces the ship’s maintenance requirements (on the original, the massive power load and accompanying heat warped parts, making an overhaul of the lasers required after nearly every use, a re-calibrating after every use, and a replacement of the lasers more often than regularly) and eliminates the original laser cannons nasty habit of exploding after just a few rapid shots due to heat buildup.
For assaults against heavier targets such as capital ships, space stations, or bunkers, Hornet IIs carry a pair of Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile launchers, each with a magazine of four missiles.
Avionics The Hornet II’s avionics package is less advanced then top of the line Imperial packages no being brought into service, but is not far behind. HOTAS controls allow a pilot to keep his or her attention on flying, and a voice recognition interface reduces pilot workload considerably. Selecting of targets is done jointly by a targeting computer and the pilot, the targeting computer automatically selecting the highest priority targets, while simultaneously adjusting shields to protect against the greatest threats. The pilot can select targets with buttons on the control column, and the computer also automatically targets whatever he or she is looking at, using sensors imbedded in the cockpit to track eye movements. With the click of a button, this can be made the primary target, and it will stay selected regardless of what they are looking at.
Instead of a conventional Heads Up Display, information about targets, the pilot’s own craft, mission goals, and anything else necessary is projected onto a helmet mounted sight, which also allows for off-boresight firing of the craft’s concussion missiles- a great advantage in a dogfight.
Sensors The Hornet II’s sensor package is rather Spartan- it has all the conventional do-dads that most fighters have, but it has little in the way of specialty equipment. The only unusual piece is an Infrared Search and Tracker (IRST). This sensor picks up heat, such as that radiated by a starship’s drives. Since in a vacuum anything a few degrees warmer than absolute zero sticks out like a sore thumb, this sensor can pick out stealthy or sensor masked ships as easily as you can pick a full moon out of the night sky.
The downside of this sensor system is it’s limited range- just several times that of the average Turbolaser bolt- and it’s inability to detect cloaked hips, due to the nature of cloaking shields (their drive trails, however, can still be detected as it leaves the cloak, since the heat of a million degree drive trail would be impossible to miss for even a blind man running an IRST).
The Hornet II has two IRSTs: one facing forwards and one facing back.
Propulsion For sublight travel, the craft’s propulsion system has been totally revamped. On the original, a fusion drive mounted on the ship’s back was the primary source of thrust, with two maneuvering jets mounted on the sides for (well) maneuvering. In the Hornet II, the ship’s drives have been changed two a pair of Ion Engines, which are upgraded versions of those found on the TIE Defender. Replacing the TIE’s magnetic exhaust manipulation arrays, however, is physical thrust vectoring. The ejection nozzles for the drives are mounted in the same location as the original craft’s maneuvering jets, and can move fifty degrees in any direction except into the fuselage, of course. Their center position gives less leverage than a Defender’s microthruster arrays, giving the Hornet II a slightly larger turn radius, but because they are far more powerful than microthrusters, the Hornet actually has a 30% faster turn rate, which any pilot will tell you is the key in a dogfight.
To save weight, the Hornet II, like it’s predecessor, has no hyperdrive. It relies on carrier starships to move it between systems, and carriers and planetary bases for support since it doesn’t carry an extensive life support system.