| RP Home - Join - Play - The Universe - Encyclopedia - Species - Vehicles - Items - Staff | |
|
Shuttles
Transports
Capital Ships
Fighters
Ground Vehicles |
Model: S24 Thoron Price: 21,000 tape Originally designed by Draken Shores as a defense fighter for their multitude of asteroid mining facilities, its purpose is to be a rapid response and low maintenance fighter that can stay in space unaided for much longer periods of time than the average fighter, making it a deadly implement in a standoff. The Thoron's complement of weapons is designed to discourage frequent "pit stops", lacking any missile capability, therefore decreasing weight and increasing the amount of time before a pilot feels the need to rearm the craft. It depends mainly on its low-consumption ion racks, meaning it can stay in the fight at nearly full power for as long as the pilot has air. Despite this dedication to uptime, the autocannon rack is designed for a Draken Shores-designed single-barrel autocannon firing about 1,200 rounds per minute, with a drum holding about 1,440 rounds, "just in case". The Thoron has an unusually large powerplant for such a craft, designed to handle the extra stress of the hyperdrive in conjunction with the ion racks. The fighter is equipped with an air tank and a limited oxygen filtration system so that the pilot can remain active longer without draining his oxygen supply, however, for particularly long flights, it is recommended that the pilot wear a specialized suit equipped with a nutrient-enhanced hydration system to combat hunger and dehydration. The Thoron's extensive RCS facilitates maneuvers that can only be done in space, making it an excellent dogfighter and very difficult to track without a similarly equipped, or otherwise very maneuverable light fighter. The down side to all of this is that the Thoron is only space-capable, so the design throws the concepts of lift and aerodynamics to the wind. Originally designed for use against pirates, this design ironically became popular with the same crowd. It is also known to be used by many small militarized groups, for whom getting ammunition and missiles is a difficult chore. |