F-04 Superiority Fighter - "Raven"
From ExodusWar
| F-4I "Raven" | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Description | ||
| Mission Profile | Straight Take-Off and Landing Air and Space Superiority Fighter | |
| Crew | 1 pilot | |
| First Flight | January 7, 2302 (YF-4) | |
| Manufacturer(s) | Royal Imperial Labs Alexi-Wrought Airworks Reimao Airworks Consolidated Spaceworks Antonov Company Rahn Industries | |
| Operator(s) | Royal Imperial Air Force Prefecture Air Force Blazton Territorial Air Forces | |
| Variants | YF-4 Prototype, F-4, F-4A, F-4B, F-4C, F-4D, F-4E, F-4F, F-4G, F-4H, F-4I, F-4S, T-4 Trainer | |
| Length | 15 meters | |
| Wingspan | 10 meters | |
| Height | 5 meters | |
| Main Systems | ||
| Powerplant | 1 x Rankine AC-12f 60mW Fusion Reactor | |
| Propulsion | 1 x Dwight SJ-5m Scramjet 1 x Dwight GCD-1e Gravity Cavitation Drive | |
| Avionics Package | Helsin Electronics FCS-13y "FC-HUD" Software Package | |
| Control Systems | Aeroelastic Control Surface for Atmospheric Flight | |
| Sensors | Hullsmeyer ODLR-22f "Lantern" Sensor Suite | |
| Communications | Helsin Electronics "OmniComm" 22-5c Microwave/Optical Transceiver | |
| Performance Ratings | ||
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18.3 | |
| Cruising Airspeed | 1250 km/h | |
| Acceleration Rate | 41.76 km/h/s | |
| Maximum Velocity | 400 km/s | |
| Operation Time | 18 hours | |
| Combat Systems | ||
| Fixed Weapons | 2 x GC-5 "Screamer" Gauss Cannons | |
| Variable Payload | 2 x ASIM-4 "Hawk" Missiles 2 x ASIM-5 "Hound" Missiles | |
| Armor | Everest Composites Reinforced Boron-Nitride Airframe | |
| Shields | Irridescent Labs P-5x "Phalanx" Shield System | |
| Countermeasures | None | |
The F-4 Raven was the mainstay fighter of the Onyx Empire, and later of the Federated Districts of the Prefecture. It had a long and distinguished career, earning it a fearsome reputation among the pilots of the United Earth Alliance.
Ten main variants were developed and flew with the Royal Imperial Air Force and Federated Districts Air Force. Even after the final version, the F-4I, was retired from front-line service, it still sees active use by the Prefecture's Air National Guard, and with the Sirius Families.
[edit] History
The Raven had a long development history. It was first designed to be an air and space fighter by Royal Imperial Labs.
The "Raven Project" was first launched in 2300 as part of Lucius Black's master plan to build up the Onyx Empire's air power. The Royal Imperial Air Force was commissioned, and many pilots earned their reputations as the "Raven's Wings" in the project's test pilot Corps. Marcus Rathbone performed so admirably as a pilot that he narrowly edged out Emil Torsc for command of the Royal Imperial Air Force.
The Raven Project had three failures, the XF-1, XF-2, and XF-3 before finally reaching success with the XF-4. This final airframe was chosen to be the "Raven", and the fighter prototype--the YF-4 Raven--made its debut on January 7, 2302.
There were four YF-4 prototypes built, and all were armed with different weapon profiles to be tested for effectiveness in a series of trials.
[edit] Development
The Royal Imperial Labs was developing hundreds of different programs simultaneously. The Royal Imperial Army and Royal Imperial Marine Corps shared the same nomenclature in weapons design; the Imperial Military Specification. The Royal Imperial Air Force and Royal Imperial Navy adopted their own standardized nomenclature for weaponry, and gave their starships and aircraft simple letter and number designations.
The weapons programs designed for the Royal Imperial Air Force and Royal Imperial Navy required designs that could be operated in many different hostile environments, and survive harsh and sudden temperature and pressure ranges.
The Royal Imperial Army's M-22 had an ideal damage profile and firing system for use as a primary weapon for the YF-4, and it was tested on the first prototype. In the atmosphere of Ah Kin, the weapon performed admirably. Test pilot Matthias Carter tested against multiple target profiles, from strafing runs to dogfights against drone targets.
Problems came up when Matthias Carter's YF-4 was tested in a dogfight against a drone remotely piloted by Emil Torsc. Torsc's drone only had "painting" lasers which would allow observers to record hits scored against Carter's YF-4, but Carter had live ammunition. Carter flew best in space, and soon had Torsc's less-capable drone outmatched in orbit. Torsc opted to lose Carter in Ah Kin's atmosphere. During reentry, the ammunition in the YF-4's M-22 suddenly exploded. The caseless ammunition could not take the sudden changes in heat and pressure while being fired during atmospheric reentry. The fact that Carter corrected the diving corkscrew and survived the ditched landing which completely destroyed his YF-4 is a testament to his skill as a pilot. The M-22 was abandoned as a potential main weapon.
The Royal Imperial Navy was developing an ammunition-based weapon design for their Close-In Weapon System which did not rely on explosive propellants. The GC-1 nearly matched the M-22 in damage and rate of fire. Unfortunately, the weapon suffered from reliability issues and frequently had to be repaired or replaced in the field.
As an alternative, Royal Imperial Labs offered the BC-1, affectionately dubbed the "Toaster." It did less damage and had a slower rate of fire, but was much more reliable. The mounting and fire control systems between the two could easily be swapped, and the ammo bins for the GC-1 were designed to be replaced with additional capacitors for the BC-1. The YF-4 program was completed, and the first F-4 Ravens were ready for duty by the end of 2302.
[edit] Design
The original F-4 Raven was built undercover. The Onyx Empire existed in secrecy: Lucius Black still feared discovery by the United Earth Alliance, and despite the Omegas' stranglehold on transportation and communications on and off of Ah Kin, the first F-4s were painted with United Earth Alliance Defense Force markings. To keep up with the charade, the F-4s seen by Ah Kin's civilian population were unarmed, and were touted as a new surveillance and topography-charting atmospheric flyer.
Three hundred F-4s were built between 2302 and 2303, and were built with two seats and used to train flight instructors for the Onyx Empire's academies.
[edit] General Characteristics
Every version of the Raven was characterized by a sleek, streamlined body, wide swept wings, cannards, and a single tail-fin. In the trainer and early two-seater models, pilots complained of the cramped cockpit arrangements. Later models which only had a single pilot and compact digital controls were praised for their comfort and ease of use.
[edit] Performance
The Raven was always just behind the technology "grade curve" when compared to its opponents' best fighters. The United Earth Alliance designs outclassed the earlier Raven variants, and the United Mesarthrim Clans designs outclassed the later Raven variants. It was only towards the end of the Raven's career that it finally began to meet and surpass competing models, but it was destined to be replaced by the newer F-16.
Until the introduction of gravitics-based propulsion, the Raven suffered in space combat maneuverability. While its thrusters could pull off nearly any maneuver, pilots often passed out from the G-forces. The Onyx Empire was never able to duplicate inertial dampening technology used by the United Earth Alliance.
[edit] Armament
Every Raven designed and equipped for combat has always had at least two fixed cannon weapons. Earlier variants relied on laser-based beam cannons, while later variants were equipped with increasingly-advanced varieties of gauss cannon designs.
[edit] Avionics
Early incarnations of the Raven had difficulty with their control systems. The original F-4 variant's avionics were designed to detect if the Raven was in space or in atmosphere, and switch control responses based on the results. This system was prone to failure due mostly to the inexperience of the Royal Imperial Labs staff in dealing with radiation shielding of computer components.
Later variants vastly improved on the avionics system, developing an intuitive interface which merged all of the controls into a single package integrated into the pilot's Heads-Up Display. The throttle was installed as a lever on the left-hand side of the cockpit, with rudder control pedals on the floor at the pilot's feet. The control-stick had an integrated weapons-selector switch and trigger, as well as sensor control buttons. The pilot rarely needed anything than these three main controls, but an optional control panel was installed on the right side of the cockpit for more advanced functions.
[edit] Operational History
The first Ravens to see combat were F-4C variants used in the invasion of Earth in the first battle of the Second Exodus War. Before the year was out, the F-4C variant was replaced by the F-4D variant, which became the Onyx Empire's workhouse for most of the Second Exodus War. The Royal Imperial Air Force had almost exclusive use of the Raven. The T-4 variant was used as a trainer by all branches of the Onyx Empire's military, but only the Air Force used it in combat.
After the Second Exodus War, the Raven's schematics were given away by the Prefecture as spoils of war to anyone who asked. The Prefecture kept the design for their own use, and immediately produced a new variant that surpassed the best available at the time. Despite the fact that the shared design was slightly inferior, the Sirius Families adopted the design as their main fighter, and continued developing the line for their own use.
[edit] Operators
The Raven's use by the Onyx Empire was highlighted by Emil Torsc's early victories against the United Earth Alliance, particularly his victory against Helen Cashaw while piloting an F-4D variant.
After Torsc switched to the F-9 Valkyrie and later the F-12 Vampire, the Raven was kept famous by Jack Ivonrud and Marcus Rathbone, who never willingly flew any other aircraft.
Since its retirement from front-line combat in the Prefecture's Federated Districts Air Force, the F-4I variant has continued to see combat in the air battles of the Tempest War against the United Centusi States' Luftwaffe. The Sirius Families have also continued to develop their own variant, which has so significantly improved on the older variants' performance that it is affectionately known as the "Super Raven."
[edit] Variants
The F-4 was developed extensively over its lengthy career, resulting in a total of ten main variants. Typically, a main variant was developed using a combination of the most popular field modifications, and the addition of any major technologies developed in the Royal Imperial Labs aerospace laboratories.
[edit] YF-4 (Pre-Production Armed Prototype)
| YF-4 | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Series-1 10mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Prototype Ramjet 1 x Prototype Ion Engine |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 1.4 |
| Acceleration Rate | 10 km/h/s |
| Weapons | Various |
The YF-4 was the testing variant flown through a series of trials by the "Raven's Wings" test pilots. It was equipped with a "Series-1 Fission Reactor" developed by Royal Imperial Labs, and armed with a variety of different weapons for testing in various mission profiles.
The YF-4 had a relatively low maximum airspeed, which was later corrected in the production version of the fighter. Additionally, the airframe occasionally suffered from turbulence and overheating problems during reentry. With the exception of Matthias Carter's explosive crash-landing, the YF-4 never crashed due to heat. Carter's crash was blamed on ammunition problems rather than the airframe itself.
Only four YF-4 prototypes were built and tested before the production model F-4 was completed and launched. They were designated with serial numbers F04-Y01, F04-Y02, F04-Y03, and F04-Y04. The prototype destroyed in Matthias Carter's crash was designated F04-Y03. The other three prototypes were scrapped for parts at the end of the testing program.
[edit] F-4 (Original Two-Seater Model)
| F-4 "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Series-1 10mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Series-1 Ramjet 1 x Series-1 Ion Engine |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 2.34 |
| Acceleration Rate | 11.25 km/h/s |
| Weapons | Unarmed for Covert Purposes |
The full production F-4 was built in-house by Royal Imperial Labs' aerospace laboratory. This early version was not long-lived due to the advances in weapons technology developed by the XF-5 project and the subsequent development of the F-4A variant.
All original F-4s were built with two seats, and were used as trainer aircraft by the Royal Imperial Air Force to train flight instructors for Lucius Black's planned military projects.
Because the existence of the Onyx Empire and its military build-up were still a closely-guarded secret, the original F-4 was unarmed and was painted in the colors of the United Earth Alliance. All completed F-4 airframes had mounting points and fire control systems for the standard weaponry tested on the YF-4, but did not have the weapons mounted by default to preserve the illusion that the Raven was merely a surveillance aircraft with a purely benign purpose.
Only three hundred original F-4s were built between 2302 and early 2303 when the F-4A variant was ready. The F-4s built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0000001 to F04-0000300. By the time the F-4C was developed, maintenance crews were instructed to simply scrap and replace any existing F-4s. No examples of the original F-4 are known to exist.
[edit] F-4A (First Modular Weapon Mounts)
| F-4A "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Series-2 11.54mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Series-2 Ramjet 1 x Series-2 Ion Engine |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 2.64 |
| Acceleration Rate | 12.5 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x BC-1 "Toaster" Laser Cannons 4 x ASIM-1 "Javelin" Missiles |
After completing the F-4, Royal Imperial Labs' aerospace laboratory was assigned to developing the XF-5 airframe. The XF-5 was designed to incorporate modernized modular weapon systems into the Onyx Empire's aircraft arsenal.
The Onyx Empire still had the ability to manufacture weaponry the Torimur rebels had used during the First Exodus War, and had some examples of modern weaponry used by the United Earth Alliance. The original air-breathing missiles from their First Exodus War arsenal and early hydrazine rockets simply did not meet the standards of merged air and space operations. Royal Imperial Air Force commanders did not want to deal with the logistics nightmare of changing weapons loads based on two operational areas of both air and space.
To deal with this problem, the Air/Space Intercept Missile (ASIM) series of weapons was developed as a primary standoff weapon. The XF-5 was developed to mount these, along with the fire control systems and targetting systems needed to operate them. While multiple variants of the ASIM series were developed, the XF-5 and later the F-4A variant were only designed to take advantage of the ASIM-1 "Javelin".
The XF-5 itself proved inferior to the F-4, so the F-4A variant was developed to take advantage of the XF-5's new technologies.
After a significant amount of time had passed without discovery by the United Earth Alliance, and the civilian population of Ah Kin's docile acceptance of quasi-dictatorship rule, Lucius Black no longer feared discovery quite as much as he had before. The F-4A variant was armed, using a pair of BC-1 lasers for ease of maintenance and simplicity of use. Additionally, the latest Ramjet and Ion Engine models--the Series-2 designs--developed by Royal Imperial Labs were incorporated into the F-4A, significantly increasing the F-4A's performance and efficiency.
Like the original F-4, the F-4A was built as a two-seater, this time for training new recruits in the Onyx Empire's academies. Now-famous pilots like Jack Ivonrud and Jan Brooks, earned their wings operating F-4A trainers.
There were just over a thousand units of the F-4A variant built by Royal Imperial Labs' aerospace laboratory before the variant was cancelled in favor of the F-4B. The F-4As built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0000301 to F04-0001321. The F-4A was the last variant built in-house by Royal Imperial Labs. All subsequent Raven variants were constructed by military contractors.
[edit] F-4B (New Composite Airframe)
| F-4A "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Series-3 12.8mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Series-3 Ramjet 1 x Series-3 Ion Engine |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 2.85 |
| Acceleration Rate | 13.2 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x BC-1 "Toaster" Laser Cannons 4 x ASIM-1 "Javelin" Missiles |
By the year 2305, the Onyx Empire's presence on Ah Kin and its control of the government was an "open secret", after a fashion. While the government and military of the United Earth Alliance remained oblivious to the growing threat in the Alpha Centauri System, the Nakamura family had discovered the Onyx Empire and cut a favorable deal with them.
The Nakamura assistance allowed the Onyx Empire to begin openly building up a military presence, and the mass-production of the new F-4B variant was part of that process.
The XF-6 was a second attempt at improving on the F-4 and fixing the flaws with the XF-5 model. The airframe was developed to take advantage of new composite materials based around the Boron-Nitride compound developed by the Royal Imperial Labs' chemical laboratory. The new composite was lighter, stronger, and cheaper than the earlier carbon composites and alluminum used in earlier F-4 variants. The XF-6 itself was cancelled, but the F-4B variant had an airframe built around the Boron-Nitride composite.
Rather than bog down the Royal Imperial Labs' aerospace laboratory with building the thousands of airframes needed by the Royal Imperial Air Force, Lucius Black allowed Alexi-Wrought Airworks the access to the designs necessary to become a military contractor.
Alexi-Wrought produced 2500 F-4Bs between 2305 and 2307, and incorporated several improvements in engine technology and performance. The F-4B was the first dedicated single-seat fighter design used by the Royal Imperial Air Force. The airframe developed for the F-4B remained in use for the rest of the Raven's career, and all existing versions were upgraded to later variants rather than being scrapped. The F-4Bs built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0001322 to F04-0003821.
[edit] T-4 (Two-Seater Trainer)
| T-4 "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Series-3 12.8mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Series-3 Ramjet 1 x Series-3 Ion Engine |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 2.85 |
| Acceleration Rate | 13.2 km/h/s |
| Weapons | None |
In 2306, the conscript training program in the Onyx Empire's academies began in earnest. Many young recruits were chosen to be pilots, and needed a trainer aircraft. The F-4 and F-4A still existed, but were not numerous enough for the huge numbers of recruits sent through the academy program.
The T-4 was designed with a purpose-built training control system, and could be operated from two sets of controls, both the trainer and the trainee, or taken over by remote by an instructor on the ground.
Unlike the earlier F-4 and F-4A two-seaters, which were technically true fighters, the T-4 had no weaponry at all, and was intended to train recruits and junior pilots the subtleties of altering altitude, escape velocity, and atmospheric reentry in a combat aircraft. The airframe was subtly altered with safety in mind: automatic systems could detect potentially fatal maneuvers and correct them. Tailspins and similar crash situations which could not be escaped by ejecting could be salvaged. In the event of total failure, the airframe actually sported full-plane parachutes, and ejected the engine from the frame to arrest any propulsion or chance of an explosion.
The T-4s built were constructed by various sub-contractors and were designated with serial numbers unique to their companies. Many T-4s were sold to private training firms after the Second Exodus War, and remain the single most popular air and space trainer in human space.
[edit] F-4C (Magneto-Plasmadynamic Drive)
| F-4C "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Tolwin AC-5 13.6mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Alexi-Wrought RJ-9x Ramjet 1 x Alexi-Wrought ID-15r Ion Drive 1 x Series-1 MP Drive (Afterburner) |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 2.9 |
| Acceleration Rate | 18.6 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x BC-1 "Toaster" Laser Cannons 4 x ASIM-1 "Javelin" Missiles |
In early 2307, Royal Imperial Labs' Propulsion Laboratory completed development on the Magneto-Plasmadynamic Thruster. The prototype was tested on the XF-7, but proved too unstable for use as a main drive as intended. Test pilots could not control the airframe, and three XF-7s were lost to crashes as a result of instability. In the end, it was decided that the MP Drive was useable as an afterburner, but not as a main drive.
When Alexi-Wrought Airworks began its 2307 production of the Raven, they began incorporating several newer sub-components. Tolwin Power Incorporated further developed Royal Imperial Labs' Series-3 Fission reactor, and introduced the AC-5 compact fission reactor. Alexi-Wrought Airworks also began building ramjets and ion drives in-house.
Alexi-Wrought produced conversion kits for all existing F-4Bs, and built another 800 F-4Cs each year until the beginning of the Second Exodus War in 2315. The F-4Cs built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0003822 to F04-0010222. The XF-8 promised additional changes to further increase the performance of the Raven series, but the F-4C remained the Royal Imperial Air Force's mainstay fighter into the first years of the Second Exodus War.
[edit] F-4D (Computer-Aided Avionics Package)
| F-4D "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Tolwin AC-6 14.7mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Alexi-Wrought RJ-11q Ramjet 1 x Alexi-Wrought MPD-1x MP Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 3 |
| Acceleration Rate | 26.2 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 1 x BC-1 "Toaster" Laser Cannon 1 x GC-2 "Shrieker" Gauss Cannon 4 x ASIM-1 "Javelin" Missiles |
The XF-8 was developed immediately before the invasion of Earth, but the focus was on developing an effective carrier-launched fighter for the Royal Imperial Navy. The F-9 Valkyrie was developed with the XF-8's new computer guidance system, which stabilized the problems with the Magneto-Plasmadynamic Thruster.
As the brutal conquest of the United Earth Alliance continued, the enhancements were incorporated into the F-4D variant. Many of the Onyx Empire's pilots reported difficulty in destroying United Earth Alliance fighters, due to the resilience of their shields against the BC-1 laser, so the engineering teams responsible for developing the F-4D opted to replace one of the BC-1s with a new, heavier Gauss Cannon design, the GC-2 "Shrieker".
The F-4D was the true workhorse of the Onyx Empire. There were more F-4Ds built than any other variant, or of any other fighter. The Onyx Empire's demand for the Raven was so high that they added Reimao Airworks, Consolidated Spaceworks, and the Antonov Company as contractors after 2315. Each company built production lines enabling them to build 1200 Ravens per year. Along with Alexi-Wrought Airworks' production levels, a total of 4600 F-4Ds were constructed each year from 2316 to 2322. The F-4Ds built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0010223 to F04-0037823.
[edit] F-4E (Scramjet Atmospheric Propulsion)
| F-4E "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Tolwin AC-7r 17.3mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Lycoming SJ-1x Scramjet 1 x Alexi-Wrought MPD-3i MP Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18 |
| Acceleration Rate | 27.5 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-2 "Shrieker" Gauss Cannons 4 x ASIM-2 "Wren" Missiles |
When the United Mesarthrim Clans entered the Second Exodus War in 2322, they brought the significant air power of their Luftwaffe into use against the Royal Imperial Air Force. The F-4D was seriously outclassed by the Me-32 fighter fielded by the Mesarthrim Luftwaffe. In the first several engagements against the Onyx Empire, the Me-32 enjoyed a 4 to 1 kill ratio over the F-4D.
Combat analysis showed that the Luftwaffe pilots' most significant advantages were in defenses and speed. The Royal Imperial Air Force had fought against enemies equipped with shield systems since day one, but the United Mesarthrim Clans' level of technology was well beyond the weapons fielded by the United Earth Alliance. Luftwaffe pilots simply sneered at the BC-1, which was completely ineffective against their shields. Only the GC-2 and missile weapons were any use against Mesarthrim pilots' shields.
Even if an Imperial pilot flying a F-4D brought its weapons to bear, the Me-32 was far faster and could simply fly out of range, particularly in atmosphere where it enjoyed maximum airspeeds of Mach 16.7.
Since 2320, Royal Imperial Labs' propulsion laboratory had been developing a new engine for atmospheric flight. The Scramjet was extensively tested on the XF-10, and finally approved for use in the new F-4E variant on March 6, 2322. The F-4E enjoyed a massive boost in speed, bringing its maximum airspeed up to Mach 18, giving it a slight edge over the Me-32 in atmospheric pursuits.
Additionally, the BC-1 was removed from the F-4E and replaced with a second GC-2. The new ASIM-2 missile also replaced the error-prone ASIM-1.
All manufacturers assigned to building the F-4 were shipped as many Scramjets as could be produced and ordered to ramp up production of the new F-4E variant. Due to shortages in engine components, production dropped from a total of 4600 per year to 4250 in 2322. When the Imperial Civil War reached a fever pitch in 2323, production on all Earth-based factories ceased, and the liberation of Kalidasa ended all production from factories based there. Production in 2323 was a mere 600 fighters, all of which were captured by the Prefecture. The F-4Es built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0037824 to F04-0042674.
[edit] F-4F (Aeroelastic Control System)
| F-4F "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Tolwin AC-9e 21.6mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Lycoming SJ-2c Scramjet 1 x Alexi-Wrought MPD-4t MP Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18 |
| Acceleration Rate | 28.7 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-2 "Shrieker" Gauss Cannons 2 x ASIM-2 "Wren" Missiles 2 x ASIM-3 "Cobra" Missiles |
While the Onyx Empire's invasion of its neighbors lost its forward momentum in 2322, Royal Imperial Labs continued to develop and test new technologies well into the Imperial Civil War. One of these technologies was the aeroelastic control surface, introduced on the XF-12, and later deployed on the F-12 Vampire superiority fighter.
By the time the technology was mature enough to be incorporated into a Raven variant, the Onyx Empire had fallen, and the Federated Districts of the Prefecture had captured nearly all laboratories organized and controlled by Royal Imperial Labs.
As a gesture of goodwill and sharing in the spoils of war, the Prefecture declassified and distributed the design specifications of the F-4E variant to all nations in the Orion Arm. This "Outreach Program" was completed on May 3, 2323, and included multiple technologies besides the Raven.
The Prefecture began working with Rahn Industries to incorporate aeroelastic control surfaces into their new F-4F variant. The variant also added a balance of short and medium range missiles, replacing two ASIM-2s with new ASIM-3s, which were designed for closer-range engagements.
Production began in June of 2323, but only 600 F-4F variants were completed in Rahn Industries' Albanus factories before the variant was replaced by the more advanced F-4G variant. The F-4Fs built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0042675 to F04-0043275.
[edit] F-4G (Shield Systems Installed)
| F-4G "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Rankine AC-10r 33.4mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Dwight SJ-3i Scramjet 1 x Dwight MPD-5a MP Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18.1 |
| Acceleration Rate | 28.9 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-2 "Shrieker" Gauss Cannons 2 x ASIM-2 "Wren" Missiles 2 x ASIM-3 "Cobra" Missiles |
Soon after completing the first month's production run of the F-4F variant, the laboratories formally operated by Royal Imperial Labs revealed new developments from the Onyx Empire's last experimental fighter design, the XF-13. The XF-13 was simply an F-11 airframe stripped of all weapons and equipped with a prototype shield generator. The Federated Districts Air Force soon cancelled all outstanding orders for new F-4Fs, and sent Rahn Industries the design requirements for the new F-4G variant.
Justin Rahn's first order of business was to use components developed and built in-house for as many systems on the F-4G as possible as a cost-cutting measure. The components from the Antonov Company, from Tolwin Power Incorporated and from Alexi-Wrought Airworks were all replaced by subsidiary companies wholly-owned by Rahn Industries.
The new reactor, developed by Rahn Industries' energy sub-company Rankine Generators, had to significantly boost total power production to meet the needs of the shield system. New engine components were developed and built in-house by Dwight Propulsion Laboratories, for a slight overall increase in performance at the cost of higher energy needs.
Production of the F-4G began in July of 2323, and 1200 were built before the development of the F-4H variant in December of 2323. The F-4Gs built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0043276 to F04-0044476.
[edit] F-4H (Gravity Cavitation Drive)
| F-4H "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Rankine AC-11r 36.4mW Fission Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Dwight SJ-5m Scramjet 1 x Dwight GCD-1e Gravity Cavitation Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18.3 |
| Acceleration Rate | 41.76 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-5 "Screamer" Gauss Cannons 4 x ASIM-4 "Hawk" Missiles |
In early 2324, the Prefecture managed to develop its first gravity control systems, finally entering the field of study known as "gravitics." This unlocked several advanced technologies for them: gravity shielding, artificial gravity, limited anti-gravity, and most importantly the gravity cavitation drive.
The Prefecture's XF-14 airframe was their first aircraft equiped with a gravity cavitation drive system. Using gravitics-based propulsion had some strong advantages. Expendable fuel was not required to propel the craft equipped with the drive. Inertial issues were also greatly reduced: every part of the craft and all of its contents were accelerated at the same rate and in the same direction at the same time.
Unfortunately, gravitics-based propulsion had its disadvantages as well. While the need for solid fuel was eliminated, the energy drain on a reactor was greatly increased. When Rahn Industries began work on the new F-4H variant, they had to use the Rankine AC-11r fission reactor, which took up all of the available space freed up by eliminating the Magneto-Plasmadynamic Thruster's fuel tanks, and still lacked sufficient power for both the gravitics drive system and the shield generators at the same time. Attempting to install a fission reactor with the necessary 50mW output to power shields and accelerate at the same time resulted in an airframe that wasn't viable for atmospheric combat.
Finally, Rahn Industries offered to deliver several new weapon systems at once, and roll all profits from the F-4H variant into funding the development of an improved compact fusion reactor. While the Federated Districts Air Force had begun field-level conversions of some F-4G variants, the new weapon systems would greatly benefit from new fire control hardware and software.
The new GC-5, dubbed the "Screamer", was ready to replace the older GC-2. The newer design reduced power consumption per burst, and increased the effective range and rate of fire of the weapon. The F-4H also incorporated the new ASIM-4 missile design.
The F-4H variant was produced from April of 2324 until November of 2324, with a mere 100 completed each month. Earlier variants were all converted in a massive upgrade program. The F-4Hs built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0044477 to F04-0045277.
[edit] F-4I (Fusion Reactor Installed)
| F-4I "Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Rankine AC-12f 60mW Fusion Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Dwight SJ-5m Scramjet 1 x Dwight GCD-1e Gravity Cavitation Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 18.3 |
| Acceleration Rate | 41.76 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-5 "Screamer" Gauss Cannons 2 x ASIM-4 "Hawk" Missiles 2 x ASIM-5 "Hound" Missiles |
In December of 2324, Rankine Generators completed its first prototype compact fusion reactor, and delivered it to the Prefecture for testing on the XF-15 program. The program met with instant success, and the F-16 program was soon launched to take full advantage of the developments in technology over the last 22 years.
The Federated Districts Air Force wanted to replace the aging Raven, but knew they needed to have a fully-modernized fighter available until the completion of the F-16 program.
Aside from the addition of the new fusion reactor, the F-4I variant only added the new ASIM-5 missile to the Raven's armament. The ASIM-5, quickly nicknamed the "Hound" became one of the most famous, reliable and deadly weapons in the Prefecture's arsenal.
The production of new F-4Is was very low. Nearly all of the orders were simply for the new fusion reactors to convert existing F-4H variants to F-4Is. Only 250 new F-4Is were built before the launch of the F-16. The F-4Is built were designated with serial numbers from F04-0045278 to F04-0045528.
[edit] F-4S "Super Raven"
Main Article: F-4S "Super Raven"
| F-4S "Super Raven" | |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | 1 x Korshov AC-14t 68.7mW Fusion Reactor |
| Propulsion | 1 x Korshov SJ-7e Scramjet 1 x Korshov GCD-2u Gravity Cavitation Drive |
| Maximum Airspeed | Mach 19.2 |
| Acceleration Rate | 43.24 km/h/s |
| Weapons | 2 x GC-5 "Screamer" Gauss Cannons 2 x ASIM-4 "Hawk" Missiles 2 x ASIM-5 "Hound" Missiles |
The F-4S is the variant developed and fielded by the Sirius Families. It is affectionately dubbed the "Super Raven" for its vast performance enhancements.
The "Super Raven" was built to bring the Sirius Cluster's forces more in line with higher levels of technology emerging in the Sol Sector. It represents a good middle point between the F-4I's performance levels and those of the F-16.
Besides giving the air forces of the Sirius Families a powerful and effective fighter, the Super Raven also represented an advanced saleable product which could bring much-needed revenue into the Sirius Cluster and give them some semblance of respectability as a military power.
