Earth Alliance | Colonies & Outposts| Fighters
Aurora Class Heavy Fighter
CLASS: SA-23E Aurora
TYPE: Heavy Fighter
LENGTH: 9.56 meters
MASS: 48 metric tons
POWER: 3 Fusion Batteries
DURATION: 2 hours [standard]
ACCELERATION: 1 km/s
CREW: 1 Pilot
AGILITY: Class A
WEAPONS: 4 40mm Pulse Cannons, 2 35mm Pulse Cannons and Fusion missiles [8 points]
DEFENCE: 4.2 Centimeter re-enforced armor, 1 Grappling Claws and 1 Cutting Laser
Image from The Lost Files of G’Kane
The SA-23E Mitchell-Hyundyne Aurora class Starfury is a single-seat, non-atmospheric attack fighter, utilized by Earthforce ships and installations for short range defense operations, a position it has served faithfully since it first went into service in early 2244.
Of all the fighters in the known universe, the Starfury is the predominant fighter of all the younger races, excluding the Minbari. Combining superior agility with a massive weapons payload, the Starfury can outgun and out-fly almost any fighter craft imaginable.
Video from B5 Scrolls
A standard Starfury is some 9.56 meters (31.38 feet) long from nose to tail, 17.87 meters (58.63 feet) from side to side, and 8.08 meters (26.52 feet) from top to bottom. This figure takes into account the size of the ship, including the fighters rear jet foils.
Starfuries have a maximum linear thrust of 1 km/s2. Tactical combat speeds are generally between 5,000 / 50,000 KPH in dogfights, and standard cruising speed is 5,000 KPH.
Starfuries are armed with four 40mm JC-266-A unidirectional Pulse Cannons, and two rear firing 30mm J-240 Pulse Cannons guided by a Duffy 1018 MJS smart targeting computer with a sweeping range of 70,000 kilometers/s3. Pulse Cannons are “Pure Plasma Projection Guns”, with a low-end power output of “20” megajoules per bolt, and an estimated range of some 15,000 meters. SA-23 E Starfury also has eight (8) hard-points for extra weapons, such as fusion missiles.
Powered by three fusion batteries, a Starfury can sustain maximum power output for no longer than twenty minutes. Maximum power output includes full life-support, auto-repair, all weapons active and full throttle. Under normal power output condition, Starfuries can sustain flight for several hours.
Unlike the classic fighter plains of old, the pilots of the last ten generations of Starfury sit in an almost perfect vertical position, operating his/her vessel through a combination of hand, foot, eye and voice-activated controls. This provides them with a maximum visual scope during combat and allows the maximum flow of blood, reducing the number of blackouts from sharp maneuvers.
Badger Class Heavy Fighter
CLASS: SA-25A Badger
TYPE: Heavy Fighter
LENGTH: 10.21 meters
MASS: 52 metric tons
POWER: 3 Fusion Batteries
DURATION: 2 hours [standard]
ACCELERATION: 0.9 km/s
CREW: 2 Pilot
AGILITY: Class A-
WEAPONS: 1 32mm Gatling Rail Gun, 6 40mm Pulse Cannons, 4 40mm Plasma Bolt Cannons and Fusion missiles [8 points]
DEFENCE: 5.0 Centimeter re-enforced armor
Image by Andy Crook
The SA-25A Mitchell-Hyundyne Badger class Starfury is a dual-seat, non-atmospheric aassault fighter, developed during the Earth Minbari war in the hopes of improving Earthforce’s combat record against the more advanced Nial class Heavy Fighter used by the Minbari Federation.
Heavier and better armed that the Aurora class Starfury and almost as nimble, the Badger was utilized by Earthforce capital ships and fixed installations for long range attack operations on enemy targets, prior to the introduction of the Thunderbolt class Starfury.
A standard Badger is some 10.21 meters (33.5 feet) long from nose to tail, 17.87 meters (58.63 feet) from side to side, and 8.08 meters (26.52 feet) from top to bottom. This figure takes into account the size of the ship, including the fighters rear jet foils.
The Badger is armed with six 40mm JC-266-A unidirectional Pulse Cannons four fireing forward and two aft firing guns under the control of the rear facing navigator. In addition to forward pulse cannons the pilot also has at his/her disposal a gatling style rail-gun, capable of firing high velocity projectiles and is tied directly into the pilot’s helmet, so whatever target he looks at is automaticly painted by the ship’s visual targeting computer. Mounted on the lower wings are four 40mm plasma bolt cannons, more powerful than the pulse cannons but with a longer regarche time. Badgers also have eight (8) hard-points for extra weapons, such as fusion missiles, just like on the Aurora class Starfury.
Targeting systems are guided by a Duffy 1018 MJS smart targeting computer with a sweeping range of 70,000 kilometers/s3 with the addition of a vsiual laser-optical targeting system designed specifially so pilots can maintain lock and fire upon stealth targets like the Minbari’s Nial class Heavy Fighter.
Thunderbolt Class Heavy Fighter
CLASS: SA-32A Thunderbolt
TYPE: Heavy Fighter – Bomber
LENGTH: 15.54 meters
MASS: 52 metric tons
POWER: 1 Micro-Fusion reactor and 2 Fusion Batteries
DURATION: 6 hours [standard]
ACCELERATION: 1 km/s
CREW: 2 – Pilot w/ Bomber
AGILITY: Class A
WEAPONS: 4 Linked, Unidirectional 40mm Pulse Cannons and Fusion missiles [10 points]
DEFENCE: 5.6 Centimeter re-enforced armor, 2 Grappling Claws and1 Cutting Laser
Image by Anders Fernström
SA-32A Mitchell-Hyundyne Thunderbolt Class Starfury, is a two-seat fighter craft utilized by the Earth Alliance military for short/medium range defense operations. The SA-32A Starfury is the only Starfury that can fly in atmosphere as well as space. Thunderbolts are larger than the old Aurora Starfury at 15.54 meters (51 feet) long from nose to tail, 18.7 meters (61.35 feet) from side to side air foils extended and 6.96 meters (22.83 feet) from top to bottom.
Thunderbolts are armed with four Walter 40mm unidirectional plasma Pulse Cannons, with a power output of “35” megawatts (35 million watts) per. bolt, and an estimated maximum range of some 15,000 meters. The SA-32 Starfury can also be armed with ten external hard points for addition weapons and missiles and also has a particle/laser weapon built into its system. Unfortunately, due to the massive power drain accompanied by firing the particle/laser, combined with the long recharge time (15 seconds), it is not used unless absolutely necessary.
Unlike older Starfury models, Thunderbolt pilots sit in the same position as in classic fighter planes. The fighter is operated by a combination of hand, foot, eye and voice-activated controls just like the SA-23s, but the controls on the Thunderbolts are far more sensitive than those on the old Aurora Starfuries.
SOURCE: B5 Tech Manual
