Retry
12/07/13 08:00 PM
67.239.101.65
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Airacuda
Mass: 20 tons
Chassis: Standard
Movement Type: Conventional Fighter
Power Plant: Leenex 140 Fusion
Safe Thrust Speed: 1440 kph
Maximum Thrust Speed: 2310 kph
Armor: Heavy Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
Pulse Laser (Medium)
Pulse Laser (Medium)
Rocket Launcher 10
Guardian ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Inner Sphere
Communications System: Standard
Targeting & Tracking System: Targeting Computer
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Type: Untitled
Technology Base: Inner Sphere / 3065
Ruleset: Standard (5th edition)
Tonnage: 20
Cost: 753,867 C-bills
Battle Value: 436
Equipment Mass
Structural Integrity: 8 0.0
Engine: 140 5.0
Type: Fusion
Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Fuel: 160 1.0
Cockpit: 2.0
Power Amplifier: 0.0
VSTOL: 0.0
Heat Sinks: 10 [10] 0.0
Armor Factor: 20 1.0
Armor
Value
Nose 3
L/R Wing 5/5
Aft 7
Weapons and Ammo Location Tons
Pulse Laser (Medium) Aft 2.0
Pulse Laser (Medium) Aft 2.0
Rocket Launcher 10 Nose 0.5
Guardian ECM Suite Aft 1.5
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The Airacuda is an experimental clan invasion era conventional bomber outfitted with many advanced technologies of the time. Heavy Ferro Aluminum armor gives it's maximum armor allotment in a one ton package. Though it has half the combat radius of the Boeing Jump Bomber and is marginally slower, many jump bomber pilots wish to be in the Airacuda. Look in what it sports in the trunk and you will see why...
A generous dual medium pulse laser turret lies in the aft position, which will make short work of any tailing conventional fighter. Against aerospace fighters it can outrun everything that can outgun it as well as give anything that can catch it a run for it's money. The Airacuda pilot puts the plane into autopilot in order to use the gun turret. Though capable of dive bombing, most airacuda raids tend to involve flying just outside the range of AA weapons and then carpet bombing an area dense with enemy armor.
It's biggest weakness lies in the lack of protection in the nose. Any who is faster can attempt to head-on the bomber. A one-shot rocket launcher is added as an afterthought to combat these types of threats.
Edited by Retry (12/07/13 10:40 PM)
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TigerShark
12/07/13 09:39 PM
68.190.197.104
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Several issues here:
(1) The Targeting Computer wasn't invented until long after the League died.
(2) Why wasn't it equipped with VSTOL? If it were Star League, you can be 100% sure they'd have spent the SLD on that ability over pulse or anything else as it saves a lot of time/effort on having a long runway.
(3) The Rocket Launcher was in the prototype stage at this point. Even into the Klondike period, those rules were in effect.
(4) You failed to include additional external hardpoints for bombs... It is a "bomber" right? 
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Retry
12/07/13 10:37 PM
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I didn't have much time to think about it, had it hastily put together.
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Karagin
12/07/13 10:45 PM
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Who really cares about ERA of play unless you are a convention game? If it is a friendly pickup game the Era of play doesn't mean squat.
Using that as nick points is pointless, since folks will build what ever they want, using what ever tech they want. And RLs have retconned to be older then original were, so really does it matter?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Retry
12/07/13 10:54 PM
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Changing of date fixed the first and third issues. Didn't realize those star league plebians still did gunnery old-skool 
Issue 4 isn't really one as they by default have external hardpoints. Only support-type fixed-wing aircraft have to specify specifically the hardpoints they have.
Numero dos... Idk, carefully deploy the craft I guess. If you make it slower more ASF types can catch it more easily, lose a pulse laser and you lose half of your defensive firepower. You could perhaps remove the RL and guardian ECM suite... but I like ECM.
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TigerShark
12/07/13 11:15 PM
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He put fluff along with it. The design didn't match the fluff.
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Karagin
12/07/13 11:39 PM
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And again it doesn't matter the fluff has not dates, so there is NO issue. As for it having things earlier or later again it doesn't matter since again most folks aren't playing in tournament games. And as before with Levels this one word here experimental means it can have what ever it wants since it's a one of a kind wonder toy.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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TigerShark
12/07/13 11:45 PM
68.190.197.104
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From your post, I'm guessing you don't concern yourself with the details of the BattleTech universe, only the play mechanics. That's fine for your own table, but BattleTech DOES have "dates posted" for the existence of the Star League. Since he posted a specific era of manufacture, I thought I'd comment on that omission.
Not sure why you take issue with that. The purpose of posting a design is feedback, isn't it? If not, then what?
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TigerShark
12/08/13 12:09 AM
68.190.197.104
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At that price (760k) you can't beat it. Not very fast but I guess you don't need to be if you're just laying down the law on a static defense.
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Karagin
12/08/13 12:28 AM
24.243.178.124
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I do concern myself with the details of the universe, BUT at the same time, if someone is going to use something then they are going to use it. He stated it was experimental thus it would have tech that is higher then the era it's being used in, hell they did an entire series of TROs with experimental tech on mechs.
Feedback is great, pointing out nitpicking points like no you can't have that cause it's not around during the Clan invasion isn't feedback it's nitpicking. I have posted mechs that have stuff on them that would not be seen during the time it was used, and either folks use it as is or they mod it out. But based your post you are saying that folks can only use items on a mech that they post if it fits the era and if it doesn't then they and the mech are wrong. Or am I not following your logic here?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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TigerShark
12/08/13 12:38 AM
68.190.197.104
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Replying via PM to not derail the thread further.
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Retry
12/08/13 02:43 PM
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So... yeah. The airacuda.
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Retry
12/08/13 02:57 PM
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Hmm...
Battletech tabletop was never really able to portray aerial combat realistically. How could you, though, in a turn based strategy game?
I'd bet that if someone somehow made a battletech first-person dogfighting simulator, conventional fighters would chew up aerospace fighters in a 1v1 at low altitudes.
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Karagin
12/08/13 04:32 PM
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Retry, you have nice confighter for those who can't afford high tech wonder fighters. I could see this being used by many worlds, if reached mass productions, as both something to keep the Clans busy and a good anti-partisan type of hunter aircraft.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Retry
12/08/13 06:13 PM
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Looks like the thread was trimmed a bit.
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Retry
12/08/13 09:59 PM
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Though, since the year has been changed, I'd assume you could lose the RL in order to upgrade the guardian to an angel.
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Karagin
12/08/13 11:42 PM
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You could. Either offers a good ECM option.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Retry
12/08/13 11:58 PM
67.239.101.65
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Does ECM work differently when mounted on fighters, as opposed to ground-based mechs and vehicles?
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Retry
12/09/13 07:02 PM
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If I wanted the Airacuda to be a really annoying gnat to down I could always give it stealth armor...
You know what, why not?
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Cray
12/10/13 06:58 PM
71.47.122.85
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Quote:
If I wanted the Airacuda to be a really annoying gnat to down I could always give it stealth armor...
You know what, why not?
Double check that it's available for conventional fighters. I know it got extended to aerospace fighters in Tactical Operations, but don't recall if conventional fighters are covered. It might also be advanced or experimental grade, and thus not available in tournaments.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Retry
12/10/13 07:00 PM
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It's not available in tournaments, but it is a legal design option.
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TigerShark
12/10/13 07:00 PM
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Where are these "tournaments" held? Never seen one.
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Retry
12/10/13 07:08 PM
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Neither have I.
Anyways, if it wasn't possible to add stealth armor, the Drake Medium Strike Fighter(Defender custom ConvFighter variant) would be in big trouble.
Edited by Retry (12/10/13 07:10 PM)
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Karagin
12/10/13 10:39 PM
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The tournaments would be games run at GenCon and Origins and what the Commandos use to run back in the late 90s eary 2000/2001, seems they don't do that any more so yeah the idea of tournament legal rules is pretty pointless as far as listing them.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Retry
12/10/13 11:48 PM
67.239.101.65
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Hmm...
Do vees need heat sinks for the stealth armor activation as mechs do? Or is it just the energy weapons that use heat sinks?
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