Starfire (Aerospace Fighter class)

This article is about the aerospace fighter design. For other uses, see Starfire (disambiguation).

Starfire
Production information
Manufacturer	Banzai Weapons Design Company
Production Year	3028
Model	SF-1X
Class	Medium
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass	55 tons
Structural Integrity	7
Frame	NAIS MXA/22
Power Plant	CoreTech 275
Armor	NAIS Special-X Ferro-Fibrous
Fuel
Armament	1 x Ultra AC/5 4 x Medium Lasers 1 x Small Laser
Communications System	Wunderland Fighter Series 60
Tracking & Targeting System	Wunderland Raptores 2
Heat Sinks	20
BV (1.0)	995

Description

The Starfire was a New Avalon Institute of Science-developed Aerospace Fighter intended as a testbed for recovered LosTech.

Scrambling to be the first Successor State to field the advanced Star League era technology discovered in the Helm Memory Core, the NAIS and the closely linked Banzai Weapon Design Company immediately began working on prototype proof of concept designs to gain a better understanding of the new technology and how best to employ it. While only a handful of the craft were constructed, the Starfire assisted the Federated Suns to more quickly and safely employ the advanced systems than its neighbors.

Its flying-wing chassis heavily influenced by the specifications for the advanced SLDF Hellcat II, the larger Starfire mounted more advanced Ferro-Aluminum armor. However, the NAIS's inability to mass produce the advanced material restricted the craft to only seven tons of coverage. The base model carried only twenty standard Heat Sinks.

Weapons and Equipment

The Starfire's baseline model carried an advanced General Motors PTAA Ultra Autocannon/5 prototype in its nose, supported by a relatively common laser array, comprising a pair of Martell Medium Lasers in each wing and an aft-mounted ExoStar Small Laser. A single ton of reloads for the ammo hungry Ultra Autocannon was considered more than adequate for a test craft.

Variants

As a testbed for LosTech equipment, the designers attempted to develop a semi-modular weapons port to aid testing, but were ultimately unsuccessful and were forced to return to the drawing board to rebuild the fighter for each new system. Field refits of the Starfire included variants with still-experimental LB 10-X Autocannon, ER Large Lasers, Star League style Double Heat Sinks, or Artemis IV FCS and Narc Missile Beacon enhanced missile launchers.

• Limited Production Model 

  In the mid-3040s it appears that the Starfire entered limited production. These models were widely used by the NAIS Cadet Cadre. These were equipped with Prototype Ultra AC/5s. Several of the Cadet Cadre's Starfires were seen in combat against the Word of Blake during the Jihad.

Design Quirks

The SF-1X Starfire variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:

• Atmospheric Flyer
• Modular Weapons
• Obsolete/3045

Notes

As of this writing there is no published BV2 for the SF-1X Starfire. Also, there no published information on the limited production Starfire, nor a record sheet or if it differs from the original. The Master Unit List for the Starfire does not include a BV but does have the vehicle's introduction date and Alpha Strike Data Card.

Gallery

• 

  Original Starfire from TRO:3026 Revised

Bibliography

• Experimental Technical Readout: Succession Wars, Volume 1
• Technical Readout: 3026 Revised