Chippewa

Chippewa
Production information
Manufacturer	Bowie Industries Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
Production Year	2584
Model	CHP-W5
Class	Heavy aerospace fighter
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Cost	5,410,530 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	90 tons
Structural Integrity	9
Frame	Bowie 50
Power Plant	PlasmaStar 270
Armor	Wyatt Coresteel Standard
Fuel	400 - 5 tons
Armament	2x LRM-15s 4x Large lasers 2x Small lasers 2x Medium lasers 1x SRM-6
Communications System	Rander 200
Tracking & Targeting System	Rander TA5
Heat Sinks	25 single heat sinks
BV (1.0)	1,554 1,154

Description

Designed for the Star League, the heavy Chippewa isn't extremely fast, but it has an impressive array of armament. Mostly used in the Lyran Commonwealth, the Chippewa has become House Steiner's main heavy fighter. Prior to the start of the First Succession War, Steiner captured the Bowie Industries plant on Dell, where W5 models were produced until House Kurita successfully destroyed the plant in a raid. Another major production site was the Bowie Industries on Wyatt until 3068, when the Word of Blake nuked it during the Jihad.

A heavy fighter, the Chippewa utilizes its large wings to provide added maneuverability when fighting in an atmosphere. The outer portions of each wing can retract inward, allowing for the fighter to be stored aboard transports more easily.

Weapons and Equipment

Short or long range, it is best to stay away from a Chippewa. With the Exostar LRM-15 and SRM-6 racks to the front, backed up by two Martell medium lasers in the nose and four McCorkel large lasers in the wings, the Chippewa can lay down a devastating first strike. For rear protection, two McCorkel small lasers are mounted in the tail. The Chippewa was the first SLDF fighter to mount specialized Laser Insulators, however the technological know-how to produce this insulation was lost during the Succession Wars and later models were built without them.

Variants

• CHP-W5b 

  This version of the Chippewa drops the SRM-6 and upgrades the large lasers to extended range models. It also adds Artemis IV to the LRM-15 racks and carries 25 double heat sinks. The speed has also been improved with the replacement of the standard fusion engine by a XL model. BV (2.0) = 2,051

• CHP-W7 

  A Lyran Commonwealth upgrade of the CHP-W5 using recovered technology, the CHP-W7 Chippewa features double heat sinks, an XL engine, ferro-aluminum armor, and all lasers upgraded to pulse laser variants. BV (1.0) = 1,487 , BV (2.0) = ??

• CHP-W7T 

  Based on the W7 this variant changes the large pulse lasers to a pair of snub-nose PPCs and a pair of plasma rifles in the wings. The LRM-15 launchers are additionally upgraded with Artemis IV systems. BV (1.0) = 1,262

• CHP-W8 

  This variant exchanges the LRM and SRM launchers in the nose for an MML-7 with Artemis IV for better close combat ability. BV (1.0) = 1,484

• CHP-W10 

  A Federated Suns modification that eliminates two of the large lasers for an extra nine and a half tons of armor. BV (1.0) = 1,516 (1,487), BV (2.0) = 1,820

Custom Variants

• CHP-X-P Chippewa Gladstone 

  The personal Chippewa of Michael Gladstone, a deserter from the Lyran Regulars, the Chippewa Gladstone can be found near the Rim Collection acting as an escort for various merchant DropShips and JumpShips. Modified to carry a pair of ELRM-15 launchers in the nose, Gladstone can engage enemy forces from much further out than they expect. The standard armor has been removed and replaced with laser reflective armor, which means energy weapons are far less effective against the Chippewa. If an enemy does manage to close with Gladstone they'll receive a rude shock: ten ER medium lasers and enough double heat sinks to use them. In the technology-starved Periphery, the Chippewa Gladstone is one of the most effective and fearsome aerospace fighters in service. BV (2.0) = 1,635

• Chippewa Manfred 

  This custom Chippewa is based on a CHP-W7 airframe. Four double heat sinks, one SRM-6, and one LRM-15 have been removed and replaced by a heavy Gauss rifle. This Chippewa is protected by 10 tons of ferro-aluminum armor. BV (1.0) = 1,956

Related Aerospace Fighters

• Chippewa IIC - The Chippewa IIC was developed and used by Clan Mongoose during the Golden Century. Keeping with the heavy-hitting role of the original Chippewa, the IIC mated an advanced targeting computer to several ER lasers, while Streak SRMs and LRMs rounded out the weaponry. BV (2.0) = 3,341

Notable Pilots

See: Category:Notable Chippewa Pilots

Notes

• Author Blaine Lee Pardoe stated in a blog entry that, according to his memory which he admitted could be wrong, the Chippewa was among the aerospace fighters for which he invented the name and wrote the original background as initially published in TRO:3025, after being given only its art and game stats to work with for the TRO entry. He named it after his college mascot.

Gallery

• 

  Original CHP-W5 Chippewa from TRO:3025

• 

  CHP-W5 Chippewa from TRO:3025 Revised

• 

  Gladstone-variant of Chippewa from XTRO:Pirates

• 

  Chippewa from manual of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

Bibliography

• AeroTech 2 Record Sheets
• Era Digest: Golden Century
• Experimental Technical Readout: Pirates
• Master Unit List: Battle Values
• Objective Raids
• Record Sheets: 3039
• Record Sheets: Operation Klondike
• Record Sheets: Unique Fighters
• Technical Readout: 3025
• Technical Readout: 3025 Revised
• Technical Readout: 3039
• Technical Readout: 3057