Thunderbird (Aerospace Fighter class)

This article is about the aerospace fighter. For the battle armor, see Thunderbird (Battle Armor).

Thunderbird
Production information
Manufacturer	Alliance Aerospace Group Lockheed-CBM Corporation Pinard Protectorates Limited Taurus Territorial Industries Wangker Aerospace
Production Year	2480
Model	TRB-D36
Class	Heavy aerospace fighter
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Cost	6,610,500 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	100 tons
Structural Integrity	10
Frame	Lockheed/CBM 300-TRB
Power Plant	Vlar 300
Armor	L/CBM AeroSteel
Fuel	5 tons (400 points)
Armament	3x large laser 5x medium laser 2x LRM-20
Communications System	Neil 6000-a
Tracking & Targeting System	N&D Longreach
Heat Sinks	25 single heat sinks
BV (1.0)	1,525
BV (2.0)	1,876 1,932 1,950

Description

While sporting a large and rather unconventional look, the Thunderbird is an old standby design and one of the most common, if dated, heavy aerospace fighters in use across the Inner Sphere in the mid thirty-first century.

Created in 2480 as part of an alliance between the Lockheed Corporation of Gibbs and CBM Aerospace of Donegal, the original Thunderbird was built for the LCAF as an assault fighter, well suited to air-to-ground attack and DropShip escort missions in the so-called Age of War. Despite its less than sleek look, the sturdy and dependable Thunderbird spread across the Star League as a number of other manufacturers were able to precisely duplicate the fighter, ensuring the design survived the centuries.

Weapons and Equipment

Mounting a laser-intensive weapons load, the Thunderbird is well suited to both dogfighting and strafing runs. A FarFire Maxi-Rack LRM-20 in each wing is supplemented by a RAMTech 1200 large laser and Maxwell medium laser, with further large and medium lasers mounted in the fighter's awkward nose. Four tons of missile reloads give the LRM launchers reasonable combat endurance, while two aft-mounted medium lasers discourage pursuit.

Variants

• TRB-D36b 

  This version of the Thunderbird was developed in 2715 utilized an extralight powerplant and mounted an ER large laser, Gauss rifle, and medium laser in each wing. The nose carried an ER large laser and a pair of medium lasers. The D36b carried two tons of Gauss rifle ammunition and 24 double heat sinks. BV (2.0) = 2,826

• TRB-D46 

  A Star League era variant developed in 2724 originally used by the LCAF and SLDF that was reintroduced in 3055. It uses three ER large lasers and Artemis IV FCS-enhanced LRM-15s in place of the LRM-20s with four tons of ammo. Other improvements includes one less heat sink, but all 24 remaining are double heat sinks; filling out the remaining space is an extra ton of fuel (480 points) and five more tons of armor. BV (2.0) = 2,320

• TRB-D50 

  A variant developed by Pinard Protectorates Limited in 3065, the D50 uses ferro-aluminum armor and lacks the LRM-20s. A second medium laser is added to each wing, while the medium laser from the nose is replaced with an AC/10 and two tons of ammunition. The rest of the saved weight is spent on nine more single heat sinks and an increase in armor. BV (2.0) = 1,828

• TRB-D56 

  Developed by Lockheed/CBM in 3074 from the D46, the D56 is a heavy fighter and DropShip hunter which uses an XL engine, 17 tons of ferro-aluminum armor and 20 double heat sinks. The D56 is armed with a heavy PPC and UAC/10 in the nose and twin tail-mounted ER small lasers in its tail, backed up by Artemis IV-enhanced LRM-20s and wing-mounted ER medium lasers. BV (2.0) = 2,665

• TRB-XTS 

  This Thunderbird refit was developed by Rim Salvage, allegedly a shell company of Word of Blake, during the Jihad. The Thunderbird carried a RAC/5 in each wing, along with a large pulse laser equipped with a Laser Insulator. The main weapons, however, were the paired Centurion Weapon Systems in the nose. These could, in theory, shut down an enemy craft without inflicting damage on it. 19 double heat sinks and 15 tons of ferro-aluminum armor protected the craft. BV (2.0) = 2,494

Design Quirks

The TRB-XTS Thunderbird variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:

• Prototype

Notable Pilots

• Dustin Weaver piloted one of the last functional Star League D46 models during the Succession Wars. A famed ace, Weaver led a heavy fighter squadron as part of the LCS Invincible's relief mission to Hesperus II in 2853. He shot down at least ten DCMS fighters, while his squadron downed two assault DropShips and a Vigilant-class corvette. Weaver stayed on Hesperus rather than return to Tharkad with the ill-fated WarShip. Four years later, Weaver was still assigned to the defense of Hesperus when Combine forces attacked. Weaver was killed in an attack run on an Overlord DropShip.

Notes

• The Thunderbird was introduced in the AeroTech as one of the six original designs, but lacked model number, release date, or any description beyond its game stats. Randall Bills, the FanPro BattleTech Line Developer, provided a few more details (era, model number) in the official file released with HeavyMetal Aero. The Thunderbird was finally detailed at length in Technical Readout: 3075, pages 286–287.

• In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Donnervogel. The model code was accordingly changed before, but altered after the hyphen to DRV-G4.

Gallery

• 

  Original TRB-D36 Thunderbird from TRO:3057

• 

  A Thunderbird in combat from TRO:3075

Bibliography

• AeroTech 2 Record Sheets
• Combat Operations
• Experimental Technical Readout: Periphery
• Handbook: House Davion
• Handbook: Major Periphery States
• Master Unit List
• Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War
• Record Sheets: Operation Klondike
• Technical Readout: 3057
• Technical Readout: 3075