Quadfighter

Multiview of Quadfighter.

Details

• Name - Quadfighter
• Class - Modified Thunder
• Registry - ED-SF-012
• Length - 30.3 feet (9.2 meters)
• Beam - 17.8 feet (5.4 meters)
• Draft - 10.7 feet (3.3 meters)
• Mass - 14.5 tons (13.1 metric tons) unloaded
• Manufacturer - Earth Defense Directorate
• Crew - 1 or 2
• Passenger - 2 in emergencies
• Power - Fusion
• Output - 2 years
• Sub-light - 40 percent
• Max Speed - (Atmosphere)(Mach 32.6 / 25053 mph / 40320 kph) but normally operates at Mach 8 (6160.7 mph / 9907.2 kph) (Space) Up to 40% of Lightspeed.
• Missile - 2 Anti-Ship
• Particle Weapons - 8 Laser cannons

History

Quadfighter is another name for the 4-man version of the Thunderfighter used by the Earth Defense Directorate to protect Earth and all starships in service in with the Earth government. The fighter is very maneuverable and heavily armed. The fighter can launch and land under its own power but often uses electromagnetic launch systems to reach a greater initial velocity than would be otherwise possible.

The fighter is built around two needle like "booms" Both booms have sharp noses and the fighter's twin engines are mounted at the aft end. Between the two booms is the fighter's cockpit which seats four in two ranks of two seats. The front two seats are for the pilot and co-pilot/weapons officer. The cockpit is rather blocky and has few rounded surfaces. The fighter has delta style wings and two control surfaces facing downwards near the rear of the fighter.

The cockpit is rather blocky - even more so that that of the 2-seat version - and has few rounded surfaces. Itis mounted on an almost flat surface with stretched between the two boom structures. The fighter has delta style wings and two control surfaces facing downwards near the rear of the fighter.

The fighter is armed with eight laser cannons mounted near the front of the fighter and near where the booms extend from the rest of the body of the fighter. While the laser cannons are not that powerful individually, all eight firing together can inflict surprising damage. When the fighter is being used against starships, it can carry two anti-ship missiles mounted on the underbelly.

These fighters were originally fitted with a combat program designed to fight better than the pilots themselves. This program was found to be predictable and a large number of pilots were lost as a result. The program is no longer used by pilots and loss rates have decreased significantly.

This fighter does have some disadvantages when compared to starfighters from other universes. The ship uses ion engines which have a lower duration than the gravity based engines used in most Starships within the Three Galaxies. The Earth Defense Directorate fighter also does not use missiles regularly and would likely suffer against any opponent who regularly uses missiles.

Behind the Scenes

Quad Fighter mock up (Date and Location unknown)