The Talon Starbomber is a Hammerforge Industries-built starfighter, designed to serve fleets as an attack bomber when attacking ground and to fend off capital ships.
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| Production Information | |
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| Manufacturer | Hammerforge Industries |
| Product Line | Blade-type Starfighters |
| Model | Talon-type Starbomber |
| Class | Tactical Bomber - Starfighter |
| Technical Information | |
| Size | 10m x 5m x 2m |
| Maximum Speed | 2,000 km/h (in atmosphere) |
| Maximum Acceleration | 2,800 G |
| Armament |
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| Crew |
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| Prototype Designation | CY-8 Attack Bomber |
| Usage | |
| Role(s) |
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| Affiliation | Varied, available for sale |
| Other Information | |
| Appearances | pending |
| Original Creator | Flashfire212 |
Design & Construction[]
As with the other Blade-type Starfighters, the Talon Starbomber was created to fill a niche role - a large bomber capable of defending itself against assailants both inside and out of atmosphere. However, the original designs of a smooth two-man fighter sized aircraft fell through for the Talon due to the emphasis on volume of bombs - there was no way a two-man fighter would be able to carry ten tonnes of explosives on top of weaponry to protect itself. As such, a scaled-down gunship design was chosen. The larger variation had served as an infantry transport and attack craft numerous times, and was much larger than contemporary fighters. As such, the gunship was scaled down from an eight meter wingspan down to a five meter, and from fifteen meters in length down to ten. The front is, like all Blade-type starships, elegantly shaped and tapered to a sharp angle, although it rounds quickly for the bubble canopies. The wings are angled down from the top of the craft, which creates greater lift, although the two bubble-turrets are placed in the center of the wings. The entire unit is clad in the same steel-laminate as the Sabre-type Interceptor, with a more powerful shield generator and the same inertial compensators. However, the increased mass of the bomber hasn't been balanced out with engine power - while the maximum speed in-atmosphere is roughly 150kph slower than the Sabre, it's maximum acceleration is less than half of the Interceptors.
Due to the ammunition-driven weapons, these bombers are rare to see in the hands of pirates, although the ones that are seen are highly modified due to the modular construction making it easier to upgrade and alter.
Features[]
The Talon Starbomber is constructed of light-weight steel laminate, lowering the overall mass slightly, but not by a remarkable amount. The frame is constructed of a titanium-steel alloy for strength and light weight.
The engine systems are an array of Mega Coal reactors with directed-feed thrust. These reactors require less frequent fuelling than fusial-thrust or ion engines and can provide more power mass-to-mass, but take time to warm up while flying, which is one reason for the low acceleration. They are also more expensive to refuel and maintain. These units carry powerful defensive shields, with increased strength on the particle shielding to cope with both ballistic shells and explosives, as well as energy shielding to deal with laser blasts. However, the energy shielding isn't quite at the same standard as the particle shielding, resulting in the bomber being threatened by laser fire moreso than ballistic weapons like kinetic cannons and missiles. All units also carry an inertial compensator, in order to allow the unit to perform high-G manoeuvres without passing out. In most cases, however, the pilot and his crew agree to tone the full inertial compensation down for a better "feel" of how the ship flies. However, the ship has no warp drive, forcing it to rely on carriers. Unlike units with more energy-based weaponry, this issue is not a major problem for the Talon as it is heavy with ballistics which can only be reloaded on a carrier or while landed.
Talon Starbombers are armed with a veritable array of weapons. The only weapon at the command of the pilot is the kinetic cannon at the front of the craft. This cannon has 100 rounds and is effective against most shielded fighters. In addition, the cannon is capable of firing sonic shells, which can serve to disrupt electronics with a sound wave. By contrast, the main defensive weapons are two lasers mounted in turrets with full hemispheres of coverage. The only portions of the craft the turrets cannot reach are the direct rear, directly above and directly below the body of the bomber. These lasers are capacitor-based, and as such draw power from the engines. This, unlike gas-based lasers, means the weapons can be fired infinitely without running out of ammunition. However, turret operators must watch the heat that their gun generates while firing. In addition, if shot off the main craft, each capacitor stores enough power for at least five shots.
However, the most obvious weapon is the bombardment bay. While it is compatible with almost any bomb, seven different kinds are listed as it's primary outfits. Indeed, for other kinds such as Fuel-Air, Radiation-based and Cryobombs, the ship has to be refitted. These include the standard high-explosive bombs, proton-based explosives, thermal detonators, space mines, EMP bombs, napalm bombs and even drillers, a two-stage bomb that blasts it's way into the ground or a spaceship before exploding and causing a shockwave. In it's standard use against land, it can trigger earthquakes, while in use against an unshielded capital ship, it can cause internal damage and create an entry point for other, more effective bombs.
However, as with most of the Blade series, the key part is the modular construction. Weapons could be altered, engines replaced, cockpit arrangement upgraded, and even an array of aftermarket upgrades and enhancements exist, allowing the bomber to rapidly evolve with the crew's ideas. However, the military owned bombers are all expected to receive modifications directly from Hammerforge rather than a third-party mechanic.
Variants[]
Stock Production Variants[]
Custom Ordered Variants[]
These units were modified to suit orders, and as such, multiple of each variant exists, although only with each group. Information pending
Custom Variants - Aftermarket[]
These units were either standard or custom ordered originally, and then modified further aftermarket. These fighters are unique, and perform in unusual ways. Information pending