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Description
Light Strike Fighter -186 'Sabre Dart' Starfighter. Updated.

The Nexus Aerospace Light Strike Fighter – 186 ‘Sabre Dart’ is a third-generation starfighter used by the Escean Interstellar Navy for fleet protection and enemy interception. First deployed in 2099, the Sabre Dart is a small, singe-seat fighter capable of interatmospheric operation. As a carrier-based fighter, the Sabre Dart is typically transported by a Pandoran-class capital or Mystique-class assault ship, although a tricycle undercarriage allows them to deploy from planet-side airfields.

LSF-186s are among the fastest of their type in existence. Each craft is equipped with four Hatsun 50kW Ion Thrusters for transit propulsion, RCS clusters for zero-atmospheric manoeuvring, and two FPE-81 Fused Propellant Engines for combat propulsion. The main engines, which vent plasma from the onboard reactor, provide enough thrust for the craft to achieve planetary escape speed. In combat, these engines allow the Sabre Dart to rapidly accelerate for interception or evasion. The plasma flare released from each exhaust extends over 100m aft of the fighter, and can reach temperatures in excess of 1 million degrees, posing significant hazard to anything behind it.

Lightly armed, the Sabre Dart was built upon experience gained by Escean fighters during the Resource War. Much like terrestrial fighter aircraft, the Arrowhead starfighters utilised in that conflict were equipped with guided weaponary in addition to a small rotary cannon. This loadout proved largely ineffective in space combat, where the complexity of space-launched interception missiles increased size and restricted explosive and payload capacity. Furthermore, CIPDL (Close-In Point-Defence Laser) cannons easily swatted these missiles. The 20mm cannon simply lacked adequate energy to deal significant damage to enemy craft using shielding or hard armour.

The Sabre Dart therefore did away with guided fighter-to-fighter ordnance, with its only guided munitions being ground attack weapons stored internally in the belly. For engaging enemy craft or ships, the LSF-186 relies upon a pair of repeating 20mm K-64 Gauss cannons with an internal capacity of 1600 rounds. The velocity of the solid tungsten carbide slugs gives the Sabre Dart considerable punch, enough to destroy enemy fighters and even damage enemy ships. These projectiles are also incredibly difficult to defend against given their size and speed.

For obvious reasons the Sabre Dart’s canopy does not utilise any form of glass or composite alternative. Instead, it is armoured and opaque, with the pilot observing the outside through an array of cameras and an internal projection screen. Flight controls are haptic-based, with physical backups for catastrophic loss-of-power situations. In emergencies, the pilot may eject from the craft inside the cockpit ‘tub’. This is created when the canopy seals, creating a reinforced shell. The armour of an LSF-186 is fabricated from composite materials, ballistic fabrics and carbon nanotube plating. The entire aircraft uses composites for its internal structure.

Crew: 1

Length: 17m

Wingspan: 12.2m

Height: 4.1m

Empty Weight: 32,000lbs

Loaded Weight: 40,000lbs

Max.Takeoff Weight: 46,000lbs

Powerplant: 4x Hatsun 50kW Ion Thrusters, 2x FPE-81 Fused Propellant Engines

Maximum Speed: Mach 35 (Escape Speed)

Range: 15,000nmi (Intratmospheric Flight Only)

Service Ceiling: N/A

Armament: 2x K-64 20mm Repeating Gauss Cannon

Description
Light Strike Fighter -186 'Sabre Dart' Starfighter. Updated.

The Nexus Aerospace Light Strike Fighter – 186 ‘Sabre Dart’ is a third-generation starfighter used by the Escean Interstellar Navy for fleet protection and enemy interception. First deployed in 2099, the Sabre Dart is a small, singe-seat fighter capable of interatmospheric operation. As a carrier-based fighter, the Sabre Dart is typically transported by a Pandoran-class capital or Mystique-class assault ship, although a tricycle undercarriage allows them to deploy from planet-side airfields.

LSF-186s are among the fastest of their type in existence. Each craft is equipped with four Hatsun 50kW Ion Thrusters for transit propulsion, RCS clusters for zero-atmospheric manoeuvring, and two FPE-81 Fused Propellant Engines for combat propulsion. The main engines, which vent plasma from the onboard reactor, provide enough thrust for the craft to achieve planetary escape speed. In combat, these engines allow the Sabre Dart to rapidly accelerate for interception or evasion. The plasma flare released from each exhaust extends over 100m aft of the fighter, and can reach temperatures in excess of 1 million degrees, posing significant hazard to anything behind it.

Lightly armed, the Sabre Dart was built upon experience gained by Escean fighters during the Resource War. Much like terrestrial fighter aircraft, the Arrowhead starfighters utilised in that conflict were equipped with guided weaponary in addition to a small rotary cannon. This loadout proved largely ineffective in space combat, where the complexity of space-launched interception missiles increased size and restricted explosive and payload capacity. Furthermore, CIPDL (Close-In Point-Defence Laser) cannons easily swatted these missiles. The 20mm cannon simply lacked adequate energy to deal significant damage to enemy craft using shielding or hard armour.

The Sabre Dart therefore did away with guided fighter-to-fighter ordnance, with its only guided munitions being ground attack weapons stored internally in the belly. For engaging enemy craft or ships, the LSF-186 relies upon a pair of repeating 20mm K-64 Gauss cannons with an internal capacity of 1600 rounds. The velocity of the solid tungsten carbide slugs gives the Sabre Dart considerable punch, enough to destroy enemy fighters and even damage enemy ships. These projectiles are also incredibly difficult to defend against given their size and speed.

For obvious reasons the Sabre Dart’s canopy does not utilise any form of glass or composite alternative. Instead, it is armoured and opaque, with the pilot observing the outside through an array of cameras and an internal projection screen. Flight controls are haptic-based, with physical backups for catastrophic loss-of-power situations. In emergencies, the pilot may eject from the craft inside the cockpit ‘tub’. This is created when the canopy seals, creating a reinforced shell. The armour of an LSF-186 is fabricated from composite materials, ballistic fabrics and carbon nanotube plating. The entire aircraft uses composites for its internal structure.

Crew: 1

Length: 17m

Wingspan: 12.2m

Height: 4.1m

Empty Weight: 32,000lbs

Loaded Weight: 40,000lbs

Max.Takeoff Weight: 46,000lbs

Powerplant: 4x Hatsun 50kW Ion Thrusters, 2x FPE-81 Fused Propellant Engines

Maximum Speed: Mach 35 (Escape Speed)

Range: 15,000nmi (Intratmospheric Flight Only)

Service Ceiling: N/A

Armament: 2x K-64 20mm Repeating Gauss Cannon