Golden Age Weaponsmiths FA-18 Hornet:

When Golden Age Weaponsmiths found the F-14 in storage, they also found many FA-18 Hornet Strike Fighters. Deciding to make a profit from these fighters as well, they decided to convert these aircraft as well. They replaced much of the outer skin with MDC armor to enable the fighter to survive MDC combat. Because of the needs for more powerful missiles, the original hard points were fitted to carry the standard missiles built on Rifts Earth. The internal gun now uses the same ramjet rounds used in the F-14.

This fighter is capable of making carrier landing and takeoff and has a tail hook for the purpose of carrier landings. This fighter has sold well because it is powerful, capable, and flexible. Like the F-16, the FA-18 is fly by wire and very maneuverable. The Hornet has been sold for a fraction of what many new Rifts fighter designs have been selling for. This fighter has been sold to many independent nations that do not have the funds to purchase new fighters designs but would like to have fighters of their own.

Model Number: FA-18C and FA-18D
Vehicle Type: Twin Engine Fighter-Bomber
Crew: FA-18C; One FA-18D; Two

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Wings (2):	80 each
	[2] Elevators (2):	40 each
	[2] Rudders (2):	40 each
	Cockpit:	80
	[3] Engines (2):	100 each
	Landing Gear (3):	5 each
	[4] Main Body:	140

Notes:
[1] Destroying a Wing will cause the plane to crash
[2] Destruction of rudders or one elevator will still allow the fighter to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but fighter has a penalty of -10 to dodge, and a -30% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of both of the elevators will leave the plane uncontrollable and pilot must eject to survive.
[3] The destruction of one engine will reduce the fighters top speed by half and give the pilot a -2 penalty to dodge as well as giving a 10% penalty to piloting. Destruction of both engines will cause the aircraft to crash. Pilot may attempt a emergency landing or pilot can choose to eject.
[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the Aircraft down completely, rendering it useless and causing it to crash if in flight.

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing.
Flying: The Hornet can reach a top speed of Mach 1.7 (1308.2 mph/2105.8 kph) on full afterburner (the fighter can only last a few minutes at that speed). The fighters normal cruise is about 600 mph (965.6 kph) but varies on situation. The fighter has a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet (15,240 m)
Range: 1,379 nautical miles (1585.9 miles/2,537 km) with ordnance load and centerline fuel tank. Fighter has approximately 20% better range when fighter is carrying no ordnance. The Hornet can be refueled in the air

Statistical Data:
Height: 15 feet 4 inches (4.6 meters)
Wingspan: 40 feet 5 inches (13.5 meters)
Length: 56 feet (16.8 meters)
Weight: 51,900 pounds (23,537 kg) fully loaded.
Power System: Conventional, Two F404-GE-402 enhanced performance turbofan engines (17,700 lbs thrust), uses aviation fuel
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment), does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 3.5 million credits (Can sometimes sell for double that price)

Weapon Systems:

1. 20 mm MK-61A1 Vulcan cannon: This is the original Pre-Rifts cannon mounted in the nose of the fighter. It is the same cannon design as is carried on the F-14 Tomcat. They have replaced the standard ammo with mega damage, armor piercing ramjet ammunition which allows the aircraft to hold it own against other Rifts aircraft. The gun mount is controlled by the fighters pilot in both the single seat and two seat variants.
   Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
   Mega Damage: 1D6x10 for a burst of 30 round, 2D4 for each round.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: 570 rounds (19 bursts)
2. Hard Points (8): The Hornet has a total of eight hard points to carry ordinance. The aircraft has one hard point on the wing tips, two in the inner and middle areas of the wings, and one hard point on either side of the fuselage. Below is a list of hard points and the loads that they can carry. Missiles, rocket packs, and bombs can be mixed or matched but all ordnance on a hard point must be the same type.
   Outer Fuselage Hard Points (2): Missiles only (1 medium range missile or 2 short range missiles). Originally designed to carry the Sparrow and AMRAAM missiles.
   Inner Wing Hard Points (2): Towed Decoy, Rocket packs, or Missiles/Bombs (1 Long Range Missile /Heavy, 2 Medium Range/Medium, or 4 Short Range/Light). Originally designed to carry Heavy Bombs, Harpoons, HARMs, Mavericks, Sparrows, AMRAAMs, and Sidewinder missiles.
   Middle Wing Hard Points (2): Towed Decoy Pod, Rocket packs, or Missiles/Bombs (1 Long Range Missile /Heavy, 2 Medium Range/Medium, or 4 Short Range/Light). Originally designed to carry Heavy Bombs, Harpoons, HARMs, Mavericks, Sparrows, AMRAAMs, and Sidewinder missiles.
   Wing Tip Hard Points (2): Towed Decoy or Missiles (1 medium range missile or 2 short range missiles). Originally designed to carry the Sidewinder and AMRAAM missiles.
   1. Bombs and Missiles: The only restriction is that a hard point must carry all the same type of missiles or bombs. Both unguided and guided bombs can be carried. In two pilot versions, short range missile racks are controlled by either the pilot or the weapons officer.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies by missile type for missile and varies by altitude bombs are dropped at (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Mega Damage: Varies by missile or bomb type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of Fire: Missiles can be fired and bombs can be dropped one at a time per hard point. Multiple hard points can be linked as one attack but must be the same size (light, medium, or heavy) and style of ordnance (all missiles or bombs in a volley)
      Payload: Varies by hard point (see above - all ordnance on a hard point must be the same size and type of ordnance).
   2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. The mini missile pods are normally carried for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missile used are armor piercing, plasma, or fragmentation mini-missiles. In two pilot versions, mini missile pods are controlled by the pilot.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Damage: Varies with missile types (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of fire: Each pod can fire one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 8, 16, or 24 and can be linked with other mini missile pods for greater number of missiles (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in volley)
      Payload: each pod carries 24 mini-missile.
   3. Towed Decoys (4): The pod takes place of all ordnance on the Hard Point. The aircraft can carry a special pod that carries four advanced towed decoy drones. These drones are dragged about 328 feet (100 meters) behind the aircraft on a thin cable. Each is a specially designed radar lure that creates a radar image to mimic the aircraft. If decoys are not destroyed, they can be recovered and repaired. Rifts Earth decoy systems are assumed to not operate against Phase World weapons due to technological difference.
      M.D.C.: 5
      Effects: The decoy has an 65% chance of fooling ordinary non military radars and non smart guided missiles, the decoy has a 35% chance of fooling military level radars (like those of the Coalition), and the decoy has a 10% chance of fooling advanced military radars (Like those of the New Navy and Triax) and smart missiles.
      Range: Not Applicable although the decoy is deployed 328 feet (100 meters) from the aircraft
      Rate of fire: One can be deployed at a time and requires 15 seconds to deploy (Reel Out) another decoy
      Payload: 4 Decoys each pod.
3. Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (1): Use the same effects as the TRIAX model. However, each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares. Rifts Earth decoys systems are assumed to not operate against Phase World missiles due to technological difference. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (Add +20% to rolls for smart missiles.)
   Effect:
   01-50 Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missile are all destroyed
   51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target
   76-00 No effect, missile is still on target
   Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half. Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
   Payload: 20 chaff, 40 flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares.

Special Equipment:
The equipment of the fighter has been upgraded but many of the original systems are still on the fighter. Consider the fighter to carry all standard equipment that robot vehicles carry (not including loudspeaker and microphone) plus the following extra systems:

• APG-73 Radar: Upgraded version of the APG-65 Radar system. Medium range radar capable of tracking both air targets and ground targets. The radar system also has terrain following capacity. The fighter can track up to 12 targets simultaneously and can target and fire on up to eight targets simultaneously. On the FA-18D variant with, with a crew of two, the weapons officer frees the pilot from controlling the missiles so he can retain his full attacks. Range: 115 miles (100 nm/ 185.2 km)
• Internal Active Jamming Gear: Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/ bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
• E.S.M.: Radar Detector, Passively detects other radars being operated.
• FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.

+1 to Strike with 20mm Gun and Mini-Missile Launchers.
+2 to dodge
+5 to dodge while traveling over 250 Mph

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths, Wellington Industries, and TRIAX are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 1998 & 2001, Kitsune. All rights reserved.