Golden Age Weaponsmith A-10 Thunderbolt II

Golden Age Weaponsmiths A-10 Thunderbolt II:

In storage in various Air National Guard Armories, Golden Age Weaponsmiths found A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack fighters. After studying the aircraft, Golden Age Weaponsmiths decided to refit the aircraft to sell to independent groups. While the aircraft is not very fast, replacing the titanium armor with MDC alloys which gave the aircraft good survivability even on Rifts and its firepower is greater than that of a sky cycle. Since GAW knew that the Coalition would not be interested, they marketed the aircraft to independents, especially mercenary companies. The ability of the fighter to operate out of primitive airfields also gives the aircraft a great advantage over many of the other fighters that they have refitted.

Other than replacing the armor of the A-10, Golden Age Weaponsmiths has replaced the ammo used in the 30 mm GU-8A with ramjet rounds similar in design to the 20 mm rounds used in other converted aircraft. They have also replaced the fitting on the aircrafts eleven hard points to carry standard missiles built on Rifts Earth. With the GU-8 using ramjet rounds and the refitted missile launchers and a huge payload, the Thunderbolt is superior in the ground attack role in most respects than the Iron Heart Industries Grey Falcon aircraft.

Model Number: A-10
Vehicle Type: Ground Attack Aircraft.
Crew: One

M.D.C. by Location:

[1] Wings (2): 80 each

[2] Elevators (2): 40 each

[2] Rudders (2): 40 each

Cockpit: 120

[3] Engines (2): 120 each

Landing Gear (3): 10 each

[4] Main Body: 280

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 the 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 an 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. Aircraft can land and take off from primitive runways.
Flying: The Thunderbolt can reach a top speed of 420 mph (365 knots /676 kph). The aircraft does not have an afterburner and the fighter's normal cruise speed is 345 mph (300 knots /556 kph) but varies on the situation. The Thunderbolt has a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet (9144 m)
Range: Has a cruise range of 1554 miles (1350 nm /2500 km) with no ordnance load. The aircraft can carry up to three external fuel tanks that each contains 600 gallons of fuel and adds 300 miles (260 nm /480 km) to the aircraft's range. Reduce aircraft's range by 15% if partially loaded (more than 50% of capacity) and by 25% if fully loaded. The Thunderbolt can fly a mission to a target that is 288 (250 nm /463.5 km) away while being three quarters loaded with ordnance and the aircraft can loiter at the target for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The A-10 Thunderbolt can be refueled in the air

Statistical Data:
Height: 14 feet 8 inches (4.4 meters)
Wingspan: 57 feet (17.4 meters)
Length: 53 feet 4 inches (16.16 meters)
Weight: 51,000 pounds (22,950 kg) fully loaded.
Power System: Conventional, Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines (9065 lbs thrust each), uses aviation fuel
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment), does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 3.3 million credits (Can sometimes sell for double that price)

Weapon Systems:

30 mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun: This is the original Pre-Rifts cannon mounted in the nose of the aircraft.They have replaced the standard ammo with mega damage, armor piercing ramjet ammunition which allows the aircraft to hold it own and surpass other Rifts aircraft in firepower.
Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 m).
Mega Damage: 2D6x10 for a short burst of 20 round, 4D6x10 for a long burst of 40 rounds, and 3D6 for each round. Both bursts count as one attack.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: 1180 rounds (59 bursts)
Ordnance Hard Points (11): The aircraft has a total of 11 hard points. Three of the hard points are on the body of the aircraft and there are four hard points on each wing. The hard points can be used to carry missiles, bombs, mini-missile packs, towed decoys, and jamming pods. The aircraft can also carry fuel tanks on the three hard points on the main body. The outer hard points often carry medium range missiles for air to air combat.
1. Bombs and Missiles: The only restriction is that a hard point must carry all the same type of missile and missile. 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: 4 short range missile or light bombs, 2 medium range missiles or medium bombs, or 1 long range missile or heavy bomb (all ordnance on a hard point must be the same size and type of ordnance) each hard point.
2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. These pods are not carried on the body of the aircraft but are only carried on the wings. The Aircraft normally carries missile pods for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missile used are armor piercing, plasma, or fragmentation mini-missiles.
  Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
  Damage: Varies with mini-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, or 16 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 16 mini-missile.
3. Active Jamming Pod: Pod takes place of all ordnance on the Hard Point. 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. The jamming pod is only mounted on outer wing hard points.
4. 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.
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 decoy 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:
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:

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.

Combat Bonuses:

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths, Welington 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.]

Image drawn and copyrighted by Lou Drendel (mentor29@mail.idt.net).
More of his artwork at Artwork by Lou Drendel

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

	[1] Wings (2):	80 each
	[2] Elevators (2):	40 each
	[2] Rudders (2):	40 each
	Cockpit:	120
	[3] Engines (2):	120 each
	Landing Gear (3):	10 each
	[4] Main Body:	280