VAF-8+ Contra Grav Alpha Fighter:

This fighter is a redesigned version of the Alpha Fighter used by the Sentinels against the Invid. This design is physical identical to a standard alpha except the nose of the fighter is slightly longer and will often carry external ordnance. While this fighter design is not operated by REEF units in Florida, it is operated by other REEF units outside of Florida Base. Most are painted grey or camouflage. There are three models, a standard model, and ECM model that has jamming gear, and a stealth model that carries the same equipment as a shadow fighter.

This fighter was designed by Lieutenant Kamako Kantako, an REF Field Scientist. Before having been rifted to Rifts Earth, Lieutenant Kamako Kantako had been one of the members of the design board that was working on more advanced versions of the various Veritech fighters. When the plans for the VAF-8+ were drawn up, many of the additions that had been planned for the next generation alpha fighter were added when possible. The most important item was to reduce the vehicle's dependency on protoculture. This was done by putting a high efficiency fusion reactor in the Alpha. The next most important item was adding nose lasers. The ones selected by Lt. Kantako were copied were those from the TX-41 Giant laser rifle. Also important but not as important was increasing the missile ordnance of the fighter. This was done by three separate modifications. This was by increasing the capacity of the standard launchers by 10 missiles, adding the GR-12 missile launchers that were designed for the original shadow fighters, and adding external ordnance pods and racks. Because rail guns designed in Rifts are far more powerful than the original auto cannons were, the auto cannons have been replaced by a heavy rail gun. The sensors have been vastly improved, using top of the line sensor designs found in fighters from Rifts. The flight system was totally redesigned after Lt. Kantako was able to study a purchased Naruni Crescent Moon's contra grav flight system. She designed a flight system for the new Alpha that works the same way but is different enough from the original one on the Crescent Moon to not have Naruni irritated yet still have the same performance.

To be more accurate, this fighter follows theoretical information about starships operating non chemical propulsion in space. This has meant much greater speeds and accelerations. Listed is the formula to allow player and game masters to calculate the fighter's velocity.

Model Type: VAF-8C+ (Combat Model), VAF-8ECM+ (ECM/Hurricane Model), VAF-8SF+ (Stealth/Shadow Model)
Class: Veritech Fighter VAF series
Crew: One pilot. A passenger can fit in the cockpit but must sit in the pilot's lap.

M.D.C. by Location:
Head:75
[1] Head Sensor Unit:50
Hands (2):50 each
Forearm/ Missile Pods (2):60 each
Shoulders/ Missile Pods (2):100 each
Upper Legs(2):150 each
Lower Legs/ Missile Pods(2):200 each
Wings (2):150 each
Tail Fins (2):75 each
Gun Pods (Various)100
Reinforced Pilots Compartment:175
[2] Main Body:500

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of the head sensor will impair the pilots sensory and targeting equipment. Long-Range radar is greatly diminished, leaving an effective range of one mile(1.6 Km). Radio and laser communications are lost. Short range radio backup provides a 60 mile (96 Km) range. Laser targeting is destroyed causing a -1 to strike.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the mecha down completely, rendering it useless. Note: Lasers do half damage due to armor being special laser resistant materials

Speed:
All Modes, Space: The fighter does not have an effective top speed but is limited by acceleration. Fighter can reach a top acceleration of 6.0 Gs.
Jet Mode, atmosphere: Mach 5.5 ( 4,232.3 mph/ 6811.2 kph). Vehicle is trans-atmospheric due to Contra-Grav system and can hover in this mode.
Guardian Mode, atmosphere: Mach 2.5 (1,923.8 mph / 3096.1 kph). The vehicle is trans-atmospheric due to Contra-Grav system and can hover in this mode.
Battloid Mode Flying, atmosphere: Mach 1.0 (769.5 mph /1238.4 kph). The vehicle is trans-atmospheric due to Contra-Grav system and can hover in this mode.
Battloid Mode Running: 100 Mph (160.9 kph).
Battloid Mode Leaping: 100 feet (30.5 meters) up or across without using thrusters.
Underwater: It can walk along the bottom of the sea floor at 25% of maximum speed. The Alpha can also use its thrusters to travel up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 km)
Maximum Ocean Depth: 1 mile (1.6 km)
Range: Unlimited, the Veritech Fighter has supplies for one person for seven days. Because the fighter is anti-gravitic in nature, they do not use reaction mass and can be sustained indefinitely in space as well.

Statistical Data:
Height: 28 feet 7 inches (8.75 meters) in Battloid, 15 feet (4.6 meters) in Jet Mode
Width: 13 feet (4.3 meters) at the shoulders in Battloid, 22 ft (6.7 meters) in Jet and Guardian Mode
Length: 36 feet (11 meters) in Jet and Guardian Mode
Weight: 12 tons empty and 17 tons fully loaded
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 50
Power System: Nuclear Fusion (15 Years). Uses four protoculture cells for special systems (100 Year Duration)
Cargo: None except for cyclone storage space (up to 500 lbs).
Black Market Cost: Not Sold, If found it would probably be worth 150 million for a new, undamaged, and fully operation fighter complete with weapons, able to transform, and having cloaking device

WEAPON SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT:

  1. MM-70B Multi-missile System: Similar to the MM-60 missile launcher system used in the VAF-6 and VAF-7 Alpha Fighters, the MM-70B retains the same electronic systems but can include an additional 10 SRMs due to the designed body of the VAF-8+. A total of 70 short range missiles are included; Shoulders: 8 each, Forearms: 12 each (6 on both sides of the arm), Lower Legs: 15 each ( 3 launchers on each leg). Missiles are assumed to accelerate at 2 times normal mach speed in Gs greater than the starships speed when used in space. Missiles can be launched at non moving targets beyond the powered range of the missiles to hit targets without the chance of the launching ship being hit by missiles itself but penalties exist when launching missiles beyond normal missile range.
    Maximum Effective Range: Varies with short range missile types, assume powered range is 8 x normal in space (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Mega Damage: Varies with short range missile types (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty or all (70). Counts as one attack.
    Payload: A maximum capacity of 70 short-range missiles.
  2. GR-12 Shoulder Launched Missile System: Identical to a Shadow Fighters, carries an additional pair of missile launchers in the upper chest and adds an extra 24 short range missiles. Missiles are assumed to accelerate at 2 times normal mach speed in Gs greater than the starships speed when used in space. Missiles can be launched at non moving targets beyond the powered range of the missiles to hit targets without the chance of the launching ship being hit by missiles itself but penalties exist when launching missiles beyond normal missile range.
    Maximum Effective Range: Varies with short range missile types, assume powered range is 8 x normal in space (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Mega Damage: Varies with short range missile types (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two, four, six, twelve or all (24). Counts as one attack.
    Payload: A maximum capacity of 24 short-range missiles.
  3. Wing Hardpoints: The VAF-8+ has two hard points (1 per wing) which can be used to mount missiles and other ordnance for heavy assaults and bombardments. The fighter can various types of Pods and ordnance types on the hard points of the fighter. Towed Decoy pods are commonly carried. These missiles do NOT have to be dropped prior to transformation into battloid mode; however, the missiles cannot be fired in battloid mode because they are covered by the tail fins of the mecha. See standard R.E.E.F. Aircraft Hard point Pods & Ordnance Loads. If the hard points are carrying missiles, then missiles are assumed to accelerate at 2 times normal mach speed in Gs greater than the starships speed when used in space. Missiles can be launched at non moving targets beyond the powered range of the missiles to hit targets without the chance of the launching ship being hit by missiles itself but penalties exist when launching missiles beyond normal missile range.
  4. Nose Mounted Variable Frequency High-Powered Lasers: Mounted on either side of the cockpit. Similar to the Triax TX-41 Laser pulse rifle. The weapon has 13 different possible frequencies to counter laser resistant armor. Number 7 counters USA-10 Glitterboy, Setting Thirteen is blue green and has full range underwater, and all other setting are designed to counter other laser resistant materials.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in an atmosphere and 32,000 feet (9,600 m) in space.
    Mega Damage: 3D6 for one cannon, 6D6 for both cannons, 1D6x10 for three round burst from one cannon, 2D6x10 for three round burst from both barrels (6 total shots)
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilots combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6).
    Payload: Unlimited (Draws Power off the main engines).
  5. FCRG-20C Gun Pod: due to the fact that the REEF personnel run against targets that are impervious to energy weapons, The FCRG-20C Gun pod was designed. It is designed using a Shemarrian Rail gun and ammo and putting it into a special gun like the GU-XX casing. The Alpha can carry up to three gun pods.
    Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,828 m) and in an atmosphere and 48,000 feet (14,630 m) in space.
    Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. per round
    Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks (usually 4-6) fired as aimed or Wild
    Payload: 440 rounds (2 belts of 220 rounds)
    Bonuses: +2 to Strike.
  6. EU-20 Destablizer: Powerful energy weapon for use on the Shadow Model. Carried on top normally in fighter mode and when mounted on the shoulders of an alpha, it draws additional energy from the alpha and can fire a special burst of energy that will disrupt force fields punching a hole 10 + 2D6 foot hole in the force field.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), eight times range in space.
    Mega Damage: 1D4x10 MDC
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilots combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6)
    Payload: Unlimited when connected to power supply (40 burst if not)
  7. Anti-Missile Chaff Dispenser: Located at the very tail of the fighter are two chaff dispensers. When tailed by a missile, a cloud of chaff and other obtrusive particles can be released to confuse or detonate the enemy's attack. 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: Eight (8)
  8. Optional Hand to Hand: Treat as normal hand to hand combat except increase the damages as listed.
    Restrained Punch: 1D6 M.D. in Battloid or Guardian Mode
    Full Strength Punch: 3D6 M.D. in Battloid mode
    2D6 M.D. in Guardian mode.
    Power Punch: 1D6x10 M.D. in Battloid Mode
    Kick: 4D6 M.D. in Battloid or Guardian Mode
    Stomp: 1D4 M.D. in Battloid or Guardian Mode but limited to targets no more than 12 feet tall.
    Body flip: 2D4 M.D.

Special Equipment:
The Alpha has all the standard features of a standard Robotech Recon Alpha Fighters, Rifts Robot, and Rifts Fighter plus these special features listed.

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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).
Copyright © 1998 & 2001, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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