OBT Forum

Zulu

Overview:

The Zulu was a collaborative effort between Clans Goliath Scorpion and Star Adder starting in the mid 3030's.  Setbacks in the original development program spurred the Adder Khan to bring Clan Cloud Cobra into the discussion; within six months all of the issues with the basic airframe had been solved, although the Cobras had to eliminate all Omni-technology from the prototype design due to the instability of the airframe in atmospheric flight.  Still, even without the capacity to rapidly swap weapons configurations, the test pilots loved this new Fighter.  Sleek, utterly lethal, and fast, with an array of weapons the pilot was able to use consistently, and with armor second only to three Clan heavy OmniFighters currently in service, the medium-weight Zulu was a spectacular hit amongst the Warriors of all three Clans who tested it.

By 3041, this Aerospace Fighter had been thoroughly field tested and it began to enter the front-line toumans of these Clans in force.  Although only a traditional Aerospace Fighter, rather than an Omni-Fighter, the Adders, Cobras, and Scorpions have assigned this new unit directly to their front line Clusters and Naval Stars in large numbers.  As a fast dog-fighter and strike bomber, the Zulu has few equals in known space.

Capabilities:

Massing 55-tons in overall weight, the Zulu is nonetheless able to match the slightly lighter Turk in thrust.  Maximum acceleration is 5.5-g's with a normal safe thrust of 3.5-g's.  Eleven tons of ferro-aluminum armor plating are carried by the Zulu, equalling or exceeding that of any fighter of its day lighter than a Jenghiz.  Fuel tankage is an acceptable 5 tons, giving the Zulu standard endurance.

One of the few fighters in service to mount a targeting computer, the Zulu carries an intense battery of forward mounted guns.  The nose carries an ER PPC, an ER Medium Laser, and three ER Small Lasers.  Each wing mounts two ER Medium Lasers and two ER Small Lasers.  The aft is covered by a single ER Small Laser to discourage opponents from trailing too close behind.  All of these weapons are tied into a three-ton targeting computer.

To dissipate the heat generated, the Zulu carries twenty double-strength heat sinks.  This is enough to allow the Warrior piloting this fighter to fire all nose weapons and one wing simultaneously.  Or, when conducting strafing runs, the Zulu can use every forward-firing weapon except the nose mounted PPC and remain heat neutral.

For bombing missions, the Zulu is outfitted with eleven retractable hardpoints within its hull, each of which carry up to one ton of ordnance, fuel drop-tanks, or mission specific equipment pods.  However, carrying equipment on all eleven hardpoints reduces the safe thrust to 2-g's (emergency maximum of 3-g's) and thus the Zulu is only seldom outfitted with a full eleven.  Even when it is, the 11th hardpoint normally carries fuel which is consumed first and then dropped, raising the thrust to 2.5-g's (safe) and 4-g's (max).

Variants:

To date, no other Clan has acquired the Zulu and the three Clans that currently operate this Aerospace Fighter have not made any alterations to the basic airframe and equipment load.

Deployment:

Many observers from other Clans question the wisdom of the Scorpions in devoting scarce resources into an Aerospace Fighter, rather than a more flexible OmniFighter.  Although such detractors freely admit that an OmniFighter consumes more resources, they cite the flexibility in altering the pod loadout for various missions.  But the Scorpions do not want other loadouts:  they are perfectly satisfied with their lethal energy armament optimized for the dog-fight and strike roles.  In their touman, the Zulu is becoming one of the most common fighters, supported by the lighter Avar and Batu interceptors, and providing close escort for the heavier Visigoth and Jenghiz strike fighters and heavy bombers.

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Zulu
Tech:              Clan / 3050
Vessel Type:       Aerospace Fighter
Rules:             Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              55 tons
Length:            17 meters
Power Plant:       275 XL Fusion
Safe Thrust:       7
Maximum Thrust:    11
Armor Type:        Ferro-aluminum
Armament:         
    1 ER PPC
    5 ER Medium Laser
    8 ER Small Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Zulu
Mass:              55 tons

Equipment:                                                              Mass
Power Plant:  275 XL Fusion                                              8.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 7
      Maximum Thrust: 11
Structural Integrity: 7                                                   .00
Total Heat Sinks:    20 Double                                          10.00
Fuel:                                                                    5.00
Cockpit & Attitude Thrusters:                                            3.00
Armor Type:  Ferro-aluminum  (211 total armor pts)                      11.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Nose:                                 56
   Left/Right Wings:                  56/56
   Aft:                                  43

Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 ER PPC                   Nose        15     15     15     --   15      6.00
1 ER Medium Laser          Nose         7      7     --     --    5      1.00
3 ER Small Laser           Nose         5     --     --     --    6      1.50
2 ER Medium Laser          RW           7      7     --     --   10      2.00
2 ER Medium Laser          LW           7      7     --     --   10      2.00
2 ER Small Laser           RW           5     --     --     --    4      1.00
2 ER Small Laser           LW           5     --     --     --    4      1.00
1 ER Small Laser           Aft          5     --     --     --    2       .50
1 Targeting Computer                                                     3.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                                    Heat: 56     55.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        7,560,601 C-Bills
Battle Value:      2,698
Cost per BV:       2,802.3
Weapon Value:      2,970 (Ratio = 1.10)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 63;  MRV = 30;  LRV = 4;  ERV = 0
BattleForce2:      MP: 7,  Armor/Structure: 5 / 0
                   Damage PB/M/L: 7/4/1,  Overheat: 2
                   Class: FM;  Point Value: 27