TW-F-104 "Super Starfighter" Techno-Wizard Jet Fighter:

The F-104 was designed in the Nineteen-Fifties as a supersonic superiority fighter. It was incredibly sleek and one of the fastest fighters of its time. It was a very temperamental aircraft to fly but was generally an excellent fighter. The United States Air Force purchased about three hundred of these fighters and the fighter was exported to numerous other countries.

Many Pre-Rifts Museum had F-104 Starfighters in a variety of models. A surprising large number of these survived intact because they were kept inside. A techno-wizard decided to see if he could modify one and enchant it to become an effective aircraft. He had also worked on Merlin fighters and used many of the techniques used on them. After spending several years modifying the aircraft, he came up with what he called the "Super Starfighter" even though the term had been used before. After modifying the aircraft, he flew it against a Coalition fighter and showed the magical fighter's superiority. After that, several others techno-wizards became interested and as if he would be willing to modify other F-104 fighters. He accepted several commissions and began modifying more F-104 Starfighters.

Construction of the aircraft begins at the frame level. The frame of the fighter is laced with quartz crystals so that it will hold enchantments better. The process makes the aircraft's frame to be an MDC structure. The outer skin of the fighter is replaced by a mega damage magical aluminum, silver, and meteoric iron alloy. It is as strong as the alloys which post-Rifts aircraft are constructed from but all repairs must be of the same material as well and are twice as expensive as normal repairs are (can only be repaired by a techno-wizard as well). One advantage of the special material is that the aircraft takes no damage from fire or heat including mega damage and magical heat and fire. A special Armor of Ithan force field has been added that can be activated up to three times per day.

The engines are replaced by a combination magical and nuclear powered system. The magical flight system is based on an incredibly boosted Fly as the Eagle spell and allows for the fighter to hover even though the fighter does not have VTOL thrusters. The standard flight system is purely technological in origin and is similar to the flight systems in most high performance aircraft. The engine is believed to be either a Triax design or from a Coalition secret project due to the high thrust. The engine has a variable thruster nozzle to allow for vectoring thrust. The aircraft can fly up to 300 knots using the magical flight system only and the aircraft is completely silent when using the magical flight system. The thruster allow for speeds up to Mach 3.3 on full power when unloaded but the magical engine does not add anything to the top speed of the fighter while on full power. The most unusual feature, which is shared by the Merlin, is that the aircraft can perform Ley Line Phasing similar to a Ley Line Walker. This allows the aircraft to phase to a location, make an attack run, and then use the Ley Line to escape again.

The original weaponry of the F-104 starfighter was a 20-mm Gatling Cannon and missiles. The Gatling Cannon is replaced with a pair of pulse lasers with one on either side of the fuselage. The pulse lasers are identical to the JA-12 Juicer Rifle which are carried in several other aircraft including the TW-F19 Ghostrider Techno-Wizard Stealth Fighter. The weapon pulls power from the aircraft's fusion reactor. On the wing tip of the F-104 are hard points which were often used to carry fuel tanks. These were replaced by permanently high capacity mini-missile pods. In addition to the mini-missile pods, the fighter has two hard points on each wing. The mini0-missile pods are designed to look like the fuel tanks which were carried on the normal F-104. Each of the hard points is stressed to carry one long range missile or a variety of smaller ordnance. The chaff and flare system has been replaced by a magical system that has the advantage of only needing to be recharged by three spells.

The aircraft's sensors and flight systems, like all other systems, are a combination of magical systems and technology. The aircraft has a long range conventional radar system but has the spell "See the Invisible" allowing the aircraft to detect invisible targets. In addition, the aircraft has all the features of a robot vehicle (with the exception of loud speaker and microphone) and has a radar detection system and an infrared sensor system. Displays are modern variable configuration but can be configured to long like the original displays. The flight controls have been upgraded with the use of fly by wire systems for much easier piloting.

Model Number: TW-F104 Super Starfighter
Vehicle Type: Single Engine Supersonic Fighter
Crew: One (Some originally [training versions] have two seats)

M.D.C. by Location:
Wing Mini-Missile Launchers (2):50 each
[1] Wings (2):150 each
[2] Elevators (2):75 each
[2] Rudders:75
[3] Landing Gear (3):30 each
Cockpit:225
Engine:250
[4] Main Body:425
Magical Armor of Ithan Force Field (3 times per day):150

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] All indicated hit locations are small and/or difficult targets to hit. An attacker must make a called shot and has a -3 penalty as well.
[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. The aircraft takes no damage from fire or heat due to enchantments (Including magical and mega damage heat and fire - Does not apply to force field).

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for conventional 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 Starfighter's engine is a combination of magic and technology. The aircraft has a magical flight system that allows it to fly from hover to 300 knots (345.2 mph / 555.6 kph) completely silently. These engines also allow the fighter to hover stationary and land vertically. Unloaded, using the standard thrusters, the Starfighter can fly from from around 200 knots (230 mph / 370 kph) to a top speed of Mach 3.3 (2124.7 knots / 2446.8 mph/ 3937.7 kph). When the fighter is carrying ordnance on its external hard points (not including mini-missile pods), the fighter has a top speed of Mach 2.9 (1,867.2 knots / 2,150.2 mph / 3,460.4 kph.) Maximum altitude is 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) using the conventional flight system.
Ley Line Phasing: The Aircraft has the ability to teleport to a specific different location on the same ley line. In order to travel to a location on another Ley Line, the Aircraft must teleport to a nexus with the ley line that the target location is at and teleport on that line. The ability requires 2D6 minutes (average of three times longer than a ley line walkers ability) and requites all but Ley Line Walkers to spend 50 P.P.E. to teleport (may tap Ley Line for teleport and Ley Line Walkers require no P.P.E.). The number of teleports is also limited to two per hour and four per 24 hour period.
Maximum Effective Range: Effectively Unlimited. Thrusters overheat after twenty hours of use below 250 mph (402.3 kph) without magical flight system, 10 hours of use from 250 mph (402.3 kph) to 650 mph (1,046.1 kph), and 4 hours of use over 650 mph (1,046.1 kph).

Statistical Data:
Height 13.49 feet (4.11 meters)
Wingspan: 24.65 feet (7.51 meters)
Length: 58.25 feet (17.75 meters)
Weight: 11.25 tons (10.2 metric tons) without missiles
Power System: Magical and Nuclear, Should have an average lifespan of 20 years
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment), does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 55 million credits.

Weapon Systems:

  1. Pulse Laser Cannons (2): The aircraft's laser cannons are from the barrels and inner working of the JA-12 Assault Rifle. The laser cannons pull power directly from the fusion reactor of the aircraft. It is mounted on the fighter's nose and is fixed forward.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters).
    Mega-Damage: 4D6 for one cannon, 8D6 for both cannons, 1D6x10+10 for three round burst from one cannon, 2D6x10+20 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: Effectively Unlimited (Draws Power off the main engines).
  2. Mini-Missile Launchers (2): Large capacity mini-missile pods are permanently mounted on the outside edge of each wing. The launchers are normally used for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missiles 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).
    Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile types (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Rate of Fire: Each launcher can fire one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 8, 16, or 24 and both launchers can be linked with the other mini missile launcher for up to 48 missiles as one volley (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in volley).
    Payload: Each launcher carries 24 mini-missiles for a total of 48 mini-missiles.
  3. Hard Points (4): The Starfighter has a total of four reinforced hard points with two hard points on each wing. Missiles, rocket packs, and bombs can be mixed or matched but all ordnance on a hard point must be the same type. Bombs are rarely carried, usually missiles are carried.
    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.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies by missile type for missile and varies by altitude that 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)
    2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. 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).
      Mega-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-missiles.
    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.
      Maximum Effective 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.
  4. Magical Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (1): In many ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare system. The anti-missile system works by combining three spells. The three spells are Fire Bolt, Apparition, and Telekinesis. The physical effects of the system are identical to the Triax Anti-Missile chaff but instead of being reloaded, it is recharged by spells.
    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: 10 Uses before being recharged. The dispenser is recharged by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis (8 P.P.E.).
    5. Techno-Wizard Modifications: The Starfighter has the following Techno-Wizard Modifications built into the Aircraft. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the pilot.
    Special Features:

Special Equipment:
The fighter has all the standard features of a standard fighter (same as standard robot minus loudspeaker and microphone) plus these special features listed. The special equipment is a combination of both magic and technology:

Combat Bonuses:
The Starfighter is very maneuverable and very accurate. Use the Phase World Starfighter combat (Elite or Basic) skill. These bonuses are in addition to those from the piloting skill.

[Coalition TM, Phase World TM, and Triax TM 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 © 2003, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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