StarDate 3/3
John A. Theisen
Record Sheet:
F-95 Cyclone
After suffering at the hands of Steiner-operated Chippewa heavy fighters during the First Succession War, designers from House Marik decided to produce their own equivalent, capable of meeting and defeating the heaviest aerial opponent. The F-95 Cyclone, slower but better-armored than its counterpart, became a powerful addition to the Free Worlds League's airborne arsenal. Though designed to be technically uncomplicated, the Cyclone does require enormous quantities of increasingly scarce electronic components, thus severely limiting the quantities manufactured.
The F-95 is best known for its ability to sustain long-range missile barrages for extended durations, while possessing the weaponry for successful close combat. Most F-95s are deployed in elite long-range bombardment lances along the Steiner border, though there are reports of some F-95s appearing along the Liao border. In offensive operations, they are a second-strike support weapon, used en masse after friendly forces have seized a secure foothold on the planet under attack.
Capabilities:
Slow and lumbering, even when compared to craft of similar size, the Cyclone makes up for it in overall in-flight stability. Many enthusiastic pilots describe it as "one of the most suresighted fighters ever designed," and more than a few agree that once a target has been acquired, it rarely escapes. In fact, the F95's small powerplant is the secret behind its success, providing a much larger capacity for fuel, armor and armament.
The fuel tanks are double the standard capacity which in conjunction with its massive firepower gives the Cyclone a well-deserved reputation as a long-range stand-off fighter. The armor, scientifically distributed to be of maximum efficiency for its mass, provides nearly the ultimate protection for an AeroSpace Fighter Pilot. Finally, a myriad of heat sinks allows the F-95 to use the bulk of its offensive weapons, at short range or long, without any overheating.
The Cyclone is a curious combination of combat sophistication and technological simplicity. In particular, the weapons were selected, designed and mounted so they would be as trouble-free as possible. Though the craft is equipped with massive firepower, only three distinct weapons systems are used. The wing-mounted, long-range missile systems give the F-95 powerful striking potential at extreme range. The nose-mounted, short-range system performs the same service, point-blank. The key, however, may be in the fighter's seven forward-firing medium lasers, distributed between nose and wing mounts. Of importance is its ability to fire them simultaneously, without any heat buildup. The variety of weapons gives the pilot flexibility in his attack, while the simplicity and interchangeability of weapon systems and components makes maintenance work almost a joy. Finally, two more medium lasers are mounted in the rear, in the unlikely event an F-95 pilot would ever expose that aspect in combat.
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