A-Wing Starfighter:

The A-Wing is an amazing fighter. It is a relatively small fighter yet has good firepower, is very fast, is very manueverable, and carries a hyperdrive to travel from system to system. Unlike the imperial Tie fighters, which are in many ways the closest approximate for the A-Wings performance and size, the fighter has powerful shields to help protect the fighter. All this makes for a very lethal fighter and a fighter that has becoming very popular with the hotshots among the Alliance forces. If compared to fighters of the later twentieth century, they could be seen as having the same relationship to the X-Wing as the F-16 Falcon had to the F-15 Eagle.

The profile of the A-Wing is very aerodynamic. The fighter is wedge shaped with the fighters cockpit in the approximately the center of the fighter. The pilot ejects in a similar way to the X-Wing and Y-Wing fighter and the pilot ejects after the top of fighters cockpit has been blown off. On the sides of the fighter are two powerful laser cannons in turrets. The turrets do not have full rotation but do have the ability to move up to 30 degrees up, down, or side to side. Behind and inwards from the turrets, the fighter has two very powerful ion engines. Above and below the engines are steering vanes to increase the fighters atmospheric performance. The fighter does not carry a droid but instead the computer has the ability to store up to four jump locations. When the fighter was designed, atmospheric performance was strongly considered wich resulted in a fighter with very good performance in an atmosphere.

The fighter has only two laser cannons instead of the four cannons carried by the X-Wing but each of the cannons is slightly more powerful. They are more compact than the mounts on the Y-Wing, are not fixed in place, and have the ability to traverse to hit targets. If the A-Wing carried proton torpedoes, the fighter could have only carried about 4 total so instead the A-Wing carries the smaller concussion missiles. The Concussion missile is the equivalent of a medium range missile in Rifts. While not as capable against capital ships as proton torpedoes, the concussion missiles are still effective against larger ships. Like proton torpedoes, they can also be targeted on fighters

In many ways, the fighter is as good as the fighters within the Three Galaxies. It is about the same size as the lighter fighters and although its guns are not as powerful as those on the Scorpion the A-Wing has good shields to help protect the fighter. It has a fairly low endurance but due to having a hyperdrive is capable of traversing vast distances.

Notes of game conversion:

Because of the nature of the movie series "Star Wars" and the needs to put the fighter into game mechanics, I have given many statistic as two different possible statistics to take this into account. The G that I have seen listed would not be sufficient to get near the speed of light yet many episodes have indicated speeds in this area. In some ways each version is closer to what was seen in the series. I do make one huge change, fighters in Star Wars act as if they are in the atmosphere even when they operating in space. The Television series Babylon 5 is a good series to watch to get a clearer idea on how space vehicles would probably maneuver.

Phase world version uses my revised phase world starship rules and can hold their own against most C.A.F and Kreegor fighters. This version is recommended if you with to put them into Phase World as among equals. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.

Moderate version uses Gs of acceleration and reduced weapon ranges. This version is useful for Mutants In Orbit, Phase World if used as a lower tech race, used with my forthcoming Earthforce ships conversions for B-5, and as a possible crash on Rifts Earth. Listed is the formula to allow player and game masters to calculate the fighters velocity and distance traveled.

Model Type: RZ-1
Vehicle Type: Light Interceptor / Patrol Fighter
Crew: One

M.D.C By Location:
Laser Cannons (2):40 each
Concussion Missile Launcher Bay (2 Launchers):100
[1] Engines (2):200 each
Landing Struts (3):20 each
[2] Main Body:325
Reinforced Pilots Cockpit:200
[3] Variable Force Field:250 per side (1,500 total)

Notes:
[1] Loss of an engine will reduce performance of fighter by one half and loss of two engines will prevent fighter from performing beyond 5% of normal (This is using maneuvering thrusters and gravitic propulsion). Due to gravitic propulsions systems, fighter will not crash in an atmosphere even if both engines are destroyed
[2] Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the fighter out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck. In an atmosphere, the fighter will crash
[3] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (75 MDC) per melee

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight:
Phase World Version: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 40 percent of the speed of light. Fighter can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 2 percent of light per melee maximum.
Moderate Version: The fighter does not have an effective top speed but is limited by acceleration. Fighter can reach a top acceleration of 12 G.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Both Version: The fighter is aerodynamic and is quite capable in an atmosphere. As a result, the fighter can achieve escape velocity (Mach 32.6 / 25053 mph / 40320 kph) but normally operates at Mach 8 (6160.7 mph / 9907.2 kph) or less. The fighter also has Gravitic propulsion systems enabling it to leave an atmosphere even at low velocities.
Stardrive: Uses a hyperdrive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 60 light-years per hour (In the Game universe of Phase World, it could be limited to 6 light-years per hour to compare to the other Phase World FTL systems). The fighters computer can store up to 4 coordinates for hyperspace jump locations.
Maximum Range: Both Versions: the fighter has enough fuel for 240 hours (10 days) of operation. Fighter uses a very small fusion cell system for power systems. The fighter carries two weeks of consumables for fighters crew.

Statistical Data:
Length: 31.5 feet (9.6 meters)
Height: 10.2 feet (3.1 meters)
Width: 21.3 feet (6.5 meters)
Weight: 8.5 tons (7,710 kg) unloaded
Power System: Fusion power supply with a 10 day duration at normal output. Fusion power supply can run life support without any thrust for 1 year although rations and water will have long run out.
Cargo: Small Storage Space, 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft x 2 ft. Used for emergency equipment and weapons.
Market Cost: 45 million credits to build.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Twin Laser Cannons: These cannons are mounted on the sides of the starfighter and and can rotate up to 30 degrees to aim at targets. When compared to Phase World weaponry, They are slightly less powerful than those mounted on some of the newest C.A.F. Starfighters but are still very effective. The cannons can be fire individually or in pairs. The weapon systems cannot be used in hyperspace.
    Range:
    Phase World Version: 800 miles (1,290 km) in space and 8 miles (12.3 km) in an atmosphere.
    Moderate Version: 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in an atmosphere and 32,000 feet (9,600 m) in space.
    Mega Damage: Both Versions: 2D4x10 per cannon and 4D4x10 for both cannons.
    Rate of fire: Equal to pilots hand to hand (Usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Two (2) Concussion Missile Launchers: Under the fighter are two concussion missile launchers. The concussion missiles are the equivalent of medium range missiles. Each launcher has payload of 6 missiles giving a total of 12 concussion missiles. Concussion missiles should normally be considered smart missiles and do not have penalties to strike small targets.
    Phase World Version: Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn (faster than any starship except a fighter acceding it maximum safe acceleration). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) See Modified starship rules for more details
    Moderate Version: The description of these are close to that used for conventional medium range missiles Missile 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.
    Range:
    Phase World Version: Missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space. (See Phase World Missiles).
    Moderate Version: Varies with long missile types, assume powered range is 8 x normal in space (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
    Mega-Damage & Properties: Both Versions: Varies with medium range missile types (Use new missile/bomb table)
    Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2
    Payload: 6 missiles each launcher for a total of 12 missiles

COMBAT BONUSES: The Rebel A-Wing Starfighter is very maneuverable and very accurate. Use the Phase World Starfighter combat (Elite or Basic) skill.

[ Phase World TM, Kreeghor TM, and CAF TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]
[ STAR WARS copyright © 1977 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1980, 1983, 1996 Lucasfilm Ltd.]
[ Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and their associated logos are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.]

CGI of Ship by Joe Monroe. More of his CGI pictures of Star Wars ships at SWMA Gallery.

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Rifts Conversion Copyright © 1998, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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