Approved Starship ECHO ESB-8a Nevermore

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Image Credit

Intent: To create a long-range, extremely fast bomber for scouting and quick hit-and-run missions.
Development Thread: Bomb Dot Com
Manufacturer: ECHO Esprit Industries
Model: ESB-8a Nevermore
Affiliation: The Rebel Alliance
Modularity: [None]
Production: Limited
Material: Colium-Girondium solar cells; Transparisteel canopy; Terenthium-Desh; Laminanium and Nutorium alloy plating; Fiberplast covering; Alusteel airfan; Phosphor-coated Alusteel landing gear

Description:
The ESB-8a was developed as part of the Rebel Alliance’s super-long range, hit-and-run strike craft initiative, needing something powerful and quick to make the flights worthwhile.

The Nevermore is primarily formed from the terenthium-desh alloy, creating a lightweight fuselage and therefore a super speedy craft. Its wings include golium-girondium solar cells for extra power efficiency when at sublight speeds. A laminanium and nutoriom alloy shield plating makes the hull exceptionally durable, and a fiberplast coating makes this ship invisible to sensors.

While frighteningly fast, the ESB-8a lacks handling and has an unimpressive minimum turn radius. These bombers normally can only make two passes on a target before having to scramble from interceptors. That is why an extraordinary emphasis was placed on hyperdrive reliability and rapid payload dispensing, as the craft has a limited timeframe of battle usefulness. To capitalize on quick drops, the warhead hold is designed to contain the most potent warheads

The Nevermore is limited in launching/landing options, as it requires a catapult to initially propel it out of a hangar. The bomber also does not feature a repulsorlift system as most craft do, instead relying on a centrally located ventral airfan for vertical takeoff and landing, restricting that functionality to atmospheric conditions. To land on a carrier vessel, the Nevermore requires that the holding ship has a fully competent tractor beam system. The landing gear are made up of three retractable wheel struts, each with a magnetically charged skid surrounding to keep it in place once contact has been made on the presumably metal surface of a carrier’s hangar floor. The wheel rims are coated in phosphors for the ground crew’s safety in low-vision situations.

The ESB-8a has an automatic self-destruct feature on pilot eject to preserve the secrecy of its technology.

Classification: Attack Bomber
Role: Surface strikes; capital ship strikes
Height: 4 meters
Width: 16 meters
Length: 30 meters
Power Core Generator/Reactor: Ionization reactor; reserve cryogenic reactor
Hyperdrive Rating: 0.6
Minimum Crew: 1
Optimal Crew: 1

Armaments:

• 2 proton torpedo launchers (3 each)
• 4 proton rockets OR 12 extra proton torpedoes
• 2 laser cannons

Hangar: N/A
Non-Combative Attachments:

• Navigation system
• Hyperspace navicomputer
• Distress beacon
• Catapult track hookup
• Magnetically charged landing skids
• Airfan V/STOL system
• Life support system
• Heavy deflector shields
• Standard radiowave comms system
• Shortwave comms system
• Infrared beam comms system
• Radiowave communications jammer
• Shortwave communications jammer
• Chaff flares
• Ejector seat
• Automatic scuttle on pilot eject

Passenger Capacity: [None]
Cargo Capacity: 450 kg
Consumables: 12 days
Sublight Speed: 1
Sublight Maneuverability: 3

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

Your laminanium dev thread is sufficient, but I'm fuzzy on why you're using laminanium and what benefits you expect from it in a starship fuselage.

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

From Wookiee: "Laminanium was an extremely durable metal alloy developed by Tendrando Arms. It was based on Qellan technology and had the ability to melt and reform at almost any temperature which allowed it to repair damage."

To be honest, I'm not really familiar with what laminanium is, exactly. I just liked the "durable metal alloy" and "repair damage" bits. That sounded like an ideal shield plating. And I thought I might as well try my hand at writing from an NPC's perspective. I enjoyed it and earning the restricted material sounded like a cool goal to achieve.

If I'm confused in my understanding of this, that's fine. I still had fun with the dev thread and it should at least make the 0.6 hyperdrive OK. (I actually wanted to make its sublight speed 0.8 as well, but I didn't know if that could be allowed.)

EDIT: Edited submission to 'cover my bases' on the self-destruct feature.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

Long as your pilots are clear that their hulls won't be healing miraculously in a matter of minutes, approved.