Well-Known Member
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Designed by First United Astral Engineering, the FAE/S-17 Active Airflow Management System is an airflow/medium management system designed primarily to effectively remove atmospheric drag, enabling previously impossible atmospheric speeds and physics-defying performance. Likely the very first system of its kind, the AAMS leverages tractor and pressor fields to manipulate airflow, creating optimal aerodynamic conditions around the craft at all times. In doing so, it effectively removes the concept of a stall, revolutionizing the maneuvers that a vehicle/fighter is capable of executing in atmosphere.
The AAMS is intended to supplant the “aerodynamically shaped particle shields” that First United Astral Engineering used previously, which were more brute force in their application. In this, the AAMS is a far more elegant, precise solution, which not only “clears” the airflow but also actively leverages it to enhance maneuvers.
In all, the AAMS is hoped to significantly enhance the atmospheric performance of First United Astral Engineering-supported vehicles and fighters beyond anything created by rival designers. In this, the system has the potential to create a terrifying overmatch. Vehicles equipped with the AAMS can achieve velocities and maneuverability profiles once considered theoretically impossible, opening a decisive tactical advantage and creating a significant performance gap against virtually any conventionally designed opponent.
- Intent: Create a new system to supplant the primitive “aerodynamic shields” that First United Astral Engineering used previously.
- Image Source: N/A
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions:
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: First United Astral Engineering
- Affiliation:
- First United Astral Engineering
- Exclusive Writers and Buyers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: FAE/S-17 Active Airflow Management System
- Modularity: Yes
- Systems may be stripped as needed or desired.
- Variable Output and Calibration Settings
- May be installed in personal armor, droids, starships, vehicles, and other platforms.
- Capable of linking with the host platform’s system(s).
- Scales based on host platform size and class.
- Various Settings and Programming Alterations
- Can be calibrated for different atmosphere types and compositions.
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material:
- Oversight and Administration
- Kinetic Flow Computer Brain Module
- A dedicated, high-speed computer brain that translates sensor data into commands for the tractor-pressor projector array. Its computational power is entirely devoted to predicting airflow patterns and orchestrating the trillions of micro-adjustments required per second.
- Subprocessor Modules
- Kinetic Flow Computer Brain Module
- Information Storage and Processing
- Primary Gabonna Memory Crystal
- Various Secondary Memory Crystals and Processors
- Heuristic Processing
- Positronic Processing
- Power Systems
- Energy Capacitor
- Draws power from the host.
- Energy Capacitor
- Data and Information Security
- GPO-12 "Ironmaze" Threat-Prevention Suite
- Pyrowall
- Quantum Processing and Data Management
- Genetic Code, Retinal, and Dermatoglyphic Verification
- Control and Linking Systems
- Tractor-Pressor Projector Array
- The heart of the system. The tractor-pressor projector array is the array of projectors set in various points within the vehicle’s structure. Each projector can switch between and/or simultaneously generate microscopic tractor and pressor fields trillions of times per second, creating the dynamic force field matrix that manages the airflow.
- Aero-Profile Sensor Array
- The Aero-Profile Sensor Array (APSA) is a critical subsystem of the Active Airflow Management System (AAMS), responsible for providing real-time data on the aerodynamic environment around the vehicle.
- Passive Temperature Sensors
- Monitors the skin temperature of the vehicle. Aerodynamic friction causes heating, so temperature maps can indirectly indicate airflow patterns, energy dissipation, and the effectiveness of the AAMS's cooling effect.
- Passive Pressure Sensor Array
- Measures static and dynamic pressure distribution over the vehicle's surface. Crucial for identifying areas of high drag, turbulence, or potential flow separation.
- Passive Shear Stress Sensors
- Directly measures the skin friction drag caused by airflow moving across the hull. This provides the AAMS with feedback on the effectiveness of its drag-reduction efforts.
- Passive Anemometric Sensor Grid
- Measures air velocity and direction at thousands of points across the vehicle's surface. These sensors detect minute changes in airflow speed and angle, providing data for the system to adjust tractor/pressor fields instantaneously.
- Passive Air Density Sensor Grid
- Passive Airflow Sensor Grid
- Provides multi-dimensional data on airflow direction and magnitude at key locations. This is vital for managing complex vortices.
- Passive Laminar-Turbulent Transition Detectors
- Identifies the precise location where smooth (laminar) airflow becomes chaotic (turbulent). This allows the AAMS to proactively target and neutralize turbulence at its source.
- Sensor Fusion Subprocessor
- The core "brain" of the APSA. It correlates, filters, and processes raw data from all other sensors to build a unified, real-time model of the aerodynamic environment.
- Passive Temperature Sensors
- The Aero-Profile Sensor Array (APSA) is a critical subsystem of the Active Airflow Management System (AAMS), responsible for providing real-time data on the aerodynamic environment around the vehicle.
- Operational Effects and Performance Characteristics
- Near-Total Drag Negation
- By preventing turbulent airflow and managing boundary layer separation, the Active Airflow Management System (AAMS) reduces aerodynamic drag by over ~98%. This eliminates the primary physical constraint on atmospheric speed, allowing the vehicle's top velocity to be limited only by its engine thrust and structural integrity.
- Augmented Repulsorlift Efficiency
- Micro-tractor/pressor fields generated by the AAMS pre-condition the air. As a repulsorlift activates to initiate a maneuver, the tractor-pressor projector array preemptively pushes the air molecules into a denser, more coherent "platform". This makes the repulsorlift's action dramatically more efficient and powerful. A minor repulsorlift input results in a massive, instantaneous maneuver.
- Counter-Force Elimination
- Under normal conditions, when a repulsorlift pushes down on the left wing to roll right, it creates massive drag and an upward pressure on that wing, fighting the intended motion. The AAMS negates this reactive force. Instead, as the repulsorlift pushes down on the left wing, the following happens:
- Tractor fields are projected on the top of the left wing, pulling air away from the rising surface to prevent a high-pressure zone from forming.
- Pressor fields are projected on the bottom of the left wing, pushing air into the repulsorlift's field to augment the downward force.
- The projector array simultaneously creates a low-pressure pocket on the right wing, "sucking" that wing up to assist the roll.
- As a result, the AAMS actively engages the atmosphere to assist in a given maneuver, turning the air from an adversary to an accomplice.
- Under normal conditions, when a repulsorlift pushes down on the left wing to roll right, it creates massive drag and an upward pressure on that wing, fighting the intended motion. The AAMS negates this reactive force. Instead, as the repulsorlift pushes down on the left wing, the following happens:
- Dragless Maneuvering Capability
- On a repulsorlift-dependent vehicle that may or may not lack control surfaces (such as most common starfighters and airspeeders), the FAE/S-17 not only enhances maneuverability, but it also fundamentally revolutionizes it by transforming clumsy, brute-force shovinginto graceful, physics-defying movement.
- Pivot Turn Capability
- The vehicle can quite literally pivot around its own center of mass. Repulsorlifts on one side fire forward while those on the opposite side fire backward, with the AAMS managing the airflow to prevent the craft from spinning out. It can change its facing 180 degrees without changing its direction of travel.
- Instantaneous Translation
- The fighter can slide laterally, vertically, or diagonally without ever changing the direction its nose is pointing. It can perform such maneuvers while maintaining combat speeds, making its movements utterly unpredictable.
- Zero-Energy Turn Capability
- Because the system manages energy retention so effectively, the fighter does not bleed speed in a turn. It can enter and exit a high-G turn with negligible energy loss, presenting a terrifying tactical advantage.
- Post-"Stall" Maneuvering
- The concept of a stall becomes irrelevant. The vehicle can fly sideways, backwards, or even "face" a pursuing enemy while continuing on its original vector, all while maintaining full control and power.
- Pivot Turn Capability
- On a repulsorlift-dependent vehicle that may or may not lack control surfaces (such as most common starfighters and airspeeders), the FAE/S-17 not only enhances maneuverability, but it also fundamentally revolutionizes it by transforming clumsy, brute-force shovinginto graceful, physics-defying movement.
- Control Surface Synergy and Force Multiplication
- Atmospheric Pre-Processing
- Before a control surface moves, the AAMS will have already fundamentally altered the surrounding medium.
- Airflow Cleaning
- The AAMS's network of micro-tractor/pressor beams actively "combs" the air, breaking up turbulent, high-energy air molecules and organizing them into a smooth, predictable, laminar flow. This ensures that the air arriving at the control surface is pre-stabilized.
- Energy Management
- The AAMS actively manages the energy of the incoming airstream. It can use pressor beams to dissipate energy from a high-speed flow or tractor beams to energize a sluggish one, ensuring the air hitting the control surfaces is at the ideal pressure and velocity for them to be effective.
- Airflow Cleaning
- Before a control surface moves, the AAMS will have already fundamentally altered the surrounding medium.
- Augmented Control Authority
- The AAMS works in synergy with control surfaces and multiplies their effect. When an aileron deflects to initiate a roll, the tractor-pressor projector(s) on that wing not only manage the overall flow, but they also actively reinforce the control surface's action.
- On the down-going wing, the projector(s) behind the aileron switch to a stronger tractor mode, pulling additional air over the surface to increase lift.
- On the up-going wing, the projector(s) switch to a pressor mode, actively pushing air away from the top of the wing to decrease lift further.
- The result is a roll rate that is faster, crisper, and requires less physical deflection of the control surface itself, reducing mechanical stress.
- The AAMS works in synergy with control surfaces and multiplies their effect. When an aileron deflects to initiate a roll, the tractor-pressor projector(s) on that wing not only manage the overall flow, but they also actively reinforce the control surface's action.
- Stall Prevention
- In conventional flight, a control surface deflected too far will cause the airflow to separate, making it useless and resulting in a stall.
- The AAMS eliminates this concept. If a surface deflects to an angle that would cause separation, the projector(s) use powerful, targeted tractor beams to literally "grab" the boundary layer of air and force it to remain attached to the surface.
- This allows for controlled flight at angles of attack that are otherwise aerodynamically impossible. The vehicle can point its nose in one direction while traveling in another, enabling insane, seemingly physics-defying turns and maneuvers that would rip a standard frame apart.
- In conventional flight, a control surface deflected too far will cause the airflow to separate, making it useless and resulting in a stall.
- Virtual Control Surface Generation
- One of the AAMS's most advanced functions is its ability to create aerodynamic effects where no physical surface exists. The projector array can project a complex tractor/pressor field beyond the physical edges of the wings or body. This field can mimic the shape and function of a control surface.
- Dynamic Geometry
- In a high-speed turn, the computer can project a virtual canard off the nose to pull the vehicle into the turn or a virtual winglet to manage vortices. The craft's effective aerodynamic shape becomes fluid, dynamically morphing in real-time to suit the precise need of the maneuver.
- Damage Compensation
- If a physical control surface is shot away, the AAMS can immediately project a "phantom" surface in its place—a shaped force field that approximates the missing surface's function. While not as efficient as the real thing, it provides critical redundancy, allowing the pilot to retain control and return to base.
- Dynamic Geometry
- One of the AAMS's most advanced functions is its ability to create aerodynamic effects where no physical surface exists. The projector array can project a complex tractor/pressor field beyond the physical edges of the wings or body. This field can mimic the shape and function of a control surface.
- Atmospheric Pre-Processing
- “Kinetic Grip” Effect
- A secondary function where the projector array grid activates minute tractor or pressor fields against or opposite the directional of travel. This provides minor supplemental acceleration or deceleration force, dampening inertial forces on the pilot and vehicle frame during extreme velocity changes.
- Acceleration
- Acceleration with the “Kinetic Grip” Effect acts with five main components and stages:
- Activation: A fraction of a second before the main engines hit full power, the tractor-pressor projectors project a minute, wide-aperture tractor beam anchored to the relatively stationary mass of the space in the intended direction of travel.
- “Pull” on Spacetime: This tractor field effectively creates a "handhold" on the fabric of spacetime itself. It applies a gentle, constant pulling force (F_tractor) on the entire vehicle forward.
- Engine(s) Fire: The main engines fire. The total force accelerating the vehicle is now F_thrust + F_tractor.
- Non-Inertial: The F_tractor component is non-inertial. It acts on the vehicle's entire structure uniformly and simultaneously. It doesn't generate force by pushing against an internal component (like an engine does). Because the field grips the entire ship frame at once, the structure begins moving more as a single, cohesive unit.
- Reduced G-Force: The pilot still feels G-forces, but they are significantly lower. The sensation is less of being "slammed" backwards and more of the entire universe gently "leaning" forward. The vehicle's acceleration feels smoother and more natural.
- In analogical terms, accelerating with the “Kinetic Grip” Effect is akin to a person standing on a skateboard and accelerating by pulling on a rope attached to a fixed point in front of them. By contrast, accelerating with a standard vehicle that is not equipped with the AAMS is akin to having a partner behind the person on the skateboard (standard vehicle/engine). The rope pull is more controlled and exerts force evenly across the skateboarder’s body, while the push is more jarring and localized.
- Acceleration with the “Kinetic Grip” Effect acts with five main components and stages:
- Deceleration
- Deceleration with the “Kinetic Grip” Effect acts with four main components and stages:
- Activation: To brake, the tractor-pressor projectors project a pressor beam anchored against the mass of the space in the present direction of travel.
- “Push” on Spacetime: This pressor field acts like an invisible cushion of energy forming in front of the fighter. It applies a pushing force (F_pressor) against the direction of travel.
- Smooth Resistance: This force begins to slow the entire vehicle structure uniformly before mechanical brakes or reverse thrusters fully engage.
- Reduced Negative G-Force: The pilot is pressed forward into their harness much more gently. The pressor field absorbs and dissipates the energy of deceleration across the entire hull, rather than letting it translate directly into whiplash for the occupant.
- Deceleration with the “Kinetic Grip” Effect acts with four main components and stages:
- It should be noted that the “Kinetic Grip” Effect is not a true inertial compensator. The "Kinetic Grip" Effect is a supplemental application of the AAMS that dampens or reduces G-forces, but does not entirely eliminate them during extreme maneuvers.
- Acceleration
- A secondary function where the projector array grid activates minute tractor or pressor fields against or opposite the directional of travel. This provides minor supplemental acceleration or deceleration force, dampening inertial forces on the pilot and vehicle frame during extreme velocity changes.
- Signature Management
- The system drastically reduces sensor cross-section by scattering incoming energy within the turbulent force field envelope. Visually, the vehicle may appear shrouded in an intense, shimmering haze that distorts its outline in a manner akin to an optical shield, providing a significant degree of visual disruption.
- Anti-Distortion Field
- The visual distortion can be “cleansed” by synchronizing the projectors to create a single, coherent, macro-scale field that smoothly guides the air in a unified, laminar sheet. Instead of trillions of individual pushes and pulls, the projectors work in harmony to generate a perfectly stable "sheath" of manipulated air. The density gradient between this sheath and the surrounding air is so smooth that it bends light in a uniform, predictable way, resulting in minimal visible distortion.
- Predictive Kinesthetic Synchronization
- The AAMS can be integrated into open-air, rider-controlled vehicles such as speeder bikes, jetpacks, hoverboards, repulsorlift skates, and similar such craft. In this capacity, the system functions as a kinetic partner that works in synchrony with the operator.
- Neural-Kinetic Array
- The sensor array is augmented with a suite of sensors dedicated solely to the pilot, intended to track and anticipate their physical movements. This creates a neural-sensor interface. The sensor types are as follows:
- Symbiotic Interface
- Motion Sensor Array
- Pressure Sensor Array
- Biometric Monitors
- These measure muscle tension, nerve impulse (via myoelectric sensors), heart rate, and other biometrics.
- The sensor array is augmented with a suite of sensors dedicated solely to the pilot, intended to track and anticipate their physical movements. This creates a neural-sensor interface. The sensor types are as follows:
- Predictive Kinematics Subprocessor
- Combines the data from the aerodynamic APSA (what the air is doing) with the data from the neural-kinetic sensors (what the rider is doing). The subprocessor cross-references this real-time data against a vast library of maneuver profiles. The system activates the tractor-pressor projectors a fraction of a second before the vehicle itself physically begins to turn. It doesn't wait for the turn to happen; it makes the turn happen in response to the rider's body.
- "Bail-Out" Protocol
- If the system detects a catastrophic loss of control or an imminent collision, it can override the rider/pilot. It does this by projecting maximum pressor fields in a specific configuration to arrest momentum and steer the vehicle (and rider) toward the least-dangerous impact vector.
- Neural-Kinetic Array
- The AAMS can be integrated into open-air, rider-controlled vehicles such as speeder bikes, jetpacks, hoverboards, repulsorlift skates, and similar such craft. In this capacity, the system functions as a kinetic partner that works in synchrony with the operator.
- Near-Total Drag Negation
- Atmospheric Dominance: Dramatically increases top speed and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag by more than 98%, shifting the performance limit from drag to raw engine thrust.
- Unmatched Maneuverability: Enables physics-defying maneuvers such as pivot turns, instantaneous lateral translations, and post-stall flight, making the vehicle exceptionally difficult to target and track. In addition, unlike a standard fighter and vehicle which shows signs of an impending hard turn—wing contrails, control surfaces deflecting, a loss of speed—the AAMS-equipped fighter/vehicle gives no such warning. Its turns are instantaneous and without aerodynamic penalty.
- Super Endurance: A vehicle/fighter equipped with the AAMS can stay on-station, patrolling at high speeds, for vastly longer durations than conventional vehicles since it does not waste fuel fighting drag. It can dictate the terms of engagement, choosing when and where to fight.
- Stable Launch Platform: The vehicle experiences no buffeting or drag at extreme speeds. This makes it an incredibly stable gun and missile platform, increasing accuracy at long range.
- Integrated Defense: The turbulent force field envelope lowers the sensor profile by scattering incoming sensor waves and creating a persistent visual distortion. While this does not encompass true, perfect stealth, it quite significantly lowers the range at which the vehicle can be detected.
- System Synergy: Dramatically augments the effectiveness of both repulsorlifts and physical control surfaces, increasing their response time and authority while reducing mechanical wear and energy bleed.
- Power Hungry: The AAMS places an immense and constant drain on the vehicle's power core. It demands an advanced, super-grade power plant to sustain its energy demands. Without this, sustained use at maximum performance could necessitate diverting power from weapons or shields.
- Ion Vulnerability: The complex, sensitive electronics and field projectors are susceptible to ion and EMP damage if left unprotected. A successful ion strike can disable the AAMS, potentially causing an immediate and potentially catastrophic return to full aerodynamic drag.
- Computational Dependency: The system's performance is entirely reliant on the Kinetic Flow Computer. Any damage, corruption, or subversion of this core processor will render the AAMS inoperative.
Designed by First United Astral Engineering, the FAE/S-17 Active Airflow Management System is an airflow/medium management system designed primarily to effectively remove atmospheric drag, enabling previously impossible atmospheric speeds and physics-defying performance. Likely the very first system of its kind, the AAMS leverages tractor and pressor fields to manipulate airflow, creating optimal aerodynamic conditions around the craft at all times. In doing so, it effectively removes the concept of a stall, revolutionizing the maneuvers that a vehicle/fighter is capable of executing in atmosphere.
The AAMS is intended to supplant the “aerodynamically shaped particle shields” that First United Astral Engineering used previously, which were more brute force in their application. In this, the AAMS is a far more elegant, precise solution, which not only “clears” the airflow but also actively leverages it to enhance maneuvers.
In all, the AAMS is hoped to significantly enhance the atmospheric performance of First United Astral Engineering-supported vehicles and fighters beyond anything created by rival designers. In this, the system has the potential to create a terrifying overmatch. Vehicles equipped with the AAMS can achieve velocities and maneuverability profiles once considered theoretically impossible, opening a decisive tactical advantage and creating a significant performance gap against virtually any conventionally designed opponent.
Out Of Character Info
Intent:
Create a new system to supplant the primitive “aerodynamic shields” that First United Astral Engineering used previously.
Technical Information
Affiliation:
First United Astral Engineering, Exclusive Writers and Buyers
Model:
FAE/S-17 Active Airflow Management System
Modular:
Yes
Material:
See Body
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