F-36 Hornet

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F-36 Hornet
WC1-Hornet.png
Type Light Fighter
Manufacturer Origin Aerospace
Primary User Terran Confederation
Additional Users Free Republic of the Landreich,
Union of Border Worlds
Length 20 meters
Mass 12.5 tonnes
Max Velocity 420 KPS
Cruise Velocity 300 KPS
Acceleration Good
Max Afterburner Acceleration 1240 KPS
Max Y/P/R 8/9/8 DPS
Guns
Missiles
Armor 4 cm fore/aft 4 cm sides
Shields 4 cm
Decoys None
Cloak None
Crew 1
Devices None




Hornet Target Identification circa Vega Sector 2654
Hornet line-drawing from Joan's Fighting Spacecraft.

History

The F-36 Hornet was a light fighter designed by Origin Aerospace. It engaged in reconnaissance, patrol and light anti-shipping duties throughout the Terran-Kilrathi War. It was used by the Terran Confederation and later by the Free Republic of the Landreich A trainer variant of the Hornet was flown by rookie pilots at the Terran Confederation Space Forces Academy. These fighters are known for their speed, and carried a fairly-balanced arsenal of weapons for such a small fighter.

Noted Hornet squadrons include the Yellowjackets and Killer Bees assigned to the TCS Tiger's Claw during the Vega Sector Campaign. General James Taggart began his career flying the nimble fighters.

The Hornet was officially replaced by the F-54 Epee in 2661, though Hornet squadrons continued flying combat missions through the Battle of Earth. After the war, surplus Hornets were sold to the Free Republic of the Landreich - where they served in numerous border disputes. Hornets were also sold to the Union of Border Worlds, who used their existing squadrons in combat against the Black Lance during the 2673 Border Worlds Conflict.

The Flying Eyes, VF-12 of the Free Republic of the Landreich Space Forces were used heavily during President Kruger's Project Goliath. They conducted the initial flybys of KIS Karga which showed the hulk to be mostly intact. They were eventually transfered to the Karga/FRLS Mjollnir as part of its budding air wing. Their presence was critical when the carrier was attacked by Guild forces. VF-12 also served with distinction during the Battle of Baka Kar which pitted FRLN forces against those of Ragark da Haka in 2671.

An earlier variant of the Hornet carried two FF Pike missiles instead of Dart DFs.

Wing Commander

Mission Appearances

  • Appears in Mission

Conversational References

  • Beta Wing (McAuliffe System)
    • Joseph Khumalo: "Ever flown Scimitars before? I think you’re going to like them. A Scimitar isn’t quite as fast or nimble as a Hornet, but she’s got twice the armour, as well as heavier guns."
  • Omicron Wing (Gimle System)
    • Todd Marshall: "I'm lookin' forward to seein' one of these new Rapiers! They say she's got tougher shields than anything in the fleet. She must be just about invulnerable!"
    • Ian St. John: " 'Ang about, there, mate...She may 'ave God's own shields, but she's armored like a light fighter. If they knock down the shields, she's no tougher than a Hornet."
Class Light Fighter WC1-Hornet.png
Length 20 meters
Mass 12.5 tonnes
Max Velocity: 420 KPS
Cruising velocity: 300 KPS
Afterburner Velocity: 1240 KPS
Acceleration: Good
Max. YPR 8/9/8 DPS
Weapons Mk. 25 Laser Cannon (2)
Dart Dumbfire (2)
Javelin Heatseeker (1)
Armor Fore: 4 cm
Aft: 4 cm
Sides: 4 cm
Shields Fore: 4 cm
Aft: 4 cm
Shield Recharge: 5 seconds
Missile Decoys: none
Jump Capable: No

Joan's Fighting Spacecraft - Vega Sector Supplement for 2654.092

Class Light Fighter Bp-hornetside.png
Length 20 meters
Mass 12.5 tonnes
Max Velocity: 420 KPS
Cruising velocity: 300 KPS
Afterburner Velocity: 1240 KPS
Acceleration: Good
Max. YPR 8/9/8 DPS
Weapons Mk. 25 Laser Cannon (2)
Dart Dumbfire (2)
Javelin Heatseeker (1)
Armor Fore: 3 cm
Aft: 3 cm
Sides: 3 cm
Shields Fore: 3 cm
Aft: 3 cm
Shield Recharge: 5 seconds
Missile Decoys: none
Jump Capable: No

Super Wing Commander

Mission Appearances

Conversational References

Class Light Fighter
Length 20 meters
Mass 12.5 tonnes
Max Velocity: 420 KPS
Cruising velocity: 300 KPS
Afterburner Velocity: 1240 KPS
Acceleration: Good
Max. YPR 8/9/8 DPS
Weapons Mk. 25 Laser Cannon (2)
Dart Dumbfire (2)
Javelin Heatseeker (1)
Armor Fore: 4 cm
Aft: 4 cm
Sides: 4 cm
Shields Fore: 4 cm
Aft: 4 cm
Shield Recharge: 5 seconds
Missile Decoys: none
Jump Capable: Yes

Wing Commander: Freedom Flight

Reference

  • "The flight deck was already busy; two Hornet fighters took off, one after the other, as Hunter mustered up a tired trot to his fighter. A tech was under the Rapier, invisible except for a pair of booted legs sticking out from beneath the wing."

The Secret Missions

Mission Appearances

Conversational References

The Secret Missions 2

Mission Appearances

Conversational References

The Memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Carl T. LaFong: The Kilrathi War's Greatest Ace (TCSN, Retired)

References

  • For Tighter Up or Down Movements, Roll and Turn
    • "The arrangement of thrusters on Hornets, Scimitars, and Raptors produces an unusual flight characteristic: up and down movements cannot be completed in as tight a radius as a turn to the left or right. Aerospace engineers are trying to correct the flaw in the new Rapier class, but it is still unknown whether their efforts have been successful."

Wing Commander: Fleet Action

References

  • Battle of Sirius
    • " "This is Tolwyn. Good luck to all of you and good hunting." The image winked off and Kevin smile. Typical Brit understatement. The forward edge of Rapiers, Raptors, Ferrets and Hornets, running ahead of the attack wave, slammed into the opposing wall of opposition defending the Kilrathi heavy carriers."

Wing Commander: False Colors

References

  • "For a moment Tolwyn wished he'd strapped on a Hornet for today's mission, instead of picking the Raptor. Babcock's squadron, VF-12-more usually known as the "Flying Eyes" was equipped with the Hornet light fighter, a fast, high-performance craft that was ideal for reconnaissance missions but limited in the fighting it could handle. Today they carried even lighter combat loads than usual to make room for a Mark VI APSP, a sensor pod containing a battery of cameras, imaging systems, and other survey gear that was normally used to conduct long-range scans ahead of a fleet or target identification runs in a planetary atmosphere. So Babcock would be taking her planes in low over the Kilrathi hulk to get a good look at the supercarrier ahead of the rest of them, while the heavier Raptors of Doomsday's VF-88, the Crazy Eights, waited to provide cover if they ran into trouble."

Images