WCX
Rear Admiral
Alright, I have FINNALY ended my 5 year campaign of lurking around the flight deck and have decided to make my voice heard. Please be gentle.
I’ve always been a sucker for details, so it should be no surprise that when if comes to wing Commander (hereafter lovingly referred to as WC) I wondered about the Confederation spacecraft designation system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_United_States_Tri-Service_aircraft_designation_system
I started this chart some time ago, mainly just for kicks, but I’ve recently realized that this is a great wealth of information that should be shared with all. The information comes from WC documents found at the CIC, along with information gleamed from the novels, movie, TV series, magazine ads, and yes even fan websites (the good folks at Gaia Industries appear to have done the same thing and back up a few of the listed designations).
This list only covers a particular spacecraft’s “golden age”, when they where in frontline use by Confed, not second-hand users, reserve roles, or revivals (such as the case with Broadswords making a comeback during the Nephilim wars).
A solid date (26XX) indicate absolute known time of operation. Arrows (<- / ->) before or after such a date indicates that the craft was most likely in service but said dates are unknown.
NOTES:
1.) I use the Scimitar designation found in the WC bible rather than the odd WC: Confed manual version since, well, it just feels right (also because the official designations for the Rapier and Broadsword appear to be the game variants).
2.) Even though the fighters in the animated series WC: Academy where supposed to be Epees, I don’t count them as such, namely because it was specify stated that the Epee came as a later replacement to Hornet about 7 years after the show takes place.
3.) The age of the Hurricane fighters. Geoffrey Tolwyn states that the fighter is ALMOST twice his age (which I take to mean: Tolwyn’s age, multiply by two, subtract one).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
?-## Hummer (Atmospheric?) light recon/ strike <-2634->
?-## Hawk Atmospheric-only Fighter <-2634->
F-## Gotha Interceptor (Surface-to-space) <-2634->
F-## Hurricane dual role, atmo-capable escort fighter 2593-2634
F-## Wildcat pure space interceptor 2604-2639
?-## Minotaur ???? <-2534-2634->
F-## Corsair ??Fighter 2634/2635->
?-## Falcon Heavy bomber / Light Corvette <-2634-2668
?-## Gladiator heavy space to ground bomber <-2593-2634->
?-## Trident Heavy bomber (Atmospheric capable) <-2634->
F-10 Merlin ?? Fighter (atmo-capable?) <-2633->
F-27 Arrow Light Fighter 2654-2681 Douglas Aerospace
F-32 Scimitar Medium Fighter 2635-2655 Origin Aerospace
F-36 Hornet Light fighter 2644-2661 Origin Aerospace
F-38 Talon Medium fighter 2642-2644
F-44 Rapier II Medium fighter 2654-2668 Origin Aerospace
F-54 Epee Light Attack fighter 2661-2668
F-57 Saber Heavy fighter (2654) 2654-2669
P-64 Ferret Patrol fighter 2637?-2661-2668
HF-66 Thunderbolt VII Heavy Fighter 2669-2674 Douglas Aerospace
F-71 Stiletto Light fighter <-2667-2669->
F/A-76 Longbow Torpedo Bomber 2654?-2681 McCall Industries
F-86 Hellcat V Medium Fighter 2668/9-2674 Douglas Aerospace
YF-95 Morningstar Prototype Heavy fighter 2667-2668
YF-97 Wraith Prototype medium fighter 2667-2669
F-98 Phantom Light/Heavy Fighter <-2669
F-103 Excalibur heavy fighter 2669-2681-> Douglas Aerospace
F-104 Bearcat interceptor <-2674-> Douglas Aerospace
F/A-105 Tigershark multi-role fighter <-2681->
F-106 Piranha light scout fighter <-2681->
F-107 Lance “Dragon” heavy fighter <-2681->
F-108 Panther medium fighter <-2681->
F-109 Vampire heavy fighter <-2681->
F-110 Wasp interceptor <-2681->
A-14 Raptor heavy fighter <-2639- 2668 Origin Aerospace
A-15 Gladius Fighter-Bomber 2667-2669
A-17 Broadsword Torpedo bomber/Patrol Craft 2632-2669 Camelot Industries
YA-18 Crossbow Torpedo Bomber 2667
A-20 Banshee fighter-bomber 2669
TB-80 Devastator heavy bomber 2681->
TB-81 Shrike medium bomber 2681->
F-## Fury ??Fighter <-2701->
F-## Hurricane II ?? Fighter <-2701->
F-## Aurora ?? Fighter <-2701->
F-## Crusader ?? Fighter <-2701->
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ok. That said, I propose several questions.
1.) Any educated (of semi-logical) guess as to the designations for the pre-war and post-war space craft might be?
Since the Hellcat’s designation is F-86, I would suggest that the Wildcat be something akin to F-#4, to echoing the World War II similarity between the F4F Wildcat and the F6F Hellcat.
2.) Why do the Devastator and Shrike have the “TB” designation, but every torpedo bomber (and then some) before them have the “A” designation? These are the things I think about when I’m home alone and the power goes out.
Anyway, look this over and make your critiques.
Salute!
I’ve always been a sucker for details, so it should be no surprise that when if comes to wing Commander (hereafter lovingly referred to as WC) I wondered about the Confederation spacecraft designation system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_United_States_Tri-Service_aircraft_designation_system
I started this chart some time ago, mainly just for kicks, but I’ve recently realized that this is a great wealth of information that should be shared with all. The information comes from WC documents found at the CIC, along with information gleamed from the novels, movie, TV series, magazine ads, and yes even fan websites (the good folks at Gaia Industries appear to have done the same thing and back up a few of the listed designations).
This list only covers a particular spacecraft’s “golden age”, when they where in frontline use by Confed, not second-hand users, reserve roles, or revivals (such as the case with Broadswords making a comeback during the Nephilim wars).
A solid date (26XX) indicate absolute known time of operation. Arrows (<- / ->) before or after such a date indicates that the craft was most likely in service but said dates are unknown.
NOTES:
1.) I use the Scimitar designation found in the WC bible rather than the odd WC: Confed manual version since, well, it just feels right (also because the official designations for the Rapier and Broadsword appear to be the game variants).
2.) Even though the fighters in the animated series WC: Academy where supposed to be Epees, I don’t count them as such, namely because it was specify stated that the Epee came as a later replacement to Hornet about 7 years after the show takes place.
3.) The age of the Hurricane fighters. Geoffrey Tolwyn states that the fighter is ALMOST twice his age (which I take to mean: Tolwyn’s age, multiply by two, subtract one).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
?-## Hummer (Atmospheric?) light recon/ strike <-2634->
?-## Hawk Atmospheric-only Fighter <-2634->
F-## Gotha Interceptor (Surface-to-space) <-2634->
F-## Hurricane dual role, atmo-capable escort fighter 2593-2634
F-## Wildcat pure space interceptor 2604-2639
?-## Minotaur ???? <-2534-2634->
F-## Corsair ??Fighter 2634/2635->
?-## Falcon Heavy bomber / Light Corvette <-2634-2668
?-## Gladiator heavy space to ground bomber <-2593-2634->
?-## Trident Heavy bomber (Atmospheric capable) <-2634->
F-10 Merlin ?? Fighter (atmo-capable?) <-2633->
F-27 Arrow Light Fighter 2654-2681 Douglas Aerospace
F-32 Scimitar Medium Fighter 2635-2655 Origin Aerospace
F-36 Hornet Light fighter 2644-2661 Origin Aerospace
F-38 Talon Medium fighter 2642-2644
F-44 Rapier II Medium fighter 2654-2668 Origin Aerospace
F-54 Epee Light Attack fighter 2661-2668
F-57 Saber Heavy fighter (2654) 2654-2669
P-64 Ferret Patrol fighter 2637?-2661-2668
HF-66 Thunderbolt VII Heavy Fighter 2669-2674 Douglas Aerospace
F-71 Stiletto Light fighter <-2667-2669->
F/A-76 Longbow Torpedo Bomber 2654?-2681 McCall Industries
F-86 Hellcat V Medium Fighter 2668/9-2674 Douglas Aerospace
YF-95 Morningstar Prototype Heavy fighter 2667-2668
YF-97 Wraith Prototype medium fighter 2667-2669
F-98 Phantom Light/Heavy Fighter <-2669
F-103 Excalibur heavy fighter 2669-2681-> Douglas Aerospace
F-104 Bearcat interceptor <-2674-> Douglas Aerospace
F/A-105 Tigershark multi-role fighter <-2681->
F-106 Piranha light scout fighter <-2681->
F-107 Lance “Dragon” heavy fighter <-2681->
F-108 Panther medium fighter <-2681->
F-109 Vampire heavy fighter <-2681->
F-110 Wasp interceptor <-2681->
A-14 Raptor heavy fighter <-2639- 2668 Origin Aerospace
A-15 Gladius Fighter-Bomber 2667-2669
A-17 Broadsword Torpedo bomber/Patrol Craft 2632-2669 Camelot Industries
YA-18 Crossbow Torpedo Bomber 2667
A-20 Banshee fighter-bomber 2669
TB-80 Devastator heavy bomber 2681->
TB-81 Shrike medium bomber 2681->
F-## Fury ??Fighter <-2701->
F-## Hurricane II ?? Fighter <-2701->
F-## Aurora ?? Fighter <-2701->
F-## Crusader ?? Fighter <-2701->
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ok. That said, I propose several questions.
1.) Any educated (of semi-logical) guess as to the designations for the pre-war and post-war space craft might be?
Since the Hellcat’s designation is F-86, I would suggest that the Wildcat be something akin to F-#4, to echoing the World War II similarity between the F4F Wildcat and the F6F Hellcat.
2.) Why do the Devastator and Shrike have the “TB” designation, but every torpedo bomber (and then some) before them have the “A” designation? These are the things I think about when I’m home alone and the power goes out.
Anyway, look this over and make your critiques.
Salute!