Knight26

Uh the only externally mounted weaponary are the guns, in this case, two of which are on flex mounts so that is required for their use. Also the A/M cannon is for the most part internal to itself, openning the forward mandibles only to fire. The Plasers are just external for ease of maintenance/replacement since in space you don't have to worry about drag. Also the missiles are internal they just fire out of the front of the craft, but the missiles themselves are not explosed, and are infact inside the armored skin of the craft.

And the five view registry

Ok, update time, I nixed the wings replacing them with a set of stubbies that I stole off the S-5000 and lengthened, may change that and give it unique stub wings, probably the best idea, but this is for figuring what to to do right now. Anyway with the stub wings on I moved around the cannons, I wanted to keep the fixed guns close to centerline to allow for better aiming, and put the manuering cannons out on the stubs. I'm not sure about the locations I moved the PLASERs to, i may pit them back where they were or go to a different mounting point entirely, thoughts?

It really comes down to a question of operational doctrines and speeds. Modern combat doctrine calls for engaging at range for the most part, using the missiles as the primary weapon and the gun as secondary. In my books space combat is realitively low speed, similar to B-5, you have to fight off any momentum you build up while accelerating. So dogfighters typically have great manueverability and acceleration with a heavy emphasis on guns for use close in. Interceptors or slash attackers rely more on missile armament, engaging targets while they are still in the attack phase, before they decelerate and engage close in, this is when missiles are most effective. I hope th at make sense will explain more later but I have to run to a doctor's appointment. Also I did showcase the enemy fighters a while back and after this one is done I'll do a couple line up shots of all the different fighters together.

I'm really not seeing what you mean with the overarmament, the last four redesigns had the following loadouts: Feral-F: 3-forward MDCS, 4-defensive turrets, 60 standard missiles, and 12 large scale torpedoes Untamed: design has been nixed as being impractical Splicer 5000: six forward guns, ten standard missiles, two light torpedoes Splicer 2000: four forward guns, 18 standard missiles, six long range missiles, two light torpedoes Splicer 3000: four forward guns, light Antimatter Cannon, 34 standard missiles, six light torpedoes. The weapon's loads do not seem that unrealistic true the feral and 3000 might be a little overboard on the missiles but when you figure that a standard hornet can carry a mix of up to 12 AMRAAMs or sidewinders what I am calling for doesn't really seem that far out there. Now looking at the current design, the whole right side of the craft is the A/M cannon, that is a huge weapon, the missles are all in that launcher off to the left side and are fairly tightly packed. When you look at some ship based launchers though that tight packing is not so out of the question either, the current model RAM launcher carries up to 21 rounds in a launcher guide assemebly maybe half the size of the old NATO Sea-Sparrow launcher, which only carries up to eight rounds. Yes miniaturization goes a long way towards allowing these craft to carry the ordnance loads I have them carry and maybe I did go a little overboard on the 3000's weapons load, but that is compensated by its comparitively lower thrust and manueverability. Also the original had internal bomb bays that will likely not make it into the redesign, unless they are a module that I swap out with the missile pod, missiles or bombs in that case. Edit: And for good measure since this is a macross board the VF-1S goes out with with a weapons load of: one gunpod, four lasers, and up to 40 missiles and thats without the FAST Packs.

Well currently the wings will go either one of two directions: 1) go to a narrower chord design (shorten the distance between the leading and trailing edges) or 2) be replaced by much smaller, but longer in chord stub designs, which be used only for mounting weapons and for thruster emplacements. Hmm, I'm seeing a possible part reuse there off another design now, just have to modify it accordingly. I'm also considering adding a couple small turrets to the craft, something like pop out chin guns for use in defending it while on an attack run, or for strafing attacks against large capital ships/installations or ground targets. Thoughts?

very nicely done

A quick shot of the registry, shows all the views, hope it helps give comments.

Ok, major update this time, all the major components are added including the wings. Thing is I am not feeling the wings and think I may drop them entirely, maybe just put on a small set of stub wings for weapon's mounting and additional external weapons hardpoints. Any thoughts? This is probably the most critical time to get in comments becuase after this the detailing work begins. If I keep the wings they will ahve to fold two ways, up for landing on a flight deck and down for using the docking points. I look forward to your comments.

small update, the docking mounts and engines have been added, still need to hollow out the engines and give them exhaust nozzle but that will come later, now I am going to start experimenting with the wings, decide if I will even have them.

Second shot, with the A/M Cannon opened, still need to build up the interior and I may make the arms smaller so that it can open up more, still working on that.

Quick update, I've added on the basic hull and major weapon's packs, still need to add the lighter fighter scale guns, engines, docking mounts, wings etc... I am actually going to put on the docking mounts next before the engines so that I can better position them, thought I am considering leaving the docking mounts off if I have to. I may shorten the overall length, but am definitely considering an internal weapons bay forward of the ventral torpedo pack, there is more then enough room. Right now the left hand weapon's pack is the missile launcher, carries 34 missiles, the right pack is the antimatter cannon, it opens before it fires. I look forward to your comments. This first shot shows the craft with the cannon closed.

Man I can't find the pics, am I just blind or did they take them down?

Guys don't egg on agentone, just let him go off oil up and perform unspeakable acts with himself.

Damn Exo that is sweet, oh yeah and airwolgf sucked, blue thunder owned it.

Mmmm, Mig-29 and F-20 tigershark fighting side by side, man that would be sweet. of course it also makes you wonder about the prototype that "disappeared." Look it up, one of the F-20 prototypes is currently unaccounted for, no one knows what happened to it, been a mystery at Northrop for years.

Oh yeah I heard about that right before it happened, well heard about the aircraft purchases, my friends and I called it the ultimate fly off between the Mig-29 and the Su-27. I just wish there was more information on the actual engagement, gun camera footage would be so sweet.

and a quick shot of the cockpit will need to add more detail later.

Well I didn't get much progress done this week, will get back to it tommorrow, the onyl thing I did get done was a couple development sketches I did on the plane rides to and from Norfolk, and some work on the new cockpit. I went with something look much more like the initial redesign concept, mixed a little more with a bit of the original. Right now it will be a two seater, but I am looking at making a four seat varient for EW and shuttle duties. The other concept I came up with I may develop into some kind of small shuttlecraft, but that is up in the air right now. Hopefully I will have some more progress for you tomorrow, at least a basic layout design up. Well first here is the sketch.

that's a lot kinder then waht I was thinking of saying

Not sure how to take the comment about the "same company" defense, these craft were always intended to be designed by the same company, I'm working under more of an design bereu style, with multiple manufacturers building a single companies design. And yes, I will eventually texture them with individual sqauadron and to a lesser degree nose art. Now onto the update, i decided to start fresh again, going back to the three seat config, but that will definitely change, i rationalized a reason for the third crewman but decided against it later. I'm considering side by side seating now instead of tandem in order to make it look more unique. Anyway here is what I came up with more working out loud then anything else at this point, I really need to sketch this out before I start putting into 3-D, will do that on the plane tomorrow. BTW I will be on travel this week so don't expect any updates before saturday, by which time I will hopefully have a design locked in.

Ok, small update, reshaped the nose and antimatter cannon pod, that thing will take some major rework soon. I also added preliminary engine pods (not attached yet) and torpedo launcher, these may or may not stay, man this thing is being a pain. Wabbit: Primary purpose of this craft is to be used against light captial ships, Corvette-Cruiser in size. Also interdiction strikes, precision strike, and limited close air support of ground troops. Lynx: I kind of see where you are going, this one along with the last two are designed by the same company are designed to be highly modular, hence the similar configurations. Right now though the only common componets are the cockpit, guns, torpedo packs (though modified on this one). I admit I have a bad habit of sometimes making craft look too similar to one another, but if I do I try to make sure that they are either all made by the same rave, or in this case the same company, kind of like the Solaar fighters of the GF as well. SS: Funny it does look really similar and that gives me some ideas on how to proceed, if you don't mind that is, i don't want to be accused to stealing your design. As for any in environment renders, the last render or two of each thread is usually an in environ render, just take a quick search and look.

Nifty, makes me wish my nephew was young enough for me to buy that for him.

Here is the first shot of the new concept, I look forward to yout input.

Ok now we have the long range strategic bomber, main line medium/superiority fighter and the fleet defense interceptor. What's next you ask, how about the light assault bomber, basically it's a cross between the A-6 and A-10. Nothing on this one is sacred at this point, except making it a two seater (maybe three) and assymetric. The old design was a three seater and only slightly assymetric, the third person in the cockpit really served no usefulness so will likely be dropped. The weapons load for the current design is as follows: 2-Plasers, 2-Energy cannons, 2-Antimatter cannons, 30-missiles (in 2 rotary launchers), 20-bombs (dual internal bays), and 6-light torpedoes. Again this weapons mix is not sacred and can easily be changed. I look forward to input on this one because I am not quite sure what direction i want to take it yet, I only have a rough idea. Anyway here is the registry for the original: