X-12 Valkyrie
Template:Vehicle (air)The X-12 Valkyrie is a new design block for the Owlian Union, designed by Falcon Industries in the early 2090's. It combines various aspects of other combat aircraft from around the world; like the Vocavian VF-4 Rhayader and the Aquarian Shrike. The Valkyrie is used in both air and ground applications- the A Type dedicated to Air to Ground operations and the AF type dedicated to Air to Air. The aircraft is expected to replace multiple aging fighters in the RAF and RAAF arsenal- including the A-10 (RAAF), F-21 (RAF), and F-22 (RAF). These aircraft will be either retired or moved into training roles.
Development
Origins
Following the introduction of the A-11D into service in 2090, the Owlian Union looked outward at other aircraft from the world. The various other attackers of the world looked nothing like that of the A-11. They were sleek, fighter-like aircraft that had small armaments. This is compared to the boxy A-11, which really intends to punch through the air instead of slip through. The Owlian Department of Defense decided to host a trial to see which aircraft could best take over for the A-11 in troubled areas overseas like in the South Peninsula. Guardian's A-11, however, was seemingly impossible to recreate or out-perform in various trials done years prior. And, with a new design block, this fear was increased among designers. Many viewed it as a waste of time. Major names like Rivera Dynamics, National Industries, and even Guardian themselves refused to provide as much as a concept sketch. Only one company- Falcon Industries, a company whose last great military aircraft had been retired in 2080- submitted a proposal. It would turn into one of the most promising aircraft of the last decade.
International Assistance
One of the most interesting challenges of the design was the "Aero-Pit," a sleek cockpit design seen on the Aquarian-built F-77 Shrike and more recently on the National Industries F-13DT. Falcon designers contacted Sparrow Aeronautics to request some samples, but they did even better. About one week after requesting sample sketches to recreate the build, multiple surplus cockpit builds arrived at FI's Production Plant in Sanctuary. One challenge, however, is the fact that Aquarian Pilots are on average shorter than Owlian pilots. This means that the custom-built cockpits were very small and almost cramped for the test pilots, who also had to get used to a new control scheme.
AF-12
Despite what it may seem, the AF-12 is the little twin brother of the two. Born just a short time apart from each other, the two are almost indistinguishable. However, upon closer inspection, you see that they're built just a bit differently. The AF-12 was designed following the introduction of the A-12's added wing plates for added maneuverability. The aircraft is built for air to air operations, but it won't be uncommon to see the two flying alongside each other heading to a combat operation. One to give the hurt, and the other to watch out. Little Brother's all grown up.
Ban on Exports
As of 2092, all X-12 type aircraft are under a loose Class 0 to Class 1+ Regulation by the Owlian Congress. The aircraft is able to be requested by various nations, but Congress, the Queen, the Prime Minister, or the Department of Defense all have the ability to veto this export. The Empire of Fegeland has already been granted the export of multiple X-12 aircraft, including the A-12A, A-12AB, and AF-12A. It is unlikely that export will be granted to anyone except for close and long-time allies until at least the early 2100's.
Design
Overview
The X-12 includes numerous aspects of other aircraft from around the world. Not just the Cockpit design from Aquaria, but also various design choices from fighter aircraft past and present. The idea for swept wings: The old POS-1 Raptor design. The engines mounted back from the cockpit on a central fuselage: The Vocavian VF-4 Rhayader. The tail: The T-44 Program- from Falcon itself. The aircraft is a mix of other combat aircraft from around the world- showing what a true multirole aircraft can be.
The aircraft is also interesting because of its weapons placement. Two of the four missile pylons are held just beneath the cockpit- in front of the engine fuselage. This gives the aircraft a very unique cross section, but allows an open wing to keep missiles on the other pylon to avoid accidental contact.
The wings have been known to flex during high-G turns, but the flexing reportedly allows the aircraft to keep its high maneuverability. It has no canards- a rarity among aircraft of the era. Instead, it's maneuverability is gained from the tail fins (mounted on the vertical stabilizers) and engine vectoring. This also streamlines the design. The aircraft's dual C7 Aerospace J-404 Panther afterburning turbofans are closely spaced and have pitch-yaw-roll vectoring nozzles with a range of ±10 degrees; each engine has a maximum thrust of above 210kN. Maximum speed is reportedly above Mach 1.5, but specifics are classified.
Cockpit
The cockpit of the X-12 is the most advanced in the entire Owlian Union. Combining elements from the Aquarian F-77 and basic Owlian aircraft, the plane is incredibly complicated to learn. Pilots have special-built helmets with virtual reality headsets that can be raised or lowered- giving the pilots unprecedented views of the battlefield.
However, one issues that the test pilots noticed was the small size of the cockpit. Aquarian F-77 pilots are on average shorter than Owlians- in some cases as much as 5 to 6 inches. Early test pilots had to squeeze into cockpits in some cases too short and thin, resulting in quite comical pictures when some taller pilots had to lift their knees up. Eventually, the cockpit was redesigned for an adjustable seat position. Still, the seat is occasionally too short, so the pilots have the ability to recline up to 20 degrees. Seat controls are on a console to the right of the pilot's seat. Other vanity controls include air conditioning/heating (Important in tropical climates like Fegeland or cool climates like a winter in North Owlia), liquid regulator (i.e. Drink machine), and a seat warmer. Pilots are required to wear special G-Force suits to protect them from high-G turns above 10G.
Armament
A-12
The A-12A combines much of the same weapons as the Guardian A-11D Warthog. It has 8 air to ground missiles, as well as one GAU-8 cannon located in the nose. Targeting is controlled by a Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) ball on the nose. The ball is angled slightly downwards to allow the pilot to see damage after flying over the target. Other variants like the A-12AB use bombs to achieve the purpose of anti-ground operations.
AF-12
The AF-12 carries an atypical loadout compared to most Owlian fighters of the era. It carries two Vulcan 20mm cannons (650 rounds each), four AIM-9 Sidewinder Heat-Seeking Missiles, and, contrary to most designs of the past decade, four AIM-120 AMRAAM Radar-Guided missiles (Instead of two).
Operational History
Owlia
The Owlian Union announced its intentions to begin replacing old A-10 and F-22 fighters with the new X-12 project. The aircraft will take on the responsibilities left by the old aircraft, including Air Support, Patrols, and Interceptions along the borders of the South Coast.
Fegeland
On August 20th, 2091, the Feguan Air Force announced that it had reached a deal with the Owlian Union to procure multiple X-12 aircraft. Specific details have not yet been listed, but the Valkyrie is expected to become the main aircraft in the FAF following the deal.
Other
A patriotically-painted AF-12A Valkyrie will be on hand to perform the flyover during the national anthem for the 2100 RiverBowl.
Variants
- X-12: Base model for the X-12 program.
- A-12A: First block of the Attacker variation. Used by the RAAF and FAF for air to ground operations.
- A-12AB: First block with bomb load. Can carry up to 6 bombs of varying types on wing pylons.
- AF-12A: First Advanced Fighter block. Will be used by the RAF and FAF for multiple air combat missions.
Operators
Owlia
Southern Air Force (AF-12)
- 7th Owlian Fighter Wing; Fort Allison, Southern Peninsula
- 77th Fighter Squadron. Undergoing conversion from F-22 to AF-12.
- 203rd Defense Squadron. Organized in 2091. First dedicated AF-12 squadron in the OU.
- 36th Fighter Squadron,
- 18th Air Defense Wing; Boomerang Island, Southern Peninsula
- 81st Fighter Squadron. Undergoing conversion from F-21 to AF-12.
- 153rd Air Station. Undergoing conversion from F-10L to AF-12.
- 2nd Combat Wing; Boomerang Island, Southern Peninsula
- 272nd Combat Group.
Southern Army Air Force (A-12/A-12AB)
- 21st Attack Division; Fort Allison, Southern Peninsula
- 55th Attack Air Wing. Undergoing conversion from A-10 to A-12A.
- 69th Attack Air Wing. Undergoing conversion from A-10 to A-12AB.
- 6th Attack Division; Boomerang Island, Southern Peninsula
- 40th Attack Group.
Fegeland
Feguan Air Force (AF-12)
- 4th Air Wing; Huturoa Air Force Base, Huturoa.
- 49th Air Defense Wing. Undergoing conversion from F-13C to F-13D and AF-12.
- 43rd Air Defense Wing. Undergoing conversion from K-1M and M-13N to AF-12.
- 22nd Air Wing; Pihiro Province, Fegeland
- 17th Air Wing. First dedicated AF-12 division in Fegeland.
- 41st Air Group. AF-12 to integrate in among Feguan aircraft.
Feguan Air Force (A-12/A-12AB)
- 3rd Attack Wing; Aturai Province, Fegeland.
- 7th Attack Group. Only air group to remain in Fegeland after the 2060's Civil War. Undergoing conversion from A-10 to A-12A.
- 5th Attack Wing; Katekatu Province, Fegeland.
- 29th Attack Division.
Specifications (X-12)
General Characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 32 ft 10 in (10.0 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 3 in (8.0 m)
- Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.1 m)
- Empty weight: [Unknown]
- Gross weight: 23,915 lb (10,848 kg)
- Fuel capacity: [Unknown]
- Powerplant: 2 × C7 Aerospace J-404 turbofans
- Dry thrust: 24,054 lbf (107 kN) each
- Thrust with afterburner: >49,000 lbf (219 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: [Classified]
- Supercruise: [Classified]
- Range: [Unknown]
- Ferry range: [Unknown/Classified]
- Combat radius: [Unknown/Classified]
- Service ceiling: [Unknown]
- g limits: +20.0/−[Unknown]
- Thrust/weight: [Unknown/Classified]
Armament
- Guns: 2× 20 mm (0.787 in) Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon, 1300 rounds
- Air-to-air mission loadout:
- 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM
- 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder
- Air-to-ground mission loadout:
- 2× 500 lb (450 kg) Mk. 82 and 4× 500 lb Mk. 82 Snakeye or 6× 5000 lb (110 kg) Mk.82 Bombs
- 2× AGM-65 Maverick
- 2× AGM-114 Hellfire
- Hardpoints: 4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry weapons
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Sparrow Aeronautics F-77 Shrike (Aquaria)
- VF-4 Rhayader (Vocavium)