Eagle (Aerospace Fighter class)

This article is about the aerospace fighter class. For other uses, see Eagle (BattleMech) and Eagle (WarShip class).
Eagle ASF 3057.png
Eagle
Production information
Manufacturer Imstar Aerospace
Lockheed-CBM Corporation[1]
Wangker Aerospace
Production Year 2501[2]
Model EGL-R6
Class Heavy Aerospace
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass 75 tons
Structural Integrity 7[3]
Frame ImStar Alpha
Power Plant 300
Fuel 400 points[4]
Armament

3x Large Lasers
4x Medium Lasers

Communications System Datacom 26
Tracking & Targeting System Dynatec 990
Heat Sinks 25
BV (1.0) 1,309[5]
BV (2.0) 1,467[6][7]
1,512[8]

Description

The first Heavy aerospace fighter developed by the Free Worlds League, the simple and rugged Eagle continues to serve as a yardstick for modern fighter designs.

First developed in 2324, the modern Eagle first appeared in 2601 featuring fourteen tons of BattleMech grade armor, a Vlar 300 rating Fusion Engine and a whopping twenty- five heat sinks. While not of the same class as Star League Defense Force designs of the same weight, the Eagle compares very favorably to those of the other Great Houses.[6]

Unfortunately, while in widespread use across the Free Worlds League Military and militia forces, the destruction of Imstar's assembly line for the fighter 2811 during the First Succession War has resulted in a steady decline of the design in Marik space. The Eagle lives on in both halves of the Federated Commonwealth thanks to the theft of the plans by spies in the employ of House Davion prior to the Imstar plant's destruction. Produced since the Second Succession War, the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth most commonly used it as a second-line fighter, a role continued in the AFFS with the design specs shared with Lockheed-CBM.[6]

Weapons and Equipment

Intended for roles far from established lines of supply, the Eagle carries a mix of Magna lasers, three Mk III Large Lasers for primary ranged fire, one per wing, and four Mk II Medium Lasers mounted forward for short-ranged combat, and one aft-mounted to discourage pursuit. The large volume of heat sinks carried allows the fighter to fire most of these weapons nearly constantly, and gives the Eagle excellent endurance.[6] The fighter is built in several sites which explains its wide use.

Variants

  • EGL-R1 
    The first Eagle produced in 2324 used a primitive cockpit, armor, and engine. Though it had the same fuel capacity and weaponry as the R6, it offered much less protection to its pilot and was slower. BV (2.0)=1,255[9]
  • EGL-R4 
    A common example of the earlier, more primitive Eagles developed in 2492 and still in use thanks to the tech decline of the Succession Wars, the R4 features five medium lasers, two large lasers and mounts Industrial Armor[6]. BV (2.0) = 1,294[10]
  • EGL-R9 
    Intended as an anti-DropShip variant, the 2601 R9 replaces the large lasers with a pair of wing mounted Magna Hellstar PPCs and an additional heat sink[6]. BV (2.0) = 1,458[12]
  • EGL-R10 
    Developed in 2684 for the ground attack role, the R10 removes the wing-mounted large lasers, replacing each with three additional medium lasers and two extra heat sinks[6]. BV (2.0) = 1,512[13]

Notes

  • The Eagle was introduced in AeroTech (1st edition) as one of the six original designs, but lacked model number, release date, or any description beyond its game stats. It was finally given a detailed description in line with that of other aerospace fighters in Technical Readout: 3075.
  • In German products the unit's proper name was perfectly translated to Adler. In addition (and presumably to distinguish it from the German renamed BattleMech Adler), the model code was changed to AD-11.

Gallery

References

  1. Objective Raidsp. 68
  2. MUL online date for the Eagle (Aerospace Fighter class)
  3. Record Sheets: Operation Klondike, p. 88
  4. Record Sheets: Operation Klondike, p. 88
  5. AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 129
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Technical Readout: 3075, pp. 264-265, "Eagle Fighter Profile"
  7. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 174
  8. Record Sheets: 3075, p. 96
  9. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 172
  10. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 173
  11. Record Sheets: Operation Klondike, p. 88
  12. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 175
  13. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 176
  14. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - Age of War, p. 177

Bibliography