By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com)
Ver 2.1 2011.06.23
External Fold Boosters
Official Setting information is in darkgreen. Extended Universe information is in steelblue.
FBF-1000A Prototype External Fold Booster
The VF exterior fold system "fold booster" was developed to expand the strategic mobility of a VF. Though research on it had been advancing since the age of the VF-1, the miniturization and so on of the system was rough going, and at last a prototype was completed in 2040. At first, even though it was disposable, the fold distance was short.
The FBF-1000A was jointly developed by the OTEC company and Shinnakasu Heavy Industry. It had a fold distance of about 20 light years, and only one-way performance was guaranteed. In reality, it is a disposable model.
RPG STATS:
- Vehicle Type: Fold Booster
- Class: Disposable Booster
- Crew: None
- Manufacturer: Shinnakasu Heavy Industry, OTEC Company
- Government: Unified Government
- Customer: Unified Air Force, Unified Space Force
Design Features: easily detached to the dorsal surface of vehicles equipped with special hardpoints for mounting the fold booster.
MDC BY LOCATION:
- (1) Main Body 75
- (2) Mounting pylons (4) 15 each
NOTES:
- (1) one successful critical hit or 25% of the main body being destroyed at one time renders the fold drive inoperable.
- (2) destruction of 2 or more mounting pylons reduces the charging rate by 1/2. Destroying 3 pylons prevents charging. It is recommended to eject the drive prior to atmospheric entry if 2 or more mounting pylons are destroyed.
SPEEDS
- FLYING: approximately 1 light year every 90 minutes; must stop and travel through a fold dislocation in normal space.1
- RANGE: Not certified for performing a one-way trip greater than 20 light years.
- RECHARGE RATE: Not applicable. Good for one use only.
- OPERATIONAL UNDERWATER DEPTH: 100 m
STATISTICAL DATA:
- POWER PLANT: None - uses the VF's thermonuclear engines to provide power to the device's capacitors. Capacitors used to initiate a space fold.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT:
Note: navigation software and sensors are within the vehicle the fold booster is mounted. Effectively, any vehicle can have a fold booster mounted to it, but only vehicles designed to mount one can successfully navigate in a fold.
- HOMING SIGNAL: a homing device that enables recovery teams to locate it, once activated by a remote coded transmission. The range of the signal is 640 km. Most Unified Forces ships and variable vehicles can locate and track a homing signal and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected. The booster will automatically activate an emergency alarm radio transmission if it has been set to do so by a pilot who has temporarily abandoned the booster in a safe location.
- SELF-DESTRUCT: to prevent capture of an advance variable fighter system by the enemy, the pilot can activate the fold boosterfs self-destruct system, which will cause the booster to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 6 m area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. This feature can be operated by remote.
FBF-1000A External Fold Booster
A high-end model that solved the faults of the prototype is widespread by the end of the 2050's. The fold booster was also made highly efficient, and using it multiple times became possible. As a result, a long distance round trip with a single VF becomes possible, and the strategic mobility and operational flexibility (of a VF) has improved greatly.
It is possible to equip a VF-25 with a fold booster and super parts at the same time. Using electromagnatism, with some vehicles it is possible to reattach a purged fold booster in the void of space.
RPG STATS:
Refer to the FBF-1000A Prototype External Fold Booster for stats unless otherwise noted herein:
SPEEDS
- RANGE: 20 light years.
- RECHARGE RATE: 6 hours.1
Optional: if the initial fold was less than 20 light years [Eg: have to avoid a fold dislocation mid-trip], the booster can be used again within a short period [GM's discretion] for the remaining distance.
FAB-1000 External Fold Booster
A fold booster that can be mounted on the Queadluun-Rhea; a battlesuit for Zentraadi. The Queadluun-Rhea could be equipped with a fold booster because the fold-navigating navigation function had been added in the update of the battlesuit's avionics system.
RPG STATS:
Refer to the FBF-1000A External Fold Booster for stats unless otherwise noted herein:
- Manufacturer: L.A.I., Shinnakasu Heavy Industry
Experimental External Super Fold Booster
By using fold quartz, the Experimental Super Fold Booster is able to penetrate fold dislocations. There is no difference in the subjectivity and objectivity of time (spent in fold) when using the Super Fold Booster. It is said that when using the Super Fold Booster, the travel time in the area of space that had been put to use by mankind was reduced to a tenth.
RPG STATS:
- Vehicle Type: Fold Booster Test Piece
- Class: Multi-Use Booster
- Crew: None
- Manufacturer: L.A.I.
- Government: Unified Government
- Customer: Unified Air Force, Unified Space Force
Design Features: easily detached to the dorsal surface of vehicles equipped with special hardpoints for mounting the fold booster.
MDC BY LOCATION:
- (1) Main Body 100
- (2) Mounting pylons (4) 15 each
NOTES:
- (1) one successful critical hit or 25% of the main body being destroyed at one time renders the fold drive inoperable.
- (2) destruction of 2 or more mounting pylons reduces the charging rate by 1/2. Destroying 3 pylons prevents charging. It is recommended to eject the drive prior to atmospheric entry if 2 or more mounting pylons are destroyed.
SPEEDS
- FLYING: approximately 1 light year every 9 minutes; can travel through fold dislocations without risk of loss of vehicle.2
- RANGE: 20 light years.
- RECHARGE RATE: 36 minutes.2
- OPERATIONAL UNDERWATER DEPTH: 100 m
STATISTICAL DATA:
- POWER PLANT: None - uses the VF's thermonuclear engines to provide power to the device's capacitors. Capacitors used to initiate a space fold.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT:
Note: navigation software and sensors are within the vehicle the fold booster is mounted. Effectively, any vehicle can have a fold booster mounted to it, but only vehicles designed to mount one can successfully navigate in a fold.
- HOMING SIGNAL: a homing device that enables recovery teams to locate it, once activated by a remote coded transmission. The range of the signal is 640 km. Most Unified Forces ships and variable vehicles can locate and track a homing signal and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected. The booster will automatically activate an emergency alarm radio transmission if it has been set to do so by a pilot who has temporarily abandoned the booster in a safe location.
- SELF-DESTRUCT: to prevent capture of an advance variable fighter system by the enemy, the pilot can activate the fold boosterfs self-destruct system, which will cause the booster to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 6 m area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. This feature can be operated by remote.
1Based on the 11.7 light year from Earth to Eden requiring 1 to 2 folds, 18 to 24 hours in length.
2Based on the Super Fold Booster reducing the area of travel to a 10th.
REFERENCES USED
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- Variable Fighter Master File: VF-19 Excalibur
- Variable Fighter Master File: VF-25 Messiah
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