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The SVS MF-34A Lothcat.
Sluis Van Shipyards
MF-34A Lothcat
Starfighter
Affiliation:Various private interests, local militia etc.
Ownership:Available for purchase.
Model: MF-34A
Class: Multi-Role Starfighter
Dimensions:
Wings contracted:
H: 2.37m
W: 10.00m
L: 8.00m
Wings extended:
H: 10.16m
W: 12.71m
L: 5.54m
Landing/Storage configuration 1:
H: 4.70m
W: 6.34m
L: 8.00m
Landing/Storage configuration 2:
H: 8.61m
W: 6.34m
L: 4.64m
Crew:
-1x Pilot
-1x Passenger
-1x Astromech Droid
Armament:
-4x Laser cannon
-2x Torpedo launcher
-4x Proton torpedoes
Equipment:
-Ray Shields
-Standard sensors and communication
-Ejector seat with survival capsule
-Basic toolkit for field repairs
-First aid kit
-Survival rations for 1 month
Speed:100 MGLT
Hyperdrive Rating:Class 7 hyperdrive
Maneuverability: Impressive for a ship of its size, the Lothcat could even compete with some lighter dedicated interceptor class vessels.
Ownership:Available for purchase.
Model: MF-34A
Class: Multi-Role Starfighter
Dimensions:
Wings contracted:
H: 2.37m
W: 10.00m
L: 8.00m
Wings extended:
H: 10.16m
W: 12.71m
L: 5.54m
Landing/Storage configuration 1:
H: 4.70m
W: 6.34m
L: 8.00m
Landing/Storage configuration 2:
H: 8.61m
W: 6.34m
L: 4.64m
Crew:
-1x Pilot
-1x Passenger
-1x Astromech Droid
Armament:
-4x Laser cannon
-2x Torpedo launcher
-4x Proton torpedoes
Equipment:
-Ray Shields
-Standard sensors and communication
-Ejector seat with survival capsule
-Basic toolkit for field repairs
-First aid kit
-Survival rations for 1 month
Speed:100 MGLT
Hyperdrive Rating:Class 7 hyperdrive
Maneuverability: Impressive for a ship of its size, the Lothcat could even compete with some lighter dedicated interceptor class vessels.
Shortly before the fall of the Republic during its war with the Second Sith Empire, the Republic, in a new, last ditch initiative to halt the Sith advance, invested trillions of credits into research and development, enlisting many far-flung and relatively secure manufacturers to construct bold new military designs. Unfortunately, as the war continued to worsen, the Republic was forced to redirect funds away from these projects, and many of them were scrapped mid-development.
Some designs, however, were ready for production well before the fall of the Republic. For Sluis Van Shipyards, recovering at least some of the losses from the costs incurred was paramount to their continued survival, and so their bid for a multi-role starfighter platform was pressed into production regardless.
Stripped of all weaponry, the SVS C-33 Personal Shuttlecraft was branded as a cheap, affordable alternative to interplanetary mass transit. With room for luggage, a passenger and even a suitable astromech droid, the C-33 combined the convenience of an airspeeder and added the additional bonus of hyperspace travel. However, between prohibitive costs for licences and training, as well as the inherent risks of interplanetary travel, the C-33 met only limited success among civilians.
Despite the limited success of the C-33, there were some positive points about the craft. For one, the ship proved surprisingly nimble and fast, an exceptional at avoiding raiders, pirates and brigands. For another, those same raiders, pirates and brigands who managed to capture C-33s were pleasantly surprised to discover that the craft still possessed all of its original weapon mountings, and was perfectly suited for aftermarket laser cannons to be installed.
Following the popularity of the C-33 to be refit for privateer work, Sluis Van Shipyards revisited the design, dusting off the old military-spec designs and pushing them into production following an overhaul of the sublight engines and reactor systems, which had proven unreliable under stress-testing in the field. The MF-34A was branded as a mixed-role dogfighter, a versatile craft equally adept at a number of roles - and extremely cost effective for local, small-scale militia, mercenary or privateer forces that could not afford the cost of multiple specialist fighters.
The MF-34A was colloquially known as the Lothcat - due to its compact storing size, intense agility and the surprise of its bite, thanks to its four laser cannons and two torpedo launchers, and proved remarkable capable in combat, with surprising speed and agility for a relatively well-loaded craft. This was in part due to the compact nature of the craft - so tightly packed was the equipment that the pilot and passenger seats were set astride the torpedo launchers, which led to a unique and rather awkward flying position. The performance was highly demanding on the craft, however, and so many surfaces were set with exposed heatsinks in order to assist cooling - overheating being one of several critical issues of the prior C-33, SVS made sure the same problems did not cripple its successor.
However, the Lothcat did suffer other shortcomings - due to its size, the Lothcat only had basic mid-range scanners, and despite its hyperdrive was ill-suited to long-range reconnaissance and scouting missions as a result, instead relying on other dedicated craft to perform the role. As an all-round, multi-role fighter, the MF-34A also lacked true heavy armour and armaments of a dedicated bomber, and as a fairly light multi-role fighter, the vessel's shields proved somewhat lacklustre in the face of dedicated anti-fighter fire from a capital warship. The complicated wings also added an extra degree of difficulty to teaching new pilots, and so the learning curve of mastering a Lothcat was somewhat steeper than other contemporary fighters. However, for those who mastered it, the Lothcat was almost unanimously considered an exceptional example of the best work Sluis Van had to offer.
Some designs, however, were ready for production well before the fall of the Republic. For Sluis Van Shipyards, recovering at least some of the losses from the costs incurred was paramount to their continued survival, and so their bid for a multi-role starfighter platform was pressed into production regardless.
Stripped of all weaponry, the SVS C-33 Personal Shuttlecraft was branded as a cheap, affordable alternative to interplanetary mass transit. With room for luggage, a passenger and even a suitable astromech droid, the C-33 combined the convenience of an airspeeder and added the additional bonus of hyperspace travel. However, between prohibitive costs for licences and training, as well as the inherent risks of interplanetary travel, the C-33 met only limited success among civilians.
Despite the limited success of the C-33, there were some positive points about the craft. For one, the ship proved surprisingly nimble and fast, an exceptional at avoiding raiders, pirates and brigands. For another, those same raiders, pirates and brigands who managed to capture C-33s were pleasantly surprised to discover that the craft still possessed all of its original weapon mountings, and was perfectly suited for aftermarket laser cannons to be installed.
Following the popularity of the C-33 to be refit for privateer work, Sluis Van Shipyards revisited the design, dusting off the old military-spec designs and pushing them into production following an overhaul of the sublight engines and reactor systems, which had proven unreliable under stress-testing in the field. The MF-34A was branded as a mixed-role dogfighter, a versatile craft equally adept at a number of roles - and extremely cost effective for local, small-scale militia, mercenary or privateer forces that could not afford the cost of multiple specialist fighters.
The MF-34A was colloquially known as the Lothcat - due to its compact storing size, intense agility and the surprise of its bite, thanks to its four laser cannons and two torpedo launchers, and proved remarkable capable in combat, with surprising speed and agility for a relatively well-loaded craft. This was in part due to the compact nature of the craft - so tightly packed was the equipment that the pilot and passenger seats were set astride the torpedo launchers, which led to a unique and rather awkward flying position. The performance was highly demanding on the craft, however, and so many surfaces were set with exposed heatsinks in order to assist cooling - overheating being one of several critical issues of the prior C-33, SVS made sure the same problems did not cripple its successor.
However, the Lothcat did suffer other shortcomings - due to its size, the Lothcat only had basic mid-range scanners, and despite its hyperdrive was ill-suited to long-range reconnaissance and scouting missions as a result, instead relying on other dedicated craft to perform the role. As an all-round, multi-role fighter, the MF-34A also lacked true heavy armour and armaments of a dedicated bomber, and as a fairly light multi-role fighter, the vessel's shields proved somewhat lacklustre in the face of dedicated anti-fighter fire from a capital warship. The complicated wings also added an extra degree of difficulty to teaching new pilots, and so the learning curve of mastering a Lothcat was somewhat steeper than other contemporary fighters. However, for those who mastered it, the Lothcat was almost unanimously considered an exceptional example of the best work Sluis Van had to offer.
The Lothcat's compact landing size made it ideal for storage in tight spaces.
Intent
The SVS MF-34A Lothcat is loosely built around the X-Wing style of multi-role starfighters in Star Wars - compact, nimble and well armed craft that can be used for multiple roles, and is the first in a number of planned SVS designs that will be freely available. I wanted to create something based on a familiar ship archetype, but with a unique style that calls on elements of classic Star Wars design, but also reconciles them with the smooth and sleek alter-aesthetic of the Prequels as well. This also sort of continues the SVS 'style', so to speak, that I created last timeline, but I didn't want to re-introduce TRIE fighters just yet either, so this is, I guess, the first step in creating a line-up of unique ships for everyone to use if they wish. I also intend on Anarchy Jones, one of my PC characters, to own one of these.
The 'Lothcat' name is a nod to the Grumman F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat, which inspired the Lothcat's folding wing design.
The 'Lothcat' name is a nod to the Grumman F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat, which inspired the Lothcat's folding wing design.
Note: Images above are of my own making. Please do not use/redistribute without my permission.
Loco's Mod Note- temporarily archived while nerfs are considered.
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