Paladin Steel/Lockheed P-2V ‘Neptune’ ASW Patrol Bomber(aka ‘Owashi’, ‘Sea Wasp’, ‘Fish Hawk’)
http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/usa/lok_neptune.gifhttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2711460866_92835acece.jpghttp://www.verslo.is/baldur/p2/Dutch/P2V5_19-30_greywhite_1000.jpghttp://www.verslo.is/baldur/p2/dutch/203-640c.jpg “Take Back Your Waters.”
“A year ago, we didn’t dare send our fishing boats any farther out than line of sight, and even then, we’d lose several a year to predators. But we had to fish farther out, or risk overfishing our local waters. We could have gone into hock to some merc outfit to protect our boats, only to see them vamoose if we couldn’t pay hiked up fees, until we got a sweet deal on some patrol aircraft. Sent some of the boys and girls up the coast and got them trained in the bargain, and a nice line of credit on munitions. Now we got overwatch on our fishing fleet all the way out and then some over the horizon and fishin’s never been better! The Nep we bought can watch out for the pirates and big fish and warn our fishermen to get in-shore right quick, and buy them some time too. But we really lucked out two weeks ago when we managed to depth-bomb the Devil-fins, those damn giant dark-sharks that have been hounding our boats for years! Bombed both Old Devil and his mate! Now my people are using that monster for cut-bait! Hah!”
----G’rondis Malchii, Mayor of Droton(Old Carolina Coast)
The PSP-2V is a multi-option fixed-wing turboprop aircraft designed as a low-cost antisubmarine and coastal patrol platform. Although PS was already producing a potent ASW platform in its Caribou II VERTOL aerodyne, it was felt that a lower-tech(and thus arguably lower maintenance) aircraft would have greater appeal to cash-strapped coastal communities and organizations looking for inexpensive air support.
Paladin Steel based the PSP-2V on the pre-Rifts Lockheed P-2V Neptune, a twin-engined piston-powered patrol bomber designed late in WW2 and first flown in 1946(Old Calendar). The design proved a reliable and stout one, and became better known not as a combat-tested warbird, but as a Cold Warrior, soldiering on through the latter half of the 20th century, serving variously as a patrol bomber, sub-hunter, weather chaser, EW platform, spy plane, and, after it had left military service, a long career as an aerial firefighter. The Neptune was also supplied to many American Empire allies, including Britain, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, and Japan(who produced their own version, the Kawasaki ‘Owashi’---Great Eagle). Enough data and museum artifacts survived the Coming of the Rifts that PS was later able to piece together complete plans and modify them accordingly into their current PSP-2V design.
The post-Rifts upgrade has made the design tougher through the use of lightweight megadamage composites in the airframe, and heavily modular with a choice of various powerplants, sensor systems, and additional weapons, making for an ‘all in one’ aircraft package.
Though comparatively low-tech, the low cost of the Neptune makes it attractive to less affluent coastal communities. The PSP-2V often serves with squadrons of PS-made ‘Hudson’ patrol-bombers in patrolling coastal waters and protecting fisheries and shipping lanes.
Type: PS/L-PSP-2V ‘Neptune’
Class: Land-Based Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Crew: 5-7, plus 1-2 passengers/additional crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 290
Wings(2) 100 each
Engine Nacelles(2) 100 each
Tail 110
Height: 28 ft, 4 in.
Width: 100 ft
Length: 77 ft, 10 in.
Weight: 49,900 lbs empty, 64,100 lbs fully loaded/fueled up.
Cargo: Space inside the cabin for survival packs, personal gear, and sidearms. Standard bailout gear includes parachutes, inflatable rafts, shark/sea monster repellent, and radio beacons.
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(w/ 3,903 mi range), Electric(w/ 3,990 mi range), Nuclear(w/ 3,903 year energy life), or TW
Speed: (Flying) 313 MPH, maximum altitude 33,000 ft
Market Cost: 7.4 million credits for liquid fuel, 8 million credits for electric. 12 million for Nuclear or TW-Electric.
Systems of Note:
Standard Aircraft Systems, plus:
*Environmental System(Provides basic air conditioning, filtration, and 36 hours of recycling/closed air life support)
*Running Lights
*Emergency Flotation Bags(deploy in water crash landings, and support the aircraft)
*Wing De-icers
*Wingtip-Mounted Searchlight Pods. Effective searchlight range of 1 mile.
TechnoWizardry-powered versions will also have the following:
TechnoWizardry Systems:
*Levitation----A low-powered Levitation spell allows the aircraft to make STOL takeoffs and landings, especially important when using unimproved fields or when heavily laden. Can also be used by ground crews to taxi and move landed aircraft for servicing and repair. 30 minutes per 5 PPE.
*Impervious to Energy( 5 minutes per 20 PPE)
*Protective Energy Field(50 MDC per 10 PPE, 10 minutes per 10 PPE)
*Leyline Booster(Accelerates the jet up to 50% greater top speed when on a leyline, -10% to pilot skill when engaged)
Weapons Systems:
1) Bomb Bay---8,000 lb ordnance payload. Can be parachute dropped or launched directly at low altitude.
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
*500-lb Bomb----4d4x10 MD to 60 ft blast radius
*750-lb Bomb----4d6x10 MD to 65 ft blast radius
*1,000-lb Bomb----1d4x100 MD to 70 ft blast radius
*1,650 lb bomb(1d6x100 MD to 75 ft blast radius)
*2,000-lb Bomb----2d4x100 MD to 80 ft blast radius
*Depth Charges---Same as for Bombs, above.
*Short Range Torpedo---500 lbs, 5 mile range, 2d4x10 or 1d6x10 MD
*Medium Range Torpedo--- 650 lbs, 10 mile range, 3d4x10 or 2d6x10 MD
*Long Range Torpedo--- 3,600 lbs, 20 mile range, 4d6x10 MD
*Mines---Same as for bombs or can carry CAPTOR Mines----CAPTOR(Captive Torpedo)Mines are essentially a PS-manufactured aquatic form of Wellington Industries’ SAWS mines. CAPTORs are identical to the SAWS(see Rifts: Mercenaries) in every respect except that they fire torpedoes, not missiles, and generally cost 20% more over the cost of the specific SAWS type, plus the cost of the torpedoes. They can be parachute deployed from aircraft. The Neptune can typically carry 12 Mini-CAPTORS(6 MRTs each), 6 short-range CAPTORs(4 SRTs each), 2 medium-range CAPTORs(2 MRTs each), OR 1 long-range CAPTOR(2 LRTs each).
2) Underwing Hardpoints(2)
a) Depth Charges/Bombs---Same as for Bombs, above. Can carry up to a 750 lb bomb/depth charge on the hardpoint.
b) Torpedoes---2 short range or 1 medium range torpedo per hardpoint.
c) Mini-Missiles----19 shot pod per hardpoint
d) Short Range Missiles---- 5-shot box per hardpoint
e) Medium Range Missiles--- 1 per hardpoint
f)Harpoon III Missiles--- Harpoon IIIs are medium-range, plasma-explosive, wave-skimming, “smart” missiles designed to close with an enemy vessel under effective radar coverage, then jink up and dive, so as to penetrate the thinner upper works armor, or else can be set to penetrate below the waterline armor belt.
Range: 40 miles
Damage: 2d6x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Payload: 1 per hardpoint
Cost:(Surface/air launched): 18,000 credits
g) ECM/Radar Jammer Pod---5 mile range. Jams radars and radar targeting systems with 60% effectiveness. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike. Note that this affects friendly systems as well unless they are set to specific, pre-arranged, non-jammed frequencies(that it may be possible for the enemy to discover). Carrying extra jammer pods does NOT increase the range or effective bonuses of the system, but may provide redundancy and multi-wavelength coverage.
Cost: 50,000 credits
h)Flare/Chaff Launcher Pod
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 20 per launcher
Options:
*TurboJet Assist---Increase maximum speed to 365 MPH, but reduce maximum range to 2,160 miles for liquid-fueled and electric versions. Cost: 220,000 credits
*Acoustic Baffling----Available in conjunction with the TurboJet Assist option. This fits the jet exhausts with baffles, reducing the thermal emission signature of the engines by as much as 30%(and imposing a -1 to strike for heat-seeking weapons). The mufflers also have the effect of drawing out the acoustic signature of the aircraft, effectively projecting the apparent sonic location of it roughly a hundred yards behind where it really is(an effect noted during the aircrafts’ use in Vietnam in the nighttime gunship role). Cost: 380,000 credits
*Solid Nose---Incorporates six 20mm autocannon
Range: 6,800 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per shell, 5d6 MD per 5 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 300 rds per gun
Cost: 155,000 credits
*Gun Turret(1, dorsal)---Can be fitted with either two .50 caliber or 20mm rapid fire weapons.
Turret MDC: 60
Turret Cost: 40,000 credits, plus cost of the weapon
a).50 caliber Machine Gun
Range: 19,000 ft (4,000 ft range w/ ramjets)
Damage:(SDC rd) 7d6 SDC per single rd, 2d6x10+20 SDC per 40 rd burst
(Ramjet rd) 1d4 MD single shot, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst, 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst
(DOUBLE damage for a twin-mount)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 2,000 rds(50 bursts)
Cost: 15,000 credits per gun
b) 20mm Cannon
Range: 6,800 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per shell, 5d6 MD per 5 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 300 rds per gun
Cost: 6,000 credits
*Tail Turret---Identical to the dorsal turret.
*Tail Magnetic Anomaly Detector Boom---Extends the length of the aircraft to 91 ft.
This is used to detect and track surface and submarine vessels by their magnetic field. Less effective at detecting nonmetallic vessels and organics. Range: 5 miles, and has a 70% chance of detecting submerged vessels( -20% for nonmetallic artificial objects, and no chance of detecting organics). Cost: 200,000 credits
*Ventral Radome---A radome can be added to the underside of the aircraft, to deploy a powerful ground/search radar, with look-down capabilities and ground-clutter-filtering software routines. Perfect for detecting ships and sea-skimming objects. Range: 50 miles. Cost: 100,000 credits
*Waist Gun Positions---These are simply manned positions for pintle-mounted light machine guns or rail guns, aft of the wing. Minimal position armoring of 50 MDC
Cost: 30,000 credits, plus cost of the weapon
*Ski-Landing Gear
Cost: 9,000 credits for a set
*JATO(Jet Assisted Take Off) Units----Jet Assisted TakeOff bottles, that allow the aircraft to take off in less than 800 ft of runway...Essentially modified short range missile engines, up to 4 JATO units can be mounted on the undercarriage(uses two in each use). JATO units can be made from modified SRMs(-10% to Armorer roll to adapt them) but PS sells units for 800 credits apiece.
*Bay-Mounted 40mm Grenade Launcher System----Inspired by scant material on the ‘Honeywell XM-149’ system, this weapons system takes up the entire bomb bay and consists of eight 40mm belt-fed automatic grenade launchers firing downwards through openings in the belly bay faring, angled slightly forward to rain grenades on targets underneath the flight path of the plane. Though originally certified as most accurate at altitudes of 2,000 ft, PS engineers have found it effective up to 7,000 ft, greatly reducing the risk to the aircraft over enemy forces.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: Identical to the WI-GL20;
Frag rounds do 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius.
AP rounds do 1d4x10 to a 3-foot blast radius,
and Plasma rounds do 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius.
A 3 round burst of frag shells does 1d4x10 to a 15 foot radius,
a burst of 3 AP shells does 2d4x10 to a 5 foot radius,
and a burst of 3 plasma shells does 3d4x10 to an 8 foot blast radius
A 5 round burst of frag shells does 1d6x10 to a 20 foot radius,
a burst of 5 AP shells does 2d6x10 to a 6 foot area,
and a burst of 5 plasma shells does 3d6x10 to a 10 foot radius.
A 10 round burst of frag shells does 2d6x10 to a 40-foot radius.
A 10 round AP burst does 3d6x10 to an 8-foot area,
and a 10 round plasma burst does 4d6x10+10 to a 15-foot radius!!
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 200 rd Belt per AGL
Cost: 380,000 credits
*Sonubouy Bay---Sonubouys are small, expendable sensors deployed by air vehicles to set up temporary sensor nets. The typical sonubouy resembles a cylinder 2-5 ft long, made of light plastics, that when deployed, floats upright while deploying an acoustic sensor and line from its lower end. The sonubouy can either use passive detection, or can use an active sonar pinger, to detect submerged targets. Sonubouys are battery powered, and typically have an active life of an hour or so, but typically drift out of position in 10-20 minutes, depending on currents, conditions, and drop pattern.
They report their information via a radio uplink(standard range 5-10 miles), and can report a sonar/acoustic contact, its strength, estimated range and heading(using a built-in compass to determine direction), and estimated speed. Consider the sonubouy to have a sonar range of 5 miles
Sonubouys are typically laid in a pattern, with multiple sonubouys allowing for the triangulation of a target. They are cheap, disposable, and virtually undetectable(their small size and plastic construction negate most forms of detection), making them extremely difficult to avoid and actively counteract. However, sonubouys are not as accurate as more sophisticated systems(hence, its a good idea to deploy many of them), and they are affected by currents, which can quickly break up a laid pattern. Recommended procedure when using sonubouys is to lay them across the projected path of the target, or to lay them upstream/current of the target’s suspected location, so the pattern moves with the current. Sonubouys are best used when one is aware that something is there, but not exactly where it is; a pattern of sonubouys can help triangulate a target for more accurate firing solutions and weapons targeting(give guided weapons a +1 to strike an underwater target if using information patched in from a sonubouy network, or give sonar operators a +15% to detection and location rolls).
Once their batteries have given out, sonubouys self-destruct---a plug in the floatation chamber dissolves, and the whole apparatus sinks to the bottom, its electronics ruined.
PS’ DiFAR SSQ-400 series Sonubouys cost 100 credits apiece
Payload: The Neptune can hold and deploy up to 50 sonubouys
Variants:
*P-2V(F)---Firefighting and water-bomber variant, with the ability to carry 2,400 gallons of fire retardant in a belly tank/dispenser system. Some interest has been elicited from Reid’s Rangers and other vampire-hunters in acquiring the variant for water-bombing vampires.
*P-2V(M) ----Air borne missile platform, based on pre-Rifts studies for a ‘missileer’ aircraft intended to carry the canceled ‘Eagle’ long range AAM(both the missile and the aircraft frame requirements would be enfolded into the Phoenix and F-14 Tomcat programs). Instead, this long endurance variant has been fitted with a rotary launcher and six underwing hardpoints for the super-accurate Shrike III ‘Brilliant’ antiaircraft missile. The aircraft also carries a long range radar set(100 mile range).
Range: 75 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volley of 1,2,4, 8, or 12
Payload: 6 missiles ready to fire under the wings, an additional 6 in the rotary launcher.
Bonus: +7 to strike
*P-2V(E)---- Electronic Warfare Platform, outfitted for both EW intelligence gathering, and jamming.
The onboard radar system can detect other radar systems with 98% certainty, as well as analyze their emission pattern, and backtrack to their point of origin(80%). Range: 100 mile radius
*Advanced ELINT Recorders----Monitor all wavebands for enemy radar/sensor activity, records it, and provides identification/analysis of known wavelengths/communications patterns. Can also been set to trigger an alarm if a particular pattern is picked up again.
*Long Range Radar /Radio Jamming---Range: 95 mile radius
*Sensor Jamming---If caught by an enemy search/target-lock radar, either from a manned position or a missile, the P-2V(E) can attempt to break the lock. In the case of missiles, the ecmtechs can attempt to take over the missiles’ systems and divert them away. The onboard systems give a +2% bonus to such attempts.
*P-2V(AOSA)---Weather survey aircraft outfitted with various air pressure and atmospheric sampling instruments. Since the loss of global communications, planet-wide monitoring systems and weather satellite network, weather prediction has become more haphazard on Rifts Earth. The Alliance established by Paladin Steel/Greater New England hopes to reverse this trend by encouraging members and associates to maintain weather monitoring and data sharing.
