Model X-3 Hawk-S

Official Name: Model X-3 Hawk, S (Special) Variant
Unofficial Name: Sierra-Hawk, "Sparrow-Hawk", "The Harpy" ((Harpy Eagle link))

Faction/Affiliation: Currently: Project Familiar
Classification: Hyperdrive Capable Interceptor, Light Close Air Support
Dimensions-
Height: 4.3 m
Width: 16.55 m
Length: 13.55 m
Manufacturer: Kuat Drive Yards, Northern Monument Technologies

Hyperdrive: 8
Energy Source: NMT Proton Vaporization Power Cells
Engine Unit: Kuat Ion Buster Special, 65.91 kN each
Repulsor Type- Atmospheric (Vacuum) Flight, Fixed Wing Lift
Speed (flight): 1300 km/h zero-g vacuum, 1255 km/h at altitude, 770 km/h km/h at sea level
Speed (hover): 79km/h

Crew Necessity: 1

Armor/hull: 1/2 inch Titanium/Aluminum Alloy
Shields: Model 5 I-Base Deflector Shield

Armament: (Standard)
1X Nose Mount Light Ion Cannon
2X Underslung Battery- 4X LAS-21 FTAR Swarm Concussion Missile System (8x combined total)

Armament: (Exterior Wing Mount)
Loadout A; 2X Wing Mounted AA-19 LRAR Concussion, Anti-Fighter

Passenger Capacity: 1 (Vestigial Gunner's Chair)
Other Equipment:
Broadband Sensor Suite
Limited ECM Suite
Anti-Missile Countermeasures: x2 Chaff burst, 1x Thermal Flares
Retractable Landing Gear

Statistics-
Speed: 8
Maneuverability: 8
Effectiveness vs. Starfighters: 6
Effectiveness vs. Capital Ships: 2
Armor: 4
Shielding: 3
Sensors: 5
Reliability: 7

Description:


(Schematic Dorsal view of original Firehawk design)


(Field observation of active Firehawk)


(The newly constructed Hawk-S flying over a fog-bound Kuati lake. Notice upward angled wings, reduced missile banks, and port side ion cannon projector. Tail still marked with production digit.)

Rousing A Warrior

((Acquisition and concept pending approval via Arheim))

To state that the Firehawk project had fallen from grace certainly holds a mote of truth. The single bad call that had cost the Corellian Planetary Defense squardons better than 75% of its active Firehawks tarnished the reputation of the development teams and set KDY back in the books by hundreds of thousands if not millions of credits. Aside from a single refurbish order for one of the final acting Firehawks they became simply a footnote, a project that likely would never again see daylight. The dev teams had their fun but were moved onto other projects.

However, something lurked in the shadows seeking the best that the republic had to offer. They had seen the capabilities of the Firehawk in action and were studying it, waiting for the proper time to act and "acquire" one of their own. It was only when the entity made itself known to the designers, much to their collective joy, that the project was revisited. The company, Singu-rarity Systems, made an offer was made to the project designers; work on a new Hawk fitting the requirements of their benefactors. Someone in the upper echelons of KDY seemed to agree and soon the development team met with two others. One was a few of the efficiency designers out of NMT, the others were men from SS. Work began immediately.

Drafting work took only a few days. The SS designers had a distinct utility in mind for the craft and the NMT designers had ideas for what could be removed and what could be kept. Final blueprints were accepted after ten days of consideration. The designers assigned it designation X-3, identifying it as a cousin to the X-2.55.7. The concept they had in mind, however, would take what was little more than a prototype and approach the realm of true large scale production.

Production Values

Even through the efforts of KDY and two competent consulting development teams, the design of the model X-3 took significant time. Regardless and even through developer hang-ups or illogical or ill proposed additions, the intent for this craft's design was clear; a fast, quiet fighter that kept the mechanical aspects the previous "Hawks" were famous for. Utilizing both Firehawk and Warhawk schematics the designers went to work creating a unique vehicle that would attempt to hybridize the two crafts together and, on top of that, add a hyperdrive and replace the lasers with a single ion cannon.

Due to such tall demands many things were cut from the design or changed right away. The laser cannon mount and the rotation mechanism on the front of the fighter were stripped and the underwing mounts, secondary wing-tip repulsors, and concussion missile batteries set aside. The bottom rail mount was removed completely, the designers having no intention to put it back into the final design. The longer wings were kept in due to interior space requirements while the shorter cockpit, avionics, and secondary gunner chair received multiple alterations. The shield generator found on the Warhawk was replaced with a condensed system that drew more power but offered a higher level of protection against both energy and projectiles. This did, however, result in a power deficiency from the currently employed power cells

The consulting design team from NMT delivered an an answer to the energy troubles, a higher output power cell based on the proton vapor design utilized in many NMT ships and droids. The cost per cell went up but the power needs were met with a high percentage remaining for the remaining systems. Additionally NMT offered a condensed wiring suite that would reduce both the weight of the final craft and the cost of wiring at a higher risk of damage if slugs or penetrating weapons were used against the craft. Coupled with a new form insulation from KDY and micronization techniques of SS the craft's response times were confidently projected to supersede the previous designs by a noticeable amount.

When all was said and each change was sanctioned, the designers stepped back to a sigh of relief; they had made their fighter. Every spare bit of room was taken up by the required systems. The wing mounts were returned to increase forward attack capacity and the wing-mounted batteries were partially cannibalized, leaving half the total missiles while allowing a sensor suite to be mounted. The more powerful Proton Vapor cells freed up much of the interior which allowed a small hyperdrive to be mounted. The nose was consolidated, nearly all of the gunner's chair controls and wiring stripped completely. The pilots chair was moved back within the cockpit fresh space filled with the systems for the ion cannon and new consoles for the enhanced sensor systems. Aside from this the pilot's compartment was kept as static as possible. The reason for this was simple; a pilot experienced with the craft would acclimate much more quickly to familiar controls.

The Hawk-S sat squatter than the Warhawk but wider than the Firehawk with the length being about average. The designers had the wings tilted upward in an effort to reduce the cross sectional profile and shore up wiring requirements. With the micronization of the external missile batteries and hardpoints the fighter had a slimmer look than its cousins, the illusion of symmetry dispelled by the single ion cannon projector on the port side of the craft. Once it was approved production began almost immediately.

A few more minor things were also improved about the craft. The speed, which drew from the improved energy cells, was significantly increased, the small fighter being the first of its cousins capable of breaking the sound barrier on standard atmosphere worlds. This gave the pilot much more acceleration and thrust in the short sprints as well making the fighter much more nimble than the others.

One aspect that was not planned for, however, was a shriek created from a vestigial hole in the nose from the original cannon mount. This shriek, called the "power scream" among the designers gave the Hawk-S a presence in atmosphere that was one that the designers hoped would soon be respected, if not feared. This was the first time that the Hawk-S was designated "Harpy" or "The Harpy" by the designers, a nickname that seemed to stick.

The final craft was manufactured quietly through a collaboration between the three developers, parts made piece-meal at a multitude of locations before being assembled on Kuat. Due to manufacture standards the tail of the fighter that rolled off the line was marked with the digit 801, shorthand for time, date, and factory where production took place.

Quiet Deployment

Owing to the secrecy of the project the Hawk-S was assembled by SS staff in less than a day at a planet-side KDY plant and assigned to the only pilot with experience flying this particular model of fighter; Samantha Zaftig. Accused Republic traitor and formerly of the Corellian Planetary Guard, Ms. Zaftig's name was not mentioned to any source outside of the true commissioners.

After its assembly the KDY and NMT design teams and manufacturing heads lost direct contact with SS, the NMT designers departing without warning from Kuat soon after. Due to the substantial salary paid to the parent companies and a stipulation within the contracts of the build no one ever questioned the sudden disappearance of either the design teams or the incredibly unique craft.

At this moment Kuat has no intent to begin manufacturing any further Hawk-S than the 801 though refurbishing options for current model Firehawks remains a possibility.