When Phoenix Reborn pilot Ned "Kelley" Hanson came over to the Americas, he brought along his Fair Dinkum Aviation I2 Bandicoot, a fast, relatively inexpensive design. The Arixo Airworks, having just finished construction on their Santa Fe plant, and suffering from very poor sales of their last effort, the Imp, were looking for a good, cheap plane to bolster their coffers. They looked at the Hanson's Bandicoot, and decided that, though not without its problems, it was still quite serviceable, and could fill in Arixo's need for faster designs. Figuring they were far enough away from the Sydney-based Fair Dinkum company for them to notice, plans were sent out for a direct copy of the design, now renamed the AA-5A Gray Fox. That was until a young engineer by the name of Alonzo Diaz had an inspiration.
Diaz realized that the top mounted weapons bay of the Bandicoot could be ideal for creating a truly versatile configuration; indeed, in its homeland, one of the Bandicoot's main selling points was its ease of modification. What Diaz had envisioned, though, was a much less permanent arrangement than standard modifying allowed. He drew up plans for what has become known as a "pod system." The weapons for the new plane would be placed in a seperate "pod" that could easily be mounted or replaced in a special bay in the plane. Such a system would allow for a single plane to fulfill many roles (though not all at once). Quite impressed with his designs, Diaz' supervisors put his plans into action. This meant a nearly two-month delay in starting production as the factory was reworked and tests were run, but eventually the Gray Fox was in full production.
The Bandicoot was designed primarily as an interceptor, as is the Gray Fox. It mounts a single Pratt and Whitney T-14 engine in the nose, giving it a top speed of 300 mph. This high speed engine can cause some high-torque problems, though this is usually negated by the Gray Fox's lackluster maneuverability, a by-product of its pseudo-flying-wing design. The armor coverage its 660 lbs. provides is about average for its size, added to a bit by the addition of only 4 rocket hardpoints.
The Gray Fox's claim to fame is, of course, its "pod system." The Airworks commissioned Arixo Arms to produce several pods, each one weighing about 1200 lbs. The pod system, while allowing more diversity in the design, required some sacrifices. Because of the limited space in the pods, the weapons had to all feed from a single bin. This meant that all the weapons in each pod had to be the same caliber, as well as the same type of ammunition. Also, so that the cockpit controls don't have to be reconfigured for each new pod, all weapons are fire-linked to a single button. These were considered acceptable limitations, though, as they reduced the overall cost of the weapons. However, the position of the gun pod itself, behind the cockpit on top of the wing, meant that installing a sturdy zeppelin hook was impossible. This placement also causes problems if a bailout becomes necessary.
The most common pod so far, the GFP1, carries three .50-cal cannons, the same successful loadout as the original Bandicoot. The popular GFP2 carries eight .30-cal machine guns, able to whittle down an opponent quickly at long range. Rarely used is the GFP3, which just mounts two .60-cal cannons. The GFP4 turns the Gray Fox into an extremely light bomber, carrying two 100 lb. bombs, as well as four .40-cal machine guns. Under development is the GFP5, which also utilizes four .40-cals, as well as four brake chutes, for extra options in a dogfight.
The Gray Fox has been in production for about three months now, and is the first Arixo Airworks design to be bought in large numbers outside the country, thanks entirely to interest in the pod system. The Airworks doesn't really care if anyone copies the system, since they're seeing a real profit again. Plans are already underway for adapting the pod system for larger aircraft.
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Game Statistics Base Target Number 6 5,000 lbs Max Speed:
4 1,600 lbs
Armor Points
220 660 lbs
Weapon Pod Arc
Mass
Special Characteristics
Costs
Weapon Pods
*Allows for weapons pods specifically made
for the plane up to available weight. Multiple pods are possible. Each
gun mounted in a single pod must be of the same caliber, fire-linked, and
fed from a single ammo bin. Fixed weapons can also be carried. Increases
airframe cost by 10 percent for each pod mount.
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