STATISTICS
| Mass: 100 tons | Movement Type: Fusion Powered Aerodyne |
| Power Plant: TME 100 Fusion | Armor Type: TME 3050 FerroAluminum |
| Comm Systems: TME AngelComm | Cruising Accel/Airspeed: 1.5G, 540 kph |
| Targeting/Tracking Systems:
TME 3050 Flying Ace |
Maximum Accel/Airspeed: 2.5G, 900 kph |
| Airframe: RevEng SD-HASF "Salamander" | |
| Armament: 5 TME/BTSTS-HUAC:3050 "Rage" Heavy Rapid-Fire Autocannon |
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OVERVIEW AND CAPABILITIES
The TME-139 Salamander is a Clan answer to the Inner Sphere's growing capital ship navy based on the "Salamander" heavy fighter used in the Silent Death S/TS. It is a ponderous craft dedicated to the destruction of cruiser and battleship WarShips with an innovative twin-cockpit design. The forward cockpit is manned by the pilot of the Salamander, responsible for maneuvering the bulky ship. The amidships cockpit is manned by the Salamander's gunner with systems dedicated to the fire control of the Salamander's five rapid-fire 10-class autocannon. These heavy weapons, when grouped in Salamander formations of Star size and greater, can quickly shred the armor from even the huge McKenna- and Leviathan-class battleships. Doubly effective because most super-large WarShips lack anti-fighter weaponry, Salamanders against any capital ship bereft of fighter support are terrible foes.
The TME-139's major weakness is its lack of speed. It is a slow and unmaneuverable craft that is easily outaccelerated even by medium-sized DropShips. It can barely keep up with an Overlord-class DropShip and is an easy opponent for nearly every other aerospace fighter ever built, despite its heavy armor, because of its slow speed . This forces the Salamander, when enemy fighters are present, to operate with a lighter (or at least more maneuverable) fighter escort.
DEPLOYMENT
The TME-139 Salamander is presently serving with several Stars stationed on lighter WarShips in the eventuality of their meeting superior capital firepower. Independent research is being done into the Salamander's effectiveness as ground-attack bomber and various field modifications are springing up that change the Salamander nearly into a wholly different fighter.
TME-139 Salamander Assault Anti-Capital Ship Aerospace Fighter |
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| 100 tons | Aerospace Fighter | Safe Thrust: 3 (3G; 540kph) | Max Thrust: 5 (2.5G; 900kph) |
| Engine: 100 Fusion | Engine Mass: 3 t | Cockpit Mass: 3 + 3 t | 18 (36) Double Heat Sinks |
| Fuel Capacity: 75 (400) | Structure Integ: 10 | Armor Mass: 18.0 t F-A | Armor Points: 346+10 |
ARMOR (Aerotech) |
EQUIPMENT |
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| Nose: | 70 |
3 Ultra AC/10 | Nose |
| Left/Right Wing: | 70 / 70 |
30 Ultra AC/10 shots | Nose |
| Fuselage: | 76 |
Ultra AC/10 | Left Wing |
| Cockpit: | 20 |
10 Ultra AC/10 shots | Left Wing |
| Engine: | 40 |
Ultra AC/10 | Right Wing |
ARMOR (Aerotech 2) |
10 Ultra AC/10 shots | Right Wing | |
| Nose: | 109 |
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| Left/Right Wing: | 89 / 89 |
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| Rear: | 59 |
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DESIGNER'S NOTE: It be a "Salamander" Fighter, copyright Iron Crown Enterprises. They went Chapter 11 recently, but I still give them credit for coming up with a creative heavy fighter.