Aerospace fighters with extra crewmembers can also take advantage of turret and sponson emplacements. Built as aerodynamic versions of their tank counterparts, these turrets provide excellent arcs of fire. TME uses aerospace fighter turrets most obviously on the TME-78 Luftsturmtiger and the TME-79 Escort.
GAME RULES
Aerospace fighter turrets and sponson are designed exactly like normal turrets--they mass 10% of the weapons contained therein. Ammunition and crew are not included in calculating the turret mass.
Each turret or sponson on the fighter increases the allowed weapons load by four. (Each turret can hold up to four weapons, and these weapons do not count towards fire control limits in standard fighter arcs.)
Weapons in fore turrets, aft turrets, and sponson are considered to be in the nose, fuselage/rear, or wings for the determination of critical hits. However, due to the above rule, the weapons in, say, the nose and the fore turrets can exceed the normal fire control limits (and availiable slots) with no penalty.
Aerospace fighters are limited to four turrets (dorsal fore, dorsal aft, ventral fore, ventral aft) and may have any number of sponson. Fore turrets act as Front Turrets on ground vehicles (330° fire arc) and Aft turrets act as Rear Turrets (360° fire arc).
If using standard 2D rules, dorsal and ventral turrets may concentrate on targets. If using 3D rules, dorsal turrets can only fire at targets of equal altitude to or above the fighter and ventral turrets can only fire at targets of equal altitude to or below the fighter.
Critical hits to turret weaponry has a chance of jamming the turret. Roll 2D6. On doubles, the turret jams. On a roll of 12, the turret blows off and the pilot must make a Piloting Skill Roll with a -3 penalty to keep from going out of control.
Aft Turrets are considered destroyed if the Engine (Original Aerotech) or 75% of the Rear (Aerotech 2) armor is destroyed. Fore Turrets are considered destroyed if the Nose (Original Aerotech) or 75% of the Nose (Aerotech 2) armor is destroyed. Sponson are destroyed with the destruction of the craft.
Aerospace fighter turrets require an additional crew member for each turret. Each crew member masses .5 tons; costs 20,000 C-Bills (not including salary); and follows the rules for vehicle turret gunners (as well as advanced rules).
Aerospace fighter turrets cost twice the amount of standard vehicular turrets due to aerodynamic armor and pressurized cabin. Conventional fighter turrets cost 1.5 times the amount of standard vehicular turrets.