Terran Confederation F-104 "Bearcat" Heavy Fighter

Name: F-104 Bearcat
Craft: Douglas Aerospace F-104 Bearcat
Type: Heavy Fighter
Scale: starfighter
Length: 27 meters
Skill: starfighter pilot
Crew: 1
Cargo Capacity: 800 kg
Consumables: 10 days
Maneuverability: 3D+1
Space: 12
Atmosphere: 450; 1,300 km/h
Hull: 3D
Shields: 4D+2
Sensors

Passive: 40/1D
Scan: 80/2D
Search: 120/3D
Focus: 4/4D

Weapons

4 Light Tachyon Guns

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Scale: walker
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 1-10/20/40
Atmosphere Range: 100-1,000/2,000/4,000m
Rate of fire: 4
Damage: 6D

4 Dual Light Ordnance Hardpoints

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 1
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 3D

Standard Heat Seeker (HS) Missile

Scale: starfighter
Space Range: 1-30/60/90
Atmosphere Range: 100-3,000/6,000/9,000m
Ammo: 4
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 5D

Enhanced Image Recognition (EIR) Missile

Scale: starfighter
Space Range: 1-40/80/24
Atmosphere Range: 100-4,000/8,000/24,000m
Ammo: 4
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 5D+1

Electronic Counter Measure Module

Fire Arc: all
Crew: 1
Skill: sensors
Space Range: 1-13/25/50
Atmosphere Range: 1-25/50/100km
Effects: Enemy Sensors and Fire Control -1D

Countermeasure Pod Dispenser

Fire Arc: aft
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: sensors
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-13/25/50
Atmosphere Range: 1-25/50/100km
Ammo: 24
Rate of fire: 1
Effects: Enemy Sensors & Fire Control -1D

Gear:

Ejection Seat: This accessory allows the vehicle's crew and passengers to safely disembark while it is still in mid-flight. It can be used as the vehicle is being destroyed.
Auto-Repair System: Adds 5D to all repair checks.

Description: The F-104 Bearcat was a heavy fighter in the service of the Terran Confederation.

Designed and manufactured in the aftermath of the Terran-Kilrathi War, the Bearcat was to be the next top-of-the-line heavy fighter in the Terran Confederation Space Force. A peacetime design, it was to defend the Confederation against future enemies and against Kilrathi raiders who were still intent on continuing the war with the Confederation. With a standard armament and fair speed, it had potential as a formidable dogfighter on the frontlines.

The Bearcat was one of many new Terran innovations to come forth during the peacetime era. By 2673, several combat-ready prototypes of the Bearcat were in testing. A number of them fell into the hands of the Black Lance, who used them in an attempt to provoke war between the Confederation and the newly-independent Union of Border Worlds.

One notable action undertaken by the Bearcats was their role in the Black Lance assault on the Peleus System, where they were charged with defending a jamming ship that was creating a communications blackout across the system. They also were present at the BWS Intrepid's assault on Ella.

In Speradon, a trio of Confederation pilots sympathetic to the Border Worlds defected to the Union after hijacking a squadron of Bearcats. The Union, in desperate need of fighter pilots, acted quickly to rescue the defectors before the Black Lance could intercept them.

Source:

Wing Commander Encyclopedia: F-104 Bearcat
The Wing Commander Role Playing Game (page 303)
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