“Okay, now this is something different.” I’d test flown the
four TIE variants that had comprised the vast majority of the Empire’s forces
during the days of the Galactic Civil War. Of the four, the TIE Fighter (TIE/LN
or “Eyeball”) was as expected, the TIE Bomber (TIE/sa
or “Dupe”) was a slug,
the TIE Interceptor (TIE/in or “Squint”) was a hotrodded deathtrap, and the TIE
Avenger (TIE/ad or “Bright”) was a world beater. But the Empire hadn’t
exclusively fielded TIE series craft.
While rarely seen in line forces, the Imperial procurement
groups had recognized the need for a hyperspace-capable fighter armed with
warhead launchers and ion cannons to serve a role analogous to the Y-Wing.
Assigned primarily to scout squadrons, the craft would be used for advance
scout duties and during rapid capture operations where ion-cannon armed
transports would prove impractically slow. Cygnus Spaceworks, designers of the Lambda-class T-4 shuttle and Sentinel-class landing craft, answered
the procurement call with the Alpha-class
Xg-1 Star Wing.
Utilizing a folding wing system similar to the larger
shuttle designs, the Alpha-class,
commonly known as “Assault Gunboats” was able to have a shipborne footprint
similar to a standard TIE/ln design. Armed with two laser cannons, two ion
cannons, and a large warhead launcher bank, the Assault Gunboat was more than
capable as a heavy scout or long-range escort. The Assault Gunboat also carried
heavy shielding, and was often equipped with a beam system.
It was also designed to operate semi-autonomously, with
landing skids, and a pressurized cockpit that eliminated the need for the TIE
pilot’s bulky environmental suit. Entering the craft was much closer to
entering a Y-Wing cockpit than a typical Imperial fighter design. After verifying
my familiarity with the controls, we closed the canopy and I powered the ship
up.
After experiencing a series of TIE craft, the lack of the
engine howl was jarring. I had to double check that the engines were even
running given that only a quiet hum reverberated through the craft. Unlike the
TIE engines, the hum was the extent of engine sounds during normal operations.
While the Assault Gunboat could rack launch like a TIE craft, the corporation’s
examples were kept in the simpler and more maintainable grounded landing
section. Takeoff was a simple matter of calling for clearance, gliding out of
the hanger bay on repulsors, and transitioning directly into spaceflight as the
wings lowered to flight position and the gear retracted.
Powering into the practice area, the Xg-1’s biggest flaw
became readily apparent. Much like the Y-Wing, it was slow and especially
ponderous in comparison to the fast as thought maneuvering of most of the TIE
series craft. Small wonder that the Gunboat generally fared poorly against
X-Wing and A-Wing starfighters, but was more than a match for the typical
pirate forces.
Engaging targets showed off the design’s strengths. With ion
cannons and lasers mounted above and below the cockpit, respectively, maximum
firepower could be brought on target quickly and accurately. The gunboat’s
multipurpose weapons bays could normally house a load of sixteen concussion
missiles, or twelve proton torpedoes. The cockpit itself had excellent
visibility, which came as a relief after hours in TIE cockpits.
Combat proved my earlier theories correct. Against slower, less maneuverable legacy fighters, the Gunboat could easily hold its own. However, faster, more maneuverable foes could easily hit and run, wearing down the massive shield shell without taking more than a stray hit or two. Only advanced units equipped with a tractor or decoy beam stood a chance under these conditions.
The Gunboat was much more like the Rebellion/Republic
fighters that it opposed than like most other single-seat craft in the Imperial
arsenal. That the design largely dead-ended there, save for some rumored
extremely advanced prototypes spoke more about Imperial procurement priorities
than it died about the performance of the Xg-1 itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment