AXF-178 'Higanbana KAI'

Experimental LEO-Capable Air Superiority Fighter

SP2's coming up real soon, and though I had originally intended to upload this build in conjunction with the new game, quite a lot of new features have been added to the point that a retrofit with all the new content would be impossible, if not extremely tedious and impractical. The aircraft as it is right now is mostly complete with the exception of missing weapons in the lower weapon bays of the booster packs. It retains all of the new features I had intended for this version of the craft, listed below. This will be the final version of the Higanbana airframe as I've already begun planning out a completely new project for SP2, one that will hopefully be more efficiently built with how detailed and easy the new building system appears to be now. So I wanted to push this out now to get it out of the way, since I had no further plans for it and believe it to be satisfactory as a final release on SP1.

Writeup:

An experimental retrofit of the current AXF-78 pushed into limited production as a testbed. Numerous revisions were made to the base airframe in the process including heavy superstructure reinforcement and heat-resistant paneling; this is done to accommodate the craft's new function as a high-altitude air superiority vector with global reach. Low-Earth-Orbital (LEO) transit was the proposed solution for this objective.

The main additions to this AXF-178 are the large wing-mounted booster packs, a four-component set with one TVC-capable rocket vernier thruster on each. These contain internal stores of fuel along with additional specialized weaponry to supplement the AXF-178's role as effectively a one-plane offensive spearhead. In addition to the booster packs are two additional conformal tanks mounted on top of the main engine housings, routing fuel to the booster packs via new internal piping within the wings. All six components may be jettisoned in-flight to revert the AXF-178 to its base form in emergencies.

Performance Notes:

Given the structural reinforcement of the main body combined with the added weight of the booster packs and CFT's, the AXF-178 is considerably heavier in its full form, resulting in significantly reduced low-speed turn rate within standard limits. This may be compensated for by the booster packs' reaction-control functionality; with the limiter off, the boosters provide an advanced degree of post-stall maneuverability beyond what can be done without said boosters. Via independent differential firing of each of the four verniers, full pitch, roll and yaw authority are retained without throttle input and in low air density environments at high altitudes.

The added weaponry consists of 48 air-to-air 'Circus' micro-missiles. These may be fired in volleys at targets and uniquely feature the ability to be reassigned targets mid-flight. A volley may be fired all at once, with the pilot cycling between multiple targets to guide the missiles towards each target in sequence, without having to fire a second volley. There are also two additional large weapon bays on the underside booster packs of each wing, though they remain empty due to the delayed development of the weaponry intended for them.

Controls:

Activation Groups:
1: Limiter Toggle
2: Master Arm
3: Tailhook
4: Jettison Booster Packs + CFT's
5: Gun/TLS Toggle (AG2 must be on for use)
6: Tailboom Chute
7: Eject
8: Lights

VTOL (upper half): G limit setting (9G default, 12G maximum)
VTOL (lower half): Pitch sensitivity multiplier (100% default, 10% minimum)
Trim: Pitch trim

Armaments:

Countermeasures:
60x Flares

Internal:
1200x Gun
7 sec TLS 'Dendrobium'
12x ASRM-01 'Zephyranthes' (short range)

Booster Packs:
48x ACM-05 'Circus' (multi-missile)

Changelog:

Main Body
* Redesigned transition between nose and main fuselage to be smoother
* Reduced size of canopy to be better proportioned
* Redesigned main internal weapon bays to be rotary six-bays
* Extended rear tailboom, added tailhook for carrier capability
* Relocated refueling probe to port side of nose ahead of cockpit (access and use with cockpit button control)
* Revised airbrake design
* Added new cosmetic detailing

Cockpit:
* Added more cockpit detail
* More 'ergonomic' cockpit layout

Additions
* Added boosters, CFT's
* Added new weapons