Hello fellow unemployed people (JK, I swear)
Today I made another fictional aircraft. This aircraft was actually inspired by something I imagined while reading a manga. Heh :p

About the Aircraft

The Glider V-01 is a prototype medium-class attack aircraft development project that took place from 1990 to 1995. It was expected to become the flagship aircraft to replace the outdated assault aircraft of the Otsumokuri Empire.

Initially, the aircraft used a single HFG-500AG engine with a fixed nozzle. Its top speed exceeded 1500 km/h, and with an operational range of 2360 km, the aircraft gained considerable interest from the high-ranking officials of the Otsumokuri Imperial Air Force.

However, the engine used by the Glider V-01 turned out to be the same engine used by another jet fighter aircraft, whose production was limited, complex, and oversized. This issue would negatively impact the production speed of military aircraft, as competition for the engine supply was inevitable.

As a result, Mitsuru Honda, the project leader and chief engineer, had to find a solution to this problem. He eventually discovered an alternative by replacing the HFG-500AG with a cheaper yet powerful engine, the HV-1200P. This engine produced only half the power of the HFG but offered higher efficiency, lighter weight, and easier maintenance.

Test flights with the new engine proved unsatisfactory. The aircraft frequently lost lift and stalled due to the reduced engine power compared to the original configuration. This led the engineers to doubt Honda’s decision and search for other alternatives.

Feeling responsible, Honda continued to push himself to find a solution. After intense consideration, he proposed extending the wing length, reducing the wing sweep angle, and adding one more feature: replacing the conventional nozzle with a VTOL nozzle.

The proposal was accepted after much deliberation and was then executed by the Haruna Design Bureau, which completely redesigned the aircraft to achieve better performance. Once completed, the prototype was immediately taken to the test field and unexpectedly demonstrated strong and satisfying capabilities.

Despite VTOL engines generally being unpopular due to stability concerns, the Glider V-01 proved otherwise. The HV-1200P engine, which originally had low power output, could be pushed to operate efficiently with minimal energy consumption. Even while using only 50% of engine power, the aircraft could reach a maximum speed of 900 km/h with a flight range of 3400 km.

This maximum speed was not the engine’s true limit, but a restricted value imposed to prevent exceeding structural limitations. The wing structure could only safely handle speeds up to that level, as higher speeds would cause vibrations due to excessive drag.

In short, the aircraft demonstrated performance that satisfied the military and officially entered service in 1997. The end. Yay.

Armament

• 12 × 25FAB bombs
• 2 × 30 mm automatic cannons, 300 RPM

Inspiration

I couldn’t find any information about this aircraft, especially its name. But I think it looks very good, so I decided to create my own version based on it.

Manga: Villager A Wants to Save the Villainess no Matter What! Chapters 36–38
No promotional intent / Not sponsored