SMV Thunderbird

SMV Thunderbird Nameplate

The SMV Thunderbird was a joint venture by the Research & Development Unit, the Aerial Combat Unit, the Naval Combat Unit, the Infantry Combat Unit and the Intel Unit.

The SMV Thunderbird has access to 3,100 kN of thrust on takeoff, due to its six flight engines and takeoff engine. When she is at her service ceiling, her flight crew must use oxygen masks.

Due to her incredible size, the White Wolves Motherbase possesses the only runway in the world that can accommodate her. While some other runways and spaceports, such as Runway 17/35 at Edwards AFB or the White Sands Space Harbour, may be large enough, the SMV Thunderbird would likely be much too heavy for them. Some other militaries class her as a super-weapon.

In 2015, Jack nicknamed the SMV Thunderbird the *"Emperor of the Clouds"*, in reference to Iron Maiden's Empire of the Clouds and her imposing size. She has been dubbed by some, the *"Bismarck of the Skies"*

## History

### *Engine 2 Incident*

*Main article: The Engine 2 Incident*

In 2018, the SMV Thunderbird suffered a multiple engine failure, now dubbed the "Engine 2 Incident". While safely cruising at an altitude of 9,750 metres (32.000 feet), the port-side engine 2 began to lose power, followed by engine 3 of the starboard side. While the Thunderbird is designed to comfortably stay aloft in the event of a single engine failure, it isn't equipped to function on just engines. Furthermore, she was carrying a particularly heavy load of aircraft and materiel, which didn't have enough time to vacate the aircraft before it began to lose altitude.

Now, two engines down, the Thunderbird was thousands of miles away from the nearest airfield capable of holding her, with over five hundred personnel and twenty aircraft on board. At first, the Naval Combat Unit offered to race their Ascension and Horizon carriers to her location, while the Thunderbird could technically lay down on their decks, she would likely cause serious damage, overburden the vessel and be unable to remove herself later, but most importantly, they'd never reach her in time. The Aerial Combat Unit and Support Unit, serving via the Search and Rescue Unit, hatched a plan to use other aircraft to keep her aloft, at least to get her near a suitable airfield where repairs could be carried out. Every available SMV Wipeout and Shockwave were deployed, with the Thunderbird's crew being told to control the descent the best they could.

Within ten minutes, the Thunderbird was greeted by twelve Wipeouts and ten Shockwaves, with just 3,650 metres (12,000 feet) left to act. Despite their quick response, neither the pilots of the aircraft, nor the ACU who had sent them, know what their plan would be. While originally, they had intended to minimize additional damage to the Thunderbird, she was now at a low-enough altitude and with a high-enough risk to life, that priorities shifted wholly to rescue. Each aircraft, now being guided by IRIS, lined up to their respective portion of the Thunderbird and fired steel-cabled harpoons into her fuselage. These penetrated the body and spread their fins to hook the Thunderbird, once every rescue aircraft had securely hooked, they all matched their thrust (Wipeouts pegged at 100% thrust and Shockwaves at 81% thrust) and set an angle of attack of 36 degrees.

Thanks to their impressive power and range, the rescue party successfully delivered the Thunderbird, who had since deployed some of it's personnel, to Motherbase.

The cause was determined to be poor maintenance to the engines, in particular engine 2, putting additional strain on, and disabling, engine 3. Public knowledge of the incident was kept to a minimum. All souls survived and the Thunderbird was fully operational again in 19 days.

## Design

### Power Sources

#### Nuclear

Nuclear energy is the primary form of power for the SMV Thunderbird. In her undercarriage, she holds two White Wolves nuclear fission reactors, each with a capacity of 2,500 megawatts. These reactors provide the engines and onboard systems with the majority of their power.

#### Solar

The SMV Thunderbird has a set of high-capacity, high-voltage batteries that are charged by the photovoltaic solar cells mounted on the wings and horizontal stabilizers. These solar panels generate up to 25 kilowatts while in direct sunlight.

#### Electrical

The batteries onboard the SMV Thunderbird, which are charged by the solar panels fitted the exterior of the plane, provide additional and emergency power to the engines and onboard systems. In the event of a total power loss, electrical power stored in the batteries are diverted to the cockpit. This is to give the flight crew the time and equipment to attempt a landing. If there is enough power stored in the batteries, some can be sent to engines 3 and 4 (the inboard engines) to regain some thrust.

#### Hydrogen

Shortly before take-off, the SMV Thunderbird is equipped with a 120 kilogram Hydrogen cell, produced by the Hydrogen Energy Commission in the Research & Development Unit. This is to power the TFE-T350 engine used to aid in take-offs, usually, all of this Hydrogen cell is depleted during take-off. Because this Hydrogen cell is field-replaceable, it is sometimes replaced during her flight, to prepare her for a skirmish, from which she may have to escape from.

## Crew

Staff operating the SMV Thunderbird are split up into three crews:

### Control

The Control Crew of the SMV Thunderbird are responsible for the flying, navigation and radiocommunication of the plane, and as such operate in the cockpit. The crew is made up of four pilots, three flight engineers, two navigators, two radio operators (one for ATC and one for nearby aircraft). The Control Crew work 8-hour shifts, and each crew member has two counterparts.

### Flight

The Flight Crew of the SMV Thunderbird is the largest team of the three. The Flight Crew also consists of the Attack Squadron, responsible for defending the SMV Thunderbird.

#### Energy Technicians

At any one time, there can be many energy technicians onboard the SMV Thunderbird, as they each specialise in one field. There are four nuclear technicians for each reactor. There are four electrical engineers and two technicians from the Hydrogen Energy Commission. Like the Control Crew, these technicians typically perform 8-hour shifts, and have three teams.

#### Air Hospital

The Attack Squadron consists of:

* Nuclear Weapons Officer

## Specifications

**General characteristics**

* **Crew:** 11 (control crew - one shift (33 total)) and 40 (flight crew) and 35 (ground crew)
* **Length:** 120 m (393 ft 8 in)
* **Wingspan:** 275 m (902 ft 2 in)
* **Height:** 37.3 m (122 ft 3 in)
* **Empty weight:** 608,374 kg (1,341,235 lbs)
* **Gross weight:** 1,450,000 kg (3,196,702 lbs)
* **Max. takeoff weight:** 1,750,000 kg (3,858,089 lbs)
* **Fuel capacity:**
	+ 6,200 Ah battery (charged by solar panels)
	+ 5,000 MW (from two nuclear fission reactors)
	+ 120 kg (264 lbs) Hydrogen fuel-cell (replaceable)
* **Cargo Hold:**
* **Powerplant**:
	+ 6 x TFE-6T augmented turbofan engines, 458.2 kN (103,007 lbf) thrust each
	+ 1 x TFE-T350 Hydrogen after-burning turbofan engine, 350.4 kN (78,773 lbf) (used for takeoff)

**Performance**

* **Cruise speed:** 988 km/h (533 kn, 614 mph)
* **Maximum speed:** 1,333 km/h (720 kn, 828mph)
* **Range:** 300 days (7,114,587 km or 4,420,800 mi at cruise speed, fully loaded
* **Service ceiling:** 14,630.4 m (48,000 ft)
* **Rate of climb:** 157.4 m/s (safe) / 335.4 m/s (emergency)
* **Climb Angle**: 35° (safe) / 65° (emergency)
* **Thrust/weight:** 0.62 (empty) / 0.21 (WMTO)

**Avionics**

* White Wolves Targeting and Prediction System (TAPS)
* White Wolves Autonomous Weapons Control System (AWCS)
* White Wolves Advanced Situational Targeting System (ASTS)
* White Wolves Battlefield Analysis and Strategy Computer (BASC)
* White Wolves "Tesla" Electronic Warfare System (EWS)
* White Wolves "Omnivident" Radar & Sonar System Mk. III (ORSS)
* White Wolves Electromagnetic Shield (EMS)
* White Wolves "Super Synergy System" (S3)
* White Wolves IRIS Flight Control System, which includes:
	+ White Wolves AM, VHF, UHF AM, and UHF FM "Siren" Radio
	+ White Wolves GUARD survival radio
	+ White Wolves Electro-optical Distributed Aperture System
	+ White Wolves "Nightwatch" Thermal & Infrared Imaging System (TIIS)
	+ White Wolves IFF Interrogator & Transponder
	+ White Wolves "White Hare" frequency-hopping system
	+ White Wolves TACAN System
	+ White Wolves Radar Altimeter

**Armament**

* Nuclear armament
* Hardpoints: 12x

SMV Thunderbird NameplateSMV Thunderbird Seal