F/A-92 Corsair

The F/A-92 Corsair was an Ammerinian 7th-generation multirole fighter-craft predominantly employed by the Imperial Aerospace Force, although it would also see extensive use among other Global Imperium of Nations militaries, especially later in its service history. Manufactured by Davenport Aerospace as part of the Centennial Strikecraft Initiative, the Corsair was developed as one of many new warfare technologies in the wake of the 10 Years War using technology acquired therein. It saw the flight of its first prototype in late 2043 and entered full service by 2048, replacing the aging GF-85 Firewing.

The F/A-92 Corsair was predominantly a dual-purpose air-to-air fighter and air-to-ground strike craft, immensely well-suited to air superiority roles with the exceptional short-range maneuverability and turning radius offered by its variable-sweep wing design and simultaneously capable of striking ground targets with retractable fuselage mounts for payloads of up to 20 light-medium 8 heavy ordnances. Almost all variants were equipped with a venerable pair of twin T-2 "Absolvitor" gauss autocannons that lent a great deal to the Corsair's infamous reputation in close-range dogfights.

Powered by an ER-3 Allenium Impulsion reactor/turbine system (a standard component of almost every Imperial combat vehicle decades on), the Corsair was not the least bit lacking in formidable speed. There were some later efforts to refit some crafts with PAHRS (Portable Antimatter Hydronium Reactor System) power units, but the higher potential explosive volatility during the sudden and extreme shifts in gravity and aerial maneuvers was deemed too great a risk for wide-scale implementation. Like most Imperial aircraft (and other aircraft of its day), the Corsair and its engines had full VTOL capabilities, but often operated as STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing) craft for convenience.

The Corsair held a fierce and deadly title over its long service history when it came to close-range air combat and ground support operations, being able to easily outmaneuver most other fighter-craft and rip their armor to shreds with its gauss cannons at short distances. However, the Corsair's notable Achilles heel was longer range aerial engagement, where it lacked the space for air-to-air missile systems many other planes of the day enjoyed and thus was infamously quite vulnerable to interceptors in spite of evasive maneuverability.

Service of the F/A-92 Corsair would persist over the following decades thanks to its highly modifiable design and fairly reliable reputation in spite of its shortcomings, being retrofitted into the MK. II design in 2065 which, beyond basic upgrades, traded the powerful gauss cannons for more compact plasma-casters so as to allow more space for other armaments and implemented a rudimentary energy shield system. Use by Ammerinia would eventually be phased out by 2081 in favor of the F/S-120 Judicator due to a shift in favor of such dually space and atmosphere capable craft, but the Corsair still remained in persistent use by the airforces other GIN-aligned nations like Antiarcia and the K.M.F.

Gallery
Artistic rendering of an F/A-92 Corsair.