the Thunderwing Jet

The Thunderwing Jet is a modified F-22 Raptor that GI Joe uses in its never-ending battle against Cobra. This fifth-generation stealth fighter can penetrate enemy territory, attack and destroy targets, and then leave virtually undetected (save for all the destruction).

It is a super-sonic aircraft that is practically radar and heat invisible, and is hard to see or hear with the naked eye or ear. It is armed with a variety of weaponry depending on the mission, including radar-destroying beam weapons! The Thunderwing Jet has these specifications:

Bombs: if stealth is not an issue on its mission, additional bombs can be mounted on four hardpoints beneath the Thunderwing Jet's wings. Each can hold an explosive which inflicts rank value 40 Slashing (fragmentary) damage, raised by +1 RS for each doubling of bombs used.

Cannon: mounted in the starboard wing root of the Thunderwing Jet is a 20mm, six-barreled Vulcan cannon. This powerful weapon can fire short burst of ammunition to inflict rank value 30 Piercing damage, or be fired continuously to inflict rank value 40 Piercing damage.

Communications Array: the Thunderwing Jet is equipped with an extremely powerful, gigahertz-frequency, frequency-wobbler radio system. This makes for rank value 30 communications power (with a 500 mile range) that features rank value 30 signal encryption.

Flight: as a fifth generation fighter plane, the Thunderwing Jet can naturally fly. It has a 'supercruise' rating of Mach 1.82, with an overall top speed of Mach 2.25, either of which give it an overall flight speed of rank value 500 - easily enough to outpace most enemy craft.

Missile Launcher: the main projectiles of the Thunderwing Jet are hidden within the fuselage of the craft - until ready to fire. At this point, the top bay opens up and the Thunderwing's operators may fire from one to ten missiles from a rotary-barreled internal launcher.

This allows the Thunderwing Jet to dish out an amazing amount of damage if necessary, for each doubling of missiles that strikes its target will increase the base damage of said missiles by +1 RS. The Thunderwing Jet's missiles have these vehicular characteristics:

Radar Array: the Thunderwing has perhaps the most complicated radar system ever devised for an aircraft. There are over one hundred passive radar receivers placed about the craft, which are molded into its very frame, preventing them from interfering with its stealth configuration.

This passive system allows the Thunderwing Jet to receive radar emissions from other sources within rank value 30 range, or about 300 miles. Alternately, the Thunderwing Jet can make use of an active radar system, which is nigh-undetectable by outside parties.

The Thunderwing Jet manages this technological feat using a frequency wobbler system, which changes the radar emission frequency more than one thousand times per second, and uses a narrow aperture (two degrees) beam so that little more than the radar's target is 'painted' with it.

This allows the pilot or co-pilot of the Thunderwing Jet to use active radar without sacrificing the craft's stealth properties. When using active radar, the Thunderwing Jet can 'only' track targets with rank value 20 ability (100 mile range).

Finally, the beam on the Thunderwing Jet's radar can be used in an offensive fashion, in addition to the usual sensory function. This involves firing a focused beam of radio energy at enemy aircraft, which can physically disable such systems with rank value 40 ability.

Stealth: the Thunderwing Jet is a fifth generation combat craft, designed as a stealth fighter. Its very shape, the use of radar-absorbent materials in its construction, and engine modifications to disguise heat and sound emissions make the Thunderwing Jet hard to find.

It can be considered to have stealth capabilities of rank value 40 effectiveness, stymieing radar detection and infrared detection equally well. It can avoid the 'gaze' of acoustic sensors and even plain old vision while in flight with only rank value 20 capability.

Extra Goodies:

GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Thunderwing Jet:

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